We used to love this place but we went for the first time in several years and were appalled at the low quality of the cooking and service. We'd heard that things had changed over the years but we went with friends who wanted to give it a try because we had so enjoyed it in the past. It was not a good experience in any way. Not one thing any of us ordered was good. No one finished their meal. Service was on the surly side...a request for a water refill brought an eye roll. The only thing that's the same about the place from my previous review is that it's still unbelievably noisy. read more

We had a wonderful experience at a private party on a Sunday afternoon here at Food 101. Our guests enjoyed the variety and generous amount of delicious appetizers. We had a great time in this lovely venue with attentive and friendly staff. read more

We came here for a dinner date, and we were not disappointed. The food and service were superb. A little on the dark side, as the lighting was set to be the ambiance with laid-back and romantic music. It was also raining that day, so natural lighting wasn't helping. That would be my only recommendation: to adjust the lighting a bit if natural lighting isn't helping. Cocktails were good, and our server was attentive but not overbearing. read more

Great food, cocktails, and service! We came in on what we thought would be a quieter Tuesday night and it was still fairly busy. Our waitress was on point providing attentive service, great recommendations, and our drinks and food came quickly. While a bit pricey (expect $30-$40 for an entree), the portions were a good size and food was very tasty. read more

I don't typically review places but this was such a terrible experience, others should know. I worked a very long time in the food service industry and I'm not sure how this place is still running with how they treat people. My mom made reservations for my sister's birthday, online, for 8:30pm, so keep in mind this reservation time was available. They called my mom at 8:33pm to ask if we were still coming (we were doing the board and brush next door) she confirmed we were finishing up and would head over. At 8:39pm the owner came to the board and brush and asked the room "does someone here have reservations?", my mom said we did and he said "well you need to get over here we are trying to close." We were taken aback but just figured they wanted to get our food order into the kitchen which is understandable. My mom was visibly uncomfortable as we packed up at the board and brush so I told her to just head over to assure them we are coming. She was sat but with so much attitude and the bartender/waitress basically stood over her asking if she knew what we wanted to drink and eat. My mom said "they are just putting the stuff from the board and brush into the car and coming right here." The owner then came back and says "if they aren't here within 3 minutes, we cannot serve you." At this point I tell my sister I'll finish putting the stuff in the car and to go save my mom from these horribly rude people. Seconds later, I see them both walking out saying they refused to serve us. My mom had told the owner that she made the reservation online and that this was not even the latest spot available (you could choose 9pm) and he proceeded to tell her that "I don't know what the website says." So when you saw an 8:30pm reservation come in that day (she also did this days in advance) and if you wanted to close or it was an error in timing, wouldn't you simply (and politely) call those people and just inform them of the mistake? And what was the expectation of having an 8:30pm reservation and wanting to close by 9? Judging by other reviews, they obviously couldn't handle getting a table in and out in 30 minutes. I'm just absolutely appalled by how this was handled. Cancel on us, I don't care, I can even understand but the approach was just shocking. We didn't try any food but certainly will never return to do so. read more

...a 21st birthday and incredible from tapas to desserts!! A salmon special to write home read more

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My husband and I came here for his birthday dinner and sat at the bar. The bartender was very rude. When we asked for to go containers she seemed irritated. When she asked how our entrees were my husband said the pork was very dry-which it was over cooked to well done. Her response was to ask the gentleman sitting next to us how his pork was rather than apologizing, letting the chef know and offering a solution (compensation, dessert on the house). Instead we paid 35$ for a dry pork dish that my husband had a few bites of. read more

The worst atmosphere, there is zero noise attenuation in place...you can't barely hear the person sitting next to you. That is to say, the acoustics are horrible. The service was miserable, more than an hour wait for our meals. The food was good but not worth the wait. There is no reason to visit this restaurant. read more

Ate there last week and the shrimp special was great! Our server was fantastic! We will be back!

We started going to Food 101 years ago, and they were pretty good. Recently we went again, and for the last time. Look, a lot of things about the pandemic have hurt restaurants. But there's no way the pandemic or shortages or anything else can explain away the awfulness of the meal we experienced here. If you are going to serve an iceberg lettuce salad, make it fresh every day. Don't put out a plate of rusty chunks of chopped lettuce. If you're going to serve a $27 seafood and pasta dish, serve it with more than 5 mussels, three clams and 5 horrendously overcooked shrimp. Yes, I counted. I could have had a better meal for far less at Olive Garden, and I HATE Olive Garden. And if the waitress checks to make sure that you are OK with the seared tuna being rare, then you better serve it that way. Don't drop a plate of uniformly grey slabs of alleged tuna on the table. The one bright spot was the crème Brule with fresh berries. Nicely done. But even their once stellar fries were undercooked and over salted. And on a weeknight, the service was epically slow. We were a large party and dropped a lot of money on this meal, and boy do we regret it. read more

Simply amazing! From service to food, simply so thrilled that we chose Food 101 as our dinner choice! Also wasn't too expensive. Paid under $100 for 2 people. Salmon risotto-- 12/10! So delicious! Raviolis -- 12/10! THAT good! We loved the ambiance in the restaurant.. dim lighting. Also all the waiter and waitresses looked very professional with their dress code. Our plates we cleared off our table the second we moved them to the edge of the table. Everything was done in a timely matter. Great job! read more

Amazing food! You really need to try everything. Congrats to the head Chef. The place is so calm inside but a little dark for me so I'll prefer the beautiful outdoor sitting, please!! Excellent and thanks so much for an amazing evening. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Western Mass hands down. Me and my fiancé have been coming here for 5 yrs every Valentines Day and I've never had a bad meal. The crab and lobster cakes are phenomenal - so tasty and good-sized portion. My fiancé ordered the filet which was perfect as usual - melts in your mouth and that gorgonzola sauce...so good! I got the scallops which came with a pea and mascarpone puree - I didn't know what I was going to get with that but it was absolutely delicious and complimented everything on the plate so well, it really took it to another level. We finished it off with crème brulee which of course never disappoints. Well done! read more

Went here for dinner last night with my husband. Delicious! Also a really nice place for a date. We had two smalls, salad, drinks, one main and dessert- everything was great. I'd go again any time I'm in the area. read more

They updated the menu and by that I mean dramatically reduced what they serve. The small plates are gone. The daily specials are a thing of the past. The menu has a limited focus and it's not to my liking. Hope the menu and new website don't last long. read more

First class dining experience. Excellent food, delicious speciality drinks and attentive staff make for a great dinner out. Make a reservation to be sure you get the table you are looking for. I like to sit on the bar side at one of the high top tables by the window. Elegant dining room is a great choice when I bring my family. read more

Food 101 - Creme brûlée with berries - New American Near Me - South Hadley, Massachusetts

Was visiting from out of state and came here based on a recommendation from a local resident/business owner (shout out to Ruth & Richard at Daniel Stabbins House Bed & Breakfast)- Food 101 did not disappoint. The breadsticks (with a tomato based pesto, a traditional pesto, hummus) were so good! I could eat that every day. For entrees, we both ordered the pan searched salmon- which came paired with lobster risotto, crispy French green beans and lemon creme Fraiche. SO DELICIOUS. The salmon was cooked to perfection. The risotto was rich and complimented the salmon perfectly. The crunch of the green beans was on point. The dish was aesthetically pleasing- but more importantly, it tasted as good as it looked! For dessert, we ordered the heirloom chocolate tort- with espresso syrup and coffee ice cream. They split the portion for us and it was presented beautifully. I was checking out the other dishes that came out to the neighboring tables- didn't look like you could go wrong with any of the choices. I only wish I was visiting longer so I could try more of their menu! The dining room was quiet and very comfortable. We were there on a Sunday evening and it wasn't too busy. The pacing of the courses was timed well. The bar is set aside from the rest of the dining room. Our server was super sweet and attentive. All of the staff was friendly and hospitable. I would definitely come back next time I find myself in the area! read more

Food 101 - Pan seared salmon, lobster risotto, crispy French green beans, lemon creme Fraiche - DELICIOUS AMAZING GET THIS - New American Near Me - South Hadley, Massachusetts

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While the salads, apps, beverages, and waitstaff are outstanding, the menu is quite static. There are NEVER any specials and they refuse to serve any table bread (just very cardboard breadsticks). Several equitable restaurants in the Pioneer Valley offer El jardin bread, automatically upon sitting. I have been going here for 2+ years and find the lack of variety (menu rarely, if ever, changes) quite frustrating. How can a fine restaurant not offer daily specials? Earlier this year they did change their menu and even added side dishes (i.e. the most amazing roasted carrots ever!). But after a month or two, the menu reverted back to simply apps, salads, entrees, desserts (no sides). That said, I do love the mushroom ravioli, crab cakes, any of the 5 or 6 unique salads (especially the beets), and any of the delicious risottos they make. So please, Food 101, if you read this, offer a special and some table bread (even if for purchase). Would it kill ya? read more

Really hungry, we were looking to get some steaks. This place is open until 8, we called at 7:09 and they straight up told us they were done serving for the evening. If you're going to advertise that your business is open until 8 for take out, be open until 8. If you want to actually close at 7 then advertise accordingly! How disgraceful. read more

We have visited Food 101 many times. Great resturant, food and service. I had the veal chop.. very good. Last night everything was great except my wife wanted the salmon with out the lobster risotto (she is allergic to lobster.). We informed the servicer of this and we were told they could not substitute the risotto. Really... Great food and great service. But do not request any substitute because they will not accommodate. read more

Prepare for your socks to be knocked off, folks. I went here on Friday night and ordered the Friday special- fliet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted carrots (~$36) and the hubs opted for risotto and scallops (~$28). We were both wow'd by our meals and the good beers on tap (Racer 5 in particular) were a bonus for us. I also felt very taken care of by our server. As many others mentioned- the breadsticks were just a little out of whack compared to the rest of the meal, but they didnt take away from anything. Great ambiance, to-die-for food, and top notch service. Oh and the crabcakes! How could I forget!? They were fabulous! 5+++ stars! read more

Food 101 - Scallops and filet- both were fabulous. - New American Near Me - South Hadley, Massachusetts

Micheala (sorry if I spelled it wrong). And Grady took such good care of us. Oysters were sooo good. I'm from MD and I am so picky! They were delicious!! Dinner :shrimp panchetta (sp?) - so good and salmon was amazing!!'n can't say enough good things about the food and service!! Thank me last thing- risotto is perfect!!!' read more

This HAD been my favorite restaurant for many years. However, the menu has changed significantly this year. - LOVED the cauliflower rissotto, the lobster rissotto and the Parmesan rissotto,. ( best rissotto's I've had ) NONE of these rissotto's are offered anymore!!! The scallops (over cauliflower rissotto ) is no longer on the menu, and the shrimp parmesan over rissotto also is no longer on the menu !! These were their best dishes, made the restaurant special. The one delicious meal that is back on menu is the filet mignon... Please bring back your rissottos, scallop and shrimp dishes read more

The food is quite good, but it is comically overpriced and the service is truly bad. The waitstaff have no idea how to manage a table, regularly and rudely interrupt diners mid-sentence and have no tact whatsoever. They appear rude and indifferent. Often what sets a place apart is not the food but how well trained the waitstaff are at interacting with diners appropriately, and to get away charging these prices, Food 101 should really train waitstaff to know the basics of how to wait tables. read more

Great service... great atmosphere.... Food was rather pedestrian. Asked for the filet black and blue rare and the chef cooked it medium and punched me in the face. Someone needs to tell them that means sear it on both sides for 30 secs rare. Not a physical assault. To expensive for the caliber advertised. Coca bar in Easthampton would be a better solution. read more

Mire high end restaurant type. Nice ambience. Good selection of meat and fish. All fresh with local products. Very pending and friendly staff. Good for anniversary dinner. read more

Food 101 is a place we always think of going to after we have been seated some place else. However, last night we finally made it there for dinner. The atmosphere, wait staff, and wine list are outstanding for the Pioneer Valley and I knew from the moment I walked it - I'd like to come back again. The food did not let us down. Appetizers were perfectly done, steaks outstanding, and the side dishes and salads were on point. Only two things keeping me from rating this place 5 stars: 1. The Stella Doro-esq breadsticks brought to the table did not fit into the high-quality feel of the place. They were served with a sun-dried tomato infused oilve oil - and I am still not sure how one is supposed apply the dip to the rigid cracker-like bread. They would have been better off not serving bread than putting a few sticks in a pint glass on our table. 2. On the waitress' suggestion, I orderd the grilled tuna - prepared with an Asian style. For the price ($28), I expected more than a sliced tuna steak in a BOWL over noodles and soy sauce. However, I will consider that my fault and learn for the next time. With that said, my wife's filet was perfect, tasty, worth every penny. Combined with the wine list, we will be back the next time we're looking for a nice, yet welcoming, place to eat. PLEASE CHANGE YOUR BREAD STRATEGY, it just doesn't fit the outstanding atmosphere you've created. read more

My husband and I had a nice night out at Food 101 last Saturday night. We both had the Filet. It was very good! I agree with other reviewers that they need to serve bread with these very pricey meals. The bread sticks are flavorless and the dip they serve with them is not good at all. Be prepared to spend over $100 before the tip for 2 people and this is with ordering conservatively. If you order appetizers and have more than one beer each, it will cost much more. The portions were much smaller this night than they were when we were there in May and June. It is nice for a special occasion. Atmosphere is nice but the tables are a little too close together. The restaurant was clean. Wait staff needs to be more attentive. She seemed to have her head in the clouds and the place was not at all busy. We gave her 20% but if we go back again and the service is not stepped up a bit, the tip will have to reflect the service received. read more

From Short Ribs to the / Tuna Tartare on Soba / Spring comes eternal. read more

I'm not allowing previous reviews influence me as for my experience it was outstanding we sat at the bar had two beers which were ice cold poured into a proper stemware the refill was served appropriately the bread sticks and sun dried tomato vinaigrette was wonderful the shrimp tacos were really tasty and each component expertly created friendly accurate service good price point clean higher end atmosphere five stars all day read more

Very fine upscale dining. The food is excellent and the service is good. If you're a Mt. Holyoke student, get your folks or friends to take you here when they come to visit. My meal turned out very well: The beet salad an amazing blend of colors and flavors, perfectly proportioned. The scallops and risotto also merit a recommendation, the scallops are cooked perfectly and the risotto is rich and tasty. Pear cake and tea made for an excellent dessert. Only downside is that the place is packed a bit tight, and the bill makes this one an occasional treat. read more

We have usually had outstanding food, drinks and service at Food 101. Tonight was different. For our party of 4, Hannah did a wonderful job but did not get backup support from the bar. We enjoyed our cocktails and conversation before ordering our entrees. When ordering the entrees we also ordered an upscale bottle of wine. After 30 minutes the entrees came and wine glasses were placed, but not the wine. Finally after we had consumed half of our entrees I went in to question why the wine had not come, Finally we were told they could not find the wine and a second bartender had been called and still no wine. The waitperson was asked for an accommodation when our entrees were nearly gone, without a wine served, but she was told that was not possible. Needless to say, we were very displeased with our experience tonight. read more

We decided to go to this restaurant for celebrating my brothers graduation from umass Amherst and it seemed like a great pick. When we were seated I ordered a glass of wine and as usual the server asked for my ID and I happily obliged. She left with my ID and a few minutes later the manager came over and said that he couldn't serve me. I asked why not and all he could give me was "Im not going to serve you" after asking him again why not and showing him that my ID was not expired he walked away with no answer. My brother the graduate and my mother went up to the hostess table to ask for clarification and the manager became upset and aggressively got in my mothers face. We asked why he would think I would try and use a fake ID when I'm with my parents and again he brushed us off with no answer. We would've accepted if he had just answered we think it is a fake and don't want to serve your son but he didn't even have the courtesy to do so and when we asked if he could apologize he said no. We've never been treated like this and we felt very embarrassed that this even would happen. Shouldn't restaurants be professionals at identifying a real Massachusetts ID? Granted the ID is the newer version that does seem lighter, the manager and the establishment should know about the changes in the first place. We felt as if they didn't even give us the bare minimum respect customers should be given. We felt as if he looked down on our family and didn't see us as people who deserved an appropriate answer. We left before even ordering and really felt embarrassed by the whole ordeal. It ruined a night that was suppose to be a joyous occasion and since multiple graduations were occurring we ended up having to order take out and just eat at my brothers apartment. I can't say if the food was good or not since we didn't get to order but the service was the worse I've ever encountered. I'm not the type of person to jump to conclusions but growing up as a minority and having unfortunate interactions with some people this really felt as if we were being judged and treated as second class citizens because of our ethnicity. I can't think of any other reason why this manager would act the way he did and when we were walking out he was talking to a customer at the bar with a smile on his face like he just hadn't been unprofessional just moments ago to a family just trying to celebrate an occasion. I can't recommend food101 to anyone and especially to families who aren't white. read more

I love this restaurant. It's a fancy bar, a phenomenal restaurant boasting a quaint and classy but relaxed ambiance. I used to live right on top of this restaurant in the Village Commons. Pros: The scallops are delicious and the wine is fantastic. The ambiance is great and I haven't found anther nice restaurant like this in the entire area Parking is readily available in the commons Reservations can usually be booked within a few hours before your scheduled time. Cons: The menu is slightly limited but it's very difficult to get sick of any of the the delicious entrees. Restaurant is completely booked during breaks, graduations etc. because of highly ranked nearby college. read more

From LA just moved to Austin Tx , in Mass for business and stumbled upon Food 101 - and I have to say they have mastered food 101 through 1001 . Excellent experience on all levels! Our group had the burrata, crab cakes and mushroom ravioli appetizers, I had the duck others the filet, the salmon, NY strip , the scallops - all cleaned their plates and no complaints - attentive service,the only thing I could possibly ding them on is a small bar - but a a solid wine list makes up for that - enjoy read more

One star for a wine list with breadth, depth, and refinement. Plus One star for fresh, tasty dishes emphasizing steak & sea food with a twist. Plus One star for swank setting, flattering lighting, and attractive plating. Plus One star for scrumptious desserts and a staff that will tolerate you and your date lingering over the last course for hours.... = **** for Food 101. read more

The food is mouth watering, classy atmosphere, look forward to it everytime I'm in town, and crave it when I'm not!

To be honest the change in menus at first was somewhat disappointing but I think they have more than made up for it. They have have tweaked it perfectly bringing back the daily specials-burger Tuesday, ribeye sat! The filet is better than ever-prob the best I've ever had. Medium perfection. And finally a pasta worth 25 bucks, honestly no lie. And the frites ahh the frites always the best. Wasabi mayo is a delight read more

Food 101 - New American Near Me - South Hadley, Massachusetts

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Where to begin. Their special of fried chicken was literally like something from kfc. Horrible. I can't blame the servers as it's managements fault when people are out on the floor with zero training. We had the misfortune of the bartender and a waitress trying to serve us and failing miserably. Each forgetting what the other was supposed to do. Forgot to come back and take our food order. Asked for a desert menu. No luck. Each thought the other had brought it out. After 20 minutes of waiting for the check I went up to the bar and begged the bartender to put me out of my misery. The night previous we ate at bNapoli. What a difference expert wait staff trained properly make. Will not be going back. Awful food. Overpriced with inexperienced staff. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in South Hadley. I know, not saying much since there is pretty much only dorm food, the Village Commons, and a couple seedy places by Big Y, but Food 101 can compete with the Northampton restaurants and hold its own. I am a fan of the steak here. I never get anything else because it is just so good. And it is nice enough you can bring a date, or your parents, or your date's parents, and not have to worry about being embarrassed. The food is good, the service is good, the desserts are good, it's a good place. It makes me miss MoHome very much. read more