Dinner and Dungeon Drinks at Beardslee Castle

A downstairs dungeon is not the usual place to order dinner, but Beardslee Castle gives diners that option. Below the main rooms, the dungeon operates as a lively bar, pub and grill, with a mood distinctly different from an evening spent at a quiet table upstairs.

That change of setting is central to a visit here. Beardslee Castle is a full-scale castle restaurant, inside and out, and dinner often comes with a little wandering: a look into another room, a pass through the downstairs bar, a walk outside toward the garden or courtyard.

The building has enough visual variety that it works for more than one type of evening. It can be a birthday dinner with a crowd, a date-night steak dinner, an anniversary meal in a more intimate dining room, or drinks downstairs with a casual plate in front of you.

The exterior sets an unmistakable tone before anyone opens a menu. Inside, the rooms continue the castle theme with distinct personalities rather than a single large, generic dining area. Exploring is encouraged by the layout; there is more to take in than the table where you happen to be seated.

The main-floor dining room offers the calmer side of the experience. It has been described as quiet and intimate, a useful contrast to the more animated energy below.

Outside, gardens and a side courtyard give the property another dimension. After dinner, the grounds provide a pleasant place to stretch the evening a little longer, and fireflies have been known to add a small bit of summer magic after dark.

The downstairs dungeon is the castle's most memorable detour. It functions as a bar and pub-and-grill space, making it a natural choice for a meal that is less formal than main-floor dining but still unmistakably tied to the castle setting.

Diners in the dungeon can choose from a separate selection of pub-and-grill items and can also order from the main menu. That flexibility is handy for a mixed table: one person may want a full dinner while another is happier settling in with a drink and something more casual.

The dungeon can also be a more budget-conscious way to spend an evening at the castle. You still get the stone-walled, below-ground atmosphere and the excuse to look around, without making the occasion overly ceremonious.

For groups, the difference between upstairs and downstairs gives the building a useful range. A family gathering might begin with dinner in a dining room and drift toward the pub afterward; a smaller party may decide the dungeon is where the night belongs from the start.

The restaurant's dinner menu runs comfortably across steakhouse-style plates, seafood, pasta and familiar hearty entrées. Portions are substantial, and the meal can include details that make a sit-down dinner feel complete, including fresh garden salads and house-made bread.

Among the more distinctive main dishes are bacon-wrapped filet mignon, southwest sirloin and andouille-sausage-stuffed pork tenderloin. The pork tenderloin brings a little more personality than a standard chop-and-potatoes plate, while the filet keeps things classic for a special occasion.

There is room for pasta, too. White shrimp pasta with salmon cream sauce offers a richer seafood direction, while meatloaf with whipped potatoes gives the menu a comfort-food anchor. A fish fry is another familiar option for diners who prefer a straightforward plate.

The accompaniments are not treated as an afterthought. Summer squash and other vegetables, green beans, and rice appear alongside the entrées; the green beans have earned particular notice. Baked Brie makes an appealing starter when the table wants something to share before the main dishes arrive.

Dessert gives dinner a proper finish. Tiramisu is available for the coffee-and-cocoa crowd, while lemon mascarpone blueberry cake brings a brighter, fruitier choice to the table.

Beardslee Castle is built around occasions. It hosts anniversaries, birthdays, engagement celebrations, family dinners, group meals and weddings, with enough separate spaces to keep an event from feeling as if it has been squeezed into a standard banquet room.

The castle can accommodate sizable gatherings, and its room-by-room layout gives a group an easy way to move through an evening. Dining, drinks, conversation and photographs do not have to happen in the same spot.

Seasonal decorating adds another reason to return for a celebration. During Christmas, the restaurant is dressed in elaborate holiday decorations, giving the rooms an even more theatrical backdrop for a winter dinner.

For weddings, the appeal is practical as well as visual. Ceremony areas, dining rooms, photo settings, preparation spaces and the bar are all on the same property, so much of the day can remain connected rather than requiring a series of drives between locations.

The courtyard can serve as a ceremony space, and the front of the castle provides an obvious backdrop for wedding portraits. Gardens add another setting, while a bridal suite overlooking the garden offers a quieter place for preparations and photographs.

There is also a dedicated getting-ready room that can be reserved for the day, with snacks available for the wedding party. The upstairs event space is spacious, attractively lit and suitable for ceremonies, receptions or photography.

The indoor options matter when plans need to change. An outdoor ceremony can be moved inside, with the dining room rearranged to accommodate the ceremony and photos. That kind of flexibility is valuable in a venue where the rooms are already interesting enough to carry the visual side of the day.

Each room brings a different character to pictures. The dungeon offers its moody contrast, while the garden-facing bridal suite and upstairs space take the celebration in a lighter direction. Couples and photographers can work through several looks without leaving the grounds.

Beyond regular dining and private celebrations, Beardslee Castle also hosts themed occasions, including murder-mystery dinners and other special nights. These events suit the building particularly well; a castle has a head start on atmosphere before the evening's plot even begins.

Reservations are recommended for dinner. Free parking is available in the on-site lot, a welcome convenience when the plan includes a full meal, a walk through the building and perhaps a second stop downstairs for drinks.

Dining arrangements can vary with events and room setup, but the castle's appeal remains wonderfully simple: come hungry, allow a little time to look around, and do not skip the dungeon.