Elm Tree Diner — Restaurant in Houlton

This USED to be my favorite place to eat in Houlton but the last 3 visits have been very disappointing. The staff have been less than friendly, the portion size is certainly smaller than in the past and each time the order has been either incorrect or missing part of the order. I should not have to ask 3 times for the coffee that I ordered. They used to ask if you wanted refills. Also if they run out of what I ordered, please have the courtesy to come back to tell me rather than me having to ask why I didn't get what I ordered. The food has been mediocre (either over cooked or cold). Today even walking across the floor, my shoes were sticking to it. Probably one of the most distressing thing that I have observed for the past 3 visits is their technique for cleaning the tables between clients. At first I thought it was a one time thing but after observing, it seems to be routine. The waitress wiped the table then the seats and then went to the next table to wipe the table top and so on. Is it really very sanitary to use the same cloth that you cleaned the seats on the table top? I don't think so! The cloth was not even rinsed in between. We certainly won't be back any time soon. We have decided to find a new place to call...

We had 15 people in the back room and only had one server waiting on the group...the owner and his wife did nothing to help get the food out in a timely manner and at a required temperature of 145 degree serving temperature...the owner/wife continued to sit and talk with friends while the owner/husband just stood behind the counter...the other server remained behind her counter with no customers as well...the chicken Alfredo and shrimp Alfredo had sauce so thick you could put up wall paper with it... my sister-in-law and another of our guests refused the two luke warm "Chef Boyardee" tasting so...I could say more about other dishes we received as well..our server did a great job being she didn't get help from the others I've already mentioned..and we came at 2 pm today Sunday Dec. 10th and the restaurant pretty much empty..you definitely can tell the owners have no prior restaurant experience at all...this is obviously there first attempt at owning a restaurant...the whole group will not be back again for sure...a two...

I had to try the food since reopening due to the pandemic. I was not disappointed. The restaurant was clean. The service was prompt and friendly. Masks were worn as per code. I wanted something other than my usual diner food I order. I decided on the chicken cheese steak sub. It arrived quickly and was good and hot. The sub roll was over flowing with chicken, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and the all important cheese. The portion was great and I did not mind one bit that I needed a fork to eat it. The cheese was thick and stringy exactly as I would expect. The seasoning was some of the best I have had. The sub was an overall delight. The homemade chips were a treat. They were a small waffle cut and very crispy. I did not notice any salt, so I added a dash. It was nice to be able to control the amount of salt on the chips. I was very impressed with my meal. The Elm Tree Diner is beginning to remind me of the old days when I ate...