Smithsonian Cafe And Chowder House - Feedback

Unfortunately our lunch visit today was sub par on many levels. When we walked in the door the restaurant was filled with smoke. That should have been our cue t... read more Unfortunately our lunch visit today was sub par on many levels. When we walked in the door the restaurant was filled with smoke. That should have been our cue to leave but I was craving a delicious popover like I’ve gotten in the past. I ordered a chicken pot pie popover and it was just off today. Like everything was 3-5 days old. The pot pie filling was runny and sour tasting. The popover was tough and rubbery. Not like I remember them to be. My husband was happy with his sandwich, so I’m guessing my choice was just a poor one. Couple this with very unfriendly service by the young lady at the counter (never greeted us and asked if she could help us…just stood at the register with an unhappy glare …not pleasant and acted annoyed that she had to take our order…it made for a disappointing customer experience. We thought the smoke filled dining area would get better but it actually got worse over the course of our lunch. Surprised that the smoke detectors didn’t go off. Definitely not a pleasant or healthy lunch experience. Our clothes smell of smoke and several hours later, my eyes are still burning. Got to do better Smithsonian.

The clam chowder was absolutely incredible! The fried Fish and Chips and the fried Calamari were fantastic as well, perfectly cooked and not greasy at all! The... read more The clam chowder was absolutely incredible! The fried Fish and Chips and the fried Calamari were fantastic as well, perfectly cooked and not greasy at all! The service was fast and friendly, and the prices were very reasonable!

Always a great time! It’s my favorite soup place! Their sandwiches are to die for and the soup is award winning! read more Always a great time! It’s my favorite soup place! Their sandwiches are to die for and the soup is award winning!

The food was amazing I got the cowboy chicken chili and came out very hot and good, fried haddock sandwich was fresh and pulled right apart. Very good service a... read more The food was amazing I got the cowboy chicken chili and came out very hot and good, fried haddock sandwich was fresh and pulled right apart. Very good service and dined in and was out within an hour! Highly recommend this place to dine in and get some food!

I 'd never been here until today, and I was in a soup mood, so I asked one of the great guys working there which was his favorite and he said, seafood chowder a... read more I 'd never been here until today, and I was in a soup mood, so I asked one of the great guys working there which was his favorite and he said, seafood chowder and I 'm glad I followed his advice. BEST seafood chowder I 've EVER had. I also tried the tomato bisque, a bite of grilled cheese sandwich, and a few other bits from items my friends bought...everything was five star delicious. This little place is so worth your while! I live about an hour away, but I 'll be back now that a friend introduced me to it.

We chose Smithsonian Catering for our wedding reception buffet-style dinner, and Peter and his team were a pleasure to work with. Everything Peter suggested for... read more We chose Smithsonian Catering for our wedding reception buffet-style dinner, and Peter and his team were a pleasure to work with. Everything Peter suggested for the menu was delicious, and we felt more and more confident in our decision to work with them as time went on. They even surprised us with a seafood platter that was absolutely delicious. Peter and his team provided us with a fruit and cheese table for appetizers, chicken marsala medallions, baked squid with seafood, grilled vegetables, Caesar salad, tomato mozzarella salad, and helped us create a custom dessert table with cupcakes in various flavors such as Andes mint chocolate, cookies and cream, apple cider vanilla, and a tiramisu cake. Everything was delicious and everyone at the reception enjoyed the food. Peter was down-to-earth, transparent about costs and any changes that needed to be made, and overall fantastic to work with. We highly recommend Smithsonian Catering for any event. They were fantastic and helped make our special day even more memorable. P.S. Peter is open to creating custom menus and has experience with creating multicultural menus, which was a thoughtful touch that we appreciated as an interracial couple.

I always look forward to coming here, delicious food and excellent service. read more I always look forward to coming here, delicious food and excellent service.

The seafood chowder at this restaurant is incredible. My wife and I make a special effort to come here just to have it. read more The seafood chowder at this restaurant is incredible. My wife and I make a special effort to come here just to have it.

Smithsonion chowderhouse serves delicious meals of all kinds! read more Smithsonion chowderhouse serves delicious meals of all kinds!

I ordered a fried scallop dinner and a baked scallop dinner to go for my boyfriend and I for my birthday. Both dinners were absolutely delicious. I've never had... read more I ordered a fried scallop dinner and a baked scallop dinner to go for my boyfriend and I for my birthday. Both dinners were absolutely delicious. I've never had anything but wonderful food and service from here. Highly recommended! You guys made my birthday!!

I absolutely love soup, and theirs is incredible! I'm always satisfied with the selection when I visit, and the customer service at the Hatfield location is con... read more I absolutely love soup, and theirs is incredible! I'm always satisfied with the selection when I visit, and the customer service at the Hatfield location is consistently excellent.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for making my husband's surprise 50th birthday celebration a tremendous success. Everyone has been praising how incredi... read more I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for making my husband's surprise 50th birthday celebration a tremendous success. Everyone has been praising how incredible the food was. Peter Langlois, ...

As always, it's definitely worth the bike ride from Hubbardston for their amazing soups and chowder. I could easily make the trip two or three times a year! read more As always, it's definitely worth the bike ride from Hubbardston for their amazing soups and chowder. I could easily make the trip two or three times a year!

This is an excellent place to eat! I will definitely be returning for the popover and lobster bisque. read more This is an excellent place to eat! I will definitely be returning for the popover and lobster bisque.

Excellent service! I always try something new whenever I visit, and everything I've had has been fantastic. I absolutely love this restaurant! read more Excellent service! I always try something new whenever I visit, and everything I've had has been fantastic. I absolutely love this restaurant!

We selected Smithsonian Catering for our wedding reception, opting for a buffet-style dinner. Peter and his team were wonderful to work with, always friendly an... read more We selected Smithsonian Catering for our wedding reception, opting for a buffet-style dinner. Peter and his team were wonderful to work with, always friendly and accommodating. Every menu recommendation Peter made was delicious, which gave us increasing confidence in choosing them. We especially enjoyed the seafood chowder Peter graciously provided. The fruit and cheese table, chicken marsala medallions, baked haddock with seafood stuffing, grilled vegetables, Caesar salad, tomato mozzarella salad, and custom desserts—including cupcakes in unique flavors like Andes mint chocolate, earl grey chocolate, apple cider vanilla, and a tiramisu cutting cake—were all exceptional. Each tasting session was a delight, and our guests raved about the food. Peter was approachable, transparent about pricing and adjustments, and simply a pleasure to work with. We will certainly recommend Smithsonian Catering to our friends and family for future events. Thank you for making our wedding truly special! Additionally, Peter’s openness to creating custom menu items and his experience with interracial wedding menus meant a lot to us as an interracial couple, even though we didn’t ultimately use that option.

The menu offers a wide variety of choices, and the desserts are excellent. The restaurant is usually calm and never overcrowded. read more The menu offers a wide variety of choices, and the desserts are excellent. The restaurant is usually calm and never overcrowded.

Peter catered my wedding on July 30th, and working with him was a breeze. With his extensive experience, he even trained his staff to craft our custom specialty... read more Peter catered my wedding on July 30th, and working with him was a breeze. With his extensive experience, he even trained his staff to craft our custom specialty cocktails, which was a wonderful personal touch. Peter prepared a dish that my husband and I love, even though it wasn’t on his regular menu. He truly goes above and beyond, making the entire experience fantastic. During the tasting, he gifted us a box of specialty cupcakes to take home—they were incredible! We highly recommend Peter and his team. The food was delicious, and everyone on staff was very friendly. We’re huge fans of Peter’s catering company and grateful they were part of our special day at the Smithsonian.

We can't say enough about how wonderful of an experience we had with Peter and Smithsonian Catering at our wedding. From our first few interactions with him, we... read more We can't say enough about how wonderful of an experience we had with Peter and Smithsonian Catering at our wedding. From our first few interactions with him, we could tell he was going to take care of us and accommodate our needs as best he could. Hisfood was delicious (especially his clam chowder and popovers! and he and his staff were absolutely wonderful! They even dodesserts in house and made us a beautiful little cutting cake, which just simplified everything for us! Our guests all ravedabout Peter's food, and we couldn't be more happy that we chose to go with Smithsonian Catering for our wedding! It was such acomfortable and stress-free experience, and Peter's friendly, easy-going demeanor made us feel like we had been going to hisCafe and Chowderhouse for years! Thank you again, Peter! We'll certainly be stopping by next time we're in the area!!

Despite living in Hatfield for a few years, I had never ordered from here. I was looking for a quick to go lunch when working from home on a chilly day and didn... read more Despite living in Hatfield for a few years, I had never ordered from here. I was looking for a quick to go lunch when working from home on a chilly day and didn't want to travel into Northampton, so I gave Smithsonian a shot. Wow! I was really impressed food was good, hot, fresh, and pretty well priced. I'm happy to add this place to my repertoire and will be coming back. Alsothe popover was really crispy, in a good way :