Canoe

[Kasey]

I like the Canoe, but the "broccolini and/or asparagus served with mashed potatoes" with every single dish, no matter what it is, is getting old! Could they be a bit more creative in choosing foods that go together?

Also, what's with the undercooked bread served in paper bags?:look:

[AltonBay54]

I know there are a lot of people who enjoy Canoe but in my opinion it's nothing but high class fast food. I've been a few times and have never been overly impressed. Seems like they're slipping a bit.

[Lucky2Bhere]

The fact that Canoe is mentioned so frequently shows the interest that most people have in it. For sides try the quesadilla that comes with the steak tips. A perfect piece of rare seared ahi tuna is hardly fast food and if you want a burger where else can you actually get it cooked medium rare. The bread is their signature but one item will never appeal to everyone. We go to many restaurants in the Meredith-Moultonboro area but keep coming back to Canoe the majority of the time. We're thankfull that there are a handfull of good choices in the area. Particularly in the quiet winter months.

[secondcurve]

We went to Canoe for the first time Friday evening and have nothing but good things to say from the service, to the atmosphere, to the food. My guess is that the restaurant's biggest issue is handling large crowds in the busy summer months.

[KPW]

Also, what's with the undercooked bread served in paper bags?:look:
That foccacia dipped in infused olive oil, brought me back to Canoe more than once. :liplick:

[Pineedles]

I took my family there 2 nites ago and once again it was perfect. Rack of Lamb was my choice done medium rare, just like I ordered it. Veal and Chicken Scallopine ordered by my nephew and daughter were oversized and provided them with another meal yesterday. :D

[upnorth]

We go to Canoe often. I have to say that the last time we went (last weekend), I was disappointed. I've noticed the "slip" as well. I've had the seafood fra diavolo a couple of times and at my recommedation, my father-in-law (who's never been) ordered it as well. We were both disappointed in the lack of flavor. Also, the muscle appetizer included tiny muscles, though the flavor was decent. They need to improve to the level they once were...

[phoenix]

we went tonight and both of us had salmon and it was great. Only problem was lack of parking and we had to go to the church to park and get the shuttle over.

[Winni Luvr]

I went with my family to Canoe when we were at the Lake earlier this month and I found it ok at best. It was very crowded the Sunday night we went there and service was pretty slow. About 10 minutes after giving us our drinks, the waitress threw a bag on our table without explanation. Now of course after she brought us oil a minute later, she explained it was bread but I thought she was giving us someone's doggy bag at first. As far as the food, my youngest daughter and myself had the Lobster Ravioli which was rather good, portion and taste were both fine. However, my other teenage daughter ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese and this selection should come with a warning! This entree came in a large bowl and could have fed the entire family! It seemed to me to be and entire box of Kraft Mac & Cheese with lobster in it. She ate about 1/8 of it and gave up. We asked the Waitress when she came to clear our table if anyone had ever finished it and she said no. My husband had a burger and he didn't complain as I recall so it must have been good.

[Lucky2Bhere]

At this time of year service is a challenge to any of the very crowded and popular restaurants in the area. Canoe's mac and cheese is such a favorite it was included in the menu at "O'" also. For a mac lover comparing it to krafts is like steak to sloppy joe's! True most people don't finish it, but everyone looks forward to taking it home for tomorrows lunch.

[VitaBene]

I went to Canoe last night with my nephew, sister and her husband. We had a real good meal. We waited 25 minutes or so which was not bad for a vacation week Sunday. Service was good but not great.

That being said, Canoe is one of my favorites- good food and wine at fair prices.

[beancover]

I have been a huge supporter of Canoe since it opened. It's always been good, not exquisite, but good food with a broad appeal. The service slacks a bit at the height of the season, but I expect that so we avoid it until the off season. We went to watch the Red Sox and eat dinner at the bar. It was fairly busy, but not overwhelmingly so. The bartender was as rude as he could have been when we politely asked if he was going to turn the volume on. He was so offensive that we had one drink and left without ordering dinner and without leaving a tip. I am so put off that it will be difficult for me to go back in there and give them my business. I wish I had gotten his name so I could write a letter to the owner and let him know what a weak link he has in his business. What a shame.

[canoe]

hello beancover,

thank you for speaking up. one of the hardest jobs in this industry is getting help in the lakes region and if you can find it, its another thing to train people to treat guest how you would or i would like to be treated. After your post i looked up who was working that night and i can assure you the situation has been rectified. i am very sorry for your experience. i see you have dined with us before and as you know this is not the typical experience, we pride ourselves on our friendly service and atmosphere. Yours along with other diners comments, good or not so good, helps us better understand our guest needs or frustrations. thank you again for bringing this to our attention

[canoe]

I went with my family to Canoe when we were at the Lake earlier this month and I found it ok at best. It was very crowded the Sunday night we went there and service was pretty slow. About 10 minutes after giving us our drinks, the waitress threw a bag on our table without explanation. Now of course after she brought us oil a minute later, she explained it was bread but I thought she was giving us someone's doggy bag at first. As far as the food, my youngest daughter and myself had the Lobster Ravioli which was rather good, portion and taste were both fine. However, my other teenage daughter ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese and this selection should come with a warning! This entree came in a large bowl and could have fed the entire family! It seemed to me to be and entire box of Kraft Mac & Cheese with lobster in it. She ate about 1/8 of it and gave up. We asked the Waitress when she came to clear our table if anyone had ever finished it and she said no. My husband had a burger and he didn't complain as I recall so it must have been good. i can assure you we do not use kraft mac & cheese unless a guest specifically ask us or a kids meal.

[Rattlesnake Guy]

Canoe,
Your attitude is "why" the Canoe continues to be our favorite place. It is quite a drive for us to travel from Alton to your place but that does not stop us from making the trip a few times a season specifically to enjoy what you have created. Our biggest problem is we are so enamored with our favorites that we hesitate to risk ordering anything else. We will just have to keep trying.

[Sandy Island fan]

I, too, love the lobster mac-n-cheese, and can't imagine anyone comparing it to krafts! I look forward to lunch the next day, too.
As for service, we usually do just fine. We typically are on a tight time-line, as the staff boats run on a schedule. However, anytime we've explained our issue to the waitstaff, we've been well taken care of. Of course, it helps that I don't even have to look at the menu to know what I'm getting!

[dpg]

Canoe: just a thought, if your going to defend yourself (and I feel you should) it seems it would be in your best interest to do so in a timely manner. The Mac and Cheese comment was posted in August! Just kind of takes the bite out of your response responding a few months later.

[rrr]

In all fairness to Canoe - there probably isn't a lot of time to read and respond to the forum in August.

[LIforrelaxin]

In all fairness to Canoe - there probably isn't a lot of time to read and respond to the forum in August.

rrr you can't be serious????? I know if I was running a business, I would make sure I made the time to respond to any comments made against my business in a Forum as popular as this one. Even during the busy summer season. All it takes is one bad review, or sour customer to start turning away business.

I personally point people to this Forum when they're looking for recommendations. I could give them mine but it is jaded and is just that mine.

I would not personally recommend the Canoe to anyone. Not that I feel the service or food is horrible, but I have been to many other more impressive places around the lake, that I feel are better priced and have a better atmosphere.

[The Big Kahuna]

Canoe is one of the best places to dine around the lake, the other one place is O. There is only one other place that use to come close and that was the Woodshed, but that has gone way down hill over the past two years. I don't know if they are under new ownership, but what happened?

Canoe and O are one and two, two and one without a doubt.

[michael c]

RRR has it spot on ..While you are correct that you want to respond as quickly as possible to any comments made about your place, In July and August the owner of ANY restaurant doesn't know if he is on foot or on horseback ... Sure it would be great to answer questions that same day , But those are the very things that come up in the course of any retauranteur that take them away from the customer and out into the office where they cannot see or hear the customers ...It is also an opportunity for the "TIME BANDITS " to make you unavailable to being on the floor and and can be what causes the comments about slow service / no one was there that even seemed to care / waiters or waitresses' were too quick with us or didn't take the time to explain fully , all about the special of the day and to take that time,,,even if its 10 minutes , can cause 10 other complaints to crop up ...
many people want their food cooked to perfection, brought to their table immediately and are cranky because something wasn't perfect!!...
there is a saying in the restaurant business:
You can have it served very fast ,,,,,,,,,,,,cooked to order and to perfection,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and very resonably priced: you can pick 2 out of those 3 ..otherwise you are not being realistic

How about we give these people a little slack , HUH?:)

[LIforrelaxin]

RRR has it spot on ..While you are correct that you want to respond as quickly as possible to any comments made about your place, In July and August the owner of ANY restaurant doesn't know if he is on foot or on horseback ... Sure it would be great to answer questions that same day , But those are the very things that come up in the course of any retauranteur that take them away from the customer and out into the office where they cannot see or hear the customers ...It is also an opportunity for the "TIME BANDITS " to make you unavailable to being on the floor and and can be what causes the comments about slow service / no one was there that even seemed to care / waiters or waitresses' were too quick with us or didn't take the time to explain fully , all about the special of the day and to take that time,,,even if its 10 minutes , can cause 10 other complaints to crop up ...
many people want their food cooked to perfection, brought to their table immediately and are cranky because something wasn't perfect!!...
there is a saying in the restaurant business:
You can have it served very fast ,,,,,,,,,,,,cooked to order and to perfection,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and very resonably priced: you can pick 2 out of those 3 ..otherwise you are not being realistic

How about we give these people a little slack , HUH?:)

I give these people plenty of slack. I give anyone in customer service plenty of slack. There is however no reason that a resturant owner in the lakes region can't take the time once a week to come to location specific forums like this and see what people are saying about there establishment. However waiting 2 months to come in and defend your resturant is a poor showing in my mind, especially when it is over Mac and Chese. Especially when after reading the initial post a second time the complaint wasn't as much about the Mac and Cheese itself as it was the the portion was too much.

I don't expect Canoe, or any other resturant owner to respond to all comments. Because as you state it is hard to impress everyone. But to expect that they would keep a tab on what is being said about there establishment on a Forum like this and responding to complaints when needed, I feel is very reasonable to expect.

As for me when I have a complaint I don't post it on a website... I talk to the owner or on duty manager and give them the chace to respond on site. As I stated earlier my opinions are mine.... and I give the resturant owner the biggest curtiousy... I don't bad mouth them when I am not satisfied....I just don't ever go back....

[dpg]

Nobody should be expected to answer a comment about their establishment within a day - or even two.:laugh: But months? It takes a total of what 20 minutes or so? Nadia does, Pepper does...

[ladybug]

Canoe is one of the best places to dine around the lake, the other one place is O. There is only one other place that use to come close and that was the Woodshed, but that has gone way down hill over the past two years. I don't know if they are under new ownership, but what happened?

Canoe and O are one and two, two and one without a doubt.

I totally agree with you about Canoe and O's. In regard to the Woodshed, it is under new ownership. I haven't been there in a while as I have heard from friends how it has gone down hill. Hopefully the new owners will turn things around as we need more choices.

[Newbiesaukee]

The Woodshed is under new ownership and several visits in the spring were disappointing. However, we have been back 3-4 times lately and it is as good as it has been in the last 4 years anyway.

Of course, ones satisfaction with a restaurant depends on many factors. Although I have had some good individual dishes at Canoe as well as good servers; I have also had the opposite. For me, in an upscale (read expensive) restaurant,the food,service, and surroundings all have to work. One meal at Canoe, the air conditioning was so cold as to make the experience very unpleasant; despite several requests from us ( and several nearby diners) nothing changed. This should not have been the case. It may not be a big deal, but it is the kind of situation which shouldn't happen at the "best restaurant." I have not had the consistency at Canoe and, in general, the experience, for me does not make it the best in the area. I prefer the Woodshed and the Coe House in this category and am never disappointed at the Corner House. Although the surroundings are not high end at Kevin's, the food certainly is, and you really get personal attention ( from Kevin). Lemon Grass is also an excellent dining experience if you like the different type of food ( I do).Canoe is a fine restaurant, but I just do not enjoy it all that much. There is nothing really cut and dried about all this; it really is an opinion.

[LIforrelaxin]

There is nothing really cut and dried about all this; it really is an opinion.

Exactly... that one statement sums up all the banter about which places are better... It is all opinion.... hence why I never try and deter anyone from eating some place.... unless I suppose I am going with them....

[CKB]

The Woodshed has been our favorite for the past 30+ years, but not as much lately.
We discovered Canoe this year and love it.
Going during the quiet times are nice and staff has been super. LOVE the lobster/macaroni (my guests also raved) Plus, they have great Martinis!!
Can't wait to go back next summer.

[canoe]

Just wanted to answer a few questions about the "response time". Being August,Sept, october a few of busiest times in the lakes region and owning two restaurants that operate 7 days serving lunch and diner keeps me very busy. I spend 12-14 hr of the time making sure the restaurants have all the necessities, making sure food quality and reciepes are followed to ensure we are consistant, and a least 2-3 hours a day managing. not only do i take care of this but i actually cook 6 nights a week and run a catering business, so i am sorry it took so long for a response. I tend to spend whatever time left in the day making sure my customers are happy. in the future i will try to find some time to read the forum on a more regular basis. I wish there were more hours in the day..

[The Big Kahuna]

We know the owner of the Canoe/O works 25 hours of a 24 hour day, it has paid off for the people that go to these great restaurants. For the rest of us that have more time than we know what to do with, which is why we are logged on to a Form in the middle of the day, we can not expect someone who is that busy to consider the Form as time well spent for them, when there are 700 other things that they need to do. Keep up the hard work so we have these places to come to.

Yes, I include myself as one of those with more time than I know what to do with!

[Rattlesnake Guy]

Canoe,
For what it's worth, my family appreciates what you do. I hope all the work is worth it in the big picture for you. You have a great product.

When my colleges and I discuss the difficulties of to much to do and to little time, the discussion usually ends with "it's a good problem to have".

Looking forward to the meatloaf and mac and cheese.

[canoe]

it is, i love it. thanks for the support

[ACutAbove]

I was at canoe this past wednesday nite for a private party and everything was great!!!!
Everytime I go I get something different just because I want to try everything on the menu. My wife loves the lobster mac and cheese, and my 1 yr old ate all her chicken breast off th ekids menu (it was her first trip there and not her last)

[robertwcook16]

We love Canoe as well !!!
My partner, who is very picky & can never find a restaurant that he likes, thought the food was great. We live in Maine just over the NH border & are thrilled that we have a few great restaurants within about 35 mins drive for us. The food at Canoe is consistent, delicious every time we go & interesting. It is nice to see a restaurant with an innovative menu can survive year round in the Lakes region. The baked scrod & lobster pie thing gets a little tiring after a while. It's nice to have somewhere that you can go & have a gourmet meal ro just a burger & not feel out of place. Thank youCANOE for that !!!

[BroadHopper]

In hospitality as well as food. For someone who takes the time to pick a group up at the dock and return is really something.
There are times that we would rather walk back to the docks to exercise all that great food off!

[MRJS]

I didn't know that seafood stir fry existed... until I went to Canoe. Loved it!

[Cristen]

We ate at Canoe last night with some friends. The food and service were excellent as usual. We ended up having drinks after dinner and talking to Scott, the owner. What a down to earth nice guy he is. Very impressed!!

[boat_guy64]

We had to go away Saturday evening and decided to have lunch at Canoe. We started with the pot stickers which were excellent. The Center Harbor chicken sandwich and the pulled pork sandwich were out of this world. (I ate one and tasted the other :liplick:) I really wanted to taste the chowda that the guy next to me was eating. We've had many excellent dinners at Canoe and while the lunch menu is different than dinner, it sure is good. Keep up the good work.