Smith Hill Tavern — Restaurant in Ashby

For starters this location has a lot of potential, but the management does it really seem to know what they want. The tables in the main room don't really match the Aesthetics of the walls in the paintings. On the plus side, the walls are gorgeous and the fireplace is beautiful especially when they light it. During our dining experience somebody was refilling the firewood and it was a rather cold day outside instead of bringing you container outside to fill it up and then open the door wants to bring everything in they left the door wide open while they hand-carried the firewood into the room it took them about 15-plus minutes and during that time the dining room dropped about 20 degrees in temperature, not only did our food get cold but we were freezing. It was a warm welcome when they started up the fire to help bring some heat back into the room however it didn't make much of a dent for our sitting. My dad got a salad and ask for some vinegar to put onto the salad, the girl helping us brought out a cup of white vinegar, not balsamic or apple cider, or even rice wine even though they had all of those in house. It just seems like they weren't properly trained on things that should be basic. The food is priced a little bit high for the neighborhood which I wouldn't mind paying if it was exceptional however there's not that many vegetarian items on their menu so I had to go with a grilled cheese sandwich. It was okay. We went for a second trip and brought my nephew in for and ice cream even though the manager came over to help us and then two additional servers came over to help us nobody really ended up taking your order until about 20 minutes after we had been seated, the restaurant was not busy there was only one other table and two guys at the bar. I'm not exactly sure what everybody was doing. After receiving your ice creams my mom and I noticed that ours were extremely grainy and sticky. It turns out that they were completely freezer burnt. We had got two different flavors this means that even in the seasons that they have low serve flow in there ice cream parlor they are not paying attention to expiration dates and they are not rotating their stock to avoid melting and refreezing. If I've known something has sat for awhile I would taste it before I ever put it on a plate to serve to a guest. It took us another 15 minutes to try to find somebody to express that are ice creams were unedible, eventually we just went into the kitchen and spoke with one of the girls who then tried them. We then threw ours out. Fortunately enough they did not charge us for the two bites that we took from them. LOL, I feel this place has a lot of potential but the younger guy who is running it needs to be a bit more personable and open to changing things to help make the restaurant a even flowing and inviting environment. I'm not saying these things to bash this place I think it's really great for the area I would just love to see some improvements so that way this restaurant around for...

A Disappointing Night — Poor Service, Bad Food, and No Accountability

We came to this restaurant to celebrate a family birthday — but it ended up being one of the most frustrating and disappointing dining experiences we’ve ever had. From the start, the service was painfully slow. It took 45 minutes just to receive sodas and bar drinks, and over an hour to get two Shirley Temples for the kids. Our server never gave us any updates or explanations about the delays, and when we asked to speak to the manager, it took another 20 minutes — and even then, the owner/chef never came out to speak with us. By the time our food finally arrived — well over an hour and a half after we were seated — things only got worse. Out of the eight meals we ordered: • The steak tips were cold and chewy • The fries were overly greasy • The chicken piccata was drowning in sauce and completely inedible • The fried fish was overcooked to the point of being hard • The potatoes gratin were dry and flavorless

After waiting so long and trying to stay patient, we were incredibly disappointed with both the service and the quality of the food. We didn’t even bother ordering dessert — it was already after 8:30 PM, and our reservation had been at 6:15 PM. We were simply done. The next day, I called the owner to discuss the experience, hoping for a reasonable conversation. Instead, I was met with hostility and arrogance. He talked over me, never let me fully explain what happened, and offered a $25 gift card without ever apologizing or taking responsibility. His tone was dismissive and combative. At one point, he told me he’s “been in business for four years and will be in business for many more,” then hung up on me. We understand that restaurants can have off nights, but what’s unacceptable is the complete lack of communication, accountability, and basic customer respect — both during and after our visit. This was meant to be a special night with family, and instead it became an evening of waiting, disappointment, and frustration. We won’t be returning, and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone looking for a quality dining experience or...

I emailed the owner for a resolution before listing my complaint. I have not received a reply yet; it's been 11 days. My reservation was for 6:15 PM, and our party of four was seated in the bar area. While the food itself was enjoyable, and the menu selection is certainly an improvement over previous owners, the service and overall experience fell far short of expectations.

Our food arrived at staggered times (8:06 PM, 8:09 PM, and 8:13 PM for the final guest), which was unfortunately indicative of the evening’s service issues. The only waitress/bartender was inattentive, seemingly the only staff member capable of serving drinks. Beverages were delivered one at a time, creating delays and an inefficient service flow. Only one member of our party was asked about a second drink, despite the considerable wait times for food. Furthermore, we observed tables seated after us receiving bread service before our meals even arrived, despite not receiving bread ourselves. Younger waitresses or food runners are there standing about most of the evening giggling with one another.

The situation was exacerbated by the bathroom issue they had. At approximately 7:45 PM, we discovered the restrooms were non-functional, only usable with the caveat that flushing was impossible. This is unacceptable, and I question whether this adheres to health regulations. Frankly, it is unsanitary and profoundly disappointing.

Your website promises "perfectly plated food and fresh ingredients." While the food quality lived up to this claim, the service and overall environment did not. The lengthy waits for both food and drinks echoed complaints about previous owners, adding to the sense of unmet expectations.

You told "Kate" the review before mine that this was an off night? I was there that night too. It has always been this way. If you are reading this review. Please let me know if you have the...