Yes, Maple Soul is farm table, yes, the service is great and yes, everything is fresh. Finally the atmosphere is great. I gave her three stars because the food is "good". When you measure Maple Soul against restaurants in Vermont, it is a three star restaurant. If you measure it against restaurants in New York City it might be closed. If you measure it against restaurants in Rochester Vermont...it's a five stars because it's the only restaurant in the valley. After many visits to Maple Soul I can tell you that you must request the Chef not put in fistful of garlic into any of his recipes. He loves garlic and it stays with you for days, not a few hours. I'm serious absolutely days and days. I tell you this not to hurt The Restaurant, or hurt the Chef!!, but to request that he not do that for any of your dishes. Especially the Caesar salad! A great Chef!! offers you a hint of many flavors. It doesn't quite happen here. He seems to choose one taste and allow it to overpower the entire dish. I can tell you that the ribs are very good, the mac & cheese is very good and the goat cheese salad, delicious although way too big... unless you want to make an entire meal out of your goat cheese and beet salad. It's just too big. The Restaurant could save money. Less is more. I'm always wary of a restaurant that serves TGIF size portions. My chicken marsala could've definitely served 2 people as an example. Possibly a half a box of pasta? Do I recommend you go. Absolutely it's a delightful experience. Just don't expect a five star experience like most of the reviews report. If you've got no other choices, this is a five star restaurant. That's why there are so many five star reviews. Why do we continue to go? Because there are no other choices! So, be willing to drive about an hour to an hour and a half to other restaurants if you are visiting Rochester or the White River Valley if you want an absolutely excellent meal. read more

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This is a really great lunch spot in Central Vermont. I stopped here for lunch on the way to Montpelier. Staff is very friendly. They offered me use of their WiFi. You don't get good cell reception in VT if you have Verizon. I ordered their baby back ribs with fries and cole slaw. I also ordered a Boylan's Diet Cola which comes in a glass bottle. I like how they served it with a slice of lemon. Ribs were excellent! My recommended is not to put the ribs on top of the fries. Some of the fries were soggy as a result of the plating. Cole slaw was tasty and fresh. This business is inside of an old house with a front porch area for outdoor seating. Overall, great quality of food. I would definitely return here again. read more

Maple Soul - Full rack of baby back ribs with fries and Cole slaw. Excellent meal! - Salad Near Me - Rochester, Vermont

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One of. If not our favorite restaurant in the green mountains. Two visits in one week. Two years running. The best fried green tomatoes from anyone. Excellent shrimp and grits. Ribs. Burgers. Chicken Marsala over pasta. Everything on the menu is excellent. Mostly family run. They know service. Placed in an old New England home. Very cool building. U must Make a reservation. read more

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This establishment focuses on farm to table ingredients so their menu changes from time to time. They are only open a short time a day for dinner 5-9pm, which I think I should make a reservation to have dinner on my last day in town. Parking lot has limited space but told that you can park around the vicinity of the resturant: the village market, the hardware store or the Clerk's office in the back are all good parking. Saturday night in June, a rainy day, the resturant is not as full as excepted. We arrived at 6:50 and our table was ready for us. For our appetizer, we ordered the salmon patties, Mac and cheese, and the tuna ahi. Salmon patties were salty. The tuna ahi were good. Mac and cheese was the highlight. It was creamy and not salty. For our main entrees, very dish have the same sauces, veal demi glace, the brown sauce on the satueed beef, the pork chops, and the meatloaf. All taste the same. For my dish, the scallops were super salty. $30 I have to share them with my family. The best was the grilled pork chops. Cooked perfectly and very moist. While I fell for the concept of the restaurant, farm to table, the food was really just ok. For the price point, my hopes were up for better tasty food. Service was good but food was just ok. read more

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Ordered lunch to go ... And got dinner and breakfast too! Jim and Ken have stepped up to offer lunch now that all other Rochester restaurants have shuttered. That said, the food remains fantastic. The gravlax Cristian melted in my mouth! Heaps of micro greens and capers were the perfect accent. Yummmm Got my favorite hush puppies to have for breakfast, but I couldn't resist and had one coated in secret sauce. Delicious! Tonight I'll feast on the reliably fantastic Caesar salad with Cajun shrimp (my go to summer feast). read more

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Beautiful space and very friendly welcoming staff. We split a burrata which was very good fresh heirloom tomatoes had good texture. For entrees we both got the burger meal. The bread couldn't support the burger properly and was splitting and falling apart. Aside from that I personally found the burger lacked flavor. It was good just not for $19 in my opinion. Fries were perfect though. read more

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What a gem! Came here for the first time on a Friday night for dinner, I highly suggest to make reservations, this place gets packed! 5/5: The decor is super cute! You walk in and you feel like you are at home! Seating is outside, inside and near the bar. 5/5: Waitress was very friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. 4/5: I wanted to try everything! My husband and I ended up getting to share the bowl of mussels that came with bread. I love the juices that they made with the mussels, it goes really well with the bread! I ended up getting the Maple Soul Cajun Shrimp & Grits ($26). The bowl was massive and I couldn't finish it all (easily shared by 2). I really enjoyed the flavors, not too overwhelming or overpowering. My husband had the pasta with fish and shrimp. Sadly, he didn't enjoy his dish as much as I enjoyed mine. The shrimp was a bit overcooked and somehow the fish was undercooked. They serve wine and beer only. The beer list is pretty extensive! I really enjoyed the Cab I got. Overall, I will happily be back to try more dishes and save room for dessert! read more

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Dinner was fantastic. They had skate wing on the menu! Too chicken to try it. If it was an appetizer I definitely would tried it. Will definitely be back. read more

Cute house-kitchen feel with friendly staff and delicious food. We got a variety of appetizers, entrees, and desserts, all of which were delicious. Everything tasted very fresh and the flavors were simple yet robust. Would definitely come back. read more

Everything about Maple Soul is perfection! We stayed in Rochester for a few days and were recommended Maple Soul by our hosts. We made a reservation (definetly recommend as they're very busy) and went there our first night. The restaurant is so cozy and we were seated near the open kitchen so it was pretty great getting to watch the chefs prepare all of the amazing meals. Every single dish that we ordered was delicious. I will think about the Mac and cheese for years! read more

Maple Soul - Mac and cheese - Salad Near Me - Rochester, Vermont

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What a cute little gem of a restaurant centered in the quaint VT town of Rochester. My boyfriend and I went for dinner Friday night and thoroughly enjoyed our meals. We started with the beet salad and cornbread for appetizers. I will be dreaming about that cornbread until we are able to have it again. It was SO delicious. It seemed to be pan seared to perfection, toasty edges and served in yummy local honey. I had the ricotta gnocchi with Cajun shrimp and it was tremendous. My boyfriend had the pork tenderloin with sweet potato puree and collard greens which was also excellent. Dessert was blueberry rhubarb shortcake Our bottle of Malbec was also wonderful. read more

If I could give more than 5 stars, this restaurant deserves it! Hostess/owner was such a pleasure to deal with. She made sure we were comfortable from the moment we walked in the door until we left. The waitress was top notch. She gave her recommendations at our request and we were not disappointed. The food (Cajun Shrimp & Grits and Baby back Ribs) came to us fresh and hot! I can not even describe how good the food was. The starter, Beets & Goat Cheese and dessert, Maple crème Brûlée were perfect. We watched the chefs prepare the meals in an open kitchen. We felt like we were eating at someone's home. I can not give enough kudos to this amazing establishment. If ever we are back in the area (we live out of state), we would definitely go back! Thank you for an amazing Anniversary dinner and experience...one we won't forget! read more

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TLDR: Loved it all so much. Food so nice I ate it twice! I'd be lying if I said I had the best meal here tonight than I've had in a long time, because I ate here last night too! Everything is made fresh daily with all local ingredients -- so their menu changes daily. Incredible. First night: Started with the cornbread - grilled in butter topped with honey. Amazing. Followed with Bacon wrapped Wagyu Meatloaf. Also amazing. Enjoyed a flight of beers (hefty portions). Second night: I tried their house-staple, Shrimp and Grits. It was mouth wateringly delicious. Followed with their Maple Bourbon Apple Crisp - to die for. It was topped with a Maple whipped cream. So pleasant. I'll come back here any time I'm in Vermont! read more

Amazingly good food, quality service, wonderful atmosphere. When out of state guests visit it's a must.

The meal was very disappointing. Based on the other reviews we expected so much more. Perhaps we went there on an off night. - We ordered beef tips. They were rubbery, chewy, and flavorless. "One of the worst meals I've ever had," my spouse said. - I eat Cabot cheddar almost every day so I expected the Cabot cheddar mac & cheese to be just as good as my daily obsession. The cheese sauce was a great consistency and the noodles were cooked well, but the the star ingredient did not hit the mark. I was astounded by how little flavor there was. Adding salt and pepper at the table did not help enough to salvage this dish. - We ordered two salads, a side green salad and a caesar salad. The side salad was decent; it had lots of veggies and met expectations. The caesar salad was boring. Didn't know the dressing was on the bottom of each bowl until we had already noshed on bare leaves. The caesar dressing was very thick (mayonnaise consistency) and tasted overwhelmingly like roasted garlic. - We also had a gnocchi dish with chicken, arugula, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes. The gnocchi looked homemade. Overall, this was a good dish. - We had a mussels appetizer served in a broth with focaccia on the side. This was the best dish on the table. The bread had great texture and was nicely grilled. Our complaint with the mussels was how it was served. It came to the table in a bowl but we were given appetizer plates to eat it on. A dish with broth can not be enjoyed on a plate with a fork and knife! It should have been served with a bowl and spoons. I love farm to table but unfortunately would not return to this restaurant. read more

Maple Soul - Cabot mac & cheese; caesar salad with shrimp; mussel appertizer, with a piece of foccacia bread on the side - Salad Near Me - Rochester, Vermont

Charming town with an amazing farm to table restaurant. What a wonderful food experience at a family establishment. It was so good our party came back a second night in a row. Apps Fried green tomatoes - outstanding. Must try. So flavorful and delicate. Heirloom burrata - the tomatoes were shining on their own but the burrata was a knock out. Main Rack of ribs (half rack is sufficient if you get an app but if you have a hearty appetite you can prob polish off an entire rack) Chicken was tender with a fine crisp to the skin. Gnocchi had a sauce that was dangerously good Desserts Rhubarb pie - out of this world. Claim it early. Their supply ran out before our second night We also went gaga for their craft beer selection, with 8 drafts and a cellar list. They clearly know what they are doing. We would have gone back a third day but they were closed on Sundays. read more

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The food was very good but the staff was very rude. The made it very clear they didn't want us there, my cousin asked the waitress what she recommended and she did not even replie. Bar tender scoffed at my daughter when she said the food was amazing. read more

Make a reservation. Lol This is a small farm-to-table restaurant where a significant amount of care is put into their food; including not contributing to food waste. They have a limited number of servings for each night and a revolving menu. The atmosphere was slightly fancier than we thought, but we felt comfortable in our casual clothes. You are going to pay a little bit to eat here, but it is very high quality, ethically sourced food. Our server was awesome. read more

Wow. As you can see from my reviews, I have eaten in alot of different cities...so I'm not "small town" or "one city" when it comes to food. This place shocked me on a hiking trip I took to Vermont this time. Very low key and definitely small town in atmosphere, with the farm to table look and feel. But get ready.. Maple soul will blow your expectations away. Just crazy good Pictures are not even close to how good it was. Prices are exceptionally fair..waitress was friendly and pleasant and owner was so interesting to watch as he led the crew in the open kitchen. A++ (reservations needed..dinner only) read more

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8/5 stars ;) my husband and I loved Maple Soul! Delicious food, awesome service and wonderful staff, relaxing atmosphere. We had the poached plum & barata, Mac n cheese and gnocchi! Jen our bartender was very kind and helped make suggestions regarding the menu. Everything is farm to table and most food is made right there. All the beer and cider were local in VT, NH and ME which we love! We'd absolutely go back if we're in the area again read more

Maple Soul - Poached plum & barata app - Salad Near Me - Rochester, Vermont

We were passing through town and decided to stop. Boy are we glad we did! Believe the hype. I'll be honest I was getting a little antsy waiting 10-14 minutes but it was worth the wait. The cornbread was incredible - the Vermont maple syrup mixed into the glaze made it like candy bread. Unlike any corn bread I've ever had. The strawberry red wine soup was also unlike anything I ever had and was amazing. The beet salad lived up to its popular raves. The mac and cheese was a massive bowl and was a unique white cheddar cheese. This place is worth the drive and is a real gem. read more

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Eveything was amazing! We got the corn fritters (hush puppies) and the corn bread. Who asked, the corn bread blew away the hush puppies. I'd just add more corn in them and they'd be fire. We also got the mac and cheese with chicken which was amazing. Then as you can see the lemon blueberry pie which was to die for... it melts in your mouth. I'd give this place 6/5 starts and it's super cute being inside a home and the owners and workers are super super friendly. If your in the area, and YOU DONT STOP, you might have to check up with your doctor but again amazing and go with the CORN BREAD! And the lemon blueberry pie read more

Maple Soul - Lemon blueberry pie - Salad Near Me - Rochester, Vermont

The food here is unreal, we had such a good time at dinner last night. Our server was super sweet, an older couple celebrating Valentine's Day were next to us filling us in about the area, and the portions were great. The food was so fresh. I would recommend this place to anyone in the area!! read more

Maple Soul - Ricotta gnocchi - Salad Near Me - Rochester, Vermont

One of the best meals I have ever had. We got take out, brought it to our AirBnB farm cottage a few miles away, enjoyed a nice Pinot Noir with our grilled cornbread appetizer, house salad, and the main course of smoked delicate squash, mushrooms and pecan farro. It was just a perfect meal. If I am ever back in that part of the country, I will seek out another round at Maple Soul for sure! read more

Updating my review from last year. Since last year, we have dined at Maple Soul multiple times whenever we are in town for dinner and the food has always been on point and delicious. Make reservations beforehand as it is a small / medium sized restaurant and there aren't many tables for larger groups. Best for groups of 2 or 4. There is a nice large table that sits larger groups that overlooks the kitchen which is always fun to watch. A few suggestions but the menu choices changes with season. 1. Must order the appetizer dishes - our favorites have been fresh tomatoes, chili wings, beets, and the hush puppies. 2. Entrees sizes are very filling and if you could share a few entrees do so as many of the dishes are amazing. Our favorites are the Roasted Chicken, Marinated Beef Tips, Gnocchi, Wild King Salmon . 3. Order the seasonal Desserts as they sell out fast. 4. Order a craft beer. We are huge beer geeks and this place has a great variety of craft beers locally and nearby as well. Some of the favorites that have come up recently included beers from Wunderkammer and Red Clover. If you enjoy wine, the wine bottles are reasonably priced although we do enjoy beer when we dine in. If you have a kid like I do, they do a kid's size of the mac and cheese which is delicious and creamy. Even the kid size was too big for our almost 5 year old as we find ourselves helping ourselves to her dish since she can't finish it. We have thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience here and it's not just the food. We had a chance to chat with the Chef and the servers. Some even got to know my name or recognize me! it builds a nice community and we look forward to dining here in the future and trying out some more new dishes the restaurant puts out. FYI based on the date of this review - Call to confirm if they are open as they are taking a short break now before the ski season sets in. read more

Maple Soul - a bowl of food on a table - Salad Near Me - Rochester, Vermont

Came here with some friends the other night for a late dinner, make sure you call early for a reservation because they will run out of some food options. This is an adorable little farm to table restaurant, with friendly staff, and a great craft beer/wine list. Eating here is like eating at a neighbors house, so homey/relaxed. Their menu is always changing, so they make sure to keep things exciting. The food is fantastic, presentation is flawless and they are really quick with getting you your food. We started with some apps, wings and poutine fries. Both were elevated bar food, the wings crispy with a great Asian sticky sauce. The fries were lightly tossed in a gravy with tons of stringy locally sourced cheese curds. For the main dish I got the wagyu meatloaf which was wrapped in bacon. Smokey, tender, fall apart texture so good. It was served with a side of fluffy mashed potatoes which cut the richness of the meatloaf Lastly I got the scrumptious key lime pie topped with maple whipped cream, which was great. read more

Everything about this experience was wonderful. Friendly staff were able to accommodate our request to sit outside on a beautiful evening without reservations. Great beer and wine options made both me and my partner happy. The food was SO good. We had the ricotta gnocchi, the burger, and plums and burrata dish. We were already talking about when we would be coming back while we were still eating--it was seriously that delicious. read more

This is my favorite restaurant. Sometimes we drive up from Boston and stay overnight so we can have a marvelous dinner !!

Excellence food in a very unsuspecting place. A group of 5 of our s were cycling through Vermont and found the location within walking distance of our accommodation. We had 5 different entrees and everyone was very happy with their meal. Would make a point to go back if in the area. read more

Absolutely incredible! We were visiting and knew we had to visit because it was farm to table and we ended up back for a second night. It was busy and we didn't have a reservation so we sat at the bar with Jen who was lovely and attentive. We are very picky with where we eat and we were beyond impressed. The ribs were some of the best we have ever had but we forgot to take pictures. The gnocchi is a must have, a complete flavor bomb with the goat cheese. Literally everything including the chocolate cake is perfect. I will be back to Rochester specifically to dine here again. It's a true gem and made the yelp top 100 in the country ranked at 47. One of my all time favorite places to eat. read more

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It's an excellent restaurant in every respect. Local people eat there, and it's a good place for a night out. However, I would like it if they had more vegetarian entrées..however, I would like it if they had more vegetarian entrées. I love their macaroni and cheese, though, it's incredible! hi read more

Jen was amazing. We didn't have a reservation, but she welcomed us at the bar. Wine and beer selection was rather large. The Corn Bread with Honey was the best I've had and a must. My wife ordered gnocchi, which was a generous portion and wonderful. I asked Jen her recommendation for an entree to which she suggested the half rack of ribs, which is what they're known for. They were the perfect consistency with a not overpowering sauce. I finished off the meal with an apple pie served chilled with a good amount of fresh whipped cream, delicious as well. All in all it was a fantastic night with amazing food and attentive happy staff. If I had this place closer to me I'd be there once a week. Make sure to make a reservation! read more

Truly spectacular blew my expectations away. The food is on par if not better than some of the best spots in nyc. So lucky I stumbled into this, purely by accident as was staying close by. read more

The food is delicious, the service is outstanding, the atmosphere is cozy and welcoming. I love the open kitchen and being able to watch the chef and staff working hard to make everything perfect and presentable. We absolutely love this restaurant and highly recommend it! read more

We had the Short Rib Poutine, Caesar salad, corn bread, Ricotta Gnocchi and Shrimp & Grits, and Maple Crème Brûlée, all was delicious and highly recommend. I will say that the portions were on the larger side. We have enough food for the rest of the week! Service was excellent and ambiance was cute. Recommend while in Rochester! read more

10/10 Great Water, so fresh, straight tap too Food is amazing too, everything everyone ordered was amazing. You can't go wrong. read more

Nice atmosphere besides being next to the road. Service was kind of slow and waitress didn't have much of a smile or personality. Food was ok but not very flavorful or have that wow factor. Good place to go if you happen to be driving by and hungry otherwise not really worth going out of the way for. read more

So many delicious choices ... Each one perfectly prepared. Great local vibe, with excellent service and an amazing draft bottled beer selection. I have to go frequently to make sure I don't miss out on a treat! read more

If you ever find yourself around Rochester, VT you MUST stop in at Maple Soul. My friends and I were in town for a weekend of snowboarding but dinner at Maple Soul was the highlight of our trip. A little out of the way from Killington/Pico but well worth the 30 min drive. Hell, I'd drive from Long Island 5 hours just to come back here. Maple Soul has a charming country interior in this home turned restaurant. It's a small place with big heart. There's a dinning area and bar when you first walk in with a great beer and wine menu. We enjoyed our appetizer by the bar while we waited for a table. We had the poutine (delish!) and the fried calamari that was prepared in a Vermont maple syrup and was one of the best things I've ever had. Towards the back they have a central room with an open kitchen concept where you can watch the chef work his magic. And work his magic he does. It's farm to table in the most literal sense. All key ingredients are locally sourced from the poultry, beef, dairy, and even the flour. The menu changes daily and all creations are the brain child of Chef Jim. On the menu that evening was a pistachio crusted lamb chop sourced from our waitress's family farm, a grass fed black angus burger sourced from a single cow, and Vermont grown baby back ribs. My crew enjoyed the black angus burger baked with blu cheese, the baby back ribs smothered in homemade bbq sauce, VT sharp cheddar Mac and cheese with collared greens on top, shrimp and grits and the fish and chips. We're still talking about our dinners the next day. AND THE PICKLES! You guys... I'm not even a pickle fanatic but these pickles were off the hook. I guarantee you will leave this place with a full stomach and a happy heart. Huge kudos to Jim and the whole team over at Maple Soul. They're doing everything right. read more

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Excellent locally sourced food and the owners are local as well. Great food! Great service read more