The Golden Lamb

Where to start with the Golden Lamb! If you love history, it's bursting with it. If you like small-town charm, it's location in the heart of Lebanon is picturesque, the staff was friendly, the antique furnishings were very cool, and the food was great!The Golden Lamb since 1803 started as a stagecoach inn (you can still reserve a room, 17 in total), the famous guest list is crazy: 12 U.S. Presidents plus Neil Armstrong, Charles Dickens, Samuel Clemens and Harriet Beecher Stowe just to name a few. We ate lunch in the dining area of the Black Horse Tavern. There's also an outdoor porch that seats about 60 people. The older dining rooms (Dickens Room, Shaker Room and Buckeye Room) were all reserved, but the staff was so friendly they encouraged us to walk about the building and enjoy. Just be respectful. The menu was newer so our waiter asked for patience as he was working on mastering it. Really nice guy, friendly and great with my kid. My son ordered the kids grilled cheese - whole grain bread, American cheese, fries, vegetable crudités $7. Big portion and simple. He was happy.I ordered the Sliced Tenderloin Sandwich - shaved chateaubriand, white cheddar, crispy onion straws, garlic aioli, toasted onion bun $22.95. You get two generous pieces of chateaubriand that were so incredibly tender. The portion and flavors of the toppings didn't overpower the 'wich. Total winner and a deal. My pal went Chateaubriand - crushed roasted leek & bacon red skin potatoes, white cheddar cheese sauce, maple glazed brussels sprouts $42.95. You receive four portions of meat with the main course. He reported it to be fantastic and worth every penny.Drink wise I went with a Shaker Pie Cocktail -- Four Roses Bourbon, Sister Lizzie's secret spices, cream, bourbon sugar. It's on their "Historical Libations" list. It was an interesting drink and pretty darn good after driving 8.5 hours straight. After lunch, my son and I toured the building. The guest rooms are roped off with plaques with a brief biography of each famous guest along with a short story of their stay. Obviously rooms with current guests are locked. The second floor has a door to head out onto the Southern style terrace. You get some great views of the town from there. My son really enjoyed stopping at the Golden Lamb, we took so many pictures to remember our visit. I highly recommend going there. As far as Ohio goes, it's one of the most historic eateries to add to your travels!

We had dinner here after a train ride with our kids and my parents. I appreciated the cozy and family friendly atmosphere.Our food was very good. I had the steak sandwich and it was delightful. My parents had fried chicken and thought it was great. Kids had chicken fingers and especially loved the fries.The only hesitation I would have in giving the restaurant 5 stars is that our service wasn't great. There were several empty tables (they weren't overly busy) yet we had to ask for the included bread service three times and water to be refilled a few times. The tables around us received their appetizers and bread, so it seemed like it may have been an isolated problem. Our appetizers took so long that our food was almost ready by the time we received them. Overall, if you're in the area, I think you should stop by and see the building and appreciate the history. I'm not sure if we will plan a return trip, but I'm glad we went once.

I brought my first true love here for dinner Needless to say it made a great impression For a great time, superb service and delicious food this is the place to go.

We were able to get a reservation a couple days before Christmas and we were so excited. The restaurant was decorated beautifully. They had lots of special Christmas dinners on the menu, but we decided to stick with the original turkey dinner. It is one of the best around

I love the history of this location and how kind the wait staff were to me and my family. It was pouring outside and we were able to enter the restaurant through the bar area. The food itself was tasty but wasn't anything impressive. However, it wasn't super expensive and I liked the area we sat. My favorite thing was the sugar pie we had for dessert.

Josh our waiter could not have been better. This being our first time my wife and I needed recommendations. He said the Dijon crusted spare ribs were his favorite as well as the lasagne supplemented with salmon. I had the ribs, my wife had the chicken sandwich. They were both first rate. I do not like goat products but they had a whipped Chevre cheese was quite good, as was the Smoked Salmon Mousse. The carrot cake was a generous portion and very tasty. If the hotel is as good as the restaurant, this place will be a great place to visit for a quiet retreat.

My father in law has talked about the abundant history & the food at the Golden Lamb for as long as I've known him (7 years) so we finally made the short drive from Chillicothe to have lunch there today. The area around the GL is quaint with history markers every few feet. The restaurant itself is filled with period furniture & décor. A casual restaurant but it also feels a little more upscale just based on the decorations, layout, & overall atmosphere. We were told we would have an hour to hour & a half wait so we decided to go to the antique store next door. Before we could even get to the storefront my phone dinged saying our table was ready. Less than 5 minutes after giving our name! Once we were seated we had our drinks in less than 2 minutes & an appetizer order was placed. We went with the cheese curds because father in law Randy somehow HAD NEVER HAD CHEESE CURDS. They were well battered & served piping hot 10/10. Needless to say, he liked them. I ordered the shepherds pie, my wife ordered the house salad with salmon, & FIL Randy ordered the quarter fried chicken. Everything arrived quickly & was very good. I heard no complaints from my picky eaters as I was discovering all of the tasty goodness hidden in my shepherds pie. I'd highly recommend it as it's the best iteration of the classic dish I have ever had. $105 for three good meals, an appetizer, complimentary bread with homemade apple butter, a sweet tea, & a local beer. Including a nice tip for the waitstaff. I think it is well worth the price for an enjoyable lunch in a history rich setting such this.

Returned to this historic restaurant gem after many years for a work Christmas luncheon. Every nook and cranny was beautifully decorated for the holidays in a classic retro style. The place was full of holiday revelers and despite a mix-up with our missing reservation, the hostess was able to accommodate our party of seven with only a slight wait.The menu was a bit heavy for lunch, but given it's the holidays and no one is counting calories, that was fine! Among the Golden Lamb Roast Turkey Dinner, Chateaubriand, and other large entrees was a series of burgers and sandwiches. I had the Classic Shepherd's Pie made with lamb, roasted mushrooms, pearl onions, goat cheese, herb potatoes, and a surprise ingredient: edamame. It was excellent and very filling. A large portion which was enough to take half home for another day.I had the Bourbon Bread Pudding for dessert with a local Maple syrup glaze and vanilla gelato on top. It was fantastic- not overly sweet and the perfect portion size after consuming a heavy lunch. Servers were quick, efficient, and always with a smile, which can be hard during this very busy one week before Christmas time. Wish I had time to visit the beautiful gift shop, but had to return to work. Make sure you incorporate some time to walk around the restaurant, read the history, and visit the gift shop. And perhaps take some Apple Butter home with you!

It isn't the holidays without lunch with my ladies! We love sitting in the Tavern; it is so comfy and festive.The food is always good and the server was friendly and attentive.

My son and his girlfriend got engaged at The Golden Lamb yesterday. The very kind waitress took a video and pictures of them for us as we were not there. Service and food was impeccable!! Atmosphere beautiful! All the food was delicious! I would highly recommend The Golden Lamb to anyone that wants great food and wonderful service! Thanks for making our son's engagement proposal absolutely perfect!!