Cold River Cafe and Restaurant

No hello, no welcome, clearly not interested in tourism. After we found our place, the food was ok but we were clearly not welcome despite the smiles we braved! Won’t be back.

Very good! We were in the area (will no cell service) and just stopped on a whim. Everything is fresh, homemade — it didn’t disappoint! We had burgers with homemade fries and garlic mash (bc they give you two sides, and why not) We overheard that the sauces were made in house, along with the salsa and guac… There need to be more places like this! Will be back if we are ever in the area again!

Had a delightful lunch today at cold River Café! Great menu choices, generous portions, nice presentation, friendly service!

2^nd time here and didn’t disappoint. Really friendly waitstaff and yummy burgers. Homemade BBQ sauce, coleslaw, and pickles add homey touches. Kid-​friendly too!

The nicest building in town. Food is awesome and service with a smile love everything about it

Breakfast was very good! Being apple season, apple pancakes, fritters & other dishes were on the menu. A group of us ordered various items & were very pleased. Very fine food for very reasonable prices!

As an employee of the Café I feel the need to say that I apologize for customers being misinformed on our ingredients in our Bloody Mary’s. They are made with Tres Agaves Organic Bloody Mary Mix and not with v8. We welcome recipes and as always we thank you for your support.

I cannot wait to go to this place again and try out some other things on the menu!
My omelet was a nice combination spinach, mushroom, bacon and cheese and was totally flavorful. It came with a side of yummy home fries and hearty whole wheat toast.
They have a full bar and, like another had said, the waitress did mention they make their Bloody Mary with V-​8 so maybe I’ll have to bring them a recipe with old fashioned tomato juice and horseradish, cut with a bit of cooking sherry so they can serve a perfect Bloody Mary with their delicious breakfast items.
The dining room was super clean and cheerful and there were Halloween decorations both outside and inside really adding a nice touch to the fall season.
Anyways, you can tell by the great service, the beautiful pastries in the front case, the menu items offered and quality of the ingredients used that the owners of this place are professionals who take their business serious.
I wanted to grab a chocolate brownie on the way out but had to talk myself out of it so will have to try it on the next visit.

Best thing to hit Charlemont in the 15 years I have visited Charlemont every year. Someone here is doing something very right, as the staff knows how to welcome and serve the public. Everyone I have had service from is friendly, helpful, and make you feel like they are glad you came in. The place is clean and the coffee and food very good.
More vegetarian options would be very welcome, but I always find something yummy served by nice people.

The best thing this place has going for it is the lack of competition in the vicinity.
I came here on a Saturday with a group of 6, instead of accommodating us they asked us to split up into 2 tables. Sweet. It was 12pm and we asked for breakfast menus, they stop at 11:30am. What? What is there to stop? Kitchens are always stocked with eggs, bread and bacon (I know because all our lunch meals eventually came with bacon…) So fine, we ordered lunch.
The service is honestly so bad it’s laughable. There are so many people working here and it takes forever to get attention and your order (30+ minutes for sandwiches and salads). There was also 0 flexibility in the menu, why can’t you substitute fries fries and more fries with a basic side of greens?
Also their Bloody Mary is for sure V8 juice only. What.
In summation: slow clap for entertaining us out of towners. Food was less than decent especially for the prices. The only good thing is I’m using their wifi to write this.

The people are nice, the food is OK, but service is slow and prices are quite high for what you get. If you have the time to wait and don’t mind paying more than $ 10 for a burger or sandwich, it’s a good bet, particularly given the limited options in the area.

Food is fresh and tasty! I had a buffalo chicken wrap with fresh, hand cut fries and it was really good. My buddy had a burger with sweet potato fries. Also very good. Mine also came with a side of fresh made potato salad.
So definitely four stars on the food.
But the service was excruciatingly slow. Oh my goodness, I actually had to go up to the counter 15 minutes after we’d ordered just to ask if I could get the waters we’d requested. I felt really bad for the large table beside us because they had ordered before us and they just got their food as we were leaving… and it took forever for us to get our food and then the check. They had to have been there for over 45 minutes at that point.
So, as long as you’re not in a rush, the food here is terrific. And it’s super inexpensive.

FOOD — It is excellent, when they get the order correct. If you have to send it back because they screwed up your order, which has happened to me on my last two visits in a row, expect it to come back cold and still not correct. They clearly cut corners when they make mistakes in order to save on food waste. I can appreciate not wanting to waste food, but please don’t send me cold food that is still not what I ordered. (Way to make matters go from bad to worse, Cold River.)
COFFEE — The high turn-​over rate with the staff often results in espresso bar drinks being prepared by under-​trained individuals. Don’t waste your money, buy something that they cannot screw up.
WAIT TIME — There is not usually a wait for a table, but you may have to wait 30 minutes to an hour for your food to make it to your table after ordering it.
SERVICE — It is variable, due to what seems like a high turn-​over rate. On my last two visits, I had to send my food back because of either server or kitchen staff major errors and was treated like it was my fault and that I was being a nuisance. Very unprofessional, Cold River.
AMBIANCE — It is okay. It can get very loud inside and outside tables are right next to Route 2 traffic.
OVERALL — It is a long wait for food, a bit on the expensive side, can be quite noisy during busy times, servers are often not well-​trained, and they may screw up your order and blame you if you speak up about it. But local selection is limited.

I’ve been enjoying meals at the Cold River Café since its opening late last year. The beautiful building and attention to details is just the start to a pleasant experience each time. I’ve been there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — alone, with friends, and with my children. The staff and owners are always friendly and attentive, even on very busy days. The quality of ingredients lets you know they really have done their homework — they know what they are preparing and how best to serve it! There are even many gluten free, and vegetarian options here! Cold River Café is conveniently located right in town and is quickly helping Charlemont become a dining destination!

They demolished the former tiny package store and replaced it with an excellent little restaurant AND an adjoining convenience store that has a darn good selection of craft beers (if you’re camping out there)! The restaurant is bright and cheery inside and even has sheltered outdoor seating. EXCELLENT breakfast INCLUDING really good HOMEMADE corned beef hash! I had two eggs poached perfectly over homefries (with optional grilled onions), two big slices of (homemade?) rye toast and mugfuls of very good coffee. Opens at 6AM and serves b’fast until 11ish. Thereafter it’s lunch and that menu looked really good, too. Just across the Mohawk Trail/​Route 2 from where 8A breaks off and goes south. Plenty of parking. Our waitperson was very personable and extremely attentive. This establishment was long overdue for this area and is a very welcome addition. Highly recommended!

This café just opened on Route 2 (a few miles west of I91 on the road to North Adams) over the winter, with a chef who is outstanding and very friendly wait staff. I had a «Whole Hog» sandwich (close to the entire hog – pulled pork, bacon, ham, sausage and cheese), which was was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had. My wife had an «Amos» hamburger with grilled onions and mushrooms – equally wonderful. We recommend Cold River Café very highly! As the saying goes, «It is well worth the drive.»