Yolked Farm to Table — Restaurant in Windham

The first thing I noticed about the menu is that they charge $10 for a plate of focaccia bread - something most, if not all restaurants provide for free. I thought this was crazy, but another member of our party ordered it anyway. In virtually every other restaurant I've had focaccia bread, it was served with olive oil infused with spicy red pepper. At Yolked, It is served with plain olive oil - which had an unpleasant taste.

I ordered the $32 spaghetti & meatball dinner. You might expect to pay that much for spaghetti in a fancy Boston eatery, but it's kind of a shock in Maine. For that price, Gordan Ramsey himself should prepare it! Sadly, this was NOT the case. Maine is not known for pasta - something I mentioned to the server, but she said it was fantastic, so I decided to try it. It was not. The tiny portion was under done, the sauce was bland and the meatball (only 1 of them), which was locally sourced (Maine beef???), was over done and dry. The dish included 3 dollops of ricotta cheese, which I don't like, so I have nothing to say about that, except that the server didn't offer anything like freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, which one might expect for such a pricey plate of noodles. I ate maybe half of it before giving up on finding any semblance of flavor.

Apparently, the waitress thought I was done because she took my plate when I wasn't looking - never asked if I was done. When I got her attention, I asked what she did with my food. She apologized and asked, "Oh, did you want to take it home?" I did ... but only to give it a proper burial. She offered me a free desert to make up for dumping my meal. I chose the chocolate chip cookie (2 for $8). It was better than my dinner, but that's really not saying much.

As if all that wasn't bad enough, we had to sit at the bar because we didn't have a reservation. If you go there and sit at the bar, DO NOT sit st the the end on the left side, next to the restrooms. I did and was treated to a steam bath every few minutes. That's where the bar dishwasher is located and when emptied, the steam washes over whoever is sitting there. This happened about 6 times during the meal and neither of the people manning the bar ever apologized for it.

The decor is lacking in imagination, with the possible exception of the upside down patches of grass hanging from the ceiling - which are more puzzling than anything. The staff is polite enough. Considering the taste and portion size, the food is definitely not worth what they charge.

Needless to say, I do not recommend Yolked.

EDIT:

The owner's reply to my to my review was surprising, to say the least. She (Yolked identifies as woman owned) concocted a story out of thin air, claiming, "they saw me coming a mile away" and that I was the "talk of the dining room." This is impossible given that the only people I spoke with, other than my companions, were the 2 wait staff ... and my interactions with them were entirely cordial.

The owner claims there were no issues with the decor, the food, the pricing or the staff. As these are ALL subjective, it's ludicrous that the owner would have the audacity to tell me what my opinion should be. Her comment that I was, "poorly behaved and lack grace & etiquette is laughable - other than eating my meal, I did nothing but sit quietly and converse with my companions. In no way did I do or say anything that would attract the slightest interest. It's obvious her reply was a desperate fabrication and she wouldn't recognize me from Adam.

The owner strikes me as an insecure wannabe who was unable to make it anywhere other than the back roads of Maine - no offense to the wonderful people of Maine. She is unable to take valid, constructive criticism. Instead, she lashes out at any negative mention of her establishment and presumably herself. This is NOT the kind of person who should be in the food/hospitality business. A true professional would accept the criticism, thank the customer and promise to do better. She chose to do the complete opposite....

Well...this was not the experience I was hoping for. On a whim I found this place and everything about it intrigued me. I was really looking forward to dinner. We arrived a few minutes early for our 6:30 reservation on a wednesday. The place was busy but not packed yet. When we arrived the woman (later found out one of the owners) who greeted us was gruff and when I asked to sit by the window, sort of balked but made it happen, there were other tables open as a two top as well but I didn't want to be against the wall by the kitchen or by a large party...so I asked and she gave us the table by the window. The waitress came by after a bit and asked if we'd like still or bubbly water, we ordered still. She asked if we wanted drinks, I ordered the Rhubarb Martini and my husband could not find something he wanted. Most of the beers were Double IPAs or more % than he wanted, so he passed. Then she comes to take our food order, I wanted the Buffalo Fried Chicken sandwich and my husband ordered the Pork Chops, to which our waitress asked, "How do you want that cooked?" ...Gobsmacked we were like...what are the options? And she said medium or medium well...well...I said to her that I have never in my life been asked that for a pork chop (I have also worked in many restaurants and am a cook myself...pork should be at 145°. It comes done...not too much and certainly not too little or one gets trycanosis. A chef should cook it perfectly and not ask that. So he examined the menu and ordered the Italian Sandwich instead. At that point, maybe a manager should have stopped by to reassure my husband that he could order that with confidence and know it would be cooked perfectly. No one came. We waited for our food. My Rhubarb Martini was delicious and I was very happy with that. Excellently crafted with just enough tartness and sweet. Then the food came. The sandwiches were both outstanding. So good that I myself wanted a beer and was hoping I could get a 1/2 pint. I asked the host, since he checked on us 1/2 way through the meal, no one else asked how 1st bites were or if we needed anything. I asked if I could get 1/2 pint, he went and checked, came back with a story about how they put away all their 1/2 pint glasses, I said I didn't care what kind of glass they put it in just fill a pint 1/2 way. He said he would check, we waited another 5 minutes or so and then the owner comes back with a FULL pint. I said I didn't order that, I asked for a 1/2 pint and she argued with me and said they don't do half pints and I said the other guy said he was going to and I said I wasn't going to pay for it and she rudely said well you ordered it, and you are going to pay for it. And I left it on the table, didn't touch it, was appalled and went to get the check. The host who I spoke to before thankfully took it off the bill. But I can tell you despite the excellent drink and the delicious sandwiches, I won't be back. I know it's hard to have a restaurant and it isn't a big margin. But at the prices they are charging, service has to be better. The OWNER was rude to me. I have never experienced such behavior and I hope I never will again. (Side note: the host was gracious to run after my husband to return...

I absolutely loved this place, and it’s safe to say I had a culinary experience that was as fresh as the ingredients they used!

We kicked things off with the Pork Belly Bao Buns, which were downright heavenly. The crispy pork skin paired with the super tender pork belly made for a delightful bite that had me wondering why I hadn’t discovered these sooner. It’s a solid 10/10!

For my main event, I ordered the Banh Mi—oh, what a flavor explosion! This toasted torpedo roll was packed with chicken liver pâté, roasted pork belly, mayonnaise, carrot, pickled daikon radish, sliced cucumber, cilantro, scallion, bird's eye chili, and a drizzle of Maggi seasoning. Each bite was a joyous celebration of textures and flavors, making me feel like I’d found culinary gold. Honestly, I’d give it a 100/10 if I could!

My cousin chose the Maine Mushroom Risotto, which was both beautifully presented and rich in flavor. It earned a respectable 8.8/10—definitely a dish to remember.

My daughter opted for the Citrus Glazed Salmon. Now, I’m usually not a huge salmon fan, but this dish was impressive. The seared salmon, complemented by citrus, soy, sesame oil, hoisin, and a crispy jasmine rice, worked wonders together. Even I was tempted, and I’d rate it an 8/10.

As a New Yorker visiting, I was genuinely amazed to find a restaurant where everything felt so fresh. Each dish tasted as if it had just come from the garden or the sea, brimming with flavor and authenticity. It was a delightful reminder that food can be both delicious and fresh—something I sometimes miss in the hustle and bustle of city life. Is very rare that in NY you find a place that cares about where they source...