1844 House

The quality of the food is some of the best around. The soups change daily and are delicious. It is one of the few places you can get a really good crème brûlée. They change the flavor seasonally, I am not sure when they will have the earl grey crème brûlée but it is fantastic, and worth a trip just for that.
The early bird dining menu is now 22 $ which is an increase, but still worth it. The early menu changes periodically and they always have a new soup and dessert when we go. The menus are also online if you want to look at them before making reservations.
My husband and I probably go once a month or so, it is worth it if you want to have a slower paced quality dinner. The portions are actual food portions and not gigantic plates many people are used to. But quality over quantity is emphasized.
I would recommend reservations, it might just be our terrible luck, but if you try to go when there is any major college event you will not be able to get a seat!

We eat at 1844 fairly often but I don’t leave a review every time. I just want to reiterate what a great place it is. I had the pan seared diver scallops last night with Parmesan risotto. It was amazing. Scallops were cooked to perfection and the risotto was delicious. One of my favorites is the steak and frites and the Yorkshire popovers are always a good idea. I have yet to have a meal, start to finish, that was not amazing. I would put 1844 House up against some of the best places I’ve eaten at through out all of my travels. Oh and the desserts are always delectable! On top of the great food, the entire staff is always the best. They always make us feel special and I see that they treat all their customers just as well. Remarkable gem in the north country!

Came here for a small birthday dinner. We had a wonderful evening with good appetizers and service. Prepare for a nice long meal. The drinks were fantastic. Definitly will come back every time we have that very special occasion as it is quite pricey.

Considering the lack of restaurants around canton and Potsdam, 1844 house is a pleasant place to dine. However, if you’ve never been here, and you plan to visit here, I suggest to lower your expectations — it’s a nice restaurant, but it’s not one of those fancy ones with one or two michelin stars. People say it’s the best, only because there is no other option.

nice place …
Wanted to try something new …
This came up on my Unilocal
try ha
Tried their food and drinks
Ok seating …
The food was warm but they made me a free order …
Price was cheap …

A beautiful place to enjoy food and friends. It is very relaxing and well presented. Do not be in a hurry. Enjoy every aspect of the meal. Our appetizers were amazing. Loved the soup and the main entrees were heavenly. Well seasoned and prepared perfectly. A totally enjoyable evening. Thank you!!!

Creative menu, great food, slow service. Is the service slow because the kitchen cannot put the food out any faster, or is it planed that they want you to be there for 2 ½ hours? It would have been 4 ½ stars if start to finish was 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Fantastic in every way. Duck entrée was superb. Nice wine list, excellent service and a wonderful atmosphere.

I’ve been staying in the Potsdam area for nearly 3 weeks. I leave tomorrow. I was reluctant to try 1844 House because of mixed reviews. I succumbed this evening… I’m so glad I did! My work brings me to many cities and towns throughout the North Country. I have a difficult time finding food I like… so I usually pack a lunch, and dinner, and a snack…
Tonight’s meal was delicious… so good that I ordered dessert. (I usually don’t) The Crème Brûlée (my favorite dessert) was the best ever. I was reluctant to try it because I don’t really care for white chocolate… it was superb! The service was wonderful and I liked the atmosphere. (someone disparagingly mentioned the «Laura Ashley» décor in another review… what do you expect in an old farmhouse? I thought it was charming) I’m looking forward to another meal the next time I’m in town.

Outstanding execution in every area. THIS is where you need to go if you are dining in the North Country. Be warned (- and I believe they might have a disclaimer on their menu?) on the wait times between courses. Make sure that you have your evening reserved to truly enjoy each course here. Bring company that appreciates great cuisine and wine to ensure that you won’t be bored with their conversation after an hour and a half. While waiting for our table, I had a Moscow Mule which was fantastic! They had an excellent wine selection, and I believe I went with the Malbec that they keep there. Starting, the crab cappucino was quite good, I was a bit confused by the name but it really is a cappucino-​foamy-​and-​frothy crab bisque that was served in a small coffee mug. The buffalo shrimp (for the unadventurous crowd) and escargot are excellent as well. My entrée was to die for. I had the scallops over a parmesan risotto w/​a tomato saffron sauce. I was slightly hesitant to order this dish because I saw that capers were included, but I was pleasantly taken by surprise that I actually /​liked/​them. They were crispy, salty, little explosions of flavor that accented the soft creaminess of the rest of the dish.
Wish that I lived closer to be able to enjoy the 1844 House’s exquisiteness more often. C’est vraiment super!

Meal ruined by manager. Had dinner here tonight for the second time and were very disappointed by the service and food preparation.
We ordered a Charles Krug generations Can and it was served cold. The manager came to our table and explained that In old castles this was the normal serving temperature and that modern times and room temperature expectations were overrated. I laughed and told him we drink our $ 80 red wine at room temp and to let me know if he can get that done. He warmed the wine somehow
We ordered rare steaks for dinner. 2 came rare one medium. We returned the overlooked steak. Here comes the manager explaining that tho steak was of a different consistency than the others and could not be cooked rare. They were all the same Ny strips. I now got upset as this is BS. It was overlooked. He the. Explained that this was the last steak available.
This guy had some serious attitude. He told us he worked at a 4star resort or 15 years. Yet he never apologized and offered us a replacement or the meal on the house or even a glass of wine. I finally told him to get my wife the filet rare. This took 15 minutes.
Now I was really upset as my wife had not eaten since noon. To say he least we left immediately after my wife got the steak. There was no apology or a gesture of good will.
This place is super arrogant as not is probably the best place ranking wise around. We won’t be going back and for the money an Applebees is better.

The ambience at the 1844 house is great. It’s a beautiful historic site. I was visiting friends and family and we ate here as it was a special occasion. The setting was right and some of the food was very good. I had the shrimp and crab bayou dish. The sauce was amazing.
However, some of the dishes were a miss, and the menu was slightly over priced — Twenty two dollars for a falafel is just one example. The falafel, by the way, was terrible. I can’t understand why it’s on the menu. I’m also confused about the menu, which sells itself as an American bistro but offers a range of Asian, middle eastern, and American fare.
What was most disappointing was the hour and twenty minute wait for our entrees. When we mentioned this to the manager, but he was sarcastic, dismissive, and unhelpful. We also waited a long time to be seated. I’m not sure what the problem was the night we went, but it was frustrating and spoiled the nice setting.
However, based in the other options in the area, this is above average.

(3.5 stars)
I have mixed feelings about 1844. As someone who doesn’t live in the «North Country» I’m not sure I fully understand how exciting it must be to have an option like 1844 — so definite points for what they bring to the area. That said, I couldn’t help but think that this was my grandmother’s idea of fine dining — a rich amuse-​bouche (essentially a Carr’s water cracker with a dollop of blue cheese, a tiny piece of strawberry, and an almond), a trivial palate cleanser (basil sorbet), very slow service, and a waitress who insisted on calling us «ladies,» as in «What can I get you LADIES?» over and over again. And the décor felt straight out of Laura Ashley!
That said, the salmon that I ordered was as cooked to perfection, and though the sauce it sat in was a hair too salty, 1844 did manage to take what has become a banal dish — salmon! — and prepare it solidly. And I suppose ultimately, that’s what I’d say about this place after last night — it’s not inventive, but absolutely solid.

I love organic fresh food!
Coming from NYC restaurants are extremely competitive. You will always find one better then another. However for the small north country a restaurant like this was a pleasant surprise.
Soup and meals were very fresh, and you can taste the different in organic meals. I was not really disappointed with anything, yet I was not blown away with anything either. However I loved the ambiance and friendly wait staff. It is nice that the north country has a place like this.

Went for early bird dinner, party of 5. Choose lamb steak as entrée. Lamb very grisly, tough & difficult to cut. Another lamb selection dinner at table also very tough. Told waitress & asked for doggie bag. Said would tell chef & was sorry. Did not bring doggie bag – thought I didn’t want it. Again sorry. When left I spoke with female owner. Told her last time here everything wonderful but not the lamb tonight & not happy at least getting it for my dog. She also was very sorry & would talk to the chef. I recommended they NOT recommend it. Frankly I am surprised I was not offered another meat as only struggled with half of
a small piece of meat. Then I was surprised when some money was not taken off the bill. I was very surprised that the co-​owner could only offer sorries. Obviously they do not have much competition and are
willing to have a clearly unhappy customer. If I go back and experience a bad section of a meal, after 1 bite I will demand replacement. Very disappointing: left a bad taste in my mouth.

The ambiance was as close to a meal served at home by a professional chef and wait staff as I’ve ever experienced. Appetizers through desserts were all delicious; with wine, and drinks for three came to under $ 125(2 meals off early menu), outstanding place — highly recommend.

Wow. My expectation of food in this area of NY State is pretty low (and I’ll say accurate) with the exception of the 1844 house. As our first visit, we weren’t sure what to expect but the Unilocal reviews looked good. We were concerned about being underdressed after a very long car ride from home but when we stepped in, it was nice but unpretentious (the reviews say «dressy»). Other people were in jeans so we felt fine. Got a table on a Friday night without a reservation at 8PM (it was pouring our however). The overall house is old style (1844 House). Expect to see a lot of wood, low ceilings, wall paper and sconces. The bar area is small and geared to people waiting for tables. After being seated, they were very accommodating when a third person was going to join us. They just pulled a table over.

Now the food. Wow. The bread was served with a honey butter. We then started with a melted brie topped with brown sugar and served with bread and strawberries. It was like a fondue. For mains, we had a fabulous ravioli dish (uniquely vegetable filled), a game hen with an herbed aioli, and a smoked BBQ pork shank. The 1844 Salad was also excellent. An orange pekoe sobet to cleanse the palette.
I highly recommend it and give it a rare 5 stars because it blows everything away in the area. Food was great, services was great.

The 1884 House is a shining star in the culinary wasteland that is the North Country of New York State.
I have now been here on three separate occasions. Once during a regular dinner service, once for Thanksgiving Service, and once for their Early Dining option. I now feel comfortable leaving a solid 5 star review.
The food is unparalleled in this area. I have been fortunate enough to have dined in some high end establishments in the NYC area. The 1844 House brings that fine dining experience to the North Country.
Reservations are a good idea as seating is limited. There is a small bar area. I have not partaken of any of the alcoholic beverages available, however the wine & liquor has many choices. The wait staff were prompt and courteous.
The Early Dining option ($ 18.00 for a limited menu, offered 4:30 — 5:30) is an unbeatable value.
The food is very flavorful due to the freshness of ingredients. Most people in this area are not accustomed to this level of flavor. I liken it to the difference between a store bought tomato vs a farm stand tomato.
The portion sizes are fine dining sizes, so don’t expect a plate loaded full of food as is common in the USA. If you’ve ever watched Hell’s Kitchen or Masterchef, that is similar to what you will be seeing.
Bread and crackers are given with a gourmet butter, to start the meal. Courses are separated with palette cleansers, usually a homemade sorbet. Dinner is ended with a mint, in my case a dark chocolate and crystallized ginger mint.
The menu changes seasonally with the availability of local ingredients. They also will usually have a daily inspired dish, featured on their Facebook page.
Check out the website for more details. If you are in the Potsdam area and enjoy quality food, don’t miss the 1844 House.

Great place, great food!
Definitely one of my favorite restaurants. I had the dijon-​herb crusted salmon and it was really good. I’ve also had the lamb here, so good. Everything on the menu seems to be cooked to perfection with fresh local ingredients (except the fish).
If you’re coming to potsdam, canton or anywhere in the north country for any reason, make sure you get a reservation at 1844. There is really no other place like it.
Slightly on the pricey end, so wait till pay-​day.

The 1844 House is a real treat. The food is always great and made with fresh ingredients including herbs grown on site.
I’m not from the area, and I’ve found that most restaurants that the locals rave about serve food that is cheap, processed, and exceedingly bland. Not so here. 1844 serves real cuisine; a little ray of sunshine in the otherwise gloomy North Country. They served me what was the best steak I’ve ever had. The sauces they create are amazing.
I have only one issue with the 1844 House. They should offer more local wines and beers from New York State. Their wine list is VERY heavily weighted towards California, which seems a little snooty.