Great fun great service loud trains lol had a blast meeting the new in-laws definitely recommend

Love this place! Great food and drinks, AMAZING and cool atmosphere, lovely waiters/ waitresses. There is often live music, which is great as well. I've never had a bad experience here and it's one of my favorite places to go. read more

Prime rib is very good, nice unique ambiance being in an old train station, good service and meets expectations overall.

Always a great time dining here. Everyone is always so friendly and helpful. The food is always so fresh and delicious every time. The display of artifacts is also very unique. I highly recommend! read more

All I can say is wow! I've seen the Fb page for this restaurant but have never been in the area to try it. Today we stopped in for late lunch, early dinner. our experience was 10/10! The restaurant is fun in and of itself with all the railroad memorabilia. Our food was really good - I had the Lemoncello Haddack and hubby had a chicken pasta dish. Both were fresh and hot and flavorful. But the shining jewel was our waiter (silly me, I don't remember his name.... but he was the only male waitstaff on today). He took care of everything we needed but not in an in your face sort of way. When we had questions about the building he gave us a quick and interesting history lesson. We will be going back for sure! read more

Super cute. Stopped in for a yummy lunch. Will definitely come back. Quick, friendly service.

Love this place! What a cool spot to take visiting family and friends to. The wait staff is always upbeat, and I haven't had a bad experience during the times that I've visited there in the 13 years that I've lived in the area. read more

We were a group of four, and all of our meals were wonderful. Our server was friendly and attentive. Service was great! Loved the ambience.

There were 4 in our party and we all absolutely loved this place!! Found it on the yelp app as we were driving home to RI and so glad we tried it!! Beautiful train station with so much character and history!! Beautifully maintained and historical!! The food was great! Nice choices on the menu and reasonably priced. We had fried fish, lightly battered and flaky , fresh salad with nice mix of greens, others had ribs that were tender and tasty. Meals came with veg and baked potato, soft rolls and butter. The servers were all so friendly and welcoming and dressed in train operator uniforms- so cute!! We will definitely go back some time. A unique surprise!! read more

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Pseudo-fancy junkyard for rubes. There are no reservations because they can't organize themselves enough to have them. If you want a drink while waiting you can go around to the side of the building next to the active train tracks to get a drink through a sparsely manned window. The food was okay, but they gave you huge amounts in exchange for a lot of money. You should go once to check out the cool restored building, but then find somewhere else that can be bothered to make their customers' lives a bit easier. I really wanted to like this place, but can't bring myself to like some place that doesn't like me read more

Really delicious food, gorgeous building, a friendly and engaged staff, we love coming here and also getting take out. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu so far. read more

Food and service was incredible! Love the old railroad station vibe. Everything about this restaurant is incredible! read more

If food gets wet from a leaking roof then you should lose your heath certificate. The old building is the only thing going for this place.

Gross food and the owner is so rude it's unbelievable! Tried them at least 5 times it's just so gross. We call it 'the steaming pile'

oh. my. god. this place is so yumt y i lov thr bacon brugwes androetillasp.baked french toast read more

Steaming Tender - Me - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

Very friendly and great staff! Food and beer is very good! Beer is mostly IPAs but that's fine by me! Really like dine out here. Has a unique atmosphere due to the rail road aspect and a very rich history of the down town Palmer area! This is a must dine in my opinion! read more

This place was a serendipitous find on the way to Northampton last weekend. Tasty, tasty serendipity! This former railroad station is massive and delightfully Victorian insight with the kind of fare one would expect in a better family-style restaurant. Burgers, meat-and-potato dishes and -- what I ordered -- big plates of friend fish (namely, the Fisherman's Platter Express). The real star of the meal, however, were the homemade potato chips -- hot and fresh from the oven, accompanied by a small cup of some purportedly Cajun mayonnaise, which was mild and somewhat flavorful. A fine, though unremarkable, dipping sauce. Massive slab of haddock, about a half-dozen fried scallops, a few fried shrimp and some clam strips (though I thought the menu said they'd be whole-bellied clams -- a minor demerit in this case). A solid B+. Another highlight: Berkshire Brewing Company beers on draught -- I had a couple of the Station Ales, which might have supplanted BBC's Steel Rail as my favorite in that craft brewery's line. Staff are friendly and attractive, generally adorned in striped overalls reminiscent of a locomotive engineer. When it's somebody's birthday, they sing a version of "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and they have perhaps the best voices of any restaurant staff I've seen pressed into that sort of service. Ambiance was accommodating, with a lot of old-tyme kitsch covering every square inch of wall space. Highly recommend and, if I ever pass through Palmer again, this is my stop. read more

What a charming family-friendly restaurant. A previous review suggested making a reservation, which we did, and good thing, because it does get busy. Popular spot. We saw at least 4 trains go by, including traditional freight and an Aamtrak. We sat inside near a window, which I recommend over sitting outside, as it does get loud with those trains. Ample kids menu. Friendly wait staff and great food. Huge menu with daily specials. I got the hobo bowl - it was excellent! read more

I've never had anything less than awesome at the Tender. Great atmosphere, wonderful, friendly waitresses and a cook. That is unsurpassed try the lemon cello, haddock you won't be disappointed. read more

Absolutely an old charm and authenticity historical. A must see if you love trains or history. Also to die for is the bread pudding OMG!!! With the whisky butter sauce.... Best I ever had! read more

Fabulous atmosphere. Besides being s restaurant, it's a museum of the hay day of railroad travel. A must see if ever in the area. read more

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Awesome!!! We had an amazing time with a perfect dinner. My husband has a love of trains so that was an added bonus. read more

Steaming Tender - Decor - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

Delicious and though some stuff seems like it's not super fresh it's a great middle of the road yummy place. Very clean and the decor is amazing. read more

This is my new fav restaurant for this area of MA! I loved there food and the places style is so cool!!! When I was eating a train came by and the entire place shook its so cool and I loved there haddock great place and everyone supper nice! read more

Steaming Tender - Backed Haddock - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

Ok so I understand the times we are in currently. However frozen fish cooked so poorly that it tastes like it came from the Gordon's Fisherman is just unacceptable for the price they charge. There's just no way around the particular taste frozen fish gives off and when you bread it very very poorly so there is also no texture it's a recipe for a bad fish sandwich. Also the onion rings were soft and soggy and the pulled pork grilled cheese wasn't hot temperature wise. Now you could say that since it was take out I wasn't punctual picking it up, but they told me 15-20 minutes and I got there in twelve to ensure it was fresh and we ate at their picnic tables outside. Severely disappointed in this place. read more

Love this place for a rejuvenating meal after a long hot or cold day at Palmer Motorsports Park. Usually have fantastic draft beer selections on tap, and I've always had a meal that leaves me raving about it when I get home. This time it was the salmon with peach glaze. They gave us a side of cold broccoli salad that was equally fantastic. I paired it with a Wachussetts Blueberry beer that the restaurant garnished with a few actual blueberries. It was also fantastic. I decided to throw in a whisky bread pudding for dessert, and again - awesome! We opted to sit outside on the side porch to avoid the 30-40 mins wait for a table for two, and this turned out OK on a cold July 4th weekend as they had heaters out there for you. Service was quick and friendly - a great experience all around. If your schedule is predictable, I recommend making reservations. read more

Great food and atmosphere. The whole restaurant has absolutely gorgeous woodwork. From the Lemoncello Haddock to the sandwiches you can't go wrong. read more

Seeing as how a lot of the pictures posted, including mine, revolve around the novelty of the train station, the kitchen isn't the star of the show here. It's very cool, they have preserved so much of the station and feel of it all, it's an experience. It's too bad the food isn't at that level. Then this place would really be a gem. But if you're visiting for the experience, love trains, and all that - then you're gonna enjoy yourself. All for pretty cheap, too. Our waitress was Summer and she was super attentive and working really hard. The food was not bad but it left a lot to be desired. And a few more options on draft than just the three from the same brewery would be nice. The beers were good though. Sangria was good. In the waiting room there will be a guy looking through the windows staring at the diners, barking orders and commands to the waitstaff through a radio. I guess it's good they want to stay on top of everything, but it is definitely weird to know you're being watched through your entire meal. And then I remembered its Massachusetts... The prices and the service are great. If the quality of the food matched the dedication to train station experience, this would be one amazing spot! read more

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The food was okay but not really anything special. I do however appreciate the drink menu which was very extensive consisting of both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks. On another note, it is very problematic that they had burger called the "plantation burger" and very much contributed to my unease of this dinning experience. read more

I went here for my birthday and wife's sisters birthday and had a wonderful time. The atmosphere here is very friendly and is decorated nicely for Christmas. The waitress was very polite and friendly. My first time coming here and defiantly loved everything! The food came out in a timely manner, and was absolutely delicious. My baby back ribs were just as described on the menu, fall of the bone! My wife's Caesar salad was the best salad I've had. Her sisters Maverick Burger was also very good! The cheesecake was very delicious!! I really loved how everyone gathered to sing for our birthday. This experience defiantly made my day! Thank you all for such an amazing and wonderful experience!! I defiantly will be coming back soon! Keep up the amazing work y'all do! read more

Steaming Tender - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

Ordered the pork chop with mushroom sauce, husband ordered the Maverick sandwich and was tasty. It was most excellent meal all around. The ambiance was warm and inviting. Service was outstanding! Dara was our waitress and she was friendly and checked up to see if we needed anything. Thanks. -Southern California couple. read more

Steaming Tender - Pork chops with mushroom sauce. - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

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Had the seafood bake, and the wife had a spicy chicken pasta dish. Both were delicious, our server was okay but I think she was just new and shy. The ambiance and decor is truly one of a kind. Tons of interesting pieces of the history of the train station and if you're lucky, a train may pass by. read more

Atmosphere was very welcoming and worth a visit! My family and I (6 and 8 year old and husband) enjoyed the train theme and the waitresses were wearing conductor overalls, which was cute. Service was excellent. Our waitress was very attentive. There is also optional seating outside (looks like for take out though) and indoors with pretty good spacing. I enjoyed a fresh winter salad. My husband did not like the wings and rated them as "ok" which is the reason for 4 stars. Menu for kids was appropriate with typical options. read more

A group of us stopped into Steaming Tender restaurant this past Sunday at 12:00 noon for lunch. Very nice atmosphere in an old train depot. Space was clean and inviting. Service was decent. Menu was American- from soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, pasta, and seafood. Nothing interesting or stood out too much. I has a fish (haddock) sandwich. ($8.99) which was quite small on a brioche hamburger bun. It came with 1 side , which was fries (frozen) even though the menu offered hand cut. Beet selection was below average. I would go back but I it would not be my first choice. read more

I've eaten here a handful of times and it's usually amazing. I dont suggest going late Sunday evening, though. They were out of clam chowder and sweet potato fries. This last visit def wasnt my favorite, but I'll still be returning in the future. Prices a little high, but like I said, usually its phenomenal. read more

Steaming Tender - Virginia salmon...spinach was super garlicky. Not my favorite, but it was good. - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

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You should check this place out. For the atmosphere alone, it's worth a try. Is it the best food you'll ever have? No. Is it the best in the area? Being from NY I wouldn't know. They offer some good looking dishes. Their sandwiches are priced well, and they all look very good. The only problem I had with this place was their prices. In my opinion, most of the food seemed a little overpriced. And from what I saw coming out of the kitchen, it didn't look phenomenal. Again, everything looked very tasty, but for the price point I wonder how much of that is just going into the atmosphere. Bottom line; good food, great atmosphere, a tad expensive, but worth a try. read more

Steaming Tender - Mediterranean chicken sandwich with potato salad. - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

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What a great place!!! Fabulous historic feel and decor....and live trains rolling by regularly!! We had both dinner and breakfast buffet while we stayed at their nearby Trainmaster Inne - both meals were outstanding! The Inne is also fantastic!!!!! Highly recommend both. Worth the trip....a great destination meal! read more

Oh Steaming Tender how I love thee. I love trains, that probably isn't a big secret by now. Steaming Tender is kind of notorious amongst railfans as Palmer was once known as the town of Seven railroads, and an intersection of some of them is directly outside the restaurant lending itself well to photo ops. The following is my review of the actual restaurant, taken verbatim (with a few minor modifications) from the blog post I wrote about it. (The link to which is in my Yelp bio if anyone is interested. I swear I'm not being self-promotional.) The Steaming Tender definitely has the theme and ambiance nailed down. For 2-ish on a Sunday afternoon, the place was pretty packed. No hope of grabbing a window seat, but there was time before any trains were supposed to show up, so it wasn't a big deal. The waitresses were pretty much all wearing the old-fashioned pinstripe overalls that most people associate with engineers (and quite a few had worked the obligatory red bandanas into their hair, so props for that). The menu is pretty big (which sometimes can be a big red flag, less usually means things are more apt to have been perfected.) and being the enormously indecisive person that I am, I had narrowed the list down to about seven different things before I settled upon the Town of Seven Railroads grilled chicken sandwich and a baked potato. (So named because many moons ago, seven different railroads served Palmer, so they called it the town of seven railroads). The food in general is pretty much diner-type food. My sandwich was pretty awesome. The chicken itself was pretty much perfect - not the least bit dry. (Dry chicken annoys me to no end.) The bread was pretty impressive too, I was expecting normal sized slices of rye but these were pretty big. (Yay carbs!!) The baked potato was an added bonus, not enough places have them. I guess my only complaint is they leave them wrapped in tinfoil, I like the skin super crispy, which you can't do when they get wrapped in tinfoil, but I'll get over it. (Or just make myself one the way I want it. Whatever.) Overall, I was pretty impressed with the Steaming Tender itself. Next time I'll pick a different railroad themed dish..maybe the Grand Central nachos or the Pullman Car club :D The service was nothing utterly spectacular, but it wasn't anything to complain about either. And the prices were quite reasonable. I'll definitely be back, especially before Amtrak reroutes the Vermonter so that the reverse move required in Palmer is no longer needed. read more

Steaming Tender - Town of Seven Railroads chicken sandwich (and an iPad open to the Amtrak train status map for progress monitoring!) =) - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

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The restaurant itself is a great idea how it integrates the train station next to it. My server claire was very attentive but also didnt hover much. The food was decently priced however the food was a little overcooked an also I could tell that the cook had cooked my steak tips first because they were kinda cold. So the only thing that saved this from 1 star was the good service read more

So happy to finally go out again. Sat outside and had a fantastic waitress named Sarah. Made our night. Had the fish tacos and the fried artichokes. Frickles for an appetizer. Really nice to try. Nice place to go. read more

Steaming Tender - Sarah. was the hit of our experience. Pleasant. Sweet. Came around at the perfect time.. Made the experience a delight!! - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

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