Humphrey's Tavern aims to be a gathering place.
GLEN GARDNER -- The Glen Gardner Inn, long known as the place to go for that special dinner, has new owners, a new tavern and menu, and soon, a new name.
Michael and Lauren Keller are introducing Humphrey's Tavern to residents. They bought the inn in August, and have kept it open while renovating the main floor, work that has included adding a new bar area.
Originally they were planning to call the bar Humphrey's Tavern and keep the name Glen Gardner Inn for the main restaurant, while updating the menu.
Now that the bar's complete, "we're going 'Humphrey's Tavern' all the way," Michael Keller said. "We're trying to create a new vision, a new reality."
In a sense, it's moving full-circle back to when Eveland's Tavern was a stage coach stop at the site in 1775, a place for locals to gather. "It's more laid back," Lauren Keller said.
Inn's new owners focus on 'local'
"Think gastro pub," her husband added. "We want to appeal to families. ... It's OK to stop in with the kids after a ball game; you don't need a jacket."
Being a special-occasion place is great, he said, but "you can't survive on that." In the new menu, entrees are under $29.
Chef Larry Cera has created a menu that features "lots of sandwiches and burgers, incorporating farm to table, local, fresh and clean food," Keller said. Selections include Chili with Tamales, Toasted Brie Salad, sea bass, and chicken wings.
Something else that's new are two televisions, where people can catch their favorite game while having a meal. "The regulars are going to love that," Lauren Keller said.
The new vision incorporates the historic feel of the inn, which was built in the 1850s with 2-foot-thick stone walls.
"We've kept the renovations as close to period as we could," Michael Keller said. The floors are white ash, reclaimed from a barn in New York state. Wood on the walls in the tavern section has been repurposed from the second-story floor, which was taken out to provide an airy feel.
"We wanted to capitalize on the antiquity," Keller said, "and really promote the local feel, being part of the community."
Humphrey's Tavern is open starting at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays. The kitchen closes at 10 p.m., with the bar staying open later. Sunday it's open at 10 a.m. for brunch, serving through dinner, with the kitchen closing at 8:30 p.m.
The tavern is at 161 Main Street in Glen Gardner. People can also check out its Facebook page.
Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find The Hunterdon County Democrat on Facebook.