Bistro On Third

Wonder if they have changed kitchen staff/​chefs? Since last review, I had a small birthday celebration for a family member and bought key lime pie for everyone – it was so tart we could not enjoy, in fact, it didn’t taste at all like the key lime I had enjoyed in the past. another time, a friend from Raleigh came to meet for lunch and I promoted the Shrimp & Roasted Corn Chowder soup – tasted as if it had watered it down… more recently, two at my table ordered the day’s special which was a hamburger steak – it was significantly overcooked and room temperature; my friend had to send her plate back for different hamburger steak and the second one could only be eaten in the center area. This time, they did remove the charge for that one meal since «the second burger was equally as bad». Location is good, parking is often a problem, the noise level is not an issue at lunch. The only other issue is that they like to «reserve» tables at lunch and will seat you in an undesirable location if you are not careful.

Can not give it a star. The best we had was the tools and butter. We ate the special appetizer of fried green tomatoes and it came out with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, yuck the tomatoes were deep fried an the disuse was lawful. We ordered the gnocchi with marinara and chicken, that was the same yuck, it was all tossed together, what a mess some anniversary dinner

Wanted to find an independently owned place nearby. This was the Worst food I have ever had. Didn’t finish meal. Don’t waste your time or money.

Been wanting to try this place for a while because I love hunting down and supporting local places. Finally grabbed a friend and made it for lunch. I got the Monte Cristo and I guess the local way these are cooked is to deep fry it. It’s not how I learned to eat them and definitely not my preference, but for what it was it was okay as long as that is what you are expecting. Waitress brought the wrong sandwich for my friend but corrected the mistake quickly and my friend said it was good. Overall, it was okay. Not fabulous, but not bad either. I may go back and try again and give an update.

Had lunch there last year and it was awesome. Went back for dinner Friday night! Oh boy totally different. We had pasta dishes and it was more like pasta soup. Sauce was so runny! It was totally disgusting. No flavor either! Not to mention waaaaay overpriced!!! Two people for $ 50 with no alcohol or dessert! Never going back!

Been there twice hoping it would be better the second time but it was not. The meat is chewy in all the sandwiches. Burger is decent. The prices are exorbitant for the amount of food. Spinach and artichoke dip was nice but they served so little we were just brushing each chip along the dip instead of actually dipping it.

Surprisingly good meal in a small unassuming location. Chicken spinach salad was really good and the chicken fresh and tender. A nice break on a long drive. Décor could maybe do with a little update but very clean.

Went to go shopping at Smith field outlets. Went on Unilocal,tried this restaurant out for dinner. Had a really nice ambience, both inside and outside. The waitress, Alex was super friendly, knowledgeable of the specials of the day, beer and wine list. Very attentive service! Excellent.
Clam chowder was outstanding, tasted homemade. Crab cakes had so much crab in them, we wanted to order another one.
Caesar salad was fresh, the sauce was good, croutons were fresh, alot of cheese. Just the way I like it.
Salmon, filet, surf and turf was superb!
I will definitely come here again.

This is a nice café for lunch in Smithfield. Prices are a bit high, it’s $ 2.50 for a soda or tea. The menu is a tad limited, but service is usually very good, food is tasty, and there are tables outside which are nice when the weather is good. Their best soup is the Shrimp and Corn Chowder.

I brought 4 co-​workers here for lunch since it was the only decent looking LOCAL place on Unilocal.The restaurant was definitely under staffed. The waitress served as hostess and was obviously swamped. I ordered a salad and she asked if I wanted a small or large. I asked what the difference was and she made a decent sized shape with her hands of the bowl, in addition to about 3″ depth. Holy moly the salad was puny! It could’ve served as a side salad! I tasted the sweet potato fries and they were oddly drenched in cinnamon. A pinch of cinnamon would’ve been much better.
The reason I give this place 3 stars, versus 1 or 2 is because the salad was good, there just wasn’t enough of it! Also the service was ridiculously slow (don’t come here unless you can spend all afternoon waiting around).

Can’t say enough about the food and service. Highly recommended… Wonderful atmosphere. Shared our seventh wedding anniversary here and will come back again and again!!!

I had a small bridal shower here recently in the private upstairs room. The room itself was even more beautiful in person than in their website photos — all three full walls are covered in a gorgeous garden themed mural which made a nice background for our photos. There was a beauiful fountain in the entranceway and a small bar area and private bathroom which was convenient and saved us several trips downstairs. The food was outstanding — better than I expected in this area and it was abundant! The portions were huge and all the guests were happy. The menu offers options for everyone, but I would reccomend the spinach/​artichoke dip with the homemade chips– they were my favorite. The owner also mixed us up some homemade sangria which we couldn’t get enough of. If you are in the Smithfield area it is definately worth a trip to Bistro on Third.

Came here for dinner tonight based on the sparse but mostly positive Unilocal reviews.
Was pleasantly surprised to find a restaurant of this quality in Smithfield nc.
Wife had the crab cakes and really liked them. No filler all crab
I had the hamburger steak. Very flavorful. Mashed potatoes and grill mushrooms were good
Wait staff was very nice and attentive, knew the menu and gave knowledgeable advice
Will be back soon for this nice local restaurant

Stopped in for lunch a couple days ago. Atmosphere is very casual and homey, with local art for sale featured on the left wall from the entrance. Waitress was very courteous and attentive. I ordered the Monte Cristo with a side of sweet potato fries and the Caesar salad.
In hindsight I would have spared the fries, as the sandwich was three layers of french toast (those of you unfamiliar, google Monte Cristo sandwich). My eyes were bigger than my stomach and I ordered all of it.
The salad was crisp with a strong and creamy Caesar dressing. The sandwich tasted delicious especially with the added jam (haven’t tried the syrup option). The fries could have done with a yogurt or sweet butter sauce but they were still quite tasty… and there were a lot of them. Between the fries and the sandwich I was delightfully stuffed.
Summary: For the price and options, I highly recommend this place for a workday lunch. I recommend getting a salad in place of fries in the name of reasonable portions but your call.

Stopped in at 8:30 on a Friday night based on Unilocal.Downtown corner location, NoHo /​SoHo feel with local art on the walls .
Wait staff adequate, started with artichoke dip with home made pita chips. Dip average, chips fantastic !
My lady had salmon, mashed potatoes and sautéed mushrooms. I had chicken cordon blue, loaded potato and the mushrooms.
Good size portions, mushrooms simple but good, potato a little lacking, the chicken was perfect. Too often this dish is overly salty, not this time. Perfection !
My lady’s salmon was cooked to perfection without a ton of oil or crude.
The house red was wonderful and the glass large .
Planning a drive back to this gem of a bistro.

I think if a person has never left Smithfield, not exactly the epitome of sophistication, then yes, either Bistro on Third or the McDonald’s on whatever would equally suffice. However, the prices evict a delusion of grandeur compared to the overall quality. We were there on a slow Saturday and the waitress continued to speak to us as she was approaching or as she was leaving with her back to us. Not very courteous. Service is part of the experience that finer restaurants already know. The outdoor section is by no means picturesque but they do what they can. However, if we were inside, perhaps we would have received better service.
The water was absolutely beyond revolting. If a place is getting their water from a nearby hog farm, wouldn’t it be a good idea to filter it first? As for other beverages, I was given a choice of a can of Coke or a generic Food Lion can of ginger ale! We were actually shown the can without any embarrassment at all on the part of the waitress. I was cringing. After that, I think if I had asked, she would have shown me her very private tattoo. I was afraid if I ordered a hamburger, it would come wrapped in the Whopper packaging.
As for a glass to actually drink the Coke, well, apparently I was meant to spill out the putrefied water in a nearby plant to die from first, which I did. Bread was an afterthought arriving right before the food was served. I will say the main course was acceptable although I would not rave and the desert did not even resemble any key lime pie I had ever seen. This restaurant should do a Google search to recognize what it is meant to be. They may have confused a graham cracker with key lime pie or perhaps the local Dollar General was out of Sara Lee.
There were other issues but suffice it to say that maybe when this imitation ‘bistro’ arrives on ‘Main’, maybe I will check it out again, assuming of course, I have not eaten for several days.

I’ve eaten at Bistro on Third many times for lunch and several times for dinner and have yet to be disappointed. The restaurant is located in Historic Downtown Smithfield and is very charming — the walls are lined with a collection of artwork by local artists that changes each month, and upstairs there is a cozy room for private dining with an incredible mural. There is also a lovely pergola with fans that offer outside dining!
The food speaks for itself. For dinner, I have had Swordfish and their Tenderloin Salad, both of which were excellent. For lunch, I have had the Black and Blue Salad and the Vegetarian Wrap, both of which get my highest recommendation. These are the only two lunch items I’ve had because I like them so much, but my friends have had many other items that they have been pleased with. Bistro on Third also has some very good desserts, and their Key Lime Pie won an award for being the the best dessert in the county with good reason!
If you’re looking for a locally owned restaurant with great food and atmosphere, head on over to Bistro on Third!

Recently attended a bachelorette party here and was very happy with the service and the food. Very clean and nice!

We dined at Bistro on Third last night and were pleased. Located in a renovated building in downtown Smithfield, they have done a great job at creating an inviting atmosphere. Large windows, old brick work, and dark woods make it a pleasant place for a meal. The only negative is that the tables are a little too tightly spaced.
They have a small but, affordable wine list and a decent beer selection.
I had the Bistro Style fillet; a fillet stuffed with blue cheese. Now, a fillet is not my favorite cut of steak but, I couldn’t pass up the blue cheese stuffing. It was tasty and cooked just right. I had the risotto and roasted Roma tomatoes as sides. The risotto was baked and served in a square. It was fairly moist and an interesting take on risotto. The tomatoes were nicely roasted with a bit of cheese on top. They could have been a bit warmer.
My wife had the chili rubbed salmon with the pineapple salsa. The salmon was well cooked and tasty. The chili rub had a nice bite and was complemented nicely by the pineapple.
The restaurant is located across the street from the Howell theater and would make a great spot for a pre/​post movie meal.