Very impressive, from the decor/ambience to the service to the quality of the food! We sat at the bar and received very attentive, professional service. Started with oysters-Nova Scotia Malagash. Incredibly flavorful! Moved onto hamachi tuna and calamari. Both were inventive, very tasty and clearly quite fresh. We both enjoyed the striped bass on basil risotto--perfectly prepared, roasted and moist. A side order of french fries is not to be missed (the initial dish of fries brought to us was full of short stumpy fries; I requested it be replaced. The server obliged without hesitation and a new dish with perfect 4 inch sticks--crunchy on the outside and moist potato in center--were quickly provided). Finished with a creme brulee which rivals Daniel Boulud's in Manhattan (the most famous in NY). Highly recommend this wonderful restaurant! read more

Since my business is across the street and I like good food, I have lunch here about once a week. The staff is very friendly and helpful and the food is the best in town. My favorite is the local organic grass fed hamburger with sweet potato fries, but everything I have tried on the menu is good. read more

Steak and fries is my favorite lunch! The spicy ketchup is an awesome addition that really adds a boost to the meal. Stephanie does a great job at the bar on Saturdays and is always fun to talk to and really knows her stuff! read more

I loved the venison stew. Real hearty for a winter lunch.

I had a very nice, light summer meal there. Sat outside on the patio, had an iced tea, and a salmon and apple salad with carmelized onions & apple cider vinegar. I really enjoyed it, and the salad was certainly enough of a light meal, together with the bread & olive oil served at the table. The service was also quick and friendly. read more

The food was absolutely delicious when it came. Waitress never asked how our meals were; never explained the menu as we ordered a salad and a crabcake. Didn't know that the crab came with a salad. She ran around the restaurant and had only three tables to service. Food was slow coming out; had to keep asking where it was. Too bad as the chef is excellent; ambience just isn't there or wasn't the night we were there. read more

One of the worst dining experiences we have ever had. It was a special birthday dinner and it was ruined by the rudeness and uncaring attitude of a middle aged hostess/waitress with dark hair in a bun. She was noticeably disgruntled and ignored seating us for some time. Once seated she plopped water on our table without eye contact or introductions as if we were an inconvenience. After ordering we waited almost an hour for our food. She was no where to be found. No followup, no bread, no explanations. When we started to inquire with another waitress, the overpriced food finally came out- and it was awful. Overcooked and appeared to have been sitting out for a while. Of course when it was time to pay, our lovely waitress suddenly became so sweet and apologetic. read more

Excellent. That is the one word that I could say about 85 Main. My wife and I went in last night for sushi and drinks. The sushi was fresh and delightful. The martini a were refreshing and amazing. We sat in the lounge area and were more then satisfied with our date night. We will defiantly be back for more. 85 Main. You have something to be proud about. Keep up the great work. Next time we will have dinner to. Just not enough time for this visit. read more

I have been to this restaurant twice. Both experiences were above average. The food was better the first time than the second. I had the sea bass special the first time and was hoping to have it again but it wasn't on the menu. The fish I ended up ordering was much too lemony for my liking. Overall though I like their food better than most of the local restaurants. The service was better during our first visit and adequate during the second visit. My mixed drinks were well prepared and the atmosphere is pleasant. read more

Excellent atmosphere, a great place for a date night with significant other or dinner and drinks with friends. All winter we sat inside at the high tops but now that it is nicer out the outside seating is my favorite. Service has always been on point and I've never had a bad meal. The steak and fries is awesome. I might have to add I love the option of being able to order a "tall" drink :D read more

I had an excellent lunch with friends on the patio. The food was very good and the service was excellent. Our waiter Patrick was very attentive, accommodating and friendly. All three of us enjoyed the experience and would recommend this resstaurant to others. read more

For years I have been told how great 85 Main is. Today is my wife's birthday and she decided that it was time to give it a try. We have never been more disappointed and unimpressed with a restaurant. The food was on the better side of "good", but the service was atrocious. Even if our waitress was busy with other patrons, there were several other members of the staff who repeatedly walked directly past us for over twenty minutes. Eventually I had to go and find someone to cash us out. It was our first time there and certainly our last. read more

I have always had a good experience here. Sushi, burgers, oysters etc. the sushi menu is good and very reasonably priced. We will continue to enjoy 85 main read more

So i write this review not bash but hopefully give opportunity to improve. Visited on January 30 for a birthday dinner. The restaurant was busy but not mob scene. We were seated right away, in the newly added wine cellar room. Got the local main street burger which is why we visit. My wife got corn & clam chowder, which was forgotten. Had to ask the server a 2nd time. Once she got it she enjoyed. Burgers came, not by our server. They did not include the mayo as per our order. Asked the girl who brought the burgers for mayo she quickly gave a smile and said sure. 10 minutes later no mayo and no server return to check on us. We flagged down a 2nd helper who brought mayo right away. Burger was very good as usual, albeit cold once we got the mayo. Will visit again but most likely not on peek nights. Definitely server to guest ratio needs to be reviewed. read more

Well another 85 Main "experience". We visited recently and were greeted warmly and stated in one of the small tables in the main dining room. Our waiter promptly greeted us, took our soft drink order and came back 10 minutes later with them. He asked for our order and we received our food 15 minutes later. We watched as the restaurant filled up and soon our waiter had about 15 tables to take care of. And as usual, no return visit ( obviously he couldn't pay much attention to us with so many tables to speak to) and we proceeded to finish and wait another 20 minutes to see him again. In the mean time, a table of four next to us got up and.left as did a table outside on the patio. Well we finally see our waiter, order desert and wait for it. Once delivered, we ask for the check. Again more time. In the meantime I venture to the bar to.ask for some change to leave a cash tip and promptly wait 10 minutes for someone to acknowledge me again. Well after almost 2 hours, we leave. Another 85 Main experience in the books. The last 5-10 visits have been the same. Well, I guess if someone didn't gift us a card for dinner, then I guess I would never see the inside walls of this restaurant again. Oh, and maybe it is time refinish the sticky tables. Tired of my arms sticking to them. Thanks for another memory. I will be sure to share it with my family and friends. read more

My best friend and I came here for a special birthday dinner and we're very excited to try the menu as I looked it up online and it looked amazing, and all the reviews said what a wonderful place it was to go. We went for an early dinner after doing a wine tasting at a local winery and got there about 530 it took about 10 minutes before the waitress slash bartender came to ask us if we wanted a drink. My friend ordered a drink and I still was not sure what I wanted so I waited to try hers.she received her drink which we both thought was really good but had to wait another 10 minutes and had to ask a young man we later learned was named zack, to check on my drink. Mind you it was busy but not too busy to be ignored because two people came to sit at the bar about 10 to 15 minutes after us,who we realized really quickly were regulars and received their drinks before I was even able to order mine. The young man zack. . who brought us our water and bread and actually checked on us throughout our meal was wonderful. Our waitress we do not know her name for she did not tell us nor even care if we had plates to eat our sushi or shared plates... so I basically are my food of my napkin. my friend then had an empty drink for quite a while and was never asked if she needed another.. but don't worry.. the tables next to us were checked on attentively.. . But once we asked foror bill.. we revieved it immediately and she asked us a few minutes later If you were all set. .. really?? We enjoyed all of our meal but the beef skewers.. way to salty! Just a disappointment:( read more

The food is delicious and the atmosphere great - both inside and in their outside al fresco dining area. But the service is always horrible. It takes forever and when you ask about it you get a rude answer. Their owner, James Martin, does a lot for the community, so we always try to give them another chance. We are never disappointed with the food, just wish they would get nicer servers and hire more kitchen staff so it doesn't take as long as it does. read more

Bar was nice with efficient service but dining room service was lacking. Waitress acted like she was doing us a favor & argued with customers when they wanted something corrected. Smoked salmon special for the day was not smoked salmon but farm raised North Atlantic salmon. Big difference. Eat in the bar, service is friendlier. read more

Love it! Great staff, friendly, relaxing environment, good food and an awesome place to meet after work with friends. Highly recommended! A+++ read more

Second visit on June 11, 2016. In Putnam for live theater at the Bradley. The play is Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earmest". We booked a 5:00 dinner reservation to be able to dine and make the 7:30 show. The regular menu is a good one. The chef again provided a seafood special too good to pass up. My last visit it was bluefish cooked and served exquisitely with a light tomato based sauce. This time it was wolffish served over a reduced cauliflower sauce, mixed vegetables, and the fish cooked to perfection: flakey and moist. Friends listened to my praise of the wolffish dish I reviewed at the Steaming Tender in Palmer and we all ordered this fabulous dish. My wife was a holdout, ordering the large, plump sea scallops in a maple glaze served with garlic sauted red swiss chard. It was amazing. I think the world of this restaurant and the theater is good too. Give it a try. I think it will please. read more

Came on a Sunday early afternoon in July, sat on the patio which was lovely. Service was good and friendly, but food came out quite slow (at least 30 minutes after we were seated, and we didn't order drinks or appetizers). I ordered the 85 Main Crab Cake, which was just ok in terms of taste and portion size. It was just one crab cake covered in a slightly overpowering mustard, on top of a kind of boring but fresh salad (see picture another user posted earlier... very similar to salads I make for myself on the regular). My partner ordered the pulled pork wrap, which included slaw and was served with a side of sweet potato fries. I believe this dish was the same price as the crab cake but a little more tasty and a lot more substantial. Minor plus: bathroom was really nice, heh. But the food was just not that impressive for the price, and I think we'll try other options nearby before returning. read more

Went there on a whim to have a weeknight dinner with my family (wife and two small children) after traveling a few days for work. The prices are not cheap (roughly $20-$30 for most entrees, though they have burgers and salads which are more economical), so if that is not in your budget, you may want to find somewhere else to eat. However, sometimes in life, you get what you pay for, e.g. when you go to a "nice" restaurant, you don't pay Ruby Tuesday's prices. Service from our waiter was fantastic and the food was excellent. They even threw in a cup of grapes for the kids, and my son stopped playing his game (no small feat) to devour his portion and my daughters. Things like this are what makes eating at a locally owned establishment such a reward compared to a chain. Calamari app was good. My wife and I both enjoyed our meals which were fresh and different, which is something we enjoy. My son got the grilled cheese off the kids menu, and they were able to accomodate replacing the bulkie roll with some bakery bread (like a sour dough?). I can honestly admit it was the best one I've ever eaten, and was so glad I got to eat the crust and the little bit left over. I'd suggest that should be the standard prep, it was amazing (never thought I'd rave about grilled cheese)! read more

We have always been a fan of 85 Main and also it's sister restaurant The Vanilla Bean in Pomfret. But the last couple of times we have been to 85 Main we have been disappointed in the food. The wait staff has always been very nice and we enjoy the location and ambiance, especially outside. Last weekend we had the Roast Corn and Clam Chowder and it was like dishwater - I think they forgot to put the "clams, bacon, cream and potatoes" in the chowder. Not at all enjoyable. I had the salmon salad and the vinaigrette was very vinegary for my taste and really took away from the overall flavor of the salad. My husband had the mac and cheese special and it was not that good, plus it was actually watery! And $30 for lobster ravioli is a bit high for Putnam!!! On a previous visit my husband had the stuffed haddock and it was a piece of fish with the skin still on it, then rolled with the stuffing...By the time you took the skin off there was little left to enjoy. Odd. Too bad as we really like the location! read more

The food is good, but kind of expensive. As a vegetarian, I like the bruschetta, chervre salad, and miso soup, and they usually have local, seasonal selections on the menu that i can eat too-- last spring they had ramps (basically wild scallions) and during the fall they had a mac and cheese with all kinds of wild mushrooms. They have really a pretty outdoor seating area in the warmer months. The service is generally good but for some reason we usually get stuck with the same snobby waitress all the time. She's kind of older, with dark hair, and she acts like it physically pains her to speak to us. Now I am NOT one of those people who normally gives a crap about whether a server smiled at us or something. I go to restaurants to eat, not to feel special and get my butt kissed. But this lady always makes is feel like we've done something wrong. At first I thought it was just her, but we've seen her be really nice to other tables then turn around and be snobby to us. I leave good tips and i don't make messes at the table or flag people down constantly so I don't know why she treats us like dirt. Whenever we have another server, everything is just fine. I just don't like it there anymore because of her. read more

I recently ate at 85 with my husband. Food was outstanding, service was awful. We had a female server (don't remember her name, not sure she told us) with a nasty attitude, spray tan, and tatas falling out of her shirt. She was so miserable and made it seem like a burden she hAd to wait on us. We also observed her talking to a coworker who appeared to be her bus person and she was being so demeaning and rude. We couldn't believe this was allowed. We had really high expectations of service due to our first visit. Our first experience was on valentines day for dinner. A delightful young man named Zachary was our server. When we first saw he would be our server we were slightly nervous because he seems to be quite young, and we've all had our fare share of careless college students wait on us. But he was just the opposite. His service was impeccable and my husband and I were impressed with his eloquent demeanor, professionalism, and how genuine he was. He also posses a great knowledge of the menu, as my husband and I had many questions for him since it was our first visit. When we returned to 85 we were expecting good service and we're even hoping to have him again, but we actually didn't see him anywhere in the restaurant. It would be a shame if he is no longer there because our waitress could learn a few things from him. We will definitely be back for the food, and give the service another chance, in hopes of having service like that which Zachary so naturally provides. They just need to build consistency with their service. I highly recommend the Sea Bass Special and sitting outside, weather permitting! read more

Wow! Did I say Wow? There is a sushi bar in the Quiet Corner (alongside a raw bar, I might add!). What a find! After hitting a few gift shops and doing a bit of antiquing, we had worked up an appetite and headed over to 85 Main. There were no available outdoor seats so we chose to wait in the bar until a table was available. The hostess was friendly and the bar tender attentive and helpful. While sipping on some wine we decided to split a maki roll. It was a big decision but we eventually chose an Alaskan Roll which was absolutely wonderful...seriously, to die for! It included salmon and asparagus. When our table became available, both the bar tender and hostess assisted us in transferring our various glasses and dishes. We also enjoyed an entree of scallops with a maple glaze and an order of mussels as well as an order of haricot vert! The food was wonderfully prepared and extremely fresh. Our waitress was just lovely and we never felt rushed. I felt as if the prices were definitely comparable to those you would find in Hartford or West Hartford. I plan to return in the near future for a sushi-sampling lunch with friends. Once again...head out to the Quiet Corner...I suspect there are more hidden gems yet to be discovered! read more