Love this place for a rejuvenating meal after a long hot or cold day at Palmer Motorsports Park. Usually have fantastic draft beer selections on tap, and I've always had a meal that leaves me raving about it when I get home. This time it was the salmon with peach glaze. They gave us a side of cold broccoli salad that was equally fantastic. I paired it with a Wachussetts Blueberry beer that the restaurant garnished with a few actual blueberries. It was also fantastic. I decided to throw in a whisky bread pudding for dessert, and again - awesome! We opted to sit outside on the side porch to avoid the 30-40 mins wait for a table for two, and this turned out OK on a cold July 4th weekend as they had heaters out there for you. Service was quick and friendly - a great experience all around. If your schedule is predictable, I recommend making reservations. read more

I went here for my birthday and wife's sisters birthday and had a wonderful time. The atmosphere here is very friendly and is decorated nicely for Christmas. The waitress was very polite and friendly. My first time coming here and defiantly loved everything! The food came out in a timely manner, and was absolutely delicious. My baby back ribs were just as described on the menu, fall of the bone! My wife's Caesar salad was the best salad I've had. Her sisters Maverick Burger was also very good! The cheesecake was very delicious!! I really loved how everyone gathered to sing for our birthday. This experience defiantly made my day! Thank you all for such an amazing and wonderful experience!! I defiantly will be coming back soon! Keep up the amazing work y'all do! read more

Steaming Tender - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

Oh Steaming Tender how I love thee. I love trains, that probably isn't a big secret by now. Steaming Tender is kind of notorious amongst railfans as Palmer was once known as the town of Seven railroads, and an intersection of some of them is directly outside the restaurant lending itself well to photo ops. The following is my review of the actual restaurant, taken verbatim (with a few minor modifications) from the blog post I wrote about it. (The link to which is in my Yelp bio if anyone is interested. I swear I'm not being self-promotional.) The Steaming Tender definitely has the theme and ambiance nailed down. For 2-ish on a Sunday afternoon, the place was pretty packed. No hope of grabbing a window seat, but there was time before any trains were supposed to show up, so it wasn't a big deal. The waitresses were pretty much all wearing the old-fashioned pinstripe overalls that most people associate with engineers (and quite a few had worked the obligatory red bandanas into their hair, so props for that). The menu is pretty big (which sometimes can be a big red flag, less usually means things are more apt to have been perfected.) and being the enormously indecisive person that I am, I had narrowed the list down to about seven different things before I settled upon the Town of Seven Railroads grilled chicken sandwich and a baked potato. (So named because many moons ago, seven different railroads served Palmer, so they called it the town of seven railroads). The food in general is pretty much diner-type food. My sandwich was pretty awesome. The chicken itself was pretty much perfect - not the least bit dry. (Dry chicken annoys me to no end.) The bread was pretty impressive too, I was expecting normal sized slices of rye but these were pretty big. (Yay carbs!!) The baked potato was an added bonus, not enough places have them. I guess my only complaint is they leave them wrapped in tinfoil, I like the skin super crispy, which you can't do when they get wrapped in tinfoil, but I'll get over it. (Or just make myself one the way I want it. Whatever.) Overall, I was pretty impressed with the Steaming Tender itself. Next time I'll pick a different railroad themed dish..maybe the Grand Central nachos or the Pullman Car club :D The service was nothing utterly spectacular, but it wasn't anything to complain about either. And the prices were quite reasonable. I'll definitely be back, especially before Amtrak reroutes the Vermonter so that the reverse move required in Palmer is no longer needed. read more

Steaming Tender - Town of Seven Railroads chicken sandwich (and an iPad open to the Amtrak train status map for progress monitoring!) =) - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

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Delicious and though some stuff seems like it's not super fresh it's a great middle of the road yummy place. Very clean and the decor is amazing. read more

Ordered the pork chop with mushroom sauce, husband ordered the Maverick sandwich and was tasty. It was most excellent meal all around. The ambiance was warm and inviting. Service was outstanding! Dara was our waitress and she was friendly and checked up to see if we needed anything. Thanks. -Southern California couple. read more

Steaming Tender - Pork chops with mushroom sauce. - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

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Atmosphere was very welcoming and worth a visit! My family and I (6 and 8 year old and husband) enjoyed the train theme and the waitresses were wearing conductor overalls, which was cute. Service was excellent. Our waitress was very attentive. There is also optional seating outside (looks like for take out though) and indoors with pretty good spacing. I enjoyed a fresh winter salad. My husband did not like the wings and rated them as "ok" which is the reason for 4 stars. Menu for kids was appropriate with typical options. read more

I've eaten here a handful of times and it's usually amazing. I dont suggest going late Sunday evening, though. They were out of clam chowder and sweet potato fries. This last visit def wasnt my favorite, but I'll still be returning in the future. Prices a little high, but like I said, usually its phenomenal. read more

Steaming Tender - Virginia salmon...spinach was super garlicky. Not my favorite, but it was good. - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

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What a great place!!! Fabulous historic feel and decor....and live trains rolling by regularly!! We had both dinner and breakfast buffet while we stayed at their nearby Trainmaster Inne - both meals were outstanding! The Inne is also fantastic!!!!! Highly recommend both. Worth the trip....a great destination meal! read more

The restaurant itself is a great idea how it integrates the train station next to it. My server claire was very attentive but also didnt hover much. The food was decently priced however the food was a little overcooked an also I could tell that the cook had cooked my steak tips first because they were kinda cold. So the only thing that saved this from 1 star was the good service read more

I've been coming here since I was little. The food has always been great! I love their burgers and just recently today I tried their fish and it was pretty great! It's been a little over a year since I have been there but the staff is still very friendly and polite. No outdoor service right now because of the cold but when it's warm it's still great out! The trains to watch during the summer and such! I didn't get desert this time but my sister got some ice cream and it was still pretty good. read more

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Had the seafood bake, and the wife had a spicy chicken pasta dish. Both were delicious, our server was okay but I think she was just new and shy. The ambiance and decor is truly one of a kind. Tons of interesting pieces of the history of the train station and if you're lucky, a train may pass by. read more

So happy to finally go out again. Sat outside and had a fantastic waitress named Sarah. Made our night. Had the fish tacos and the fried artichokes. Frickles for an appetizer. Really nice to try. Nice place to go. read more

Steaming Tender - Sarah. was the hit of our experience. Pleasant. Sweet. Came around at the perfect time.. Made the experience a delight!! - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

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Wow what a find! The train artifacts were really cool, but the winner at this place is the food! Got the mozzarella sticks and turkey dinner which were both great, but the whiskey bread pudding was incredible! Maybe it's because I've never had whiskey bread pudding before, but I couldn't stop eating it. I want another one immediately.... I always looked at Palmer as just the little town you have to drive thru to get to umass. Now I know: Palmer is the railroad town with the bomb a$$ bread pudding! Sorry no pictures- we were hungry read more

Finally made it here for dinner. It was as good as their breakfast used to be! I had a special; coconut chicken something or another. I had it with mashed potatoes. Real potatoes!! Vegetable of the day was a cold corn salad with black beans. Not a fan. But my food and my honey's (pot roast) was yum. I had a beer flight and dessert as well. The legendary bread pudding is legendary for a reason. I just wish we each had our own! Good food, amazing service and the best ambiance you can find. Truly, you cannot go wrong. Even if there's a long wait, it's totally worth it! This place is more than a restaurant. It's an experience. read more

We visited this restaurant on Mother's Day. The staff is so well organized!!! They quickly found our reservation, gave us a choice of tables, and informed us of the specials. Jennifer, our server, went out of her way making sure that the meal was allergen free. The fish was well seasoned and sweet potato fries were delicious. For dessert we had a bread pudding in a very light sauce. The experience was unforgettable. read more

This restaurant is a go to. The entrees are always spot on and consistent. The desserts are amazing. And the staff is always friendly and helpful. read more

I didn't expect it, but had a good time here. It's maybe a mile off the Pike exit at Palmer. The dirt-covered parking lot with a lot of ice on it made entry and exit more difficult than it should be. I guess it didn't bother anyone else considering that every area assisted living home seemed to be having a gathering here today - the place was packed like a sardine can with elderly customers at lunch. Service was excellent. Food was great too. I had the blackened scallops appetizer, consisting of 4 scallops ($12). My friend had a bowl of chili ($6) which was $1 more than the cup. Said it was very good but would've liked cheese on it apparently so he could have more saturated fat in his diet Entrees were very good. I had the salmon ($22) and enjoyed it greatly. Friend had a burger that was large and juicy. read more

Deceived by the reviews. The good: The service was great, the food came out very fast, the hot chocolate was delicious, and the atmosphere was cool. The bad: the lobster bisque tasted like tomato soup and the nacho cheese was grainy. What does grainy cheese taste like? I don't know, stop by steaming tender to find out. Maybe I ordered the wrong things. All in all, give this place a try for a fun meal in a train station, and ask your server for a recommendation of what's good. read more

Another stop on my self acclaimed breakfast tour. We stopped in here about a year ago for just for a hamburger, which was very good. They advertised a breakfast buffet for Sunday's only. This place is a former railroad station located at a meeting point of two railroad lines. They open at 9 am for this and we arrived at 10:15. Not bad, we had a 15 minute wait. I'm not sure if reservations are accepted for breakfast but the staff wasted no time prepping tables for the next customers. We sat down, ordered coffees and off to the line. It starts with a waffle station with strawberries. Next in line are two choices of eggs, scrambled and hobo, which are scrambled with cheese, broccoli. Next was sausage and gravy, link sausage and bacon, home fries, baked French toast, and juices. Everything was served warm to hot, and tasty. The home fries were large pieces of red potatoes with roasted red peppers. Very delicious and the potatoes were cooked all the way thru. Only complain is going to the bacon. It was cooked in an oven, and was the complete opposite of crispy. You could of rolled a "cig" with it. I know some like it this way, but please, also offer a choice of limp bacon and crisp bacon to keep the people happy. Just a warning if you scare easy or suffer from vertigo: the buffet table is set along a large window, and next to a railroad track. While we were there a train went by. You have about 2 seconds of rumble and there she is, about 30 feet from the window. For a price of $20 this is a place to try. read more

This is a very nice place to dine. From the Historical ambiance to the friendly service. It's a trip to the past. I had the quarter pound cheese burger it was phenomena.My wife had the turkey dinner it was great however she too said the gravy was bland? The prices are fair and served hot. Thanks for a great meal. Keep up the good work. read more

Ran into this place after antique hunting. Great sandwiches and drinks! Will be back if in the area.

Hadn't been to this restaurant for quite some time but decided to use a gift card we received and went in on Jan. 9th. We were pleasantly surprised by the service, the food, and the atmosphere. Restaurant was still decorated for Christmas which was beautiful. Our waitress, Doria, was great. Had the chicken breast special which was very good - the sweet potato wedges were fantastic. Because they were so busy (with take out orders) we ended up waiting an hour for our meal but they offered us two bread pudding deserts for the inconvenience. We gladly accepted, but it really wasn't that big of an inconvenience because the atmosphere was just so nice and relaxing. Got the desert to go and loved every bite of it!! The bourbon sauce is the best. Would certainly go back again soon. read more

I'm a long time resident of Western Mass and for years we knew about the Steaming Tender Restaurant, but had never visited. Today was our time visiting and I will say that our first experience was great (pandemic and all) The only reason for not giving 5 stars is because of the time we had to wait for our food; but when it finally arrived it was so delicious. We will definitely visit again! read more

First time here it was awesome! The building is just beautiful, food and service were awesome too

We found it to be mostly right down the middle . It's a beautiful venue from the inside . The Clam Chowder is 1 of the best I have had. We only had a couple of sandwiches which met our expectations but were not above and beyond most bar food places we've been to . read more

Steaming tender has a cute atmosphere and is a wonderful place to bring kids just for the history of the building. There are antiques throughout the restaurant and a train in the back. The food is good compared to the rest in Palmer and reasonably priced. I would recommend the turkey dinner or pulled pork grilled cheese with sweet potato fries. read more

Stumbled upon this gem on a road trip. The drink menu had some really innovative seasonal cocktails. As we were driving quite a distance we did not imbibe. We opted for the fish and chips and a seasonal salad. Both were delicious. I hope to find my way back here some day! read more

It's not that the baked haddock wasn't edible... it just wasn't enjoyable:( too bad because the Christmas vibe is great. I put salt and pepper and asked for more lemon but the haddock was just plain bland. I sent the haddock back was charged $6 for my ice cream scoop sized serving of mashed potatoes and butternut squash. To be fair, I said I would pay for the sides when I sent back the haddock and the squash was delicious! The waitress and the bartender are extremely friendly. My biggest gripe, other than the disappointing baked haddock, is that the owner never came over to our table. Actually didn't even know that she was there until I struck up a conversation with the matradie while I waited for my husband to use the bathroom. Here is my departing message... it's not where you get your fish:) it's what you do with it read more

We had a party of 8 and everyone loved their meals. Everything from the apps to deserts. Our waiter, Chido was on point.

Ate here in February while visiting family. Have been wanting to try this place with our son but the last few times he hasn't been able to come with us. So we ate here with some friends. The food came out pretty quickly. Even though the mozzarella sticks could have been cooked a tad longer. All of our meals were great. I like the beef tips and pasta. Meat was super tender, the cream sauce what a bit heavy but was good. My wife loves the lobster Mac and cheese. The rolls that can out to the table were warm and super soft and tasty. The whiskey bread pudding my wife and sister in law had was a bit on the sweet side a little to much sauce. But they both loved the pudding part greatly. Most definitely worth and return visit. Only down side was only one train went by and it was a small Amtrack. read more

We absolutely loved this place. Got a gift card for Christmas and we will be back again. Food was great. We liked the atmosphere and uniforms. Place was beautiful. We are train fans. We actually live on Railroad Street. So this was a treat!! read more

The decor and atmosphere alone are worth a visit. Great place for train buffs and kids. A tasty menu and a history lesson in every visit.

This was the 2nd time that 2 friends and I got together here for our little Christmas celebration. Our meals were wonderful. I had the Limoncello Haddock. The light sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and scallions was perfect. The large portion of haddock was moist and flaky. I chose the coleslaw as a side which was my only disappointment. It could have used some zip. Bread pudding is not a dessert that I normally would select but the whiskey bread pudding here is a must. Our waitress, Jennifer M., was friendly, accommodating and very familiar with the menu items. This place is a keeper. read more

Really charming establishment! We stayed overnight at the Trainmasters Inn and Donna was amazing and helpful! Delicious breakfast buffet on the weekend! Such a great space for a restaurant! We will definitely be returning! read more

In town for Bromfield. Ate here last year and the food was delicious, so of course we had to go back. You won't be disappointed

3 stars for slow service. I stopped here on my way to an event in Palmer. It was about 2pm on a Saturday. I was by myself. The dining room was busy, but not so busy to cause a wait. After about 45 seconds in the lobby, a host buzzed through & seated me and another party. Once at my seat, I waited nearly 5 minutes to be greeted by a server. My beverage was dropped off, but the server didn't stick around to answer my menu questions (soup of the day, etc.) About 5 minutes after that, my order was taken. I ordered a Portobello burger. After a 20 minute wait for my food, it arrived. It was exactly as I had ordered. There were 2 mushroom caps in the sandwich and roasted peppers & onions. I ordered without any sauces and It really didn't need them! It was hot and fresh and the caps were tender. The sweet potato fries (substitute/upcharge) were thick & crispy & delicious. Worth the wait? Not sure, but SO glad it wasn't a disappointment! I would come back to try again. read more

Steaming Tender - Beer selectio was small, but varied. - American Near Me - Palmer, Massachusetts

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I visited the Steaming Tender for the second time with my family on a Saturday night in March. I called in a reservation for six adults earlier in the day around noon time and request a window seat - a must for train-enthusiasts. When we arrived at exactly 6PM, we were greeted by a the owner of the restaurant, who graciously directed us to our table which was set and ready for us. It was a spacious, round table near a window on the right side of the dining room nearest the most active train tracks. The building has tracks on either side. When seated on the right side as you enter the dining room, you will have the best view of the Amtrak and freight trains that pass regularly - two passed while we were dining. Our waitress attended to us almost immediately after we were seated. My father and I ordered martinis which were wonderful, the rest of the party ordered wines of their choice and fresh-brewed unsweetened iced tea. Following drink service, our waitress took our orders, followed by warm rolls and soft butter which were just as if they were taken from the oven. The wait time for our meals didn't seem long, but the conversation at the table and the atmosphere in the spacious and beautifully built train station make any time spent waiting for service fly by. Dinners were served. I ordered the delmonico steak cooked medium which was awesome! It had a flavorful dry rub and was grilled to perfection, locking a great deal of juice into the steak. My steak was served with mashed potatoes and baby carrots - both sides were delicious. I also sampled a fried fisherman's platter that my wife had ordered. The seafood was so fresh that you'd think you were dining in coastal Mass or Maine. The batter of the seafood was perfect. For desert, my wife and I split a New York style cheesecake served with strawberries and whipped cream which topped our meals off nicely. I would highly recommend this restaurant. Be sure to make reservations for weekends as both times we've been to the restaurant on a Saturday night, it's been jammed! No matter how busy, the service doesn't suffer with extremely attentive staff. read more

I went to Steaming Tender for lunch it's a casual style restaurant set in a turn of the century railroad station. They get one star more than my experience due to the environment and effort that has been taken into restoring the station and working towards their historical renovation of the outside too. I went for lunch; it was good however, the meal didn't inspire me enough to go back, actually the opposite. I had my old world train experience & personally, I'm done. I've been in many converted stations before and had much better meals. Over-all the entire meal seemed thoughtlessly & carelessly thrown together. I had the Portobello sandwich and chose the up-charge of stuffed baked potato and Pecan Pie for dessert. Starting with the worst .. The Pecan Pie Seriously (!!) store bought anywhere would have been better & @ $5.99 a slice, me thinks not. I was very (!) unhappy, what-a-joke! The Portobello was cooked perfectly as were all the things piled onto it between the sourdough bread. However, the presentation lacked, it really looked like someone had "thrown" it together. The stuffed baked potato w/ cheddar & broccoli was another example of "thrown together". The potato had a slice of melted cheddar w/a lg. crown of broccoli pushed into it. No flavor on any of it, not even a touch of seasoning, not even the cheese . Over-all my impression was plop the food on a plate n' get it out to 'em, no consideration or pride in presentation or taking time to season the food. Maybe they think the charm factor of the station will bring people back, guess what = wrong thinking! Not in any rush to go back, charming space disappointing over-priced meal. read more

My wife loves me. Even though she would just assume go to a quick and easy fast food restaurant near the highway on a drive across country, she knows I would prefer a non-chain, local and unique type of restaurant. On our drive across New England, my awesome wife looked ahead to find just such a unique local non-chain restaurant for us to have dinner, and she brought us to this AWESOME restaurant in an old train depot. The atmosphere was very cool and unique. I love they way they have decorated the inside of the train station with antique photos, paintings, and stacks of antique luggage with stickers of various cities on them as if they were waiting to be loaded on the next train. While we were eating, two freight trains slipped by one side of the depot seemingly silent but very visible. Then we were all startled at one point when a passenger train ROARED by on the other side of the depot and tooted his horn right as he passed the dining room. My only complaint about the atmosphere was that it was a little dark inside, but everything else was great. The service was very warm, friendly, prompt, and professional. The food was extraordinarily good. Their menu has a nice selection of burgers and sandwiches, and then a whole page of seafood dishes. I had a hard time deciding and asked the waitress what she recommended. I went with her favorites, and I wasn't disappointed. Friday and Saturday nights they serve lobster bisque, so I started off with that and it was delicious. Then I had the stuffed haddock - it was a very light flaky fish stuffed with lobster and shrimp and had some sort of a croissant-type breading around the outside. It was heavenly. Our two boys (9 and 6 years old) thought it was awesome - both the food and the train atmosphere. My eldest son thought the french fries were particularly "awesome." We tremendously enjoyed our dinner at the Steaming Tender, and I would go out of my way to go back there again during our next drive across New England. read more

Always bring my son for date night at least once a month. He loves trains and I love the ambiance of the restaurant. The staff has a nice balance of making sure you're taken care of but not checking in every five minutes. The food is great so it makes it a neat spot to visit every month. Never go wrong with Steaming Tender! Also, during the holiday season you can dine on the outdoor caboose that is decorated festively for the holidays. Don't miss this restaurant if you're traveling through town! read more