Val did it again! As if she and her crew didn't pull off the most extraordinary wedding reception for us last September (that our wedding date had to come together in such short notice didn't faze her one bit ), this time we placed my 60th birthday celebration into her talented hands, and wow, did she deliver! Although I'm not surprised. (-; It is rare to find such a well-oiled machine in a restaurant that operates with such heart -- you can tell how connected the crew is and that they're having a good time too, which extends to a customer's experience -- with food that is made with such skill and craft, such care and thought and pride. It's so clear that this is Val's passion, and we are most grateful to have learned about her and her place. Val and team, thank you for the unforgettable birthday sendoff you created for me last night. My friends are sending texts of gratitude for such a lovely time; all of it was perfect. The pretty room with fairy lights and garden flowers and purple everywhere; the FOOD, all of it so delicious and clearly made with a great deal of love and skill, and how fun to have our own printed selection menu; those mocktails, brava to their creatrix; the cake setup; and because of the attentiveness, energy, fun and expertise of the serving crew, you all created a lovely experience where the 25 of us could be fully present, take our time, and just get to be ourselves together! I will keep sending folks your way, whether it's for a casual meal or a reception, memorial luncheon, etc. Thank you again. read more

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Val's Restaurant: A Holden Legend ​If you haven't been to Val's, have you even truly lived in Central Mass? Here is the breakdown: ​The Vibe: It feels like a giant, cozy hug from a grandmother who really wants to make sure you never see your abs ever again. ​The Portions: Val's operates on the "more is more" philosophy. I ordered a "side" of pasta and I'm pretty sure they just brought out the entire kitchen's inventory for the week. ​The Strategy: You don't go to Val's for a "light bite." You go there to commit to a three-day food coma. If you don't leave with at least two heavy paper bags of leftovers that could feed a small village, did you even go? ​The Verdict: 10/10. My belt is screaming, my heart is full of chicken parm, and I'll probably be back next Tuesday. read more

Val's Restaurant & Lounge - American Near Me - Holden, Massachusetts

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We got take out last night...after a long , difficult week. My husband got lamb shish-kabob and I got Aglio Pasta with chicken/penne. Both were superb just what we needed so delicious...an example of how wonderful food can lift you up...and right around the corner from us! read more

Called for take out. Phone system has a prompt 2 for take out Then it's a doom loop and no one picks up. If you're not going to support take out put a message on the automated line. It's not poor service. It's no service read more

Sub-par as if someone was smoking a cigar. The beef was something scorched by a star. And the service? Oh my,my,my; could go with a blah. And yet the overall place does not live up to the ambiance one might expect from a Val's gone too too far. read more

My uncle likes to come to Val's so I usually go when I'm visiting the area. The food is solid and at a great price. I've only ever been for lunch, but have enjoyed any meal I've had. It's a comfortable and spacious restaurant. read more

Got takeout. Food was a solid 3.5; just above average. Got a bacon cheeseburger, appreciating the patty and the brioche bun. Wife enjoyed her Greek salad and salmon. The way the menu works is you can get a half- or whole-portion salad, and add whatever protein you want on top. This is exactly how we ordered on the phone. Not sure if the staff who took our order is new, but she seemed to have a tough time taking our order. Phone call went roughly: I want a bacon cheeseburger (which by default comes with fries) *pause to allow time to enter order* Then I want a half Greek salad, and please add salmon. Staff asks roughly: So for the side salad with your burger, what dressing would you like? We correct her and re-state our order. She then reads what she recorded as our order back to us: Bacon cheeseburger burger and a half Greek salad. No mention of salmon. We again correct her to make sure salmon is added. We are told the food will be ready in 25 minutes. We happen to arrive exactly 25 minutes from the phone call. We go inside to pick up, and are informed our food isn't ready "yet". 5-10 minutes go by; roughly the time it would take to fire a burger and piece of salmon. Odd timing. Made it feel like our order wasn't made until we showed up. No to-go cutlery. Luckily we had spare in our car so we could eat at the brewery we took our food to. Again, food was solid, but there were disappointing aspects of our experience. read more

Our group (21 diners) held a Christmas dinner there. Comfortable and open round table seating in the back hall (didn't realize it was that big a place). We all ordered off the menu. We arrange for a fruit and cheese table (extra $7.00 pp) which was well stocked and happily received. Drinks are paid separately with the server from the dinner check in the group rooms, so that's OK with me. Almost any dinner is great, I started with mussels as an appetizer, and then their seafood casserole. After the bowl of mussels, I managed only half the casserole, and it made a great take-home for lunch the next day. My wife had their marinated Half-roast chicken, and the same - enough for take-home, too. Excellent strawberry cheesecake for dessert. Vals has been around for a while, and with meal prep like we had, I can see why. They are priced a bit higher than your normal local haunt, but it's money well spent. Very satisfied, and I would bo there again. read more

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The food is always delicious! 9/10 I end up having enough to take home. The owner is known to walk around and welcome everyone. She's very sweet. Overall, it's a great place to to go for couple, solo divers, big or small groups. read more

Val's Restaurant & Lounge - American Near Me - Holden, Massachusetts

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Went for the first time, since I've heard great things about it, and it did not disappoint. Food was absolutely incredible all around. The service was great and there was live music! read more

Funeral lunch buffet event. Staff was able to whip up Gluten free Dairy Free pasta primavera. Very knowledgeable about ingredients in dressings etc. Large portion and good variety of fresh seasonal vegetables not overcooked! Accommodated dessert with fruit! Super appreciated their friendly helpful attitude. So nice to have local owned place who makes you feel like family! read more

As regulars at Val's, usually ordering from the "favorites" menu in my head, I decided on the filet mignon from the specials menu. I was thinking about ordering it without the mustard brandy cream sauce, as I'm not a big fan of mustard, however I went with the sauce. It was amazing! The filet was cooked to perfection, as were the green beans and mashed potatoes. This is clearly the best filet dinner under $40 you'll find anywhere. My wife got haddock casserole, which she loved. I usually get a piece of baklava to go, however my wife wanted to try the dessert special, which was a cream puff filled with strawberries and rhubarb in Devonshire cream. We got the dessert to go, and ate it when we got home. Without a doubt, probably the best dessert we've ever eaten. I can't wait to see the filet mignon on the menu again. This was a special meal, served by amazing staff. To top it off, Val herself gave out potted flowers to all of the mothers. Check this place out if you haven't already. read more

Val's Restaurant & Lounge - Antipasto salad. - American Near Me - Holden, Massachusetts

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Worst bartender in the business. He didn't know how to serve a cocktail. No garnish, no cocktail straw, no napkin. It wasn't busy and others had said items with their drinks. I want a jerk about it but I basically had to instruct him. Then 5 minutes after I sat down at the bar to imbibe said drink I get sprayed while he was using the cocktail shaker. Utterly incompetent. Vals usually serves good food, and their waitstaff is friendly but avoid the bar unless you want to sit in the splash zone. read more

Just had a surprise party there for hubby in their private party room. This was nothing short of amazing. Menu selection was perfect for all ( teens, adults). We had fabulous bruschetta and calamari appetizers with 2 types of sauces placed on the bar for all. No matter what the entree was, all loved it. Favorites were nutty salmon, shish kabobs, fettuccine and seafood casserole. Wait service was a joy to work with. Val herself, made this party uncomplicated and also helped in our "surprise ". Highly recommend Val's. Doesn't get any better! read more

Great, warm environment. Went on a Sunday during lunch, where we were promptly seated. Servers are friendly. Food is very reasonably priced and the portions are huge! House salad dressing is delicious. Food I would say is on the less salty side, which is a good thing for us. Everyone went home with leftovers. Would definitely come back again! read more

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Been to Val's several times over the last 20 years. It's a solid mid. Nothing wrong with anything I've had, it's just not great. Good drinks, ok food. It feels like it needs more love invested in methods. I do like the atmosphere when I want a little local flavor. Service can be hit or miss but has mostly been good. Price is ok, but I was expecting more for the price. Not in amount, just in execution. read more

Val's took care of my daughter's baptism. We had a great celebration. Great food. Their private dining room was able to accomodate 45 guests. Thank you so much, Val's! read more

We hadn't been here in awhile and decided it was time to come back as Val's has always been a favorite. We went on a Saturday for dinner service and we were able to be seated right away as they weren't busy yet. We ordered our drinks and everything my husband ordered wasn't available. :( He loves good beer and he picked a draft first and our server came back to let him know that they didn't have any drafts as their tap wasn't working, so he picked a bottled beer and they were out of that. He picked another beer and thankfully they had it, but he said it wasn't a very good beer and he didn't enjoy it. We all ordered our meals, chowders and house salads. Our chowder wasn't hot at all, but the salads were fresh and delicious. I asked about the spinach/artichoke spread that they always served with crackers and we were told that they don't serve it anymore since Covid (I'm not sure what that has to do with Covid, but whatever), the spinach/artichoke spread was always my favorite part of eating there. Our meals came and they were delicious, nice and hot and I enjoyed every bite of my seafood casserole. Val's does have delicious desserts, but we were way too full to have dessert this time. read more

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Excellent portion and prices! Food was great! Would definitely return. Staff was friendly.

This was a wonderful find! Good was delicious ! All cooked perfectly. I got baked haddock casserole and my sister had baked stuffed shrimp. Delicious!! read more

The food here is always amazing! Never had a bad thing. We ordered food to-go there this weekend and there was a little mix up with our order. They very quickly remedied the situation, got our food ready as soon as possible and comped our meal without us having to raise a stink. Great food and great customer service. Mistakes happen, but they are accountable and were quick to ensure we were taken care of. read more

My Server Jaye was excellent. He and all the other servers at Val's are very Friendly and helpful. I always feel welcome as soon as I walk in the door. My Pork Medallions meal was delicious and filling. read more

My family and I had such a great time at Val's for the first time. The hostess was so accommodating with my 4 year old in asking if I'd like to have something come out right away for him. I requested mashed potatoes and she personally brought it back at no charge. I was so thankful and blown away she took the time to do that during the rush hour. That was just the beginning of the great service, our waitress was so attentive with checking in on our food and if we needed anything. Finally and the most important thing is the food. I got the baked haddock, absolutely DELICIOUS. My family got sandwiches and they were packed with their sweet potato fries and onion rings. The portions and prices are very fair. I definitely recommend you try Val's the next time you want to try a new restaurant! read more

Ok so this place is very cute! I went around the holidays and they were decorated for Christmas and had the fireplace going. It's super nice to sit by the fire and get a drink from the bar. Very cozy. However, the food is, quite frankly, disgusting. Very unfortunate. The clam chowder was less of a soup and more of a chunky, gravy-type consistency. Gross. We actually sent it back and got the house salad instead for our starter (not much better). My entree was from the specials: the Mediterranean salmon over tomato basil risotto. Soo oily and not great. I will say the service was so great! Everyone who waited on us was so nice and helpful. They even had a guitar player. Enjoyed the service and the ambiance very much, however I would not come back here due to the food being very gross. read more

Food here is off the charts good. Waitstaff is top notch. And the little store is cool don't sleep on this place. I think I found my Sunday night place. read more

We saw Val's on Phantom Gourmet and decided to give them a try. They checked all the boxes. Huge menu, great service, yummy food in large portions. Wr had the Mom's spinach salad which was big enough to share. I had the lamb pita and hubby had the Val's burger. Apple crisp and Grapenut pudding were delicious and reasonable finish yo out meal. Moderately priced. Fries were very tasty. Would definitely go again! read more

Amazing dinner ... Chicken Parm with Pasta ! The Dessert .. Grape Nut Pudding ...The service was great ! Definitely a return visit will be happening soon ! read more

Very good service very good food very good Ambiance very nice and good lounge very good read more

Meh at best tried several menu items and in every case I've had way better. Service was good. read more

Dear COLORED folks avoid this place at all costs. I came here for Mother's Day with my family of 14 we got there for 5 by 6:30 we still haven't ordered our food. people who came after us were seated and had gotten their food before us. 6:50 comes & finally we were able to order. food came an hour later which is understandable for a party of 14 BUT we were left hanging for awhile with no communication everyone else was being attended. now after we received our food plates were missing we had to wait MORE time after 2 1/2 hours. would not recommend. read more

Burgers Delicious burger yesterday and only problem with hearing aids was very noisy clatter the whole time there. read more

Val went above and beyond for my father's mercy meal when we showed up with way more people than originally expected. Her staff sprang into action and immediately brought in more tables to the function room. The food was excellent and the service was top notch. Highly recommend for any function needs. Thank you Val and all of her staff! read more

I'm new to the area and a friend recommended this restaurant to me. It is/was amazing. I've been here twice this month. The food is great. There's live music and even events in the back hall. Service is slower than you'd want because it's so busy all the time but the food is so worth the wait. Portions are huge and the flavors are there. I'm literally sitting here waiting for my food and I can't wait until then next time I eat here already. I highly recommend this place to everyone. They even had crayons and coloring paper for my nephew too! There is a bar waiting area and also a marketplace/ to go area if you're not ready for dine in yet! I'll post my photos soon once my food comes! read more

Val's Restaurant & Lounge - Seafood bowl - American Near Me - Holden, Massachusetts

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Omg. Had the black diamond steak cooked to perfection. The taste was so delicious that my husband had to tell me to stop moaning how good it was! Lol My honey had the baled scallops that we're so sweet and delicious. Love this place love Val too! read more

Val's Restaurant & Lounge - Lobster - American Near Me - Holden, Massachusetts

Great food ambience choices .. only eaten there once . Busy great business .. going back with our scout group in May

Place was adorable. Service was slow. Waitress was very unattentive. Menu states salad is made fresh everyday my salad looked overs wise, wilted brown lettuce. I wasn't offered any type of salad dressing just the one on the table. They only bring two rolls and never offer any more. We had to chase the waitress down for drinks. Food was just okay, nothing to rave about. My chicken was a little pink and the rice had no flavor what so ever. Definitely not in a hurry to return. read more

Food was good. Came in for really late lunch, 4pm. Dinner menu was already out, and place was already busy, but they allowed us to order the lobster roll anyway. Service was great. Katie was really good. read more

What a great place. Owner greets you at the door. And it begins. Have been there once before in the warm weather and loved it because besides the food, which was on point, they let my ( well behaved ) dog sit with us outside. Tonight did takeout for six and between the cocktails at the bar while food came out and the nice guitar player, another great experience! Got to love a place where the owner is greeting you with a hardy smile and exuberant hello as she manages the restaurant floor! read more

Val herself is lovely. We've been going for a long as she's been open.... the restaurant grew.... the food got better.. every meal every time all good... go and try it yourself....I don't think you'll be dissatisfied:) read more

I just don't get this place and why people in Holden love it so much. Unfortunately people keep gifting us gift cards or wanting to meet there. I really need regift the cards or something, except then people would think I like the place. Thankfully the food is alway decent. It's just everything else, oh everything else! It seriously feels like a place you only going you're in your 80s. Bring in our 40s, we always feel out of place due to the crowd. The owner is awful. This is actually the biggest reason I dislike this restaurant. She is so rude. I've watched her be rude to employees on numerous occasions, take it to the back room. Don't ruin our dining experience. Rude to customers as well. And guess what, it rubs off. She is rude, the staff is not happy and they don't treat customers well. I seriously cringe every time we have to go here. I would give it 1 star instead of 2, but the food really is decent and at least it's consistent. But if I'm going to pay to out, I want to enjoy my meal out. I never do at Val's. read more