Customer Reviews for The Stone Barn
Lise Borel on 1/6/2012 1:46:11 PM
Wedding reception dinner nightmare! The Stone Barn advertises that their mission is to provide excellent food at a reasonable price using seasonal, local ingredients. In a bait and switch scam, this is exactly what we were provided for my daughter and future son-in-law's tasting in May 2011. The food was delicious, well-prepared and exceptionally presented. However, what was served at the wedding reception was generally poorly prepared, had skimpy portions and there was absolutely no presentation, in other words, the equivalent of poorly cooked cafeteria food.
In good faith we prepaid $13,627.73 to the Stone Barn, assuming our reception meals would be the same quality and presentation we enjoyed at the tasting appointment.
This was our daughter's wedding, an event that should be as perfect as possible and while the meal is only part of the celebration - it is the most expensive part of a reception, and should be - not just acceptable, but first-class for a facility with The Stone Barn's reputation.
Specific issues:
The dinner meals at the reception were an embarrassment and a huge disappointment. During the reception meal, we spoke to both Alex and Chef Ray in the kitchen the night of the reception, who apologized and acknowledged that the filet meals were overcooked and even burnt. This exchange was witnessed by our wedding planner. I was mortified that all of our guests were served salads that were basically cheap cafeteria salads, that 85 of our guests were served filets that were second-rate in terms of how they were prepared and presented, and that all of the entree plates were sloppy and with poor presentation - certainly not what you would expect from a wedding venue like the Stone Barn who advertises and assures prospective customers that they will receive first class food and services. Again, the meals in no way resembled what we were provided at the tasting appointment.
1. The salad was supposed to be the Baby Spinach Salad (described in the menu as having candied pecans, gorgonzola, port-poached pears) and the chef agreed to add dried cranberries per the bride's request. The salad we were served at the tasting had a beautiful presentation - a small "nest" of spinach leaves, with all of the listed ingredients. What we were served at the receptions was a skimpy handful of spinach leaves from a plastic bag thrown on a plate with 2 pear slices, maybe a candied pecan and/or cranberry if you were lucky, little or no gorgonzola and some vinaigrette dressing - there was no presentation, the portion ridiculously small and nothing like what we had at the tasting. It was cheap, sloppy and not what we paid for. At the tasting we repeatedly asked Chef Ray if our salads at the reception would look like what we had at the tasting and we were repeatedly assured that they would.
2. The filet mignons were overdone, most of them charred on the outside. The only consistency in "doneness" was overdone. My new son-in-law and husband's filets were black on the outside, overcooked and tasteless, I returned my husband's to the kitchen and when they provided another filet - it was still overdone and tasteless. I went around to all of the tables and with a few exceptions, the filets were overcooked and many of them burnt. This is totally unacceptable.
3. All of the meals had substandard food presentation - a glop of mashed potatoes, an extremely skimpy portion of green beans - certainly not what you assured us we would get at the tasting.
I have requested a refund of half of our money - they refused - so small claims court is next! Parents beware - do not pre-pay if you do choose the Stone Barn - be sure you are getting what you paid for!