Jose Cuevas and Samuel Matos stand in front of the counter at their restaurant, The Farmer’s House.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
SPRINGFIELD — A new restaurant has opened in the heart of Forest Park. The Farmer’s House at 600 Belmont St. promises “a delicious and inviting dining experience for families.”
The restaurant is full of subtle nods to its farmhouse theme, with old saws and pitchforks mounted on the walls and overalls as a uniform for the eatery’s 10 employees.
While one would never know it now, the storefront had a former life as a mechanic’s garage. It took about seven months to renovate the building. Co-owner Jose Cuevas said they completely gutted the structure and built the restaurant from scratch.
Reminder Publishing photo by Sarah Heinonen
The Farmer’s House opened June 26 and Cuevas said their customers have been happy with the experience.
“We try to bring the high-quality food for the hard-working neighborhood,” he shared. The restaurant sources its ingredients locally, when possible, buying produce from the Farmer’s Market at Forest Park.
“The neighborhood supports us. They’re very happy,” Cuevas said. He also said the city has been supportive.
Cuevas worked in restaurants in Puerto Rico when he was a teenager but became a truck driver when he moved to Springfield 11 years ago. That is where he met his friend Samuel Matos. Cuevas said he and his wife discussed the idea of opening a restaurant and he asked Matos to be his business partner.
“It was his plan,” Matos said of Cuevas. “I saw his vision.” When asked if he had any restaurant experience, Matos joked, “I eat at a lot of restaurants.” He has some previous experience, but he said Cuevas is the mastermind behind the menu.
The restaurant serves chicken, turkey, ribs and porchetta, a slow-roasted method of preparing pork. There is also churrasco, a type of beef skirt steak popular in South America and Portugal.
“The salmon is ocean caught, not farmed, never frozen,” Cuevas said.
In addition to rice, beans and sides, The Farmer’s House offers a full breakfast menu and a selection of mocktails.
The Farmer’s House, open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week, offers online ordering for pick-up or delivery, as well as a catering option. For more details, visit thefarmershouserestaurant.com.
