McGovern’s Yellow Kittens Tavern

McGovern’s Yellow Kittens Tavern

This bar and restaurant is one of the favorites among the kids I know. The Yellow Kittens Tavern is located on the deck of a big gray shingled building that is also home to McGovern’s Tavern (Block Island’s version of a night club) and Winfield’s Restaurant (fine dining, island-style). The place is located just a hop, skip & a jump from Crescent Beach. It opens around lunchtime. During the afternoon food is served on the deck. The menu at the Yellow Kittens is Mexican. Warning: they do not serve deep-fried food, such as French fries and chicken fingers—a main-stay for most kids in restaurants, but often a cheese quesadilla will do. Another quirk is that they stopping serving food at 5:00. However, after food service is over, the staffers don’t mind if you bring in a pizza for the kids. There are a couple of pizza places nearby.

The tavern itself features a big room with a few tables and chairs, a juke box with pretty decent music, a couple of pool tables, a pin ball machine and a golfing game. There is also sometimes a ping pong table. This is plenty to keep kids amused, and, although an adult must supervise the pool table, it is fine to sit on the deck with cocktails while the kids run around.

I’m not sure if they are still doing this but in the past McGovern’s has had a live band on Sunday night. The band sometimes plays late in the afternoon on Sundays to warm up and this can be fun for kids who like to dance.

Getting There: From the ferry parking lot in Old Harbor turn right on Water St. then left on Dodge St. At the stop sign turn right on Corn Neck Rd. McGovern’s is the third building on the right. There is a small parking lot but there is also plenty of parking along the street. Telephone (401) 466-5855.