Ellie’s Farmhouse — Restaurant in Methuen

This was our first visit to Ellie’s Farmhouse at 436 Broadway, Methuen, MA (what was the old Fudruckers). They said there would be a 30 min wait for seating (though there were empty tables) but we found empty seats at the bar, seated ourselves and were happy there. We loved the ambiance and vibe of the place. The bar help, servers, everyone we encountered were all very nice and helpful too. I felt like they were genuine people. The menu has some great selections too. We started with a latte each, which were OK. They use LaVazza espresso, which we like, but used too much milk for the small shot so they didn’t have a lot of coffee flavor, and there was no foam, so I’d give them a 2 of 5 for flavor and appearance.

The hubs went with the Fresh Veggie Bowl and was happy with it. It was a little small compared to similar bowls at other restaurants, but he said it filled him up. I ordered the Laguna Bennie and it was pretty tasty. The eggs were cooked perfectly, the guacamole was yum, there wasn’t much of the pesto to taste, so I’m not sure if that had flavor. The hollandaise was underwhelming and quite plain. I did not eat the English Muffin, because it was more like a thick, soft, doughy bread, not what I had hoped for. The tomato slices were good sized, but the menu said “grilled tomato” and mine was definitely not grilled, there was no charring, heat and they had no flavor. The home fries were good. So overall, though mine was good enough, it wasn’t great. I had hoped for great. We both said we’d go back and try it again. I’ll update this post when we do that.

Additional info: I overheard the couple next to us saying they were going to “write this place off our list” so I asked them why. Neither of them liked their breakfasts, saying they were very “plain”. They had ordered omelettes and said there were no herbs or flavor. One had also ordered a flight of Mimosas which looked really pretty, but when I asked why she wasn’t drinking them, she said they were terrible. Most of the food was left on their plates and all but one sip of each mimosa was left. We had a much better experience than...

Firstly, wow! Customer service, food, environment, cleanliness, taste, experience, all of it, 5 STARS!

My husband and I came down to Boston for work and on our way out of town needed a breakfast place that would satisfy our hunger but also cater to my gluten allergy!

Immediately, we were blown away by the family friendly environment with the Easter bunny walking around from table to table, handing out eggs and candy to the families that requested it.

We were seated with an attentive waitress, Kayla, who immediately brought us delicious apple slices with cinnamon sugar! She was willing to answer questions and calm ease. She even offered us some candy being Easter, and gave us plenty of options “for the road.”

We ordered our Carmel latte and chocolate milk. The latte was delicious and helped wake us up! We also ordered the Baja Grill and the Farmhouse Classic. Our food was quickly delivered without any hiccups. And don’t think speedy service means sloppy delivery. The TASTE was phenomenal, mixing all flavors but subtly drawing you back for “just one more bite.” Our eggs were fluffy, and truly better than any other eggs we’ve eaten! The cage free egg made the difference!

My gluten allergy was acknowledged and taken into consideration with care and no problems. Kayla was able to note it to the cooks and ensure I felt seen, without concern for cross contamination.

As we were finishing up, Rick the owner stopped over to see how things were. We let him know how satisfied we were and how delicious everything was. He connected with us talking about where we were from, encouraging us to come back, and even telling us a little about his family and origin of the restaurant. As someone who previously worked in the restaurant world, it’s phenomenal that the owner was seen delivering food, bussing tables, checking in, seating guests, and checking on his staff. While he didn’t take over for them, he stepped in when they were busy, never rushing guests but adding to the experience.

You best believe we will be back! Truly a...

The manager/owner is obnoxious and scary for starters. Even on a busy Saturday service day you still need to keep your cool. This person I think needs help.

Our server was lovely, Ruth D. She brought us extra napkins. She brought back a dish because they accidentally gave us a cheeseburger instead of a hamburger, which was burnt to a crisp. My uncle's sausages were also burnt solid. Not her fault. I tipped her 25%.

However, as for the manager, he harassed me in front of my child and family had drove especially for the meal. I did not ask to speak with the manager. All of our food was burnt. When I went to pay at the front, the lady with the black glasses looked at me and the receipt like as if it was from another planet, Nicole N. I asked her if this was not the way to pay, then I'll work with our server. Then the manager came by and I politely let him know I didn't want to talk, just offered him blessings and asked him to please leave so we could eat in peace.

I had come this morning from my mother's grave to meet my aunt and uncle for breakfast to celebrate my mother's life at this horrible place, ironically, she loved coming here and I will never go back

The owner gave me the chills. He accused me of being rude and asked me to leave before I could even finish the cup of coffee that I hadn't even started to drink and had paid for. I was in fear of my life. He was in my personal space and would not leave.

Please do not patronize this place. They do not deserve your money, or anything else. I will be contacting other community-based organizations to do my civic duty alerting the public to this very horrible experience, which has traumatized me and my son, and ruined our Saturday. It is now part of my story which blows my mind.

UPATE: Rick, the owner responded to me in Dec. 23. I am now reading it for the first time. My response on yelp:

Per Bill's review, the owner appears to be someone who is unhinged and potentially a threat to people .

by Jessica T....