Inn At Phillips Mill

My husband and I had a fabulous dinner Saturday, September 20, 2008 at the Inn at Phillips Mill! Our reservations were for 8:00 - we arrived promptly. Two people greeted us with smiles at the door and one of them led us immediately to our table in the corner by a fieldstone wall with a curved doorway - it was very romantic. The restaurant was packed, but the service was wonderful! Our waitress, Judy, was excellent - she was friendly, professional and smiled the entire time - we felt very welcome. The meal started with warm bread and soft butter - very good. My husband had the cream of spinach soup with scallops - I tasted it and it was very flavorful. My appetizer was a special (not on the regular menu, but should be!) the seafood crepe. The crepe texture and sauce flavor were perfect and the seafood, shrimp and scallops were plentiful - almost a meal in itself. My husband's entree was a steak seared to perfection while I had the roast pork tenderloin which was crusted and spiced and exactly the way I ordered it. Both meals were accompanied by mashed potatoes with a light garlic flavor and assorted roasted vegetables; asparagus, yellow squash and carrots grated and piled in a nest. A half of a baked peach decorated both plates. Not only was it delicious, but it looked beautiful. I asked to see the chef, Jordan Marshall, and learned that he made the creme brulee, so my husband and I shared one. It was the best creme brulee that I have had. It was a perfect ending to a perfect evening. Just a reminder - it is BYOB so if you want wine with your dinner, you have to provide it. They don't accept credit cards, so bring cash or checks. more

We have found the Inn at Phillips Mill to be an example of that rare combination of fine french food and good value. The menu is surprisingly reasonable. The house salad looks unlike any other you may have found with the same name. It's about seven bucks. The chicken on both the old"" menu and the newly designed menu is outstanding. It's about $ 22.00). Between the two you are spending $ 29.00 or $ 58.00 per couple before tax and tip. (Living locally dessert and coffee can be at home.) The BYO policy brings the dining to a higher plane. Some patrons bring incredible bottles. We sat next to another couple who brought a 1996 Mouton Rothschild Bordeaux and offered us a taste! Pros: Inspired dishes, BYO policy, reasonable prices Cons: Tough to get a table on busy weekends on short notice (Plan ahead) more

We've been going to Phillips Mill for years for the generally good food and BYO policy in spite of the poor service. However, after our recent experience, we will not be returning. The hostess/server (Judy?) was downright surly - she did not greet us, made it immediately clear that she did not want to seat us (we were a party of four respectable 40s/50s adults), did not smile once throughout the entire evening, acted like she was doing us a favor by taking our orders, slammed down food in front of us, never checked on how our meals were, finally sent someone else to fill our water glasses after we asked repeatedly, and seemed indignant when we wanted to order coffee/dessert. Pros: Ambience Cons: Service, service, service more

I seldom write negative reviews, but my experience last night has pushed me into action. In short, the staff is what ruined the experience. The only word that comes to mind is ""surly."" They definitely treat you like you are a bother and any request (like ordering dessert or coffee) is truly a burden for them. It is a BYOB and we had to ask several times (think 4 or 5 times) to have a bottle of wine opened. During the meal, we gave up asking to have another bottle opened and I walked to find a waiter and asked them to open the bottle. Water was not refilled, they did not check with us to see how the food was, and the plates almost thrown into place in front of us. The appetizer was served so violently, some of the crostini slid off the plate! It was so bad it was really comical. I kept expecting a ""you're on candid camera"" moment to reveal that we'd benn set up for a joke. Pros: quaint inn Cons: rude staff, average food more

Lovely, quaint rooms - very warm and inviting. Staff was a bit harried - we had to wait a few minutes for our table to be set - but open and friendly. The escargot in pernod sauce appetizer was amazing. The filet in bordeaux sauce was excellent, and the duck confit special was very good, even though it didn't seem much different than regular duck. We decided to take a pass on dessert, although they looked very nice. Since it is BYOB, we had a terrific meal at a pretty reasonable price. Pros: romantic, excellent food more

Quiet and quaint Country Inn. Garden dinning in the summer or by a fireplace in cooler weather. Excellent cuisine. Expect something uniquely different. Bring your own wine. Cash only. My girlfriend loved it in December - my daughter enjoyed it in June. Pros: great food, excellent service, intimate setting Cons: cash only, no liquior license more