Heritage House - Skowhegan

The heritage house has accompanied the high season of our daughter in the outdoor center in sugarloaf. they have made an amazing job. all the waiters and waiters were so nice. that was great. the stuffed mushrooms, scallops and chicken salad in endiv cups were fantastic. everyone enjoyed the buffet with bark meat, salmon and chicken. live in massachusetts I would recommend them to fulfill every event. everyone enjoyed it.

Service: Dine-in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $100+ Food: 5 Service: 2 Atmosphere: 4

While our server was pleasant, she seemed to prefer standing at one end of the table and having us shout our orders at her while she leaned against the wall. It felt like she might have been tired, but that didn’t work for us at all. Yelling our orders in what was supposed to be a cozy, quaint restaurant was quite disruptive, especially for the other diners. On the bright side, the food was delicious and full of wonderful flavors. However, I did question the filet mignon because it was half the thickness I expected; most filet mignon is typically thicker. It was tender, but I was left unsure if it was truly mignon or perhaps filet of sirloin. Regardless, it was tasty. All the food was really fantastic. Heritage House used to be my go-to spot for a nice, fine meal years ago, especially because they used to serve bananas foster prepared tableside for dessert (which they no longer do). I would still highly recommend the restaurant given the outstanding food, but I did feel the service could be improved. The server might have just been having a bad day, but her leaning against the wall and her inability to take orders without making us shout felt quite lazy. In a fine dining experience, the quality of service is just as important as the quality of the ingredients and flavors. While I was very impressed with the food, the service left much to be desired. I would still recommend the restaurant for the incredible flavors.

Let’s start with the beverages. There weren’t many options unless you wanted wine or another alcoholic drink from their full bar. I was hoping to find a zero-sugar soda, but they only had Diet Coke. No big deal. We decided to begin with a sampler appetizer. When it arrived, we all shared a laugh at the meager amount of food: two halves of stuffed, fried jalapeños, two frozen mozzarella sticks, and the tiniest fried crab cake I’ve ever seen. I managed to take a bite of the jalapeño, which was underwhelming, and before I could try anything else, the sampler was gone in seconds since we were all so hungry. At that point, there was only one other table occupied, and we experienced a slow wait for our main courses. I thought, perhaps they were preparing the dishes carefully and plating them for Instagram. However, when the food arrived, it looked just like any other fare you might find in town, and the main courses were disappointing. My plate featured an overcooked steak, swimming in blood and fat, which didn't allow the meat to rest properly. Additionally, the accompanying fries were soggy from the juices, so I wouldn’t recommend getting a steak with them. I found burnt rice in my pilaf, and my chicken was dry. Another member of our party had to pick gristle out of their absurdly small portion of chicken. And mind you, these dishes all cost $27 and up, with mine being the least expensive. The poorly prepared steak was priced at $36! For strip steak! The food itself wasn't terrible, but given the prices, we expected much more. We were all shocked by how much we were paying for what we thought would be fine dining. The restaurant's name felt fitting, as the interior decor appeared to be straight out of my late grandmother's home. The place felt like a museum, with walls in desperate need of repair and outdated, tacky wallpaper. The bathroom situation was odd too—there was only one cramped bathroom with a sign indicating “ladies.” After all of this, we made the poor choice of ordering dessert with the simple request to have the brownie heated before serving, yet we received a cold half-portioned brownie instead. Someone really needs to open another upscale restaurant in town, as it’s hard to believe this place is thriving while serving mediocre food at an average of $32 a plate. The only reason I’m giving it two stars is that our waitress was very kind and attentive—she was truly great. Everything else, however? Just mediocre. Edit: I’m adding this last part the morning after... I was incredibly sick throughout the night, which started about six hours after eating there. I’m certain I got food poisoning or salmonella.

Great people great food Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $20–30 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5