5 star service and staff but 2 star food and 1 star for pricing of food. Went over the weekend with some friends and had a very mixed experience. The staff were incredibly friendly and generous — educating us all about mead and giving us ample tastes of the varieties so we could choose something we liked.
Turns out mead isnt really my thing, so I had the mead cocktail. WAY overpriced. $15, but I watched them pour it and it was about 75% mixer (just a hibiscus tea) and only 25% mead. Keep in mind mead is not the same abv as liquor, so the price point here seemed fairly inflated.
Food was our biggest disappointment. The menu was crafted to give you the impression that they were using very high quality and flavorful ingredients in all of their dishes, which we very much expected given the higher price points. All three of us ordered something different and we were all very disappointed. I had the fancy grilled cheese, and was very let down because: the nectarine was not ripe or flavorful, the onions were not correctly caramelized so didn’t taste very flavorful, and they claimed to use aged gouda as the cheese, but it tasted more like a very mild white cheddar. Also, it was served on basic sliced sourdough bread. All of this would have been OK, but it was $19(!!) for just the sandwich alone (no garnish, no chips, etc). One friend had lamb sliders and the other coconut shrimp; both were disappointed as well, and both also spent around $20 for the food. Given how fast the food came out (5ish min after ordering), it was clear they had just quickly assembled pre-cooked ingredients. Again, I wouldnt normally mind this, but was very bothered that I paid so much for food and drink that did not live up to expectations.
This is a fun place if you like honey. We went to taste a large variety of honey although they have food to order also. The staff was extremely helpful, informative and very interactive. They know their honey!! The tasting area is inside and a bit tight especially if you have 3-5 people tasting but the associates were very accommodating. There’s is more sitting outside if you prefer. Great variety of honey products to buy.
This is our second time at The Hive and it does not disappoint. Every menu item has a unique honey twist, and a fantastic selection of Honey beads.
The hot honey grilled chicken flat bread and lamb sliders had both my boys in heaven! I enjoyed the bacon honey jam grilled cheese so very much!
Did you know you can ferment honey to make a wine? Yup. Honey, yeast and water fermented under an expert eye makes mead wine. I recently enjoyed my first (and definitely not my last) dining experience at the HIVE tasting room and kitchen in Woodland, CA. I enjoyed it; the food was delicious and customer service on point.
I went there with the intent of mead wine tasting but ended up not since I had driving duties. [Fun fact: mead wine has less alcohol content than grape wine.] Instead I ordered lunch and washed it down with their honey ice tea. The iced tea had a prominent honey taste. Hubs luved his, but my tastebuds were confused. Odd though because I luv honey and iced tea. We also ordered a Ruben sandwich $22 and an order of waffles. The sandwich was classic with the familiar flavors. Nice quality cut of meat, thinly shaved. The waffles $17 were topped with blueberries, slivered almonds, and orange blossom whipped ricotta cream which I asked for on the side. The ricotta cream was divine. The waffles tasted pretty darn good. However the pricing for both entrees seemed high for the serving size. But this is a type of place where folks can eat and linger to enjoy the grounds, atmosphere, and each other’s company without anyone rushing you out.
We enjoyed our meal out in the back outdoor patio. The landscaping is all organic with lots of pollinating and drought resistant plants and trees. The building is a zero energy building with an onsite brewing facility. The interior has a brand newish look and feel. There is a honey tasting and mead wine tasting counter, gift shop, and dining area. All of this is in an open floor plan. The indoor seating capacity is limited.
The place can be rented out for events (such as a garden wedding), private facility tours. Plus they host community events. Take a peek at their website. Some events are free. Events range from tours, book readings, yoga classes, flower bouquet class, gardening… etc.
Hilary Harvey
5 star service and staff but 2 star food and 1 star for pricing of food. Went over the weekend with some friends and had a very mixed experience. The staff were incredibly friendly and generous — educating us all about mead and giving us ample tastes of the varieties so we could choose something we liked.
Turns out mead isnt really my thing, so I had the mead cocktail. WAY overpriced. $15, but I watched them pour it and it was about 75% mixer (just a hibiscus tea) and only 25% mead. Keep in mind mead is not the same abv as liquor, so the price point here seemed fairly inflated.
Food was our biggest disappointment. The menu was crafted to give you the impression that they were using very high quality and flavorful ingredients in all of their dishes, which we very much expected given the higher price points. All three of us ordered something different and we were all very disappointed. I had the fancy grilled cheese, and was very let down because: the nectarine was not ripe or flavorful, the onions were not correctly caramelized so didn’t taste very flavorful, and they claimed to use aged gouda as the cheese, but it tasted more like a very mild white cheddar. Also, it was served on basic sliced sourdough bread. All of this would have been OK, but it was $19(!!) for just the sandwich alone (no garnish, no chips, etc). One friend had lamb sliders and the other coconut shrimp; both were disappointed as well, and both also spent around $20 for the food. Given how fast the food came out (5ish min after ordering), it was clear they had just quickly assembled pre-cooked ingredients. Again, I wouldnt normally mind this, but was very bothered that I paid so much for food and drink that did not live up to expectations.
Felicia B
This is a fun place if you like honey. We went to taste a large variety of honey although they have food to order also. The staff was extremely helpful, informative and very interactive. They know their honey!! The tasting area is inside and a bit tight especially if you have 3-5 people tasting but the associates were very accommodating. There’s is more sitting outside if you prefer. Great variety of honey products to buy.
Amy W
This is our second time at The Hive and it does not disappoint. Every menu item has a unique honey twist, and a fantastic selection of Honey beads.
The hot honey grilled chicken flat bread and lamb sliders had both my boys in heaven! I enjoyed the bacon honey jam grilled cheese so very much!
Lillian
Did you know you can ferment honey to make a wine? Yup. Honey, yeast and water fermented under an expert eye makes mead wine. I recently enjoyed my first (and definitely not my last) dining experience at the HIVE tasting room and kitchen in Woodland, CA. I enjoyed it; the food was delicious and customer service on point.
I went there with the intent of mead wine tasting but ended up not since I had driving duties. [Fun fact: mead wine has less alcohol content than grape wine.] Instead I ordered lunch and washed it down with their honey ice tea. The iced tea had a prominent honey taste. Hubs luved his, but my tastebuds were confused. Odd though because I luv honey and iced tea. We also ordered a Ruben sandwich $22 and an order of waffles. The sandwich was classic with the familiar flavors. Nice quality cut of meat, thinly shaved. The waffles $17 were topped with blueberries, slivered almonds, and orange blossom whipped ricotta cream which I asked for on the side. The ricotta cream was divine. The waffles tasted pretty darn good. However the pricing for both entrees seemed high for the serving size. But this is a type of place where folks can eat and linger to enjoy the grounds, atmosphere, and each other’s company without anyone rushing you out.
We enjoyed our meal out in the back outdoor patio. The landscaping is all organic with lots of pollinating and drought resistant plants and trees. The building is a zero energy building with an onsite brewing facility. The interior has a brand newish look and feel. There is a honey tasting and mead wine tasting counter, gift shop, and dining area. All of this is in an open floor plan. The indoor seating capacity is limited.
The place can be rented out for events (such as a garden wedding), private facility tours. Plus they host community events. Take a peek at their website. Some events are free. Events range from tours, book readings, yoga classes, flower bouquet class, gardening… etc.