The Goldenrod

From the Counter

Recent Google reviews

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  Brian Granoff

  ★ 5 • 2 months ago

  The Goldenrod is truly one of the gems of York Beach and a place that feels like stepping back in time. I loved that it has been welcoming guests since the Victorian era, and it’s wonderful to see how beautifully the historic building has been preserved, both inside and out. The warm wood interior, classic New England charm, and cozy window seating overlooking the neighborhood create such a relaxing, nostalgic atmosphere. The New England clam chowder was outstanding—rich, creamy, and packed with flavor. It was one of the best bowls of chowder I’ve had in Maine. The lobster roll was equally delicious, filled with generous pieces of fresh lobster and served simply so the quality of the lobster could really shine. The service was friendly and attentive, and there was plenty of seating despite how popular the restaurant is. Before leaving, I couldn’t resist browsing the gift shop and purchased a Goldenrod T-shirt and Christmas ornament as keepsakes from a wonderful visit. I was incredibly tempted by the enormous homemade whoopie pies in the bakery case—they looked absolutely incredible and are reason enough to come back! Whether you’re stopping in for lunch, dessert, or simply to experience a true piece of Maine history, The Goldenrod is a place I highly recommend. It’s easy to see why families have been making memories here for well over a century. I’ll certainly be back.

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  Scott

  ★ 5 • 2 months ago

  Been coming to The Goldenrod my entire life and it is one of the true landmarks of downtown York. They have really good food that is fairly priced and a good variety of chocolate and candy. I will say that their fudge is really expensive. That $16.55 in the picture is for half a pound, not a full pound, which is a lot but other than that everything else is pretty reasonable. The only other negative is that the place gets packed. Nothing they can really do about that but it is usually very busy. I have memories as a kid just standing there watching the taffy get made. Very cool place that you have to stop into if you are in downtown York.

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  Nick Papasodoro

  ★ 3 • a month ago

  Paid $19+ for 2 kiddie ice creams with hot fudge… the kiddie size is big, so $6 for that is definitely fair, but the issue was that we expected the hot fudge to only be an extra $1 or so, and not an extra ~$3.50. They seemed to charge us for sundaes, when all we asked for was the hot fudge as a topping. I did notice that there was a new menu display around the ice cream, and there was no hot fudge price listed individually. I can’t imagine ordering hot fudge as just a topping isn’t an option, so both the menu should be updated to reflect this, along with their Toast system (unless this was something the cashier just missed tonight). On another note, Goldenrod, I would love it if your chocolate chip cookies were more consistently available/on display, and ideally listed on the TV menu in the ice cream area. I’ve been coming to York my whole life, and I know that your chocolate chip cookies are the CLEAR BEST in the area, out of any active establishment. The problem is that you don’t even seem to want to sell them - I know that as of a couple years ago, you could only even get them by ordering a cookie ice cream sandwich. The sandwich option is great, but I just find it puzzling that you still aren’t pushing the cookies themselves. Please make these seemingly minor menu updates that would make a massive difference!

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  Meredith

  ★ 4 • a month ago

  We only went in for the taffy but I’d love to go back and eat at some point. My five year old loved watching the taffy being made from the outside windows. The wrapping machine and taffy arm were her favorites, obviously. She spent about 15 minutes going back and forth, so we offered to get her some taffy to try. It’s kind of chaotic at the candy counters. It was a Saturday afternoon, so to be expected but I wish there was some kind of organization for my Type A brain to follow. There’s no method to queue up, so it’s a free for all of “who’s next?” And some people were getting mad at being skipped over. Everyone also crowds around the counter so you can’t see the taffy flavors. I just told my daughter to keep saying excuse me so she could read the names and choose what she wanted. We got a one pound box which held quite a bit and was reasonably priced, I thought, at $15 before tax. The girl who helped us was nice and boxed everything up quickly. The ice cream counter is adorable and so vintage, I’d love to go back and sit there sometime!