Steaming Tender Restaurant — Restaurant in Palmer

The atmosphere was beautiful, the decor was awesome, friendly service. There were 2 different trains that went by while we were dining. I found this place by searching for a restaurant near by (we were shopping at Yankee Flea Market). We wanted warm food with high ratings. This was a great spot for our date. We dont like eating inside during COVID, so we were happy to see outdoor seating with heaters. We each got an adult beverage. My husband ordered an IPA and I got the caramel apple cider (hot). Oooo golly that cider is good. It was like drinking warm apple pie filling with bourbon. If you don't like your mixed drinks sweet... skip this one. If you want a treat that is smooth and will warm your insides on a fall evening this is definitely the drink for you. Hubbs and I shared a bowl of clay chowder for appetizer. It was thick and creamy with lots of clams and potatoes. I ordered the turkey dinner and he ordered the pot roast. The turkey had great flavor. It was dry but the smothering of gravy helped with that. The mashed potatoes were creamy and also smothered in gravy. The gravy was thick and smooth with excellent turkey flavor. The stuffing was excellent. It had large chunks of bread that soaked up the bother and felt soft and sticky. It had great pops of onion, celery, and cranberries. Definitely my husbands favorite food of the night. The turkey dinner was finished with cranberry sauce (canned i believe) and roasted butternut squash. The squash was soft with a slight bite to it and a nutty finish. Overall I was very pleased with the turkey dinner. My husband got the pot roast and was disappointed. The beef was bland and dry and the gravy was bland as well. He had mashed potatoes which were yummy (same as turkey dinner) and fries. The fries were abundant (more in the can than we thought) and had great seasoning. They would have been perfect if fried for a few min longer. We ordered the bread pudding and strawberry fried dough to go. The fried dough was still crispy on the outside but doughy in the middle when we got home. The bread pudding was a-maz-ing. The pudding alone was pretty bland but once topped with the sweet buttery bourbon sauce it came alive! We are definitely going back again. Take a look at all the cool photos I took of...

If you've never been to Steaming Tender, I highly suggest you try it! I've been several times & have never once been disappointed in my food, service, or overall dining experience here. Though it has been awhile since I've last dined here (due to the pandemic mostly & been busy) I have loved Steaming Tender ever since I first tried it many years ago for a Mother's Day brunch. The atmosphere is just incredible. It feels like a trip back in time. Lovely music playing that fits the ambience, train memorabilia everywhere. Friendly staff always. Clean & classy. Perfect spot for a romantic dinner date, or nice lunch out with the family. My absolute favorite meal here is the blue angel, which I sure hope is still featured on their menu! It is a chicken dish, with creamy alfredo sauce, broccoli, tomato & blue cheese served over pasta (angel hair of course, hence the name of this delightful dish!) It is just wonderful & portions are huge. Other than that, I have also sampled the steak when my date ordered it. Very tender, well seasoned & cooked to perfection. Their menu truly has something for everyone. Whether you're interested in a light meal, or something to fill a hearty appetite, they have many choices, including chicken, beef, seafood & pasta dishes, as well as salads/soups & burgers. If you're into appetizers, try their potato skins! Smothered in cheese & topped with bacon, served fresh & hot, never over or under cooked. Just don't eat too many, so you can save room for your entree! They also offer delicious desserts on their menu. They do serve alcohol also. Restaurant is conveniently located in Palmer, right between many railroads. It is handicapped accessible, located on ground level & has clean restrooms for customers. Steaming Tender is hands down the best restaurant in Palmer & also one of the best I've ever had the pleasure of dining at & that says a lot...I have been to many restaurants in the state of MA (especially Central & Western). Whether you're a train enthusiast or food lover, this restaurant is well worth a try. Prices vary, you can find some inexpensive items on the menu, but with items like steak, you can expect to pay a little more. Not unreasonable at all though....

8 friends gathered to dine in at Steaming Tenders Restaurant in Palmer, MA. on Oct. 6, 2024 We started with ordering cocktails/beers/wine to enjoy the outside seating before our 5 o'clock reservation. First, there was only 1 bartender to service BOTH inside and outside orders. Almost 1/2 hour before we all had our drink orders outside. We were promptly seated at 5 p.m. and waited on quickly for our drink orders. Service of ordering our meals was also prompt, however it was over an hour before meals were served. Meals ranged from a burger, Mac & cheese, pasta, fish platter, chicken & pasta, and 3 of us ordered one of the NEW dishes, Butternut Junction. Meals for our group were mostly positive, however MY Butternut Junction and the lady next to me had the same reaction...awful!! When served to us, it appeared to have been under the "heat" lamp for a very long time!! Pasta was dry, sticky, and like wallpaper paste. This dish offered sweet sausage as an ingredient, which tasted like sweet breakfast sausage, which I like, but not expecting in this dish. I expected Italian sweet sausage, my bad, I guess. Our other friends enjoyed their meals, but when my friend and my husband expressed our dissatisfaction with the meals to our waiter, it fell on deaf ears. There were 8 of us, so the gratuity was already applied to our bills when we finished. All in all, not our best experience and my friend said she'd never be back. I have been there several times before with a positive experience, so I was VERY disappointed when 2 out of 8 were dissatisfied. We will not be back in the near future,...