When asked what I wanted for my birthday, I said I wanted to go to the Dobbin House for dinner. I had read that the Dobbin House was the oldest home in Pennsylvania. The house was established by Alexander Dobbin in 1776. Today the house has been fully restored. According to their web-site, National Register of Historic Places states, “The Dobbin House is a colonial restaurant where candlelit elegance, superior food in abundance, and gracious service bring back the sights, sounds and tastes of two centuries ago.”
Every room in the Dobbin house gives you the impression of elegance. Whether it is a night out with that special someone, or a celebration, the Dobbin House is the place to go. Each room is elegantly decorated, adding the ambience is the candles at each table. When you are finished or while waiting to dine, you can visit their museum and see how they played a part in the underground railroad.
The Dobbin House menu is limited by design, with a selection of Steak, Seafood, and Poultry. It was hard to decide, with everything sounding delicious. We selected the New York Colony Strip Steak and the Fresh Catch of the Day which happened to be Salmon. The one thing that struck me as strange, when the bread was brought to the table, I was surprised to find lukewarm dinner rolls, that you can find in any supermarket. We have the impression they were heated in the microwave. I would have expected that they bake their own rolls. Aside from this my meal was OK. The steak was cooked to my preference of medium rare, it was seasoned just right. I have no real complaints. At the same time, I have had better steak at chain restaurants.
The Salmon on the other hand was under seasoned. It is a major turn off when a person has to reach for the salt, to add seasoning to a dish. The Salmon was underwhelming. It just didn’t say fine dining. Eatable yes, fine dining, no. A standout of the meal was the soup of the day. For this evening’s meal, they were serving a corn crab soup. Definitely worth trying.
If you looking for a special night out, the Dobbin House should be on your list of places to try. There were some challenges, especially if you have experienced fine dining. For myself, I will be heading back because I want to try the fare at the Spring House Tavern. The Spring House Tavern is an underground bar that is part of the Dobbin House. Their lunch menu says must try. Let me know your thoughts below. Have you been to the Dobbin House?
