Freight Yard Pub — Restaurant in North Adams

The Freight Yard Pub is located in North Adams, Mass - just over the bridge near downtown. It’s got ample parking and outdoor seating on their patio and great atmosphere on the inside.

I staggered in, having just been on the Appalachian Trail for four days and then walking three miles from the trail on Massachusetts Ave to the pub in high heat and humidity, and no doubt looking and smelling terrible while also carrying a massive hiking pack. I was seated promptly (I chose outside to spare everyone else) with no questions and was able to plug my dead phone into a wall charger outside with the hostess’ permission.

I ordered a Guinness (refreshing) and a side of fried pickles (delicious) and Yvonne, my server, was very kind while I told her I was waiting for two fellow hikers I’d left behind on the trail. She inquired every so often but not aggressively, and kept assuring me it was completely fine. When I explained to her the situation she went above and beyond and told me if my friends were trying to order an Uber, they wouldn’t find one and offered to let me use the store phone to call since mine was charging, and even gave me the name of a local cab company to give them. My friends had decided to walk like I had done and we finally ordered.

Yvonne was already dealing with several tables including a table of bikers and yet she still nailed our orders and had them out promptly and offered us water top offs regularly, seeing how dehydrated my friends were. She even refilled water bottles with water without us suggesting or thinking it. I got the steak, which was hefty and filling but could have used more seasoning than just Montreal (still loved it, but this is a review after all) and my rice pilaf was surrounded by a puddle of grease or butter.

To top it all off, my friends I’d been hiking with were family (mother and son team) and my friend’s wife and two kids showed up to see us and his father showed up and they ordered a few things and she even kept my bill separate without complaint (my friend’s parents would have paid for my meal otherwise and I didn’t want them to spend money on me) while also still providing great service.

In short, I’d like to offer my hand in marriage to Yvonne. Just kidding, sort of, but she definitely made the experience and was just such a pro. Kudos to her - and to the restaurant, I hope y’all...

Competent, attentive, and friendly staff. Professional, neither pretentious nor chatty - not trying to pretend they are friends with the patrons. No shtick or sucking up, just plain old competency straight up. Clean and spacious. Smoothly run with reasonable wait time for food. Staff appeared at just the right times to check on the experience, after we had a chance to try everything on our plates, but not too late to make it right if there was a problem (there wasn't) and came to offer drink refills shortly before we hit bottom (and not after we ran dry).

Food cooked exactly as requested and correctly delivered to the parties who ordered it.

Varied menu with burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads, chicken, seafood and sides (vegetables, masked potatoes, fries, sweet fries), soup and chowder. Speciality burgers live up to their reputation with varied toppings in soft buns. Onion rings come with tangy catsup/horseradish sauce. Burgers we're large, with fresh light and airy glossy crusted buns; but even with and sides did not create a feeling of overeating. Chocolate peanut butter pie with whipped cream dollops and drizzled chocolate tasted as delightful as it looked. Several vegetarian options (notably eggplant Parm and a veggie burger - vegetarian companion thought it tasted mushroom and bean based but we didn't ask.)

Outdoor seating in "courtyard atmosphere screened from parking lot by high wooden fence, which went a long way towards hiding the fact that the parking lot is under a busy roadway. Metal grate tables and spacious chairs under umbrellas are widely spaced so every table feels private. Waitstaff seemed to seat parties as "distanced" from each other as possible. Indoor seating is also available at tables and the bar. Clean accessible rest rooms.

Touchless payment available via scannable image on the check.

A bit pricey for a burger on the surface than from where we traveled from; but the ingredients were noticeably high quality; the sides were perfectly cooked and not greasy at all. Even the paper napkins were large and thick, almost like cloth. If the higher cost goes towards to quality ingredients and to retaining excellent staff, it's worth it for the experience.

Can get very crowded, so timing could be key.

If this helped,...

This was a sad attempt at a meal and service but we ate so two stars.

To start we we’re seated in their patio section saying it would be too extensive of a wait for indoor seating due to the band coming in to play. 5 minutes after seating it started pouring (not to mention a tornado warning also). Temperature greatly dropped left the heaters off and water was around our feet, it was less than pleasant.

For our meal the menu online was incredibly extensive which is why we picked this place. In restaurant however the menu was extremely small, when I asked for a burger listed online and was told they could not make it. However, I tried, and could order it for pickup and take it home if I had wanted to ditch my family. So I ordered a different burger and it was funky. Not a spoiled but truly a funky flavor. I would not recommend it and cannot see how their claims of best burger around are true as the other burgers ordered were lack luster too. Also our appetizer was just above chilled and they had run out of bread bowls to serve it in.

For service our waitress was far from attentive. Drinks ran out and were never refilled, and she wasn’t coming to our table to ask her for more. At one point I had to ask the host seating a table for salt and pepper. I asked for no tomato and my burger came with it, no worries though, I just picked it off. We did ask for a side of mayo 1/2 way through the dry burger because that was the first time she checked on us. The next time she was back to the table, it was to drop the check and ask if we needed boxes, the mayo never came. Only when walking out did we see a specials board. This was a shame because we all would have chosen one of those listed.

We are so laid back when dining because we know it’s tough. I also know there are shortages but this place hit three strikes-undesirable atmosphere, multiple meal issues, and inattentive service therefore its an out for my family. Doubt we will...