Palmer Restaurant

We've never been 'steady customers' of the Steaming Tender, but we go there three or four times a…read moreyear. We've always had good experiences and have told others about it. We had an unfortunate experience this past weekend. I had scheduled a birthday party for about 45 guests at a local venue with a private room. About one hour before the guests were to arrive I received a call from the venue saying there was a catastrophic electrical failure and the facility had to close- including the kitchen, bar, and restrooms. I was now faced with 45 people milling around a closed facility waiting for a decision on how to continue the celebration. My stress level was the highest on record. I was considering a few places to move the event to, but being 6PM on a Saturday night I knew the chances were slim. It was then I thought of Steaming Tender and gave them a call. The hostess who answered was incredibly compassionate and spent a tremendous amount of time with me on the phone. She assured me that they would be able to accommodate us and started to reserve several tables. The entire group arrived about 25 minutes later and we were all greeted like old friends. We had to wait less than five minutes for the tables to be arranged and menus distributed. The evening couldn't have gone better. The food was as excellent as it's always been and the waitstaff was incredibly attentive. The guests were amazed at how quickly we were taken care of, and the quality of the food and service. The drinks were made perfectly and the food was served hot. About two thirds of the guests had never been to the Steaming Tender and were saying they would be returning. Kudos to the entire staff and management of the Steaming Tender at their professionalism and compassion at saving us from a total disaster of an important event. We will always be grateful and will continue to extend our recommendations. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!

Fun atmosphere. Servers in engineer overalls Excellent food and service…read moreGreat family place for those who love to watch trains.

Inside of the Pullman car

Whiskey bread pudding

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Dining Room view

Gin Mill

4.6(19 reviews)

4.1 mi

Not sure what KP is talking about. Family owned and run. Spotless grill at bar they personally…read morecook for you and then clean and shut down each time. Hand pack ground beef burgers. Friendly bar tenders and owners. We live over an hour away. I stumbled across this place accidentally over 5 years ago and visit atleast 5-10 times a year. They treat you like family. There are a lot of regulars but they are the characters that make the place interesting. Yes there are bikers that come and go but they are all good people. Wife and I stop in on way home from visiting kids a UMass Amherst. awesome rest stop if traveling from east to see kids out there. Keep doing what you do Gin Mill we love you. Dusty

Gross, dirty and not very pleasant. They get all of their business for local biker groups. So if…read moreyou're into that then I guess they're for you. But not for the average customer

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Bar

Tables at the Farm

3.9(63 reviews)

2.7 mi

Hi, we returned to Tables to find out if anything had changed…read more I had a western omelette, another person had an egg sandwich, and the 3rd had an egg Benedict with veggies and avacado. We all raved about the food. Spent a little time with Tara wishing he luck and good health. I will definitely will return. The atmosphere was the same as it was before. New waitresses were very cordial.

Decent food, poor service. We were seated right away, but it…read moretook a while for a waitress to take our order. Then it took a long while to actually get our food. The meal I received (Eggs Benedict Florentine, a regular menu item) was not what I ordered (Tara's Benedict, on the specials menu), but by then I was so hungry that I just ate it. It was good. However, after a runner delivered our food, our waitress never checked in with us, or even made eye contact with us, until we were done eating. When she finally came, I told her (politely) that I had ordered Tara's Benedict but had received Florentine. She seemed to not know what to do with this information - but she did want me to know that she correctly submitted my order. Okay, I said, I just wanted to let you know that there was a miscommunication somewhere. She brought us our bill promptly (the incorrect meal was not taken off the bill), but then there was more waiting for her to come back and take our credit card. Finally my dining companion went up to the register to pay the bill. While there, they tried to explain to him what happened - apparently the chef had a different specials list than the specials menu that was given to customers. This does not really explain the mix-up. Plus, it was 11am on a Saturday - near the end of the breakfast period. How did they not realize sooner that the chef and the wait staff had different specials menus? This establishment is a little off the beaten path; you have to make it a destination - something I will not be doing again.

Menu: specials and kids menu

Menu: lunch

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Menu: Front Page

Salem Cross Inn

4.0(232 reviews)

10.0 mi

•$$$

It was a fun experience watching the fritters being fried. The fritters, steamers, lobster and…read morestrawberry shortcake were my favorites. Lovely evening outside enjoying a cocktail while waiting for the lobster feast to be served. Dinner was served in the old barn, which is nice and cozy. I highly recommend booking the lobster feast before all of the dates sell out.

Step back in time with me and dine at the Salem Cross Inn. From what I understand, it is owned and…read moreoperated by three generations of the Salem family, all clearly proud of the traditions they uphold--right down to the homemade whipped cream. It's refreshing to see how much genuine delight they take in the experience they create, especially during the winter fireside feast. The little displays may seem a bit silly to some, but I found them charming and appreciated the care behind them. Thankfully, I was able to substitute the prime rib for salmon, which was absolutely delicious. And the warmed cider? To die for. The atmosphere truly brings you back in time. I didn't dine on the restaurant side during this visit, but I can imagine it's just as lovely. It's absolutely worth the trip.

View from our table

Pumpkins Muffin. Someone must have taken a bite!

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Exterior entry

The Traveler Restaurant

4.1(310 reviews)

13.3 mi

"Catcher In The Rye" & "Animal Farm"! Both delicious sandwiches but "Animal Farm" maple aioli was…read morejust fantastic. "The Catcher In The Rye" Ruben was really ok too. Cute ambiance and decent service but I dont think this place is long for this world. As the classic movie Wonderboys aptly notes - "people don't read books anymore anyhow anyways"

My book club did a we can get away in Connecticut so we could come here and the service was great…read moreour waiter was so sweet and you could tell they're not used to large parties they don't combine tables but they were so nice about it however the food was pretty good average kind of diner food we did miss breakfast so we were a little sad but we were disappointed in the books collection most of the books that come free aren't even worth it most people didn't take any books with them which kind of defeated the purpose of coming here and they did have books for sale which were better books however we all already have large collections and weren't interested in buying more all in all pretty decent experience and the price is not bad

Exterior shot

Interior shot

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One of many shelves of books

Day & Night Diner

3.1(44 reviews)

0.2 mi

I try and spread my business among all the breakfast places in town. They all offer a different ,…read morespecial ambiance that make them endearing and the Day & Night diner is one of those. It is a classic 50's diner and was established in town in 1952 or there about . It's simple. Not the menus you are used to. One page is all Carl needs. When I order and I always order the same thing. I hadn't been here since the sixties. Now that I have come for a few weeks I no longer have to order Carl just gives me a nod and I nod back. Three eggs over easy, hash browns and a pancake instead of toast. Then I put the eggs and hash browns on top of the pancake. It's great. . There are no eggs Benedict . The people here are an eclectic group of people from all walks of life. It's an old diner feel! Most of the people are old friends . Carl's wife is the only waitress. The service isn't slow but deliberate. There are stories etc. that you have to hear. It like being at a neighborhood party . Carl likes to pun or says things with a double entandre and see who catches what he says. There are many different newspapers. I haven't gotten myself to the point where I feel comfortable voicing my opinion. Carl's wife kinds of operates around Carl . They do dinner on Friday nights and I heard it's great. Fish etc . I haven't gone yet. Plenty of parking. Not handicap accessible .

This place is not as bad as people make it out to be. If it was, place would have been shut down…read moreyears ago. Diner car is 80ish years old so has seen plenty of people walk through its doors. One of the oldest, if not the oldest, businesses is Palmer. I use to come here often, especially in my high school / college days. Always got the blueberry pancakes, in my opinion some of the best I have sunken my teeth into. Can put plenty of butter and syrup on them and they still soak them up. Today, no different. Was in town for a haircut and was really early so stopped here for breakfast. Blueberry pancakes, sausage patties and some hash. I am really just starting to eat hash. Cannot compare to many places, I enjoyed it enough to where I ate it all before eating anything else. Pancakes just as I remembered them. Would have eaten a triple stack but those days are over. They are big and fluffy to begin with as pancakes should be. Missed this place and happy to have made it back here. Cash only still I believe so hit the atm up the road if need be and leave a nice tip. Hard working family here in town who love their customers and would be honored to serve you and your family. Have a golden day.

Home fries

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1/27/26

Russo's Lakeside Seafood & Steakhouse

3.5(100 reviews)

3.9 mi

The scallops smelled like ammonia…read more Just got back from dinner at Russo's Lakeside in Palmer. I ordered the fried seafood combo. According to the internet, when I searched to see if they were safe to eat, it says "No -- throw them out. The ammonia smell is a clear sign of spoilage, and eating them puts you at risk of foodborne illness (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, etc.). Even if they were fried and look/taste okay otherwise, the decomposition has already started." The rest of the meal was "ok" but when I brought the potentially spoiled scallops to the attention of my server, she discussed it with her boss. The boss said they comp me a beer I had drank. Now, I don't own a restaurant, but I would assume that those scallops were a much larger portion of my bill than the draft beer. I mentioned that to the server and she went back to the boss lady, only to come back and offer a $10 discount. Perhaps if the boss lady would have come out and talked to me about it, I would have been ok with that but she stayed in her office because she was "very busy". This is when I started to get annoyed. I could hear them talking on the other side of the wall and mentioned to the server that I was really surprised she didn't come out to talk to me about this problem. She reiterated that the boss lady was very busy. However, the server wasn't able to apply the $10 discount so boss lady had to come out and do it. To add insult to injury, the woman completely ignored me as she stood about a foot or so in front of me. I had to ask her if she was the manager or the owner and her reply was just "I'm married to him." Then began telling me that the scallops my wife had were from the "same batch". I had smelled those scallops and they did smell fine but that doesn't mean there wasn't a problem with the ones in my order. I said I was surprised she didn't come out to talk to me and she just said "it's been a very long day!" I replied with "You serve FOOD to customers." Then she just threw her hands up and walked away. I wasn't rude, didn't raise my voice and was still disrespected as a customer. First time there, and will never return not do I recommend anyone else does. Hopefully I don't get sick from eating there.

My family ordered takeout from this place. We ordered burgers, Texas toast BLT's, Texas Toast…read moregrilled cheese, Buffalo chicken tenders, potato skins, fries, and onion petals. The food was really good. We haven't really found a lot of good restaurants out here in mid- Mass so this one is probably the best so far. When I called the order in, the person was friendly and accurate. She also took the time to ask the kitchen how long the order would take to make. 25 minutes. That's not bad considering anything out this way is a bit of a drive in comparison to where we live. So hats off the Russo's. We will be back!

Specials

Clam chowder soup rich and creamy

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Just look at this view!

East Village Tavern

3.7(95 reviews)

11.3 mi

Fun and friendly atmosphere, safe, great location, nice and comfortable inside. Warm inviting…read moredecor. Great drinks and food is good.

Nah. Food ok. Service @2PM on a Sunday was incredibly slow and unfriendly. No apologies or…read moreexplanation for the long wait. Menu was enticing, but the food was not that great. Salad even had some rotten pieces in it. Ambience was OK. On the plus side, they do have outdoor seating that accommodates dogs.

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Taproom Bar And Grill

2.6(55 reviews)

4.7 mi

worst food and dining I've had from a restaurant in a looooong time. I went in on my hour lunch…read morebreak and the place was pretty much empty besides a few people outside and around the bar. I was the only one at a table. I ordered their mac and cheese and it was not only absolutely HORRENDOUS AND FLAVORLESS, but it also took my entire hour lunch break for them to manage to figure out how to put cheese on noodles. The waitress responded by offering me to take longer to make it back to work by making me wait to have it replaced with chicken tenders. I said yes and they were most as bad as the Mac and cheese. horrible. 0/10. stay away!!!!!!

We had a graduation party and I could not have asked for better service! Sarah made the experience…read moreso easy for us and our guests. The food was excellent! Thank you Sarah!!

Buffalo chicken pizza.

Beer cheeseburger and homemade fries.

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Fish sandwich topped with tartar, lettuce and tomato. With loaded tater tots...

Center Square Grill

4.2(731 reviews)

11.4 mi

Maria is a wonderful waitress! She made our experience here so amazing. We will be back!read more

$5 taco Tuesdays can't be beat, absolutelyfantastic.. Great menu and awesome service…read more 5 out 5 stars. Highly recommend..

Inside

Lobster Pappardelle

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Bread for dipping.

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7 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

C. D.

0

4

3

7 years ago

Pretty awful, we waited almost an hour after ordering our food only to be told that they never put our order in. No body checked on us at all until we started questioning why it was taking so long. We left without eating and without any real apology. Super disappointed. To be fair, the food that was coming out to other people looked good. Really wanted to like it here. read more

Jenn W.

0

2

0

8 years ago

Never gotten off the highway in Palmer before, but we plan to again frequently now! This place takes breakfast (my all time favorite meal under almost any circumstances) to a whole new level of awesome. Burger skillet was to die for. read more

Olivia R.

0

2

0

7 years ago

the food is a 10/5 yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!

Paul B.

0

28

4

7 years ago

Just tried for first time muffin was great Pb and. The homemade hash on point will be back and very clean

Jack D.

76

43

38

6 years ago

Great menu amazing staff and really good food at reasonable prices. What else could you ask for...Nothing

Andrea M.

42

9

0

4 years ago

Absolutely amazing!!!!! Best breakfast place around Always great new menu items never a disappointment read more

David A.

0

7

1

7 years ago

Excellent breakfast! This will be my go-to from now on without a doubt and right down the street!

Palmer Restaurant - breakfast_brunch - Updated September 2026

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Evans Egg House

4.6

(61 reviews)

Great little local breakfast establishment. Our waitress was exceptional. Kind, efficient & chatty…read more We ordered an omelet with ham, spinach & cheese. It was delicious. It came with fruit & toast. We also ordered a side of bacon. Perfect breakfast for the two of us to split. The charm & local feel is worth the stop. Everyone knew we weren't from around these parts but were so kind & hospitable.

Adorable local eatery. Good food and friendly staff!! Clean tables, fast service. Eggs and toast…read moreso good

Mason's Grille

4.3

(36 reviews)

Fantastic food, which is very reasonably priced for the massive portions that they give. Definitely…read morenot for the person that's on a diet.

Always the kindest service along with great food…read more Today was my first in trying the jalapeño bacon and OMG it was delish!! Along with a grilled English muffin and their homemade corned beef hash. Yum yum yum Clean tables, clean bathrooms to go with an awesome spot for breakfast/lunch

Jennifer's Kitchen

4.3

(31 reviews)

On the hunt for breakfast and landed on this spot. I have to say I feel like I went back in time,…read morereminds me of my grandmothers house back in the day. It's a seat yourself kind of place so we found our way to the back and found a table. The server come over shortly after and took our order. We both ordered coffee, 2 eggs, sausage patty, home fries, and toast. The coffee was very weak basically tea. The food was okay, nothing to write home about. Very underwhelmed. The ambiance is very dated and due for a renovation.

This is a great little mom and pop breakfast shop, the prices are amazing! You can have a whole…read morebreakfast under $15-$20. My go to is always the blueberry pancakes which are HUGE ( the size of the whole plate ) the servers and staff are super friendly and were very attentive on making sure I got anything I needed! I would recommend this place

The Stables Restaurant

4.1

(185 reviews)

Quick and friendly service. They also had a variety of teas to choose from. We were shocked how…read morequickly the food came out. Definitely recommend.

Stopped in for breakfast on a Sunday and the food was pretty lack luster. The waitress who served…read moreus was very lovely and had great energy. But we found it interesting that the bill was given to us as were given our food. We get that it was busy but the hash browns were not cooked and the meal lacked salt and just felt like it was cooked in a hurry. We left pretty disappointed, expecting a lot more from this very local spot with a lot of years behind it.

John's Corner Breakfast & Lunch

3.7

(40 reviews)

Stopped in for breakfast, been there many times over the years . A few times a year…read more Well today everything went perfect . I have zero complaints. I ordered the eggs, hash, home fries and toast . The hash looked home made and was great . Everything was cooked perfect . Service was right on point . My coffee was always full .

Small diner with retro vibes. We were a little bit weary in the beginning it being our first time,…read morebut the staff was super friendly towards us. When you get to your table, there's a local newspaper there detailing all the goings on at Ludlow which I thought was a nice touch. They have daily specials written on a whiteboard and I ended up going with the Blueberry loaf French toast. It tasted amazing. Ordered coffee which was that New England blend that everyone here seems to love which.. is understandable but I'm personally not a big fan of but, ok, I drank it anyway. I was most surprised by how much mom loved her veggie omelette breakfast. She's the one in our family whose very much a picky eater and she devoured hers. The waitress had brought over a hot sauce that she says the owner makes himself and I have to admit it was pretty good!. Another person in our party had the breakfast sandwich special that comes with home fries for 6.99 and in this economy, that's a deal, huge portions (see pic) During my time here I also heard that their rye bread comes from the local Portuguese bakery. I don't know that they could've done anything else to make our time there better. It really was a 5 star experience for us. Hope it will be that way for you as well.

Main Street Grille

4.2

(31 reviews)

Service was very good. We, my wife and I were seated right at the moment we entered the restaurant…read more My wife and I had only been to the Main Street Grille once before. So we took a longer time to decide what we were going to choose for our meal. The waitress was not the least bit annoyed by the time we took to order. Overall it was a good experience well done.

Still good & opted for a change of my breakfast game & initially got four toast but ate two…read moreinitially & waitress caught a mistake from the kitchen terms of eggs to be over hard & no yolk runny. Service is still good & sometimes it is a bit but they still do well.

Burgundy Brook Cafe

3.4

(134 reviews)

I've been here a few times , there breakfasts never disappoint , I was shocked how dead it was on a…read moreSunday morning, the last time I was there there was live music during breakfast, this past time . Nothing . Sat at the bar , service was great . My breakfast was good , the omelet was plenty big and tasty, hash browns were just ok, kinda plain. Need to cook them more well done . The toast was the star of the show . Nice and thick and tasted fresh . Had a few bloody Mary's and my GF had one Mimosa, both were good , but way overpriced for breakfast cocktails . 2 breakfasts and a couple drinks and it's $80 with the tip . I think the drinks are like $10 each ? Stick with coffee . All in all a great experience . We'll be back .

This place is wicked unprofessional. The manager is very impolite and the food isnt even that good…read moreplus from what I hear they treat their workers like . save your self the trip and go to tables at the farm!

The Copperline Eatery

4.1

(125 reviews)

Found this off chance while staying in Chicopee. Food was fabulous. Cheese omelette, side of bacon,…read moregrilled English muffin. Husband had made to order spinach & mushroom omelette, home fries. Coffee was hot. Cream in a pitcher not the wimpy little fake things in a bowl. Our waitress Betty-Jayne was the best. I would ask to sit in her station if we ever get back. I saw her helping other staff members, directing new customers to open tables when they were cleared and handling take out orders. Very experienced and good attitude. She knows how to talk and connect to customers. A real pleasure.

Very cute local eatery. This is where the townies go. It's friendly and the prices are great!…read morePancakes are yummy and the make a perfect runny egg. Coffee is good too. If you're new - it's seat yourself, so saddle up and get a seat!

The Mug 'N' Muffin

4.0

(37 reviews)

Good food, service. Daily specials are good. Breakfast is great, prices are reasonable!read more

This is a true small-town diner. Not fancy at all, but full of cozy, home-y charm. You seat…read moreyourself, it's cash only (ATM on site with a $2 fee), and you can tell right away this is a spot with loyal regulars who know they'll get a consistently good meal and fresh coffee every time. Definitely come early because it's small inside and tables are limited, but that just shows how popular it is. Classic diner vibes, reliable food, and a place that feels like a local staple.

Earlee Mug

3.9

(40 reviews)