Smith Flat House — Restaurant in Placerville

We had high hopes for this place! It was for a birthday celebration and even though the food was good we had a HORRIBLE situation happen here.

We sat outside and it was a little chilly. We asked for a fire pit or heat lamp but were told they were being used and that we would have to wait until one freed up. Not a big deal at all. Shortly after we asked, a table left that had a fire pit right next to it and we got to move. Shortly after dinner was served, the fire goes out. Around this time we are noticing our server less and less, she is swamped! Again, not a big deal. We were sharing the fire pit with a couple that was on the other side of it and we heard them ask the busser for a new propane tank so we knew we didn’t have to also ask. They were told they were “working on it” and that it should be replaced soon.

By now we’re wrapping up dinner and talking about dessert. All while it’s getting increasingly colder outside. We reluctantly order dessert and finally they grab the fire pit. They then proceed to give it to a table that just sat down. When we finally get our server’s attention to tell her what happened she tells us that “they came in pretty demanding and there wasn’t anything they could do”. WHAT!?! Let me get this straight, you have 7 paying customers (5 at our table and 2 next to us) and you inconvenience all of them b/c you got a table that’s “demanding”. Last time I checked everyone’s dollar is worth the same amount. The couple next to us is furious. They proceed to leave, complain on the way out to the server and tell us they will never be back again.

At this point, someone from that table comes over and tells us we don’t need the fire pit anymore b/c we had been served our dinner. He then tells us that we are welcomed to join their table if we want to be warm. It was incredibly rude and we were shocked the staff just let it all happen. This dinner was for my birthday and we ended up having to get the desserts wrapped up WITH THE CANDLE to go! We spent over $300 on dinner and it was a total bust!! I was in the restaurant business (as were most of the people with us) at some point in our lives and we couldn’t believe we were treated so badly. You let 7 unhappy customers leave all so you could cater to one table that seemed to have more $$ than us. Or at least that’s how it came across...

Disappointing Valentine’s Day Experience – Not Worth the Price

I took my girlfriend to Smith’s Flat House for our first Valentine’s Day together, expecting a great experience based on past visits. Unfortunately, it was anything but.

First, I called ahead to confirm we’d be seated inside, and I was assured there was ample indoor seating along with a covered outdoor area with heaters. When we arrived, we were seated outside in the cold. The servers frequently came in and out, leaving the door open, which made it even colder for everyone inside. To make matters worse, there was no music, creating an awkwardly quiet and echoey atmosphere.

Service was slow despite the restaurant not being very busy. It took 10-15 minutes just to get our first drinks. The four-course prix fixe menu was $85 per person, and while the food had decent flavor, the portion sizes were shockingly small. • Appetizer: A single small piece of pork belly and one scallop—hardly a shareable portion. • Second course: The beet salad was tasty but tiny, and the lobster bisque had an overpowering white wine taste that threw off the flavor. • Main course: The filet and prawns were well-cooked, and the sides were decent, but the portion wasn’t anything special. • Dessert: The “decadent” chocolate cake was undercooked and doughy—definitely not what I expected.

The only thing I truly enjoyed was my Moscow Mule. My girlfriend’s espresso martini was undrinkable, and we had to send it back, which we rarely do.

Overall, the experience was incredibly disappointing. For $85 per person, I expected much better food, service, and ambiance. I’ve dined here before and had a great experience, but this Valentine’s Day setup was a letdown. I wouldn’t recommend it for a special occasion, though I may give the restaurant one more shot on a regular...

Although this was not our first time dining at Smith Flat House, it was the first time we were seated outside. The patio was spacious and lively at our 6:30pm reservation time. We started with a bottle of the house Pinot noir, which was from the Russian river area. We shared the scallop and pork belly appetizer, which was a very good combination of flavors complimented by a wonderful sauce. One scallop and one piece of pork, but it ended up being plenty. For entrees, we shared the Steak Salad and the braised Rack of Lamb. As for the salad, I opted for blue cheese dressing and steak medallions medium rare. The salad had lots of amazing assorted garden vegetables and was very good. The lamb was…Amazing!! I would typically never order lamb. My previous lamb experiences involved “gameyness” and chewy, underwhelming experiences. Not here! This generous portion of meat was perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. My only regret was eating too much of the amazing home baked bread before dinner, which caused me to be too full to keep eating the lamb. Against our better judgement, we ordered dessert despite being full from dinner. We ordered the peach cobbler, which was served with vanilla ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream on the side. Despite being stuffed, we ate the entire cobbler and ice cream because it was so good. As for the service, we had Shelby taking care of us. Her personality and sense of humor are great. She always makes the experience great. My only criticism of the experience was that we originally planned to order a bottle of Chardonnay, but they were completely sold out. However, once we decided on lamb, the Pinot noir was a better choice, anyway. Bottom line: We have had only great experiences at Smith Flat House. This place is a great local treasure. I recommend...