Sweetheart Inn

The sandwiches I ordered were good, however the service was unforgettable (which was not a good thing). I placed the order for dinner over the phone and there was a bit of an attitude on the other end because I had never eaten at this establishment and was unsure what I was ordering. Rather than helpful suggestions or happiness that the woman had a new customer, I felt insulted. I tried to ignore this, but when I arrived at 7:27pm, I was scolded by the rather unfriendly (but familiar voice) hostess «I told you it would be ready at 7:30.» Seriously?! I was being told that showing up 3 minutes early for a take out order is an issue? About 10 minutes later, she comes out from the back with my order and proceeds to put the bagged order of food on the floor!!! I couldn’t help but think I was being punked. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I almost didn’t take the order, but I had my hungry grandparents at home, who were expecting their dinner and I did not want to disappoint them. When I arrived back, and recounted the experience, my grandmother was not at all surprised. She shared a few memories she had of this establishment, but more specifically, this hostess. I found it all to be ironic, considering the name of the restaurant. Your sandwiches were «OK», but not worth the abuse. I would not return. Perhaps they should consider restructuring, unless they are going for a «bitchy» vibe? One visit was enough for me.

This place is located off the beaten path. They serve really good American comfort food (like the best & biggest prime rib within 50 miles) at reasonable prices in a cozy atmosphere. Their bartender (Marie) is awesome. She Makes the best Long Island Ice Tea on the eastern sea board and has an infectious laugh that will make you smile. If you are looking for the ultimate small business & «where the locals go» kind of place vs. the chain places that are taking over then give this place a try.
Say hi to owners Mike & Leann they pour their heart into the place and are always there.

The food is good although some items on the menu lack taste…
The service is the issue here… From the moment you walk in it feels as tho you are ignored…
It seems as tho the servers do not know the menu well…
The owner is always grumpy and always looks miserable and if the service is slow it is not the kitchen but the servers getting the food to you… Or even remembering you are there…
I have been here many times and every time it is the same issue… Then they always blame the kitchen instead of the sub-​par weight staff…
It is sad… This place could be amazing and some nights it is… Although it is not worth the time nor money…

We’ve been to this place 2 times, the first time I thought they had a bad night… so Months later we came back to try it again.
For us, because this place is not cheap! strike 2 and your out… Food is cafeteria style at best! way over priced!
The only thing this place has going for it is it’s Quaint cozy location… other than that don’t waste your time or money!..

I heard mixed reviews of this place but decided to give it try.
The bar area is small and seems to attract a lot of the locals. A few big screen TV’s with several beers on tap. The place is clean and has a country charm about it. The bartender (Marie?) was great, a little grit and a sense of humor — but overall gave rock star service. The menu has the traditional New England & Italian influences. They have a Children’s Menu and look to have homemade desserts. The prices are attractive.
To be safe I ordered the Chicken Parmesan sandwich with fries. It was good as far as Chicken Parmesan sandwiches go, not bad, just okay. All the ingredients were fresh and the size was decent and for $ 10.00 you can’t really complain., I saw some items roll out of the kitchen and they looked pretty darn good.
Overall a 3.5 star experience. I’ll be back.

Not worth going back after this bad experience. We had been to the Sweetheart Inn many years ago, and went back for Valentine’s Day based on a friend’s recommendation. Our reservation was made two weeks in advance for 8:30pm. We were seated at 9pm and things went downhill from there. I understand it was busy being Valentine’s Day, so it didn’t bother me so much that service was slow. My husband and I ordered our meals — baked stuffed shrimp and lobster mac and cheese. We got our bread, salad and soup right away (but my soup was served in a tall, thin coffee cup). Twenty minutes later the waitress comes out and says there is no shrimp — they couldn’t have told her that when she put the order in or soon after that? So my husband ordered the chicken parm instead. Another 15 minutes after that they come out and say there is no lobster — WHAT??? The waitress looked like she was about to cry because she was having to say this sort of thing to all her other tables. But since she had to come to my table twice you would think the manager or owner would come out to speak to us. She said she asked them to but they wouldn’t. In fact I never saw the managers/​owners in the dining room at all. So my replacement order was filet mignon. When our food finally came out it was 10 o’clock. I did NOT receive filet mignon. What the hell? The chef doesn’t know his cuts of meat? I called the waitress over and said «this is not filet mignon» and she agreed that it was a sirloin (which was not even on the special Valentine’s Day menu). She said she was going to go back in the kitchen and make them make me a filet. I said just forget it, but make sure I only get charged for the sirloin. I was hungry and was not about to wait any longer to eat. Of course no manager came to our table to speak to us. (I want to mention here that we were very nice to the waitress because we knew what was happening was not her fault.) We heard the people at the table next to us laugh when the waitress said she hopes they come back because it is normally not like that. Our waitress offered to buy us our dessert, but by 10:30 I figured they probably wouldn’t have any dessert and I was too tired to stay there any longer so I passed on her offer. We got our bill with nothing taken off, not even our drinks! That is just bad business. (I am sure the owners wouldn’t let the waitress deduct anything, and I am sure she truly would have had to pay for our desserts herself.) Even as we left the owners were nowhere to be seen. Terrible management here, for customers and the employees.

Nice place for a quiet dinner food is good.

Leanne and Mike are the nicest people around! Sassy, but that’s what I like!
Their help has very low turnover so you can expect to have a waitron that knows your drink order if you become a regular. It hasn’t been around for a while cuz it’s not a summer soup, but in the fall and winter the stuffed pepper soup is crazy good! I’m not going to give up the secret of the best fish and chips in the Valley either!

Found out about the Sweetheart Inn a few years back! Live in Pelham, Nh and it is literally right around the corner from our home. We had been frequenting other local Restaurants, but were looking for something new! The first time we went in the experience was great! The meals were superb. We eat out a lot, so were looking for a change. Because it was so close to home it was a nice alternative to eating at the same place all the time. Started going in on a regular basis. Fell in love with the bartender «Marie». She is amazing. Friendly, attentive and very hard working. Turns out we found out she’s been there through a few owners! As previously posted, the owners patrol the restaurant like wardens, the wife sits at the bar and watches the bartender and waitstaff like a private eye! Although the first meal we got was phenomenal, it seems as though each time we went back the quality of the meals got worse. The owner thinks he is a phenomenal chef, but honestly his specials are nothing to write home about! My son is a trained chef with 12 years of experience and I am a self confessed gourmet cook with a passion for good food. We continued to return even after several bad meals, mostly because we loved Marie, but tonight was the last straw! My husband drinks single malt high end Scotch, which they have on hand and was another reason we went in. Each time we go in we spend an average of $ 80.00 — $ 100.00. We probably go in at least 7 – 8 times a month. We went in this evening for dinner. My husband ordered the 14 ounce pork chop. Specifically asked for it not to be over cooked. Our meals came out. My husbands meal was overcooked. Mike, the owner came out and asked him how it was. My husband told him it was over cooked. He looked at my husband indignantly and said «do you want something else?» My husband was so frustrated at this point, he said no. He sent his meal back. I finished my meal, which was just an appetizer. Mike came out of the kitchen and proceeded to tell my husband that the meal was not overcooked. My husband said yes it was! Mike turned to him and said” we’ll that’s your opinion”! The bartender Marie looked mortified. She apologized profusely! My husband asked for he check and insisted his meal be removed they did take it off the check. My husband informed «Marie» that we would not be back. She looked at him and said «I know» she gave us both a hug as we left. I will miss her, but she was one of the only reasons we went in. Mike and his wife have a lot to learn about customer service and running a restaurant! I think most of their waitstaff is terrified of them. Very sad:) it could be a little gem of a restaurant under the right ownership ! I heard they were trying to sell the place! Good luck with the way to have been driving your customers away!

The décor is very campy and dated. The eating area has a slight cigar smell which is strange because I don’t think you can smoke in restaurants in MA. The service was terrible and the food blah. I do not recommend eating here.

Very disappointed with this restaurant. Food and service is sub-​par and definitely not family friendly.
Location– pretty much in the middle of nowhere in Methuen forest
Décor– nice, old fashioned with white tablecloths. Good place to bring your mother/​grandmother
Food– we got the chicken sandwich dinner $ 14 and prime rib $ 25. Chicken sandwich was dry chicken between wonderbread and relatively flavorless. Prime rib was tough and over cooked. Sides were mashed potatoes and veggies. Small portions and flavorless.
Atmosphere– quiet. Owners patrol the floor like wardens. Waitstaff seems like they are afraid of them, two servers actually said as much. They have a popcorn machine next to the door which my kids noticed. We were told it was against the rules to serve popcorn in the dining room. When my wife asked for the chicken sandwich dinner the waiter said they can’t serve sandwiches in the dining room. When I asked why it was on the dinner menu she had to ask the owner if she could serve For fear of breaking the rules. Fortunately a $ 14 sandwich is ok to serve in the dining room.
Finally my 7 year old daughter wanted to split my prime rib dinner (she’s not a big eater but likes steak). When asking for a plate for her the server told us she must charge us $ 6 for an extra plate!!! She told us the owners keep a close eye on this and had to give us a bread plate instead, what!!! Finally after realizing we weren’t happy, the server snuck out two pack of m&ms which she literally placed behind my wife’s back for fear that the owners would see.
Value– awful. Food is way overpriced. Beers are around $ 6 and a Long Island iced tea is $ 10! Not worth it
The thing that really ticked me off about this place are the ridiculous rules and that they are not family friendly. I can usually deal with bad overpriced food but not this crap. Not too mention they are located in the middle of nowhere and overpriced.
If you want to bring your grandmother out for lunch maybe it’s ok.
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Food here is pretty good but as others have said the service is horrendous. Just spent nearly two hours trying to get dinner for two only to be ignored and treated rudely by one of the owners. Save your time and money…

My husband and I tried this place (I forgot I was using his Unilocal account!) based on the reviews here on Unilocal,and we are very glad we did! We went on a Thursday night, and were seated promptly in the dining room, which has a nice, charming, low-​key ambiance. Nothing «trendy» (which I am not fond of – the focus should be on the food, not the interior decorating), but nice and clean. The place was busy, but you could still carry on a conversation with your companion (s). They had a good selection of wines and premium beers, and the bar was separate from the dining area, which further enhanced dinner conversation.
I had the Veal Oscar (not an easy dish to make), and it was amazing! The veal, lobster, and asparagus were cooked perfectly, as was the Bearnaise. I was a little surprised that the veal was breaded, but again, it was cooked perfectly. My husband had the prime rib, which they advertise as delectable, and serve on a first come basis, and it lived up to it’s reputation. They also serve a delicious Au jus, and a potent creamy horseradish sauce.
Our service was excellent (even considering the waitress introduced herself and said she «would be taking care of us” – it may be a minor issue, but I HATE that phrase which seems to be so popular now – I expect to be served, not babysat!!). She was attentive, but did not hover and continually interrupt my dinner (another pet peeve of mine – trust me, I’m not shy, if I’m unhappy I’ll let you know – otherwise, please leave me to eat in peace!). She was polite without any of that fake cheerfulness that I see in so many other places. I thought the cost was fair considering the quality and portions, and far below what you would pay in some top chain restaurants. I have to say I’ve eaten at some of the best 5 star restaurants in the US, and cooked professionally, and unlike many other places, I was impressed. There is no pretentiousness, and though the fare was simple rather than gourmet, it was perfectly cooked, and presented well. I also LOVED the fact that there was no TV in the dining room!
My only criticism is that they really should have table clothes, a more interesting salad (but it was fresh), and more choices of sides. This is a great place for romantic or special dinner. I hope to return often.

I have been trying to lure my family here since I found them on Unilocal.This weekend I finally managed to get them there.
We had a wonderful dinner. On a Saturday night it was not busy. This may have been due to the snowstorm but we did not have a wait. Reading the other reviews would I say the service was not stellar… BUT we weren’t in a hurry, we weren’t starving so it suited our needs perfectly.
The food was very good. The prices were moderate. This hidden gem will definitely get a return visit. It will be ideal for family gatherings. Can’t wait for the warm weather to see what they have to offer.

I don’t even know where to start but the sweetheart inn is absolutely iconic! I grew up down the street from the Inn and even worked there for a couple years in high-​school, washing dishes. The Inn always had the best plates the lobster pie, the chicken BBQ sandwich, hot chicken sandwich, and best of all the cheese soup! I’ll rant about the cheese soup for a bit b4 I move on. Is is made with (and I know the secret recipe but I’ll just list basics) Swiss cheese, a broth, some finely shaved carrots, milk, and a whole lot of taste bud lovin!!! I think it’s still only served on sat night and I have seen it run out. Around 98 the place sold I think twice and I liked the guy that had owned it (he was my boss) but he had never ran a restraunt and really didn’t know how to run one except for the exact way the Inn was ran (so never any change or growth) but the mike condone ended up owning It and I think he still does. He did a TON for the place. Combined the menu with that of his old restraunt, The Red Tavurn. Also a great restraunt! Completely redid the restraunt. And added catering. I would recommend this place to everyone and will be returning again soon myself.

Just here for a wedding rehearsal dinner. This place is somewhere off the beaten path, in a residential area in Pelham. The grounds look nice — I think I saw a Boche ball court outside.
The inside reminds me of any inn, cute and cozy. We were in a large function room, I assume. There was plenty of space for all of us. Hors D’oeuvres were cheeses and crackers, grapes and pepperoni. The cheese selection was okay. Some cheddars, an herb cheese, etc. The salad was kind of lame but fresh — a garden salad — no crutons and swimming in dressing. The dinner was from a pre-​selected menu for the party (I believe) and included a kids menu. There were steak tips, chicken parm, or baked haddock (hamburger and chicken fingers for the kids).
All of the dishes were enjoyed by everyone. The steak tips and haddock were accompanied by a steamed and seasoned vegetable medley, and some delicious mashed potatoes (Seriously, AMAZING mashed potatoes). The haddock was cooked just right, but could have used some more interesting flavors. Dessert was a scoop of vanilla ice cream with some chocolate sauce.
The service was friendly and attentive. A nice venue for a rehearsal dinner, or large family gathering.

Please note that I took a night to stew this over before I wrote this and I am still just as appalled as last night. Here is my experience from last night.
As a resident of Methuen, I have been coming to this establishment for over 20 years with no complaints as my parents were fond of this restaurant. Because of this, I chose The Sweetheart Inn to bring my mother for her birthday dinner.
We had walked in and my mother sparked up a conversation with the bartender whom my mother has known for a very long time. We were then seated after waiting around the host stand for a couple of minutes.
After being seated, I then excused myself and went up to the waitress to inform her that it was my mothers birthday and to «bring something with a candle». Without her even taking the time to look me in the eyes, she yes’d me into believing she knew what she was doing. Apparently I was wrong.
In terms of the setting, it is a quiet dining room with soft lighting. A very ideal place for a romantic dinner or taking someone out special to you. The food is over priced but very good for what we had both ordered (My mother had veal with no complaints and I had the Italian combo that was good sans the sausage). This is where the night turned sour. The first mistake was that I had ordered angel hair pasta and was brought linguine. Ok, no big deal, I’m not going to make a issue of that but I maybe should have.
After we finished our dinner, we sat around enjoying some great conversation. The waitress had only come over once throughout our whole meal which I found rude but understandable. It wasn’t even busy. After we stated that we were done and would like to get our wrap-​ups, the waitress brought our check and a little tin with two heart shape cookies. ARE YOU SERIOUS!!!
Infuriated at this point, I took the check and placed a 10% tip on it with a note that stated «No desert??» She should have been happy I left ANYTHING! Let’s be honest, every place I’ve ever been to in my life brings you something for a birthday. Free or not. You add it to the check and I pay it. Again, the waitress did not see it that way.
We got up and left but on the way out my mother stated that she needed to use the restroom. While waiting out the bathroom the waitress come whipping around the corner with the check in hand. She starts YELLING at me that I never said to bring anything. ARE YOU SERIOUS??? FIRST OFF a waitress/​waiter should never confront a customer about a tip. That’s just simple Restaurant 101. So during a confrontation my mother comes out of the bathroom and says «What the hell??». The waitress then storms off. Wow, just wow.
So we get back to my mom’s residence and I am livid at this point. I had to call the place. Well I did and I spoke with the owner, Mike. I can see defending your waitstaff but in the first five minutes of the conversation he would not let me talk and keep telling me I WAS WRONG! ARE YOU SERIOUS!!! Nothing was resolved at all and he was extremely confrontational. After a couple minutes of the conversation, he informed me that we were SUPPOSE to receive a «lava cake with a candle» or at least something. Oh really? I have never been so disrespected in my life at a restaurant, let alone a place i’ve been going my whole life.
Point of the story: This place is joke and has lost many loyal customers due to this incident. Learn some GD respect for patrons.
EDIT:
After posting this, I was contacted (and harrassed) by a Brandon who claimed to have worked there via Unilocal.Not only is their service beyond horrid but they will harrass and threaten you if you leave an unfavorable review. Way to go Sweetheart Inn!

Nice place with a charming atmosphere. It’s not usually crazy busy, and the food and portions are great. Recommended if you are tired of the chain restaurants.

One of the better restaurants in Methuen. It has great food and good service. The soups are delicious and I was told homemade. The deserts are very good and simple. The parking is ample. The one draw back is finding it. Myrtle St in off West St and you can easily miss the sign.

Wow a hidden gem in Methuen!
I heard about the Sweetheart Inn from a coworker, so naturally I had to try it.
Located on Myrtle St. in West Methuen, in an historic old building, this restaurant and attached tavern has charm.
The menu consists of steaks, chops, stuffed chicken, fish & chips, sandwiches, seafood, prime rib, Italian specialties, and more.
We were seated in the main dining room. The booth seats springs had been well used and it felt like we were sitting in an old Ford F-​100.
The dining room was nicley decorated for the holidays along with pine garland, white lights, and snowman figurines from the Christmas Tree Shop.
Service was prompt. We quickly got our drink order. We both ordered cups of soup (fish chowder & Italian wedding) which were good but not memorable. ($ 2.25)
We both had Italian Haddock dinners which was baked haddock topped with a sweet tomato marinara sauce and topped with melted cheese. This was served in a very hot gratin dish. It came with a starch side. We both choose pasta. The meal was very good. and reasonably priced at $ 13.95.
The also advertise breakfast on the weekends. We hope to come back on a Sunday morning and check out that experience.
They have a website which includes their menu, directions, and more.