I'm smitten. I LOVE SOUP. Maybe it's because I'm from New England where things that will warm you from the inside out...like tea, soup and oatmeal...are actually necessities. Maybe it's because I spent 10 years in Texas pretty much AVOIDING soup or anything else that would cause more sweat beyond the ever-present jalapenos, serranos and assorted mouth-scorching chili peppers that were carried across the border and infused into everything from beverage to pudding in an effort to, I'm convinced, cull the weak and ward off northerners. Maybe it's because I often eat on my lap rather than at a table, but my pumpkin-esque stature means that I don't have much of a lap so I gravitate towards a bowl and spoon rather than the plate-fork-knife combo that inevitably leads to frustration or, more often, spillage. Maybe it's because for most of my life, my mother's stove has had a pot of something or other simmering away. Maybe it's a combination of all of the above. I am, simply put, a soup person. And for this reason, I think our visit to the Smithsonian Chowder House this damp, gray afternoon was the start of a culinary love affair. For starters, it's not much more than five minutes from my office in downtown Northampton. Plus, it is beyond charming in its simplicity. An assortment of (6? 7?) homemade soups, chowders and chilis that vary by the day, an assortment of grilled cheese selections, popovers, and cupcakes. That's it. I love that they just stick to what they do really well rather than trying to please everyone with a multi-page menu of mediocrity. And there's a special place in my heart for unpretentious grub...paper plates, a self-serve coffee bar, counter ordering, and a handful of tables dappled in airy, natural light that streams in from the windows located on all sides of the five-tabled dining area. I had a bowl of the seafood chowder and added a popover for .99 (you can also opt to add a salad & popover for $2). Both were great. Ryan had the french dip grilled cheese, which was roast beef and swiss grilled on hearty Texas toast and served with a side of au jus for dipping ($6.95 and it came with choice of a bag of chips or side of cole slaw). I thought it looked a bit skimpy on the roast beef, but he absolutely loved it. He also had a cup of cabbage & kielbasa soup which we both thought was wonderful. We grabbed cupcakes to go, including a half dozen to bring to my coworkers ($2.50 each or $12.50 for six). They had a dense texture and creative flavor combinations, and were a HUGE hit. Most wound up halved or quartered so that people could try multiple types. This place is a gem, and I will definitely be back! read more

Smithsonian Chowder House - French dip grilled cheese - Seafood Near Me - West Hatfield, Massachusetts

We ordered an absolutely delicious seafood chowder and a fresh chicken salad. Then capped the meal off with a hot popover and homemade apple butter. Yum! We almost missed this great, small chowder house as we drove down highway 5 for the first time. Actually drove by it, turned around and came back. So glad we did! It's right off 91 too. read more

This was a great little place to stop off of 91 with my 2 year old twins. They loved the popovers, and the staff was very friendly.

There's only 6 tables and they're all full with people waiting. I was hoping to come here and have a nice lunch on my trip but when you have to take your food to the car and eat it in the parking lot it's not that great. Because of that, I just ordered a pint of the clam chowder to go. It tasted great. The guys serving the food were friendly and fast. No issues. Cost me about seven bucks. Not somewhere you would go for a quiet lunch. It's small, everybody's conversations reverberate throughout the room. You feel rushed and if you are one of the lucky ones to have a table, everybody who comes in stares at you in disdain. It's easy to miss unless you have a GPS that tells you just passed it. It's literally just a hole in the wall. Nothing picturesque about it. read more

Smithsonian Chowder House - Seafood Near Me - West Hatfield, Massachusetts

We also randomly stopped here on our way home from VT and were very impressed. The prices are reasonable, the food is great, and the owner's son and girlfriend were very friendly. We'll definitely make this a regular stop on our way home from VT! read more

We really enjoy the service and the food. We live in NYC and almost always grab a meal at Smithsonian whenever we visit this neck of the woods. Pros: easy location, excellent service, solid chowders, excellent popovers and desserts, great for kids, open late, picnic tables for fine weather Cons: fish and lobsters chowders could have more fish or lobster. Seriously. read more

Dude this rocks. Seafood chowder kicks ass. They also have a variety of other soups, which I'm sure are equally delicious. There are some ridiculously awesome looking muffins, cupcakes, and popovers too. If there were anything else near here, well, other than the go kart place, this would Already have reviews. The inside is like a small town coffee house. Probably seats like 20. Really good coffee too! If not for my diet I would want to try everything here!! read more

Had lunch here last week. 2 guys working hard behind the counter and they are pretty good and fast at service. This place is fairly small and locals frequent here for good food. Prices are reasonable. Quite a few tasty freshly made soups to choose from. Very cold chicken salad sandwich done perfectly, best we have had anywhere in years. Popover Bread is nice and should be used to dip into your soup. Lines at lunch time form quickly and can be long, but they move fast. Everything here tastes fresh and they have plenty of parking and located right on the main road. Stop by and enjoy a nice meal here. We did! read more

The chowder was really good. We also got sandwiches that wee delicious and a cupcake. I'd definitely recommend this place.

The grill cheese was amazing and I can't wait to have them cater my wedding the cupcakes we tasted were so fresh

Had the clam chowder today. It was amazing. The staff was super friendly and service was great! Place was clean and well kept. Sadly I was too full to try a cupcake but they looked amazing as well. Next time I'll start with that LOL. Great experience and will definitely be back! read more

My girlfriend and I came in today looking for pop overs when we found out that we could make one using the ingredients for one of their signature sandwiches. Chicken, Bacon, Ranch was awesome. The only criticism I would give was that the bacon didn't seem like it was fully cooked. read more

Second time I visit this spot. Has a nice bright homie feel. Soups and sandwiches are good. (Depending on the cook, my girlfriend pointed out.) I like the place and can't wait to go again. read more

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Right off of 91. Delicious soups and chowders. We got the seafood chowder, the golumpki stew (stuffed cabbage in stew form), a BLT and the chicken pot pie stuffed popover. In hindsight this was an absurd over-order but everything was excellent. BLT was take it or leave it but the soups are top notch, as was the chicken pot pie (both the filling and the fresh baked popover. read more

Me friend and I dropped by in our search for decent local restaurants. We were really impressed by the Smithsonian Cafe and Chowder House! it was cozy and warm, with lots of wood and natural light. Both of us had the chowder/soup meal for $8 and change, Delicious and inexpensive, can't go wrong. The staff were nice but not overly intrusive. All in all it was a great experience! Definitely going there again! read more

Smithsonian Chowder House is reasonably priced with great food and an inviting atmosphere. Stuffed Pepper Stew was delicious.

Friendly place with delicious soups and sandwiches. Also try the popovers and cupcakes. Very nice staff. A favorite for lunch.

By far the best. In our first trip to area all my son wanted was chowder. Thank you Yelp for always finding the best places. Enjoyed the chowder, popover, and fried clams. I would happily eat there every meal. All that being said, go to the original location. The satellite shop is not close in ambiance and menu. read more

I've been a regular of the Smithsonian since I was a young girl and now that the Chowder house exists, I'm becoming a regular here! The seafood Chowder is the best around and the sandwiches are excellent. There is a young man who seems to always be there when I go in and he goes above and beyond every time! He is one of the kindest people, on top of providing a great customer service! Always a pleasure here. read more

This place is amazing!!! Food is sooo good and the owner and staff are supper friendly. Food is fast and don't leave without a cupcake they are DELICIOUS read more

Disappointing. Small,cramped. If you like the kind of restaurant that you do everything yourself and have to try and read the menu off the wall or off difficult to read signs then you might like it here. Soup was good but felt overpriced. read more

We stumbled upon this fantastic place several years ago on our annual drive to Vermont. We stop for lunch on the front & back ends of our trip every year! The soups are amazing, popovers delicious, cupcakes wonderful & the staff is always super great! read more

Soups, popover sandwiches and cupcakes! What a great concept. The lobster bisque was incredible and the cup size was more like a bowl). Tasted my husband's seafood chowder and that was fantastic as well. The popover sznwiches were huge (stuffed with pulled BBQ chicken). Next time we will split. Too stuffed to have a cupcake but they sure were pretty and large as well read more

We stopped in here for a quick lunch while on the road. There was ample parking and it was right off the highway. The counter staff was extremely helpful in assisting us in picking what to order. We had the lobster salad in a popover and lobster salad over a salad, along with a small bowl of chicken soup. I must say everything was really good. The lobster salad in the popover was nicely filled, the popover was warm and buttery, and the flavor was great. It also came with a side of pasta salad which was great. I would eat a whole bowl of that and be happy any day! Overall, I would definitely return to this location. I enjoyed the inventiveness of putting lobster salad inside a popover which created something I've never had before! read more

I went in for a bite to eat while my friend was in the doctor's office across the street. I didn't get to taste the chowder but I had a blueberry scone. Hadn't had a scone that good since my time in Ireland in 1980. I will go back for the soup!! The coffee was great as well. read more

I'm sorry, but a chowder house being out of clam chowder on a Saturday is like a steak house being out of steak. So disappointed. Grilled cheese was fine. read more

What a delightful find! Four of us dropped in today on the way back from buying Christmas trees up the street and discovered a hidden gem of a casual dining establishment. And casual is the keyword here. Seating isn't fancy, cutlery is plastic, napkins are paper -- but the food is absolutely spectacular. We had four different soups between us and every single one was excellent and I have to say that the tomato bisque was the best I've ever tasted. My wife ordered a grilled cheese sandwich with chicken and bacon and the chicken was not only real, it was freshly cooked and cut thickly like real chicken breast is (as opposed to the typical deli cut meats you get a most restaurants) One of the things they are known for is their popovers and, while my wife makes the best popovers I've ever tasted, the Smithsonian chowder house popovers are the second best I've had. One of the people in our party ordered a chicken pot pie served inside a popover and reported that it was outstanding. We ordered some cupcakes to bring with us for later and my wife and I just enjoyed ours and were extremely surprised that they were better than those we've purchased from any bakery - and I'm not talking about supermarket bakeries, I mean real bakeries! They were awesome It's not an extensive menu, though with the numerous varieties of soup and the flexibility in creating your sandwiches, I don't doubt that you will find something - if not many things - that you will enjoy. Be sure to grab a cupcake before you leave. All four of us will be back sooner than later. And, lest I forget, the staff was a real pleasure. This place really is a gem. read more

Had seafood chowder, popover and salad. SO GOOD! Small place, order at counter, several tables, interesting and varied selection of soups and salads. Definitely will come back when I'm this way again! read more

Yum! Fabulous soups and popovers. It's right off the exit across from the Danco outlet. Ignore Google directions, which took us a mile past the restaurant and up a side road. Easy on/off Exit 21 and very good. We will definitely stop again - great apres ski (need to eat before we get home) spot! read more

The chowder was wonderful. While I was there everyone was ordering the popovers with the soup..I saw why they were huge. Small inside but nice. The gentleman who cashed us out was very nice and the service was great. No frills or fancy but great. This place is definitely a place to go. I will be back. The homemade cupcakes looked amazing. read more

Great little place for good food, excellent soups and chowders, cupcakes, popovers and lots of lobster in the lobster special!! Will go again! read more

Great service and delicious soup. I was able to buy a gallon of soup to serve at a winter gathering I hosted. Kept it warm in a crock pot and it was a hit. read more

Absolutely get the seafood chowder! The popovers and lobster bisque are good but it's all down hill from the chowder.

We have never been disappointed. The variety and quality of their soups and chowders is unsurpassed....always hot, delicious and perfectly seasoned! Sandwiches are great, too! Love those humongous, hot popovers.... had one filled with "Thanksgiving Dinner" in a popover recently.... it was spectacular and sure hope they make it a menu staple!!! read more

I incorrectly left a review for another eatery and attributed it to the Smithsonian. The owner of the Smithsonian contacted me and graciously brought the mistake to my attention. Because his manner could have been much different I am giving him five stars. I never got to taste their food, but now I wish I had. read more

Great soups! Spinach - portabella soup is awesome. Popovers yummy. Don't try the lobster salad. Nice place to stop for lunch.

My husband and I really enjoyed working with Peter with Smithsonian for our July wedding. He was extremely flexible, and instead of picking from a fixed menu, he allowed us to be creative with things we liked and was willing to make anything for our special day. Our guests loved the homestyle cooking and our appetizers were on point! We have some leftovers and I can't wait to dig into them. Peter is super flexible and easy to work with. We are so happy we went with Smithsonian! We would do it again! read more

No a/c.Billed us for a bowl gave us cups.clam chowder was not very good,seafood chowder was alitttle better.The almond joy cup cake was terrible. read more

Saw their sign on i91 North and decided to stop for lunch on our way up north. AMAZING!!! Had their "award-winning" Seafood Chowder and a popover - because why not. Loved it so much we decided to leave with an extra quart to take with us and SIX of their assorted cupcakes. If they are as tasty as they are pretty to look at, we'll be thrilled. Service with a sweet smile. Not crowded at all and we were there just past noon. read more

Big City guy from the West Coast looking for some New England charm and chowder. Found it here! The owners work hard to provide fresh, quality items with distinctive flavors. Everything we tried was great...not just good. Only down side, first time I have ever been hit up for a tip from a self order/pick up your own place. Tip for what? There is no "service" so just raise the prices a few cents. read more