Just how bad exactly does a restaurant have to be to make someone reactivate a Yelp account that's…read morebeen dormant for 9 years, just to warn people? Well, apparently this is it. In my nearly 30 years now working in, with, and patronizing the food and beverage industry, I've never experienced such repugnant service as what Suzy and I had at The Downtown Grocery. I should point out that we weren't just the usual tourist who come to Ludlow to ski. We actually lived here for several years, and I couldn't post this review until we moved away because of the owner's repeated behavior of attacking people on social media who disagree with or criticize him. The food here is "fine", it's not actually bad or anything. But it is tiny in portions (a rarity for Vermont), and it's overly "chef-y" without actually executing well. It's one of those places where the chef probably thinks that he would get a Michelin star if only they would come to see him, but I can tell you having eaten at over 100 cumulative Michelin stars in my life this is nowhere close. It fails in flavor, presentation, and execution. But again, not terrible. The setting is actually kind of nice too, somewhat homey which is juxtaposed and ruined by the arrogance of the staff. If you don't mind being guaranteed to wait well beyond your actual reservation time, and then waiting probably another hour just to get some meager first courses, then maybe this is the place for you? I doubt it though, there are so many options just in Ludlow alone, and even more that are worth the 45 minute drive to Woodstock or Manchester to avoid having to eat here if you want a "nice" meal. Whatever you do absolutely avoid coming any time near "stick season" or "mud season" (Vermonters will know) because you're guaranteed to get even worse service then. Ludlow has a ton of restaurants for such a small town, many of them quite good. This is the ONLY place we actively recommended friends and guests of ours to avoid. Even the crappy fake taco place down the street got occasional business over this place due entirely to the repeated piss poor attitude of the two owners.

Had no clue this gem was here! Popped in on a Wednesday night for a drink and sat at the bar…read morechatting to the wonderful bartender. I had their specialty Ruby Bulleit cocktail with bourbon, ginger liqueur, and blood orange juice - the blood oranges were so juicy and fresh! My partner enjoyed the Smokey Elder, which had mezcal, ginger beer, and some other fun ingredients. After scanning the ever changing menu on their chalkboard - we were inspired to order the maple creme brûlée with fresh black berries. It was delightful. Can't wait to come here for dinner sometime soon. Make sure you make a reservation!

Foliage trip to VT brought us to Country Girl in Chester, VT. We were lucky to make it in because…read morewe arrived at 1:50 and they close at 2pm Wow, what a treat it was to visit this location. I first heard of Country Girl after watching Chronicle approx. 2 year ago. The whole experience was awesome! We ordered drinks immediately after taking our seats at the counter. I had a pepsi and I had to order a vanilla milk shake to go! My wife had water and coffee. We wanted to get our order in because we felt like the staff was nice enough to let us in that we didn't want to stall them from getting out at closing. My wife had grilled cheese with tomato soup. I had a burger with fries. My wife was thrilled with the soup. She said it was the best tomato soup she has had in a long time! My fries were excellent. home made and tasty! You can see in the pictures that the diner is set up with booths and a counter top. I am told that they are busy year round. I can see why because the food and service is fabulous. The staff was so nice and welcoming! Price: fair Parking: plenty of parking in the lot Vibe: great music...welcoming Would I come back again? Yes, I would love to visit in the summer on a beautiful warm day! 5-stars!

Can I just say... we had the absolute best cheesesteak here. It happened yesterday, and I can't…read moretell you how many times my best friend and I have brought up the cheesesteak in all its unforgettable majesty today. Is it weird to form such a strong bond with a sandwich?! The bun was toasted just right, perfect ratio of meat, cheese, veg.... Shoelace fries on the side... sigh.... We will most certainly be back. Please tell the cheesesteak I'll be thinking of her.

I came here with a group of 12 on a Saturday night. We made a reservation and had an entire room…read moreupstairs to ourselves (with our own bathroom!). This restaurant does shareables so you order a bunch of apps and entrees to split with the table. The waiter was very helpful determining the right amount of food to order. We ordered almost everything off the menu. Not one plate disappointed. Everything was incredible and the portions were good too. The atmosphere was rustic but elegant. Highly recommend this spot for a nice dinner!

Great, great place to dine family style. Delicious food and if you mention in your reservation, you…read moremay get the private room upstairs.

Reading the reviews, I didn't know what to expect but it was quite an experience. We came on a…read moreMonday afternoon (Labor Day) and there was nobody around. We looked around at the fresh and frozen pies and they looked appealing. As others have mentioned, there are no prices so that was a little disconcerting. A gentleman came and helped us and as noted in prior reviews, he was somewhat gruff but I didn't take it as grumpy or mean. My take, unsubstantiated by any scientific evidence, is that not every store owner is pre-disposed to having a neurotypical customer-centric focus. That being said, we were offered coffee with our pie slices and a place to sit. There is currently a lot of construction going on at the place because the business was hit hard after COVID and then flooding in Vermont in 2023 caused significant damage. My blueberry coffee cake was good. I will say it wasn't worth $8 per slice. As noted, the prices are sky high here. For two slices, two coffees, a small bag of cookies and a peanut butter bar it was $36....$39 if I wanted to pay by card so I opted for cash and saved the $3. Probably if prices were posted, customers would immediately turn around and walk out. When I saw the price of the pie slice, I immediately thought "This is as expensive as Manhattan". I don't mind as much when I shell out big bucks for food there because it's expected but it was a bit of a shock to see those prices in Vermont. To wrap it up, I agree with others that this place is overpriced and service is brusque at best. However, if prices had been posted, I would have given this 3 stars easily because I appreciate a direct and no-nonsense approach to running a business.

We visited after the recent Honey Festival in town. All baked goods were frozen. No prices were…read moreposted. We picked up the lemon pound cake and a 2 pack of cinnamon rolls. The total price was $52. There was a surcharge for using a credit card. The 2 rolls were $18!! We don't mind paying for something that is exceptional however that was not the case. The owner even seemed annoyed by our visit. When we got home we thawed out the rolls. They were only cooked on the outer edge and the inside was raw. Raw! It literally turned to mush. We had to toss it because it was already coated with icing ands couldn't be rebaked. For the second roll we decided to bake it since the first one was raw and the dough was even stretchy. That did absolutely nothing. Guessing since it was half baked it couldn't be rebaked. It could make someone ill with the rawness. I messaged the owner on FB and no reply. We will not be going there again. We visit Las Olas in the winter and frequent upscale bakeries paying $60 for a cake. A cake that is freshly baked and exceptional. The lemon pound cake we bought was actually freezer burnt. Again if the item was fresh baked it's worth the cost. We always support local and small businesses. We understand how ingredients cost a lot, especially these days, but these products are frozen and there is no date on each package to indicate the date it was made. I wish I realized that before I got home. If I lived closer I wouldn't returned the products. A complete disappointment and waste of money.

Stopped in for breakfast on a trip to Killington. Cute cafe, fast service. The banana bread french…read moretoast, served with real maple syrup is a 10/10 (even for somebody that prefers a savory breakfast). Would recommend a stop here. Didn't order any but they do have alcohol on the menu.

This is my favorite spot in killington. The omelets are amazing and the pancakes are the best I've…read moreever had.

I love the food and service here. Danielle is amazing and always friendly. The views out towards…read morethe river are great. I recommend the chicken fried steak or BLT. Ask for Danielle!

We had an excellent breakfast/lunch here--one had breakfast, the other had lunch. Food was prepared…read morequickly, service was knowledgeable and friendly, and prices were more than reasonable. Will be back!

Service is 5 stars! The moment we walked inside a man who seemed like the owner was happily…read moregreeting everyone as they enter. Such a great vibe! Our server was carol and a young 14 yo assistant named Austin. The place was hopping but you wouldn't know it as Carol and Austin were GREAT!!! Carol is definitely a serving heart kinda gal. We split our delicious meal. It had everything except potatoes so we had a side of those. Smart! Eggs over medium and super good sausage links! One blueberry pancake and one buckwheat. So accommodating to get to choose different pancakes!!! Who does that?!! No restaurant we've ever been. Pancakes delicious. Only wish the syrup was warm. Everything else was perrrfect! Must go!

I've come here with friends multiple times while visiting to ski at Killington. This spot is very…read morehomey and servers all kind. The pancakes and waffles are delicious while the maple syrup is made in house and sold in bottles as well. Overall, I would definitely recommend stopping here for brunch if visiting the area. My only comment is that the coffee is not very strong but otherwise, the food and service is exceptional.

Scrumptious and beautifully crafted food. Very nice staff and owners are a huge part of it. They…read moreaccommodate to your allergies with a smile.

Food was good but prices were really high. Doesn't mention it's mostly a bar online until you get…read morethere you see a huge sign that says bar and grill so not a lot of family friendly language going on if you want to take your kids. Not for me.