Hob Tavern - BORDENTOWN

I visited this restaurant last week and was informed by the bartender that all vegan items, including the French fries, are cooked in the same fryers as non-vegan items. While I appreciated the transparency, I found the fries to taste a bit strange. The restaurant is small, so perhaps they don't have space for separate fryers.

Was very excited to try this tavern while in the area as it seemed to have many options for vegans. However, this ended up not being the case when ordering, as I found out the fries were not vegan because they are cooked in the same oil as the animal products. Okay, big deal, that's pretty common at omni restaurants. But when I ordered my entree, the chickpea fritters, my waiter informed me that it was same case for anything else fried. So that left ONE option marked vegan as actually being vegan: the baked tofu club. It was pretty good, but certainly not my first or second choice of dinner. Was very disappointed about the misleading menu, as I would have had no idea unless I asked about the fries. I'm sure many have assumed items marked vegan would be free of cross contamination, and would be upset to learn that their meal was cooked in the same oil as chicken wings or mozzarella sticks, especially if they have food allergies. My hope is that HOB will learn from this and use separate oil for vegan options. Or at the very least, disclose on menu about cross contamination. As it stands, I cannot recommend HOB Tavern to vegans.

Today (Sunday) we met friends at HOB Tavern. Although there was only a vegan appetizer available on the reduced Sunday bar menu, the waitress kindly offered to check if they could make me a vegan sandwich from the regular menu. They were able to accommodate my request, and I must say, it was wonderful to be able to enjoy a vegan option at a bar. Bordentown, where the tavern is located, is a charming town with a rich history and a pleasant Main Street filled with unique shops.

The bar food at this restaurant is absolutely delicious! I tried the cauli-parton, a fried cauliflower sandwich, and my husband had the club with coconut bacon. It's great to be able to enjoy tasty fried dishes along with a quality beer.

I've been going to the HOB for years and they have long had vegetarian options, and have always been very easy in accomodating for any vegan modifications I wanted. Now they have really started expanding their vegan menu, and those dishes are much more than an afterthought, they aren't just a modification of a menu dish, but fully realized items on their own. Updated from previous review on 2021-06-13 Updated from previous review on 2021-06-13