Janine's Frostee — Restaurant in Ware

New ownership and off to a bit of a rough start but hoping it gets better.

I come here at least once a week. I've been coming to Janines for probably 18 years now. Janines is an institution in this town as silly as that may be.

The returning staff is excellent as always. I hope they stick around and not just for this transition year. The new staff seems to be not be getting up to speed as quickly as they usually do, but they're learning so a little patience goes a long way.

Change is inevitable but they keep changing things, likely to standardize with the other restaurants they own. New takeout boxes and plastic bags mean all the food is soggy by the time you get home. This was NEVER a problem with the old takeout method. There was also a charm in reusing the old kitchen boxes for takeout, and far more environmentally friendly than more plastic trash.

I hate sounding like an old curmudgeon about this, but Janines is popular because of the way it has been for decades with a little experimentation added in. A little rough around the edges but a lot of heart. We go to Janines, Clambox and Howards for their individuality, not because we want them all to be homogeneous. Before ripping everything apart, maybe find out from the customers what brings them to THIS restaurant every year, not just what sales and inventory are.

I used to go to Howards and Janines all the time and stopped going to Howards in recent years in favor of Janines because of all the changes. If things go the way of Howards I'll unfortunately have to stop coming here too, which is a huge bummer. Hopefully they hit their stride soon and not screw with things too much.

Update: They appear to be getting worse as the season progresses, not better. Wait times are getting longer, service isn't as friendly, food quality isn't as consistent, orders are partially incorrect way more often than before. They reorganized the pickup window and added a ketchup dispenser like Howards so now it's even...

New to the area, first time here. While waiting for Chinese food the other day, I got talking with a local about another ice cream and food place (The Clam Box, that I will most likely review soon) and they suggested Janine's as having better fish and being better overall. Power went out during a recent storm so I ventured over to Janine's to give them a try. To better able to compare the two, I ordered the haddock dinner in its fried form as well as their clam fritter and chowder special. Looked really good (though there was no lemon wedge) and my mouth was already watering before I could shove a piece in. Starting with the fries. They were hot and boring. Generic, non seasoned, simple fries from a bulk bag. They weren't bad, they just didn't have anything to set them apart. Onto the fish. Looked great. Nice thin breading, flakey when broken apart. Popped a piece in my mouth without condiments and all I could taste was ammonia and a good amount of it too. For those that don't know, ammonia taste = old fish. I ate it anyway as I'm not usually one to get ill from eating old fish (and I didn't this time either). Onto the coleslaw. Same as the fries, kind of generic and most likely premade. If not premade, they should look into tweaking their recipe a bit. Next up the clam fritters and chowder. Fritters were average and use frozen clams. Okay flavor, but chewy clams will keep me away from ordering them again. The chowder seems also to be a premade chowder. On the thin side and very generic. Not terrible, but mediocre. I've had both better and worse. Not wanting to completely write the place off, I gave their ice cream a go too. The ice cream was a generous portion at a really good price and is the reason for the 2 stars (versus just a 1 star or a more accurate "I'd give it zero stars if I could" notation). That said, I'm going to give them another try as the rest of their menu looks okay, but will stay away from...

Janine's has been a familiar name/place amongst locals for decades. Not only is it known for its ice cream in warmer months, but they also offer a full menu with other food as well, such as hot dogs, burgers, seafood, chicken & much more! Both soft & hard ice cream is available in many flavors. Also have shakes, sundaes & even dog sundaes. Like banana splits? They have them & also a huge dessert called Brown Derby with plenty of ice cream & a brownie. They also have a children's menu here & public restrooms. Outdoor seating is available also, but it does get very busy here. Janine's also features many events such as live music, Polish night (which has both Polish food & music), classic car shows & more! The only thing I will say about Janine's is that their prices are a tad high. Another great place that's a little less expensive for ice cream/food with outdoor seating is Howard's of West Brookfield. They also have a full menu & great ice cream, with more affordable prices. But I will say the ice cream is excellent at both places. You can order at the window & they will inform you when your order is ready, or you can also call ahead here for takeout. Plenty of parking available & both restaurant + restrooms are handicap accessible. Note: Janine's is almost always extremely crowded! If you prefer not to deal with crowds, it's best to try visiting during the week, rather than on weekends. Prepare for long lines & sometimes lengthy wait times. *(Update: Accuracy has really been an issue lately {Summer 2023} I ordered chili cheese dogs, came without chili. Ordered 3 ice creams, all made wrong! Two separate visits as well. Disappointing, especially after a long wait with...