Washington Crossing Inn — history plus superb food

By GAIL LOWE

WASHINGTON CROSSING, Del. — My daughter lives in New Jersey, and I live with my husband north of Boston. The question last fall that begged an answer was “How do we spend Thanksgiving Day together?”

We could have rented an AIRBNB and invited our daughter and three grandchildren to join us for dinner, but this would mean that the rental house would have to have a completely stocked kitchen, from gravy boat to carving knife. Why take a needless risk if the rental house didn’t have what we needed?

We also considered inviting them to Massachusetts. We could have cooked dinner and observed the holiday at our home, but this would require travel by train or plane and prove too costly by the time we factored in hotel lodging for two nights.

The third, and most logical, option was for us to go to New Jersey and find a restaurant that would be open on Thanksgiving Day. The Nassau Inn near my daughter’s home in Princeton was a possibility, but she and her family had dinner there on Thanksgiving Day 2018 and reported that it was fine but nothing special.

Baby grand piano in foyer of
Washington Crossing Inn

Starting in September 2019, I went to the Internet to research restaurant choices. One appealed to us greatly — the Washington Crossing Inn at the New Jersey-Pennsylvania border. As soon as reservations were being accepted in mid-October, I called the inn to reserve space for six. The entire dinner would cost about $375, including tip, but it turned out to be well worth the money.

As the Inn’s name suggests, its location is a stone’s throw away from the Delaware River where George Washington once made his crossing. Cross a bridge that spans the river, and you just about roll the rest of the way to the Inn. Parking is not a problem. The Inn has a lot, and patrons can use the bank lot across the roadway.

The restaurant itself is a gorgeous, historic colonial building dressed up with a baby grand piano and fireplace in the large foyer, crystal chandeliers hanging from ceilings and fine linens covering the tables. On the day of our visit, beautiful autumn floral arrangements were placed in all the lovely rooms. We enjoyed our dinner in the “library room,” a smaller, quiet book-themed space near the bar.

We had no idea what to expect for food selections other than turkey. I only hoped that the turkey served would not be the deli variety. It wasn’t.

The "library room" at Washington Crossing Inn

A buffet featuring just about every kind of food under the sun was offered in the main dining room. There were two types of turkey: Roasted and deep fried. Squash soup. Salads. Cheesed-up mashed potatoes (not at all cloying, I am happy to report) or rice if preferred. All kinds of vegetables, from string beans to squash, and pasta with red sauce and an assortment of desserts were also offered. If we didn’t eat enough after the first visit to the buffet, we were welcome to go back for seconds. We never once felt rushed, and our server was attentive and friendly but did not hover.

It takes a great amount of planning, coordination and hard work to feed approximately 2,000 people at two seatings in one day, but the Inn managed to do it, and they did it well.

As I write this, I wonder if we should make Thanksgiving Dinner at the Inn a family tradition. I will be checking its Web site this coming fall to see if they’ll offer the dinner again.

For more information about Washington Crossing Inn, visit www.washingtoncrossing.com or call 877-882-1776. The Inn is open for dinner year round. It does not offer overnight accommodations.