Wolfeboro Inn?

patman · 05-31-2011, 12:36 AM

We had 7 for lunch there on Saturday around 1:30 for an after-graduation celebration meal.

I'd like to preface this by saying I really *wanted* this to work out. I was hoping. I read the reviews, I have been before with mixed results over the past 10 years, but I rolled the dice. I'm a local, so I am part of the off-season potential business, not just someone in for the weekend.

Short version:
Overall it was OK but not great, still a lot of room for improvement.

Long version:
We were seated quickly, and the waitress came over to take drink orders soon after. She started by announcing that the kitchen was backed up because "everyone showed up at the same time" so we should be prepared to wait for the food to come out. Fair enough, good to know, but...at the time I think there were 4-5 other tables occupied (significantly fewer than half the tables) where we were in the middle area, near the bar. I was left wondering why that was considered heavy traffic. The back dining room was closed, and nobody was in there. To be fair, I came in through the lobby door in the back, so I don't know how many tables were occupied in the front area. I'm pretty sure there was one other table occupied outside also.

Drinks came back promptly, although there was some awkward 'please pass this down' deliveries due to the close proximity of the table next to us. That was not a big deal, but it was a little weird.

Because of the delay warning, we decided to order some appetizers. Nachos, onion soup, and a couple of salads. They arrived a little later than I would have liked, but...we allowed for it due to the warning, so it wasn't a big deal.

By this time the drinks were long empty, and the waitress asked about a second round. One person asked for a glass of water. The refills arrived...without the water, so a second person repeated the water request. The waitress came back a couple of minutes later with a pitcher of water saying we could all fill our own glasses. Only problem was...she didn't bring any glasses. A third request brought one empty glass for the person who had originally asked for the water. Later I asked for a glass of water, and got...a glass of water. That was fine, but I'm not sure what the point of the pitcher was. If the place was hopping, I could understand some crossed signals, but...not for 4-5 tables.

The nachos were good, the salad was good (we passed on the salad bar due to its small size and comments earlier on this thread about still working out the details) and the onion soup was...fair. The broth was weak, the cheese was unidentifiable, and there were no bread/croutons in it.

The main course arrived after the apps were finished (late as we were warned, but...the apps bridged the gap) and again there was some 'please pass this down' deliveries. The main courses were good. People in the party had sweet chili chicken, steak tips, and burgers, all done to their satisfaction.

Around this time the table behind us was being bussed. There were two women doing the work, and one of them kept repeating quite loudly "was the day care seated here or something?" as they cleaned up. Not exactly an ambiance-enhancer.

The bill came to about $145, or about $20/person before tip.

It wasn't a bad meal...it just had an awkward feel to it, not quite on the mark. I know the comparison is probably wearing thin, but...I've had much more memorable experiences at The Restaurant for that same $20/person.

Great:
Seated quickly, drinks order taken quickly

Good:
Nachos, Salad, Mains

So-so:
Onion soup, awkward service, slooow kitchen with light crowd, drink refills

Bad:
Trying to get water, clearing adjacent table

I guess my bottom line on this experience is that the service and food do not live up to the appearance and expectations. It *looks* like it should be something comparable to The Restaurant/Canoe/The Woodshed in those qualities, but it ended up *feeling* more like Longhorn/Applebee's/Chili's.

RailroadJoe · 05-31-2011, 04:12 AM

PATMAN Great review. I wish others would write reviews as good as yours.

secondcurve · 05-31-2011, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by patman

We had 7 for lunch there on Saturday around 1:30 for an after-graduation celebration meal.

I'd like to preface this by saying I really *wanted* this to work out. I was hoping. I read the reviews, I have been before with mixed results over the past 10 years, but I rolled the dice. I'm a local, so I am part of the off-season potential business, not just someone in for the weekend.

Short version:
Overall it was OK but not great, still a lot of room for improvement.

Long version:
We were seated quickly, and the waitress came over to take drink orders soon after. She started by announcing that the kitchen was backed up because "everyone showed up at the same time" so we should be prepared to wait for the food to come out. Fair enough, good to know, but...at the time I think there were 4-5 other tables occupied (significantly fewer than half the tables) where we were in the middle area, near the bar. I was left wondering why that was considered heavy traffic. The back dining room was closed, and nobody was in there. To be fair, I came in through the lobby door in the back, so I don't know how many tables were occupied in the front area. I'm pretty sure there was one other table occupied outside also.

Drinks came back promptly, although there was some awkward 'please pass this down' deliveries due to the close proximity of the table next to us. That was not a big deal, but it was a little weird.

Because of the delay warning, we decided to order some appetizers. Nachos, onion soup, and a couple of salads. They arrived a little later than I would have liked, but...we allowed for it due to the warning, so it wasn't a big deal.

By this time the drinks were long empty, and the waitress asked about a second round. One person asked for a glass of water. The refills arrived...without the water, so a second person repeated the water request. The waitress came back a couple of minutes later with a pitcher of water saying we could all fill our own glasses. Only problem was...she didn't bring any glasses. A third request brought one empty glass for the person who had originally asked for the water. Later I asked for a glass of water, and got...a glass of water. That was fine, but I'm not sure what the point of the pitcher was. If the place was hopping, I could understand some crossed signals, but...not for 4-5 tables.

The nachos were good, the salad was good (we passed on the salad bar due to its small size and comments earlier on this thread about still working out the details) and the onion soup was...fair. The broth was weak, the cheese was unidentifiable, and there were no bread/croutons in it.

The main course arrived after the apps were finished (late as we were warned, but...the apps bridged the gap) and again there was some 'please pass this down' deliveries. The main courses were good. People in the party had sweet chili chicken, steak tips, and burgers, all done to their satisfaction.

Around this time the table behind us was being bussed. There were two women doing the work, and one of them kept repeating quite loudly "was the day care seated here or something?" as they cleaned up. Not exactly an ambiance-enhancer.

The bill came to about $145, or about $20/person before tip.

It wasn't a bad meal...it just had an awkward feel to it, not quite on the mark. I know the comparison is probably wearing thin, but...I've had much more memorable experiences at The Restaurant for that same $20/person.

Great:
Seated quickly, drinks order taken quickly

Good:
Nachos, Salad, Mains

So-so:
Onion soup, awkward service, slooow kitchen with light crowd, drink refills

Bad:
Trying to get water, clearing adjacent table

I guess my bottom line on this experience is that the service and food do not live up to the appearance and expectations. It *looks* like it should be something comparable to The Restaurant/Canoe/The Woodshed in those qualities, but it ended up *feeling* more like Longhorn/Applebee's/Chili's.

Thanks for the update. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like things have changed much despite George's efforts. The irony is that the Inn's local restaurant competition continues to rapidly strengthen while it wallows in mediocrity. Specifically, the food/service/experience at the Bayside, The Restaurant and Garwoods have all followed a sharply upward trend over the past several years. These local establishments appear to understand much better than the Inn's management what it takes to put more guests in the seats during a difficult economic period.

Barbara · 06-11-2011, 04:11 PM

I was at an event at the INN last evening. The food served was supposed to be hearty appetizers. They were NOT hearty and NOT good!!!!! I would never organize an event to take place there. I was so disappointed. I really had hope that things would be better.

I was also under the impression from both George on this board and from something in the Granite News that the Inn had a new menu as of late April. I'm planning to meet some friends for lunch downtown Wolfeboro next week and stopped at the Inn yesterday to check out the "new" menu. It was the same menu that's been there for a long time. The Inn will NOT be our choice for lunch next week!

Mise En Place is always my first choice for lunch, but unfortunately they are n longer serving lunch. That is so disappointing! I guess lunch will be at The Restaurant.

RLW · 06-11-2011, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbara

I was at an event at the INN last evening. The food served was supposed to be hearty appetizers. They were NOT hearty and NOT good!!!!! I would never organize an event to take place there. I was so disappointed. I really had hope that things would be better.

I was also under the impression from both George on this board and from something in the Granite News that the Inn had a new menu as of late April. I'm planning to meet some friends for lunch downtown Wolfeboro next week and stopped at the Inn yesterday to check out the "new" menu. It was the same menu that's been there for a long time. The Inn will NOT be our choice for lunch next week!

Mise En Place is always my first choice for lunch, but unfortunately they are n longer serving lunch. That is so disappointing! I guess lunch will be at The Restaurant.

Looks like another point AGAINST the Inn and George.

secondcurve · 06-12-2011, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barbara

I was at an event at the INN last evening. The food served was supposed to be hearty appetizers. They were NOT hearty and NOT good!!!!! I would never organize an event to take place there. I was so disappointed. I really had hope that things would be better.

I was also under the impression from both George on this board and from something in the Granite News that the Inn had a new menu as of late April. I'm planning to meet some friends for lunch downtown Wolfeboro next week and stopped at the Inn yesterday to check out the "new" menu. It was the same menu that's been there for a long time. The Inn will NOT be our choice for lunch next week!

Mise En Place is always my first choice for lunch, but unfortunately they are n longer serving lunch. That is so disappointing! I guess lunch will be at The Restaurant.

A quick check of George's forum activity shows he hasn't bothered to sign on since 5/2/11. I, for one, am finally done with the Wolfeboro Inn. There are far too many good choices. As stated in my earlier post, the competition keeps getting better while the Wolfeboro Inn continues to spiral downward. It's a shame but that is what has happened. The Inn has turned into just another tourist trap.

Jonas Pilot · 06-12-2011, 05:23 PM

I think some of you might enjoy your dining out more if you found yourselves better company to share the experience with. If you were more involved with your host or guests you'd have less time to look for fault in others.

secondcurve · 06-12-2011, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

I think some of you might enjoy your dining out more if you found yourselves better company to share the experience with. If you were more involved with your host or guests you'd have less time to look for fault in others.

Thanks for the meaningless post/advice. Now a little bit of advice for you: If in the future you can't add anything meaningful to the topic being discussed you would be better off not to say anything at all.

Jonas Pilot · 06-12-2011, 06:42 PM

I'm sorry if I struck a nerve. I didn't mean to upset anyone. It is on topic.

Winnipesaukee Divers · 06-13-2011, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

I think some of you might enjoy your dining out more if you found yourselves better company to share the experience with. If you were more involved with your host or guests you'd have less time to look for fault in others.

I like this comment, it's right on! Ever notice when the big kid gets knocked down all the little want-to-be bullies run over to kick him. Then notice that they all get hurt in the end, one way or another. Think about that for a while...

I have a gift certificate to the Inn that I really want to cash in, so I'm looking forward to going. You guys have done so much whining about the Inn lately, I can't wait to try the "New Wolf's Tavern".

I figure, growing up on a farm in VT, where we would eat anything, anywhere, anytime; just how bad can the Inn be? Besides, if I can enjoy a meal at the "Low to the Ground" Pops, dinning at the Tavern going to be a real step up for me.

Heaven · 06-13-2011, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winnipesaukee Divers

I figure, growing up on a farm in VT, where we would eat anything, anywhere, anytime; just how bad can the Inn be? Besides, if I can enjoy a meal at the "Low to the Ground" Pops, dinning at the Tavern going to be a real step up for me.

There is something called perceived value, which is a balance of a whole lot of things, some of which maybe can't even be defined.

Winnipesaukee Divers · 06-13-2011, 04:13 PM

Hummm, "There is something called perceived value", let's see if I can figure this out. You go to a place with a preconceived notion that the service and food suck; you get this information from a bunch anonymous posters on the internet, but to you this is the gospel truth. It seems to me, your mind is already made up that "You're not going to be satisfied" and therefore you're not. Is that your "perceived value"?

And your last part that statement is "some of which maybe can't even be defined". Are you fooling with me here? You can't even define it, but you know what it is, when you don't get it.

You'll have to forgive me, as I'm just a simple farm boy from VT with real low "perceived values". I will be going there with no preconceived notions, so watch for my reviews. If I have a good time, I'll be sure to tell you and if I don't... well, you won't know, I'm just that way.

BTW: Just so you'll know; the farm I grew up on had no animals, but it's products were shipped worldwide.

Heaven · 06-13-2011, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Winnipesaukee Divers

Hummm, "There is something called perceived value", let's see if I can figure this out. You go to a place with a preconceived notion that the service and food suck; you get this information from a bunch anonymous posters on the internet, but to you this is the gospel truth. It seems to me, your mind is already made up that "You're not going to be satisfied" and therefore you're not. Is that your "perceived value"?

And your last part that statement is "some of which maybe can't even be defined". Are you fooling with me here? You can't even define it, but you know what it is, when you don't get it.

You'll have to forgive me, as I'm just a simple farm boy from VT with real low "perceived values". I will be going there with no preconceived notions, so watch for my reviews. If I have a good time, I'll be sure to tell you and if I don't... well, you won't know, I'm just that way.

BTW: Just so you'll know; the farm I grew up on had no animals, but it's products were shipped worldwide.

I didn't characterize "perceived value" as being positive, negative or any other "tive". I have been a lot less harsh than some posters and also quite specific in my comments/feedback about my experiences at the Inn. And I am a local who has been to the Inn a hundred more times than you will ever be, and will be either going there or avoiding the place long after you are gone. So back off.

Fishing · 06-13-2011, 05:07 PM

Thank you George.
We have enjoyed our meals there this spring. Although we aren't in Wolfeboro as much as we would like, we have stopped by a few times this spring. The service was attentive and the food was very good. We always enjoy the different soups that are available.

We heard the Sunday brunch is back and we will go to that too. I also heard you can still order off the menu if you didn't want the brunch. Perfect!

Good luck for the 2011 season. We think you are doing a good job!!

George Soderberg · 06-14-2011, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishing

Thank you George.
We have enjoyed our meals there this spring. Although we aren't in Wolfeboro as much as we would like, we have stopped by a few times this spring. The service was attentive and the food was very good. We always enjoy the different soups that are available.

We heard the Sunday brunch is back and we will go to that too. I also heard you can still order off the menu if you didn't want the brunch. Perfect!

Good luck for the 2011 season. We think you are doing a good job!!

Thank you. And YES, Spread the word! Everyone is welcome to come for brunch OR order off the breakfast menu. That is a recent change I made.

Fishing · 06-14-2011, 08:56 PM

Then George you'll see me in a couple of weeks to have brunch!! Already hungry!

Tir Na Nog · 06-15-2011, 12:46 PM

I have been following this thread from the beginning and was not a great fan of the Inn. I had two less than stellar experiences, once just before the change over with a very soggy fish sandwich and the late last summer where a group of us went. Then, I had the soup and salad bar and was very disappointed. However, me niece and her husband, who join us in Wolfeboro a couple p times a year, are fans of the Inn so I decided to give the Inn another try. I do not post often, but felt the Inn deserved some positive feedback from someon who has not been a fan. My son and I ate at the bar on Friday of Memorial Day Weekend. It was early and quiet, with people just starting to arrive as we were eating. With respect to the past comments about waiting to be seated and no one being at the hostess podium, clearly management had listened. While we we there, there always was at least one person, an often more, at the front. If one person was there and had to step away, one or more others came over to cover. As for service, I found th bar tender both friendly and responsive. As for the food, my son had a steak and was was good, with nice fresh sides. He is a steak snob and can cook a filet better than most upscale chop houses. He said his steak, although not perfect (could have been a better cut of meat such as what you can get at Mill Street Market, which is very good), was done to the right degree (a true medium rare) and was as goo as one would expect for the price. I had fish special (I believe it was Arctic Chard, but has been a fea weeks), which was fresh and nicely done. The menu indicated it was to be served with asparagus, but it was served over a fresh bed of green beans. When I brought this too the bartenders attention, she checked with th kitchen and came back stating that the asparagus was mixed in. I still did not see the asparagus, but the fish was too tasty to complain. A few minutes later, the chef cam out and apologized for he had realized that in plating the fish, he had forgotten the stuffing that contained the asparagus, which he brought to me. The stuffing added a nice touch and complemented what already was a nice dish very well. To make up for the error, the chef offered us free desert, which we took to go to enjoy later as we were full. I had a very nice cobbler served with a small scoop of ice cream (a little more ice cream would have been nice). I almost forgot the salad bar. My spe ail came with the salad bar. Having seen George's earlier comments about th paired down salad bar, I was not surprised to see just lettuce, tomatoes, and one or two other toppings. Clearly, it was not the old salad bar of many years ago, but I knew it would not be and what was there was a nice complement to the meal. Moreover, the salad bar area was clean and well kept. It was missing bread, but we got some at the bar. I am glad tonhear from George's last comment that a little more will be added to the salad bar. All and all, this was a good enough experience tonwarrant returning. As others have said, we are quite lucky in Wolfeboro having some incredible options for dining, but it does not hurt to have another.

Barbara · 06-16-2011, 02:09 PM

First of all, I posted a comment a while back praising the food at an event I attended since the new chef arrived. There was a noticeable improvement in quality. I was excited to learn that he had been the chef at Thompson House Eatery. We have been making the trip to Jackson a few times a year for the last five years just to enjoy the wonderfully creative lunch menu at that restaurant. If your new chef was working there during that time period, I would love him to bring some of those wonderful lunch choices to the Inn.

As far as "hearty appetizers" go, that was how the food was promoted on the advertising for this event. The food served at the events run by this organization in the past has always been FABULOUS, and has always been provided by the same food service in the past. There was a scheduling issue this year that brought the organization to the Inn. You correctly named the items that were served, and except for the chicken, the comments made by myself and others and agreed upon by many more were that these items could have come directly from BJ's or Costco. Nothing looked or tasted homemade. They looked and tasted exactly like the stuff that comes in large quantities in the frozen food sections of the big box warehouse stores. As I've already stated, this was not just my opinion. Added to this is the fact that we were comparing to the wonderful food served at past events run by this organization and this time the food was hugely disappointing.

Fishing · 07-23-2011, 10:17 AM

Brunch was very good and everything was hot! The omelet station chef made eggs over easy for my hubby. We'll be back for sure

Winnipesaukee Divers · 06-13-2011, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heaven

And I am a local who has been to the Inn a hundred more times than you will ever be, and will be either going there or avoiding the place long after you are gone. So back off.

What's with this bold statement? How do you know how many times I've been there? I think your math may be a little "fuzzy" here! And the fact that you'll be going there long after I'm gone; do you know something I don't??? Have been reading my medical records?

What's old saying? "Be careful what you wish for... it may just come true"

BTW: How many Mugs do you have hanging in the tavern? How many engraved crystal, Wolfe's Tavern shot glasses do you have with your name on them. How many official "Wolfeboro Inn" hats and jackets do you have.

There I go again, dating myself... That must be why you think I'm going to die soon.

Heaven · 06-13-2011, 06:51 PM

We must know each other, cheers!

chipj29 · 06-13-2011, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

I think some of you might enjoy your dining out more if you found yourselves better company to share the experience with. If you were more involved with your host or guests you'd have less time to look for fault in others.

Sometimes it is possible that the food and/or service is so bad that you are unable to have a nice dinner with your guests, no matter how good company they may be.

George Soderberg · 06-13-2011, 04:34 PM

Forum,

So i'm just checked in. I have some things to communciate and to respond to it appears. Barbara, the "hearty" Hors D'oeuvres. I can't speak for whomever told you these would be "hearty" but I can share a few facts on this topic. For a banquet we serve what the customer chooses. Perhpas they considered this hearty or significant. In this case, for 70 people (which was the guarantee) we served 80 pieces, of the following: Mini Quichettes, Sweet & Sour Meatballs, Spinach and Feta (Spanikopita), Spring rolls, Pot Stickers with a peanut sauce, Grilled Chicken tenders tossed with a mango basil salsa, Sundried tomato Bruschetta and a cheese & Cracker display. Thats 640 pieces or about 9 per person and we had some left over. So there was "plenty". We got positive feedback from the organization and comments that they enjoyed everything. I am sorry you apparently did not. Perhaps you can assist me. I would welcome your feedback directly. I believe you have all my contact information.

Menu. Yes, I did say we were changing the menu's starting with dinner and we did. The Spring menu was completed and in use for several weeks. This was done to get a feeling from the community about our selections before tweaking it for our summer menu. That will be adjusted shortly. The current menu we are finalizing is the breakfast menu. That is targeted to be out in about a week. The lunch menu will follow that. Once these are complete we turn our attentions to the banquet menu. If anyone has specific suggestions for the lunch menu i'd be happy to entertain them.

Second Curve, I feel I clearly stated I would do my best and check in from time to time. And I have. There wasn't much in the way of comments until very recently. I have attached a few samples of comment cards that I received from the past couple of days. While I do get some constructive criticism and a few disappointments I get many more comment cards just like these. (I decided to attach the cards so you could see the comments were genuine). I can't explain why we can't seem to get it right for some of you. I'm sorry you have given up, but you're right there are some good restaurants in the area. I have enjoyed a few myself.

We are gearing up for the summer so we have a lot of new seasonal faces. There has and will be a lot of training going on.

Salad Bar. In addition to the mixed lettuce leaf, we have 6 "basic" toppings plus shredded cheese for your salad. To this we are going to add 4 more toppings. So you will have 10 items plus shredded cheeses you can put on your salad. It is our intention to maintain the 6 core items and rotate out the 4 additional with 12-18 more items so that we keep it interesting. There is also bread and soup. I expect the 10 item offering will occur sometime this week.

Italian night. As of last Monday, on the recommendation of the community advisory board and every Monday night until further notice we have added
Italian Night! These will be specials for the evening in addition to the current menu. So far everything we have heard has been all positive. Weekly, there will be 3 appetizers, 5-6 entrees and 2 desserts. If you see the Italian Flag flying in place of the "open" sign - now you know why.

As a further example of how we take your recommendations seriously and to heart we will be adding Salmon to the menu. We have made a number of adjustments because of feedback like this.

Finally, there was a gentleman from UNH that was referred to at some juncture in this thread. The comments about him that I read were quite positive. For your information as of last week he is now our restaurant manager. His name is Dean Pratt (so you don't have to say - Hey UNH guy). If you haven't given up on us please stop in and say hello.

Well, that's all the news for now.

George

patman · 06-13-2011, 04:15 PM

I didn't say it was bad. Nothing went back to the kitchen or went uneaten, nobody complained to the staff. Overall, in my opinion, it just didn't live up to the fine dining image that is portrayed. I expected better.

I drew the comparison to Applebee's. I've eaten there (and at similar places) a bunch of times...by choice...and had decent meals. I got exactly what I expected at those places. Two of my favorite area places are The Village Kitchen, and The Wolfeborough Diner. Probably not where I'd pick to go for a celebration or a romantic meal, definitely not fine dining environments, but I always enjoyed them on the many occasions I chose to go there.

The Tavern? Good food? Sure. (Skip the onion soup.) Beer? I'm not a beer guy, but judging by the list, probably second to none in the area. Fine dining? Not quite. If I was up from Boston for the weekend, and paying $200/night for a suite in the Inn, and wanted a meal to match, I'd probably be disappointed with Applebee's...and The Tavern.

As for the company...in my case it was my family celebrating a HS graduation. Maybe I'm missing out, but I guess I would have a tough time coming up with better, more involved company than that.

06-13-2011, 05:07 PM	#14
Fishing Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 19 Thanks: 3 Thanked 9 Times in 4 Posts	Thanks George Thank you George. We have enjoyed our meals there this spring. Although we aren't in Wolfeboro as much as we would like, we have stopped by a few times this spring. The service was attentive and the food was very good. We always enjoy the different soups that are available. We heard the Sunday brunch is back and we will go to that too. I also heard you can still order off the menu if you didn't want the brunch. Perfect! Good luck for the 2011 season. We think you are doing a good job!!

06-14-2011, 08:56 PM	#16
Fishing Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 19 Thanks: 3 Thanked 9 Times in 4 Posts	Brunch Then George you'll see me in a couple of weeks to have brunch!! Already hungry!

06-15-2011, 12:46 PM	#17
Tir Na Nog Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 53 Thanks: 1 Thanked 5 Times in 3 Posts	Recently There, Pretty Good I have been following this thread from the beginning and was not a great fan of the Inn. I had two less than stellar experiences, once just before the change over with a very soggy fish sandwich and the late last summer where a group of us went. Then, I had the soup and salad bar and was very disappointed. However, me niece and her husband, who join us in Wolfeboro a couple p times a year, are fans of the Inn so I decided to give the Inn another try. I do not post often, but felt the Inn deserved some positive feedback from someon who has not been a fan. My son and I ate at the bar on Friday of Memorial Day Weekend. It was early and quiet, with people just starting to arrive as we were eating. With respect to the past comments about waiting to be seated and no one being at the hostess podium, clearly management had listened. While we we there, there always was at least one person, an often more, at the front. If one person was there and had to step away, one or more others came over to cover. As for service, I found th bar tender both friendly and responsive. As for the food, my son had a steak and was was good, with nice fresh sides. He is a steak snob and can cook a filet better than most upscale chop houses. He said his steak, although not perfect (could have been a better cut of meat such as what you can get at Mill Street Market, which is very good), was done to the right degree (a true medium rare) and was as goo as one would expect for the price. I had fish special (I believe it was Arctic Chard, but has been a fea weeks), which was fresh and nicely done. The menu indicated it was to be served with asparagus, but it was served over a fresh bed of green beans. When I brought this too the bartenders attention, she checked with th kitchen and came back stating that the asparagus was mixed in. I still did not see the asparagus, but the fish was too tasty to complain. A few minutes later, the chef cam out and apologized for he had realized that in plating the fish, he had forgotten the stuffing that contained the asparagus, which he brought to me. The stuffing added a nice touch and complemented what already was a nice dish very well. To make up for the error, the chef offered us free desert, which we took to go to enjoy later as we were full. I had a very nice cobbler served with a small scoop of ice cream (a little more ice cream would have been nice). I almost forgot the salad bar. My spe ail came with the salad bar. Having seen George's earlier comments about th paired down salad bar, I was not surprised to see just lettuce, tomatoes, and one or two other toppings. Clearly, it was not the old salad bar of many years ago, but I knew it would not be and what was there was a nice complement to the meal. Moreover, the salad bar area was clean and well kept. It was missing bread, but we got some at the bar. I am glad tonhear from George's last comment that a little more will be added to the salad bar. All and all, this was a good enough experience tonwarrant returning. As others have said, we are quite lucky in Wolfeboro having some incredible options for dining, but it does not hurt to have another.

06-16-2011, 02:09 PM	#18
Barbara Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 251 Thanks: 48 Thanked 113 Times in 64 Posts	George re "hearty appetizers" First of all, I posted a comment a while back praising the food at an event I attended since the new chef arrived. There was a noticeable improvement in quality. I was excited to learn that he had been the chef at Thompson House Eatery. We have been making the trip to Jackson a few times a year for the last five years just to enjoy the wonderfully creative lunch menu at that restaurant. If your new chef was working there during that time period, I would love him to bring some of those wonderful lunch choices to the Inn. As far as "hearty appetizers" go, that was how the food was promoted on the advertising for this event. The food served at the events run by this organization in the past has always been FABULOUS, and has always been provided by the same food service in the past. There was a scheduling issue this year that brought the organization to the Inn. You correctly named the items that were served, and except for the chicken, the comments made by myself and others and agreed upon by many more were that these items could have come directly from BJ's or Costco. Nothing looked or tasted homemade. They looked and tasted exactly like the stuff that comes in large quantities in the frozen food sections of the big box warehouse stores. As I've already stated, this was not just my opinion. Added to this is the fact that we were comparing to the wonderful food served at past events run by this organization and this time the food was hugely disappointing.

07-23-2011, 10:17 AM	#19
Fishing Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 19 Thanks: 3 Thanked 9 Times in 4 Posts	brunch Brunch was very good and everything was hot! The omelet station chef made eggs over easy for my hubby. We'll be back for sure

05-31-2011, 12:36 AM	#1
patman Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NH Posts: 384 Thanks: 56 Thanked 156 Times in 78 Posts	We had 7 for lunch there on Saturday around 1:30 for an after-graduation celebration meal. I'd like to preface this by saying I really wanted this to work out. I was hoping. I read the reviews, I have been before with mixed results over the past 10 years, but I rolled the dice. I'm a local, so I am part of the off-season potential business, not just someone in for the weekend. Short version: Overall it was OK but not great, still a lot of room for improvement. Long version: We were seated quickly, and the waitress came over to take drink orders soon after. She started by announcing that the kitchen was backed up because "everyone showed up at the same time" so we should be prepared to wait for the food to come out. Fair enough, good to know, but...at the time I think there were 4-5 other tables occupied (significantly fewer than half the tables) where we were in the middle area, near the bar. I was left wondering why that was considered heavy traffic. The back dining room was closed, and nobody was in there. To be fair, I came in through the lobby door in the back, so I don't know how many tables were occupied in the front area. I'm pretty sure there was one other table occupied outside also. Drinks came back promptly, although there was some awkward 'please pass this down' deliveries due to the close proximity of the table next to us. That was not a big deal, but it was a little weird. Because of the delay warning, we decided to order some appetizers. Nachos, onion soup, and a couple of salads. They arrived a little later than I would have liked, but...we allowed for it due to the warning, so it wasn't a big deal. By this time the drinks were long empty, and the waitress asked about a second round. One person asked for a glass of water. The refills arrived...without the water, so a second person repeated the water request. The waitress came back a couple of minutes later with a pitcher of water saying we could all fill our own glasses. Only problem was...she didn't bring any glasses. A third request brought one empty glass for the person who had originally asked for the water. Later I asked for a glass of water, and got...a glass of water. That was fine, but I'm not sure what the point of the pitcher was. If the place was hopping, I could understand some crossed signals, but...not for 4-5 tables. The nachos were good, the salad was good (we passed on the salad bar due to its small size and comments earlier on this thread about still working out the details) and the onion soup was...fair. The broth was weak, the cheese was unidentifiable, and there were no bread/croutons in it. The main course arrived after the apps were finished (late as we were warned, but...the apps bridged the gap) and again there was some 'please pass this down' deliveries. The main courses were good. People in the party had sweet chili chicken, steak tips, and burgers, all done to their satisfaction. Around this time the table behind us was being bussed. There were two women doing the work, and one of them kept repeating quite loudly "was the day care seated here or something?" as they cleaned up. Not exactly an ambiance-enhancer. The bill came to about $145, or about $20/person before tip. It wasn't a bad meal...it just had an awkward feel to it, not quite on the mark. I know the comparison is probably wearing thin, but...I've had much more memorable experiences at The Restaurant for that same $20/person. Great: Seated quickly, drinks order taken quickly Good: Nachos, Salad, Mains So-so: Onion soup, awkward service, slooow kitchen with light crowd, drink refills Bad: Trying to get water, clearing adjacent table I guess my bottom line on this experience is that the service and food do not live up to the appearance and expectations. It looks like it should be something comparable to The Restaurant/Canoe/The Woodshed in those qualities, but it ended up feeling more like Longhorn/Applebee's/Chili's.

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05-31-2011, 04:12 AM	#2
RailroadJoe Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 620 Thanks: 259 Thanked 158 Times in 100 Posts	PATMAN Great review. I wish others would write reviews as good as yours.

06-11-2011, 04:11 PM	#4
Barbara Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 251 Thanks: 48 Thanked 113 Times in 64 Posts	I was at an event at the INN last evening. The food served was supposed to be hearty appetizers. They were NOT hearty and NOT good!!!!! I would never organize an event to take place there. I was so disappointed. I really had hope that things would be better. I was also under the impression from both George on this board and from something in the Granite News that the Inn had a new menu as of late April. I'm planning to meet some friends for lunch downtown Wolfeboro next week and stopped at the Inn yesterday to check out the "new" menu. It was the same menu that's been there for a long time. The Inn will NOT be our choice for lunch next week! Mise En Place is always my first choice for lunch, but unfortunately they are n longer serving lunch. That is so disappointing! I guess lunch will be at The Restaurant.

06-12-2011, 05:23 PM	#7
Jonas Pilot Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wolfeboro, New Hampshire is my home, 24-7-365 Posts: 1,686 Thanks: 1,047 Thanked 336 Times in 189 Posts	I think some of you might enjoy your dining out more if you found yourselves better company to share the experience with. If you were more involved with your host or guests you'd have less time to look for fault in others.

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06-12-2011, 06:42 PM	#9
Jonas Pilot Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wolfeboro, New Hampshire is my home, 24-7-365 Posts: 1,686 Thanks: 1,047 Thanked 336 Times in 189 Posts	I'm sorry if I struck a nerve. I didn't mean to upset anyone. It is on topic.

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06-13-2011, 04:13 PM	#12
Winnipesaukee Divers Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Exeter, NH or @ WCYC on weekends Posts: 250 Thanks: 7 Thanked 46 Times in 28 Posts	Hummm, "There is something called perceived value", let's see if I can figure this out. You go to a place with a preconceived notion that the service and food suck; you get this information from a bunch anonymous posters on the internet, but to you this is the gospel truth. It seems to me, your mind is already made up that "You're not going to be satisfied" and therefore you're not. Is that your "perceived value"? And your last part that statement is "some of which maybe can't even be defined". Are you fooling with me here? You can't even define it, but you know what it is, when you don't get it. You'll have to forgive me, as I'm just a simple farm boy from VT with real low "perceived values". I will be going there with no preconceived notions, so watch for my reviews. If I have a good time, I'll be sure to tell you and if I don't... well, you won't know, I'm just that way. BTW: Just so you'll know; the farm I grew up on had no animals, but it's products were shipped worldwide.

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06-13-2011, 06:51 PM	#21
Heaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 523 Thanks: 128 Thanked 95 Times in 67 Posts	We must know each other, cheers!

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06-13-2011, 04:15 PM	#24
patman Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: NH Posts: 384 Thanks: 56 Thanked 156 Times in 78 Posts	I didn't say it was bad. Nothing went back to the kitchen or went uneaten, nobody complained to the staff. Overall, in my opinion, it just didn't live up to the fine dining image that is portrayed. I expected better. I drew the comparison to Applebee's. I've eaten there (and at similar places) a bunch of times...by choice...and had decent meals. I got exactly what I expected at those places. Two of my favorite area places are The Village Kitchen, and The Wolfeborough Diner. Probably not where I'd pick to go for a celebration or a romantic meal, definitely not fine dining environments, but I always enjoyed them on the many occasions I chose to go there. The Tavern? Good food? Sure. (Skip the onion soup.) Beer? I'm not a beer guy, but judging by the list, probably second to none in the area. Fine dining? Not quite. If I was up from Boston for the weekend, and paying $200/night for a suite in the Inn, and wanted a meal to match, I'd probably be disappointed with Applebee's...and The Tavern. As for the company...in my case it was my family celebrating a HS graduation. Maybe I'm missing out, but I guess I would have a tough time coming up with better, more involved company than that.