Bull’s Head Inn

Great visit — has been a while since my last one. This time picked up my daughter from SUNY Cobleskill for the summer and wanted a special lunch to celebrate her hard work. We enjoyed our lunch — found out they hand grind their hamburgers in the kitchen. My daughter enjoyed the wings and homemade chips. This is not a place to go in a hurry and fit our bill for a nice, leisurely lunch after packing up her townhouse in the pouring rain. Don’t miss the desserts — we split the S’mores one and really liked it. Our server was very nice. Chris, one of the owners, stopped by to say hello. This place is beautiful.

We stopped here on our drive to New Hampshire. When we arrived there we were only one of two diners so we thought we lucked out. The service was incredibly slow as there was only one waitress. The portions were very large as well. I found the crab cakes to be filled with lump meat and breaded in cornmeal, interesting but very good. My salad did not taste fresh as it was ice cold somi assumed it was premade and refrigerated the night before. If the waitress had more help the service would have been a better experience. Overall, the food was just ok.

Stopped for lunch while antiquing. Never thought I would find a great place such as this. Owner greated us as wr sat inan extraordinary atmoaphere and shared history on renovating a 200 year old estate home, inn, and later… Food was exceptional and at REASONABLE prices. Waitstaff very freindly. Charming, cozy, romantic. …highly reccomended
Gary

I’ve been here twice and had take-​away twice. First visit was a disaster (and will discuss it after quick and easy pros and cons list). I’ll list off pros and cons, per normal, and back story, if you’re interested in more detail:
PROS:
The restaurant renovation — it is GORGEOUS! Lots of attention to detail. Although, the bar still isn’t finished & owner said it’ll be done when it’s done, but Chieftan’s has a great one if you like a bar setting.
The wings — although they aren’t true buffalo style (with the crisp), they’re good, and the bleu cheese dressing is nice along with celery (a lot of restaurants aren’t doing celery anymore, which should be standard)
Seasoning — except for the prime rib not having au jus, the rest of the food has been seasoned quite well and had good flavor. The crème brûlée on 2^nd visit was scrumptious!
Nice-​sized menu — some things are extremely pricey (especially for the area, so this wouldn’t be my go to spot), but it is a nice sized menu for people with gluten allergies (although, PLEASE, see my warning below if you have Celiac’s).
On second visit, unlike the first, we were checked on a LOT. This was nice. The chef made my partner a batch of gluten-​free bread. Super nice, but my fiancé had 3 different orders of food in front of him and felt guilty had nothing. Again, just a suggestion, but you NEED to be doing standard bread baskets (that are GOOD) at the table at the start of the meal.
CONS:
Inexperienced management and waitstaff — I will go into detail below, but this meal isn’t going to be cheap, so things should go top notch from start to finish, not perfect, just solid. Keep learning & growing!
Gluten-​free is NOT gluten-​free — On second visit, my fiancé told the server he couldn’t eat gluten, so was pleased to see a lot on the menu and wanted the GF wings. The server came back to ask if it was okay if the wings were fried in the same oil as the things fried with gluten. Kind of shocked us a bit. This was SUPER nice of her, but there should NEVER be GF on a menu if you’re using the same oil to fry things or make things that were made with gluten. GF means the oil is GF and the space (counter/​prep area) has no cross contamination. Most customers will assume GF means you’re NOT actually cross-​contaminating, using the same oil, etc. For my fiancé, any gluten wreaks havoc on his system for weeks after and anyone with a gluten-​allergy will pay tremendously even for a speck of the stuff.
The bread basket — I still love this part of a meal. On my first visit, my brother had to ask (after an hour) if we could get crackers or a bread basket since no food had been delivered. The manager brought us one about twenty minutes later that had two biscuits in it. (We were a table of 5) The biscuits were small and again, biscuits. No bread. We kind of just looked at each other in disbelief and since I had a hungry 4-​year old, I just buttered and gave her one.
Polenta with wild mushrooms — Everything in this is a pro EXCEPT for the sauce. Polenta was amazing, seasoned perfectly, but swap out the ragu for a cream-​based garlic sauce with the same mushrooms and it would be amazing. Red sauce just doesn’t work, hides those beautiful mushrooms and tasted terrible, but I scraped it off and ate the polenta. Best polenta I’ve had EVER.
1^st visit — my daughter wanted to go here for her birthday. I made a reservation 2 wks in advance specifying she was turning 23, loved nice restaurants & chose this one, yes, I wanted a dessert surprise, etc. We arrived to a bit of chaos, the female server took our bar order, we ordered appetizers, which took about 45 minutes to an hour (we were the only table at the time). We had to ask for a bread basket or even crackers (for the 4-​yo who was starved). We didn’t get drinks refilled as no one asked or was around in the dining room, including the mgr. It wasn’t busy. I had to bring my son back to SUNY Coby & my brother said he’d have our meals boxed and ordered coffee. The server asked my daughter if she wanted her birthday dessert, ruining the surprise, I wasn’t even THERE, obviously, my daughter said «no», the server also refused to box up the food saying it makes her sick. We never complained and I still left a 25% tip, but I left unhappy. Owner had the mgr contact me (wasn’t sure how he knew we were unhappy) who said server had 2 other tables who complained & she had lied about her experience and had been dismissed. I felt bad about it as we didn’t complain, BUT upon my return, the fired server still worked there. I don’t get why we were lied to, but noticed the server was still quite bad. Our new server was great though! And that’s my novella!

Had an Excellent Dinner there on Saturday Night; met the owner Chris, who has done an amazing job renovating the place! Atmosphere was excellent, if you go try the Reuben egg rolls! Staff was friendly, service was spot on, food was great, This place is a must if you are in the area!

I’ve been back twice now and the food was good both times. Service was good and it made it one of the better places to eat in Cobleskill.

So, ate here for lunch today and was satisfied but felt there is still room for improvement. Thought the food selection was tame and not very imaginative. but the chicken salad sandwich tasted good. It has been fixed up pretty nice and accomadated our large group with ease. Hope it continues to do a good business.

We have been here 3 times. The first two where on dinner dates just my husband and I and the third most recent was with my whole family, including 2 under the age of 4. First thing I will say is the staff with our kids was AMAZING and understanding that since my 18 month old decided that night to be a pain and we had to walk him around and take him outside several times. We don’t go often, becuase it is on the more expensive side, but every appetizer we have had has been fantastic (if you have kids with you get the antipasto!). They have a great kids menu the chicken tender skewers are fun and the pasta has options!!! Their main courses are good, the skate I had my first time was tasty, the hunters plate was great wild game, and the duck was fantastic (my hubby had prime rib and burgers, he liked the burgers better). The 1802 baked pudding is to die for so make sure to try it!!! I can’t wait for the pub to open too and we will be regulars for sure then!!!

I was in town for business and stopped in because the outside looked so inviting. I had dinner at the bar and it was a great experience. The place is beautiful (and very clean) inside. Someone in another review posted a picture of the old refrigerator. It was very cool and a sight to see.
Everyone from hostess to bartender to waiter and owner were very friendly. You could see they were trying to create a warm dining experience.
Great place, great people and great food. I’d go again!

We were on a weekend gateway from NYC to omegang brewery and our friend recommended this place. I’m not a resident in the area, but during a friend’s wedding last year I left with the impression that there is really not many restaurants around truly to the concept. Except for Justine’s, which I recommend as well but it is a completely different cuisine (Italian) and experience. While leaving, I kept thinking how greatly impressed we were in all aspects about Bull’s Head Inn. From the beautiful interior to excellent service to the cuisine approach. Everything was somehow unexpected.
For instance, Bulls head inn is 213 yrs old. However, like the best wine, aging have been no other but a blessing. Imagine an alive historic landmark like time has not pass by at all converted into a fine dining restaurant with a family feeling approach. The menu features simple and tasty dishes constructed over quality ingredients. Our group ordered to share a few appetizers including Rueben Egg Roll, a corned beef filling wonton dress up with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and red pepper and Crabcakes, super crispy with corn flour where you can actually taste the crab flavor. I ordered the Chicken Confit Salad with Arugula and Baby Spinach as base greens and loved the contrasting flavor given by almonds, dried cranberries and sliced apple. My friends’s diverse meat orders were well cooked and busting on flavor, and the Bruleed Salmon which is seared in brown sugar with roasted potatoes and green beans was a surprise in flavor and textures as well. Portions are large and presentation is clean and beautiful. The drinks menu offers a great selection and some exquisite sips by the bar that you may wanna hit after dinner.
Even when at first it looks like a high end restaurant experience, the warming welcome and service does make you feel like among family. A tour around the house is likely a welcome request to admire antiques and details in every corner. For instance, don’t miss the refrigerator by the bar. And I leave it here. Just ask about it.

My wife and I were just passing through, with an overnight stay in Cobleskill. We found this restaurant on Unilocal and were delighted beyond our expectations. The greeting we received upon entry was warm and genuine. The waitress was really kind and solicitous, despite our running dietary restrictions at her.
The food is exquisite. The chef has a deft hand, and doesn’t resort to oversalting or drowning in sauce. Rather, the main courses were done to perfection, with my wife’s salmon nicely caramelized on one side and the right level of moist within. My steak was perfectly cooked as I had ordered it (medium rare) and was on a bed of locally fresh-​picked tender but not mushy green beans. And crispy potatoes that had just the right texture.
As a special treat, we ordered in advance the 1802 pudding for two. Think French clafoutis, but with some dark chocolate added to the cherries. More eggy than cream-​based, it was delicious yet not overpoweringly rich. At $ 8.00 for a desert you split, we felt this was a very fair price.
A wonderful restaurant!

There is so much history in this building, it was established in 1802. The atmosphere is simply fantastic, it really has a colonial inn feel from the tables, to the fireplace to the lighting, etc. I think the restaurant is worth visiting for that alone, just to see a part of history that is over 200 years old. You would go to see the building, but you will be wowed by their food.
The Food:
Lobster Bisque– I thought their bisque was great, it had so much flavor. I really liked the creaminess of the soup and the nice vinegar kick from the sherry. The nice chunks of lobster was an added bonus.
Rueben Egg Roll– Corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and red pepper rolled in a crispy wonton with Russian Dressing. It’s an East meets West dish and it totally worked. The wonton was nicely crisp and the stuffing of the corner beef and kraut were great. Then the Russian dressing ties everything together nicely.
Crabcakes– pan seared, corn flour dusted crab cakes with a creole remoulade. I love me some remoulade and I especially love it with me crabcakes. The crabcakes were nice, they had a nice crab flavor without being too bread-​y and the fried shallots on top were a nice contrast in texture and added a wonderful onion note.
Wings– I enjoyed the wings, I really liked the flavor of them but it kinda surprised me that they weren’t battered and fried. I automatically think of fried but these were a great alternative, they were bursting with flavor and they had a nice char on the outside. I enjoy crunch but these were definitely respectable wings.
Bruleed Salmon– Atlantic Salmon seared with brown sugar dust accompanied with roasted potatoes. The first thing that catches my eye on any fish dish is how they prepare the skin and the skin here was AMAZING! The skin was so crispy and crackly, it was simply fantastic. The salmon was prepared to a nice medium, it had a nice wonderful sweetness from the bruleed brown sugar and the accompanied vegetables were cooked to perfection. I enjoyed this dish.

The food here is quite good; the service is good — timely and friendly, if somewhat inexperienced in some aspects (wine was poured without offering a sample); and the atmosphere is welcoming.
The tables are generously spaced and a pleasantly low noise level makes conversation possible without shouting (as opposed to what is so often the case today in trendy, upscale restaurants– drives me crazy!).
So far, I can recommend the skate and the crab cakes — delicious! This is probably the best restaurant within a 20 mile radius.

I’m a simple person I like simple things, but my experience at the Tavern made me feel really special. The food was excellent and the portion was just perfect not overwhelming. The service was amazing and Very timely and the specials were delicious!

Wanted try this after the Schenectady Gazette article and watching the remodel for the better part of the year. Food was good I had the Scape special and hubby had the pork ribeye. Wait staff is young and needs a bit of work, had to ask for bread and water (although she was also responsible for the banquet upstairs on a busy Friday evening) The demise of this restaurant will be the owner throwing up her hands and saying «I’ve had enough» within ear shot of the patrons as she was walking into the kitchen. You get what you pay for and all of the wait staff is young and most likely not very knowledgeable (or at least that particular day of our dining experience). The dining room is beautiful and they did a great job with the renovation. We would go back and recommend after they have gotten a few more dinners in.

Update: The restaurant is under new ownership. Opening date TBD.

Tried the Cellar Tavern in the basement of the Bull’s Head Inn on a Sunday night, and was pleasantly surprised by the great service and delicious food (sandwiches and dinner special). Highly recommended for anyone passing through the area.

We had dinner downstairs in the pub. Despite the fact we were seated next to a table of drunken golfers who were literally shouting at one another for the first half of our meal, we still enjoyed the charm of the place with its converted-​dungeon interior. The food was above average bar food, with pretty varied options along the burger/​chicken/​pasta continuum. The beer selection was great, which included two German brews on tap neither of which I had ever heard of, which was a nice surprise. The service was enthusiastic, prompt and friendly. I look forward to coming back and trying the more formal experience upstairs once my hearing has recovered.

This is a great place to eat. The menu is steaks, some seafood, and more German specialties. The service is great, the food had been cooked well when I’ve been there. This is probably the only upscale restaurant in Cobleskill. The period décor its great too.
The pub downstairs is a great small place with great charm although the night I was there they were kicking us out at 10:30pm which I thought was a bit early.