The Steaming Tender Restaurant

PLEASE NOTE: This post was written in 2017, and while it should still give you a good overview of the experience, it may also contain some outdated information. Please be sure to visit their website for the most up-to-date information, especially about things like hours & menu items.

2017 Post

Cut to the chase. Take me to the Momsense.

This has been a busy week. My husband was out of town (out of the country really!) for work, the kids started their morning camps (at different places but the same drop-off time– whoops! I guess I should have paid more attention to the scheduling), and we’re in the midst of daily swim lessons as well. Honestly, it was all I could do this week to keep the mounds of laundry from piling up so high that they’d make the upstairs hallway impassable 🙂

So today I am just going to share a few pictures from our recent Father’s Day dinner at the Steaming Tender restaurant in Palmer, MA.

Source: Google Maps

This is a destination that my husband has been angling to visit for a couple years now. I’m not sure how he first heard about it, but this year we also noticed a brochure for it at the annual Railroad Hobby Show back in January. After reading the pamphlet, I knew this would make a unique addition to the blog! (And er, a fun place to visit for Father’s Day. Because, um, that was the more important thing. Of course.)

This unique eatery was once a train station dating back to the late 1800’s, and although there is no longer a passenger stop on the line here, the train tracks still service trains passing through. So as you are sitting there enjoying your meal–either inside or out on the patio–you may see a train whiz by! (You can check the train schedule on their website before you go to maximize your chances of locomotive sightings).

The original train station dates back to 1884. The Steaming Tender opened its doors in 2004.

The tracks run by right outside the windows!

We were lucky enough to snag a table by the window with a great view!

The building has retained many of its original (at least I think they are original) features, like the entrance doors, the ticket window, the soaring ceilings with arched beams.

The original ticket window.

We waited a few minutes for our table in this little alcove.

The entrance to the dining room, which was once the waiting area for passengers.

And it’s been decorated inside and outside with similarly vintage items like old-fashioned luggage, trunks, toys, baby carriages, etc.

Out in the parking lot you’ll even find a huge train engine dating back to 1915!

We also spotted this vintage dining car.

Despite the formal finishes, the atmosphere it very casual and family-friendly. And perhaps the classic Americana menu items (think steaks, burgers, BBQ, seafood) are reminiscent of the kinds of things you might have seen on a dining car menu during the golden age of train travel. Or maybe I just like to think they are 🙂

(We visited for dinner, but they also have a Sunday breakfast buffet that looks delicious.)

There is a kids’ menu that’s crayon-friendly (and crayons).

We did see a train zip past on our visit, but I was not quick enough to capture it on camera. It was mesmerizing to watch it zoom by just a few feet from where we were sitting! The kids spent the remainder of dinner staring out the window in search of another train. Alas, we only saw the one.

We even hung around outside for a bit in case another train went by (no luck).

It was a fun little road trip and a great way to mark a special occasion like Father’s Day with a family adventure. We might have to make this an annual tradition 🙂

P.S. Don’t forget to check out our 2017 Summer Bucket List for more ideas (like 50!) for summer fun!

The Steaming Tender Restaurant

28 Depot Street, Palmer, Massachusetts

Phone: (413) 283-2744

Email: info@steamingtender.com

Find them on Facebook!

Hours (summer 2017):

Pricing (summer 2017):