A pleasant day with the family. The brunch was good. I enjoyed poached salmon. Others raved about the waffles. Eggs Benedict was good. Cauloflower soup and beet salad appetizers were terrific. Our server was fantastic! Always a terrific place for a special occasion. read more

The food quality is up there with some of the best restaurants in the state. Service is top notch and the building is absolutely gorgeous. It's a "fancy restaurant" with a super cozy and laid back feel. They serve the kind of food that makes you look at each other and say, wow this is amazing. Offering locally sourced and including GF, DF, and vegan options is also a huge plus. read more

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Imagine making a reservation telling them it is your anniversary and that you want an intimate table for two - NEXT TO THE BATHROOMS?! We were switched - NEXT TO THE KITCHEN WITH THE SWINGING DOOR. The only swinging door we wanted to see was the one out. BTW, have been dining at this restaurant since it had opened . Can't believe how far down this establishment had gone . I believe they are testing on their laurels. read more

Maybe the best restaurant in Western Massachusetts. Offering modern American fare, Blue Heron is one of our choices when we want something really special. read more

Amazing, knowledgeable, professional service and delish salmon! Will definitely be back! Thanks!

Blue Heron is, frankly, rather disappointing...and I say this as someone who has come here for 15 years, and over the last five or so have noticed it go downhill. Recently, my husband and I decided to give it another try, and went for dinner. The waitress was off-putting, barely giving us any service, which, due to her personality, was a bit of a blessing in disguise. The menu is static - the number of "blue heron originals" or whatever they are calling them, and about half the menu. Nothing satisfied -- the ricotta and honey had no flavor and was begging for some salt; by contrast, the olives were inexplicably toasted (dry) and consequently concentrated salt bombs; the duck was fine, but broccolini impossible to eat (and why do restaurants serve this vegetable at all??! I love all veg, but this one is awful). My husband's dish was thoroughly unimpressive. The cocktails were lovely, so there's that. The ambience is nice enough (great lighting) After this, my third disappointing experience at this restaurant, I won't be coming here again. But for some folks, it might be just the right note -- there's something for everyone, after all. I am reminded of the saying: the secret to happiness is low expectations. read more

Always such a treat to come here! Excellent service, fantastic food/ drinks and a wonderful atmosphere. Enjoyed the chick pea flour fish n' chips tonight with a glass of Malbec. Not the best pairing but I love my red wine and fried food! entree is served with truffle aioli and house made ketchup. Yes! I'm happy! read more

Blue Heron Restaurant - New American Near Me - Sunderland, Massachusetts

I went with my dad for dinner and had the chili shrimp / picked at the artisan cheese plate. The baguette was drenched in a tasty chili oil and the blue cheese was my favorite. I didn't care too much for the other two more mild cheeses. I loved how all the farms they're partnered with were listed on the menu. The setting was really beautiful too, both indoor and outdoor. read more

The food was delicious and beautifully presented. Quantity was generous but not overwhelming. The service was excellent, attentive without being intrusive. The decor is warm and welcoming. It felt like a comfortable and well appointed home. The overall effect is engaging and attractive. I just it weren't a two hour drive from home! read more

We keep going back in the hope that the food will be better than the last time. We were disappointed yet again. The Ricotta with Honey was very bland,with charred bread. The Mussels in curry sauce were minuscule, with the sauce being very bland. The bread was charred. Lastly, the dates with bacon were wrapped with burnt bacon. The only good part of the meal were the cocktails. We're not going back!! read more

Consistently excellent food and service. Innovative menu. Pleasant staff. You can eat at the bar if you want.

Nice resturant with friendly and attentive staff. The food was very good and the main entree was a good portion. I had the pork chop.

I've been to the Blue Heron many times, and it's always a special experience. From the moment you walk in, you feel like you're entering a truly unique environment. But the star of the show is the incredible food. Each dish is carefully curated and expertly prepared by their team of chefs and cooks, and their delicious cocktails are not to be missed. Blue Heron is on another level from any other restaurant in the area. On a recent visit, my friend and I shared the honey garlic chili shrimp app and their incredible roasted olives, which were perfect for snacking on while we awaited our meal. For dinner, I opted for their evening special, which was Mahi Mahi with a truly delicious nectarine salsa and curried lentil dal. Who would think of pairing these flavors together? They worked perfectly. Save room for dessert, as you can't go wrong with any of their offerings. We both opted for the strawberry shortcake, served with a perfectly baked corn cake. If you're in the area, Blue Heron is the perfect place for a celebration, or just to treat yourself to a delicious meal! read more

2 star food and service and 5 star prices. Waiters have bitter pushy attitude and low attention. Food was basic and boring but priced to the sky. The Easter brunch is a massive price gauge, charging $75 a head for something you can get for half the price anywhere else. Poor communication with the staff and dirty bathrooms made this a one-and-done experience. You're reading this, so I just saved you time and money. Skip the Blue Heron....it's not at all what they claim it to be. read more

The Blue Heron never disappoints. Most recently, we enjoyed roasted olives, whipped feta with honey, scallops and hangar steak. Everything was perfect, including our cocktails and the donuts we enjoyed with a glass of port for dessert. Fantastic service and a fine dining experience that isn't fussy. read more

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Amazing food and vibes. Got the Chipotle shrimp app and the pork chop. Service killed.

Significant decline in food from pre-Covid. First time was Michelin star quality, now it's less than average. Everything is over cooked and on the bland side. That's OK, but they are asking Boston waterfront prices. I had a tough, grainy pork chop ($35), with over and under-cooked Brussel Sprouts, and something resembling risotto. My son had a dried out carcass of duck. He didn't finish it. My daughter had the salmon which she said was ok, but she was not impressed. The soup of the day was potato-leek, and was a bland starchy uninspired concoction. The wait staff is terrific and accommodating. Everything seems to be off in this once venerable establishment. I won't be back. read more

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I definitely wasn't expecting the food to be this good, especially pulling into a tucked away place like this, but their ribeye steak was probably the best I've ever had. So flavorful and tender. The service was also very attentive. read more

Really disappointed...just went with my family for my so son's 18th birthday, grandpa never received his dinner. Unfortunately, the owner was sitting at the bar and very present, never approached the table once or even acknowledged the table. We loved our waiter and the manager who communicated what the owner told him, "tell them this..." Menu and food overall has absolutely gone down from previous years, which all seems to make sense, given the lack of guidance and management from the stakeholder that you'd think cared the most. read more

The Blue Heron has been one of my favorite places for decades and it's still stellar. It is no longer close by, but I still make the more than an hour trek because the food is that good. The menu changes, but it always superb, inventive, and friendly to those of us who have to eat gluten-free. Thank you, Blue Heron! read more

Went here for a birthday dinner. Service was great as were drinks and food. Ricotta appetizer is def worth a try. Would recommend a visit . read more

Blue Heron Restaurant - New American Near Me - Sunderland, Massachusetts

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Place has gone downhill. Been coming here every once in a special occasion, but I'm pretty much done with Blue Heron now. The setting is beautiful, and food is excellent and well prepared. They make great cocktails. But it is no longer worth paying such high prices when the rest of the experience distracts from the delicious food. They used to have a wider variety of specials and unique appetizers, in fact one of our favorite things was just getting a bunch of starters, but now the menu has shrunk and the specials are minimal. However portions for many apps are small, and so they upsell you on paying for "one more little piece" since they tend to come in 3s, rather than 2 or 4. But the worst part is the pace. It is the slowest service I think I have ever experienced. One time we had a family dinner there with 6 of us, but dishes were brought out intermittently that those who were being polite had their food get cold, and others got their dishes well after. However, I figured, we're a large party so this can happen. But the past couple of times it was just myself and my wife, dinner for two should NOT take 2 and a half hours. We were there for a tasting dinner paired with Berkshire Brewing that was incredibly disappointing. The food was very poorly prepared (for Blue Heron standards) and the whole event lasted OVER FOUR HOURS. It felt like being on a long airplane ride. by the time we got the last two courses, I had lost my appetite due to sheer boredom and just wanting to go home. read more

We celebrated my parents 60th anniversary there, they were accommodating considering we didn't have a reservation on a Saturday night. The food was amazing and beautifully cooked and presented, we had the scallops and catch of the day, which was blackened Ahi Tuna. The menu wasn't huge, but there were Vegan and Gluten free options easily available for those who need them. We didn't have an appetizer, but we did have dessert, the GF chocolate torte was very good and the blueberry sorbet with shortbread cookies was excellent. The service was excellent and the staff was very friendly and easy to chat with. I'd go back again for another meal anytime and know that I will get great service and great food! Thanks for a great time!! PS. Mom and Dad loved that the restaurant used to be an old church. Jenn read more

We ordered: -baby green salad -salmon -pork chop -donuts Every single part was delicious. read more

Blue Heron Restaurant - Lightly smoked pork chop - New American Near Me - Sunderland, Massachusetts

We brought or two grown children there fora special post-Holiday treat. And boy, were we glad we did. Just in time as they were rolling out their Winter Menu. The service -- not only by our server -- but the whole team -- made us feel like we were guests in an old fashioned farmhouse -- prompt but down to earth. We shared a mushroom salad (no eyebrows raised at sharing) and a small pile of honey infused ricotta buns (gluten free option). Drinks were a full line of alcohol from the bar, mocktails, NA beer. We could barely wait for our dinners: scallops (appetizer or in this vase meal portion), duck medallions, steak tips, or a purely 5-star filet mignon (medium rare). The tallest mignon I've ever seen. Crazy good. There must be some chefs back there who "get it." The desserts and coffee were insane; don't miss the homemade donuts! At $100 a plate this place isn'tcheap, but then again neithet is a diamond in the rough of Sunderland, MA. We were never rushed. I give my highest possible review. read more

Short review: The food is overpriced for what you get. The service was overall mediocre. The ambiance is nice. More detailed review: I feel like I can get the same or better quality food at much lower prices at many other places. The food was still very tasty and generally speaking, prepared and presented only slightly above average. The menu is very limited, to which I would expect the food to be spectacular since they ought to specialized on. They have access to pretty top shelf booze. The bar tender my wife and I had the pleasure of being served by knew how to make excellent mixed drinks. He was very good company and conversationist. The kitchen got food out at a relatively slow pace for how many diners were present. While the staff appeared pretty laid back. I'm not sure if that is typical or not, but was my experience on the night we went. The desserts while tasty were not as spectacular as their price point would suggest. Their ambiance while nice, I didn't feel was overly elegant and matched their dress code requirement. In summary it is my opinion they are selling a name and an image to justify higher prices while underdelivering on quality, taste and experience. Be ready to drop over $100 minimum for a date night of two. The area is pretty devoid of any "fancy" restaurants so they pretty much monopolize on that. If you're willing to travel a little longer you will enjoy the same or better food at a lower price point. read more

What an amazing experience in the small city of Sunderland. Came in for that special night out while visiting family in Western Mass and the food , ambiance and service was on point. Some of my favs: Pork Chop, calamari, shrimp & the dates. Drinks are delicious and it's definitely worth the visit. It's a must stop in western mass. read more

I have never had a bad meal at the Blue Heron. Their covid safety precautions have been top notch and reassessed as needed throughout to adjust for safety of staff and guests. Amazing drinks and amazing food. Curious to see how they progress into the future. read more

We've been going to the Blue Herron for our wedding anniversary for the last four years. The food and cocktails are always excellent, but we found on our most recent visit that the service was brusque bordering on rude. It's made us reconsider if we want to spend future anniversaries there. read more

Another fabulous meal at BH. BJ works outside and is fabulous. He's knowledgeable, funny and keeps the evening special. Ordered the heirloom tomato salad & calamari - both excellent. Then had the pork chop, pasta with tomatoes & salmon. All very good but the highlight was the pork. For desert the berries over shortcake and peach sorbet were awesome! read more

Food was good- the ricotta with honey was very good and my roast chicken was delicious . Service is a bit uneven for the price paid

Devine and absolutely delish highly recommended this luxurious restaurant. The garlic bread is to die for and the atmosphere was dark and romantic. This was a really good place to celebrate my husband's birthday. read more

Blue Heron Restaurant - Me and husband - New American Near Me - Sunderland, Massachusetts

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Pricey, overrated, and nothing spectacular. The food was underwhelming, service was slow (really, really slow), restrooms are near tables where people eat, and what we ordered was at its core ordinarily prepared though dressed-up pork and swordfish. Nothing exceptional and it ultimately seemed like it could've been made easily at home. Unimpressed. There was nothing notable or overly positive/negative about the experience. I usually review on Yelp when something experienced is exceptionally good or exceptionally poor. This experience was barely tepid. It left me with no reason to go back. read more

Not much curb appeal from the front but the quality of the food makes up for that. First of all our waitress Laurieanne was the best! She was very efficient and had a great sense of timing for drinks, appetizers, main entrees and dessert. You could tell she was experienced and having fun as she did her job! Two of us got the smoked pork chop which was thick, had a lightly smoked taste and was cooked perfectly. The other two at our table had the scallops(8) and said they were great! The dessert of vanilla ice cream and rutabaga was excellent as well as the coffee. It was my husband's and my first time there and we loved it! The other 4 had been to the restaurant before and it's their favorite! What a wonderful place with service to match! read more

Waited over an hour for our entrees even though the restaurant was not very busy for a Friday night. the risoto was luke warm and the fish was over cooked. read more

Food was OKAY, nothing more. Zucchini noodle plate was tiny. Vegetable tian as well. Do they think vegetarians are all on a diet and eat tiny portione ??? Those in our party who had ordered meat and fish fared better but ordering a side dish is pretty much necessary (garlicky polenta was good but veggies - broccolini - overpriced). Scallops were okay, salads completely overpriced (a few green leaves with a few grilled mushrooms). Good non alcoholic drink selection though, nice ambiance. We waited wayyyy to long for our main course. I think the place has some good food options, decent food but avoid salads and veggie dishes or order a side. read more

i had gone here a 2 weeks ago for an anniversary with my partner. we had the most amazing time here. the service was phenomenal. first, to start off i had a beautiful red sangria drink. it was amazing! we then got our fresh french fries, and it had the best truffled aioli i've ever tasted, alongside with the ketchup. homemade ketchup and aioli, can't get better than that. we also had the ricotta and honey, it was phenomenal. so beautifully plated, the honey tasted fresh and it looked like the sprouts on top of the toast were from the garden they had outside!! for entrees we had the scallops with lentils and the most amazing sweet sauce on top of it. the lentils had a nice smokey taste to them, my partner had a nice hanger steak, he let me try some and it was so perfectly done. i got the evening whipped potatoes as well and they were pretty good as well. i then ordered an espresso martini and that was so nicely made. it went down so smoothly. we then had dessert and we chose the crisp of the evening which was blueberry and peaches with a nice vannila ice cream, it came out so hot. so it was nice with the cool ice cream! and we also had the coconut caramel cheesecake. if you are wanting the girl scout samoas cookies when they aren't in season, get this cheesecake!! all in all i can't find enough good things to say about this place. everything was so beautiful and peaceful. 1000/10 highly highly recommend to anyone trying to find somewhere good to eat in western mass!! read more

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This is one of the best up-scale options in the valley. The owners are wonderful and give back to the community, which is why they've been a staple in Franklin County for over a decade. The food is reliably tasty, they vary the menu to accommodate seasonal specials, yet keep the delicious favorites we regulars count on. They have cute outside dining options and a small bar. Make reservations if possible, they tend to to booked more often than not. read more

Blue Heron Restaurant - Desert - New American Near Me - Sunderland, Massachusetts

The best part- ambiance and service. Nice dining experience, linen and cloth napkins, leisurely paced meal. Server was helpful and professional. The not so great- food descriptions on the menu were interesting and sounded wonderful. The execution was somewhat disappointing. The special roasted tomato and artichoke soup was delicious. The vegetarian tarin was lackluster- vegetables all piled on mashed potatoes with a side of black beans and overdone asparagus was a mushy messy plate. The wild mushrooms were so sparingly added to both the wild mushroom salad and the vegetarian entree that they should not be highlighted as a key ingredient. When we asked for bread, we were upsold to garlic bread and told complimentary bread wasn't available- yet the next table was brought a small basket of bread slices. The salmon dinners were good and the daily risotto was tasty. The seafood special- wasabi crusted tuna with a Thai noodle salad had so much potential. The tuna was the most flavorless, toughest piece of fish I've ever been served. I asked for it to be cooked medium and wonder if they microwaved it. The peanut sauce under it was excellent but the noodle salad had too much mint. The desserts- the chocolate torte with expresso ice cream was excellent, the donuts were okay but there was no hint of ricotta (the dipping sauces weren't anything special) and the pomegranate custard was delicious. But here's where things went odd- the dessert menu offered shortbread with some of the desserts. My custard was served without the described shortbread. When I asked the server, she agreed that the shortbread was missing. She comes back to the table with a plate with 2 Nabisco Lorna Dorne cookies!!! I just spent over $300 on a dinner for 4 and am served Nabisco cookies??? Seriously- take shortbread off the menu instead of embarrassing your server like that! We all got a good laugh at the Lorna Dornes's (not even Walkers shortbread lol) but that described the whole meal- creating an interesting menu, shooting for great food and missing the mark. We will return because there are other interesting selections. read more

Blue Heron Restaurant - Pomegranate custard - New American Near Me - Sunderland, Massachusetts

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My SO and I celebrated our semi-anniversary with a meal here. We had heard some great reviews plus there really weren't an abundance of places open on a Sunday night. The restaurant definitely has a mature and intimate atmosphere. My SO ordered the Chicken Livers for an appetizer and those were pretty good ~$12 (but I don't have anything to compare to). He also decided on the fish of the day for a $30 price point. He seemed to enjoy it and I had a bite. Nothing mind blowing here. I decided to try the "Blue Plate" special, where get to choose from a few options that they probably have pre-prepared in anticipation of a lot of people ordering that. It includes an appetizer, entree and dessert for $25. I got the veggie soup for appetizer and it came lukewarm. For the entree I ordered a pasta with sundried tomatoes (extremely cheesy and greasy). Lastly I also got to share the chocolate cake with my SO. It was good, but the whip cream was melting off the side of the cake probably because it was sitting out too long. I suppose for the price point I should expect less than fresh food? The overall consensus for me is a bit disappointed so I don't think I will be rushing to go back any time soon. Also we let our waitress know in the beginning that we'd be splitting the check... and reminded her at the end. She completely ignored it. read more