I have had both excellent and just ok meals at King Phillip. Last weekend was a lobster casserole, which was excellent. It came with a small salad (with unripe tomatoes) and a baked potato, which was also excellent. Service was attentive. I believe that the restaurant has an ability to be exceptional, however, whether from kitchen staff turn-over, or other issues, I never know what part of the food spectrum I will experience. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There is both meal seating in the lounge and in the restaurant proper.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The main dining room was haphazard the day I visited with tables scattered about without any indication that they would be used.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Christmas tree in the entry?[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I would love to make King Phillip a regular dining location since I live locally, but it has a ways to go. For now it remains very much a small town country hole-in-the wall, very typical of other such local restaurants. read more

I remember visiting King Philip Restaurant's Sunday brunch years ago, and it left such a great impression. Everything was fresh, delicious, and there was an incredible variety of high-quality options. I was excited to come back hoping for that same experience. The restaurant itself was very clean, and our waitress was outstanding--friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed. The service was definitely the highlight of our visit. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to my previous experience. We arrived about an hour and a half before the brunch ended, and much of the buffet seemed like it had been sitting for quite some time. The fish was dry, the sausage was dry, and while the eggs were actually good, most of the food had the typical buffet quality rather than the fresh, high-quality meal I remembered. There was an acceptable selection of items, but nothing really stood out. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's disappointing because the excellent service and clean, welcoming atmosphere deserved better food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I don't mind paying for a buffet when the quality matches the price, but this visit simply didn't meet my expectations. Sadly, despite the wonderful staff and pleasant environment, the food was subpar enough that I don't see myself returning. read more

The Sunday buffet was cold!even the coffee was cold. The mashed potato had skins in it read more

I was pleased with the service and food. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant was open on a cold and icy Sunday evening; for that I was thankful.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The menu offers a wide selection of appetizers, entrees, drinks, and desserts. Prime Rib is offered at a discount on Thursdays and at their regular price on Fridays and Saturdays. I ordered their award-winning seafood chowder and the asparagus/lobster penne pasta in a creamy Alfredo sauce that comes with a green salad. The server was very friendly and we found a common ground in that we both love dogs. She has seven! So we had a lot to talk about after her last customers left. I'll return again when the Prime Rib is offered. read more

Was excited to take my daughters and granddaughter to dinner. I hadn't been there in years. Do not plan on going back. [[HIGHLIGHT]]music in the lounge was mixed with other music from speakers in restaurant, very annoying.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Waitress was really nice was full of apologies at our frequent disappointments. Food order was mixed up, granddaughter ended up eating her dinner after we finished our meals. There was a bug in her drink, which was returned. The squash was so over sweetened we did not eat It.Asked for A1 sauce as steak (at $34.00) had no taste! No more crackers and cheese on the table! Even bread was extra. Ordered crème boule, which was not crispy and tasted strange. BIG DISAPPOINTMENT. read more

Hidden jem I think! Food is always great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Quiet and off the beaten path.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Staff is always attentive and entertaining. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have a nice fireplace too for those NE cold nights.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Crab stuffed mushrooms were delish. (Not sure if they were in specials menu ) but they always have a great specials menu. read more

So disenchanted by this business! I took my friend to treat him as he is so kind to me always..Prime Rib Thursdays! Our waitress was poorly trained, kept coming over and getting the bum rush to finish, plates mixed up, BAKED POTATO was cold! Thinking perhaps a new cook?? No idea..elderly couple walked out and..the worst..the waitress came over to say we were lucky to order when we did as the ran out of Prime Rib at 5..we were there at 4:00. Not sure what is happening with this restaurant. Service was bothersome at best, food was cool. Not again at these prices. read more

black and burned stuffed mushroom caps. But hey, throw some hollandaise on and they'll never know. Clams were big and chewy. Horrible. read more

King Phillip Restaurant - burned stuffed mushroom caps. hard to tell in photo but it's black. - American Near Me - Phillipston, Massachusetts

Had a wonderful Thanksgiving buffet there today! Great spread and service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Atmosphere was festive.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Choices were many. Maple salmon was excellent as well as the traditional Thanksgiving offerings. read more

Had a great experience getting ice cream tonight. Great staff who gave great recommendations. Super fast and quality service but made us feel very welcome. Josh was especially fantastic!! He was so helpful and kind. Will be returning for sure read more

Tasty food and [[HIGHLIGHT]]environment reeks romance[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]!! Worth the price and travel. Highly recommend!! read more

Food is definitely 1-star, but the service bumps it up to another star. I feel bad that the residents of central Massachusetts have to deal with this lousy food. King Phillip is not a place that you want to go. Everything is old. The exterior, the carpet, the menus, the furniture. My dad remembered this place and said it had looked the same since the early 80s. The carpet is disgusting. The laminate menus (which should tell you all you need to know right there) are fraying. It's just not a place you should go. We had a party of 8 and reservations, so we were seated promptly, not that we needed them. I appreciate the craft/local beer list. Our server, Amelia, was very nice and friendly, though service was slow and the kitchen made a few mistakes. My grilled chicken sandwich was supposed to come with waffle fries, but it didn't. The fries aren't good, and my sandwich was bland. My father, stepmother, or sister didn't like their orders either. The bread with dipping oil was the only good part of the meal. I'd return if there was a complete overhaul, but since that's likely not happening, I won't be back, and you shouldn't go either. read more

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We had brunch there today . The food tasted good but everything was cool at best. Service was good. Ambiance was good. Duane Neale read more

We have been here in the past and this was a first visit in over a year, Covidly clean and well seated distances. Bathroom clean, check. Good news, if you are a meat eater, then go for the prime rib, 2 of us ordered this and were completely oh my can I finish this. These are 2 men that like their prime rib and we don't just eat west of 495. The prime looked perfectly cooked with a side chose baked/mashed or rice and a salad, Sides were standard and good. Salads were suppose to come with the prime ribs never arrived and could have been served as a starter. When the meals came the staff asked if salads were necessary, both declined the salad, too late! The third menu item, grilled chicken salad of freshly cooked nice size juicy chicken breast on fresh romaine, tomatoes, cukes, etc. which was very good and filling. The menu was a lunch menu only and we wanted substantial meals this late in the day. The kitchen was not able to go the whole way to offer the dinner menu more $$ if you do, for variety for some of us. We ordered appetizers, calamari which was good, a little sparse and an order of crab stuffed mushrooms caps with breadcrumbs. Disappointing as there are 4 caps to an order for 10.00, of nothing special mushroom caps, when asked for a split order to add to the full order they could not accommodate, ok, there are three of us 12/3 cap each, we were willing to pay.. $2.50 a cap, I think not for value or product, in a lot of cheese sauce, only thing we could taste was the sauce and mushroom. We did not find any crab, or crab flavor, just a lot of cheese sauce & breadcrumb. Don't make us think twice, spending 75.00 on lunch for 3, we do want to patronize a locally owned business. Service was pleasant but not so accommodating. Advice, take a discount on the non-salad, or send a couple of extra mushrooms and give us the dinner menu. Full bar with assortment of beers, etc., good house wine, decent pour. Fixing small glitches can easily lead patrons to a more satisfied dining experience. read more

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This had been highly recommended by a colleague so after living in the area for five years we decided to venture in and give it a try. That was our first mistake. Enough said. House special of chicken parmigiana had zero surface crunch. Chicken itself seemed like a patty. I had the rack of lamb which was a very good portion but it had zero seasoning. Sides were uninspired except for the "loaded" potato which was disgusting with cheese sauce and bacon bits covering a reheated baked potato. read more

Zero star. First time of worse prime rib i ever got. Never ever have any restaurant serve prime rib like this ever though its a special night price but shouldn't its be better? read more

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Ordered two flavors of ice cream and both were horribly frostbitten. I don't see a reason to return.

First time stopped here after a long-day-kayak-trip. Easy access from road. Parking available. Welcoming staff. Diverse selection of Margarita - my other half had a Green Iguana - the Food is just fine as any other classic restaurant. Good portions. Quite slow night for a Saturday here. We had a good meal, enjoyed talking to others, and we were FULL. Nice place to stop visiting Western Mass from Boston. Carol is awesome, she go the good vibe and spirit necessary for a the restaurant. First time stopped here after a long-day-kayak-trip. Easy access from road. Parking available. Welcoming staff. Quite slow night for a Saturday here. Diverse selection of Margarita - my other half had a green Iguana - The Food is just fine as any other classic restaurant. Good portions. We ordered fish n chips + Chicken Alaska. Was a good meal, enjoyed talking to others, and we were FULL. Nice place to swing by visiting Western Mass from Boston. Carol is awesome, she got the good vibe and spirit necessary at the place. read more

King Phillip Restaurant - Iguana - Margarita, fish n chips, chicken Alaska - American Near Me - Phillipston, Massachusetts

Dinner was very good, the restaurant was clean, and the waitress was peppy and personable, so my friends and I tipped well. But when we got home we discovered that dessert was sub par (we were full so we took it to go, and we were trusting so we did not check the containers). There was no ice cream on the lava cake like we were told there would be, just some whipped cream, and the slices of lemon meringue pie were barely the width of two of my fingers. Both of these pieces were around $6 each. They tasted ok, but were not $6 gourmet pricing ok. Especially for such small pieces of pie. I would recommend having dinner here and even dessert since you can see it and can send things back if they are not right, but I would not get dessert to go unless you check it and make sure everything comes how it should. read more

King Phillip Restaurant - The "ice cream" and lava cake (the car ride shifted the whipped cream around, not their fault) - American Near Me - Phillipston, Massachusetts

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Disclaimer; I have not visited the restaurant but I had a fine meal catered by them last weekend. I attended a class reunion for the lovely wife with about seventy folks in Gardner. The organizers used King Phillip to cater the dinner. This was a soup-to-nuts affair beginning with hors d'oeuvres and ending with cheesecake. The hors d'oeuvres were the standard cheese and cut vegetables with the addition of amazing cocktail meatballs. OMG the meatballs! Half the attendees stopped bragging about their life successes and instead raved about the meatballs. Absolutely delicious! The meal itself was a buffet. There was something for everyone. Baked fish, shrimp Alfredo, baked stuffed chicken, and seriously delicious grilled vegetables. The veges had beautiful grill marks with just a little char and folks went back for seconds and thirds with smiles on their faces. The end of the buffet had a carving station with a savory piece of beef and baked ham. No meal would be complete without desert and it was from Cheesecake Factory and just fine. This was comfort food at its best. I can do two things to thank these folks for a fine meal- 1. I can write this review so others will know what a fine job they did. 2. When I visit the area again I can go out of my way to try diner here. read more

King Phillip Restaurant - Entree photo from their web site. - American Near Me - Phillipston, Massachusetts

If I could give a negative star I would. Don't waste your time, drinks were warm food was so bad I took one bite and left it there. I got chicken parm which was on their signature menu. Pasta looked like it was cooked in dish water. Stay away!! read more

Horrible staff. Ordered buffet and they shut the burners off and took desserts away. One staff walked away from me while I was speaking to her. No offer to warm up food, or get dessert from the back, or give discount when I asked the staff what could be done. I was told they had to call the owner to find out what to do. I don't think they ever called because they certainly did not get back to me. I order pick up frequent, but this was my first time inside since new ownership. If this is the new norm I will not be a patron to the one restaurant in our town. We always tried to support our only restaurant but with staff like this, I will take our business elsewhere. read more

Went there for Thanksgiving today was excited cause I didn't have to cook ,but wish I had, awful,the buffet food was cold,the table had no tablecloth or silverware,we bought our food downstairs had to wait for silverware then another 10 minutes for drinks and yes we made reservations,just awful enough said. read more

Why would a motel set a maximum number of days for reservations? Business is business, right? I've heard the rooms are less than desirable, but was in a pinch and needed a place for a couple of weeks. Restaurant seems to have lost a lot of business as well. Our favorite manager, Jackie, is no longer there due to new owner I've heard. Try Williams in Gardner for great food, large portions and wonderful service. read more

This is clearly a locals place. We went for dinner on a Sat night and the restaruant was nearly empty. The table is first started with a "whispride like" cheese and packaged crackers. They also provide a seeded homeade looking bread with the meal (which they offer oil). My bf said it was just ok. Pros: A good mix of selection on the menu--perhaps too many. Specials were exceptional items. If they focused on that, they could reduce the main menu. We both ordered from there and were impressed with the size for price of our steak/prime rib. The flavor and cook were also perfect. Another huge plus was the wait was not long. Cons: I was not impressed with the skins having a liquid cheese instead of fresh cheddar. Wish we could have had a small order. The large order even surprised my bf. There was almost 10 skins, but for 11 buck. The salad dressings were not good (thousand island and italian), and they were out of ranch (the most popular one and 2 other tables asked for it). I did not like my "garden salad" that was mostly spinach, mixture of cut tomatoes and a grape tomato with one slice of cucumber. It looked like a random mix of what they had. There was only one other vegetable option, tonight was califlower. The bottom line: The service, available drinks, selection of food and cook on the food are 10/10. Two of us for appetizer, two large steaks and two drinks was 90 dollars. I did not have knives at my table with paper place mats and the silverware is the cheap Walmart thin kind, with no weight that will bend. I bring it up because I bought some for my home and prefer to not use them because they feelt weird--but they do the job. Ideas for better... It needs a revamp. I did not think the atmosphere or bathrooms show beyond just clean and bare bones. The menus themselves need a clean down and needs to be reduced. This place wants to reach the fishermen/hunters. However, I do not know if they are popular dishes or perhaps they could be specials during "season". Painting the dark walls, outdated finishes and bathroom redo. Most of it would be paint. I would love to come and help them, because you can clearly see the love in the product. Thoughts.. They are doing the main things right. As a mom I love that they have a childrens menu. The exterior Dairy Bar looked like it was hopping. I have not been here since I came for a wedding years ago. A positive thing I see that changed was that they added a changing station for a child. This could be a 5 star place and I would like to go back for the food, but it is so far. I hope they look into making sure the whole package matches the food. read more

Updated 1 yr later - ordered same salmon dish, unfortunately overlooked. 2 prime ribs , 1 lobster, various cocktails, all solid. Server was great, piano/singer was excellent. Camping nearby, didn't feel like cooking. Great decision! Hubby and I shared garlic parmesean salmon (huge portion, cooked med rare as requested, served on a bed of baby spinach), shrimp cocktail , and sautéed mushrooms. Omg. Delusional, with leftovers. Great server (Jess) made us feel at home and entertained us with her clairvoyance (somehow she knew to bring two spoons for the creme brûlée!). Very good guitar player/singer on Fri night. Deducted 1 star for meh martini. read more

The menu prices are high. The staff is too talkative among themselves (rather than service). Drink refills were slow. The hostess was not really polite. The buffet was lacking. Food was slow to be refilled. The desserts were varied and all very good. The pasta carbonara as the most tasty item. The fresh fruit was great, but they left the stems on the strawberries. The salads were also good but looked like it had been out too long. read more

Meal was fantastic. My mother and I are vegan and we're thrilled to find a vegan ravioli with mixed veggies on the menu (we asked for a modification of the meal without the ravioli) they easily made adjustments bringing us a vegetable dish that was fabulous! My father who is not a vegan has enjoyed numerous meals. He says the French onion soup is the best he has ever had! The staff is kind and accommodating, some nights they even have live music and buffets. We look forward to many more meals here. read more

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Always a great time and Carol is the best!! The food is delicious and reasonably priced!! I have never been disappointed when dining at King Phillip Restaurant!! read more

This was the 3rd time eating here. Some of the food is very good, big portions, but most of the food is WAY over priced. The butternut squash is the best I have ever eaten, better than mine. I really liked the lobster and asparagus alfredo. The large pasta noodles are very tasty. My daughter got the chicken alfredo another time and the sauce was bland, so I guess it depends on who makes it. They have a large dessert menu, and everything looks and tastes homemade. They seem to never have enough servers, which makes getting our meals take forever. The servers we have had were very nice and work their butts off! The interior is out dated, but cozy, and everything looks as clean as it can be for being outdated. I can take it or leave it, but my husband loves going there. I would give it 4 stars if it wasn't so pricey. read more

First, I've pretty much stopped writing reviews due to the amount of unreliable reviewers, the pandemic, and the general anger of people who toss a 1 star rating because the place forgot to give them a fork for takeout. There are 2 reviews for this place in 2021, a 5 star review and a one star review. The truth is in the middle, I mean a one star review from a yelper with only one review? I'm 68, we eat out a few times a week, last week maybe 4 times. Anywho...we were wanting prime rib and came here. Thomas is right, the place is way too bright, there's no ambience. We ordered a seafood chowder, a shrimp cocktail, and 2 prime ribs. The chowder was excellent, the shrimp were good, the prime ribs were fine and cooked dead on. Our server Justina? was good, we had no problems with her. Right...the tomatoes in the salad were what I call "cotton" tomatoes ( Summer's over, you know), but the salads were ok. The creamsicle cake we had for dessert was so-so, kind of dry. What I didn't like were several things. Mainly...fruit flies buzzing around! I don't want to swat away fruit flies when I'm dining. We were sitting about as far away as you could get from the kitchen or bar. So, they have a dirty dish or trash problem or open vinegar bottles ...who knows? We've seen this at Tully's, seen it at the Old Mill, seems like it's a common thing now. I don't like paper napkins, if there's a candle on the table then light it, huh? One waitress (not ours) was wearing jeans or leggings that were totally torn from the thighs to the calves. Yeah...I know it's the style, but either you are a classy place or not. Bottom line...this place right now I would call average. It's crazy to give them a one, and it's definitely not a 5 star place. Would we go back? Maybe...maybe it's better to just take out, because at my house we don't have to swat flies while eating! It is what it is... read more

I am originally from the area and frequented this restaurant. I always loved the food and the atmosphere. It recently sold and rumors have been said about the recipes and quality of the food changing in a negative way! I went there last night and had an amazing experience. I was able to sit right in front of the fireplace in the lounge and have their amazing seafood chowder and Seafood Alfredo! The rumors have definitely affected the business and I'm writing this review in hopes that you will give the restaurant a try for yourself! They are being very careful with Covid and disinfecting after customers leave. In my opinion the only change has been the owner who was very nice! read more

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AWFUL bar staff. My fiancé and I use to go here all the time because we live 30 seconds down the road. Since new ownership we have been three times and two out of the three times we left twice. The lady behind the bar is VERY rude and condescending. When she rudely asked us for ID's we decided it was time to leave. Upon leaving we could hear her talking about us in the back. This time I made sure to tell someone why we were leaving. Without even saying why, the other waitress knew. All the other staff is very friendly. Sad we will not be going there anymore due to one person. That being said, if you want a friendly environment and GREAT food, you will be sure to find us at Crossroads in Templeton!! read more

We went up the there for Thanksgiving dinner, the food was o.k....(Buffet). Not happy The place was absolutely crazy crazy crazy. Our server was very nice but needless to say the first time AND the last time we go up there for Thanksgiving dinner. read more

My boyfriend took me here because he use to go there as a child and wanted to check out how much it had changed, answer? Not at all and not in a good way. Same silverware, plates, decor from 1980's- 1990's We got the prime rib, hard to screw up right? Wrong. Tasted terrible, how does a rare prime rib taste so dried out!! I'm not going to bad mouth the waitress but let's just say it wasn't worth a full tip I gave her. Saving graces? Bar is nice, and icecream in the summer makes this place worth coming to solely for that. read more

I loved their menu - such an interesting variety of meats and fish so we decided to stop in for dinner. Very large restaurant with a lounge and regular seating on the other side. Plenty of parking too which is always good. I think they own the dairy bar (including that review with this one) and the attached motel. Very old looking restaurant which was not bad at all. Easter decor was still out and we sat in a booth with a red eyed felt rabbit and a cute bunny doll staring down at us. Also has some older clientele and noise travels so we were subjected to listening to some Fox News viewers discuss the border and other racist political nonsense. I recommend sitting in the lounge which we'll do should we be in the area again. They have a nice drink menu. I tried some frozen raspberry crazy drink with amaretto that was quite decadent. Similar list of beers on tap. My dining partner in crime got two Konas and enjoyed them. For an appetizer, we tried the seafood chowder. Packed with seafood. I didn't love it but my partner really did. For mains, I went with the filet mignon. It was interesting. I thought at first they gave me liver. Cooked to the right pinkness but really tasted like liver. I ended up trading and eating the duck dish that my friend had ordered. The duck was fantastic. The real winner though of this dining adventure was dessert. We mistakenly thought that the dairy bar had fluffer nutter ice cream and ordered it and instead it was the tastiest sundae with peanut butter and fluffer nutter goo on top of some good vanilla ice cream. Great price on it and it was huge. I think we'd be more likely to stop only there next time. That bumps this to a 4 to be fair - ice cream place would be 5 and restaurant would be 3. read more

We went a 2nd time. I got the dinner buffet since the sunday brunch buffet was solid. The dinner not so much. The food was fine just didnt think i was getting my moneys worth. Or maybe i was jealous of my wifes plate. Lobster with homemade pasta or something like that for 2 bucks more. So this rating is solely based on the dinner buffet. It was okay. Prob wouldve given them at least 4 stars if i got what my wife got. read more

My husband and I love the King Phillip Restaurant. We celebrate every birthday and anniversary by having dinner at the King Phillip. This is the only restaurant where I can order a steak and have it cooked to the doneness that I like. We have been going here for years and like the atmosphere. It is a throwback to how things used to be. Love the cheese & crackers offered, followed by our favorite mushrooms appetizer. We have attended their Easter buffet, had family gatherings here and we have been very pleased with the variety of food offered. We have found all the wait staff to be very prompt, friendly and helpful. We usually end up bringing home some of our dinner and always have to have dessert to go. Karole M. read more

Loved it! The dinner, the drinks, the waitress was excellent, all staff were sweet, the music wasn't too loud... my only complaint was the ceiling lights were too bright. But otherwise, it was awesome. read more

Content. My boyfriend took me to this place on Valentine's Day, and this was my first time eating here. DECOR: The decor of this place is old- and I don't think it was set that way, I just think it hasn't been updated since it opened a long time ago. What is puzzling is that they are adding new pieces of contemporary art on top of the old- instead of just replacing the whole thing. It was "off putting". The place itself is medium sized, however, they have managed to cram 20 tables (and chairs) in a very small room, so just walking down to our table I felt like I could bump and hit someone else's table therefore spilling their drinks and what not. Tables were THAT close. So needless to say, there is absolutely no privacy (heard way too many private conversations in the time I was there) and you can never get too comfortable (otherwise you might bump your neighbor's table). FOOD: This was the best part for me, the menu was full of food that I don't normally eat (unless for big occasions) so that made this a better experience. I ordered the Pesto chicken and it was so so good! It actually tasted freshly made and the chicken was juicy. I got a side of beets with it, which I was pleased with when I realized they were not canned. STAFF: We made reservations, which no one would've have guesses since we still had to wait 1/2 hour in line just to get to our table. The waitress was friendly enough and checked with us frequently. Overall the place was not that bad, and I didn't mind waiting half an hour to be seated- but the other people in line were obviously aggravated so maybe that's a point they can improve on. read more