I Still Don't Understand Wolfe's Tavern/Restaurant...

[WakeUp]

Decided to try the Tavern again last week. (it's been awhile...)

Sat in the Tavern waiting for the dining room...so far, so good.

However, when needing to use the restroom, I realized there was no longer a separate hallway. Instead, I had to walk through the dining room, interupting diners if needing more room between tables to get through. ODD

Once seated in the dining room, the hostess had only 1 menu: "Sorry, I only have 1 menu, I'll bring another shortly." Never happened.

NOW FOR THE FUN! My wife ordered a Margarita. It came out in a 16oz. beer glass with the Boston Red Sox logo on it. I've never seen anything like this.

Dining in what is considered a 'white tablecloth' facility, (some tables had table cloths, some didn't...but all had linen napkins) I was baffled that the restaurant would even consider serving drinks this way.
Bottom Line: It all starts with training and management.
I suggest they shut down for a month, send everyone to Hospitiality Management seminars at the Whittemore School (UNH), then try it again.

Sorry to pick on Wolfe's as I remember the horror stories years ago after the new owners took over. Sadly, it still is poorly managed facility.

[Altonbayicefishingfool]

Went in a few weeks ago, coming up by boat. Hadn't been there in quite a few years.
Sat at the bar and looked at the menu, $14.95 for a burger... $13.95 for Mac and cheese.. REALLY!!??

Needless to say we drank and left.

Great new place just down the street ...awesome food!

We each had a drink, one beer and one mixed, $10. Mixed drink was totally watered down.

I will NEVER step foot in this place again..


Oh yah, took 2 bartenders over 5 minutes to acknowledge out presence.

Not impressed

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by Altonbayicefishingfool

Went in a few weeks ago, coming up by boat. Hadn't been there in quite a few years.
Sat at the bar and looked at the menu, $14.95 for a burger... $13.95 for Mac and cheese.. REALLY!!??

Needless to say we drank and left.

Great new place just down the street ...awesome food!

We each had a drink, one beer and one mixed, $10. Mixed drink was totally watered down.

I will NEVER step foot in this place again..


Oh yah, took 2 bartenders over 5 minutes to acknowledge out presence.

Not impressed

What place did you wind up at down the street?

[upthesaukee]

George is gone. Maybe not the same level of caring there now.

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[Rusty]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

George is gone. Maybe not the same level of caring there now.

Sent from my GT-P5210 using Tapatalk

George F. Soderberg is gone? Did he take the "Chefs Table experience" with him or do they still have that?

[RockSkipper]

I've been in to Wofle's Tavern a few times over the past few years, I never had the impression that it was a white table cloth restaurant. It's even called a Tavern??? The only time I've seen table clothes used is on Sunday's for their brunch, I assumed that was because they used portable tables that didn't match the other rustic wooden ones in the establishment. I also understand that one of the past owners had a failed attempt at running the 1812 steak house as a white table cloth restaurant.

I'm impressed that you received a beer and a mixed drink for $10 bucks, that would be more like $12 or $13 down in Portsmouth.

As far as the menu's and glassware go, I've seen it jammed packed in there over the summer, I wouldn't be surprised that on occasion they run low on certain items and may have to improvise and use a beer glass for a drink.

I like the Tavern, it has character and the best food in town.

[upthesaukee]

Originally Posted by Rusty

George F. Soderberg is gone? Did he take the "Chefs Table experience" with him or do they still have that?

See post #2 in this thread from Sept 2013:

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...776#post211776

[Flotnjr]

I have to say, we had dinner on Friday night and I wasn't completely sold on the quality of what we had versus what the final bill was, but it was my first time dining there. We opted to wait for a table, and the dining room was quite a bit outdated compared to the bar area. (Flowered wallpaper, mismatching chairs at tables, etc) I have been to the bar quite a few times for a couple beers and apps. Loved the atmosphere, and all the staff has been great on every visit. I won't write them off for dinner, everybody has off days, but I will always consider it my first choice to meet up for a cold one.

[Slickcraft]

We were there two weeks ago, 1st time in several years. Sort of a special occasion so we went way beyond our usual light meal. Sat at the bar in the tavern so service was very good. Very busy for a Tuesday, deck had live music and was crowded, customers waiting for seats in the dining room.

We had the special app, mussels, and then she had seafood saute and I had linguini with shrimp. All was a bit pricy but very good. Best part was the excellent apple and mixed berry crisp for $6.50. The draft beer selection was good but very pricy, $7.00 for a pint.

Given that it is a long drive for us and that for the price there are better options on this side of the pond, it will probably be another long time 'till we go back. Given the rip off price (IMHO) for a pint of beer, it would not be our choice for a couple of beers and a light meal even if close by.

[BroadHopper]

We took a very early morning cruise to Wolfeboro for breakfast at The Strawberry Patch. To our dismay the Patch was close for the season!

With the long line in front of the Wolfeboro Diner we decided to try Wolfeboro Tavern. The tavern was particularly empty and I had second thoughts in my mind while being seated. We were seated promptly and the waitress was waiting to serve coffee. I like that. They no longer serve brunch but they do have a selection of gourmet breakfast items although pricey. I saw the 2.95 Bloody Mary offer and requested a Bloody with V8 juice and rum. The drink was very good.

I selected the BLT special with an egg and special sauce added and home fries. It was very good but filling. I took half of it home.

The MS didn't see what she wanted and ask for a substitute. There will be no substitute which is unusual at breakfast. She ended getting sides and mixing them together to get what she wanted. Lots of waste that we took home.

When I got the bill the 2.95 Bloody ended up as a 9.95 drink. 'It was not a house drink' the waitress implied. The bill came up to $30 for just the two of us for breakfast. All in all we were not impress with the experience.

We had a fantastic run across The Broads that morning. Welcome to the boating season!

[dfrowery]

First off, Everybody, thank you for another wonderful season!!! Our goal is to provide world-class cuisine and paramount hospitality. Do we sometimes stumble...unfortunately yes. Understand that when we do stumble, we use it as learning tool so that it (hopefully) is not replicated.
Everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion, as am I. While I know it will come off bias, I feel that we offer an extremely thoughtful menu, excellent daily specials and an unmatched drink menu. We do everything that we can to ensure that our guests have a memorable experience...again...sometimes we stumble.
I do not want to discount the comments within this thread, and I won't. Do I wish that this thread was filled with more glowing comments...I do, but I understand that we simply cannot please everyone all the time, although we certain try like heck to do just that.
I hope that we will see all of you at the Tavern. If you're good enough to walk through our doors, let us know, as I'd love to meet you and shake your hand.
Now...to address a couple of questions:
George got a well-deserved promotion a year ago. He is now VP, Operations and works out of Exeter.
We still off the Chef's Table Experience and plan on rolling it back out in November. We are simply too busy during the season and do not want to under deliver on the gourmet experience that we promise.
Only on Sundays do we use table clothes, all other times it's the bare rustic tables with linen napkins.
Thank you again for another wonderful season. Please understand we are ALWAYS looking to do better.
Darrin

[hwilson]

Originally Posted by Altonbayicefishingfool

Went in a few weeks ago, coming up by boat. Hadn't been there in quite a few years.
Sat at the bar and looked at the menu, $14.95 for a burger... $13.95 for Mac and cheese.. REALLY!!??

Needless to say we drank and left.

Great new place just down the street ...awesome food!

We each had a drink, one beer and one mixed, $10. Mixed drink was totally watered down.

I will NEVER step foot in this place again..


Oh yah, took 2 bartenders over 5 minutes to acknowledge out presence.

Not impressed

Hello to all in the forum,
This is Hoke Wilson, head chef at Wolfes Tavern. I have met many of you since my arrival in March of 2011, and look forward to meeting many more.

We have solicited and benefited from your input during these past few years. We always value the opinions of forum members, even when they are less than complimentary. Frequently those are the most helpful posts.
I felt that it was about time for me to join the forum, in order to interact more directly with members. Please bear with me as I learn the ropes of posting on the forum.

I did want to address altonicefishingfool’s recent post. Just to clarify, we do not have a $14.95 hamburger on our menu. We have several meat options for our burger menu. We offer a half pound choice hamburger, with lettuce, tomato and onion, on a toasted brioche roll, with French fries and a house made pickle for $11.95. Another option is the all natural, 100% Maine raised, grass fed burger from Archer Angus Farm, in Chesterville Maine. This burger is presented in the same fashion for $13.95. This meat costs twice as much as our regular choice hamburger, but it was very important to us to have it on our menu, so we offer it for $2 more than our choice burger. In addition, we have our house made veggie burger, and house made salmon burger.

It was also mentioned that we charge $13.95 for Mac and Cheese. The only way that we sell Mac and Cheese as a meal is on our children’s menu. We offer house made Mac and Cheese, made with Vermont Cheddar. This comes with a choice of side and dessert for $7.95. We do have a Mac and Cheese Burger, which consists of a half pound burger, topped with house made Mac and Cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, grape tomatoes, red onion and baby arugula tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. This comes on the toasted brioche bun, with French fries and homemade pickle for $13.50.

With that said, I can understand your frustration. It is one that all of us in the business, and those not in the business, can share. It is no secret that food costs are always rising. However, we are experiencing a crisis in the beef business at the moment. The cost of ground beef has risen by 56% since 2010. Beef prices are currently at a historic high and rising. All restaurants are struggling with these rapidly escalating costs, and we continue to attempt to offer quality and value in a frustrating market.

If any of you have questions, comments or concerns regarding Wolfes Tavern, I do hope that you will contact me at hwilson@wolfestavern.com. This is the fastest way to contact me, as I am not always able to check the Forum as often as I would like. I look forward to receiving your guidance as we navigate this challenging landscape. Thank you.

[tis]

I appreciate your reply hwilson. I have to tell you we have decided not to go back to the tavern for a while either after our last experience there. My friend and I both had hamburgers and they were burned. They did offer to get us new ones but the other two in our party had their meals and we did not want to eat after they were finished. Would it not have been better to correct the situation before they were served? The hamburg was dry and slightly burned and the rolls were very burned. It just didn't leave us with a good taste in our mouths-pun? We always love the inn and don't know why we have this new menu. Why can't you go back to the old menu or at least offer some things from the old menu? It worked for many years-whose idea is it to have the current menu? Do you think that could ever happen? The only reason we both ordered the hamburgers is because there was nothing on the menu we really wanted. I am not trying to criticize, I just want to tell you what our feelings are and think it is the feeling of others. I hope the inn can continue to be successful. I am hoping this can be a suggestion not a criticism.

[RLW]

hwilson, I was just browsing through the forum and noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends.

Thanks for joining in on the site and answering the members questions. It appears that another has listed their problem after you asking that if a problem has come about that they send it to your e-mail account as you listed it. Again thanks for your comments.

[Bumble2249]

Originally Posted by hwilson

Hello to all in the forum,
This is Hoke Wilson, head chef at Wolfes Tavern. I have met many of you since my arrival in March of 2011, and look forward to meeting many more.

We have solicited and benefited from your input during these past few years. We always value the opinions of forum members, even when they are less than complimentary. Frequently those are the most helpful posts.
I felt that it was about time for me to join the forum, in order to interact more directly with members. Please bear with me as I learn the ropes of posting on the forum.

I did want to address altonicefishingfool’s recent post. Just to clarify, we do not have a $14.95 hamburger on our menu. We have several meat options for our burger menu. We offer a half pound choice hamburger, with lettuce, tomato and onion, on a toasted brioche roll, with French fries and a house made pickle for $11.95. Another option is the all natural, 100% Maine raised, grass fed burger from Archer Angus Farm, in Chesterville Maine. This burger is presented in the same fashion for $13.95. This meat costs twice as much as our regular choice hamburger, but it was very important to us to have it on our menu, so we offer it for $2 more than our choice burger. In addition, we have our house made veggie burger, and house made salmon burger.

It was also mentioned that we charge $13.95 for Mac and Cheese. The only way that we sell Mac and Cheese as a meal is on our children’s menu. We offer house made Mac and Cheese, made with Vermont Cheddar. This comes with a choice of side and dessert for $7.95. We do have a Mac and Cheese Burger, which consists of a half pound burger, topped with house made Mac and Cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, grape tomatoes, red onion and baby arugula tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. This comes on the toasted brioche bun, with French fries and homemade pickle for $13.50.

With that said, I can understand your frustration. It is one that all of us in the business, and those not in the business, can share. It is no secret that food costs are always rising. However, we are experiencing a crisis in the beef business at the moment. The cost of ground beef has risen by 56% since 2010. Beef prices are currently at a historic high and rising. All restaurants are struggling with these rapidly escalating costs, and we continue to attempt to offer quality and value in a frustrating market.

If any of you have questions, comments or concerns regarding Wolfes Tavern, I do hope that you will contact me at hwilson@wolfestavern.com. This is the fastest way to contact me, as I am not always able to check the Forum as often as I would like. I look forward to receiving your guidance as we navigate this challenging landscape. Thank you.

Maybe fishing fool was at a different restaurant?!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[glennsteely]

.....Maybe frustration led to a mis-representation of the facts.....

[Chaselady]

Originally Posted by WakeUp

Decided to try the Tavern again last week. (it's been awhile...)

Sat in the Tavern waiting for the dining room...so far, so good.

However, when needing to use the restroom, I realized there was no longer a separate hallway. Instead, I had to walk through the dining room, interupting diners if needing more room between tables to get through. ODD

Once seated in the dining room, the hostess had only 1 menu: "Sorry, I only have 1 menu, I'll bring another shortly." Never happened.

NOW FOR THE FUN! My wife ordered a Margarita. It came out in a 16oz. beer glass with the Boston Red Sox logo on it. I've never seen anything like this.

Dining in what is considered a 'white tablecloth' facility, (some tables had table cloths, some didn't...but all had linen napkins) I was baffled that the restaurant would even consider serving drinks this way.
Bottom Line: It all starts with training and management.
I suggest they shut down for a month, send everyone to Hospitiality Management seminars at the Whittemore School (UNH), then try it again.

Sorry to pick on Wolfe's as I remember the horror stories years ago after the new owners took over. Sadly, it still is poorly managed facility.

I still don't understand these comments . They seem petty and mean spirited to me. You have to walk through the dining room to go to the bathroom? Wow, that's awful. And they only had one menu? Terrible! You didn't like the glass they served you margarita in?
I would understand this post if you had complained about bad food. But to knock the training and management of one of the best restaurants in our area makes me wonder about your motives.
We are full time residents, and frequent the Wolfeboro Inn and Tavern frequently. We are quite pleased with the service and the food. Of course there are times at any restaurant when they may not be ont heir "A" game. It doesn't seem fair to knock them on a public forum unless it's a pattern of bad service/food, IMO.

[birchhaven]

I am not a big poster but always enjoy reading about Lake happening, history, events, etc. But I am always turned off from the restaurant section. It is never constructive, there seems always be motives and fights, etc. Reminds me of a thread from yesteryear, not a debate of differing opiniona but something more malice. Maybe I am lucky but I have never in my life experienced some of the things posted about area restaurants.
I know it would never happen but I kinda wish the whole section would go the way of the dinosaur. Some even read like click bate.
Jmho

[Crusty]

Originally Posted by birchhaven

I am not a big poster but always enjoy reading about Lake happening, history, events, etc. But I am always turned off from the restaurant section. It is never constructive, there seems always be motives and fights, etc. Reminds me of a thread from yesteryear, not a debate of differing opiniona but something more malice. Maybe I am lucky but I have never in my life experienced some of the things posted about area restaurants.
I know it would never happen but I kinda wish the whole section would go the way of the dinosaur. Some even read like click bate.
Jmho

This is one of the only two sections I do read... Yes, I understand that some of the "reviews" are trolls and others just self-serving superlatives. However it is usually possible to discern both.

I have discovered many good restaurants simply by reading a negative review. As a contrarian, I find myself strangely compelled to find out just how bad it is. [Usually, it's pretty good.]

The first post in this thread made me want to try Wolfe's Tavern. As for the complaint: "...when needing to use the restroom... I had to walk through the dining room, interupting diners..." It made me wonder if the poster might have been a celebrity, or possibly just excessively large and flatulent. Certainly, the wait staff could navigate the tables so I can't see the problem. Anyway, I'm going over and see for myself. --Oh, and frankly. I don't care what type of (clean) glass they serve my drink in or if I get a table cloth. And if we're a menu short, I'm sure the wife will be happy to tell me what to order.

[Barbara]

Hoke, welcome to the forum. You know me, as I was a participant in the Chef's Table that George created for forum members. Under George's management and with you at the helm for food we grew to love the Inn. Love the menu and have enjoyed every visit. We were in recently for a great meal, but did stay away during most of the summer because of the tourist hordes.

Keep up the good work. We will be coming to the Inn more often now that town has quieted down. We do miss George terribly. His personality did bring something special to the Inn. He made great effort and succeeded in getting to know so many of us locals personally.

[chasedawg]

Originally Posted by WakeUp

Decided to try the Tavern again last week. (it's been awhile...)

Sat in the Tavern waiting for the dining room...so far, so good.

However, when needing to use the restroom, I realized there was no longer a separate hallway. Instead, I had to walk through the dining room, interupting diners if needing more room between tables to get through. ODD

Once seated in the dining room, the hostess had only 1 menu: "Sorry, I only have 1 menu, I'll bring another shortly." Never happened.




NOW FOR THE FUN! My wife ordered a Margarita. It came out in a 16oz. beer glass with the Boston Red Sox logo on it. I've never seen anything like this.

Dining in what is considered a 'white tablecloth' facility, (some tables had table cloths, some didn't...but all had linen napkins) I was baffled that the restaurant would even consider serving drinks this way.
Bottom Line: It all starts with training and management.
I suggest they shut down for a month, send everyone to Hospitiality Management seminars at the Whittemore School (UNH), then try it again.

Sorry to pick on Wolfe's as I remember the horror stories years ago after the new owners took over. Sadly, it still is poorly managed facility.

OMG.... WAKE UP! WHAT ARE YOU SAYING. Sorry your comments have little merit.

What is your agenda with Wolfe Tavern???? Your description of having a horrible dinning night is truly unbelievable. Are you sure you don't want to be seen going to the bathroom. And you don't like large glasses for your drinks. No white linen table clothes for your table. You know what..... you should not go back there again. For your own peace of mind.

How could a wonderful dinning facility go so wrong so quickly with someone who does not want to go to bathroom for others to see them walking past their non white linen table cover. OMG! The Wolfeboro Inn is one of the jewels of the lakes region and certainly is one of the many better resturants in Wolfeboro. The entire staff are dedicated to serve a very high quality dinner and service.

Please.... to your satisfaction I recommend that you only go to a dining facility that has a secret passage way to the men's room.

[Billy Bob]

Originally Posted by chasedawg

OMG.... WAKE UP! WHAT ARE YOU SAYING. Sorry your comments have little merit.

What is your agenda with Wolfe Tavern???? Your description of having a horrible dinning night is truly unbelievable. Are you sure you don't want to be seen going to the bathroom. And you don't like large glasses for your drinks. No white linen table clothes for your table. You know what..... you should not go back there again. For your own peace of mind.

How could a wonderful dinning facility go so wrong so quickly with someone who does not want to go to bathroom for others to see them walking past their non white linen table cover. OMG! The Wolfeboro Inn is one of the jewels of the lakes region and certainly is one of the many better resturants in Wolfeboro. The entire staff are dedicated to serve a very high quality dinner and service.

Please.... to your satisfaction I recommend that you only go to a dining facility that has a secret passage way to the men's room.

Its comments like this that stop people from saying anything about restaurants on the forum. Someone says anything at all that's not 100 % positive and people jump at them and say they have an agenda.
Truth is the lake has more mediocre restaurants then good ones but you could never tell that from the forum . If this Tavern was in a more populated area it would have been closed years ago . George brought it back , he left and so did the quality.

[Barbara]

Chef Hoke is responsible for the menu and food quality. In my view he has done a wonderful job since his arrival. He and George bought the Inn back from the brink. I was so disappointed that George left, but realize how selfish that view is because his leaving was due to his promotion. I don't see any deterioration in food quality or menu choices since George left. I am a Wolfeboro resident, the Inn is five minutes away, and most of the locals I know who frequently dine at the Inn are very happy with it.

[CateP]

I am one more full-time local resident who LOVES the Tavern. We tend to order out in the summer and take our meals to the boat, but the rest of year we are regulars. I will say that they have THE best burgers in town and the homemade desserts are incredible. I especially appreciate Chef Hoke's dedication to bringing in local products. Not only are they whole food healthy, they help support our local agriculture.

The Wolfeboro Inn and Tavern are exceptional contributors to this community. They give generously of their services to local organizations and are literally out in the streets offering free food during special events such as the parades and side walk days.

Darrin had big shoes to fill when George left, but he has done a wonderful job of reaching out and getting input from our forum and in person. He a a great role model for customer service--bar none.

Wolfe's Tavern was PACKED this summer and there were weddings EVERY weekend so they must have been doing something right. Now that the crowds are gone I will do what I can to support this great resource in Wolfeboro.

[RLW]

Originally Posted by CateP

I am one more full-time local resident who LOVES the Tavern. We tend to order out in the summer and take our meals to the boat, but the rest of year we are regulars. I will say that they have THE best burgers in town and the homemade desserts are incredible. I especially appreciate Chef Hoke's dedication to bringing in local products. Not only are they whole food healthy, they help support our local agriculture.

The Wolfeboro Inn and Tavern are exceptional contributors to this community. They give generously of their services to local organizations and are literally out in the streets offering free food during special events such as the parades and side walk days.

Darrin had big shoes to fill when George left, but he has done a wonderful job of reaching out and getting input from our forum and in person. He a a great role model for customer service--bar none.

Wolfe's Tavern was PACKED this summer and there were weddings EVERY weekend so they must have been doing something right. Now that the crowds are gone I will do what I can to support this great resource in Wolfeboro.

CateP thanks for your kind comments as my wife and I feel the exact same way. We try and enjoy their great meals (Me hamburgers) at least once every other week during the winter. the other week we try other places that we enjoy also.

[Barbara]

Hey Cate, dinner soon AT WOLFE'S TAVERN!!!!!