Great place. Stopped by for lunch. I had the Rueben. Very tasty and the bread it was on was awesome. Service was excellent. Small restaurant but wasn't too packed at lunchtime on a Tuesday. Would love to give it a try for dinnner and have a steak. This place is centered around meat and I'm sure their steaks are amazing. Glad I came here. They also have a full bar.
Review Source:Reminiscent of Ad Hoc ambiance and style without the sticker price and prix fixe style.
We went there for brunch and ordered a few things,
Buttermilk fried chicken, waffle, bacon butter, raisin chili maple syrup $12
Hanger steak, 2 eggs, bearnaise, duck fat fried potato cake, toast $14
"Neil's brekkie": Corned beef, duck fat fried potato cake, bacon-braised collard greens, fried egg, stone mustard cream, rosemary cheddar, Worcestershire sauce $16
SF's sandwich: open faced, corned beef, rye toast, spinach, stone mustard cream, fried egg $11
The buttermilk chicken and waffle had a great crispy shell and good golden tone to it as well. The chicken itself was relatively moist but lacked enough seasoning. I did like the raisin chili maple syrup and found that it paired well with the dish
As for the corned beef, it tasted good but definitely the dish was on the heavy side. Thankfully, the mustard cream was able to help cut down the richness and add a nice bite of contrast. The duck fat fried potato cake was super appealing on paper but once we got it, it was such a let down. Reminded me of a well formed block of potatoes. Lacked seasoning but at least it was cooked well.
Also, it took quite sometime to get our food but service was fair.
Overall Thoughts
With a few tweaks, I can see the potential of Smithfields
Best meal in Ashland in years. 5 stars on basis of quality of food, creativity and presentation for a $$ restaurant.
Not a white table cloth place. More pub.
Table of 4
first course- yesterdays soup was very fresh english pea soup with creme fraishe and pancetta. Tasty and well seasoned.
Fresh roasted asparagus with micro greens, preserved lemon and the most interesting egg dressing. beautiful presentation and great flavor.
Main courses- Duck confit cassoulet- well seasoned and marvelous lamb sausage
Fish and chips- well done and great fries
Two cheese soufflé with salad and beets
Desserts Pear bread pudding with pickled huckleberries
Rich chocolate cake
All local produce.
Near the new theater. Give yourself time.( 2 hr) All freshly prepared
Enjoy
This was a great dinner! Â A truly excellent steak experience. Â As with the other reviewers, I also found the salads and sides were exceptionally good.
I really like the atmosphere here. Mid scale, comfortable, with a very comfortable and attractive bar. Â The wine list and bar selections are both very deep and complete.
This is a great place. Â Comfortable atmosphere and high end food.
I love this place- always look forward to it when I'm in Ashland. Â I've had the hangar steak, their New York Strip steak, their braised pork belly, bone marrow appetizer, and everything has been perfectly prepared and delicious. Â I also appreciate their rotating menu of sides depending on what is locally available. Â It does get a little loud in the space if it's a pre-theatre full house, but it's worth it. Â Servers are attentive and well-informed.
Review Source:Love, love, love this place! Â Our family went to Smithfields when we were visiting Ashland. Â Our son and daughter are college age and have been developing more sophisticated palates.....meaning dino kale and braised pork belly don't scare them any longer.
I'm not a red meat eater and tend to think that good steak houses make the best veggie dishes. Smithfields proved me right. Â I loved everything on my plate and even finished off the baked beans that my daughter couldn't finish (okay, I am not a strict vegetarian and can work around the bacon).
Everyone enjoyed their meals and we even broke down to have a dessert to our brunch. We couldn't help it, everything was that good.
We were sorry we found the restaurant on the last day we were there or we would have been there all three days.
Good, but not great.
We ordered the Smithfields plate and a steak sandwich. For being a meat-centric dining place, the meat was disappointing to say the least. The steak was cold and dry. The bacon was on the verge of being burnt. Sausage was fine.
The best thing we got was the orange marmalade! Seriously, if you go here, make sure your order comes with it!
I just have to say that I went to Smithfields for brunch and had their amazing "FM Fritatta" and it was the best breakfast / brunch I've eaten at a restaurant ever in Ashland. It was brunch perfection.
Amazing, top quality brunchy bliss. They make their own farmer's cheese in house and added it to the fritatta, plus it had wilted spinach and sprouts on top. Delicious and healthy, and a lot of local / organic on the menu.
Highly recommended. I will be back.
Very impressed. Loved the atmosphere, felt  right at home.
I have to say I can be a bit  fussy about my Steaks and tatters ,  I'm a south Texas Boy and know  what good Steaks is . I was there this weekend and had the Hanger Steak with the peppercorn sauce. It was out of sight!!!
service was Fantastic And the Beer was Ice cold. Couldn't ask for much more.
Thanks Guys.....
We took My Daughter here for Dinner before here play opened... ~smile~
I will say this is the best Dinner I have had out in a long time.... Well maybe since I was in England last November ~smile~  brought back alot of memories of my Dinning there.... I had the Fryed Chicken .... I will tell you it was some of the Best fryed chicken I have had in a long time (even my own).... Dee and her staff were Great and very Welcoming .... I was telling my daughter it reminded me of a few of the Pubs we went to in England.... Next time I visit Kayla we will eat here again and most definitely will have the Cheese platter for Desert.... ~smile~  Bringing Memories of my visit in England  my Aunt Margaret bringing out this cheese platter , and saying ohhhh my goodness how can I eat this after this big dinner and desert , now Port and Cheese ?  , but I will say it was great and it worked wonders, I do it now at home ~smile~  I will be back to this Restaurant, it was some of the best food I have had in a very long time and I haven't been to a Restaurant where I have said " I can't wait to go back..... And the Memories
Thank you Dee .... Â Good Job !!!!
Perdita Elaine Poe (Didi)
So unfortunate. Â The wine was good and the starter was good (Roasted bone marrow). Â The NY steak had absolutely no flavor and the blue cheese sauce I ordered with it had no blue cheese flavor. Â I got the chocolate hazelnut torte. Â Dry. Â Thank god it was a gift certificate and not too much money shelled out. Â Sorry Smithfields, not again.
Review Source:I came here with friends as per a recommendation. Â We came for lunch.
This restaurant is particularly "meat-centric" and they advertise it as so.
Everything on the menu sounds and looks delicious, even the drinks.
I had a Po'boy Sandwich and it was delicious and even looked beautiful! Â I would love to come back and try some other dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Love the way it looks inside the restaurant with its wood decor, the place has a great feel to it.
I would totally come back!
* I would recommend their Bloody Mary, it has bits of bacon mixed into it. This is probably the best Bloody Mary I've ever had hands down.
Peppercorn bread (one piece) with salted butter. Snap peas with lemon zest, pickled vegetables (cauliflower, carrot, pickle). Bignets. Bone marrow. House merlot (mostly merlot with a bit of Shiraz), viogner. Pork belly, duck confit. Coffee chocolate mousse, Creme brûlée (jiggly), ports (tawny, organic).  Organic port was very smooth.  Dug the food.  Loved the patio.  Cute place in a cute town.  Everything had a lot of flavor even if it wasn't my taste.  I like new things so I had a great time here and their wine recs we're spot on.
Review Source:I love this place. Â The top restaurant in Ashland. Â The food is delicious, consistent and the ingredients are sourced with good intentions. Â Service is great and people there are very friendly. Â I love the pork chop with Bearnaise or the smoked blue cheese red wine butter AMAZING !!!!
ENJOY!!!!
Epic dining experience. The chef has designed the most mouth watering experience of a meat-centric, local and organic menu. The front of house are in true service to a good time, and bring a friendly vibe to your experience. Great for brunch or dinner... Or just an after work drink at the bar! If you are passing through, a must-have Ashland experience.
Review Source:One of the best meals in Ashland! Â We had the Reuben which was to die for! Â Melted in your mouth. The roasted beet salad was perfect as well! Â Dee took amazing care of my mom and I as we tasted and enjoyed the wines she suggested. Â This will be a "must-do" on our annual trip to Ashland.
Review Source:I had a very delicious first meal at Smithfield's. They are a self-proclaimed "meat-centric" restaurant, Â and they aren't kidding.
I had the Hanger Steak which had great flavor and the Bernaise and Green Pepper sauces were a great complement to it. Everything is full flavor with lots of salt and butter. My eating partner had one of the best Filet Mignon steaks of her life. Â
This place is not for the faint of heart- the walls are covered in graphic prints of meat in the butcher shop which was a bit much.
They had a nice bar/pub that I would definitely like to come back and try on my next trip to Ashland.
Brined pork chop was good but not great. I asked for it pink in the middle but it was cooked through. Still tasted OK. Others at the table enjoyed the food. We'll try it again and maybe get the chicken which looked great at the neighboring table.
Update: returned this summer on our annual trip to Ashland. Reading through these reviews I'm impressed by the number of people who complain about poor or slow service. Then, the repeated replies by the owner that " the kitchen got slammed by the pre-theater crowd" or some such. Hey, get a clue. This is Ashland and during theater season you can count on the fact that 80% of your patrons seated from 6 to 7 have an 8:30 show. And, the theater does not cut you any slack if you are late you don't get seated until intermission. So, either limit the number of plates you serve to match the capabilities of your kitchen, or get someone who understands kitchen management to run the place. So, with that in mind, here we go for our 6 PM reservation. Place less than half full, but filling fast, pre- theater crowd. Our server opens the wine we brought and says she'll be back to take our orders. Last we saw of her. About 15 minutes later another gal takes our orders. Salads come out pretty quickly and are OK. The popcorn instead of bread idea is gimmicky and just filler. So we wait and wait as other tables are served before us who were seated after us. We flag down the server and point to the table next to us as an example. She tells us it's because they all ordered main courses and no apps. So, I guess we are being punished for the salad order? We wait some more. Â Now we are told the kitchen is really small and really backed up. I get up to look in the kitchen. It's actually a pretty good size. We wait. Now the bomb. She comes and tells us somehow our order never got in. So, if we want to eat, we'll not get our food in time to make the show. I ask for the manager, a woman who is running around trying to make things right for several other tables. She promises to get our order right in and she does. Hanger steak- worst I've ever had. Tasteless and the peppercorn sauce had no peppercorn flavor. The only saving grace was the exceedingly small portion. I'm a carnivore and, service issues aside, this is the second time I've had a less than great meat experience in a place that is all about meat. That plus the terrible service experience means we will never return.
I went to Smithfields with my wife on Saturday night. Â It was one of the best meals I have had in Oregon. Â Our waitress was one of the owners, and her service was everything that service should be; engaging, efficient, and informative.
I had the pork belly, my wife had the NY strip. Â I highly recommend you go if you are in Ashland.
First time there and we were pretty impressed. Â Our server was extraordinary, offering excellent suggestions and making things happen that were not on the menu (like coming up with something similar when one in our group ask for a ranch dressing.) Â The food -- steaks, pork chop, and a burger, were all good (still, our favorite place in Ashland is Amuse, and Smithfiield did not reach that height). Â We have a lot of steak easters in our group, so we will be back. Â (The garden seating area could be improved with some additional plantings, but still nice to have an outside option.)
Review Source:We go up to Ashland every year for the Shakespeare Festival, and this is by far the best restaurant we've found so far. Went for an early dinner (before our evening play) and were one of just a few parties there so early. We had a reservation (though open table) though it was unneeded at the early time.
Everything was delicious: cocktails, wine, their version of a caesar salad, the pork belly dinner, hanger steak dinner, chocolate torte, and pomegranate sorbet. The dinners were well put together, the salad was an amazing start, the desserts were amazing, and the cocktails and wine suggestions were perfect.
Service was great, complete with great suggestions and pairs, but not so agressive that we felt forced to order what the waiter suggested. Great vibe in the dining room (we opted to sit inside rather than on the patio). Excellent place for lovely dinner for two, though I could see it being a fun place for a big group.
Service is incredibly friendly. The entire waitstaff was friendly, funny, and helpful. They were very well informed and helped us make great decisions for what to eat. Between the 4 of us we sampled quite a bit of the menu and it was simply amazing! The house Worcestershire sauce was insane and my pork belly dish was sublime. One of the best meals all of us had ever had! We would go back anytime!
Review Source:This is the best restaurant in Ashland. The servers know their wines, and everything on the menu is fantastic. Think 'Top Chef' quality.
It's wonderful when any given evening, brunch, or lunch, you can interact with Dee the owner and really get a sense of the passion and commitment that goes into their food and service.
Where to begin....perhaps with the lukewarm decaf coffee delivered 15 minutes post order? Twice. Apparently decaf is not really coffee on a Sunday morning.
I love Smithfield's, don't get me wrong. I have told the owner on numerous occasions that they are my current favorite. Not pandering, speaking my immediate truth. But this most recent visit begs the question, is that really true?
Let me set the stage. Four top on a Sunday morning, we arrived before 10. Did not have reservations (first faux pas?), but got a table right away. Menus and ordering went smoothly, sans the coffee conundrum. Regular was delivered promptly, but decaf apparently was not yet brewed. Hmmm...then we waited...and waited......and waited.........watched the adjacent table that had come in two tables after us get served............and waited. Finally! The first three plates arrived.....five minutes later the fourth plate arrived. And the decaf? Really Smithfield's?
To say that the service was slow would be to lower your expectations of slowness. Glaciers receded and reformed while we waited. Civilizations collapsed. Stars born and entire galaxies collapsed into black holes.
We eventually ate a fairly adequate meal - lots of flavors and satisfying portions. No complaints there.
But the sequence of the environment while we waited did seem strange - as if the kitchen had taken a break, had gotten orders out of order or batched things up in a convenient way. It's odd to wait so long and see one latter table served first, and another latter table served immediately after us. These don't suggest a service issue but instead a poorly prepared or organized kitchen.
Best bet for enjoying Smithfields, eat first before heading there for brunch.
Two hits and a miss.
That is my typical experience attending plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Interestingly enough, it also seems to apply to local dining. Since I've been coming to Ashland regularly for fifteen years, I try to visit all the new restaurants as well as return to some of my local favorites.
This Spring I visited three restaurants all open about a year. Taroko and Smithfields in Ashland and C St. Bistro in nearby Jacksonville. Three different cuisines (Asian Fusion, French Bistro and Steakhouse) and price points, but of the three, I liked Smithfields the least. Not really a fair apples-to-apples comparison, but I'd recommend the other two restaurants to friends and suggest something else for a fine dining option in Ashland.
The funny part is that nothing went wrong. It is easy to critique a restaurant if you receive poor service, your food is substandard or there are basic flaws with the operation (reservations, payment, etc.). In this case, my reservation was honored, service was fine and the food was OK. A little underwhelming based on the price point, but not bad at all.
When I see a play, I put most of the responsibility for success or failure of the production on the director. They are given the source material, but it is their vision you will experience. They are responsible for casting, the style, the setting, etc. Restaurants aren't much different. And I guess what we have here is that I didn't enjoy the "vision." Almost everything that rubbed me the wrong way was a clear choice by the owners, so not something that will (or should) change. The aesthetic just may not appeal to all diners.
There is a lot of carnivore schtick. And I'm a carnivore, so I certainly wasn't upset by any of this, it just seemed overly gimmicky. The retro, bare bones touches that can be cool for creating a certain atmosphere, aren't personally as enjoyable when it comes to uncomfortable chairs and rusted silverware. And because the bar and restaurant are in one room with wood floors, when the restaurant is busy it is pretty difficult to carry on a conversation at your table.
It is easy to drop $100/couple here, so I classify it in the fine dining category in Ashland. The restaurant is perfectly fine for some, but for that price point, I'd rather eat at Coquina or Amuse.
I'm happy to give this Restaurant 5 stars!
Smithfields is everything one hopes for in a Chef owned Restaurant. Â World-class food cooked with attention to detail and heart. Â Mostly local ingredients. Â Fresh made everything from scratch including the ketchup and mayo. Â
The cream sauces, delicate...the frying oil, hot enough, and the creme brulee, enough for two.
The focus is on the food so don't expect a huge wine list or large whiskey selection. Â Though do expect your favorites. Â That said, the basics are covered as far as alcohol is concerned.
I can't wait to try their burgers!
Go for a high-end gourmet experience or burgers and beer. Â Up to you!
Toddlers welcome too.
Some of the best service I received in the state of Oregon, and the food is amazing. Â
I had: An Irish whiskey cocktail and the house bread to start, and a glass of wine and the duck confit cassoullet for dinner. Â Couldn't handle dessert!
Loved that my server had really great opinions and recommendations- very refreshing in a world if "Oh it's all good..." or "it depends on what oyu like!"
Everything I ate made me happy. Â The duck confit was the second best I have ever had.
Neil and Dee are fabulous people and this restaurant is a reflection of the passion they have for food and the customer. Â If you are in Ashland- don't miss out!!
I had a wonderful experience here! I love trying new places and new things, and the staff was wonderful and full of suggestions.
This place is a MUST if you like your meat!
I ended up getting the chicken, thinking it would be a light meal.... boy was I surprised! HUGE portions, and I couldn't stop eating! I am drooling thinking about it again.. =)
Great atmosphere, and awesome food, just pushed this place to the top of my "end of day watering hole" list!
I had heard a lot about this place and was excited to try it when I had family visiting from out of town. Â Unfortunately I was disappointed. Â The food was good, but not excellent, 2 of our orders were wrong, and the service was very slow...
I will give them the benefit of the doubt and try it again, but my initial impression was mediocre.
UPDATE:
I went back to Smithfields to give them a second chance. Â Since they tout themselves as meat-centric I figured I would give them a lob and get the burger. Â I was surprised when the waitress asked, "do you want it pink or not pink?" Â To me this seemed like being at a wine bar and given the options of Red or White... Â My response was, "Rare." Â This is a fancy restaurant that specializes in MEAT dishes... I expect to be asked at least, "how would you like that cooked?" I want that burger cooked just enough to kill the bacteria. Â Cook it right! Â Bloody dammit! The burger came and was not only not rare, but definitely of the "not pink" variety. Â Over cooked. When I mentioned this to the waitress not only did she not offer to take it back, she seemed to not care and just shrugged her shoulders. Wow... huge disappointment.
We had brunch here yesterday during a long weekend in Ashland. Both dishes were excellent and good value. I had the Smithfield's breakfast. The eggs were scrambled perfectly, meats were delicious, and the potato cake cooked in duck fat is not to be missed. My partner had the lemon crepes, also very tasty.
The problem? Very slow service. I'm not sure what was going on out on the patio where we were sitting - maybe it was a shift change - there appeared to be some confusion about who was waiting on our table. Our food took a long time to get to our table, and it took almost half an hour to get the check and pay the bill. We noticed that another table close to where we were sitting was having the same problem, and the customers sitting there, visibly irritated, went inside to get their bill and then again to pay it.
What made it even worse was that a couple of nearby tables, populated by locals, were doted on by the co-owner, at the same time we were being ignored - not a hello or even a cute little smile for the auslanders. We felt like poor little Ruth Reichl, who, disguised, went to review Le Cirque when she was the new editor of the NY Times food section. Treated poorly, she famously took Le Cirque down from four stars to three despite the great food. And while we would love to try Smithfield's again in our hope that they were just having a bad day yesterday, we're going to give Smithfield's two lonely stars on Yelp for now - minus two for the generally slow service, and minus one more for the general lack of warmth.
Ruth at Le Cirque, in disguise: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpersonals.nymag.com%2Fblog%2F4399%2Fpost_74915.html%3Fdcb%3Dpersonals.nymag.com&s=e553dffc463d93ad671573411988d232321e93434f4305311ce5840db73f765f" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://personals.nymag.c…</a>
Ruth at Le Circue, as Ruth Reichl: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fpersonals.mentalfloss.com%2Fblog%2F4399%2Fpost_74914.html%3Fdcb%3Dpersonals.mentalfloss.com%26highid%3D3767225_50077&s=0992a16fb516c8670f83f1d18f7d9e62e82d39f7aae1122f36b66f7a494681e7" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://personals.mentalf…</a>
Wow. Â This turned out to be the best meal we have had in a long time - and very reasonably priced. Â If this restaurant were in San Francisco, people would be flocking to it. Â We thought it was mainly a pub, so we were expecting pub food. Â We had no idea that we were in for a perfectly executed meal including housemade pickles, ketchup, cured meats and bread! We were on vacation in Oregon for a week, and we stopped through Ashland for the night on our way home to the Bay Area. Â It was late, so we chose to go to Smithfields because they would still serve dinner at 10:30. What a great surprise!
We were greeted by the proprietress, who was very friendly and attentive - just chatty enough to give us an idea of how enthusiastic she is about the restaurant and Ashland, but in no way intrusive. Her pride in their sustainable artisinal foods made with all locally sourced ingredients was wonderful. Â It was a warm night, so we sat on the outdoor patio, which is really lovely. Â I could imagine it would be a great spot to host a party.
We started off sharing the heirloom tomato and watermelon salad, which had both the flesh of the watermelon and pickled watermelon rind, several varieties of heirloom tomatoes, feta cheese, basil, and a balsamic reduction. Â I could eat that salad every night and not get sick of it - a better late summer salad does not exist. Â It was a generous portion - we each felt like we got our fill. It's made with top notch ingredients and the flavors are perfectly balanced. Â I am planning on trying to replicate it - as a cook myself, I was inspired.
It seems that this is the place to get meat, but since it was late and we'd been on the road, we were looking for lighter fare. Â (Even though they describe themselves as meat-centric, vegetarians are very well taken care of.) Â I got the portobello burger, my partner got the curried chicken sandwich. Â These are obviously simpler foods than the restaurant generally prepares. Â Still, they were done very well. Â Again, the flavors came together perfectly. Â My portobello burger came with a generous side of fries, which of course came with the house made ketchup. Â I am a fan of good ol' Heinz ketchup. Â It's great stuff. Â However, this is a different animal entirely, and I couldn't get enough of it. Â It's obviously made from fresh tomatoes, and it has a smoky tang. Â A previous review described it as just a marinara sauce. Â I'm sorry they can't appreciate a different take on a good thing.
Then there were the sugar snap peas. Â This dish showed me that the chef really understands the simple delicacy of the vegetable itself. Â Â The peas were tossed with toasted slivered almonds and preserved meyer lemon rind. Â Preserved lemon is like the candy of the savory world. Â You need just a little bit, and it makes your taste buds sing. Â The saltiness brought out the sweetness of the sugar snap peas without upstaging them in the least. Â All this was coated lightly with browned butter - just enough to bring out all the flavors. Â Another dish I will be trying at home.
I may never again be able to make the drive to Portland without a stop at Smithfields. Â I only wish it were closer! Â Major thumbs up.
Newly opened, pleasant atmosphere and some truly mouth watering food. The portions are a tad small relative to the price but the offerings are unique and flavorful. I recommend the bacon braised collard greens along with the pork belly on mashed potatoes. The goat cheese soufflé was melt in your mouth good also. The spicy popcorn as a munchie before dinner had just the right about of kick to it as well.
The service was not as attentive as I would have liked (refills, etc.) but the staff was conscientious enough to get us to our show on time. Worth a visit. Reservations recommended.
Amazing. The food is crafted to perfection. Â The menu changes frequently, so check the website for current selection. Â We had scotch quail eggs which were surprisingly light and served with a delightful slaw. Also a charcuterie plate with bacon, ridiculously good chicken liver pate, and other great items with a housemade grainy mustard that was balanced and did not overpower the other items.
I had the pork cheek with collard greens and potatoes and it was delish. He had the hanger steak which was apparently the best in Ashland and most "beefy" tasting.
I will definitely be coming back.
Oh, and they have 30 kinds of whiskey on the way.
Enjoy!
Super cool, comfortable, amazing food, amazing concept. Â
Chef Neil Clooney's brainchild Smithfields' key word is Meat Centric - it's even written across one wall of the restaurant. Â Meat-centric - meaning using amazing meat in a sustainable and responsible way. Â Neil purchases whole animals locally and uses everything, from tip to tail. Â
We went on opening night with a large group and everything was amazing and went very smoothly. Â Great service and atmosphere. Â The portions were generous, but not excessive. Â Perfect amount of food for an adult male who isn't a glutton. Â (The glutton's can eat their ladies leftovers.)