Joel Palmer House Restaurant — Restaurant in Dayton

I had high hopes for this restaurant, given its proximity to the competitive restaurant scene in Portland coupled with it being located in wine country. However, I was disappointed from the start.

My wife and I waited at the front door for a few minutes until someone recognised we were there. Once we were seated, we were pretty much ignored. After about 20 minutes, I was about ready to pick up and find a different restaurant, but the young woman who seated us took our order.

Then we waited...and waited. First course was fine. Had the filet mignon for the main course, and it was comes to the right temp, but had little flavor. My wife's beef stroganoff showed up super rare and had to go back for a re-do.

I ordered the creme brulee and couldn't eat more than a few spoons worth because of its consistency and the hint of greasy breakfast griddle aftertaste which was probably a result of the mushrooms added to the recipe. The chocolate cake didn't wow.

As for the service, it seems as though the restaurant hired from the local high school. The wait staff were green st best, and makes one wonder about their policy of charging a minimum 18 percent service. One patron at the next table was doing the mental math and lamenting if the staff were really getting all 18 percent, which, if tonite's experience was any indication, was far too much since service was slow, used and unused glassware never seemed to leave the table, and no one really ever came by to check on us.

In the end, the restaurant comped our drinks, which consisted of a coffee and one glass of wine in the two hours and fifteen minutes we were there. No one had ever asked if I wanted another glass of wine with my meal, and I didn't volunteer.

It seems like small-town mediocrity has already doomed this restaurant. Our experience was poor at best, and we couldn't wait to leave. The burger experience we had the night before at the restaurant in the renovated church was much, much better.

Save your time and money and...

WOW!!! The most incredible restaurant experience I have ever had. The food is delicious and artfully prepared with precision, love and detail. The restaurant feels like I am eating in my favorite family members house. It is warm and beautiful. The combinations of the food were bursting with color and creativity. The service was amazing. My husband could not go with me, so I ate alone and I was given amazing service and a great education of wines. My waiter was Josh who was also a Sommelier and he was so excited and generous in explaining different wines to me because I did not know much. Levi was also so attentive and professional. The chef Christopher had every dish he made just exquisite. They say it is a 10 course dinner but I thought it was more like 13. Everything was paced perfectly. They even had an assortment of cheeses that you can have as much as you want. It was the last course so you will probably be so full. Almost forgot the dessert, it was designed in the shape of a mushroom Terrarium but made with ice cream, cakes, cheesecake and it was all edible, except the shovel and pail. The most creative and breathtaking dessert! I am told they change the menu every 3 months. I am going back again because I cannot wait to see what the next surprise is. I have travelled a lot and this is by far the BEST dining experience I have ever had. Every restaurant I have now eaten in is boring, bland and dismal compared to the Joel Palmer House. It is been a few weeks since I ate there and I am still showing all my food pictures of my meal to my friends because I am still so excited. Thank You for getting me excited again about dining out. Thank You for caring and respecting your customers enough to give us a perfect dining experience! You...

The Joel Palmer House is the worst restaurant I have ever been to. Not the worst food, or the worst service, or the worst setting, rather the biggest sham and if you spend your time and money there. Please know that you are being taken.

The menu has never changed and is old, cheap, and boring. The majority of this old and boring food is microwaved. There are no recipes; everything is just kind of 'thrown together' and not in a creative culinary way, but in a rushed and unplanned manner.

The 'owner' and 'fourth generation restauranteur' is a shadow of the chef his father once was and is a know drug addict and alcoholic, which is evidenced by looking into his eyes while he boasts and begs for compliments

The eighteen percent automatic gratuity goes directly into this mans pocket. The servers are primarily local high school people who are paid minimum wage or lower in cash. Perhaps ask him about his numerous pending unlawful termination lawsuits?

If you are a wine enthusiast from outside of Oregon then this may be a great place to visit. The wine list is exclusivly Oregon focused because the owner has burned all bridges for distribution.

The Joel Palmer House is an absolute disgrace to the Willamette Valley and the people who pride themselves on quality food and wine in Oregon. Go there, wander the lovely garden, read the history of the house, enjoy the small portions of fast food, talk to the 'fourth generation restauranteur' about himself, and then decide for yourself if your experience was worth the price you paid on the long drive home or to where you are staying.

This may sound harsh and if so ask anyone in Dayton, Amity, Dundee, McMinnville, or Newberg, what their opinion is of The Joel...