Wolfeboro Inn

[Tir Na Nog]

I had dinner at the Inn Saturday night to try the Prime Rib special. First the good. The hostess was pleasant and seated us right away in what she referred to as the last table, other than high tops. (There was another empty table nearby, but it had to be cleaned.) We took a quick look at the menu and then ordered the special. The prime ribs we both had (my brother an I) were nice and tasty cuts of meat, but nothing overly special. The potatoes were OK, referred to as garlic mashed, but little garlic flavor, and this was also served with nice fresh green beans.

Now for the bad. We ordered our drinks and meal at the same time and then went to the salad bar. I fully understand that the salad bar is limited and described as such by management and new what to expect from earlier visits. However, some things cannot be excused. First, the only green was spinach, no mixed greens or lettuce. And the spinach was near the bottom of the bowl mostly sitting in water (possibly melted ice). We were able to get a few dry pieces, enough to make a very small salad. The rolls were a bit stale and there was barely enough soup to get out a partial cup. I would suggest either get rid of the salad bar an just offer a garden salad with the entree or learn how to maintain what is offered. Problems with the salad bar seems to a recurring theme. Then we had barely started on the salads when our meals were brought out and we had not yet received our pre-dinner cocktails. Such fast delivery makes one wonder how long before service everything was just sitting around. Although the cut of meat was tasty, the way it was served did not seem consistent with the menu description. It had a thin coat of some kind of brown gravy on top and no horseradish sauce. In my view, prime rib should be sever au jus and with some form of horseradish sauce, which I thought I would get.

Bottom line, it was OK, but the poor timing on delivery of the meals and drinks took away from the enjoyment, as did the poor salad bar. I want to like this place and it is not bad, but there always seems to be something off with the service or food each time I go back. It is too bad that the Wolfeboro Inn just cannot seem to get I right. Well it is back to the Restaurant from now on until the memory of this last meal fades enough to try again.

[Pineedles]

You summed it up with the words that I believe most diners feel.

"I want to like this place..."

It's too bad that many restaurants just can't understand that feeling and carry through with meeting expectations.

[Barbara]

I was so hopeful when this newest chef came on board, especially since he had previously been chef at two great places in Jackson. Unfortunately, we don't see much of a difference and have given up on the Wolfeboro Inn. We're really hoping that the new Inn on Main turns out to be great. We're going to try it on Friday. Still love The Restaurant but would love more options.

[RLW]

Question: Is the problem that the employees do not really care or the management and employees do not care??? It has to be one or both.

[Chaos]

I decided to go to Garwoods for lunch for my last boat ride of the season 2 weeks ago. I used to go to the Inn a lot, mostly for lunch. It had an atmosphere back then that I guess was the only reason I went. Usually with a few guys, so the bar was more enticing than the food. Looking back on it, that would have to be the reason. Too bad, because it is true, you really do want to like it.

[camp guy]

Postings have been quiet about the Inn lately, and I was actually beginning to think that maybe they were 'getting it', maybe I was wrong.

With a post as clear and complete as Tir Na Nog, Inn management ought to be able to narrow down the time frame and determine just exactly why things were going wrong. I can identify with the poor looking salad bar, and, as a matter of fact, last time I went to the Sunday Brunch/Buffet I felt the same way about the entire presentation - things looked well worked over and not refurbished, so to speak. At a salad bar, as at a buffet, visual presentation is very important.

Hopefully, the Inn will read these posts and tighten up on management during the meal itself.

I agree, I want the Inn to do well, but they must help themselves

[secondcurve]

I went once this year and it was worse than last year. Marginal is the one word that sums up the place. I am hoping that the Inn on Main Street is a success to offer some more variety to town. As a prior poster stated, many of us old timers want the Wolfeboro Inn to succeed but it just never gets any better. It has no character, the employees don't seem to care and the food is hit or miss. I'm still convinced that what we are seeing in the dining room is a symptom of financial strain. Time will tell but I'm hoping for new ownership to breath life into this tarnished jewel.

[tis]

Originally Posted by camp guy

Postings have been quiet about the Inn lately, and I was actually beginning to think that maybe they were 'getting it', maybe I was wrong.

With a post as clear and complete as Tir Na Nog, Inn management ought to be able to narrow down the time frame and determine just exactly why things were going wrong. I can identify with the poor looking salad bar, and, as a matter of fact, last time I went to the Sunday Brunch/Buffet I felt the same way about the entire presentation - things looked well worked over and not refurbished, so to speak. At a salad bar, as at a buffet, visual presentation is very important.

Hopefully, the Inn will read these posts and tighten up on management during the meal itself.

I agree, I want the Inn to do well, but they must help themselves

Apparently they just aren't able to "get it". I don't understand why. And it is sad because we too, used to go there all the time and won't go there now just because of all these bad reports. And as all have said, we all WANT it to be good.

[upthesaukee]

Here is a link to Wolfeboro Inn's Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/generalwolfe...tavern?sk=wall

Scroll down to the 11-1-2011 posts and you will see a change to the culinary team:

Following that link, in the middle of the info page, it shows that the Food and Beverage Director is now Scott Bennett.

George Soderberg is still shown as the GM.

FWIW

[gokart-mozart]

I've never really thought of Wolfeboro as a foodie town, but with the Restaurant, Mis en Place, Garwoods, The Downtown Market Grill, West Lake and el Centenario, maybe that's wrong.

In any event, the tavern/Inn is not in the same league with the above places, and with prices being what they are the Inn has little to offer IMO.

I've tried it a few times, and except for one breakfast I have not been happy.

I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong, but when you can't match the Bayside on service, ambiance, or price something is really wrong.

[Markem]

My parents use to look fwd to father's day buffet and come home early from FL to make sure they made it, but they have stopped it the last couple of yrs.

Last time we went for a dinner, the food was ok.... We have found it to be a great place to get burgers while out snowmobiling.

[George Soderberg]

Tir Na Nog, thank you for your critique. There was a time not so long ago when no one was there to greet you, service was slow, servers were grouchy and unfriendly and you couldn’t seem to get a good meal ever. Over the past year we have transitioned out 80% of our servers. We have
experienced and very experienced servers and the one thing they all have in common is they are very friendly, happy, upbeat, service oriented people who care very much and patrons have been coming back and noticing (more on this later).

Your point is well taken on the salad bar. It’s an area that needs more consistency. We will also be adding 12 toppings to the salad bar as 9 does not seem to be enough. Having said that no restaurant reacts as quickly to feedback and makes menu changes like we do. So, Tir Na Nog, the chef
had been making the sauce for the prime rib with a little thickness to it, as well as a little red wine and mustard, mostly from past experiences in which people felt that a straight au jus was too thin. Because of your comment he’s going to change it. Next week, he will go to a straight, un-thickened, lightly flavored au jus. As for the meal clearly the server fired your meal too early. We’ll bring that up Tuesday at our meeting. I'm sorry it seemed to rush you a bit that night. Just wish you all would introduce yourselves and the ones that have I wish you would write in! All in all we’ve come a long way from a year ago. You’re going to love our servers!

We have also added a Dining at Dusk (early bird specials), 4-6 pm Sunday – Thursday $10-$13, and Comfort food night (new) on Wednesdays, $13-$14, homemade beans, sausage and brown bread, short rib shepherd’s pie, meat loaf, etc. and of course Italian night Monday’s.

Honestly, I have to say, I find the comments I get through comment cards, emails and other sites are in very stark contrast to this site. I don’t know why and I won’t venture a guess, but here are some recent examples:

11/2011 Dinner “This place is really turning around! It gets better and better every time. Great job!!!”
11/2011 Brkfst “This is the best breakfast in town”. (3x now)
10/2011 Dinner “Greatly improved from the beginning – We shall return”
10/2011 Dinner “We were last at the “Inn” about 3 years ago – this was a very pleasant surprise!”

Today we had a number of comments, “Best buffet brunch yet”. We served a baked French toast that was well received.

Another sign, this year we have 300 reservations for Thanksgiving Day brunch . We did 220 for in 2009 & 2010. I just don't think that you grow by 33% if you’re that far off the mark. But we'll stay focused and keep working harder to earn your trust.

A few additional follow up observations. Here’s a “curveball” for you my friend, I’m sorry to disappoint but we are doing very well financially, a nearly 10% increase over last year. Many locals are coming back. We hope many of you will too soon. The incredible Chef that was in Jackson at the Thomas House Eatery is here and he is every bit as fantastic. We volunteer, have given thousands to assist all kinds of local organizations and charities. We want to be a part of the fabric of the community. I know we have made some very positive improvements and will continue to make even more.

I hope you all enjoy your family and friends this week - Happy Thanksgiving!

[Shreddy]

Originally Posted by George Soderberg

Tir Na Nog, thank you for your critique. There was a time not so long ago when no one was there to greet you, service was slow, servers were grouchy and unfriendly and you couldn’t seem to get a good meal ever. Over the past year we have transitioned out 80% of our servers. We have
experienced and very experienced servers and the one thing they all have in common is they are very friendly, happy, upbeat, service oriented people who care very much and patrons have been coming back and noticing (more on this later).

Your point is well taken on the salad bar. It’s an area that needs more consistency. We will also be adding 12 toppings to the salad bar as 9 does not seem to be enough. Having said that no restaurant reacts as quickly to feedback and makes menu changes like we do. So, Tir Na Nog, the chef
had been making the sauce for the prime rib with a little thickness to it, as well as a little red wine and mustard, mostly from past experiences in which people felt that a straight au jus was too thin. Because of your comment he’s going to change it. Next week, he will go to a straight, un-thickened, lightly flavored au jus. As for the meal clearly the server fired your meal too early. We’ll bring that up Tuesday at our meeting. I'm sorry it seemed to rush you a bit that night. Just wish you all would introduce yourselves and the ones that have I wish you would write in! All in all we’ve come a long way from a year ago. You’re going to love our servers!

We have also added a Dining at Dusk (early bird specials), 4-6 pm Sunday – Thursday $10-$13, and Comfort food night (new) on Wednesdays, $13-$14, homemade beans, sausage and brown bread, short rib shepherd’s pie, meat loaf, etc. and of course Italian night Monday’s.

Honestly, I have to say, I find the comments I get through comment cards, emails and other sites are in very stark contrast to this site. I don’t know why and I won’t venture a guess, but here are some recent examples:

11/2011 Dinner “This place is really turning around! It gets better and better every time. Great job!!!”
11/2011 Brkfst “This is the best breakfast in town”. (3x now)
10/2011 Dinner “Greatly improved from the beginning – We shall return”
10/2011 Dinner “We were last at the “Inn” about 3 years ago – this was a very pleasant surprise!”

Today we had a number of comments, “Best buffet brunch yet”. We served a baked French toast that was well received.

Another sign, this year we have 300 reservations for Thanksgiving Day brunch . We did 220 for in 2009 & 2010. I just don't think that you grow by 33% if you’re that far off the mark. But we'll stay focused and keep working harder to earn your trust.

A few additional follow up observations. Here’s a “curveball” for you my friend, I’m sorry to disappoint but we are doing very well financially, a nearly 10% increase over last year. Many locals are coming back. We hope many of you will too soon. The incredible Chef that was in Jackson at the Thomas House Eatery is here and he is every bit as fantastic. We volunteer, have given thousands to assist all kinds of local organizations and charities. We want to be a part of the fabric of the community. I know we have made some very positive improvements and will continue to make even more.

I hope you all enjoy your family and friends this week - Happy Thanksgiving!

I'd probably toot my own horn too when comments were almost unanimously on the negative side

In all honesty, do you think people want to come on here and complain about a place that they "want to do well"? There's likely a reason for the complaints, especially when they're consistent over a long period of time. Just my $.02

[dpg]

Well Mr. Soderberg where's all the "nay" sayers now??

[Bigstan]

What's the issue with it? He acknowledges an issue and tells you the corrective actions he is putting in place.

He uses the opportunity to chime in on other new offerings and changes.

I would say the comment card reading has no value, thus he invites those that may have positive responses to chime in. Keep in mind - how many negative comments are placed for every positive one? If I had customers I thought were happy I would invite them to chime in when my establishment was repeatedly critized over a year or two (and rightfully so, I have been there a time or three). Can't really blame the guy.....

He defends a charge of lack of business / bad economy contributing to the overall lack of care. If business is indeed up of course he would seek to reinforce that all is well and things are moving in the right direction.

If everyone wants them to improve and do well we should hope that the turtle wins the race and the eventual / slow progress fixes all.

AND - with 300 reservations for Thanksgiving the reviews over the next couple weeks will tell all either way.........so lets wait and see.

Good Luck!

[Heaven]

I thought his post was fine and I am glad he is responding and listening. I will say that the use of the term "my friend" comes off as being condescending in this context, IMHO.

Oh and, I don't think there is any way to save that salad bar. It fits at most two people at a time never mind an employee working to keep it tidy and filled. I'd prefer the option to order a side salad that had some distinction. How about keeping it just as a soup and bread bar?

[CTYankee]

Maybe it's time to bring in Chef Ramsey for a makeover....

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Originally Posted by CTYankee

Maybe it's time to bring in Chef Ramsey for a makeover....

Good one! Wouldn't that be fun to watch on Fox.

[Neko]

OK, the Inn had 300 hundred reservations Thanksgiving Dinner today.
Yet no one has posted anything?
Wasit that good?

[NoBozo]

I was also wondering how many people 300 reservations represents. Is a reservation a single person..OR a table for four persons. Any way you count it..300 people waiting for their meal in the Wolfeboro Inn is going to be FUN. ........Waiter..another round please...... What time is it..?

I really hate to be negative about any business in this time of economic distress. Every business needs every customer they can get... and the market... Should determine Who Fails. NB

[Heaven]

That would be 300 people

[Jidge]

My wife and I along with two other couples had a 1:00 reservation and we were seated right away. The service was fast and friendly. The food was awesome. There were 3-4 choices of entrees along with vegetables, salad, a delicious lobster/butternut squash bisque, and a few different breads. The entrees were all cooked perfectly and all had a little twist that made them far from ordinary. They had a few different types of pies ,cakes and cookies. The place was full but it was never crowded,even in the buffet line. It was a fun time for us all and I would definitely recommend it for next year. I hope to make it a new tradition because when we were done , we were done....no clean up! The only bummer was not being able to take some turkey for sandwiches later

[NoBozo]

I'll wait to see who else posts a review of the Thanksgiving Experience at the Inn.

So far..we have ONE review in 300. That's a fact.

"Seminar Posts" (They are made up) are posts designed to change the current perception ....in spite of the ongoing/historic evidence. When I see a low post rate....I become suspicious. Disingenuous posts bother me.

I also understand why no one else wants to speak up. No one want's to be negative....NB

[RLW]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

I'll wait to see who else posts a review of the Thanksgiving Experience at the Inn.

So far..we have ONE review in 300. That's a fact.

"Seminar Posts" (They are made up) are posts designed to change the current perception ....in spite of the ongoing/historic evidence. When I see a low post rate....I become suspicious. Disingenuous posts bother me.

I also understand why no one else wants to speak up. No one wants to be negative....NB

Who says any of the 299 even view this blog and or feel as if they want to put in a review.
It kinda turn me off when people put in negative comments regarding a particular evening and they weren't even there.
Do you actually know that the threads that you are referring to are really disingenuous posts or are you trying to read between some lines????

[Heaven]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

I'll wait to see who else posts a review of the Thanksgiving Experience at the Inn.

So far..we have ONE review in 300. That's a fact.

"Seminar Posts" (They are made up) are posts designed to change the current perception ....in spite of the ongoing/historic evidence. When I see a low post rate....I become suspicious. Disingenuous posts bother me.

I also understand why no one else wants to speak up. No one want's to be negative....NB

It would be nice if you (at least) read the person's other posts before calling them a fake/fraud.

[NoBozo]

I stand corrected. I will in the future try to keep my opinion to myself. Even though it definately appears I was attacking someone, there was no disrespect intended. My post was just an observation. NB

[fpartri497]

It does seem that on the surface anyway that you have an agenda against the Inn

[Jonas Pilot]

I talked to a buddy over the weekend who went to the Inn for Thanksgiving with his family. He told me they all had a great time and everyone enjoyed their meals and service. I asked, "What did they have?" He said, "What didn't they have?" He said it wasn't too crowded and they seemed to have control over everything. He thought it was a great price for what they offered and he would definitely do it again.

[Tir Na Nog]

I appreciate that Mr. Sordeberg took the time to provide a thoughtful response. I also was happy to see the good review from Thanksgiving and the other good review as well. As I said in my original review there were some positives to my night at the Wolfeboro Inn. My purpose for posting was to note that there still is need and room for improvement. I hope, and there is some indication in Mr. S's response that such hope has some basis, that those improvements will come. I probably will try again, but not right away.

I do take issue with one aspect of the response. It appeared to be directed at me, but I do not believe I had said anything about the Inn's finances or profitability. Therefore, I see the "my friend" response as off target, to say the least. I hope that the frustration or attitude that would cause such a comment from management does not interfere with the Chef's efforts to achieve the improvements he apparently seeks.

[Bigstan]

Originally Posted by Tir Na Nog

I appreciate that Mr. Sordeberg took the time to provide a thoughtful response. I also was happy to see the good review from Thanksgiving and the other good review as well. As I said in my original review there were some positives to my night at the Wolfeboro Inn. My purpose for posting was to note that there still is need and room for improvement. I hope, and there is some indication in Mr. S's response that such hope has some basis, that those improvements will come. I probably will try again, but not right away.

I do take issue with one aspect of the response. It appeared to be directed at me, but I do not believe I had said anything about the Inn's finances or profitability. Therefore, I see the "my friend" response as off target, to say the least. I hope that the frustration or attitude that would cause such a comment from management does not interfere with the Chef's efforts to achieve the improvements he apparently seeks.

See post #7 for the financial implication, it appears to be in no way directed towards you. Go back and read again from the start.....and I hope you would forgive any business owner/operator for attempting to defend an unfounded charge of a lack of quality stemming from cost cutting due to a down economy.

Without a doubt rumors can hurt businesses, we should be careful to establish the reliability of our accusations before hurling one out there, peoples lives are affected by these things.

[George Soderberg]

Tir Na Nog, my apologies if you assumed my comments were directed at you - they were not. I appreciated your feedback. As many have noted I have been listening and made many adjustments over the past year based on those of you who have offered sincere and thoughtful feedback. Many changes and insights came from this site. I let my emotions get the best of me and I shouldn’t have made the comment. That’s not been my style and I feel bad about it. That won't happen again.

We did 309 covers (individual people). Thank you Jidge for your comments. We seated differently this year. Instead of herding people in every hour on the hour we assigned hours by rotated table. This gave more people the times they wanted and limited the "run on" the buffet thus creating a steady more manageable stream instead. We staffed 3 to take care of the buffet only (including yours truly) so it was always fresh. We had plenty of servers. It was a far smoother holiday with 309 than with the 220 we did last year.

If anyone is interested we are open Christmas Eve. As I recall some of you have not been here been here in 3-4 years. You might consider checking us out. With the new menu’s I mentioned earlier we have plenty of nice entrees at very affordable prices.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by Bigstan

What's the issue with it? He acknowledges an issue and tells you the corrective actions he is putting in place.
Good Luck!

I had pulled down my previous post which I'm sure this post was directed at in which I mentioned Georges response rubbed me the wrong way.Obviously he saw the same thing after rereading it.His own words:

"I let my emotions get the best of me and I shouldn’t have made the comment. That’s not been my style and I feel bad about it. That won't happen again".

Props for standing up and acknowledging the bad tone.That goes a long way in my book.I might have to give the Inn a try now.

[Bigstan]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

I had pulled down my previous post which I'm sure this post was directed at in which I mentioned Georges response rubbed me the wrong way.Obviously he saw the same thing after rereading it.His own words:

"I let my emotions get the best of me and I shouldn’t have made the comment. That’s not been my style and I feel bad about it. That won't happen again".

Props for standing up and acknowledging the bad tone.That goes a long way in my book.I might have to give the Inn a try now.

My bad if I pointed at the wrong post. I just hope to keep everything positive and hope everyone is moving in the right direction....if everyone who posted a negative comment goes back to try again (and everyone says that they wish success to the inn) then we would have all the reviews we need and would be doing our part to help a local business.

[Shreddy]

I'm going to give Wolfe's Tavern a +1. I went in there last night with some coworkers and we sat at the bar. The nacho plate was very good and the beer tasted great . All in all, it was pretty hard to mess up, but it was well enjoyed.

[VitaBene]

I will be there tomorrow evening for the Power Squadron Christmas Party and will report back!

[RLW]

My wife and I are going to give it another try on Christmas Eve. I'm sure it will be a lot better than the last time we were there. As I have always said, always give everything a second chance before throwing in the towel.

[Lakepilot]

We went to the Wolfeboro Inn tonight with my inlaws. We got there around 6 pm and were seated promptly. Our waitress was Jen and she was did a great job taking care of us for the evening.

Our drink order was taken promptly and delivered very quickly. For dinner, I had the all you can eat Haddock and it was cooked to perfection. It was excellent. My wife and in-laws had the reuben (you have to ask for the bar menu) and they all loved it.

We had just been to "The Restaurant" so were expecting much from the Inn, but we will definitely go again.

Although we didn't have the salad bar, I made it a point to check it out. It wasn't as large as it was in the old days, but it was still good. The lettuce appeared fresh and not water logged. The chicken white bean vegetable soup looked good, but again, we ate nothing off the salad bar.

We are very fortunate to have so many good restaurants in town and the Wolfeboro Inn is one of them.

[VitaBene]

I attended the Lakes Region Sail & Power Squadron dinner at the Wolfeboro Inn this past Saturday and everything was great.

Our group of 25 or so was seated alone in the 1812 Room. We had a buffet style meal with salad, turkey and beef carving stations and assorted veggies and starches. Everything was excellent. Our servers were attentive and pleasant!

Nice job, Wolfeboro Inn!

[SIKSUKR]

Glad to see a few positive posts here from reliable long time forum members.

[dpg]

Huh?? Big Stan and SIKSUKR totally lost me, I missed something in the translation - oh well...

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by dpg

Huh?? Big Stan and SIKSUKR totally lost me, I missed something in the translation - oh well...

My bad dpg. I had a post that I pulled down that stated Mr Soderbergs post#12 rubbed me the wrong way. Stan asked what was wrong with it. I pulled it thinking it seemed I was stirring the pot. Mr Soderberg posted after that that he indeed thought his post was out of line so What you read between Stan and I is in regard to that.

[Lakepilot]

We went again to the Wolfeboro Inn. It was Sunday night and there wasn't much of a crowd. We were seated promptly and the service the rest of the evening was good. The salad bar was fresh and full. Not what it was in the old days but good. The 6 of us all had Prime Rib. 5 medium rare and 1 medium well. The orders came out in a timely fashion and each was cooked perfectly and tasted great. I hope it continues to be good in the future.

[Barbara]

The Wolfeboro Inn, along with almost every other restaurant and food provider in town, had a table set up at the Festival of Trees Gala on 12/8. Their food offerings were outstanding. I had a great conversation with the new chef. I will be at the Inn next week for a Christmas party for a local organization and hope to find it to be wonderful.

I was in the IGA this AM, admiring their wonderful salad bar. Maybe someone from the Inn should go over there for some pointers on what makes a great salad bar!!!!

[Pineedles]

Sorry Barbara but there is no way a restaurant can duplicate a supermarket salad bar. A grocery store has such a divergent and large crowd that it must put out EVERYTHING. A restaurant has a limited number of people perusing their salad bar, they can't offer the same number of choices.

It looks like the WI has turned the corner. Good luck!

[Barbara]

I've been to fabulous salad bars in restaurants. Maybe it won't work in Wolfeboro with the number of patrons on any given night. On the other hand, a fabulous salad bar might attract more patrons.

[Pineedles]

What would you consider a fabulous salad bar? Please elaborate as to the contents. Thanks.

[NoBozo]

I'm just wondering. The last few reports seem to indicate the WI is improving. But they seem to have been Buffets.

Now I would ask for input from other restaurant managers:

Is it Easier to put up a Buffet...OR ...serve individual tables with orders from the menu. Again: Just wondering. NB

[Bluebell]

We hadn't been to the Tavern for a while because of sometimes good, sometimes bad, dining experiences. Well, we went back this past summer because our out-of-town visitors really wanted to go there. Both the food and service were excellent. It was so good that we went back the very next night and had another great meal. Since July, we've been to the Tavern at least a dozen times for dinner or breakfast and have been very pleased with the food and service each time. Wolfe's Tavern is back!

[Sandy Island fan]

We serve about 250 people, between campers and staff, and have a salad bar for lunch and dinner, as well as a fruit bar at breakfast. The salad bar includes (at a minimum): lettuce (romaine, iceburg and spring mix), spinach, cukes, tomatoes (chopped and grape), celery, broccoli, onion, shredded carrots, and carrot sticks, mushrooms, zuchini, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, olives, sunflower seeds, tofu, cottage cheese, feta cheese,and shredded cheddar cheese, hummus (made onsite), egg salad, tuna salad, croutons and bacon bits, pickles, pickled beets, and pita bread wedges. There are usually 6 salad dressings and cruets of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. There may also be specialty offerings, such as a tomato/cucumber/basil salad, taboule, pasta salad, rice salad etc. There is always a bowl of fruit, as well. I may have missed an item or two, but you get the idea.
Not trying to brag, but I do think it's a "fabulous" salad bar.

[Pineedles]

Having an egg and tuna salad in a bar is pretty over the top as I would imagine some people could make a complete meal with those two items added to the other items. Just curious, what do they charge for the salad bar alone?

[rockythedog]

It is $7.00 for soup and salad bar.

[Pineedles]

That seems like a fair price. In fact a deal.

[Sandy Island fan]

At Sandy Island Family Camp, food is included in the price to be there. Campers come for the week, and the cost per camper is based on their age. Because we do have campers of all ages - from babies to seniors - we do try to provide reasonable options for all. Many of our campers bypass the hot foods offered at the lunch buffet, and just visit the salad bar.
We generally have two of the kitchen staff that work primarily on the salad bar prep, and keep very busy keeping the salad bar stocked during meal times. I don't know how that would play out at a restaurant. (We know exactly how many people will be eating with us!)
We have a high return rate of families coming back year after year, so we try to make our campers happy!

[George Soderberg]

Thank you all for trying us again and for all the positive responses we have received so far. We will never stop striving to improve and reach even greater heights. As I have been hoping for, some of you have summoned me to meet you in the Tavern after a meal and I have received phone calls as well – which I truly appreciate – all have been positive. Last night we received another comment card: “Have not been happy with the Inn since renovation. Have stayed away for quite some time. Came back to give it another chance FABULOUS!!!” As one contributor wrote, “the Tavern is back”. We hope so, we want nothing more. We won’t be perfect and we will make our share of mistakes, but we are all dedicated and committed to the success of the Tavern – especially as we approach 2012 and our 200th anniversary. Keep your eye out for events throughout the year. I will do my best to communicate them to you.

I listen to you and you have been instrumental in helping us make many positive changes here. I appreciate the comments on the salad bar. We continue to try to make improvements. We have now added 12 items you can put on the salad (just in the past 2 weeks). Your comments in this regard are all right on. We are trying to find the balance between better than what we had and not quite the IGA, which is not possible. Contact us directly and keep the feedback coming. We’ll make adjustments. Sandy Island fan our circumstances are different but I agree you salad bar sounds terrific!

I will be taking some time off around Christmas so I won’t be on line until 2012. There are a few things I would like to communicate to you however. The Inn & Tavern adopted two needy families this Christmas. All of our employees contributed to the Christmas fund which included 9 children. Many of our regular patrons wanted to contribute as well and the money we raised not only bought the necessities they asked for (mostly clothing) but allowed us to buy them toys as well. If any of you were a contributor, we just want to say thank you and to let you know how successful it was. In 2012, we will be creating a volunteer team at the Inn and Wolfe’s Tavern called the “Wolfe Pack”. The Wolfe Pack is dedicated to Community, Service and Integrity. We will donate our time to help the most needy in the community on a quarterly basis. We are already committed to participate in the local food pantry in May and looking for other suggestions.
We have also decided to extend our food service hours on New Year’s Eve to Midnight. If you find yourself wanting to go someplace at a later hour we’re open. It’s all hands on deck so I will here and hope to meet some of you if your plans allow.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to you from all of us! We look forward to earning and holding your trust and confidence in 2012!

[Barbara]

Hey, George, that was me who wrote that comment card last evening. My husband and I decided to give the Inn another try last evening and it was great! Food was delicious, great presentation, and the hostess and our server were wonderful. They were efficient, friendly and attentive. I will spread the word to all my friends and hope to go to the Inn on a regular basis.

I'll be attending a dinner there on Tuesday that is a Christmas party for a local organization. Hoping I'll be thrilled by the food then too, although I recognize that food at a banquet type event is often not the same as what's ordered in the restaurant.

By the way, I've been to restaurants that have had salad bars as wonderful as that described at Sandy Island Camp, but they have been in more urban areas. As far as chain restaurants go, Ruby Tuesday has an excellent salad bar. My first exposure to the Wolfeboro Inn was about fifteen years ago, and frankly I have never thought the salad bar was much to speak of under any ownership over the years.

[Tir Na Nog]

Iwas up this weekend for a quick trip to pick something up at the house. Arrived around 7PM and decided to stop as we drov through town. We (son and I) ate at th bar just wanting to have a quick bite. As much as I would have liked to try the prime rib again, just was not hungry enough that night. However, I did see someone else with the prim rib and it looked good, without the heavier sauce and with the traditional au jus. I will have to get back another Saturday to try it with the change. I ordered chicken quesidilla (sp?) from th bar menu and they were good. I prefer mine with grilled onions and peppers, which is not how they are described on the menu. Nonetheless, I asked and the bartender said it would be no problem adding the onions and peppers. The food came out fast, which was OK for us as far as timing goes and somewhat expected from the bar menu. My son had the chicken tenders and thought they were OK. One minor glitch was that my son ordered a second drink and the bartender seemed to get distracted/bust and forgot. Would have been easy enough to remedy, but by the time we realized it I was close enough to done to have him pass on the drink so we could get going. Overall, a reasonable experience. As I said in my initial posting, I do want to like this place as it offers a nice setting and another potentially good alternative. My favorite still is the Restaurant, but like a change now and again. I was convinced to come back sooner than I otherwise would have by the positive posts after mine and George's responses. I will have to try table service again to see if the timing of delivery is better than my last time.

[RLW]

My wife and I went to the Inn to give it a second try after going to church across the street. We had a wonderful meal and excellent service. (Bobbie server. Not a single complaint) I am not going into the whole evening and what we had and try to critique the whole ding dong meal as that can be very boring. Just saying it was a good or bad time is good enough.
I missed seeing CateP and her parents. I did look around, but it was an early (6:30) reservation and left about 8.
We defiantly WILL go back for another dinner.

[Bear Island South]

My wife and I spent the weekend at the Wolfeboro Inn - We dined at the Tavern for dinner on Friday and Saturday, and had breakfast Saturday and today. We were thoroughly impressed by the food, the service and the ambiance. We were cautiously optimistic, based on posts on the Forum, and were hopeful for a good experience. Our meals (steak tips, baked haddock, prime rib and seafood sautee) were wonderful. Our salads were great, the soups (onion, lobster bisque and mushroom) were tasty and wonderful. All servers were prompt and attentive. The brunch today was plentiful and tasty. We understand that everything can't be perfect, but we really feel that the quality of the service and the food was great. We will be back!

[George Soderberg]

Thank you Barbara. Thank you all for giving us another opportunity. We won't be perfect but we do have some very good employees and culinary team. I have said it beofre and I'll say it again, your comments helped me (us) a great deal.

Happy New Year everyone.

George

[ishoot308]

My wife and I had business in Wolfeboro today so we decided to have lunch at the Inn. Service was excellent and food was very good. No issues whatsoever and we definitely will return.

Welcome back Wolfeboro inn!

Dan

[Pineedles]

These recent posts are evidence that if the owner/manager has information/feedback, they can make adjustments to improve their business, and people will respond in kind. I look forward to my next visit.

[Barbara]

George, when will the new lunch menu be put in place. I chatted with the new chef at the Festival of Trees Gala. He told me the lunch menu would be changing soon. We always made a few trips to the Thompson House Eatery while he was the chef there and found their lunch menu to be wonderful and extremely creative. I urged him to bring some of that creativity to the Woleboro Inn's lunch menu.

[CateP]

I took my mom and dad to the Wolfeboro Inn for Christmas Eve dinner and everything was excellent! The service was top notch and it looked like the whole staff was on their toes and smiling. We all had different entries and the food was wonderful. I am so glad we decided to go there for the holiday!!

[George Soderberg]

Barbara,

We are reviewing the menu as I write! That is the goal and having said that, I HIGHLY encourage you to stop in or email us on our business email addresses any suggestions or thoughts you have. As always we are trying to balance maintaining some of the local favorites while introducing some new alternatives.

We hope to have the menu chosen, tested and entered into the system by the end of the month, release to the public - no later than mid-February.

George

[CateP]

Originally Posted by George Soderberg

Barbara,

We are reviewing the menu as I write! That is the goal and having said that, I HIGHLY encourage you to stop in or email us on our business email addresses any suggestions or thoughts you have. As always we are trying to balance maintaining some of the local favorites while introducing some new alternatives.

We hope to have the menu chosen, tested and entered into the system by the end of the month, release to the public - no later than mid-February.

George

I would be happy to volunteer as a menu tester I'm local.

[beaner]

Originally Posted by CateP

I would be happy to volunteer as a menu tester I'm local.

[George Soderberg]

Originally Posted by CateP

I would be happy to volunteer as a menu tester I'm local.

If you send me your email home address I will invite you to the next tasting, which is right around the corner. My address, again, is: gsoderberg@haycreekhotels.com.

[Bracey]

This is great news. Haven't been there in forever. I just never get there at dinner time. Going to make it a point to make dinner reservations.

[RLW]

Bracey, I just noticed that you are fairly new to the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends.

[WakeboardMom]

It's very busy here at work, and I don't have the time to make a long post...that will come later...but...

If you're making plans to dine out this weekend, make sure you consider the Wolfeboro Inn! It's been many years since we had ventured there, but Mr. Soderberg's postings piqued my curiosity, so I requested a spot at his "Chef's Table" and I was rewarded with a fabulous "foodie" experience.

The chef is talented with cuisine, but way beyond that he and the rest of the staff are totally and completely committed to making sure each customer has a wonderful experience; whether you want to sit at the bar and watch the game, or sit in the restaurant and have a leisurely dinner, or just come in for dessert and a night cap, they want their customers to leave happy.

Put the Wolfeboro Inn at the top of your list for places to dine in Wolfeboro. You'll be glad you did!

(And just as a point of reference I have dined at Mise en Place, The Restaurant, and El Centenario, as well as most of the other places in Wolfeboro...so I am aware of the competition. ; )

[CateP]

Just a quick note about the Easter brunch we had...incredible!! Carving station, Eggs Benedict, a lobster and wild mushroom bisque, custom omelets, smoked salmon and bagels. It was like being able to have five different meals at once. (dangerous) Entire experience was delightful and next year we are planning for a large group table. Great food and no cooking or dishes to wash. Nice way to spend a holiday.

[WakeboardMom]

Originally Posted by CateP

Just a quick note about the Easter brunch we had...incredible!! Carving station, Eggs Benedict, a lobster and wild mushroom bisque, custom omelets, smoked salmon and bagels. It was like being able to have five different meals at once. (dangerous) Entire experience was delightful and next year we are planning for a large group table. Great food and no cooking or dishes to wash. Nice way to spend a holiday.

They will be doing a repeat of that for Mother's Day. Hooray for me! The boat will be in the water by then... ; )