Coach Stop

We live nearby and have been eight times including with friends. Our meals have been fantastic. Never disappointed. Zuppa DE Peche is fantastic and big enough for two. Prime rib was huge and juicy and larger than the plate. Sides are fantastic. The Mediterranean Salad and Italian Salad were fantastic and meals in themselves. Burgers are delicious and always cooked right. Pizza is O.K. not great. The ribs fall off the bone and the rack of ribs is so large you will take some home. The staff is friendly and attentive and the historic building has character. The pub is a relaxed area for fun and meeting patrons. The dining room is more formal. The prices are very modest given the quality of food, portions and ambiance. Really surprising and excited to find a restaurant this good in East Hartland.

I’ve been twice, it was great both times and would recommend. The veal parm was top notch, portions were more than adequate. Salad and bread was fresh. Also, you gotta try the calamari, one of the best around.

I desperately wanted to like this restaurant, as there are so few dining options less than 30 minutes from our home, but I’m sorry to say Coach Stop has a long way to go before it earns my praise.
I’ve read the other reviews that have been posted, and one common thread I’ve seen is sadly, many people judge a restaurant by the size of the portions, where I prefer quality over quantity. If you happen to fall into the first category, then take this review with a grain of salt, but if you are like me and appreciate well thought out food, prepared professionally and creatively, then read on.
My husband and I went with another couple on a Wednesday night, and in spite of the parking lot being nearly full, we were seated right away. Our server was very busy, as they were understaffed that evening, but nevertheless I have no complaints about the timing of the service under the circumstances.
Our first clue that perhaps the restaurant food had some issues was the ‘versatility’ of the menu. Escargot and eggplant parmigiana do not belong on the same menu! Don’t try to be all things to all people or you’ll just end up falling short on everything. This is not a diner.
We ordered a bruschetta appetizer to be shared by the four of us. It arrived looking more like a pizza… VERY large and not at all crispy. I can’t imagine that appetizer being ordered by one person, as they would certainly have no room to eat anything else. Even with the four of us, we didn’t finish it. It was not, by any stretch of the imagination, bruschetta. I mentioned it to our server and she graciously accepted the feedback and hopefully communicated it to the chef.
I ordered shrimp and scallops over noodles. It was smothered in sauce, and the noodles were sticky and stuck together. My husband and friend ordered lobster ravioli which was also smothered in sauce, and pales in comparison to the lobster ravioli at Nora’s in Southwick. Our other friend ordered some kind of steak dish which was equally unremarkable.
Wine servings, unlike food, are happily accepted in large portions, and The Coach Stop gets high marks in this category. :)
I’m writing this review as much for the chef as the general public. I want this restaurant to succeed and hope they will streamline their menu and focus on a specific cuisine, whether that’s Italian, American or French (or whatever). As for us, until the menu is improved, we will limit our visits to the bar area and hope the burgers are up to snuff.

What a gem! Good food, generous portions, cozy atmosphere, fair prices. On a previous visit we tried the rib eye steak dinner. At $ 24 it included fresh hot bread, a crisp fresh dinner salad (you can have soup, if you prefer), potato & vegetables. Subbing sautéed mushrooms for the crispy onions on top was no problem. The beef was cooked perfectly, and was large at 14 oz. Ranch dressing is thin and might be house made. It was good. Yes this is what I want in a steak dinner. Hubby had chicken cordon bleu, which was huge… two pieces cut in half, sitting 4 points up a gravy pool, and also delicious. A glass of wine was a good pour. Next visit we tried burgers in the Tavern/​bar side. Well seasoned and served on a ciabatta roll, they were large and juicy. Fresh hot fries & a pickle spear round off the dish, and if you can finish it, you won’t have room for dessert! Another night we tried the chicken penne vodka dinner. The wedding soup was good and the pasta was good, but we wanted just a little bit more chicken in it. Hubby had a burger again but while it was ordered cooked well, it came out near raw in the middle. It was exchanged for a properly cooked one quickly with no problem. Our waitress Becca happened to be the same one we had on all visits, and she was very pleasant & accommodating. Some kinks are still be worked out here, the menu is likely to be tweaked, a take out menu is not yet available, and parking is a free for all in the little unpaved lot. Fri. & Sat. night are very busy and there can be a bit of a wait time for food. The pizza looks like the thick style crust, but we haven’t tried it yet.

Coach Stop in E Hartland great food and wonderful experience
Staff is friendly and new. 2^nd day open. Looks like a winner