Our meals were delicious, the menu variety outstanding, drinks were perfectly mastered and our server was knowledgeable, attentive, helpful and friendly. read more

We make this our go to date night for an excellent dinner. All the right extras, like top quality cocktails, appetizers, salads, and the specials are inspirational. Service is personable and perfectly timed. And the deserts are decadent! read more

It has been along time since I have eaten here at least 5 years. Mozied up to the bar and bartender was very attentive. Good group of people at the bar. Ended up order the scallops and risotto which came with a house salad. Had the pleasure of chatting with Bernie the owner. Highly recommend this place. read more

Balloons Restaurant & Catering - L - Italian Near Me - Auburn, New York

For Auburn this is a decent choice for steak or seafood and if you like pasta you won't believe your eyes as I witnessed bowls full of at least one pound of pasta! I would rather have a smaller portion cooked to perfection but I did not order pasta. I ordered steak. And I did not order the right one, for me. While it was good, it was not what I expected. I ordered the tenderloin Gorgonzola. I pictured a filet with the blue cheese on top. Not the case. My filet was hacked into 3 pieces and drenched in an ugly, grey gravy. Ick. I pulled the pieces of meat out and ate them alone, the flavor was bomb. My man always orders something better than I and this was no exception. He got the peppercorn NY Strip with a side of broiled scallops, $35, ouch. Delicious however. All meals come with bagged iceberg lettuce a tradition in this area, not sure why. The table was preset with bread so soft and under baked it turned back into dough in the mouth, another trend in this area. I WANT CRUSTY BREAD DAMMIT. Did I mention this place was packed last night, on a Tuesday? As we left people were still pouring in- and they ALL knew each other. Balloon's has a HUGE following. I will go back. I will order a plain steak or that huge bone in ribeye, OMG that looked amazing. I am also psyched I found a new bar to go to in Auburn. This bar is old skool and square, in the middle of the room, my favorite set up. read more

One of our favorite restaurants. Always accommodate my wife who is in a wheelchair. Had the $30.00 special this week. Duck breast was perfect. Looking forward to the other special weeks. read more

I had the peppercorn steak and it was wonderful. The side I picked was the garlic mash and they were even better than the steak. I was with a lot of people and everyone was happy with their food. The service was great. The kids can get steaks for $10. My son accidentally threw his steak off of his plate and into the floor while try to cut it. The waiter was cool about it and replaced it. But he didn't just replace it he soothed our 7 year old, because he was super upset. read more

Without a doubt the best steaks we have ever had. This place is an amazing hidden gem. read more

Balloons Restaurant & Catering - Italian Near Me - Auburn, New York

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Great place for a nice sit down dinner along with great food the haddock dinner is the best

We went here after a friend recommended it. It doesn't look like much from outside, but the food and service were both FANTASTIC. We had the Drunken Ribeye, Bistro Filet, and Linguine with Clam Sauce. The steaks were delicious - the sauces were delicious also very tasty. The Linguine and clams were also delicious. Portions were very generous, so we got desserts to go (also very good). We were with an infant, and the staff could not have been more accommodating. Will definitely be back. read more

OK but not worth the hype! Service was great! Steak gorganzola was salty and who puts gravy on steak! May go back because the server was great but the food was just like any other restaurant. read more

Absolutely amazing experience! The wait staff is friendly and attentive. The food is excellent. We had the Lobster Mac & Cheese and the Blackened Scallops as apps. They both were to die for. The steaks were cooked to perfection and the portions are huge. Will definitely recommend this place to everyone read more

I rarely write reviews on yelp but I had to write one on Balloons! We just moved from the south and we are celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary today. We decided that we wanted a steak and so we asked coworkers what was the best restaurant in Auburn to get a steak. From the exterior, I was hesitant to go to eat at Balloons. This restaurant is the epitome of you can't judge a book by its cover. We started with an appetizer of hot tomato oil (this isn't made in the south) with homemade Italian bread and it was soooo good!! My husband and I then ordered the drunken ribeye! I have to say that this is by far the best or very close to the best steak that I have ever had!!! We finished with probably the BEST turtle cheesecake we've had!! Oh and last but not least we had a wonderful server who was so warm and welcoming!! I will definitely return soon to try other menu items!! read more

Great place in Auburn!! Not even a sign out front. But an Auburn staple , great steaks chops lamb you name it!! Awesome Place!!

Great dinner, exceptional old school service, water served automatically and always filled before you ask. The old school servers with pads and pens NO POS time things great. Not crazy expensive but actually a value by many standards. My daughter wanted Steak and Steak she got! NY Sirloin did not disappoint and my drunken Rib Eye was superior too. The sides were hot and the salads cold. read more

Choked on radically over-spiced scallops, asked for something else, got it, was never offered an apology or even so much as a beverage while waiting for new order. Lousy scallops boxed up, placed on table and l was charged for two meals. Bad policy, never going back. read more

Found this hidden gem thru yelp. I was in town on business and was treated to a Italian American meal. Nothing fancy but a nice neighborhood spot. I wish there was one near mine! read more

Who would have dinner across from a maximum security prison in a place that just looks like a corner bar from the outside? If you are asking that question, don't hold back, give it a try. Nice homey place with excellent food. Steaks are great. Service is second to none. Excellent Bar. Go for it! read more

Tasty food tasty drinks friendly staff and funny patrons. Love that it's next to the prison and looks like a dump, it keeps the dbags out!

LOVE Balloons. Great menu! Steaks are outstanding. Desserts are amazing. Fun crowd at bar while waiting for table. It make seem odd to visitors that it is located across the street from the wall of a max security prison, - it's been there for as long as I remember, family owned - unique, warm and delicious. read more

OMG...oh my goodness!!! What a gem of a restaurant. Don't let the location fool you. Has to be one of the best steak houses I've ever eaten at. And not only is the food great but the service was exceptional. A must eat when in or near near Auburn, NY. read more

Awesome service, good food, prefer to sit in the dining area though instead of up front, the front bar area kind of is like a crappy version of american pie 2 just a bunch of kids everywhere, trying to get some ladies like get out of here. however the food is really good, good bang for your buck. I love it. read more

Service was great! Food was really good. Steak was fatty and kind of bland but I couldn't complain. I would recommend this restaurant. My co worker had pork chop and said it was great. read more

Wow.. has this place gone downhill. Once the home of some of the best steaks in upstate New York and great service and bartenders it's just your run of the mill joint now. Food is overpriced and just average Drinks are terrible with no booze in them. Waiter didn't seem to care less if we needed something or not, and the place was basically empty on a Friday night. I remember when you couldn't get near the place. Nope.. Last visit. Good luck guys.. You'll need it! read more

The steak is great! The service was very accommodating. The history of this place started in the 30's and part of it used to be a barber shop. The owners grand daughter Jessica made are dessert which was ridiculously tasty. I recommend the turtle cheesecake. its across the street from the prison there where the first electric chair execution took place. sorry if that killed your appetite....Ha! i crack myself up. read more

I was traveling through, asked where to eat a good steak. Ballons, was the answer. Locals know. If I were driving by, not a chance I would stop. It doesn't look like a great steak house, but it is. I had the peppercorn strip, too much pepper, but otherwise a great steak. Garlic mashed potatoes aand green beans were good. The salad was just shy of awful. Wilted lettuce. Bartender is good, waiter excellent. I definitely will return to try thr Drunken Rib Eye that everyone raves about. read more

You just can't go wrong! Very extensive menu; great service and wonderful food. And the area's most entertaining bartender.

My favorite restaurant in Auburn and one of the best places in town to have a nice meal. The Sweet Chili Calamari is a great appetizer and the Drunken Ribeye is a great steak. The Rattlesnake Pasta is also very good. read more

Was the worse $60 meal that my wife and I have ever had. Her Boiled Seafood Medley was cold, including the lobster tail. Baked potato was so cold butter would not melt on it. My veal parm was tough beyond belief and cold. The pasta was also cold. We will never go to Baloons again. read more

Never Disappoints! Balloons has been a local favorite since 1934. The exterior and interior has not changed much in all those years. The outside of the restaurant could scare many people off. It faces the outside wall of Auburn State Prison. Don't let that stop you from having a wonderful meal at Balloons. It is a favorite of ours. Balloons is known for their steaks. If you want the best steak, go to Balloons. My husband's favorite is the drunken ribeye. I prefer their seafood or chicken dishes. Portions are large. With your entree you receive a salad, vegetable and choice of baked potato, garlic mashed, French fries or pasta. Jay was our server and is always the best. He is very knowledgeable, attentive and friendly. He goes out of his way to make sure we have an enjoyable dinner. read more

Great food, great portions but ambience is lacking. I followed others advice and got the drunken ribeye. Delicious--orgasm on a plate for sure. For apps we got sweet chili calamari and East Utica Greens. So good! My first time eating greens and I gotta say I'm hooked. I boxed the rest up for tomorrow. Also ordered the turtle cheesecake but had no room in my belly. Looks awesome in the box and I'm hoping to be able to eat it tonight! Servers were top notch. The furniture, bathroom and dishes were old and chipped but the food outweighed that. Would have gave it 5 stars if tables and dishes were better. read more

Food was great! Service was great!! I highly recommend, had the drunken ribeye it was terrific!

Great steaks! We also got some catered appetizers for our wedding and they were delicious, everyone raved about them. I have been here a handful of times and it's just good, honest, simple, down-to-earth steakhouse-type food. read more

Nondescript and across the street from the prison, one would not be impressed from the outside. Inside, it's quite another thing!! Food as fine as there is in Central New York,...which explains why it has been in continuous operation since 1934. Reservations a must. I had the Asiago Filet and my wife had Salmon. Both were outstanding and mine provided another meal the next night. Waiters have been there for years and know the menu and specials without consulting notes. Pasta is cooked to order. I have lived and visited in the Finger Lakes region for 50+ years and not had a better meal. Can't understand why I just discovered it! Will return and return! read more

Love love love this place. Best steak around. Sweet Chili Calamari, Lobster Mac'n Cheese & Drunken Rib-eye are the way to go. Service is fantastic!!!! My favorite place in Auburn! read more

I enjoy the food at Balloon's. The steaks are usually good. The place is kind of dingy though.

We had the sweet chili calamari for an app - was very good. Dinner entrees were the Drunken Ribeye and the Pork Chops both we're excellent! Wait staff was top notch. read more

Came in to town for a wedding, heard good things about this restaurant. However I was disappointed about their service. There's no host, or maybe there's one but she's busy doing waitress's job because they are certainly under staffed. Then they seated a big group of guests who entered after us first and left me and my husband dry at the front door for at least 15 mins. Then she finally came over and said she would arrange a table for us. Of course she went right back to do her waitress's work and then after 10 mins when she saw us still standing at the front door then she realized that she had forgotten to seat us. We finally seated down at the table and that's after a 30 mins wait on a Thursday night after 7:30pm. No matter how good the food is in a restaurant, service is as important. Can't say the food is bad. Decent enough but either too salty (Drunken steak) or too plan( fishmen's platter). 3 pieces of Scallops and jumble shrimps with tone of pasta is what you get for a $23.00 plate. Crab meat is not even real crab meat instead they use imitation crab meat which you can buy it at any grocery store. Also the restaurant smell like there's mold somewhere. Ugh! read more

The place is in dire need of a re-model. It was very outdated and dark. Our waiter John was outstanding. Our meals were just okay. I had the baked scrod and hubby had a NY strip steak. Nothing to write home about. The prices were very high considering all dinners were ala carte. read more

Went on a wed night and waited for a table even though there were at least 10 empty tables. Ordered fried green tomatoes that were thin with a large amount of unseasoned coating. The salad was all iceberg with maybe1 cut up olive and soaked in dressing. Was over charged for 2 glasses of wine. not what it stated on the menu. the place smelled alittle moldy to. read more

This is the best Italian food I have ever eaten. May look pricey but the portions are ginormous. I am a man that loves food and I can 100% guarantee that this meal will knock you on your heals. Desserts are also fantastic. Banana bread pudding is amazing. Waiters are hilarious and would love to come back here again. Looking forward to being fat and happy again. read more