Smithfields Restaurant and Bar

We tried the bacon beignets, they where great! Recommend the steak, we had three! We finished off with crème brûlée.

It’s easy. Fantastic food, incredible service, wonderful atmosphere makes for a great review. I have been here time and time again and Smithfields has always offered a level of service and food that exceeds expectations.
Food: not much to say, it’s all amazing. Just close your eyes and point at something on the menu-​you won’t regret it.
Service: really captures the essence of the experience. They’re all kind and knowledgable about their menu and are quick on their feet. It’s really all you could ask for.
Atmosphere: clean, inviting, modern sort of feel.
If I could rate higher I would

Stuffy place with uptight servers, food over priced, but well-​prepared. Goat cheese soufflé should be a side dish; fish and chips were half the amount of fish you find elsewhere with tons of fries. Mostly older people frequent this place. Try their Pub & Pies across the street!

Good food, but slow service. It took over an hour to receive our food. The wait staff was very friendly though. The NY Strip with blue cheese crumble was good, but my wife’s steak with peppercorn sauce was pretty tasteless. The décor was definitely pro-​meat, which could be good or bad depending on your preferences…

Back again on our way through.
What a wonderful space and bar and very accommodating for our family.
Thank you.

It was a cold, gray, Oregon spring day. The lack of sun was at once both exhilarating and disappointing, much like Smithfield’s Restaurant and Bar. Coming in from the cold we were immediately warmed by the crowded restaurant, a busy Saturday night in theatre-​going Ashland. So warm, in fact, we asked a server what he thought about the room temperature. He seemed to jump at the opportunity to turn on the A/​C, admitting the room seemed warm.
Now, time to settle in and eat.
Who could resist a menu item described as ‘Beignets and bacon?’ Take my advice, resist. While the exterior had a requisite crispness, the interior was more akin to Jewish egg kugel, a doughy alchemy of egg, milk and noodle. The beignet was bland and undercooked, and could have possibly been rescued if the diced bacon inside was crisp and textured, but it wasn’t. It was a soft, under rendered, chewy, bacon that did nothing to help the beignets flavor or texture.
On to the second dish, the siren call of ‘Bacon wrapped BBQ shrimp on cheddar jalapeño grits.’ Sign me up. Must have. And boy am I glad I did. Absolutely everything worked with this dish: plump, juicy shrimp; woody, smoky savoriness of the BBQ and bacon; cheddary, cheesy, creaminess of the grits with a kiss of the jalapeño oil. Perfection. I could eat this all day.
I wish I had stopped there.
Cod fish and chips were next. Serviceable. If that’s your dish, and you are in love with malt vinegar, this seems like it will be done reliably well on a regular basis. Safe bet.
So how about the burger? I started craving a juicy, gourmet burger about an hour outside Ashland after four hours on the road. Smithfield’s isn’t that burger, unfortunately. It definitely impressed on the plate, but on the palate it fell far short of that plump, juicy burger I was hoping for. I believe this was mostly due to the house grind of the beef. It was dense, like almost 99% fat-​free dense. No fat, no juice, not noticeably seasoned. Came across more like a thick, dry meatloaf: solid, dense and finely ground with no pockets for juice, texture or fat. I don’t know that I’ve ever done this before, but after cutting it in half and giving the first portion a chance, I left the second half on the plate for a trip back to the kitchen bin. Sacrilege, yes, but it just didn’t seem worth the calories.
Okay, maybe some housemade ice cream to clean the palate and end on a high note. Tonight’s special ‘chocolate with hazelnuts and cranberries’ sounds like just the ticket. Here it comes. A handsome, single scoop in a clear glass parfait dish. First impression? It’s icy and crystalline, like it’s been over churned. No creaminess to it. Frankly, the texture conjured childhood memories struggling with the paradox of Sealtest ice cream from the grocery store: it says ice cream on the carton but the texture is anything but creamy. How can this be? Where is the creaminess in my ice cream? When the waiter asked me about it he seemed very surprised. In fact, he assured me, no one had mentioned this all night; not a single diner on this busy Saturday night. So, off to the kitchen he goes to taste for himself. Verdict? He can hear himself crunching on the ice crystals inside his head. Not a smooth, creamy tongue coating but a crunchy, icy, noisy crystal sound echoing inside his cranium. And as if it couldn’t get any further from advertised, there were no cranberries in the mixture; only hazelnuts. All that said, the chocolate flavor was good and I let the server know it. He comped us the $ 5 for the ice cream, which of course was not our motivation for sharing all of this feedback with him.
Overall, service was friendly and attentive though they never once refilled our water glasses from the table carafe while stopping by to ask about our meals. Why not make the additional gesture? When the server dropped the dessert menus onto the bare wooden floor, he did not hesitate to present them to us anyway, giving them a quick dusting before handing them over. Call me old fashioned, but few things can shatter your confidence in a restaurant more than being handed something directly off of the floor.

This spot was recommended to us by some locals and were they ever on the mark! Food, service and ambiance were superb! Next time we are back in town, this will be a regular stop.

Our order took awhile but the place was full. My pork chop must weigh a pound, it’s tender and juicy, totally acceptable. The mac n cheese is sharp and has a nice layer of crunchy on top.
Beet chunks surrounded the 2x baked goat cheese soufflé’ which MyLove says is «Yummy’. High praise indeed. She cleaned her plate. Very high praise indeed.
The ambiance is breezy and open outside on the deck.
The staff was nothing but friendly and efficient.
Over all, a fine dining experience!

I’ve been here for brunch 2 Sunday’s in a row and everything is delish – today we sat outside and it was so pretty and pleasant. Butterflies flitting about on the patio, and the smell of smoked meat wafting in the air… Ahhh!
Last week I had the special omelette that they happily made into a scramble for me. Asparagus, bacon, arugula pesto, gruyère. Yum. This week I had the shrimp and grits. Double yum. My husband had the hanger steak with bernaise and he loved every bite. We didn’t experience any problems with the service, as others have mentioned. It was a great brunch and we will be back!

Smithfields is very vibrant, busy, loud, and crowded. The ambiance meets more of a pub than a restaurant atmosphere expectation. The young lady at the next table was so busy flipping her hair right over our table that we ended up sliding our table six inches away, making it about six and a half inches from our neighbor’s reach. They simply try to pack too many tables into a confined space.
The food was excellent, however. I had New York Strip which was charbroiled to perfection, served hot and juicy. Practically the perfect steak. It came with a few onion rings, which I discarded and mashed potatoes, which were also hot and rich in taste and substance. It was overpriced at $ 38, but a culinary delight nonetheless.
My wife had the bbq platter, which was fairly priced at $ 24. It had juicy and smoky brisket, hot and bbq-​flavored beans, melt-​in-​your-​mouth ribs, and hot collard greens. She also had a cold Newcastle.
A good experience which we would do again, despite the $ 72 bill (pre-​gratuity). I would, however, request a table against the wall.

The cornmeal onion rings were the crown jewels on top of a masterfully prepared rib eye steak flanked with horseradish mash. I chose the delectably tangy rhubarb strawberry tart for dessert. The service was delightful — attentive, yet not intrusive. I would definitely dine here again.

Food was outstanding. Why I made a reservation, I’ll never know. The place was empty.
Service was bad. Very slow in greeting us, I almost had to get up and go to the bar to get drinks. The waiter suggested a wine for my dish, but would not serve me it while I ate because of their no 2 drinks on the table policy. WHAT ??? I should of ordered a bottle and had it delivered immediately. Avoid the waiter Matt at all costs. The bartender Matt (#2) made a great cocktail. I can’t imagine eating here if the place was full. You would starve to death.
The only saving grace was the meal. It was killer, but I would be very careful eating here. If is was crowded, Lord help you. They need to get some professional staff. Also avoid the horrible bag of nasty popcorn they deliver upon arrival. Not good MAV. Be forewarned.

If you could control-​alt-​delete and force quit the service from Smithfield’s the stars would’ve been nearly perfection. With a waiter mis-​ordering and bringing a Downton Abbey attitude to the table the back-room’s culinary talent kept this Northwest/​Parisian experience alive.
Digs:
It was a shy statement of a building as we walked uphill towards this B&B front; we entered a modern spread with a bar to the left and sectional tables to the right; seated near the kitchen battlefront; nothing striking with décor besides the clean wall-​low lighting; (a theory of expense — the lower the lighting the higher the bill);
Ate:
House Bacon Beignets — a spherical tease of tender dough with rich bacon that made me «quietly» moan; the savory bacon serenaded us like Casanova;
Steak Tartar — a shapely raw meat stack of succulence; nothing exceptionally but helped our protein hunger;
Pork Belly — a tender piggy foreplay; my mouth cried when it was gone; a sweet apple ringlet crowned the pig which sat on a thrown of collard greens and buttery mashed potatoes; a winner needing to be repeated;
Drank (Re-​titled «The Server’s Disaster):
Gin Martinis — Shaken with a cold-​shoulder and garnished with twist of rude; two of our cozy party of four ordered „a gin martini with olives please“; the posh waiter then translated this to lemon juice with a slice of lemon; in a moderate shock we addressed the waiter with a Swiss neutrality and stated the mistake with no harm done; he then began to correct us by saying „no, you said lemon“, the blame was on the customer even though four witnesses all heard „olive“; for the record these words were are very phonically similar „AOOHHLLOVVE“…“LEEMAOONE»; his highness then galloped to the bar 20ft away and returned with a bowl of olives to solve the cocktail rubik’s cube — (inner snob alert) for the record he wanted us to put olives in the lemon saturated gin martini; my lady then took command of the ship and waltzed over to the bartender where he in disbelief re-​made the correct sinful juice;
Service:
After our bizarre beverage saga the waiter then felt more comfortable giving us a passive-​aggressive snarling presentation for the rest of the evening; was his masculinity challenged or did we telepathically insult his mother?; he sadly embodied the pretentious ooze that sometimes surfaces in Ashland (beneath the city like in Ghostbuster 2) treating us as unwashed low-​born foreigners;
Overall:
Smithfield’s has a valley stronghold on it’s meaty meals but a big fault-​line lays in it’s service causing a heartquake for the guests. This should be an easy fix and perhaps it was an off night; with this kind of price tag I want a little humility and charisma in my foodie footman.
Best service in the Rouge Valley: Elements, New Sammy’s, Liquid Assets

We had a lovely dinner here at 6pm on Monday evening. We were warmly greeted upon our arrival and seated by a window. We were given a small bag of seasoned popcorn and a menu. Loved the popcorn! Matthew was our server and he was terrific! We started with the bone marrow and it was interesting. My husband had always wanted to try it and though he didn’t love it, he was happy to taste it and thought it was pretty good. He enjoyed the side of homemade pickles that also came on the plate.
I ordered the BBQ platter with chicken, ribs, brisket, warm potato salad, collared greens and beans. I loved everything except for the beans. There are so many ways to make BBQ beans, but I happen to prefer mine on the sweeter side.
Hubby ordered the fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy. The chicken was so tender and delicious with a good crisp on the skin.
We do wish it wasn’t so dark inside as it made it difficult to read the menu. Maybe bump up the dimmer light a tad.
We’ll be back on our next trip to Ashland! So good!

I’ve given this place three chances and now it’s time to share. The last visit was just as disappointing as the previous two. Our reservation was not ready when we arrived and after being seated it took 30 minutes to be greeted by our server. Add on another 15 for the first round of beverages to arrive. The Bloody Mary was sweet and completely wanting. From my past experience of over-​cooked meat here, I decided to try the crepes. It arrived chewy and thick. Although the toppings looked delicious they were, in fact, still frozen.
Waiters were not friendly. Boo.

Had dinner here tonight, sorry I could only give them 3 stars. We split the St. Louis rib dinner special. The ribs were tough and not tender and the fingerling potatoes cold and collard greens were not to my liking.
Service was slow.
Really wanted to go to this place in Ashland, due to all the great reviews.
Guess I should not have had the Ribs.
Hard to believe SUNSET Magazine had such a great review on it.
Sorry will not return.

I really wanted to like Smithfield’s. And it was okay. It’s in a very nice room. The bar looks like a good place to hang out. The wait staff was nice, if a little over their heads. But, the food was bland. I had the lamb, and my wife had the strip steak. The meat was very good, but a little bit of seasoning would have gone a long way. Even salt and pepper. They seem to rely on an array of optional sauces, but we are not sauce on our steak people.
Oh well. It certainly wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t as good as it could have been.

Great spot for meat lovers.
Service: A (not always the case in vacation areas)
Food: A
Drinks: They pour a very respectable scotch. A
Price: Not bad B+

Around lunch time on our second day in Ashland we were in a bit of a rut on where to eat. The only places that seemed appealing to us were already closed, and the places that were open didn’t do much to call us in. That was until we laid our eyes on Smithfields.
From the bottom of the street it looks like nothing more than an old house sitting on the top of a hill. Once you make it up that heal and view it from across the street, or up close, you notice the amazingly cute outdoor seating area. That was exactly what finally sold us on having lunch here.
We stepped into the front door and when asked where we would like to be seated we said in unison «On the patio.» The gentleman seemed not surprised, and seconds later we were being led to the patio dining area. Designed to resemble someone’s home patio, there were great trees sprinkled with lights that I’m sure makes the night time at Smithfields look amazing. A small rock wall lines one side of the patio and on the other side of the wall is a vast selection of beautiful flowers. With all this nature there should be no surprise that a small number of cute insects, like lady bugs and butterflies, will join you for your meal.
The menu is petite, with only one side printed on it still has a very wide selection of food and drinks. We went during the brunch hours so the food ranged from breakfast, to brunch and lunch. The drink selection has a good mix of familiar cocktails, plus a few of their own takes on some classics. Let’s take the Bacon and Egg Bloody Marry for example, which is what I had. Designed to fit any level of spicy that you require, this take on the Bloody Marry still has the signature stalk of celery and olive. However it also comes with a thick slice of bacon, a bread and butter pickle slice, and a small hard boiled egg. It sounds like a lot of acid I know, but the flavors of everything combined with the amazing taste of a spicy Bloody Marry, freaking fantastic.
The first thing that popped out to me on the menu was the option for a side of Duck Fat Potato Pancake. I believe «Duck Fat’ is the words that really screamed for my attention. The fact that they have combined that with the fantastic taste of a potato pancake; well it obviously means we have a genius working here. The pancake was crispy on the outside, smooth and somewhat creamy on the inside. The taste of duck fat is there but very subtle, and it adds for just the right amount of extra savory.
I continued with my Weekend O’ Burger, by ordering the Burger n» Bun. It was the best seasoned burger I’ve ever tasted. There was a rich buttery taste to it that hade me rolling my eyes and moaning out loud. It was topped with caramelized onions, Rosemary Cheddar and lettuce. The burger was amazing, but the Rosemary Cheddar cheese made it that much more amazing. You can really taste the Rosemary, and the Cheddar is sharp. This burger is just one big ball of amazing flavor. The burger came with a side of awesome homemade fries, and even more awesome homemade ketchup. The ketchup was very thick, and, actually tastes like tomatoes.
Our server took a while to actually notice us once we were seated. However once she we were on her radar she was amazing. This place obviously gets s a lot of regulars visiting. The way the servers and managers talk with them makes you believe that everyone is just long last friends with one another.
Whether you’re a resident of Ashland, or just visiting, I highly recommend this place for everyone to check out.

We eat here often and it is easily our go-​to restaurant for brunch or dinner. Service, food, and drinks are excellent here.
For dinner I typically order the hanger steak and fries with Béarnaise sauce and it is always divine. Last night I tried the goat cheese soufflé with beets and it was incredible. Other favorites that I’ll order again are the bone marrow, grilled romaine salad, fish and chips, the halibut (fish specials always blow me away with how good they are here), the Painted Hills filet, and the mac and cheese.
Terrific wine list, great whisky selection and whisky flight option, and tasty cocktails.
And of course, Dee is the loveliest. We’re always happy to see her when we go.