Franconia Village House

First of all, the service was excellent. The host and wait staff were all very friendly and checked on us regularly. They had a great selection of craft beers on tap. I ordered the Filet with crab and scallops stuffed under shrimp, and it was delicious. I also sampled my daughter's prime rib, which was also very tasty. For dessert, we shared the Wild Berry Crisp, which we really enjoyed. The only downside was the coffee, as it did not quite live up to the quality of the rest of the meal. However, my daughter really enjoyed her hot chocolate.

Visited this restaurant three times in June and July 2019 for both lunch and dinner, but it seemed to be closed on each occasion.

As a local resident, I often visit Chef Joe's Bistro because the food is simply delicious! It's the perfect spot to unwind after a day of skiing at Cannon Mountain. My go-to dishes include the oysters, whether served straight up or Rockefeller, the mouthwatering burgers, and the flavorful Asian dumpling appetizer. I have never been disappointed with any meal I've had here. The northern country lacks many high-quality, innovative restaurants, but Chef Joe's Bistro is a standout. I've heard great things about their catering services as well. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to share this time, but I'll make sure to take some on my next visit.

This place is now Chef Joe's Bistro Sweet Smokin' Joe's BBQ. It's not a place for a quick bite, however, it is a fabulous place for a relaxed dinner. Food was excellent. My husband had the burger, I had the baby back ribs. Both were delicious. Will be back when we are in the area again.

So, mixed review. Went early 5 pm. First dinner guests. One person at bar. Nice inside. Pouring rain so could not sit on outside deck. Fireplace inside. Lacking a bit of barbaque feel. However pleasingly fine. Nice waitress clearly new. We took about 15 minutes to decide on mussels, smoked chicken and pulled pork. Meals came with Cole slaw cornbread and chicken with orzo and I and 3 cheese mac and cheese. Oddly someone who we though was the chef (white jackey)came out to ask if we had any questions on menu. When asked about the mussels he had to go back to kitchen to ask ingredients. Mussels took forever...almost 40 minutes to come out. Waitress had to come out and tell us kitchen was working on meal. Mussels fresh and grilled corn good but broth lacked depth. Just ok overall. Chicken A+ moist smoky. Cole slaw and cornbread very good. Pulled pork sandwich good. Mac and cheese lacked flavor or distinct cheese taste. Ran out of time to hear desserts.