85 Main

Second visit on June 11, 2016. In Putnam for live theater at the Bradley. The play is Wilde’s «The Importance of Being Earmest». We booked a 5:00 dinner reservation to be able to dine and make the 7:30 show. The regular menu is a good one. The chef again provided a seafood special too good to pass up. My last visit it was bluefish cooked and served exquisitely with a light tomato based sauce. This time it was wolffish served over a reduced cauliflower sauce, mixed vegetables, and the fish cooked to perfection: flakey and moist. Friends listened to my praise of the wolffish dish I reviewed at the Steaming Tender in Palmer and we all ordered this fabulous dish. My wife was a holdout, ordering the large, plump sea scallops in a maple glaze served with garlic sauted red swiss chard. It was amazing. I think the world of this restaurant and the theater is good too. Give it a try. I think it will please.

We were visiting the area from California and ended up meeting friends for lunch at 85 Main. It was wonderful. Not only were we able to stay and visit as long as we wanted, the meal was fantastic! I had the fried clam special — and the clams were served with bellies – they weren’t just strips. They were carefully cleaned – no gritty residue as you sometimes can get when that isn’t the case. My husband had a luncheon meal salad and he proclaimed it delicious. We enjoyed our meal so much that we came back a few days later and brought another friend with us! Thank you for the yummy meals!

Everything was excellent! Nice space, a bit on the pricey side but everything was very good!

Steak and fries is my favorite lunch! The spicy ketchup is an awesome addition that really adds a boost to the meal. Stephanie does a great job at the bar on Saturdays and is always fun to talk to and really knows her stuff!

I would like to give more stars but time after time this place let’s me down. The menu is hugely overpriced with no justification for it. The food is just okay and the service is friendly enough but slow. On our latest visit we ordered two of the specials; Chicken and Brie wrap, that was served without the Brie? It took so long for our server to check back in with us that we weren’t interested in the offer to attempt to melt Brie on top. The other special; Shaved sirloin sandwich $ 15 was more like 4 oz of shaved steak formed into a burger patty, totally disappointing. I hate to give bad reviews but if you’re heading into Putnam there are many other tasty places to try, look elsewhere.

Located next door to my previously reviewed Victorian Station, walking into 85 Main yields the same question: who is this for? In this case, who in Putnam is looking for $ 14 burgers? But apparently enough people do so as to keep this place in business. I guess Northeast Connecticut has changed dramatically in the sixteen years since I really called it home. Or maybe it hasn’t changed that much in so far as burger and steak place that mysteriously also serves sushi is probably the closest meat-​and-​potato folks like my parents will ever come to eating raw fish.
Given that I now hail from a land of milk and honey and restaurants that serve nothing but sushi, I skipped 85 Main’s version and splurged on an «Industrial Palette» burger instead. I’m not entirely sure what was «industrial» about it, nor why labeling it as such would encourage people to order it, when «bacon-​cheddar-​mushroom burger» would have been both more enticing and more descriptive. Maybe it’s harder to justify the price tag with such a pedestrian name especially when the burger itself tasted none too special. The most notable feature comes in the form of the English muffin «bun,» but ultimately that didn’t add much to the experience. The «hand-​cut fries,» which struck me as closer to fried potato, likewise tried to be different without really offering anything compelling.
I don’t want to end this review sounding like I hated the food here. As my three stars indicate, I didn’t. I’m just not sure the product is worth the payment.
Summary: Maybe more like 75 Main.

I wish I could give 85 Main a better review, I really do. Over the years I feel that they’ve gone downhill. Service is rarely excellent and sometimes subpar. We’ve had too many meals with crummy service, and as a result we spend our dinner dollars somewhere else in town. The food is normally good, but again, we’ve had some real duds for meals. It seems they don’t have great quality control when they get busy.
I would recommend going for lunch, as the food is normally good and service is decent. The other plus — and the one thing that’ll keep me going back — is that they have a great kid’s menu. Gyoza or steak? Yes, please!

I have eaten here many times and while the food is always good (though a bit pricey for some of their specials) the service is always hit or miss. Sometimes it takes too long to get drinks or appetizers and the pacing isn’t always on par with a restaurant of this caliber — especially during peak dinner hours. I always enjoy the food here but wish that the service was more consistent.

Everything was just ok and nothing really lived up to most of the reviews I read on here. What didn’t help was our server was distracted or something and not really into being our server. We waited a lonnng time for everything (it was not busy) and the longest wait was for our check. Can’t really say I’d recommend this place. (The coffee/​pastry place next door is awesome though).

The owner came out to meet us and shook our hands as we had a great fresh salad and very good drinks. I would recommend this restaurant for any one visiting Putnam and looking for good food!

I have no complaints at all. Service was good. Food was tasty. Drinks were good. I don’t know what else is in the area, so I have nothing else to compare it to. But it wasn’t spectacular, which is why I gave it only 3 stars. We sat outside, and it was pleasant (save for the inconsiderate boorish motorcyclists who came by now and then and drowned out every other sound – over which the restaurant has no control, of course!). It was a very nice place, but nothing special.

Lindsey is always happy, friendly, polite and happy to see us. The food is always superb and always fresh! The bread made locally in Woodstock is fabulous. A great meal, atmosphere and staff make this our dining out choice whenever we want consistently great food!!!

Food and outside dinning make this a stop for sure! Just stay away from the vodka as a vodka and soda water $ 10.50 (too much for sure)

First of all, let me say that I’ve been here twice and if not for the outside seating area, which feels like a nice European atmosphere, it would have been a disaster.
The food here is just not outstanding. The prices are equivalent to what one would pay in New York City, with no exaggeration. Steak tip dinner is $ 30. (for sirloin TIPS!) Most pasta dishes hover in the $ 30 range. Very perplexing for a town like Putnam which is a blue-​collar-​esque small town off the highway in CT. However, I would pay for quality … The ingredients are fresh and local … which is a saving grace I suppose to eating at 85 Main. At least you know the ingredients are locally sourced. But the food here has been average to inedible the two times I went.
I hate to leave bad Unilocal reviews … however, I must remind myself that a $ 230 check for 4 people in a town like Putnam for a less than memorable meal is worthy of a word of caution or two to other diners. I use Unilocal reviews to help me choose which restaurants to eat at, so I feel that mediocre/​bad reviews are a cautionary experience helper to others as much as the good ones. I will say, in fairness, many other people on Unilocal seemed to have much better experiences at 85 Main than we did. I did notice that over half the diners outside seemed to order the ‘small plates steak and fries’ special. Maybe that’s the key to this place?
Our salads came barely dressed and bland. It tasted like plain lettuce to me. If not for the lemon wedge requested with my water, there would have been no taste at all to the salad. The pasta dishes were just horrendous. The pasta was way overcooked (almost mushy) and both pasta dishes came as more of a stew than a traditional sauce dish. The ‘ragu’ was soupy and liquidy. The meat full of chewy gristle. There was very little pasta in the dish … it seemed like there was more water from the pasta pot than actual pasta. Everything was also bland and underseasoned.
Once we resigned to the fact that food was not good … we seemed to pick at our plates, enjoy wine and talk a lot more than we would if we were focused on our food. Perhaps another silver lining. The sundeck really does feel very similar to many of the outdoor restaurants I ate at in Holland and Germany. The older style buildings off a Main street combined with all the flowers and red umbrellas did feel more European than a lot of the other New England restaurants I have eaten at.
Maybe one needs to stick with the sushi and steak here in order to have a good food experience. I noticed the rest of the menu was very progressive and maybe tried a bit too hard. It is easy to under-​deliver given the fancy descriptions and challenging menu items. I’d be inclined to say we came on a bad night but twice we experienced the same thing.
The prices are pretty shocking for Putnam (especially given the blah food) but the outdoor atmosphere makes up for it. If you are a group and need somewhere to go near to the theater or downtown area, let the atmosphere make up for the food here. If in Putnam and needing some great tasting food, I’d send someone to The Courthouse for American or the Italian restaurant next door to 85 Main for Italian. Not really sure that the ‘theme’ to 85 Main’s menu as there is steak, seafood, pasta, tapas … maybe too many different cuisines mixed together so that none are done right?
Also, 2 out of the 4 of us ordered wines from the wine list and were charged $ 1 more per glass than was listed on the printed wine menu we were given. (including the Rex Goliath house red wine, which was listed at $ 6/​glass and we were charged $ 7 each glass on the bill … which is the cost of a bottle at the supermarket.)

When we moved to Woodstock, I made it my mission to find restaurants on par with what I had access to near Boston. As it turns out, there are two really strong options for (more upscale) dining out in Putnam and 85 Main is one of them.
My husband and I have been to this restaurant many times and the food is consistently good. We particularly enjoy sitting at the bar and attempting to eat our weight in oysters (I jest — this would be impossible at our age and physical state, but we give it a good go). The oysters and sushi are always fresh and delicious and there’s a great variety of both.
We also like the Asian beef skewers and crème brulee a lot. They are standard orders for us and their warm chevre salad makes my heart flutter. From fish to beef to pasta, everything here is very tasty. Drink selection, including specials is good; I’ve enjoyed some of the fruity concoctions they mix up as well as wine. The service ranges from decent to good, depending on how busy the place is and who is attending to you.
All in all, a great choice for a nice dinner out in the area.

Each visit here has been equally delicious with a healthfully delicious menu; salads can be customized, steak is tender and prepared to order — quality reigns in all their offerings, and the staff is excellent and attentive. Can’t wait for the next trip here! PS-​sample the Bomba! Cozy inside, but outdoors in warm months is delightful!

My sister and I stopped by 85 main for dinner a few nights ago. I love the ambiance and the weather was beautiful so the outside patio was in full swing. We stopped at the vacant host stand to be seated and were passed by by two severs going to their tables without as much as a glance.
She and I were seated soon after. I requested a certain table and since the restaurant wasn’t very busy, only two tables inside, my request was granted. A bus girl brought over some waters while we looked over the menu which was great. However, the server, Lindsay, did not come to our table for almost ten minutes after we were seated. To make matters worse her opening greeting was, «do you know what you want to eat?» This was THE rudest way I’ve ever been greeted in a restaurant.
My sister and I both had burgers which were nothing special. The manager stood in the back corner of the restaurant staring out at the tables for the entire time we were there.
This was my third or so visit here; I’m not too sure why I come back.

Chef James Martin brings a constant amazing menu together of local produce and proteins. Food is excellent. Today I ordered the bass special on rice with a curry sauce which had amazing flavors and heat. Excellent selection of draft beers. The sushi is always excellent. Food is always fresh.

Finally paid this place a visit tonight after hearing about it from a coworker for years… loved it.
This is right in the antique/​artsy district of Putnam, and I’m told there’s a lot going on around here in the summer. It has a lot of charm, and this restaurant fits right in. There is absolutely something on the menu to please everyone, no matter what type of particular eater you might bring.
First off, the drinks. The martinis were all super creative. They have some classics too. I first ordered the Ling Chow (coconut rum, strawberry liquor, agave, pineapple juice, and cream) — THAT was my favorite. Also got the Blue Dragon (dragon fruit vodka, blue curaçao, St. Germain, sour mix, and lemon), and the Brazilian Berry (cachaca, cedilla, pavan, lemon, and sugar on the rim). All really delicious (but again, I’m pushing the Ling Chow– if a creamy coconuty strawberry drink sounds appealing, you’ll love it)!
They make their own sushi there (fresh) which really surprised me– this is the first time I’ve been to a non-​Asian restaurant with its own sushi bar. And it was really good! We shared the Caterpillar roll (tuna with avocado) and the White Tiger (hamachi, mango, fresh basil, and tobiko). For my entrée I chose the Wild Mushroom ravioli, which was served with green beans. The sauce had so much flavor. I haven’t had a pasta dish in quite some time, and I’m very glad I selected this one as my reintroduction– I was not disappointed! They had a wide variety of options– sushi, soup, seafood, sandwiches, wraps, salads, burgers, a raw bar, steak, chicken, pasta– endless! There’s a local burger option and a lot of locally sourced ingredients, which I always love.
When my friend told her daughter where she was going and with whom, her daughter said «you have to tell your friend with the curly hair to get the lava cake for dessert!» How can I argue with that? It was a fabulous recommendation– served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and strawberries. Almost like a brownie. Amazing.
This place was a bit pricey– hands down the most I’ve spent eating out in a while, but I had a great time and the quality of the food was excellent– I have no regrets. I enjoy the sister restaurants (The Vanilla Bean is a few miles down the road, and Dog Lane Café is near Uconn), and I’d definitely peg this one as my new favorite of the three. Even though it’s 45 minutes from my house and over an hour from my work, I’ll be back!

Busy Saturday so stopped in to meet a friend for a super late lunch.
It was about 3 pm and the bar section was full. We waited to be seated, but had to call on the attention of the waitress to ask if we could seat or needed to be seated (in her defense we entered to the right side and don’t think she realized we were looking to be seated).
Once we were seated our waitress came over and she was super nice. Got us drinks right away and was attentive through the meal making sure our water was fresh and even when we had coffee she re-​filled our cups.
I ordered the burger and was able to substitute the French fries with sweet potato fries… Yum!
I took her suggestion of the local beef for my burger and I don’t regret it, the sweet potato fries were not crunchy enough but they were good and the ketchup was spicy (I like spicy).
In a nut shell… Food was good, service (once seated was great), but not having someone keeping an eye out to have customers seated was not good as we were hungry and we even considered going somewhere else.