FARMbloomington

Reviews 3

BR

Brian Brown

Short story: Not worth a drive from Indianapolis. Food was good, but not for the price. Server was uninterested in us or our food. Highlights were the appetizer (Fried Green Tomato Sliders) and dessert (Bread Pudding and Chocolate Peanut Butter cake) Long Story: Had heard good things about the owner and restaurant and I liked the concept of the restaurant. I should have read the reviews here before committing our 21st Wedding Anniversary dinner and a >1hr drive from Indy. The hostess was nice and seated us promptly and showed us the menus. Our server brought us water and asked what drinks she could get us. We reviewed the drink menu, and ultimately decided on just drinking water. Once we told our server that, she disappeared for about 10 minutes. She finally returned to take our order. She asked if we had any questions, but offered no suggestions and anything abut the specials. I asked her opinion of three different items and she (predictably) suggested the most expensive one of the group, but offered no real insight in to my question. Our appetizer was brought out pretty quickly and was very good. Not worth $14, but was good. Large slices of green tomatoes, fried very perfectly, served with a small piece of lettuce, goat cheese and a relish on a plain hamburger bun. Well plated and tasted good. Picture worthy, so one was taken. She took our plates form the appetizer, but I dont remember her ever asking if we liked it. Finally our dinner came, not too much longer. My wife ordered the special of braised beef brisket with onion gravy. She said it was good and the meat was very tender. Not picture worthy. I ordered the Bison flank steak. It was very good and well seasoned. The sauce was good and the mashed parsnips were excellent. Not a big fan of the sauteed kale. My meat had two sizable chunks of gristle. Not what I expect in a $28 small piece of meat. Our server asked shortly after we tried our food if we liked it. Never once asked again or asked about the two hunks of meat left on my plate. Yet again, uninterested in our experience there. Once she cleared our plates, she asked if we wanted dessert, we said yes. She brought the dessert menu and told us about the other items the pastry chef prepared that day as well that was not on the menu. After reviewing the dessert case, my wife decided to order the chocolate cake with peanut butter icing, which was not mentioned. It was very good. I ordered the bread pudding, which was also excellent. Both desserts were $6.50 each, which expected. We enjoyed watching the up-front kitchen prepare the salads and some appetizers. As it was our first time there (which our server never knew, as she never asked) we were curious as to the plating and different foods. As we left we talked to the chef up front and she was more interesting and conversational than our server. So, all in all, not a bad place to eat. Based on other reviews here, it sounds like it is a crap shoot as to whether you will thoroughly enjoy it or be extremely disappointed. We decided it wasnt worth the drive from Indy. If in Bloomington for business or other reason, I might stop in again and give them a second shot. I will know to ask not to be seated in Steph Cs section. Tip for Steph C: At least act like you care about the customers and their experience at your restaurant. Youll find tips are higher and you might actually enjoy your job and meet some interesting people. Possibly return customers.

SH

Shannon Davis

We had very high hopes for this place due to the reviews and ratings. We were very disappointed! This place is very overrated for what it is! The atmosphere is neat, so I can see the appeal. But the food is extremely overpriced for what you get! Our waitress was rude and snobbish. We were seated immediately (because we had reservations) but the restaurant was only halfway empty so there was plenty of seats. We sat for 12 minutes before a waitress even came by to ask us for drinks. We ordered an appetizer and it came pretty quickly. It was just garlic-fries with herb seasoning on it. Upon more discovery, they are called shoestring fries and you can buy them at your local grocery store a $1 a bag!! And they did!! They charge $8.50on their menu, Im assuming for the herbs?.... then our waitress took another seven minutes to come back and place our dinner order and she seemed like we were bothersome and messing with her socializing time where all the waitresses and waiters were gathered in the back. We then sat there patiently waiting on our food, we watched seven other tables sit down and get their food in a prompt time. All before we even got ours. My husband asked about where our food was to our passing waitress, (never stopped back by), she rolled her eyes and went and checked and Lord and behold our food arrived! 45 minutes after ordering it.The food itself was subpar. Average at best. I ordered the bison with Gouda Mac and green beans for $35, my husband ordered Big Red Pizza for $15 +$2 for chicken. My steak was cooked perfect, but was complete bubblegum! It was so full of fat,there was barely any meat. My husbands pizza was average at best. No strong flavors even though theres pesto on that pizza and pesto usually has a strong flavor. He paid two dollars extra for chicken to be added on the pizza. There were 4 small pieces of chicken. And his pizza was cold!! This place was way too expensive for what you got! We mentioned to the waitress that the time that it took for our food was longer than anyone else and we were only a party of two. Parties of five seated after us were getting their food before we were. And several other tables with only two got their food long before we did and we were sat before them. She rolled her eyes and acted as if she could care less. I told my husband to ask for a manager, but he didnt want to he just wanted to leave because we had been there for so long. We will never go back to this place. I understand the appeal of maybe what it once was. But I feel like they have lost The original idea and plan that this restaurant once represented. I think that them reaching fame and popularity, has destroyed and made them forget what they originally open the business for. For fresh, locally grown products to be repaired locally and sold locally. They have a lost that reputation we with me! Seems like all they care about now is money! We will not be back and I will advise everyone not waste your money on mediocre food & overpriced rudeness.

A

A Private User

I was interested to read the previous review here, since I also had a very bad experience with the Farm wait staff a few weeks ago. We were a party of 8 people. We had made reservations several weeks in advance. When we arrived, we discovered we had been assigned to a very long, extremely narrow table right at the bustling entrance, and in the middle of what we considered the bar area--furthermore, a high table on stools, not regular chairs. As a group of 8 who desired conversation, the long narrow table in an area of constantly moving, loud bodies, would have been really bad for our purposes. When we expressed our displeasure, the guy at the register was unusually rude right from the start; he implied in no uncertain terms that our question about the table had no merit. It was not just what he said, it was HOW he said it--as if he were trying to provoke us and go the extra mile in being unpleasant about the situation. We then asked to speak to a mananger, who came out and was a little more "political" in his manner of dealing with customers. But unfortunately, he, too, ended up treating us quite rudely by refusing to even acknowledge that any of our objections to the table were valid. (Dont you think it would be more intelligent for a manager in this situation to say, "yes, I see your point, and Im sorry--next time well try to seat you better--but tonight were so crowded we cant even think of re-seating you"? Wouldnt that at least mostly defuse the situation? Particularly in dealing with clients who are regulars at the restaurant in question? But instead, he got increasingly belligerant in tone, even though none of us were treating him with the slightest rudeness at all. We were simply waiting to have our objections minimally acknowledged. We ended up deciding to have dinner next door, at Uptown Grill. None of us were the type of people who have a habit or propensity to walk out of restaurants, and we were all regular patrons at Farm, so the situation was a bit traumatizing for us. As it turned out, the food at Uptown ended up being AMAZING! And our waitress was the most cheerful, generous person you could imagine. We had a much better time there than wed ever have at Farm. If the experience showed me anything, its that the food quality at a more "conventional" restaurant like Uptown can be superior to the hip-cool menu at Farm--and the service staff is more humane, more connected to the clients at Uptown. Now, Ive had very good experiences at Farm, particularly in the mornings for brunch. But I always feel that the food quality is mixed--one plate mght be great, but another plate is surprisingly mediocre, for example. Nonetheless, after this experience, I dont ever plan to put Farm at the top of my list of places to go.