A Taste of History at the Waterwheel

The Waterwheel in Doylestown

A few weeks back, I attended an event at the historic Waterwheel restaurant in Doylestown. Traveling down the dark Old Easton Rd., it was hard to miss the large restaurant, packed with eager patrons on a Friday night. Despite it's expansive parking lot, several cars were circling the parking lot with no avail due to multiple events being held in their banquet rooms coupled with an ordinary Friday night crowd.

After finding a place to park, though, the night was smooth sailing. With two different holiday parties being held in private halls, a full upstairs dining room & bar, and a separate downstairs bar (known as the Millstone Cellar Bar) , there was certainly a lot going on at The Waterwheel, but the responsive staff made sure everything went off without a hitch. As soon as we entered, a hostess showed us to our party, graciously offered to take our coats, and took our drink orders.

One of the bars at the Waterwheel in Doylestown

The impeccable service continued throughout the night as the waitstaff flawlessly shifted the room from a cocktail hour to dinner to desserts (no wonder it was so crowded with holiday parties!). The food was consistent as our table enjoyed a variety of dishes including filet mignon, mozzarella and spinach stuffed chicken, and crab cakes. Each room held it's own distinct character, and though it was a cold December night, I could clearly envision their large outdoor space providing a beautiful country setting.

Dating back to 1722, the Waterwheel is rich with local history, even tracing back to a report that the former Mill supplied Washington's Army with flour. John Dyer, an English Quaker from Gloucestershire, purchased 300 acres from a pioneer settler named Thomas Brown, who lived in a log house further back in the Plumstead woods. With the end of Prohibition, the building found a new use as an Inn & Tavern, and though under new ownership, continues to operate as such today.