Wildcat Inn & Tavern

The music on Hoot night was great, like it usually is, but the rest of the evening was a letdown. Four of us waited 45 minutes before anyone took care of us, then another 40 minutes after our first drinks before someone asked if we were ready to order. The fish chowder had shrunk to a small serving with hardly any fish, basically a little cup of potato chowder for $8.95. Even the fries were a noticeably smaller portion, despite the price having gone up in just three weeks. There’s nothing reasonably priced on the menu, with a pretzel at $18.95. Friends who ate here a couple of weeks ago paid $28 for two pints. That feels like gouging. This place has become mostly a miss for me. I’d suggest charging a cover for the music and lowering the menu prices.

Sarah was pleasant and attentive as our waitress, and Meredith was incredible to watch. Stew, she’s a keeper, clearly juggling several different roles. We’ve been visiting and staying at the WIldcat Inn and Tavern for years after Thanksgiving, and everyone has always made us feel welcome. We’ve never been disappointed in the food. My husband had the awesome pork chop a few times this visit and couldn’t get enough. The music is great on Friday and Saturday nights, and we’re lucky to catch Hoot Night on Tuesdays. We hope to see Meredith and Sarah next year, or hopefully sooner.

The rooms at the inn are quaint, and the waitstaff is always great. In scenic Jackson NH, the tavern is a lot of fun, with live music a few nights each week. We especially like Tuesday Hoot night, the open mic. They have a good range of craft cocktails, and although the menu changes, it usually includes burgers, pasta, fish, and some kind of beef.

We were turned away from Hoot night on our Christmas holiday visit, even though the tavern looked less than half full and plenty of bar seats were open. We arrived at 5:30 for dinner and drinks before the music, as we always do, and were told every seat was being held for reservations. I asked if we could at least eat, but got a no, delivered very rudely, as if I’d never been there or were some bum off the street. My 23-year-old son was visiting from Florida, and we’d planned this as usual. We’ve been coming to the Wildcat for over 20 years, often 15 times or more a year, and plan trips around Hoot night. Our bill is usually in the hundreds, and this one would have been too. After traveling so far, we were badly disappointed. We watched them turn away several other parties who wanted dinner and had come early for Hoot night. People like my family helped keep the place going in the slow season, but there’s no loyalty here. This was a poor decision, and I expect other turned-away patrons feel the same. John, I think you should have stepped in. The way this was handled made you look just as bad. Treating the people who support your livelihood this way could lead to the place’s demise. The food is subpar and the lodging is too, though the drinks were always good and John brought something special. We won’t return. So long.