I’ve spent most of my life in the restaurant business, so I know what to expect when dining out—good or bad. My friend Leah and I chose The Heritage Greens at Wyckoff Country Club for my birthday dinner. I’d heard great things about the recent makeover and the new chef, who’s well know in the Northampton area. The setting was beautiful, and the food was truly excellent—but the service was another story.
Upon arrival, we entered through the front door and found ourselves in what was clearly a banquet area. No signage guided us to the restaurant, and we had to walk around the building to find the outdoor dining area. We had requested outdoor seating when making the reservation and were promptly seated—but right next to a large, loud group of golfers, despite many empty, quieter tables nearby. First strike for a place aiming to be an upscale dining destination.
The menu impressed us-prime rib special (hard to find these days!) and a great mocktail list which we appreciated since we no longer drink. Our server, a very young woman, was polite but clearly inexperienced. She didn’t know what a mocktail was and had to check the menu in our hands when taking our orders. The same thing happened again when we ordered food. She didn’t know the menu at all.
We ordered sticky ribs to share. When they arrived, we had no plates. We had to ask. Then came our salads—Leah’s without dressing, which I had to go inside and request from another server. Our server brought the dressing and apologized, saying it was her second day. A theme that continued throughout the evening,
Mid-salad, our entrees were dropped off by a food runner—completely unacceptable. He offered to return them to the kitchen, but we declined, not wanting food sitting under a heat lamp. Our server checked in and gave us the sam half-hearted “it’s only my second day” line. Meanwhile, two managers were walking around—one woman who offered to take food back after I flagged her down, and a man who eventually removed a dirty plate but didn’t address any concerns. At no point did management seem aware or proactive about what was clearly poor service.
To be clear: the food was excellent. Leah’s haddock was generous and well prepared. My Statler chicken with pan jus was flavorful and perfectly cooked. Prices were extremely reasonable for the quality.
We asked for the dessert menus. Leah’s dirty plate was still on the table when they were delivered. The male manager walked by, cleared the plate, and casually asked how things were. We didn’t bother getting into it again.
The brulee cheesecake caught our attention—I’m a former bakery owner and take desserts seriously. Our server didn’t know how it was prepared and had to check with the kitchen. It was pre-made and bruleed in advance (disappointing), but we ordered it. I ordered the Limoncello cake, which was delivered to the table alone—no cheesecake in sight. We asked, and the server seemed confused again. We cancelled the cheesecake and told her not to charge us for it.
The final straw? She returned Leah’s credit card and a pink felt-tip pen for the signature. I’ve worked in places where that alone would be grounds for termination.
To be clear, this isn’t just a critique of a young, untrained server. The real issue is management. No server should be on the floor of a restaurant like this without knowing the menu, shadowing an experienced server, and being properly trained. Her performance—half-hearted apologies, lack of care, confusion—was symptomatic of a failure at the top.
It’s clear the new owner invested heavily in the space and brought in a talented chef. But the front of the house is not being held to the same standard. I’ve since heard that poor service is a recurring issue.
I’ll return once more for the food—but if the service hasn’t improved, it will be my last visit. This could be one of Holyoke’s best dining spots, but it won’t get there unless management gets serous...
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