Doc Ponds — Restaurant in Stowe

The food at Doc Ponds is stellar - really love the food at all this restaurant groups' locations (Hen of the Woods, Pro Pig, etc). Unfortunately, the service at Doc Ponds is hit or miss. The first time we ate there the service was stellar. The server had a great table presence and engaged us just enough to make us feel welcome and that all our needs were met. Yesterday - was not so great. It started with the waitress talking down to us about the delicious calamari, quite possibly the best dish on the menu. She kept reminding us it wasn't fried - yes, I know I had that. I had it before and that is why we are back. For anyone that is addicted to chili crisp like me, the calamari might as well be called calamari smothered in Italian chili crisp. I felt a bit bad for the servers - the restaurant was completely dead. We were the only ones there. 6 bartenders/servers standing around the bar and chatting pretty loudly. Despite the Stones playing in the background at a good level I could still hear the laughing and carrying on almost as loud as our own conversation. I almost moved to the bar to join in. But from a customer perspective, it makes an awkward situation. For us, we were trying to enjoy a drink and food on a rare date with my wife. We enjoyed the smoked bluefish dip, pork belly (really good with leftover chili sauce from calamari), and an old-school chicken liver mousse. The kitchen saved the lunch. The drink was awesome - I wish our waitress had been a bit more attentive to our needs as a customer and asked whether or not we wanted a second drink (which we did) or instead of just bringing the check asked whether we wanted dessert and/or coffee (which we did). A side note: Doc Ponds puts the silverware in stainless steel containers on the table. The spoons are short and not very visible amidst the forks, knives, and napkins. I wish we didn't have to chase our server down to find out there were spoons in there. Maybe a spoon should be served or mentioned when they drop the calamari at the table. The sauce is that good. When we left, the server followed my wife out. I honestly thought she was going to question why we only left a 15% tip. At that point, I almost wished we hadn't tipped so much because the service did not merit that much. We will be back to Doc Ponds and all the other restaurants. But the dining room manager might want to remind the FOH about a few basics of the customer experience from the point of view...

Although I fully understand that the Covid restrictions in Vermont have been lifted, I was very displeased with my experience at Doc Ponds. We were a party of 3 with an 8 year old child, and as she has not had her vaccine yet, we still wear masks and practice social distancing so we adults don’t act as carriers to infect her. The family stayed outside while I went in solo to try and get an outdoor table. It was clear that I was concerned about COVID and that’s why I wanted to sit outside. The hostess assured me we could be accommodated as there were 3 open tables outside. She had us all come into the packed interior (we were the only ones wearing masks, again, nobody has to, but it sets the scene) we were then led through the whole place to the outside dining. As we started to take our seats, another woman came out and refused to serve us. She said that, “the chef said we can’t serve you outside because it’s raining and we can’t carry the plates in the rain.” It was drizzling at best, but I have have a few questions: If this was the policy, why wasn’t the hostess aware? What have they been doing on rainy days for the last year and a half? Why lead us all the way through the restaurant just to tell us they wouldn’t serve us? And finally: why not offer another option, such as, “hey guys, I know this is bonkers and we’ve been doing it constantly during the pandemic so that our restaurant survives and our employees can feed their families, but we can’t do it now. Maybe we could cook the food and bring it to the covered portion of the porch and one of you can take it to the umbrella covered table. Does that sound like something you’d be willing to do?” Had they asked that, I would have gladly said yes. Instead they said, “have a nice day” and we stepped over a chain barrier and walked around the building to get back to our car. This could have been handled much better and I wish...

Loved it ! The atmosphere is pleasant , friendly staff awesome food! 😃

Went here tonight for some dinner while in the Stowe area. We found this restaurant by accident, from the exterior it looked like a nice clean place to stop in for a bite to eat. As soon as we entered the hostess up front quickly found us a table , as soon as we sat down our waitress was available and taking our drink orders.

We were going to try their calamari ( sauteed version ) but we decided to try their cheese fritters for our appetizer.

The appetizer came out hot and and fresh , didn't know what to expect , as soon as we took a bite this app is so delicious and different what a nice treat.

For our main meals we decided to try their " pulled pork sandwiches" I would say it took no longer than 10 minutes for our orders to come out, the food plating was very nice , and the food just wow 😎👍👍

We planned to have desert but by the time we were finished with our meals we were too full and decided maybe another time.

This is a family friendly restaurant they have a section away from the bar area so you can enjoy yourselves while eating and not be next to the bar.

In the main area they have adequate seating available also a bar to sit and relax while you watch maybe a football game or boxing match while enjoying your drinks.

I would say this is a casual restaurant with a good selection of menu items.

We would love to stop by again and try something else on their menu if we pass through here again.

I would definitely recommend stopping by here.

Good parking available. Handicap ramp accessible. Alcoholic beverages available here.

Good for dining alone , good for couples , and or families.

For the bigger parties ( family , etc.) Definitely call ahead of time and make a reservation.

Thanks for checking out my review and have an...