Orchard Hill Cider Mill - New Hampton

Upon arrival, we had to wait in the parking lot while dust blew around from passing cars. The venue is small; one room had only about four tables and the buffet set up, while the other room, which housed the bar, was even smaller. We ended up seated on the deck at a makeshift arrangement of five tiny, slotted tables, which made moving around difficult. The coffee bar was a significant misstep. Imagine ten tables of families all trying to squeeze into a cramped 10’x10’ bar area to get their drinks. The juice station had a single juicer, requiring guests to cut their own oranges and press them one half at a time, leading to a long line of frustrated patrons. After managing to make just a few cups of juice, I moved on out of respect for the people waiting behind me. Finding space on the tiny table for coffee pots was a challenge too. I had to carry two drinks back to our table only to return for a second round in the line. While it’s understandable for a bar to require guests to serve themselves, everything else should have been provided through table service, especially when a gratuity is expected in a buffet setting. Sadly, two of the drinks I carried back to the table were spilled due to the slotted tables, and any slight movement threatened to send cutlery and other items tumbling through the gaps. Now, onto the food. A buffet can be enjoyable when executed properly, but there were no labels identifying the dishes, and many staff members seemed unaware of what was being served. At one point, a dish was passed around from one staffer to another, with the last person having to go into the kitchen just to find out what one of the three pies was. Given that the menu was fixed, it was disappointing that all staff members, especially the servers, weren’t informed about what was being served. The crepes had become so hard under the heat lamp that I had to eat them with my hands, and we hesitated to cut any food for fear we would lose everything but our plates. The waffles were tough and the cider donuts tasted stale and dry—quite disappointing for a dish typical of an orchard. On the brighter side, the made-to-order items were good, as were other items that could withstand being prepared in advance for the buffet. Finally, let's talk about gratuity. It felt inappropriate to tip 18% given that we had to serve ourselves for drinks and most of our food, aside from the made-to-order items, and the bus staff merely cleared our plates. When the bill arrived, the server displayed the expected gratuity amount, leaving us feeling pressured to tip that much without reflection. What really added insult to injury was having the 18% gratuity added to our bar bill as a separate charge, which meant we inadvertently paid gratuity on a gratuity, resulting in an extra $20 charge. In conclusion, Orchard Hill Cider Mill made a profit from us, and the staff received generous tips. For patrons, however, the experience was a complete disappointment.

As for dietary restrictions, the menu is a bit limited this time of year, but there are plenty of gluten-free options. They are in the process of switching to a gluten-free fryer, and I’m looking forward to seeing that on my next visit.

I went to Mother's Day brunch with my mother, and my family and I were very pleased with the staff's service. The food was delicious, fresh, and made to order. Everything was well-organized, and my mother was pleasantly surprised to celebrate here. We will definitely return to celebrate more occasions in the future. If I needed something, I simply asked the staff, who promptly found it for me and kept me informed. It was great to see so many happy people around us enjoying their time; the atmosphere was truly wonderful.

This place was so disappointing and overpriced. We wanted to make a reservation online however they were trying to charge a $40 deposit which I’ve never heard of a restaurant doing. We were sat outside where there was a water spill on half of the table. Somebody came shortly after to try to clean it up. They have QR codes on the tables where you place your orders but for some reason it didn’t combine mine with everyone else’s. I placed my order and the rest of the table placed theirs a minute later. I got my food very quickly (less than 10 min after placing the order). However they brought out wooden cutlery for our table which was laughable because those are the kinds of utensils toddlers should use. I looked around and saw that all the other tables around us had metal cutlery so I figured I’d wait until the waitress came back to ask for the right utensils. The rest of my party didn’t receive their food until another 15 min later. My food was cold by the time I got the right utensils. My sister was served very raw poached eggs and when she complained and asked for overeasy eggs, they brought her scrambled eggs. She complained again and they finally brought her the right eggs. The food was okay. Def overpriced because I could’ve gotten better quality food and service at a diner for half the price. When we got the final bill they charged us 18% gratuity for only 4 of us. So basically $13 just for them to bring us food. They didn’t check up on us or even take our order. The whole thing was a terrible experience and I will never eat here again.

Amazing food and handmade ciders. Wonderful selection of NY state wines and whisky. Great space, for private events. I had a fantastic time. The staff were prompt, professional and fun.