Deckard’s American Tavern

Mannn. I don’t want to do this. I like this place, we never have a bad time here, but it’s not exactly the most hopping place in town. The menu is good but stays pretty much the same. And the beer prices, although they do great generous samples, are a little bit high for the area of town. I want this place to work, I really do. The location is great, the people are great, and I’m generally happy with this place. We go here all the time, and I just really wish there weren’t so many problems.
The onion rings are good. I’d suggest them to suck up the suds :)

Wanted a quick burger without the «slow food with attitude» one gets at a local joint, but not the crap served at, say, Fridays. And close to midtown. Sounds like a tall order, but Deckard’s nailed it. The server was quick and attentive. She didn’t bat an eye at our custom orders, spilled drinks, or asking for the tab as soon as we got our food.
Burgers, fries, and onion rings were all fresh, juicy, tasty, cripsy as applicable. In fact, the burger was a standout. Just the right size (not a huge chunk of meet) and toppings complimented, rather than overwhelmed (I had the Greek Turkey burger, sans turkey).
I’ll be back ASAP.

Food was not good. I ordered the grilled chicken salad and it was the worst salad I have ever ordered! It was all greens and chicken. I thought a salad comes with other vegetables like tomatoes.
The place is HUGE but quite empty especially for a weekend. i came here on a Saturday for a large party. They had enough space for 35 of us even though we didn’t need all 35 seats.

I came with a huge group and Deckard’s took good care of us and they should since the place was fairly empty for a Saturday night.
I wasn’t too hungry so I got the fried pickles and tomato soup. Tomato soup was normal. The order of fried pickles was huge and definitely shareable among people. As far as taste goes, these pickles are definitely the dill variety. I disliked the ratio of thin pickle slice to heavy beer-​batter, so I wasn’t a huge fan. Others around me ordered the burger which looked great. Decent beers available too.
Deckard’s is like a better Taco Mac, but with less beer selection. It’s a solid, casual place for watching sports or hanging out. Food is definitely better quality, although I’ll still take Taco Mac’s TMI wings any day.
The OTP’er in me is thankful for the private parking lot with ample spaces. Street parking bothers me and so does paid parking or valet.

I came here with a very large group on a weekend night, around 8:30 — 9:00pm. With it being the middle of summer, and no real sports draws on TV but the Olympics, the restaurant was doing some business, but at the same time was fairly empty. During the fall/​spring, I could see this place being a popular place to watch sports with the TVs they have mounted in nearly every direction.
The highlight of the night was the staff. I know accommodating a big group of ~30 people can be a frustrating experience, but the staff was on point. The waitresses were very efficient in order taking and came by constantly to top off or refill drinks. To add to the hassle, we all had separate (or coupled) checks, and those were brought out quickly and they were all accurate. Finally, at the end of the meal, another staffer even offered to go out of her way and help us get a group shot on the entrance stairs. Deckard’s is an excellent place for a group.
Although the service was great, the food left something to be desired. I ordered the House Burger medium-​well with Mac & Cheese as my side. The burger came out closer to medium-​rare and tasted just okay. The side came out 2 minutes late, but that’s kind of understandable with the size of our group. The side was huge… almost as big or bigger than the burger itself. But the side was also just like the burger… just okay. It tasted kind of like cafeteria mac & cheese… not bad, not great.
I wish I were a drinker because their selection looks pretty solid and I assume is a selling point for this place. In short, the people here are wonderful and this place is great for a group, especially if you want to sit back and enjoy a beer and a game, but don’t expect all that much from the entrees. Or maybe just stick with appetizers like the wings or rings… you can’t mess those up too much, right?

It is sometimes easy to take a stab at a place like this; are we corporate or are we cool? Fact is for a place lurking in the same vibe and similar setting as a Front Page News, one of «Those» diners, or any tacky over polyurethaned sports bar for example Deckard’s food, vibe, and service smoke them all. Located on top of the entry/​exit of the Poncey/​Highlands Home Depot shopping center it has plenty of parking and easy access which to me doesn’t really matter but to my boss it does.
A gem of the Deckard’s establishment is the chef’s burger. Yes it’s price point is kind of awesome at $ 6 w/​fries BUT it’s definitely a good, a darn good burger. I always tend to order meats rare or medium rare anyway but if you do like your burger on the redder side order it rare and it will most likely come out medium/​med rare. If it’s drinks you are looking for Deckard’s has quite a tap, bottle, can, and full bar selection you know, for those ‘power’ lunches.
There are TV stringed along the wall so you can ignore the people you are with and keep up with the latest in world news or your favorite team on ESPN. I always sit at the bar so I don’t have to wait to be seated but they do have a very nice patio as well. Enjoy!

I was dragged to Deckard’s by a friend so he could watch the Euro 2012 soccer match. The interior of the restaurant was a pleasant surprise and the seating was well-​decorated and comfortable. Our server was quite friendly and helped me whittle down my meal choice and beverage. I can’t remember the name of my drink, but it was vodka, lemonade, and ginger. It was tasty, well-​made, and the ginger masked the fact that this drink packed quite a punch. And I mean that in a good way.
But, the food. Oh my goodness! The food was amazing. My burger was perfectly medium and I couldn’t stop eating. The onion rings were hot and crispy and the sauce was a perfect accompaniment to the rings. I would gladly sit through soccer to eat here and that’s a high compliment.

I know a lot of people haven’t heard of Deckard’s necessarily, but it has a pretty great location. Located right above Willy’s in the Whole Foods shopping plaza across from City Hall East.
I had originally said, «Deckard’s has a lot going for it! Except handicapped people!» Which is, a lie. Whenever I have been to Deckard’s I enter up a long stairwell. It’s perfectly handicap-​accessible with ramps and elevators.
All of the food I’ve eaten here has been good without trying to be trendy. I unashamedly cleaned my plate dry. My favorites are the pretzel bread with cheese as an appetizer, and their turkey burger. Each person I ate with really enjoyed their meal. Their grilled wings are delicious when you’ve got that craving. They’re smothered, sided with fries or your choice, and gorgonzola, which I don’t think I’ve had anywhere else!
For a sports bar look, it’s cozy. There’s a lot of seating, though, with patio options as well. I bet it gets packed for big games, but every time I have been here, it’s been no problem to have a large group seated.
One of the main reasons to come to Deckard’s would be for the beer list. It’s a winner, for sure. Your beer loving friends will really appreciate the options. They offer flights for their beer of the month, where you get to sample four for $ 15. If you’re not a beer drinker, you’ll be paying upwards of $ 8 for a cocktail or glass of wine.
My only «whut?» is that the «exciting» new edition to the menu is offering pitchers of PBR. Yet… no pitchers of anything else. They’re keeping it classy-​ish.
There’s a good deal called Yuengs & Wings, that serves eight wings, a side, and a Yuengling draft… but when my friend ordered it, the server forgot his beer. Not all servers are created equally, so I’ll take this as a fluke. (Yes, he got his beer, eventually… after asking)
I’m not really a burger gal, unless I go out for a burger specifically.
I would generally deem this a burger-​heavy restaurant, but they have great salads, entrees, and sandwich options, too.

Deckard’s gets good marks because they try. I don’t care for everything I try there, but the quality is always great. They use Spotted Trotter sausage, so that’s a good beginning. When executed, the food is pretty good. Quality seems a little spotty based on the time of day/​week you go.
They do have brunch on the weekends and a few specials during the week. 15 or so beers on tap. Everything rotates, there is always something new. They’ll make a pretty good Bloody Mary, especially nice with brunch.
Think Taco Mac, but classier. They have many running specials and beer features throughout the month.

My first visit to Deckard’s was a 2 star experience. Service was fine, but my sandwich was painfully dry and tasteless. I decided to come back for lunch recently and things were much better this time around.
I’m on the wagon so unfortunately couldn’t partake in their impressive beer selection, but I have to say, the Diet Coke was delicious. They’ve got their fountain on point. And yes, I can tell the difference. The tomato soup was pretty solid and a good portion for the price, and the turkey panini was also nice, although a little spicier than I had expected. Given the bland and dry sandwich I had on my first visit, I was impressed that they had kicked it up such a large notch.
When I get off the wagon, you better believe I’ll be back here.

Went here for lunch. Tried the mothership wit beer. They called it closed to a heefe weisen, which it is not really. Irrespectively it was quite good.
The restaurant has been around on ponce for almost a year. It has both an indoor and an outdoor area. The setting is spacious and like a sportsbar. The inspiration is German with October fest and sausages.
We had house burger. Asked for medium rare, it came out closer to medium. It was tasty and very good.
The service is attentive and to the point. Knew the drink menu and had good suggestions on beer and food.
Certainly going back to try dinner.

I have had the pleasure to come here a few times and the cool thing is the beer list and food menu change slighty, often.
The service is laid back, atmoshpere is on a more upscale side (but don’t worry, I have been in here on my worst days), and there is always a security guard to greet you at the front door.
What used to be a Japanese Steakhouse is like an upscale Taco Mac.
The starters range from huge @$$ onion rings and chicken wings and cheese plates to inventive salads.
They always have changing sandwiches as well– one of my favorites (and cheap for $ 7) is the farmhouse ham and swiss sandqich with pit beer mustard.
They do have access as well to a local charcuterie, which is cool having meats staying local.
There is also pint nights here, where you get to keep the glass. There are about 30 beers on tap and even more in the bottles!
The bathrooms are cool as well, and are equipped with dyson hand dryers.
The patio is great too and has tvs– but sometimes look out for hecklers.

Definitely better than expected. The presentation, service and quality of food is all very good. I’ve only been once but the burgers seem to be excellent and very well cooked. Made exactly to your desire.
I got the kielbasa omlette, but will need to come back for the burger with pimento cheese on it.

Ambience inside is great — outdoor seating available, dark inside, lots of flat screen TV’s and very spacious. Service was friendly and fairly quick.
(- drinks -)
Tons of beers to choose from, and a fair handful on tap. I love ciders, and they have original sin: not on the menu, but 6% by volume & delicious!
(- appetizers -)
LOVE the «bag of pretzels» here — super soft & warm, not overly salted either.
(- entrees -)
Chargrilled chicken salad was also great — a bit salty, but delicious.
Only downside is that it’s a bit far from the highlands. Definitely would come back though!

I was out looking for something different for lunch and ran out of ideas. Often when I’m out of ideas, I head to Whole Foods for their salad bar for something simple. As I turned into the parking lot (say hello to the day laborers) I noticed the Deckard’s sign. I remember when it first opened, I said to myself I wanted to check them out one day. It’s now that day.
The place looks very nice, I was very impressed once I got upstairs. Friendly faces and welcoming smiles were plentiful all around. It wasn’t crowded so I got a chance to walk around the place… again, very nice!
Now the food;
When I walk into a bar, I like to see what’s on tap or at least have an idea by looking at the different bar taps. Not so much here, I had to be seated and presented with a menu to get an Idea. Not disappointed by the selections at all… Left-​hand Milk Stout = WINNER!
I ate the Char Grilled Chicken Sandwich (ciabatta, roasted red peppers, hot sauce, arugula and greek feta) and to mix it up, I ordered a bowl of mash potatoes… and loved it. A highly recommended chicken sandwich for anyone. I will return, this place impressed me a lot. More to come…

Great food– I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious my entrée was: Greek Chicken (rotisserie chicken w/​olives, capers, lemon & a side of mashed potatoes & fresh arugula). The dish was very well made and tasty, though a little on the salty side– to be expected with olives & capers. We also ordered fries with black pepper gravy for an appetizer– perfectly crisped skin-​on fries, hugely generous portion served in a long wooden board, with a tasty gravy to dip or pour over the fries. The only miss was the scotch egg my friend ordered– blech, a perfectly softboiled egg was covered in what I can only describe as fine wood shavings and dirt.
Service– The first time I was here was on a VERY busy night, during a major sporting event so ok service for the restaurant being so slammed… they seemed to employ a teamwork system to get the overstuffed tables beveraged/​watered/​served. It still was a LONG time before I finally got my beverage though.
Ambiance– Nice vibe, with brick walls, wood floors & details, long bar area and exposed ceilings. A good step up from the usual sports bar type atmosphere. The 2^nd floor space with patio will be a great place to go in warmer weather.

Solid three star tavern for now. I’ve had uneven experiences. Some 4 and some 2, so three it is.
The first night I came in for a beer and cheese pairing that was seriously OUT OF THIS WORLD AMAZING. They had a dude from Stone and Victory who was incredibly knowledgeable about cheese. The pours were large as were the cheese samplings. Many cheeses were those that I had never heard about but were interesting and delicious. For $ 25 this was a steal in my book. Bravo to the organizers for this one. Home run!
On my next visit we snacked and drank. The atmosphere is great because it’s never slammed busy so you can always chat with the bartenders and other patrons.
The food is where this place needs some work in my opinion. First off, although everyone and their mother loves the onion rings I thought they were terrible. Maybe the oil or batter was old but the taste was very bad. My date and I both left them untouched.
Next off was the scotch egg that was fennel-​ed out of being edible. Too strong of a taste for me.
As a brother of Taco Mac the beer list is decent, though not as long as TM itself.
I’ll be back to try the regular menu and I have faith that some of the food issues will work themselves out.

Oy vey, it makes me sad to give this cool new spot 3 stars. I really, really wanted to like it. Really!
We were here for a beer and cheese tasting a few weeks ago which was in a word, FANTASTIC. Love the beers, the cheese, the owner (Mr. Deckard himself!), the servers, and the pretzel rolls they gave us to try. I especially loved the whole restaurant space: cozy yet modern, casual yet chic. Intimate. Seems like a great place for a beer lover to just hang out and meet up with other beer-​loving buddies. It’s more beer and food, less sports bar; but just enough TVs hang around to watch the game.
Immediately infatuated, I bought a $ 50 gift certificate from Half-​Off Depot for $ 25. My boyfriend and I went for date night a few Fridays ago, and I loved the space just as much as the first time we went. It’s still not busy enough at Deckards where I still feel «cool» going there. It feels like a neighborhood spot still — but I know if and when it gets bustling with customers it will feel less so.
No matter who I talked to about Deckards, they insisted that I *must* try to the Onion Rings. I’m told they are epic. We ordered them ($ 7!), and they were terrible. Truly, really gross. I had half of a small ring and could not eat any more. They have a really funky, almost chemical taste to them. I could not put my finger on what it was that made them taste so bad. My boyfriend also hated them, so I know I’m not crazy. The plate came with a LOT of rings, and after only 2, we pushed them aside. We could tell our server was reluctant to pick the plate up off the table, finally asking us an hour later if we were done? Did we… want a box? But she did not ask if we didn’t like them or if they taste okay, which is usually good form if you don’t finish a good portion of food on your plate.
At a second attempt, we ordered the scotch egg. Another dish people rave about. It took a short while to get the egg to our table, and when it finally did I was again, unimpressed. I had a bite or two but seriously cannot understand why everyone thinks it’s so amazing. My boyfriend like the dish a little better, but also agreed it was not mind blowing.
One of the managers came over and mentioned that he was going to comp us for «that dish» and apologized. We had no clue what he was talking about– but were hoping he got word that we hated the famous onion rings. We asked «…what dish is being comped?» and he told us that the scotch egg would be removed. He said they made the first scotch egg and it turned out wrong and they had to start over. Honestly, we didn’t wait THAT long for the dish to come out… it took a while, but not abnormally so. While it was a nice move, he did not have to comp us since we were not really that upset.
There’s a great deal of beers here, which is Deckard’s major selling point. But you have to know the beers are unique. While big brother Taco Mac is selling every beer imaginable, Deckard’s is selling hard-​to-​find beers. I really enjoyed that portion of our experience. However, the taps at the bar are not labeled, so it makes it impossible to quickly choose a beer when you first sit.
We will be back here for beers, but after two misses I won’t be trying the food again.

What a find here… After a family stroll over to Olive Bistro, we looked across the lot and saw that this place had opened, where several other food establishments had failed. Knowing that Olive Bistro doesn’t have much that the kids like, we decided to try it out… and so glad we did.
For starters, the place is well designed and has a sense of comfort with class. We were greeted by very personable staff as we were lead to the great outdoor patio, that feels nothing like your sitting right off Ponce de Leon. We were quickly joined by Chris, our server, who was sharp, accommodating and a lot of fun… hence the 30% tip he got. It may sound trite, but the kids each even got their own 5 piece crayon set… We just got back from Disney and even Rain Forest Café only gave them two each… Had to mention that, just because it is one of several small details that made our experience great.
So, the food… They graciously got the kids meals out quickly, since we were all starving. Their pasta was very tender and perfectly flavored. While my wife enjoyed the perfectly cooked short ribs, I indulged in one of their signature Skillet dishes, the shrimp and scallops in a curry sauce to be specific. I am going to keep this short because I could go on forever about it… The skillet dish was a perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked bowl of heaven. The curry had a unique flavor that did not take away from the select morsels of shrimp and scallops. I did not want this savory moment to end, thank goodness they give you what you pay for… meaning the portions were right on. Most places that serve such quality ingredients don’t give you much of them. Not the case here, you will definitely not leave hungry.
Don’t miss out on Deckared’s. Aside from a great atmosphere and staff, the food is excellent and prepared by a true chef. They say the menu changed on a weekly basis, so there should always be fresh ideas and flavors coming out of this kitchen.
Chris

Started off with the Scotch Egg, so far so good. It could be a bit more crispy but a solid appetizer
The Beer list is epic, lots of great bottles and about 25 taps.
Service was good and most of the prices were reasonable but some were all over the place. 9 bucks for a burger was ok but $ 5 for sides and 13 for a salad seemed a bit extreme. I didn’t try the salad so dont get me wrong, it could very well be worth 13 bucks ;)
The burger was ok, but the real star of the show was the onion rings these were awesome! Make sure you request some red pepper aioli it goes awesome with the burger and rings.
Looking forward to coming back and trying the wings. Its also worth noting the parking is great here, plenty of places and I doubt they will charge a valet cause its in a shopping center.
This is a great beer spot for poncey highlands and I hope they add some specials like a local or specialty craft beer night. My old favorite bar back home did a night where they featured a beer and you could keep the glass. Hint hint ;)