The Woodshed is BACK!
 

Hi Guys & Gals,
Since I was one of the first to speak out when The Woodshed went from bad to terrible, I felt I should be one of the first to say the "NEW OWNERS" have done a complete "about Face!"
After have two horrible meals and swearing to never go back, I was "kidnapped" by my neighbors last night. They heard the new owners had made giant improvements. They told us we were going for Pizza, but brought us to The Woodshed.
We were greeted by an "old Friend" named "Annie" (whom MANY in the lakes region know at first sight) Her warm and friendly smile brightend up the entire place immediately! We were then seated and right away (Reservations were made) our server "Tylor" came over. What a fantastic waiter he is. Friendly, polite, fast, but not like he was rushing you. Drinks were ordered and came right away. The Salads were fantastic, not too much not too little, just right. My wife had "Prime Ribs", (remember the last two times I said they were cold and mostly all fat) Not this time, this meal was perfectly cooked to perfection, meat was excellent (yes I took a bite of my wife's), the veggies were cooked perfect. Not over cooked, crisp, warm and delicious! Our neighbors had Maryland Crab cakes, and Hanger Steaks. They also said their meals were perfect! Me, (the procrastinator) had Baked Scalops. Absolutely Fantastic! We even had desert. I tried the "Pumpkin Cheese Cake", and it was "Yummy!" We had a great conversation with Tylor (a Northeastern University Alum...even though I went to BC...LOL) about the history of "The Woodshed" and it's goal to bring it back to Number 1 in the Lakes Region. Looks like they did it!
For many years (14 for us) we had enjoyed and looked forward to "The Woodshed" for that "Special Evening" meals. Once again, "The Woodshed" is back to being what we all heard about, knew about, and always came for. I HIGHLY RECOMEND, going back. Ask for Tylor, and tell him "The Eagle" sent you! You couldn't get a better server! Me, and my wife will be visiting there "Regularly" now! "The Woodshed is BACK!"

I'm so glad that the Woodshed has returned to the high standards that have served it and its customers so well for so long. I'm a softie for prime rib and the Woodshed was the standard bearer for good prime rib. I look forward to my next decadent serving.

My wife and I went to The Woodshed Friday for our wedding anniversary night out. We go there more than any other restaurant in the area because we are in a rutt. Onion soup, prime rib, baked potato with the works, cocktails. This time we upgraded our salad and it was fabulous. We're happy to report that The Woodshed is "back" (not that it ever went away).
...and, the house cut of prime rib was huge!

I am so glad to hear this. The Woodshed has been one of my favorite restaurants for decades and a favorite place to go when the weather turns chilly. We'll be checking it out again thanks to these rave reviews.

Hebron, CT - been there, relatives in Bolton!


My questions: who is manager/chef, etc.?

The Chef is still the same..............so, how has the Woodshed changed?

Money
 

Logic would assume that the new owners have the funds available to buy good product which should equate to a better dining experience. For example, in years past I was able to order a two plus pound lobster at the Woodshed. This past summer all they had were the small chick lobsters. It was disappointing. I'm not sure if this change was tied to the financial problems the restaurant was experiencing but I would guess it was.

How has "The Woodshed" changed you ask?
 

In reply to the question above. "How has the Woodshed Changed"..easy one!
The FOOD is of better quality, the service is better (faster) the atmosphere is friendlier, the food is hot not cold, the Prime Rib has MEAT and NOT all Fat, the waiter (especially Tylor) is very personable. Just a 100% change with new ownership, and people who care about what they do. Best way to find out is to just go try them again. IF you had a bad experience (the past couple years) it's time to go back and try again. WELL worth the trip!
"The Eagle"

I attended the Power Squadron meeting at the Woodshed last night. The server informed me that any Woodshed coupons the public may have are no longer valid. Presently they do not offer any coupons. I ordered prime rib and it was excellent. The price for my meal was $25.00. I guess everything you purchase is expensive these days.

Is the Woodshed open on Tuesdays?
 

I thought thay they were closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Their web site is not activated. What does that mean?

My wife and I went last Thursday and had a very good meal, starting with shrimp cocktail, then prime rib and lobster tail for me and prime rib for my wife, and ending with Denver Pudding. We have always enjoyed the Woodshed but we noticed a slight decline over the last several years. We miss the friendliness of Lyn and Denise.

From my understanding the old owner was the chef. I am assuming he is not currently involved and the "chefs" are the orginal kitchen crew.

new owner(s)
 

Didn't the owner of the Canoe and O's buy it or now has something to do with it?

There are four owners and the owner of Canoe is indeed one of them.

Stopped by for dinner tonight
 

First let me say that I have not been a big fan of the Woodshed in the past. We stopped by this evening to give it a shot since management has changed.

It has been a while since I have been completely happy with a meal at any restaurant. Everything was great! We had the brie appetizer and I ordered the duck special. I love duck and since it is so hard to prepare correctly, it is a good test of the quality of food at a restaurant. The duck was prepared perfectly!

We had the ice cream puff for dessert and could not even finish it.

The service was excellent.

It is nice to be able to post accolades for a local restaurant...this dinner will make us want to return.

jetskier:cool:

Was there last Friday, during the snow/sleet storm. Had a great dinner, just as I remember it from years back. Service was top notch. I would highly recommend. :)

Great service
 

Gave it a try Sat night and the service was first rate ! Very quick with drinks and the food came right away. This is not like the old place it's like a new place with a new attitude . One thing is it's not inexpensive . Be ready to drop some money for a great evening

Not so much
 

We were Woodshed "regulars," but like many of you, became disenchanted with the new ownership and stopped going. But based on your posts, we tried it again last evening. The beef was very tough. The mashed potatoes were the kind made with instant flakes. The vegetables were limp and tired looking, as well as overcooked. Service friendly and fast, but when you're dropping the kind of $$$ that dinner for four will cost ($125 bill for four, no drinks, no desserts, one appetizer), it was disappointing and we're highly unlikely to return. :look:

Different woodsheds?
 

Are you sure? I was there last night...the beef was tender and flavorful the veggies were perfect and the baked sweet potato was delicious! The service was friendly, fast and I knew what I was ordering so I expected the bill! The only thing I could say is I wish the raw bar was there!

Yes, Jumbie98, it was also last night. Hmmm. Didn't even mention the very long piece of hair in the salad. Just not a good night for us, I guess.

The Woodshed is BACK!
 

It looks to me that the Woodshed is going through the same see saw that the Wolfeboro Inn experienced following its major renovation and ownership change. The posts to this site were either very much in favor, or very much against the Inn.

In both cases, the posts about the Inn and the posts about the Woodshed, the posters were quite specific about their complaints. The Inn finally got a manager with a "big" gold badge, and, using the backlog of posts describing problems, he set about to cure the situation, both food-wise and service-wise.

Maybe the Woodshed should be reading this site (my guess is that they probably are) and doing the same. Mayber their new manager needs a "big" gold badge.

I too was there last night night and did not have the same experience as you. My meal was great! I was reading the posts and most comments seem positive. Your comment about everyone being disenchanted doesn't seem to agree with the majority of the posts.

How could you omit this comment, it would have been an immediate gag. Wish we could vet newbee posters

Joined the forum just to complain about a rejuvenated and thriving business. Classy.

Pleasurable evening
 

Went to the Woodshed last Friday night. I must say the place looks great, much improved since new ownership. We had the escargot and the artichoke dip and both were fantastic. There were 5 of us, 4 of which had the prime rib.
The prime rib was excellent and enjoyed by all who ordered it. My house salad was tasty with the house vinaigrette. Service was very good as well.

was at the Woodshed for Christmas eve dinner and didn't have any complaints, prime rib was tasty, app's were good and the service was great. All in all a good night

http://i52.tinypic.com/vsn94z.jpg Den65, I just noticed that you are fairly new to posting on the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends.:) Happy Holidays

http://i54.tinypic.com/2e56yqf.gif

Good Experience
 

New to the area we have eaten there twice in the last few months. Found the food to be very good. Had the prime rib and husband had scallops. All cooked perfect, service was fine, slower than we like but thats our personell pref, will def return..

Have been reading the forum restaurant reviews, Tough crowd…

Woodshed
 

We went back to The Woodshed for the first time in a couple of years. We stopped because of the awful mess it became. I will say it wasn't the worst but for the money, we probably won't go back. Both of our salads were like water, the caesar was soaking in thin water dressing almost like the lettuce froze and thawed out. I ordered steak and swordfish with rasberry sauce(I should have known there) the sword was so over cooked it was almost mush and rasberries just don't go with swordfish. The steak was so undercooked with no flavor and cold. The veggies were good and the rice had been cook much earlier and very reheated. The Hanger steak was cooked as ordered but still didn't have any flavor. The service was ok but REALLY slow. It took about 5-8 minutes after being seated before we were offered anything to drink then it took almost another 10 minutes before drinks arrived. Mind you the resturant was less than 1/2 full in main room only. The waitress was attentive but needs a few lessons in proper service. We were both shocked when she reached over both of us to clear full salad plates instead of walking to the other side of the table to clear them. No water was offered at all. The atmosphere is still wonderful but I would say that's the only reason to pay at least $29.00 + for an entree that was really awful. We were so hoping the change of ownership would put this resturant back where it once was. BUT NOT YET!

Hospitality training
 

What bothers me is that the local community college has excellent courses in hospitality and cuisine. I had the pleasure to dine at thier restuarant at Belmont Mill building and I am very impress with the professionalism.

For some reason the graduates are not considered prime employee material and local restuarants choose to hire inexperience help. Economics? I'd rather hire a qualified student and pay a little extra to develop outstanding service that will result in satisfied customers, than hire unqualified people off the street and suffer the consequences of unhappy customers.

Southern NH University also has an excellent culinary school. Stop by their multi million dollar hospitality building for food to die for.

I know this is off topic but there is no excuse for local restuarants to hire folks that are not trained. Most of the students would love to stay in the area but no one is hiring them.

This is not a fair assessment unless you know for a fact that local restaurants are not hiring graduates from local colleges. Also the restaurant industry in the winter months are slower. I do not know any industry that actively hires in the "off season" as the hospitality industry does.

I agree, Broadhopper you're way off track on this one. First of all there are probably a hundred if not more applicants for one of these jobs. The business doing the hiring is going to weed through all the applicants and narrow it down to just a few then finally the one. Many times jobs are filled by those more experienced because the job requires someone who can hit the ground running.
As with any other job, sometimes you have to start at the bottom and work your way up.
As for seasonal jobs, as much as I hate to see new faces in town during the summer, many of which are on work visa's, taking jobs that the locals could be working at, many of today's youth just do not want to work. They expect to be paid way above what they are worth and then they just do not want to work. But on the other side of the coin, who wants to take a job in a tourist area knowing full well they will be laid off in the fall.
Lots of variables to consider BH.

Woodshed
 

The point was the food was awful and the service was questionable for the price. That falls back on management no matter how you make excuses!

My granddaughter graduated from Southern NH University with a degree in Culinary Management. While she was a student there I went to The Quill for lunch many times. The students run every aspect of the restaurant, from meal creation to guest seating to serving.

A lot of the students who graduate from there go into the catering business because that is where the money is. That's what she is doing and has gone to many McMansions on Lake Winnipesaukee to do catering. I could tell you some very interesting stories (but I won't). :) They also try to get jobs at Inns where they can learn about memorable cuisine, and world-class service.

My daughter also graduated from Southern NH University with a degree in computer science and accounting. It's a top notch school.

I have eaten at TVI which is a culinary school in Saint Paul many times (years ago), so I am a bit surprised at the high cost of the dinner meals at The Quill. The lunch prices are not listed. What is the general amount?

LTF and BR
 

I have to agree with the both of you. I also need to look at where the colleges are actively placing their graduates. I do know of a number of well established restaurants that have local graduates on their staff. I find it hard to believe that restaurants today can have a staff that has no clue what they are doing! And I see this frequently, and they are not 'fast food chain'.

I also have to agree many young folks will not work unless the pay is to their likings. That is why many seasonal restaurant staff have visas form South America, Caribbeans, or South Africa. I find them very pleasant and well trained. Establishments even pay their room and board!

My wife and I paid $10.00 each for a three course luncheon. They were all fancy dishes of different country cuisines. As you walk in the Restaurant they have each meal in a dish on display so that you can see what you are getting.
It is a lot of fun because the students try real hard to do a good job and are very pleasant to talk to.
I never had dinner there but they charge $25.00 each for the meal. If dinner is as good as their lunch, then I would say that you will get your monies worth.

I must add that I was willing to pay whatever they charged because it had to do with my granddaughters education. It was the same way when my daughter went there for her education, I did whatever it took to be involved with their activities.

The problem is a lack of training by the owner/manager
 

Most graduates of the various hospitality programs are not really interested in being on waitstaff. They are seeking larger positions. However, a good waiter or waitress can make more money than most managers. Unfortunately, they never get to that place because owners and managers fail to understand how to train the staff. They do not know fine dining service and how can one know that if they have never been out of rural NH. It does not come naturally it must be taught and most restaurant owners are more comfortable on their Harleys than they would be serving a five course dinner in a five star restaurant. I know that sounds snobbish but think about it. If you have never used linen table clothes at home or fine china and stem ware, have never been taught how to set a proper table, how to serve and clear, how to crumb or how to serve a flawless multi course meal to several people all whom dine at a different pace and have ordered different entres you will be frustrated by the process and leave the business of waiting. In the mean time the owner is losing thousands of dollars of basically free money because the staff has zero idea of how to gently up-sell the menu and have the guest leave the place with an exceptional experience.

There is a huge difference between eating out and dining out. Unfortunately that is lost on most restaurant owners.

These "reviews" are becoming worthless! :(

Don't read them then.

AGAIN...SO WHAT about who went where to school?? The whole point was about the WOODSHED and the food and the service. If you'ld like to spend 150.00 for an awful meal experience GO AHEAD! If I had read this first, I would have known what to expect or wouldn't have gone at all. THAT's IT!

We get your point. It's sounds like you have a bigger beef with the woodshed than a bad experience. To post 3 times about the same visit seems excessive.

I agree, make your point (in like, one post) and let it be. We all have different tastes and expectations. I'm happy to hear what you say, but only once.

I guess the only reason that we started talking about "who went where to school" was because you said this in your post: "The waitress was attentive but needs a few lessons in proper service."

I agree with you but it's tough to get highly trained young people to work so far away from "where the action is". The Woodshed might be known to most locals but not to people who just got a 4 year culinary degree.

There is no excuse for bad service and it's too bad that you had such an experience.

I have absolutely no other beef with the Woodshed. We used to frequent it all the time until it went down hill. We were so hoping the things had turned around and I could give it a wonderful recommendation. I try to use the forum resturant review for what the name says....that's all. When I try a new resturant or go back to an old favorite I try to educate myself on what to expect. That's all! That's what I thought it was for!!!

Excited to give it another try!
 

I am so glad to hear all the great reviews about the Woodshed being up to top quality again. I had gone a few times in the recent past and been disappointed now that it appears to be up and running like a well oiled machine I am def. going back!