The Goldenrod — Restaurant in York

The food is not the best but the vibes - cute beach town diner makes up for it. The place can get busy so it feels overwhelming. There is a candy shop where people are hovering around to get/order candy. There is a bar area, where you can sit to order or order take out. There is a dining area-which you need to head further into the restaurant to the hostess stand to get seated. And a cashier area - to pay. I did take out, so figuring out who to order from was a pain. Then trying to keep up with who took my order and if sheʻd remember me too because of the sheer volume of workers and patrons was a lot. Donʻt go there if you are in a rush or really hungry. The wait may be annoying. To be honest the whole take out ordering, felt chaotic. I just felt like either the server would forget my order and leave it in the box without bringing it out so that it would be a soggy mess. Or that she would think I was someone else and give my take out order away, then I had to re-order and wait again. That is how busy it was. She did not get my name and she barely spoke English. She knew nothing about the menu. She seemed like a seasonal worker that just started. Then after I put in my order I was told to stand in another line to pay (cashier). Even with all the inconviences, the server did find me and gave me the food, it was a bit soggy, but not grossly inedible, and we enjoyed Goldenrod enough to go there a second time. The selection of candy, chocolates, made on premises taffy, selection of pies and desserts, selections of ice creams and milk shakes created a...

My wife and 2 daughter's were there midweek and we had about a 15 minute wait to be seated for lunch. Once seated, we were greeted by a young man Nick, that was working there over the summer from Bulgaria. He explained the menu in detail when we had a couple questions and even though the place was packed, he took his time and not once did he seemed rushed. I personally like to ask our server what is their favorite dish at a place I've never been to and then order it. Nick had no problem letting us know his top 3 favorites and that is what we ordered. Our youngest ordered of the kids menu. Once we placed our order our food came out fairly quick. Unfortunately, one of our daughter's meal was wrong. Nick apologized many times and then I watched him get to the kitchen, which is partially open and go over our ticket with the chef. In minutes our daughter had her meal. Each one of our dishes were terrific and we enjoyed sharing our food with each other so we could all enjoy each other's dish. Our meals were so good we ended up ordering a couple of desserts, which is way out of the norm for us. I must say that was due to Nick talking about them since the desserts were placed perfectly under glass, right were you would wait to be seated. I can't recommend the Goldenrod enough and give Nick credit for making a simple lunch, a...

What would summer in York Beach, Maine, be without The Goldenrod? A beloved historic landmark in business since 1896, The Goldenrod scores high marks with us for its Goldenrod Kisses taffy, a candy store and gift shop, an old-fashioned soda fountain for some homemade ice cream, sundaes and frappes, and a cozy, rather rustic dining room where you can enjoy a breakfast, lunch or dinner. We like the tradition of ordering a nice cup of New England clam chowder to go along with a tasty tuna melt, but in a way, that is just the "appetizer" to the taffy, homemade fudge, delicious ice cream and other candies. Yes, our parents told us growing up that lunch and dinner must come first -- then desserts -- but The Goldenrod makes it awfully hard to follow that fundamental dining rule! The Goldenrod is not only fun on the inside, but also outside where you can watch through the window, the process of making taffy. Frequently, crowds gather to watch, and many then make a beeline inside to buy some of this delicious candy. An added bonus is that The Goldenrod is located right across the street from Short Sands Beach, as well as downtown shops and York's Wild Kingdom -- an outstanding amusement park and zoo. It all makes for a fun day with The Goldenrod clearly standing as one of the anchors of this truly fun...