Kimball Farm Jaffrey — Restaurant in Jaffrey

I have been a long time fan of Kimball's farm since 1974. Back then I was a mom with 3 children and I used to love to take them there for a special treat. I also used to take out of state family and friends there when they would come for a vist knowing they would get a great meal. Those days are gone now. 5 years ago a Captains platter was $31.95 and was considered pricey. But 1 Captains platter containing shrimp, whole clams, scallops, Haddock, coleslaw and french fries was enough for 2 adults and some leftovers. And the pieces were huge. They were lightly browned, tender and juicy. The last two years, the Fisherman's platter has been only enough for one adult, no leftovers. And the price is now up to $41.95. The seafood was fried in oil that was old, over heated and very dark. The seafood tasted slightly burned and had been over cooked so that the coating on it was so hard it was difficult to stick a fork in it. The Haddock was as thin as paper, if it was Haddock, and also hard as a rock. I have honestly never had a fisherman's platter that was worse. This didn't happen just once but several times over the last 2-3 years. I am very disappointed. I would have no issue with the price going up, we all are experiancing that but the quality has really gone down as well. We sadly will only be back for the ice cream which is...

Update: We stopped in again (May 2012) to see how they were doing. The ice cream seems to be back to its original excellent quality. Didn't get much food, so can't comment. VERY busy and crowded, I guess word travels fast.

(Oct 2011:) What a disappointment. I have been holding off writing a review all summer, hoping things would get better. On opening day, we discovered that Kimball's (Jaffrey) had installed a new computer-point-of-sale system. Yuk. If we wanted that, we could go to MickeyD's. The food was disappointing. I don't know if they started buying things they used to prepare themselves, like sliced meats, or what happened exactly, but it's just not the same. The ice cream is AWFUL now. It used to be THE BEST in the area, rich, creamy, flavorful. Now it is lousy, ice-chunk-filled, and flavorless. I can get a whole half-gallon of that in the supermarket for the same price. Yuk. And this is from multiple visits all summer, not just one stop! This location has been very popular for years, and it may be able to coast on that reputation for a while, but food this bad is going to drive people away. The pluses: the fried food is about the same as always, and they still make a good...

Kimball Farms is widely known in MA and NH and is a well-loved icon by those who have experienced one or more of their locations. I adore this location and have only the utmost praise for their ice cream menu and service! However, our FOOD experience was different. Maybe I should have taken a hint from the guy in front of me who ordered a grilled cheese with tomato and bacon....only because it seemed to me that he was a regular patron and probably knows the BEST and fastest item on the menu. Newbies take heed!! pay attention to seemingly regular customers' orders. Talk to someone in line while you are waiting to order. Ask them what is good here. Let someone cut you in line who seems to be in a hurry. Listen to what they order, how they order it, and pay attention to how the staff reacts to that person. If you are open to change on the fly, you may just have an amazing food experience the next time you are STUCK in a long line of frustrated and...