The Brewster Inn

Room 4 was welcoming, tastefully decorated, and spacious. The walk-in closet had room for our bulky winter coats and boots, and the extra-large whirlpool was wonderful on a blustery December evening. The double shower was a nice surprise, though one head only went from moderately warm to ice cold while the other had a full temperature range. The bathroom fan was broken and very noisy. Those little issues didn’t spoil our anniversary stay, and we just giggled about them. Dinner was wonderful: the filet minion was perfectly cooked over delicious mashed potatoes, and the scallop special had lovely layers of flavor from the turnips, golden beets, and pork belly alongside perfectly pan-fried scallops. The crème brûlée is worth ordering. One suggestion, it would be nice if the Brewster Inn offered robes as well as towels for lounging in the room.

We had such a lovely anniversary dinner and will definitely return. The setting was beautiful, with string lights, lake views, pleasant music, and a comfortable temperature. When a storm rolled in, the waitresses hurried around to make sure everyone on the screened porch and outside was comfortable. Our food was very good, and dessert was excellent. Our server was sweet, friendly, and accommodating, and surprised us by writing happy anniversary on our dessert plate.

For $360 for four people, with just two cocktails and a tea, I expected better service and a better cooked steak. The server was wonderful, and she immediately agreed that my $80, 20oz ribeye, ordered medium, was far too well done, with no juice when I cut into it. After a few minutes trying to get her attention, she said they had several steaks on the grill and mine wouldn’t take too long. The replacement arrived as everyone was finishing, and it was mid-rare. Honestly, Texas Roadhouse has much better flavor. She thanked me for waiting, but that was the closest thing to an apology; no compensation was offered and no manager came by. The chowder appetizer for three of us was a single cup measured in a creamer server and poured into the bowl at the table. Two of us had lobster risotto, and the rice was slightly undercooked, though not enough to send back. The review format focusing on the "Inn" is frustrating when 99% off the business is the restaurant. Every course is itemized, which I assume is typical of fine dining.

The water view is lovely, and there’s plenty of outdoor seating, but we won’t be back anytime soon. Our party of nine arrived for brunch at 10:30 and ordered octopus and clams as appetizers at 10:45, along with brunch. They didn’t arrive until 11:30, after we asked about the delay, and both were extremely salty. By noon the brunch still hadn’t come. After asking several times, our food finally arrived at 12:15, 90 minutes after ordering. It was cold, the French toast was mushy, and the waffles looked like they came from a box of frozen ones. Our server and the manager seemed unconcerned about the long wait.