Beer program helps The Horse retain relevance
The Horse Tavern & Grill, just off Bethlehem Pike in Sellersville, has long been a local respite.
Built in 1757 in what was then West Rockhill Township, the hotel was already in operation for 20 years when the Liberty Bell was spirited from Philadelphia to Allentown just a few short miles away.
Long known as “The White Horse Hotel,” the restaurant was taken over from previous owner Bill Warren in 2005 by current proprietors Mike Carey and David Adelsberger. As they revamped the menu, they added items and kept some old favorites, making for a relatively standard but varied selection of bar food, sandwiches and more.
In classic tavern style, there’s a bevy of appetizer options like pot stickers, loaded potato skins and nachos. There are also 16 different wing sauces, and a dedicated seafood appetizer section with popcorn shrimp, mussels, tuna tataki and more.
If you’re looking for something handheld, there are several different burger options, including a vegan roasted garlic quinoa burger, as well as grilled chicken sandwiches, Reubens and more. If you’re looking for a full entrée, the likes of crab cakes, lemon chicken, baconwrapped meatloaf and baby back ribs are available. Each come with a side salad.
Setting and decor: The Horse Tavern’s exterior, and even much of the interior, belies its true age.
The white exterior with red shutters and accents stands out. A fenced-off, spacious outdoor dining area allows for al fresco dining and drinking during fair weather.
The interior features a gaming room — with pinball, darts and jukebox — a main dining area and a large wrap-around bar. We sat in the dining area which was comprised mostly of tables and a few mini two-person booths.
There are some clues to the building’s age — old stonework here and there — and hardwood floors add to the old-school pub ambiance. Classic rock played over the speakers, and small televisions spread throughout the dining area were tuned to a variety of different sports.
Food: My wife went with the Italian pulled pork ($11.99), a Sellersville take on the Philly classic roast pork and broccoli rabe sandwich. The kitchen allows you to choose from the prescribed bread choice or swap for a wrap or grilled pita. My wife eschewed the classic long roll and decided on the pita option.
Flattened in a panini press and scored with crosshatched grill marks, the chunks of slowroasted pork were encased in gooey melted provolone and sautéed spinach. Flavorful, nicely seasoned and garlicky, it was a hit.
My gouda jam burger ($12.99 on the menu but $11.99 on the bill) fared less well. I requested
medium rare, but the outside of the patty appeared to be overcooked, with the inside exhibiting the same issue. The meat was still fine, owing to the sloppy but excellent smoked gouda cheese sauce piled on top, and the salty, delicious bacon jam on the bottom.
The grilled bun tasted good and held up surprisingly well given the burger’s messy nature. Both my burger and my wife’s pulled pork pita came with a side of chips and pickle slices.
I must also compliment the beer program at the restaurant. While the rest of the bar menu is pedestrian, the tap list included seasonal staple Bell’s Hopslam and Goose Island’s Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout, among other macro beers and a total of 25 different options. The multi-page bottle list also offers a lot of choices.
Service: The service at the Horse Tavern was aloof from the start, with a seat-yourselfin-the-dining-room policy that left us first wondering, “How