The Prairie Whale

There is nothing quite like the way I feel when I’m at Prairie Whale. The food is consistently outstanding, offering phenomenal mainstays like their fried chicken, brick chicken, and burger with meat from local farms. The menu always features seasonal dishes and a few specials that offer perfect flavors that are fresh and balanced. There have been some weeks where you will find me there most evenings they are open, hosting friends visiting from other cities. Alternatively you will find me there celebrating most milestones: anniversaries, birthdays, and the night before I had my daughter. I always feel at home and I always can’t wait to return.

Prairie Whale is a really special place. My favorite in GB. The food is is awesome.You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. You can tell a lot of care goes into using local farms and top notch ingredients. Also, it’s just feels good to be in the space : Warm, cozy, friendly. Everything I want in a restaurant.

Came in for some drinks and live music. My date and I had already eaten prior to arrival, and looking at the food passing by; I need to return for a proper meal. They had live music on the night of my visit, which was lively and enchanting. Ordered something akin to hot toddies to drink; and they came in little tea pots and were absolutely delectable. I’m eager to travel an hour out of state, in order to return here to sample what appears to be an amazing menu.

Phenomenal dining experience. Great vibe, food and drinks. Nice selection of NE craft brews on tap and the staff is very transparent about animal product sourcing.

Food was ok. They added a 3% kitchen tax on my bill. No notice on the menu about this. I was told it’s because the kitchen staff is under paid. If the restaurant can’t pay them a decent wage why am I subsidizing them. Pay your workers a decent wage. Food with drinks and tax and tip are expensive enough without adding more nonsense fees. I was tempted to reduce my tip but I didn’t want to penalize the waitress.

Had a wonderful recent experience at Prairie Whale. We started with the radicchio salad which was very bitter- would not order again. The stars of the show were the entrees. Our table had the brick chicken, mahi mahi and fried chicken. All were 10/10. If I had to pick one, it would be the brick chicken, I’ve never had anything like it before. We also got two desserts which I would skip next time. A bit unforgettable. I will definitely be back for the entrees.

We visited last Friday night around 6pm and waited for about 20 min for a table. The attendant was very helpful and amiable. The wait person was attentive. The appetizers were delicious and enough for three people. We had the tomato salad and the roasted carrots. One person had the hake fish and finished it, another had the fried chicken and found it a bit too sweet for them so only had a small piece of it but really liked the cornbread, and I had the cheeseburger which was okay. I didn’t care for the sesame bun, as sesame gives an off flavor for me. Overall the meal was good but to be honest way too expensive. Nothing was under $22 for a main meal.

Some of most delicious food I’ve had in a while — and in a relaxed, family friendly environment. Easily 5 stars, would recommend.

Absolutely wonderful dining experience, top to bottom. Prairie whale is located in an old house on one of the main drags in great Barrington. The inside is reminiscent of an old-fashioned saloon with dim lighting. Outdoors, the front yard doubles as an outdoor dining space, and there is even a front porch with some tables. Everything on the menu looked delicious - and it was. We tried a bunch of dishes and everything was a winner, from the appetizers to the main courses. The griddled cornbread with honey butter was among the best I've ever had. They also served beautiful soups and salads. The food was fresh and much of it was farm to table. Service was prompt and professional. Not sure why this place isn't five stars across-the-board, but it's five stars all the way.

Prairie Whale was packed when we visited, but it's clear to see why. It's a first come, first serve basis, which can be tough for such a popular joint. Luckily we put our name on the waist list and posted up at the bar. I tried an orange wine and it was tart and refreshing. My husband had a special cocktail that had pims, gin, and a few other ingredients and it was delicious! Then we had a tumeric based mocktail that was refreshing. We eventually moved to our table and were ready to order! We started with a radicchio Cesar salad that was a terrific mix of bitter but well balanced with the fresh salad dressing and anchovies. We then ordered the duck tagliatelle which was incredible! I had the cod- cauliflower puree, olives, Brussels with a vinaigrette. When I tell you this was the best dish I've eaten in a while I am not exaggerating! We also got a side of corn bread that's topped with spicy honey butter. WOW! Do yourself a favor and come to the Prairie Whale and you won't be disappointed.

I can't believe I haven't made a review for this place before, as it is my husband's favorite. The menu is always so clever and unique. We come here for unusual pairings and always consistently creative, excellent food. We popped in but didn't have a reservation and were able to sit at the bar and that was super fun. Everyone shared their comments about their food orders. All comments were very positive. We will be back soon.

OK, ate at the Prairie Whale this evening with my son, wife and grandson. Son really wanted us to try it, he's local and said it was worth the visit. Well, I'm not sure what happened but after spending $250.00 for 3 people and a child, I've never been hungrier or more disappointed. The radicchio salad was good, as expected. French fries were good as well..... perhaps stop here? We ordered 2 Wagyu steak dinners with fingerling potatoes and mixed peppers and onions @v $34.00 each, wife had the Hake over root vegetables at $30.00, grandson had the cheeseburger at $22.00. If in fact these were 6.5 oz of Wagyu steak cooked medium rare, then whoever sold them and cooked them should be up on charges. Wagyu need's to be medium rare to rare or it gets tough. These were probably the chewiest, tasteless pieces of meat at 5/8 inch by 4x4 I've had but since we waited an hour to get them we ate them. (Also it was fingerling potato - 1- solo- by itself not plural. )The hake was good but again at $30.00 it was maybe 2" x 3" by 1 " . These were all served on appetizer sized plates so abundance and eye appeal was not a priority. The celery soup was watery with about 9 small pieces of celery floating in it. Couldn't really tell as the place was so dark I almost fell asleep. Service was ok, the kitchen was blamed for the slowness of the food's arrival, but after mentioning the lateness, and poor quality was told gee sorry, heres' your check. I love new places, I am not a nit picker but expect at least an effort be made. Then I get a $6.57 Kitchen Service fee on top of this. Sorry, if the kitchen staff is short (they took one pasta entree off the menu) and I have to wait almost an hour, why am I paying an extra fee?

First of all is pricy and limited food options. There were four of us. 3 got the fried Chicken. It came out as one leg and one small thigh. No breast. It was served with some fresh raw kale with an oil dressing of some kind. Also, a small piece of corn bread. The other meal was "The vegetable plate" it came in a bowl. It honestly was not appetizing or visually appealing. It looked like a bowl of portage. The "vegetables" were small stringy things mixed with soupy liquid mush. No flavor! These meals were $24. In our opinions this restaurant was awful.

Very good local bar/restaurant. Wish they had live music sometimes! Tasty entrees and good drinks. We took friends there who were visiting and they really enjoyed it. This time though, they left out some of the sides that were to be included in our entrees and we didn't realize it until we left. Not a terrible thing.

I'm Dominican. My husband is Puerto Rican. These two groups know shit about what the hell is a prairie whale. Found out it's a pig. None I've eaten in eons (and don't miss it). Blame my daughter's Muslim father. Hubs and I noticed Prairie on Main St during one of our day trips to Great Barrington and since then, looked forward to visiting. Menu is varied for any eating lifestyle- just let folks know to omit this or that and ask how it's prepared. I did. Prairie brings a slice of the countryside to this farm-to-table top spot in the area. Keep in mind, long holiday weekends, mean long lines. So when we came on a Sunday holiday weekend, folks had already been on line. Start lining up 1/2hr to be safe. Lunch isn't served. Only Dinner. Lounge while waiting for your table on their lawn. There's outdoor seating- but again, you'd have to get here before 5pm to take advantage. It's a rustic and woodsy space with a buzzy scene inside with Jamiroquai and modern-Disco playlist. Due to staff shortages, Prairie seems like they're only filling a certain amount of tables to avoid a rush of customers so we skipped the 1+1/2hr wait and sat at the bar. Bartender/server was friendly. Our meals were clean and unfussy, straightforward but intriguing and tasty (so is the rest of their menu). Between hubs' Caesar and my Napa Cabbage Salad, I don't know which one was better because they were equally good. Hubs liked his Brick Chicken and my Hen of the Woods dish was interesting. I expected lots more (way more) mushrooms since it's actually the star of the show and less of the roasted squash. It was good though and....small. Hubs enjoyed his Lemon Drop, my Cranberry+ Smoky Mezcal is something our Bartender/server 'crafted' on the spot since she had no Pepper-infused Tequila- and turned out weak. Great Barrington is known for so many things and one that stands out for me is their approach to food. And this is one place, I'd like to try again.

I always have a delicious, cozy meal when I eat here. It is a must on my GB list. Foods is consistently top quality and service is friendly. I really like the atmosphere. Thanks for being a special place for me and my husband!

Came here right when it opened so there was no wait time to be seated. Our food did take a while to arrive but it tasted fresh and delicious! The portion sizes were pretty big as well. It seems like they have a rotating menu so would definitely come back to try other food items!

Went here with mes amigos - we got the brussel sprouts (divine) and brick chicken (similarly divine..genuinely some of the best I've ever had in my life). Farm to table menu is very thoughtfully composed and we had a great time :) thank you!

Rustic atmosphere with an interesting menu. Lots of unusual items that change with the season. Looking for Pig Head Rillettes? They have it. Prefer a grass-fed cheeseburger, they have that too. The items appear to favor local farms, which is a wonderful thing. My problem is that they over salted everything we had that night. Perhaps it was a back-up chef. But, I will not be coming back. I had the brick chicken, which is usually one of my favorite dishes. All I could taste was salt. (I threw out the leftovers.) I am adding a star because they still respect COVID safety protocols. You had to show your vac status and wear a mask when not at the table. Most restaurants around the Berkshires have stopped doing this. I appreciate the extra care of the Prarie Whale.

So good. Great food, service and drinks. Had a burger and fried chicken. Bluefish on crostini was great! Felt very well cared for. Live jazz was a nice addition. Super staff! Well done!

A very disappointing experience with such high hopes. Ambiance/Aesthetic: cute but lacking in functionality. Not easy to move around, no signage, and nowhere to stand when you walk in and have to wait 10 minutes to be acknowledged by the host. Very very dark. The band, however, was fantastic. Service: our server was Barbie. She has a very basic understanding of service. She technically did her job. Not impressive but not the worst server I've encountered - she has no emotional intelligence or social awareness. Food: not good, sadly. The beet salad was probably the best thing we had but I'll never understand why people use frisée greens the size of the entire plate. The feta salad was wildly overpowered by the giant chunks of parsley and dill stems. Made a decent dish awful. Nothing on the entrees menu appealed to me so I went with the burger figuring that couldn't be too awful but I was wrong! The bun was not toasted. The burger patty was 1/2 the size of the tomato slice (which, granted, was enormous) and left at least a centimeter of bread around it. The burger (and tomato) were completely unseasoned. It looked like it was cooked to temp but who could tell with how dark it was. My partner was likewise underwhelmed by his entree. If you are going to have an 11 item menu, you should probably accommodate mods, unless the Chef is brutally unaware that his flavor palette is way off. Drinks: very limited, nothing with vodka, what we chose was not good. Also - the website doesn't work, there are no menus listed/posted anywhere. The menu also mentions a line about how their sausages, charcuterie, and other butchery are made in house but nothing actually on the menu - why would you include a line about this and not actually have it on the menu?? Accessibility leaves a lot to be desired. Safe to say we probably won't be back. This was a huge letdown.

Super hip atmosphere that gets busy quite fast. A rustic modern vibe that attracts both a younger and older crowd. Menu was very limited, and can't say the cocktail menu was all that enticing but the food was very tasty. I ordered the fried chicken. It came with a dense slice of corn bread topped with honey butter that melted in your mouth. It also served a little kick. The food was delicious to say the least.

What a disappointment. I was really looking forward to trying this place. The appetizers (pork croquette and radish/fish toast) were awesome, hence the 3 stars. I had the fried chicken which I actually liked, my husband's burger and my mom's swordfish was undercooked. The drinks aren't worth the calories or money. The service was seriously lacking. I suppose they are always busy because they don't have much competition in the area. We won't be back, we are happy to drive up to an hour to go elsewhere for a better meal.

The best food in Gt Barrington, a little noisy when busy but it's worth it. Pizza is great also.

Amazing flavorful food, beautiful rustic ambiance, and top notch service. What more can you ask for!

Atmosphere: Low lighting and intimate feel. Loud music overhead and the sound of voices throughout the place. Customer diversity was not there. Food: Not for the chicken fingers and fries type people. They had some interesting options like brussel sprouts with fatbacks. Ordered a hot alcohol drink that was amazing. The food was well made and presented well also. Again, if you are not adventurous with food, it may not be for you. What we had was excellent. Service: Good service, nothing to note. Overall: I would go back for the drinks for sure. Food was good, not sure what I would order on a second trip.

Prarie whale was cool. Food was great Meant great people at the bar Hostess was beautiful and pleasant Young bartender helpful. older girl bartender said she had never eat any of the food so she could not recommended . which I don't like,!

Our server was lovely but I would not return to this establishment. They have a limited menu so it's crucial that it's done right. The meals were subpar at best. I would compare it to the cafeteria. So underwhelmed by the food presentation and portion size. The space was cool but it felt dirty to me, I walked back to use the restroom and one of the cooks was using his ungloved hand to plate. Good place to go have a drink.

I went with a large group of people tonight. I think that most of the others liked their meal. i didn't ask them. I hated it except for the cornbread. The honey butter for the cornbread was so spicy that i got hiccups. I got regular butter and was able to finish some of it. Our entrees arrived 25 min after ordered. I got the onion soup which tasted like dish water. I have had real onion soup elsewhere that was delicious; not here. Beet salad was so so. Caeser salad was tasteless. my entree, the black bass was soupy, overcooked, in short, inedible. I left it for the garbage. I can't believe that this place has repeat customers.

Party of 6 Beautiful interior Waited 15 min at least to get food Food was delicious The brick chicken is crazy tasty Scallop was ok Nice server :) ping pong outdoors Paid around $27

Not subbing for food allergies is a bit ridiculous in this day and age. I get not doing it for preferences, but making people pay extra for some potatoes because they can't eat the potato dish the meal comes with, is just mean spirited. Our food was also incredibly salty, to the point we both woke the next morning still feeling it.

This place really is a cut above. You can taste the skill and technique. It skews a little bit Brooklyn, which is a bit annoying, but they know their way around a kitchen. I had their fried chicken which was succulent and crispy. My friend had a side of some kind of Japanese squash with miso that I swear is one of the top ten tastiest things I've ever eaten. I still don't know why I didn't order a side to take home. Go a bit early in the nicer weather to get on their list, as they don't take reservations.

lots of local hype, with good food , a little fussy. But , I would go back with my wife if she wanted to....me? could take it or leave it. It seems like the Berkshires is getting filled with places like this- fussy, and hard to get into. Cape Cod has already underwhelmed itself in this sense- that unless you live there, visitors have a darn hard time getting a reservation most of the time IF you do get in- well, the letdown is palpable. The food here wasn't the letdown, but it's not worth the effort. Give me a burger somewhere else.

Severe attitude problem. They'll do us a favor by accepting our order. They think they have the best place in the neighborhood, but I'll never know. Nice neighborhood, though.

I liked this place! Nice candle-lit atmosphere and a fun live jazz band (they covered some stuff from the Charlie Brown Christmas album for the season) on a Sunday night. Service was friendly, but scattered -- they seemed understaffed. Food was tasty and fairly creative: standout for me was the fish stew, though I suspect that it would have been too salty for most normal people (I love salt, and for me it was a bit borderline). Mocktail as ordered was too sour (this has happened to me more than once lately -- suspect that when de-boozing drinks bartenders fail to factor in the fact that there's now a ton of citrus in the drink not being balanced out by other ingredients), but the bartender was nice about adding a little simple on request. I enjoyed the French onion soup, though the presentation could have been a bit nicer for the price (this may be an unreasonable expectation for me to have, but I think it's nice to gussy up a soup a bit when it costs over ten bucks). Bathroom was very clean and smelled great (more restaurants should put giant mrs meyers candles in their bathrooms!). I would def come back if in town again, esp on Sunday night for the band.

Extremely small servings, watered down drinks, everything is overpriced. The food is good but far too expensive for those portions. Service is clearly overworked and bar seat diners frequently get ignored for long periods of time

This place has a great vibe! Great bar and drinks. It's the only place in Great Barrington that serves food after 9pm on a Friday. Fried chicken sandwich was delicious.

Awesome atmosphere. Sort of bar-like, but super cozy and cool. When they have live music, it is wonderful. Food is delicious and fresh. Service is great. Probably the coolest place in GB.

No air conditioning indoors (it's August....) and a mosquito swamp outdoors on the front lawn. A waiter walked around with one comunal bottle of "Off" bug spray to tables and said, "This doesn't really work, but you can try." It didn't work. Also the hostesses were super mean to me for not responding to their waitlist text (text "1" to confirm, text "2" to cancel) even though I tried calling (busy signal) and arrived within the scheduled ten minutes. Look, I get that I messed up, I didn't read the full instructions, but to be greeted with a salty "Oh, you decided to show up. You're lucky we didn't give up your table" and sat next to the bathroom is pretty aggressive. I even said "wow, I'm so sorry, please know that my not texting back isn't due to a lack of enthusiasm for eating here, I just made an error." It was as if I stabbed their dog. (Also, there's shoddy cell service in Great Barrington, and all the menus are available "online" with no WiFi, but sure...) We asked to move to the front lawn because it was over 85 degrees indoors. They begrudgingly moved us, and now I'm covered in bug bites. No citronella candles. No nothing. Just covered in bites. Y'all... I lived in the city for 13 years and worked in restaurants... you can't have Brooklyn attitudes if you don't have Brooklyn-level service or food. Speaking of which, food was absolutely just fine. Nice try, though.

Mark Firth has created an up-to-date modern culinary delight in the Prairie Whale. The dishes are delicious whether new treats or old favorites, the wine list is extraordinary and well-planned, the cocktail tastes belie a wealth of expertise and experimentation, and now let's talk about the staff. This place could run training, like Disney, or Zingerman's. Not one person wasn't a joy on my visits.

Came here to finally enjoy some quality dining experience during these COVID times. They had ample space outside for outdoor dining and had large umbrellas to help shade us from the sun which was great. This place is popular and quickly filled up 30 minutes after opening (we got there right when they opened for dinner at 4:30pm for this reason). Items we tried: -Pork spare ribs ($20 as of 9/20). The sheer size of this dish is incredible (see photo for reference). The potato salad was fresh and chilled which paired well with the ribs. The ribs is coated with a sweetish bbq flavor so if that sounds appetizing then go for it, if not then steer clear! The ribs themselves were very tender and fell off the bone easily. -Fried chicken ($18). Recommended by a friend and we can see why. The batter is somehow a perfect blend of spice and sweetness and the meat was extremely juicy. Fried to perfection! The cantelope was also perfectly sweet and was an excellent addition to the meal. Cornbread was alright. Only complaint is for $18 I wish they had more than 2 pieces of chicken. A 3rd piece (even if it's just a wing) would help offset the cost but I can definitely see why it was recommended. - Mesclun greens ($6). Honestly? We ordered this because we needed some greens in our diet... pretty unremarkable otherwise though. Overall, worth a visit but make sure to either get here early or late to avoid waiting for a long time (no reservations as far as I heard).

Returned for a post Covid dinner for 4 at 6:15 -- seated in Siberia until our (famous) friends arrived and 'suddenly' a great table opened up! Nice waitress served up martinis, and everything fell into place. Hail to the Caesar salad! Solid burger with marinated onion but greasy fries. Mains served on small plates to mask the child-size portion of fried chicken. Excellent desserts. Bklyn prices.

Showed up around 615 on a Friday, waited 45 mins for a table for two (completely reasonable given the current circumstance). Gave name and number at the front and they text you when you table is ready. Area around back while you wait for your table to get pizza and drinks. Very nice touch. Seems to be two seating areas, one next to the garden out back under the tent where they put larger parties and one up front in the yard. Up front in the yard is much more intimate and quiet. We were sat at the table in the back with the families and kids running around the entire time. Not the best if you're on a date. Food was definitely the center piece of the night. We order a couple different things to try and grasp the full scope and feel of the menu. Started with the chicharrones, crostini and the tagliatelle. All three were very delicious and plenty for two to share. I opted for the lamb as a main dish and my other chose the fried chicken. Both came out delicious and definitely not short on flavors. Only negative was the lamb came out room temperature and the chicken was piping hot. Atmosphere and food were definitely deserving of a 5/5, however the seating we were given and the service is where it lost a star. Highly reccomend for a nice relaxing dinner in GB. Will be back.

A Whale of a Disappointment! I suspect this place must be what Zagats would call a Teflon - an eatery so protected by its own history and laurels that criticism is simply incapable of sticking. But, stick it must! I ate at the bar on a recent Saturday evening and the food was just short of abominable. A slimy, wan caesar salad, covered in grocery store parmesan and clearly assembled before the doors even opened, was followed by a brick chicken so drowned in pure salt and unidentified thin liquid that I had to check the menu on my phone to see if I had hallucinated the squash puree, tomato labne, cilantro, and jalapeno (I had not - they appeared in print but were notably absent from the plate.). When I inquired with the wait staff, I was told that the dish was As Expected, which honestly shocked me; no explanation was given for the long list of missing ingredients. Notably, the ambience was lovely and the front of the house staff were all polite and hard working. But, don't waste your dollars here if you actually enjoy tasty food - there was none in sight

Some of the best food I've ever had. There was something for everyone, and a good environment for kids. Even though there was no kid's menu, my kiddo had no problem enjoying the bread plate and the fried chicken. Highly recommend.

It was soooo yummy. Very nice service. Casual but high end hipster feel. We had the duck liver pâté, Frisée salad, chilled garlic soup, chicken tagliatelle, burger, broccoli raab, rice & beans and a cocktail and everything was excellent. Outside is a nice atmosphere for families. Chairs could be more comfortable, but we will definitely be back. Menu seems to change daily. There is a pizza garden out back, I imagine that's seasonal. Back there you can see the garden and all the food they grow on site. Ping pong.

This place is terrific. DO NOT MISS THIS PLACE WHILE VISITING GREAT BARRINGTON! The food was great. I'd recommend the cheeseburger and fries. Delicious. The service was as good as the food. The staff is friendly, welcoming, attentive, and just plain nice. They made me feel like a local. I will be coming back to this place every time I'm in Great Barrington. GREAT PLACE!

Great cocktails and food. DJ on Monday nights is a fun way to chill at the bar and drink and listen to a wide range of music. Chill atmosphere.

Prairie Whale is a likable farm-to-table spot in the Berkshires. Very much a rustic Brooklyn vibe. It's well-known in the area and we had about a half hour wait at 7 on a Sunday night back in October. They do have outdoor seating and yard games so the wait isn't too bad. We were fortunate that there was live music inside, kind of blue grass-y and very enjoyable. Even without that the vibe is pretty lively. Lighting is low and the decor is cozy and cabin-like. Service was prompt. They are serious about their cocktails, and both my tequila-based one and my boyfriend's whiskey and apple-based ones were great. The menu is fairly classic and meat-heavy, with options like pork chops and brick chicken. We split a pork terrine ($10ish) to start, delicious and well-presented with bread and assorted pickles. My pork goulash was divine-- do get this if they offer it. Make this your choice if spending a long weekend in the Berkshires.

Easy to call and place orders for pickup. Got the Napa salad and pizza with coppa and it was delicious! The staff was very very nice -- My friend and I had miscommunicated who was going to pick up the dinner, and they had to stay open late for us. M

Came here for brunch as a stopover during a road trip, but if I ever find myself in this area of MA again I'd love to come back. Food: 5/5 -fried chicken with corn bread: Savory and filling. I typically don't even like corn bread and I wish the dish came with more of it. Easily my favorite dish. -buttermilk pancakes: Decadent and heavy. Had a nice texture and flavor, but got full after the first pancake so shared the rest. My go-to pick if I'm in the mood for having dessert for breakfast. -polenta w/ breakfast sausage: not my favorite, but was still pretty tasty. the sausage itself tasted good, but I've had better polenta elsewhere. -cheeseburger w/fries: personally didn't get to try the cheeseburger but my folks who did loved it, including my grandma who nearly finished it and she's one of the pickiest eaters I know. the fries that come with it are amazingly crisp and not too skinny or thick/starchy. Ambiance & Service: 5/5 -very quaint looking place with cute lighting and decor. not very loud or overly crowded. -servers were friendly and attentive. they promptly refilled our water carafes and checked in on us. -only downside is that the wait for our food to come out lasted a while, but to be fair we came in with a large group of 6.

Some restaurants let their food speak for themselves. Prairie Whale, an unobtrusive homely restaurant with shaker style furniture and understated low key decor is one of those. Their Buttermilk Pancakes served with strawberries were excellent, one of the lightest and fluffiest pancakes I have ever tasted. The accompanying maple butter was divine. Polenta with Sausage, Soft Boiled Eggs & Arugula was the perfect brunch dish, hearty, gratifying and super tasty. Picture a perfectly grilled housemade sausage, two beautifully poached eggs and a serving of fresh arugula resting on a bed of creamy polenta rich with the flavour of cornmeal. Fried chicken with cornbread, strawberry jalapeño butter & spinach was equally awesome. The crispy batter was the perfect foil for the juicy chicken meat. The cornbread was a little dense although this was mitigated by the accompanying strawberry butter which was as light and fruity as sorbet. The greens for this dish was spinach in a light vinaigrette laced with cumin. Whilst its brunch menu offered many regular favorites, with creative flair, Prairie Whale remodeled standard fare into Rhubarb & Cardamon Scone, Bagel with Dill Cream Cheese, Frisée & Radishes, Sausage Biscuit with Scrambled Eggs, etc. This unconventionality is rather refreshing. Before we left, our server mentioned that their vegetables come largely from a plot just in their backyard and that their meat is sourced from local Berkshire farms. Well, that's another plus for this extraordinary restaurant.

Shared the the 25oz rib eye with my partner and it was worth every penny. House butchered, rubbed and aged over the top with a sauce that makes you want to take it home in private. Service was great, ambiance wonderful, definite repeat.

Incredible vibe, friendly staff, generous portions, and delicious, fresh food. What more can you ask for? Get here early!

What a great meal we had on the spur of the moment at Prairie Whale. We'd heard great things about the farm fresh, locally sourced food and super drinks and weren't disappointed. The pork was delicious, as was the beef burger and fried chicken with corn bread. The salads were great too. We had a cheese and fruit plate that included local Tappan Reeve, which was delicious. We didn't have any drinks but will be sure to try their expansive menu next time. We walked right in on Saturday night at 5:30. By the time we left people were waiting, but there are lots of tables, including on the porch and lawn. There's a laid back atmosphere and fast, attentive service. Can't wait to go back next time!

The food was good, but I was overcharged for my dinner by $6.00, because they said that the menu listed price was wrong, after I pointed out that I was overcharged on my final bill. They had informed us that the menu was online when we ordered and so we expected those prices to be honored. Frankly I felt cheated and will not return. There are other very good restaurants in town!

Went here last year for lunch and though I failed to review it at the time it stuck out enough in our mind to return this year, this time for dinner. The restaurant has great mood. It's dark and wooden and just as rustic as you'd please. The service was also fantastic. We started with an appetizer of olives that were swimming a luxurious pool of oil that was perfect for bread dipping. However where they started missing the mark was with the burger. Oversized, sloppy, flavorless ground beef on a bun that just wasn't up to the task of holding everything together. The fries were good though. At a $20 price tag this burger left a bad taste in my mouth in more ways than one. Conversely the brick chicken was VERY good. While the bird itself was a bit tough the skin was crispy and the sides were absolutely killer. I could eat those dandelion greens and carrots every day. A real mixed bag here this trip to the Whale. I'd return but it seems like it could be a mixed bag. You may end up with a delicious brick or dudburger.