Epoch Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Exeter

The Epoch has had its ups and downs. It is currently in a major down this year - not quite sure what is going on with that, but I have gone there on two separate occasions within the last month, and both were non-stellar. Evidence to this is that on the busiest Friday night the town has had all spring... the Epoch had mostly empty tables. People were filling other establishments with better food and service. The service: with a smile, though the maitre d' had a definitively false smile plastered on his face whenever he walked by a customer. With other employees, his genuine smile could sometimes be seen. The server was professional, and had a genuine smile. Service was slow. Expect a minimum 2 hours for a single plate meal. Food: ok - not at all stellar. Also it is not worth the price. Expect an easy payout over $100 for two people, two single plates, and two bar drinks. Price is certainly comparable to the other restaurants in the area, though overpriced for the food. The menu is now lacking in a diverse choice set. Burgers, salads and some entrees. I had a short rib on pasta one evening: under seasoned comes to mind. So much so, that I asked for salt and pepper and waited ten minutes for them to arrive. As the server ground pepper from the mill onto the food, I almost had to physically stop them from continuing... the didn't take the hint when I said clearly "THAT'S ENOUGH!" :-/ Night two: Martinis were good. Steak (really a tough piece of something meat-like) was cooked medium (good) and served with some 4+ tablespoons of "marrow butter" that looked like it had been smeared onto the plate in an artistic attempt (failed) with a putty knife. The steak was pre-cut against the grain: ok - but it cools much too rapidly this way, so by the time the server gets it to the table, it is cold. My partner had a nice caesar salad. Dressing was ok. The salmon was served onto the side of the greens (why not on top?) and served SKIN side up! Ummm.... no. Bad choice there. How about removing the skin? Or just leave it on and down towards the plate? How about a good filet steak on the menu for meat eaters? How about some spices, herbs, etc: make the meals shine? I will not recommend the place until...

Walked into the bar area finding a seat at the more than half empty bar. It was more than 10 minutes before I was acknowledged and then it was "Can I get something in for you?" and then walking away? I don't even know what the question is or how to answer it? Another 5 minutes before an order was taken. 5 minutes to get the drink ordered. When the napkin roll of utensils was put down I actually had to ask for the mess from the previous party be cleaned off the bar. A bar rag dipped into a sink full of water and wrung out was used to wipe the bar down. Took until just about the time my food arrived for it to dry! I ordered the "Smoky Tomato Soup" and "Fried Green Tomatoes". From the time I ordered these 2 starters it took 25 minutes to be delivered. The "fried Green tomatoes were room temp and about as bland as white bread and the Smokey Tomato Soup (with Focaccia Crostini, Shaved Parmesan) was blistering hot. There were 2 postage stamp size pieces of melted Parmesan and a piece of I am not sure what as the crostini. This Smokey Tomato Soup was not much more than a bowl of warmed up Ragu Spaghetti Sauce. Over a bed of penne it may have been tasty. As a Soup? Not close. I had pushed back both the bowl and plate barely touched. The bartender looked at them twice. Finally he says "everything going great over here? Need anything"? I asked for the check so I could end the charade of a dining experience.

This was easily the worst service and food I have had in years. YEARS! I am on the road 2-3 nights a week 52 weeks a year. I stayed here at the Exeter Inn as everything else in the area was sold out. Next time I...

I want to first say that our waitress was very nice. The food however left quite a lot to be desired considering the price points. My grandmother ordered the burrata salad with grilled chicken and I ordered the $22 pappardelle dish with no protein. The pasta was barely al dente and was VERY bland as if no seasoning or salt was used at all. It was barely warm and looked as if it had been sitting around for a while. I mentioned it to our waitress and she apologized and said it was the fourth time that night it was being returned. She asked if I wanted her to take it back to get it how it was supposed to be made in the first place. I decided to go with the same order as my grandmother because her grilled chicken was cooked perfectly. When I received mine, the chicken was very dry and barely warm. About 15 minutes later, another order of chicken burrata salad came to the table by a different waitress, which we told the waitress wasn’t ours since I had received mine already. We then waited nearly 45 minutes after we finished eating to get our check and wait again to pay. Again, our waitress was very nice but nearly the entire experience left a lot to be desired considering the price point of most of the dishes, the reputation of the restaurant, and the previous reviews. It’s a shame because we were really looking forward to dining there on our last...