Freight House Tavern - Norwalk, OH — Restaurant in Norwalk

Apparently they're closed? Been trying to call them forever and apparently their phone is out of order or something. Recommend making other plans unless you can verify this business is still open.

Review update: Apparently they ARE, indeed, open. It would seem that this business' management is reluctant to spend the necessary capital to either hire additional help to answer the phone or to update the phone system to handle the load this business encounters. Which is to say, there is revenue being lost to customers forced to turn elsewhere when they can't get in touch, and those in charge either can't or won't look honestly at these numbers.

Lets be clear. 1-2 lost orders per week pays for the necessary upgrades to either staff or phone service. If you're losing 1-2 orders per DAY, you are failing at the management level.

Now here's the thing. Every OTHER aspect of the business seems to be on track (except supporting the whole 'mask cult' thing) BUT external communications. Wait staff seems trained and polite. The food is good. The kitchen seems staffed and supplied. I see management scoring 4-5 stars EVERYWHERE ELSE but external communications. "Sometimes we just turn the phone off." is NOT a business solution. If you were a public company and I was a shareholder and I heard that? You'd be out that afternoon. Also, your online ordering needs to have a "pay at the store" option, instead of being forced into using credit cards. Not everyone has one or trusts using them on any old website.

You have a communications issue. Stop shoveling revenue out the window to your competition. ADDRESS the problem. FIX your phone issue. Whether you upgrade from "using somebody's cell phone" to a multiline business phone system, or simply hire somebody to sit and answer phones and ONLY answer phones, do SOMETHING. If I owned this business and I learned that we had communications problems and the solution effected by management was "taking the phone off the hook" I'd lose my MIND and fire them on the spot.

And if it's the owners of the business responsible for this self-depreciating travesty of business management are the ones responsible for this "policy", maybe seek a more communications-friendly manager.

This is like, having a kid that gets A's and B's in all their subjects but one. Come on, guys. You do SO WELL in all other areas. Food, service, staff. Lets bring that "Business Communications" grade up from a D- to at least a C+.

Review update #2 - put on hold for over 10 minutes, think I was forgot about...then tried to call back, and phone is off the hook. Obviously we're still looking at business communications as an after-thought. Oh well.

I think the problem is they have more business than they can handle.

Therefore, I recommend checking out someplace that isn't so busy they can't answer their phone. Bob Evans always answers, and they have more employees you'll be supporting by...

Disappointment abounded when we visited here. It was crowded enough , but why?? Maybe the atmosphere, certainly not the food. The saurkraut balls, at 15.00 ,were questionable. I was shocked to learn the " meat" was corned beef. We swore it was imitation crab or tuna. If there was saurkraut in them, it was unidentifiable. I ordered the 'create ur own salad' with all the ingredients they had listed. Tiny bits of mushroom, half a hard boiled egg, quartered again to look like more...well, lets just say for the price.....Wendys does better. And the honey mustard( made in house) dressing was scant and tasted like anything but honey or mustard. The Lobster Bisque begged for seasoning, and LOBSTER. My partner ordered the lobster Bisque as well, and it separated before he consumed it. Not a good sign for a 'seafood' based soup. His grilled chicken sandwich didnot come with a side, as the menu stated it would. ( the waitress never asked, either~shouldn't she have??) The chicken was dry and tasteless, and the 'brioche' bun was nothing more than a plain old, squashed hamburger bun. The soup was not considered a side, as it was charged at full price. Two house margaritas were saltless, but ok as far as any basic mixologist can make. For $80.00 two people, this casual dining place is more expensive than any upper scale chain.( Which serves better fare) So, all the hype aside, the Frieght House should return to being that, a place to store frieght and certainly not a place to eat. We shall not return to a place that cannot fulfill its own...

Traveled up to buy a car from Columbus. Stopped at buckeye and was unhappy with the wait time so we came here. Couldn’t have been happier with the service, food, or atmosphere.

Sat down and were almost immediately asked if we wanted food menus. As soon as menus were provided we were asked for our drink orders. Cold fresh beer.

While we were waiting on our food a guy came out of the kitchen carrying pizzas. Come to find out, they don’t serve pizza yet. However, we were the first to try it, and I’m here to tell you it’s excellent.

Thinner crust, but not too thin. Just thin enough to not be bready. Sweet sauce with prevalent basil. Obviously fresh cheese. Perfectly flavored pepperoni. We’ll be back just for pizza’s!

Our food only took minutes to hit the bar, and by the time it did we were already full. It didn’t stop me from devouring my Rueben and most of my sweet potato waffle fries.

We met the previous owner who is helping the new owners transition the business, and both parties seem equally invested in the livelihood and quality of the business.

I’ll certainly return again even if solo just for the atmosphere. The entire place was well decorated and such a unique building that a guy could spend a whole day there just observing all the little things.

Could not...