One of my favorite spots in town. If going solo, I sit at the bar. Sam and Joe are both great bartenders. If bringing friends, try the dining room. I've tried the seasonal cocktails in 3 seasons and so far, always great. Re: food - my favorites are the Waygu burger at the bar, and the seared scallops over risotto. The asparagus appetizer is also good. Only food that I've not enjoyed is the creme brûlée. Felt like it came from GFS and was just carmelized on site. Two thumbs down on that one. Everything else has been great. read more

I had one of the best meals that I have had in a long time here! Everything about it was just amazing! I had the scallops and my husband had the swordfish. It was one of the best dishes that I've had in a very long time I can't wait to go back and have it again! The service was also incredible! The restaurant itself is absolutely beautiful. I would highly recommend this place! read more

Notch 8 Grille - Swordfish entree - Steakhouses Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

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My husband and I came here to celebrate our 1 year anniversary. We easily made a reservation in advance and had no problem getting a table. Our waiter was incredible; funny, attentive, kind. We shared a bottle of (the cheapest) red wine and it was delicious. To start, we got the mussels which were served in a flavorful butter. For entrees, we both ordered steak. They came with salad (which was overdressed), and we ordered 3 à la carte sides. The sides were affordable, yet big portions. The filet mignon was cooked to perfection and tasted incredible. The mac & cheese, and mushroom risotto were to die for. We also got the brussel sprouts to add a vegetable and those were cooked wonderfully, too. The restaurant was dimly lit, and felt very intimate and comfortable. read more

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Came to the Tunnel Bar ( part of the Notch 8 Grille) and had an amazing experience. First of, the bar is located inside what looks like a subway tunnel , which is very unique and unlike any bar I had ever seen. It is very well decorated, though it is very small and, on a crowded night, you will likely need to wait a while for a seat. However, I recommend waiting because their delicious espresso martinis are worth it! Their food is also quite good ( especially the oysters) which makes for a nice snack to accompany the Martinis! read more

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I really enjoyed the service and ambiance here! My favorite dishes was the scallop risotto and the tomato salad! The scallops were cooked perfectly and the flavors of the dish were amazing. The New York strip with brussels sprouts were also delicious. I wish the steak was a little juicier because I felt that I had to keep drowning it in the steak sauce. I enjoyed the lobster mac and cheese too; however, I was not a huge fan of the tuna tartare. It was not very fresh and the flavor was alright. read more

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Giving this a very solid and respectable 4 stars as a GRILL... aka a clubby, casual, steakhouse-feeling, modern, touch of throwback style, steakhouse kind of joint... At the top of the stairs under the old riveted iron train overpass you'll find what looks like it's some sort of old timber framed rail maintenance shed or train station which gently curves along a former rail bed which has been converted into the New Haven and Northampton Rail Trail. Carved into the left side of this structure is Notch 8 Grill, a beautifully appointed, comfortable, loungey restaurant with excellent service and great food. Our party was in good spirits as we arrived for a later 9:00 reservation after a performance at the Smith College Fine Arts Center -and Notch 8 Grill just kept us rolling! Our waiter, Joe was perfectly attentive, super friendly and the sort of professional you rarely find any more. After sharing a discussion about our Black Manhattan recipes, Joe made me a great Black Manhattan (Notch 8 uses half rye, a quarter Averna, and a quarter Vermouth... we use about half and half rye and Averna... I still like ours better, but theirs was pretty good... Joe said he's be glad to make one with my recipe). The wine list was awesome -they have a couple of choices of nice bottles which are served at the correct temperature and are affordable-so that you can sit down and enjoy your meal with a glass of wine without feeling either remotely remorseful for having spent your $ carelessly, or feeling guilty because you can't spend like a bougey millennial tech pirate. On that note: go to Europe! You'll find more often than not that folks over there drink just about exclusively excellent wine, and have no interest in spending more than $20 - $30 bucks a bottle. My point? because a restaurant doesn't come at you sideways, with a smarmy 30 year old sommelier and drop a heavy wine list on your table with a forklift doesn't make that a great restaurant. IMO, it's exactly the opposite. For appetizers, we ordered the mussels in white wine which was as good as you will find anywhere: the fish was perfect... tender and brightly flavored, and the sauce? I joked with Joe, asking him to please just pour the leftover sauce over my head because I wanted to wear it as my new cologne. Joe replied that he'd be glad to, but that I'd need to sign a waiver. LOL Now you might not joke around like me, but I'm sharing this bit to give you a feel for how much I liked that appetizer as well as for how easygoing and capable the staff was... Joe was able to read our group and have fun along with us. I'm from an Italian American family/community with roots on the Adriatic -and we know good seafood. So, when I like seafood at a restaurant, I'm always just a little bit surprised and relieved. We also order the crab cake... also perfectly cooked: moist and well flavored (I could have used a bit more of that dipping sauce...) I had the scallop entree with risotto -was a little apprehensive that the smoked bacon jam would overtake the dish, but I was having a good time so I went with the flow (Joe also said that was his favorite dish on the menu). Scallops were cooked well and the smoked bacon jam was a nice layer -but not overpowering. My wife had the chicken francaise over fresh fettuccine -which she liked and thought the fettuccine was particularly good. Others at our table ordered the frenched chicken and the stuffed pork chop. No complaints. I'm not going to tell you that Notch 8 Grill is getting a Michelin Star any time soon. But the prices are perfectly reasonable, menu is filled with good contemporary and traditional options, the food is above average, drinks are perfect, ambience is great, service is excellent... All of the above for around $225 for our party of four? That's a great value. I gave Joe a 25% tip -and I'm kind of old school and my tipping range normally starts at 15% (although I'm happy to go 10% or less if you earn it), but I usually tip 20% if everything is right. I wish I'd taken some food picks. Sorry. But if you go to Notch 8 Grill, I'd be surprised if you didn't have a great time. read more

Notch 8 Grille - Notch 8 Grill, on the New Haven and Northampton Rail Trail - Steakhouses Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

Party of 6 on a quiet Monday. Service was excellent! Drinks were excellent. The food was good. The stuffed pork chop was good but a little dry and too big, which may be a good thing haha. Scallops were delicious! The warm bread was a nice touch. read more

Notch 8 Grille - Seared scallops - Steakhouses Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

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We are in town for a Lax Tournament and stopped here for dinner. We sat in the bar area to watch the World Cup game. I have to say how amazing Joe was as a bartender and server. He was great. The food was very good and the music was back in time. We had a great dinner and highly recommend this place. read more

Get the black manhattan You will thank me Service great Ambiance perfect Food was spot on read more

Had a nice dinner - starting with Happy Hour before heading to the Iron Horse for a show Every dish we had was better than the next - food was excellent... nice vibe ... friendly service. This place is a keeper- too bad we live an hour and half away read more

Easter brunch was incredible. Everything was super high quality. Service was excellent as well.

We had a free evening and decided to head back to the Notch 8 for dinner. We started with a couple drinks and the charcuterie, all of their drinks and appetizers we've tried have been excellent. The following salad was really nice as well. For my main course I ordered the duck breast which came with a marmalade type sauce and several seared carrots. While the doneness of the duck was a nice medium, the fat wasn't rendered and the skin was super flabby and inedible. My dinner companion ordered the chicken francaise, I'm not sure what came out but it wasn't chicken francaise. We sent it back and our server took it off the bill with no worries. It may be a little while before we head back to Notch 8. read more

The food is amazing!!!! The waitress was very cheerful and attentive! She made my birthday celebration even more special. Love this restaurant! read more

Food, amazing, service amazing- thank you Amy. Ambiance bar none... we will be back . Count on it read more

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This was our Valentine's Dinner. Notch 8 is conveniently located in the Union Street Station in Northampton. Decor is warm and woody. Low ceilings that are dark to match the decor. Staff was wonderful from the host station to the servers. We chose the lobster bisque as a starter. Delicious with lobster claw meat but genuinely too salty. I would not have that again. Veal saltimbocca with prosciutto and asparagus and fingerling potatoes was delicious. It wasn't actually Italian style but it was good. Would I go again? Yes but I would stick with a selection from the steak menu. Can't go wrong with that. Notch 8 is relatively new but a welcome addition to a not so thriving Northampton scene. Give it a try for that special occasion. You won't be disappointed. Their wine and spirits menu is extensive. Many great choices. read more

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First time visiting Notch 8 Grille ,celebrated my lady's birthday last night for dinner and had an amazing experience. We ordered the porterhouse steak for 2 , along with the pomme puree , short rib Mac , and Brussel sprouts everything was cooked perfectly. The dining room was upscale, and very modern.We cannot recommend our server Joe enough! He was attentive , polite , and overall great! read more

Prices are high; product (some) were dry; the oysters seemed more hacked open than shucked, as we like, and at $3/ was three times what we just paid a little more south, by-the-buy, salad seemed past its prime; service was good but did I mention prices were high, nevertheless, they try! ; Ambiance was great! Like an old train station and dinning-car when times had rail for the great city escape by far; Loved the Amtrak train slowly leaving the station, we were so close to the tracks and yet really quiet as it clacked on by. read more

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Upstairs from the tunnel bar you will find this gem. Upon walking in we wanted a table however they informed us if we sit at the bar it's happy hour and it's half off appetizers. I thought that was a very open honest gesture. We just got back from a hike so I did not want anything heavy. I ordered, lobster mac & cheese, prosciutto, wrapped, asparagus, scallops and they were so delicious !! Staff was amazing, so friendly and kind. read more

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My party of 4 tried the Braised Lamb, Duck, double Pork Chops & Shrimp Scampi seafood, with a shared side of Mushroom Risotto!! Everything, I mean everything was amazing...right down to the warm bread & light, restaurant made butter! Can't say enough! Our server was delightful. She checked every box that a great server should do. We absolutely loved the ambiance and they gave us the perfect type of table that I asked for! They even use leather placemats with their name stamped into them! Great experience and look forward to getting back there again. Thank you, Notch 8 Grille! read more

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I love the charcuterie board from here which I usually order at tunnel bar but I was not very impressed with the main dishes. I got the chicken francaise and wish it came with a vegetable or had more flavoring to the sauce. The ambiance was good and I'm sure the drinks are too since some are the same that are served in tunnel bar! read more

My Daughters took me to Tunnel Bar and then up to Notch8 for a birthday dinner on Saturday. We should have stayed down stairs. we started out with the Pork Belly Confit which was very good , the girls wanted to try their Prosciutto wrapped asparagus , also pretty good. The shrimp on the other hand was not. and the Dinner Salads were nothing to write home about. I had the Rib Eye "Prime Grade" it was not. ordered it Mid-Rare and it was overcooked and dry. Asked for a baked potato without the Broccoli Cheese Sauce but with butter and sour cream, it arrived stone cold. Butter wouldn't / couldn't even melt . My girls each had the Filet and brussels sprouts were "happy" with them. We did not stay for desert. While the restaurant itself felt dated and was uncomfortably cold. Our Server was very nice and that added a star to my review. We will not be returning. Not worth the $$$ at all. read more

I ordered I ordered the oysters Rockefeller. I can't say I really love them because the breading was way too much and they didn't have enough flavor to them. I have had better oysters Rockefeller at other places. I also ordered the seared scallops. The scallops themselves were very tasty and tender. What they were placed on top of I am not sure it was some sort of rice sadly that didn't have any flavor to it. The ambience was very, very nice. The service was also very good. Sadly, my dining experience wasn't that great. I'm sure that they can do better. They really need to work on their food preparation. read more

I went to the notch 8 grille and it was amazing! The restaurant itself is quite beautiful and at one point the train passed and it added to the lovely atmosphere.I ordered a manhattan and it was delicious. The bartender Joe even came to ask me how it was! Our server was Nes and she was incredibly kind and attentive. I ordered the seared salmon with spinach and it was cooked perfectly! My friend had the scallops and they were delicious! We finished the meal with the red velvet cake and it was divine! We will definitely be coming back because they do prime rib on Wednesday! Thanks again for the great service Nes and Joe and everyone else! read more

We went to Notch 8 for dinner - first timers. We all loved our meals. Our meal choices included: Chicken Francaise; Fettuccine a la Ferrovia; Frenched Chicken Breast; and the Veggie Wellington. Everyone raved about their entree. The salads included with our meals were generous size (kind of a meal unto itself). The atmosphere is amazing. The night we were there a big event was happening in the space and several smaller gatherings as well. Even with all of those people the place didn't feel crowded. Nor was it too loud. Hearing the train rumble by was an extra treat. We had our doubts (we weren't interested in the $115 steak on the menu). But this place rocks. It's a wonderful piece of Northampton history AND a great place to eat and gather with friends. Loved it. read more

Four adults went on Wednesday for Prime Rib special. Greeted by very friendly waiter who was very attentive. Nice ambiance and decor. Appetizers were brought out by a different server. Dishes were placed rather haphazardly in front of us with little care. Our waiter did check in after a bit and brought bread when we asked for it. Our prime rib was lukewarm and more rare than medium. Ajus was cold but potato was cooked well. Our waiter didn't check back until we were almost done eating. Desserts were brought out by another server without a care , handed to us to sort out who got each dessert then 4 spoons were literally dropped in the middle of the table. We agreed that the food was not terrible but certainly not great but the service was sorely lacking. We won't be returning !! read more

beautiful restaurant, excellent wait staff! six of us went for Prime Rib Wednesday four ordered the prime rib, all four primes were tasteless and chewy. our salads shrimp and scallops were delicious! kinda ruined our experience- 3 of us have Birthdays this month we were celebrating. disappointed read more

Wonderful atmosphere, excellent staff, fabulous food. Very elegant, delicious Christmas Eve meal- thank you read more

Notch 8 Grille - Delicious meal mother daughter time - Steakhouses Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

We visited on a Wednesday night for the prime rib special. It also happened to be an anniversary celebration! We made a reservation a month in advance for our anniversary. This was our first visit to the restaurant and the service was impeccable. The prime rib special for $32 was unbelievably amazing! The choices were varied and we enjoyed what we ordered. See photos for details. I prefer my prime rib to be fully cooked and often need to send it back when it is too pink. This did not happen here and they did not make me feel at all self-conscious for ordering well done as sometimes happens.Kudos to them for being so accommodating. Outstanding experience and I can't wait to return! read more

Notch 8 Grille - Prime rib special. Well done the way I prefer. 5 stars!! - Steakhouses Near Me - Northampton, Massachusetts

We had veal and pork chops. Both were excellent. Drunks in bar room next to the dining area were obnoxious. It took them quite a while to move them to another bar area. Our waitress was very attentive but the hostess should be fired for her attitude. The dining room is decorated nicely. read more

It was nice. I did not like that there is no children's menu.. is it really that hard to put one together? The drinks were ok.. my pear martini was very lemony and I had to ask for more pear liqueur to tone down the bitterness. The food was very good. My fish was very good and the mac and cheese was generous in size. Desserts were not wonderful. My creme brulee had a little of an aftertaste I did not like so we left it. The service was very good and the atmosphere is like being in an old 60's club People talking about the brunch so will come back for that. read more

Would give 0 stars if I could. Wife and I went to dinner here on a Thursday night. I made a reservation because I thought it would be packed. There were two other tables and the rest of the restaurant was completely empty. Not a good sign, but we were already seated, so we decided to just give it a go. There was a couple behind us that asked for the manager and the were complaining about the food. My wife and I were giggling out it a little bit, saying it can't be that bad. I will say that the manager handled the conversation with the people behind us very well, super empathetic and probably the only bright spot in this place. Our food was awful, lobster bisque was luke warm and tasted like they used curdled cream. Luckily we had a few drinks before coming to dinner and tried to keep light of the entire meal. Our entree's just were not good, the food didn't taste fresh and the flavors didn't make sense. Our server was very nice. I'm not one to not finish my plate, and I didn't even come close. We will never be back, I'm not sure how they have such high reviews. Maybe we went on an off night or the chef wasn't on the line. Highly recommend you avoid this establishment. read more

My wife and I went to Notch 8 Grille on a Saturday night and enjoyed a wonderful meal. My wife had the Fettuccine à la Ferrovia and I had the Grilled Swordfish and both were excellent. Service was very attentive but not overbearing and the ambiance is outstanding ... especially when the train passes by. (Yes, I love trains!) Prices are a little high but well worth it if you want to enjoy a great dining experience in a unique setting. We'll be back soon! read more

An overall underwhelming experience. Upstairs both bartenders ignored me. I was planning to have a nice dinner at the bar. Went downstairs to the Tunnel Bar. Food was below average but service was better. It feels as if the employees aren't engaged with customers. Great building and potential but food and service fall way short. read more

Food was amazing! Service by Afrike was top "Notch" ! Way to go Northampton! The renovations of the space are beautiful!!!! read more

service is very slow ambiance is amazing the menu looks amazing but it feels like they literally have a brand new kitchen staff, burger unseasoned, greasy shrimp, cold steak, overcooked salmon. maybe this place would be nice if your older and don't care about the taste of your food also the service was kinda crazy 1 and a half our wait for our food, there wasn't many people at all one big party other than us and a small table my oysters were shucked before food came out so my oysters were swimming in water, and they put my appetiser was on the ice too so it was also swimming in water. they're was still somehow a large gap between half of our entrees drinks damn strong tho i will be coming back for only that read more

Always amazing food, fast and super friendly bartenders and great atmosphere! Love it!

We had high expectations and were disappointed by the food. Service was great. And the restaurant has a convenient location downtown.

New to Western Mass, was suggested by friends. Wonderful experience; warm atmosphere, delicious food with a broad menu, prompt, attentive, stellar service by our waiter. Thanks again Joe Will be our go-to place & highly recommend. read more

My husband and I had dinner at Notch 8 Grille on Valentine's Day. What a perfect spot for date night. I absolutely loved the atmosphere and decor, a huge upgrade from the old sports bar. I was very happy with the menu selections as there was something on there for everyone. We both got steaks (filet and flat iron) which were cooked perfectly, as were my scollops. We ordered a side of the creamed spinach which was big enough to share and was delicious! I really enjoyed everything we had to eat from the homemade bread to the dessert which was a chocolate peanut butter cake. They also have a vast wine selection and awesome cocktail selections. We really enjoyed the night. The service was great. Our waiter Joe was awesome. They even had a Sax player that night which was a really nice touch. Definitely recommend checking this place out for your next date night or night out with friends. read more

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First time here. The host and hostess looked miserable. Not a good start. Pretty restaurant and comfortable. Waitress was good. Started with the beef carpaccio. Not good. Beef was chewy, too thick and not the right cut of meat. There was so much pepper on it I could not eat it. Salads were fine, finally someone serves a salad in bite size pieces. I appreciate that. Bread was nothing special. My husband had the scallops and risotto and he liked it. I tasted the risotto and it was very good. I had the veal saltimboca. Potatoes were hot and perfectly cooked. The asparagus was way overdone. If you are going to serve asparagus in the valley renowned for asparagus it needs to be right. My veal was tender, very small piece though and barely warm. I really wanted to like this restaurant, they have a great variety on their menu and I would like to try more, but hesitate to try again and be disappointed and spend so much money. read more