Historic restaurant from the early colonial days. Hand hewn beams and original low ceilings. Wonderfully worn floors and walls that are not too renovated so you still get the feel of the original antique construction. The table seatings with wing back chairs are so magical you can actually imagine you lived 200 years ago. The food matches the place perfectly. Hearty and filling old colonial fare. Delicious. I am by heritage an new England yankee and I adore this place and feel like I am dining with my ancestors. My favorites are the thanksgiving dinner, pot roast and the lobster pot pie which is not always on the menu. A definite winner. Wish I lived closer. read more

I stayed at the Publick House May 22 and 23, 2013, 242 years after it opened. If you're near here, this is THE place to stay, and I hope I will stay here again. This review is for LODGING, not dining, and I was traveling, not at a wedding. I touch points here left out in other reviews. The Publick House offers 3 distinct types of lodging, in a huge, sprawling complex of rooms, restaurants, parking, and resort, banquet and party facilities. Check their website and know what to ask for. There are old inn rooms in the original building; suites in an old house; and modern, 2-story country lodge buildings just up the little hill behind the original building. Most of the rooms are in this last group, and it's where I stayed, on the ground floor. No one's window in these spacious rooms looks into anyone else's; they are off on their own and quiet; parking is ultra-convenient; and there is good flat panel TV, cellular, and WiFi internet service in them. They are closer to the pool and tennis courts than other lodgings. Bathrooms are modern and mine worked great. Furniture and beds are comfortable and there's a desk/work area as well as room to sit. There are little patios or balconies off these rooms, too, very comfortable to relax in quiet moments. There is in-room coffee, but for continental breakfast (included), you walk down the little hill, across the big parking lot, and in the back door of the main lodge and its big bakery. This is a nice walk when the weather is good. The office staff are all in this building, and I found them friendly and very helpful. I got an amazing internet price on this room - literally the same or less than Motel 6 down the street! This room would have been fair at twice what I paid, so 5 stars vs. 4. Check on the web for a bargain. The original buildings have had some important upgrades since 1771 - like indoor plumbing. In the old lodge, the uneven floors, beautiful wood paneling, and labyrinthine little hallways speak to the additions and changes plopped in over the centuries. The narrow, stone-walled driveway past the main building to the big parking lot also says this place was built before the age of cars. What was the original Publick House, maybe the biggest thing in Sturbridge, like in 1771? A few people, horses, and wagons passed it and the Sturbridge Common across the street. These places are overshadowed now by larger 21st century Sturbridge, but this is still a great place to stay. read more

The dining room is a must visit. Great for lunch. Got it started with a basket of warm, fresh rolls. Then had the open faced turkey sandwich. The turkey was fresh sliced. Gravy on top with cranberry sauce. Stacked on top of stuffing with cornbread as the base. Unnecessary, but had the sweet potato fries on the side. A killer lunch. read more

I don't expect much from hotel restaurants in tourist towns. I expected too much. And by "too much" I mean "how hard is it to screw up fish and chips?!?" read more

Where shall I begin? Hmmmm okay...first tip is to enter through the bakery and into the bar. The bar is excellent, good selection of beers and drinks and huge fireplace right near you. Now the dinner. I ordered meatloaf with mashed potatoes and string beans. The string beans and mashed potatoes were great, very creamy spuds! Now for the meatloaf...nice portion, but and this is a big but...parts of it came out rare. Yes rare, not sure it should be like that so I asked the other 5 guests at the table and they said they never saw this before. I told the host when he asked how everything was. I showed him the raw beef. He asked if I ordered it like that. Hmmm odd question me thinks. So he was polite, told me he could get another plate for me in 5-10 minutes. I passed, told him I would not finish this anyway and I can nuke it when I go home. It was also lacking gravey for this size dish as was my wifes pot roast. As a additional good thing, the bakery rocks, great selection of stuff! I brought home a couple bags of everything, try the hermits! mmmmmmm Everyone else enjoyed their meal so I will give it another try. read more

I went to lunch at the Publick House today and it was an absolute nightmare. I have a severe peanut allergy and informed the waitress of this as soon as we got there, as I know this restaurant serves an assortment of baked goods in the bread basket, but she just put it on our table without telling us whether or not the breads were safe for me to eat. Another waitress came over and offered to ask the chef--I wish I got her name; it was very nice to do this for a table she wasn't even serving. I ended up ordering the sweet potato gnocchi without nuts, but guess what was all over the dish? Nuts! I was brought another one sans nuts, but the pasta was drenched in balsamic vinegar. Nowhere on the menu did it mention balsamic vinegar on the gnocchi; if I had known I would have asked for it without or ordered something else, as I am not a big fan of balsamic vinegar. I don't hate it, but there was more balsamic than sauce on this thing, it was disgusting. Needless to say, I will not be returning to the Publick House. Going out to eat with an allergy is difficult enough, and this restaurant did not take it seriously. read more

The Publick House was just ok. The facility itself was very nice, but the food was just bad. My wife had the turkey dinner. It is white meat and dark meat underneath (for $20, it should be all white meat), and she bit into a piece of bone still attached . She had to spit it on her plate. The root vegabables served with the meals are very greasy, and had zero flavor. I believe they must be frozen and brought in. I got the Stuffed chicken breast. Not sure what they did to it, but it was very tough and also had zero flavor. My root veggies also were greasy and unappealing. The stuffing was a gelatenous blob..but tasted ok, just had no texture at all. Gordon Ramsey would rip this place apart. The best part about the meal was the bread basket, and wine. Luckilly the saving grace is we had a 'buy one entree, get one entree free' from the entertainment book..otherwise, I would have been very upset. We probably will not be back. read more

It's a old historic tavern. Great for the historic enthusiast. Food was ok. Nothing innovative. Service was good. Fresh baked breads to start. Not very many choices for beer....your basic Sam Adams, 1 Guinness, Amstel, 1 Bud etc... There's nothing bad to say about the place, I'm more of a foodie and not a huge fan of the old fashion tavern unless they have a killer beer menu and "Knock your Socks off" burgers or some other specialty. It is located in Sturbridge, close to the village if you're a tourist. read more

I am so glad we had our wedding here. I originally found this venue because of their excellent winter packages advertised online. They offer a great deal for weddings in January through March so we went with the last weekend of March and hoped for a spring feel. Throughout the planning process Cathy was very helpful and responsive by email.... There are lots of small decisions to make but they guide you through and are very organized and detail oriented. We had a small hiccup in that another couple booked the after party space that we thought we had priority to book... However they went above and beyond to find us another space in the chamberlain house that ended up being awesome for the after party. We did the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner there which is when we met Kris Jacobson, the banquet manager and Ashley, the bridal assistant. They were both incredible! They went way above and beyond in every way to make sure the space looked beyond gorgeous and the day ran smoothly. The publick house does tons of weddings but they really cared about us and wanted to make sure we had an completey unforgettable day. I gasped when I saw Paige hall before the guests got inside. Kris had seen me earlier taking pictures of the baby chicks they had for Easter and going on about how much on loved them. She arranged a surprise for us to be able to hold some and take pictures with them. It made me so incredibly happy and I was touched. Kris is hilarious and has a wonderful personality. Ashley was fun to talk with and have me good advice for walking in my dress :) I should mention the food was awesome and the cake was beautiful and delicious. The space is historic, warm and unique. I feel so lucky to have had such a great and hardworking staff that day and I just appreciate everything the publick house did to make our day unforgettable! I recommend them whole heartedly. read more

My wife and I went for lunch.My wife ordered the turkey club for $13 Absolutely the worse deli sandwich she ever had,Turkey loaf on a cold croissant with cold bacon .If she wanted fresh turkey was a 3 dollar up charge .Will never go back. read more

I spent the weekend there for my Brother's wedding which took place on June 17. The hotel room I stayed in was a large size. The bed was very comfortable and there is a TV in the bedroom. There was a separate living area with comfortable furniture and a nice TV. There is also a bake shoppe that has a variety of delicious pastries at reasonable prices. The Gazebo where the ceremony took place was set up perfectly. The people who ran the wedding did an exceptional job. The old stables in the barn were used for the cocktail hour and was set up perfectly. The reception took place in the barn which was set up perfectly. The servers did a very good job serving the food. The food was delicious. I had the chicken which was stuffed with spinach and cheese and a side of mashed potatoes and it was awesome. There was also a salmon dish and a pasta dish which I was told were delicious. The tavern has a variety of beers and the drinks are reasonably priced. The Publick House is perfect for a wedding. The building are old colonial buildings which are older then the United States of America. If I lived on this side of the country I would choose to have my wedding at the Publick House but I live in San Diego. read more

This place was recommended by the front desk person at our hotel recently during a business trip. My coworker and I decided to check it out for dinner. The restaurant is housed in a pretty large colonial estate which also houses a bakery that has large glass cases with a huge selection of baked goods. There are two levels to the restaurant and we were seated in the one upstairs which is where they take reservations for. The dining room had a huge and impressive fireplace. There was no fire burning in it that day but I would have loved to have seen it. The other thing I noticed was that the clientele for the most part were really old seniors. Like folks in their 80s or 90s. The couple next to us had to have been in their 90s. The pool old man was so hunched over his face almost touched the plate in front of him. With that said, their menu was impressive with options that featured duck and seafood. I started with some french onion soup which was great and my coworker had some of the clam chowder. He enjoyed it. I opted for the roast duck entree which came with some dressing and a brown gravy on top of it. This was a disappointment for me. The duck was really dry and the combination of the dressing and brown gravy made everything taste like I was eating a turkey dinner. If they would have offered this with a wild rice pilaf and cranberry or other sharp/acidic jelly/compote it would have been far better. My dinner companion had the chicken pot pie which was huge and it looked like an awesome traditional interpretation of that dish. He enjoyed it but since it was so huge he couldn't take down more than half of it. I was looking forward to stopping by the bakery we had walked past to get to the dining room after our dinner but they were closed by the time we were done. While this place wasn't bad by any means, the food could be better. read more

This is about weddings, dining, and lodging: Weddings: I attended my uncle's wedding in 1998 and fell in love with this amazing old inn! It's a fascinating building that, yes, will get you lost the first couple of visits, but is fun to get around. When I got engaged three years ago, this was one of the first places I thought of. At first, i never thought we could afford it. Looking further, we found that not only was it reasonable compared to other venues, their winter specials were downright cheap! We held our ceremony in the barn (they closed off the walkway through there for the 15 minutes), then had a beautiful reception in the Crafts Hall. It was still decorated for the holidays, so we only had to get centerpieces- and they have those, too if you need them. The menu was delicious (even the clam chowder someone else mentioned was terrible) and all of our guests were thrilled with the entire wedding. The staff was incredibly helpful through the entire process, and not only let me design our own cake, but actually helped make the cake table more beautiful than I could have imagined. And the dining: My husband and I are obviously fond of this place, and dine there once or twice a year. We find it reasonably priced (considering the times we live in), and have never had bad food or service. We recently booked the one year anniversary package (room, dinner, breakfast, and they remake the top tier of your cake) and had an amazing time. It brought back wonderful memories. And the lodging: We have stayed in the Inn, Chamberlain House, and the Motor Lodge over the past few years. Admittedly, they could definitely use some perking up. The buildings are older, so that lends a lot of charm, but the decor is lacking. The "colonial" feel is more 1980's colonial in certain parts, and many of the rooms could use a paint job, updated wallpaper, and bathroom makeovers. Unfortunately, if they did all of that, they'd surely raise the rates and stop us from affording our visits! read more

My husband and I recently stayed here while visiting family in the area. For a historic inn, it delivers as promised. Loved the sloping floors and narrow door ways - my inner history nerd was overwhelmed! The room was comfortable with antique-style furniture/ Our room was clean and the bed was AMAZING! We had two bathrooms in our suite and both were clean and comfortable. The staff was friendly and accommodating (when I called originally I had some bizarre requests as we were travelling with an 8 month old!). When you stay in the historic inn, there are no elevators and the hallways are winding - they could use a few more directional signs. But once you learn your way, its pretty easy to remember. We did worry that our room was right over/near the ballroom where a wedding was going on, but honestly we really didnt hear them as much as I expected. The room was very quiet. There was free wifi in the rooms which seemed reliable and quick. There was also a small dorm-fridge in our room as well as 2 tvs. Very convenient. We ate at the pub one night and the food was good. The pecan rolls were to die for! We loved the free pastry/coffee in the morning from the bake shop. We usually stay at the modern conference center down the road, but I think we've been converted and will be staying here now every time we're in the area! read more

We didn't have great expectations to begin with; not sure why. We were in the area and figured we'd stop for something to eat before getting on the highway. We had a coupon someone had given us; a two for one dinner special. Nice old Inn! Drinks were excellent! Food topped the drinks. Service was surprisingly great. We both got the shrimp stuffed trout. Very New England: very very good!! Glad we stopped. Made for a nice ride home. read more

Publick House - Shrimp stuffed trout with asparagus and rice. - Hotels Near Me - Sturbridge, Massachusetts

Don't be fooled by words like "appetizer" or "cup of soup." ANY item on this menu is big enough to kill George Washington's horse. Delicious Crab cakes, Lobster Mac n Cheese, and Clam Chowder. Historic spot. read more

I can only attest to the grounds and the restaurant as I have never stayed at the Inn, but I have eaten at the restaurant many times, including on Thanksgiving. Very quaint. Fireplaces. Wood everything. Dim lighting. If you want quintessential New England, this is it! Meals come with a basket of a variety of freshly baked - still warm - breads, rolls, etc. The corn bread is especially excellent! The salmon and turkey dinners are good choices. The marinated grilled chicken salad is also very good. Two drawbacks: The place has wood floors and gets a crowd - it is possible for it to be so loud in the restaurant that you can't hear what the other people at your table are saying. The food is inconsistent - for example, sometimes the turkey is fantastic and other times it is a bit dried out. This problem is easily solved - simply fill up on the wonderful breads! If your meal is delicious and you are full, take some home. read more

We had our wedding here back in 2007, so a little late on the review, but wanted to share our experience there. I fell in love with the space when we were there to check it out. I really wanted something old fashioned New England for a fall wedding, and Paige Hall really fit the bill. Wrought iron chandeliers, arched windows, exposed beams, all of it. Add to that reasonable prices for pretty inclusive packages, a good reputation, onsite guest rooms and the ability to pick our own time slot (thus avoiding the dreaded "Catholic gap"), and we were sold. There were a couple different event coordinators during the process, but communication was great with all of them, ESPECIALLY after I completely freaked out when new prices went up on the website with more inclusive (and more expensive) pacakges being listed as "required" for a Saturday evening reception. Their recommended vendors list was helpful and extensive, and since we booked their preferred DJ, he gave us a break on price. Day of, the coordination was really great. We had a dedicated banquet captain who took care of us and was very attentive without being obtrusive. He brought us new slices of cake when ours got too soggy while off doing table visits and made sure we got fresh drinks when we needed them (even though people kept handing us new glasses whenever we stepped away from the table anyway!). All of the waitstaff did a great job, which as a former banquet waitress myself, was impressive given the size of our wedding (200). The food was really good. Our entree options were turkey or prime rib. The turkey dinner is amazing. One of the best I've had at a restaurant. I've heard the prime rib was also really good. The bread basket with fresh pecan rolls, among other selections, from their in house bake shop, won rave reviews. Caesar salad and clam chowder were solid as well. The only problem we had was with the vegetarian entree. It was supposed to be asiago risotto, which was excellent when I had it at the tasting. When I saw my friends' plates, it appears they got some kind of rice pilaf with grilled veggies. They also got plain salads (since the Casear had anchovy paste in the dressing) but no dressing at first, and had to request it from the waiter. The cake tasted wonderful, right from their own bakeshop. I was a little disappointed in the decorations, I thought the frosting flowers looked a little cheesy and if I had to do it over, wouldn't have them do those. After the reception (which ended at 730), a bunch of us hit up the Tavern downstairs for drinks, apps and to watch the BC game on TV. They were really accomodating and put the game on for us. Service was EXCELLENT, bartenders were so attentive and sweet. And the apps (stuffed mushrooms and mozzerella balls with balsamic glaze) were awesome. The party continued in the honeymoon suite, which was beautiful. It's the only room on the top floor, so very private and we didn't feel bad being a little rowdy. Sitting area is HUGE and bedroom was nicely appointed. It had the same great character of the rest of the building. I heard from guests who stayed in the motor lodge section that the rooms were clean and comfortable, but that the heating and cooling systems were a little loud. The grounds are beautiful and well kept, and one of our only wedding regrets is the fact that we had a tropical storm roll through that day (in November, so strange), so we couldn't get outdoor photos there. It was a great wedding experience, and I would highly recommend the Publick House! read more

After waiting for just under an hour for our lunch to be served we discovered the food was horrible. Salad out of a bag, wilted greens, bread that tasted like the cheapest Food Service product available. Not to mention the Surly waitress and the Flies buzzing around the table. You can do much better read more

Just as good as it has been for the 40 years I have been going there. Great atmosphere and comfort food. The bread basket is a meal in itself and turkey dinner is huge. Plan on leftovers. read more

This is basically a review on just the lodging at Publick House. Stayed here on a Sunday night with a last minute deal from Priceline.com. We stayed in the motel section out behind the stately home/Inn right on the road. Our room was nothing fancy - it was a little run down (bathroom door didn't latch, shower curtain was frayed and ripped on the edges), and the decor was outdated. It was pretty clean though. Our room overlooked a pool that looked like it had been recently renovated. We had the continental breakfast the next morning in the Ebenezer Tavern located in the downstairs of the main Inn. That was cool - the atmosphere/decor evoked.. an old New England tavern. The food served was muffins, sticky buns, coffee and hot chocolate. It was tasty! For what it was, and what we paid, we were glad we had the experience. I don't think I'd ever pay full price though. For that much money I'd probably stay down the road at the Hampton Inn with its more modern amenities. read more

I would agree that this is a tourist trap that thrives primarily off its reputation and ambiance, rather than its food. Very pricey, and the food just isn't worth it most of the time. Small portions, not always fresh-tasting, often overly fancy. It's definitely a beautiful building and the quaint atmosphere is a nice novelty, but once you get over that you're left with a really mediocre meal. This has been the case on several occasions spaced out over a few years. Bottom line: it's high on presentation, but low on quality. The pastries in the bakery are the exception, especially the sticky buns. You're probably better off dropping in to pick up something there and going elsewhere for dinner. read more

Service in the 3/4 full restaurant was just mediocre, considering this is an area attraction and historic hotel. I went by myself this saturday morning and waited a loooooooooong time for simple scrambled eggs. I heard several other complaints from other vocal diners. I am assuming the kitchen staff was lacking today because I cannot imagine that it is always this bad. on a positive: my meal was delicious, home fries were seasoned really nicely and not too salty or over-seasoned. Grounds were beautiful and I would love to have a reason to stay over some day as it is a quaint old-new england establishment with a bakery/store downstairs. I did have fun meandering through the hallways on my way to the bakery. read more

The food has been alright and I can see why people enuoy the pastries here. However, the room is dirty, very worn and rundown. It's a cute idea and all the buildings are clearly old. But the service there is simply no excuse for. We haven't had a friendly smiling person on property yet. The lady at the bakery was rude, and although she said she was going as fast as she can, really what she meant was she was visiting with the people she cared about. The front desk has asked us to come get towels and room service hasn't provided more than 2 towels any day so far even though we paid to have 4 people in the room (I suppose we were suppose to share). In addition the room service left a note and said that since we left clothing out they didn't make the bed. This is the first place I have ever stayed where clothing on the bed provented the bed from being made. There's also a sugguested tip guide in the room. Interesting since no one has been pleasent to deal with so far. Very disappointed especially since it came so recommended by a friend who use to live near by. read more

Pot roast - pretty good! Having missed lunch due to a late meeting in New Haven, stopped by again, this time for a quick Yankee pot roast dinner. Was seated in a jiffy at Ebeneezers (nice chairs in the back), and ordered nothing but the pot roast. Pot roast, served with mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes, came out in a hurry. Not a surprise, really, as the pot roast had been theoretically been roasting all day. Meat was well-cooked, falling apart with fork pressure, but having enough texture to warrant chewing. This was truly a Yankee pot roast, unsullied by tomato sauce and oregano, as the Italians are wont to do. It's a bit expensive at $17, but certainly worth the visit. read more

Recently had my sisters baby shower in Paige hall. The theme was Story Book. We had Sunday breakfast. The food was really good. The 2 wait staff members we had were wonderful. Would use this location again. They were accommodating for food allergies and room set up requests. read more

Great staple food like chicj=ken pot pie, yankee pot roast and steak. Veggies were steamed and still crispy! Healthy salads and local beer. Lots of diner rolls,corn bread and sweet rolls. read more

Publick House - Tavern Entrance - Hotels Near Me - Sturbridge, Massachusetts

**Wedding Review** I had my wedding here at Publick House. I stayed the evening before the wedding in a gorgeous antique suite located in the main House. I won't explain the whole affair because there is too much, so I am going to list out what I liked, and what I didn't like. Liked- Free WiFi- Yes! Most of the people I met with to go over the wedding plans and all of the details were very nice. It was a pleasure to work with them. They were quick to respond to e-mails and inquiries. The wedding cake that came with my wedding package. I gave them a picture of what I wanted and it was replicated perfectly. It was also delicious! I want to get married again just so I can have this cake. The atmosphere. I loved the feeling of the barn and Paige Hall. Rustic but elegant is how I would describe it. A perfect setting for a celebration with a dance floor. The food. Every last adult person I talked to at the wedding said that they loved what they had been served. (Although the kid's meal will be listed under dislikes.) We loved our dinner, and everything was cooked perfectly. Our Banquet Manager, Kris (Chris? Not sure on spelling.) She was there through the whole event, going around and making sure everything was all right during the event, she coordinated with the DJ for when we were ready to cut the cake. I could not give her a high enough praise. This leads me to the Dislikes- While Kris was amazing, she was not our wedding coordinator/attendant. We were told a person would be with us the whole day, leading us through and helping out. Well, I saw this woman a total of 2 times during the whole day. Once when we first got there (after having to search around for her), and then when we were leaving she helped load boxes into my car. I had questions through the day that I ended up needing to just figure it out on my own, so it was slightly stressful. Kris stepped in, though, and ended up helping us out a lot. The meal for kids. You can choose a kid's meal for your guests. There were a few options, and I went with grilled cheese, fries and fruit slices. The fries and fruit were fine, but the grilled cheese... It was sloppy and the kids didn't eat it because they said it "tasted funny". Not sure what was up with that, considering the adult food menu is so amazing. -- So only 2 dislikes. They were kind of big issues, but with me being so happy about everything else, I have to give them 4 stars. read more

Publick House - The wedding cake they made for my wife and I. - Hotels Near Me - Sturbridge, Massachusetts

I took my wife to the Publick House for our anniversary. The main dining room was closed for the season - reserved for special events. We were seated in a small, sparse room. We ordered the Yankee Pot Roast thinking that it would be something special. It wasn't. It was over cooked and dry. The green beans were under cooked and tasteless. The corn bread was dry, cold and hard. The mash potatoes were good. I was unable to eat more than a few bites of my pot roast because it was so bad. The server told us most people order extra gravy because the pot roast is so dry. We tried that but the gravy was very bland and did not seem to help. Never again. read more

Quaint, charming inn with all the details one would see in older homes including the beautiful wood trim and creaky floors. The BAKE SHOP had amazing Chocolate Chip Cookies and their takeout menu is impressive! Several customers were there to put in their Easter Orders. This place reminded me of my childhood home and it filled my heart with calm and peace. Sanitizers everywhere! Only 4 fours cause my windows had not gone thru a Spring Cleaning yet and NO ELEVATORS! My bad knees didn't appreciate that. Overall, I will come back cause the staff was very friendly, the food is Great and I can't resist this extraordinary charming place read more

Not as good lately as it used to be. Way overpriced for what you get. Lobster Pie for $34 had a pitiful amount of lobster and lacked any flavor. This restaurant has seen its day and it has passed read more

We held a luncheon at the Publick House in honor of my Mother-in-law after her funeral. Everyone was so helpful. Alec, the catering sales manager, was extremely helpful walking me through the steps and making sure they coordinated with the funeral home. The food was delicious and the setting was beautiful (outside in the tent). Everyone enjoyed themselves and my mother-in-law would have been so pleased. The assistant manager (sorry I cannot remember his name!) even went out of his way to get a football and frisbee for my 2 young boys and then took them for a ride in the golf cart. The staff was very professional and everyone went out of their way to make sure it was a great experience and everything went smoothly. If you are having an event or just want a nice meal, I highly recommend the Publick House. Thank you! read more

I was out in Southbridge for a conference, of all places, and our group stumbled on this quaint little shop and restaurant. It has a beautiful look to it, that seems to bring the past to life, and the overall appearance (both indoors and out) is very inviting. We decided to try it for dinner on Ash Wed, so we could have dinner as a group, and not be business for the entire trip to the area. The menu didn't offer the most amazing selection/assortment of choices, and one of the more popular choices (prime rib) was only served Thurs-Sunday. So none of us had the chance to give it a shot, sadly. There was however, a range of selections made all around the table. Pot Roast, Sheppard's Pie, Steak, Soups... just about everything was sampled by someone. Personally, I went with the Fish and Chips, wanted to eat a little light and the menu made it sound delicious... which it was. The fish was well prepared, with just the right amount of flake and crisp to it. The fries were equally delicious, not overly soft and not like HARD crispy (burnt). Everything paired well together and it was very tasty. Most everyone at the table said the same about their meals as well, and we all agreed that the portions were more than adequate. Especially for the cost. We had a large group, about 15 of us, and the service was fantastic and in order. No confused orders, or missed orders made. There was an added 18% gratuity for the group, which is understandable for so many but it seemed a little high (usually I see it closer to 8/10%). That was the only complaint about the location by anyone in the group. Overall a great experience, and not too far from the interstate if you want to make the visit without staying in the area. Great place to grab some lunch/dinner and have delicious meal in an inviting and historic feeling atmosphere. read more

Met up with one of my favorite girlfriends here - we always pick a place to eat in Sturbridge to meet up because its in the middle. I feel bad giving this a three star review because people usually think that's bad...but it was really wasn't a bad time! It was just...A-OK. Let me explain.... So this place is also a hotel. We went to the downstairs dining area, I think they call it the Tavern. My first impression was, damn, smells stale. Then, as I walk in, I'm pretty sure most people in there were eligible for their pension. As I continue to look, the place looks like my grandmother's too! The chairs, wallpaper, everything! The good news is the food was sooo comforting like my grandmothers. And plentiful. I ordered the Chicken Quinn ($28). The bread was not ordinary bread (complimentary). There were at least three different varieties and they were all delicious. I particularly liked the sticky buns. I would have preferred it for dessert but I didn't want to miss out! My friend got the baked scrod ($20) which she seemed to really enjoy. We also shared the goat cheese appetizer ($9) which was delicious. I forgot how many pieces of cheese there were but I do recall wishing there were more for that price point, especially because there was an extreme excess in jam. My friend got a mixed drink which tasted like cough medicine (Paige Hall, $7). She couldn't finish it. I tasted it too and I couldn't finish it. We had a $20 off coupon, yet the bill came to $47.08, not including tax. It is not bad for everything we got, but I definitely wouldn't come here again without a coupon. Great service. One was training and instead of being annoying (ya know how having both a waiter and trainee can be sometimes) they were very attentive without being intrusive. read more

We went here on the recommendation of a friend, plus the fact their website specifically mentioned they could accomodate gluten free. We were early for our reservation, so we decided to have a drink downstairs at Ebenezer's Tavern. The bartender was a complete witch and after we paid for our drinks we decided we weren't giving her anymore of our money so we wandered until it was time for dinner. We overheard another group of women at the bar who also had issue with the way they were being treated too, which made us feel better that it wasn't just us. Anyway, what a difference in the dining room. Everyone was overly accomodating! They have a separate gluten free menu. Not a ton of options, but it's nice to know they get 'it' when it comes to gluten free. I opted for the pot roast and hubby had the salmon (he's not gluten free though). He also enjoyed some sticky rolls and said they were delicious. Our waitress, Christine, was FANTASTIC! We both thoroughly enjoyed our dinners and cocktails. We didn't have room for dessert. read more

I have now been to the Publick House for a wedding, a rehearsal dinner and a lunch and I can safely say that I love this place. The setting is beautiful and truly quintessential New England, the food is very "Yankee" (which is good if you're in the mood) and the Italian food we had at the rehearsal dinner was surprisingly good. One warning - Came in on a Sunday for lunch expecting a lunch menu. In true old timey New England fashion, they serve dinner only on Sundays all day. Needless to say, I found myself eating a Thanksgiving dinner at noon in July, but I can't complain. Food was very good! read more

I stayed here for one night as I was passing through Sturbridge. The staff was extremely nice and helpful throughout the entire stay. I originally made a reservation to stay in their Motor Court located behind the main inn building. Upon arriving at the front desk the wonderful lady informed me that everything was in order, but they had some vacancies in the main inn and would upgrade my reservation free of charge. I ended up in an amazing antique room that I can only describe as quintessential New England. I was surprised that their in-house restaurant closed at 9PM each night (the bar shuts down at 10PM as well) but that was no fault of the staff. They were very apologetic about the situation and I didn't exactly travel to Sturbridge for the nightlife. The next day checkout was quick and simple, the staff were pleasant and the breakfast provided was much better than the standard continental fare at most hotels. Should the need arise I will definitely stay here again. read more

I have eaten at the Publick House may times, the food is always at best, just ok, but after the meal I had two weeks ago, NEVER AGAIN!!! Took clients who were visiting me from Los Angeles the week before Brimfield, restaurant was busy, but not overly so. There were 6 of us for dinner, it took an hour and 15 minutes to get the food, and 3 plates arrived adequately warm, 3 cold! Fish and chips....not an easy dish to mess up...it was battered, fried FOLDED, with raw batter in the center, served nice and cold...absolutely APPAULING. We were offered two desserts for our troubles, wonderful compensation for a disaster of a meal, over two hours from start to disgraceful finish, and unfortunately bought a gift certificate for another client coming in the next day. We were not the only ones complaining that evening, many were, and upon exiting, one waitress says to another "everyone is using the complaint card tonite!" Do yourself a favor and skip....the atmosphere is fantastic, food and staff totally deplorable! read more

Last time was only 3 stars. This time everything was pretty good. As stated in my last reviews, this is yet another New England restaurant that does not serve great New England clam chowder. However, the homemade chips, scrod and lobster newburg were fabulous. read more

Publick House - Lobster newburg - Hotels Near Me - Sturbridge, Massachusetts

I went here for my birthday just recently and had a very good meal. My cheeseburger was amazing and very filling. It was cooked just right because I like my meats medium rare and not a lot of place cook it medium rare they cook it well done. Here was medium definitely medium rare. I would definitely come back here for my birthday again! read more