We visited Central Reservation a couple of months ago for the first time, and I've been meaning to write a review because it was worth it! We had an amazing meal here. Please bring the BBQ shrimp back and keep them on the menu forever. Hands down the best thing I've eaten in the entire area! The broth was so flavorful and buttery, I was ready to pick up the bowl and drink it. Really, bring that one back forever! My husband ordered the steak and it was flavorful and delicious too. The fries were awesome as an appetizer, and the carrot cake was wonderful. The service was great, too! Hands down a wonderful experience and we can't wait to go back. So nice to have a place in the area that doesn't feel like a college sports bar. One of our favorites in the State College area for sure! read more

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What a great vibe at this new downtown addition, for both students and visiting alums. Short, well-executed menu. Tender lollipop lamp chops and flavorful tofu crunchy Ramen noodles. Reasonable prices. We'll be back. read more

Gorgeous day to sit at bar, drink impeccably crafted cocktails, discuss current events with friendly bartender and other guests while watching the world stroll by. read more

We went in after 10pm, which meant they had a limited menu, but after two attempts, found something they had and ordered the Reggie Burger, which was great! read more

After spending over $350 on a tab, was kicked out by the manager because I was holding a bag of candy, while waiting for our table to leave. No respect for the amount of money with tip that was spent, to allow 4 min four our group to gather together and leave. Will be raving about the poor service and lack of professionalism for the manager and staff. read more

food was great, but why in the world you would charge for refills on soda I can't understand- this is America. also the service fee on paying with a credit card.. rly, there was no transparency and just all around cheap attempts to gouge customers for more money. read more

Average food at best. Over priced for what you get. Two sandwiches and two drinks each was $117 out the door. Cheaper to eat in Manhattan or Paris. read more

I've been coming to this place a couple of times a month since it opened, and I've loved everything I've eaten here. The burger is delicious, perfect ceviche, but the gnocchi stole my heart. I love it, so simple but so good. I really like the environment, plenty of TVs without feeling like a sports bar. Some of the bar height seats are a bit uncomfortable (the backless ones), so I always try to ask for a booth or one of the tables by the windows with high back chairs, and the staff was always accommodating. It has become my favorite spot for dinner downtown :) read more

They really need to update their website. It's not that hard. There are actually 2 bars in one. We walked in and sat at bar. Beautiful. We had Dark & Stormies to start. Bartender took his time and probably best I ever had. We asked for menus and we wanted cheesesteaks. Bartender said those are on the menu in our Sports Bar. Made in the same kitchen and can't bring them over. But they can bring draft beer over. Confusing. Anyway finished or drinks went over to the Sports Bar. Had the Cheesesteaks and they were awesome. I got the large. It's 20". Small is 10". Very close to Philly caliber. Definitely the best in the area. Will be back! read more

Amazing food - had the fried oysters, crab cake on Cesar salad, and the Philly cheesesteak (with CV Cooper cheese) - all was delicious. Highly recommend. read more

Great spot for a quick drink, lunch or dinner- friendly and fast service - had a great lunch ! Will be back! read more

Perfect place for a light dinner and amazing cocktails. The oysters and lamb lollipops were perfection. The summer sangria as wellZ definitely recommend! read more

Central Reservation - Oysters on half shell, lamb lollipops, summer sangria - Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

Every time a new bar opens up in State College, I am hopeful that it will be someplace classy, where you don't stick to every surface in the bar, and where a half-baked, brain dead frat bro isn't screaming in your face. I am almost always disappointed EXCEPT for this place! It seems they have successfully curated an atmosphere that is not palpable to Greek Life, and let us all give thanks and make sacrifices to Bacchus for their hard work. So yea, this place is classy: the decorations are really well done, everything is clean, and the menu is exactly what you'd want for a nice night out. I think it is a sister restaurant of Local Whiskey, but seems to be what Local Whiskey wanted to be before undergrads took it over. They are still connected, but the prices and general atmosphere make this place stand apart. I'd say they have fair beer prices (better than Federal, which is the next closest alternative atmosphere-wise), but their cocktails are steep - $12! They are tasty though, so it might be worth it. Food is creative and delicious, although also a tad on the pricey end. All around, this is a great place and I'll be coming back! read more

Sat there for 30 minutes, the waiter came by 3 times. 1st time we ordered our drinks. The 2nd time he asked if we wanted food, I said,"no just waiting for our drinks". 3rd time he asked if he could get us anything. We of course walked out. Nice job. Yes, sarcasm read more

Food and service was satisfactory, however, we were disappointed that the staff would not let us bring a small box of cupcakes into the restaurant that were meant to help celebrate a graduation. Hundreds of dollars were spent on the meal, but that did not matter to the establishment. Next time we will look for a spot more amendable to celebrations. read more

I really like Central Reservation, so they get 5 stars from me. The food and drinks are wonderful and the service has always been friendly and attentive. The last time I was here I tried the peking duck slider and it was amazing. Just enough spice in the slaw to offset the fatty duck. I also really like their hummus and cheese board. And the walk up bar on Beaver is very cool! I will continue to come back! read more

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Love this place. Delicious drinks and great food. I love how every time I go in, the hummus has different toppings on it. The lamb lollipops and halloumi sandwich are to die for as well. read more

We got drinks on a Saturday night. I got the grouper Reuben. Interesting combination! I had a nice creamy, sauerkraut dressing, and actually was pretty good! Service was friendly, and we all had a good time! Will come again. read more

Very nice spot to get a well made drink in the downtown area. Occasionally they have seasonal drinks which are very fun to try. I have never had the food here but the menu always looks excellent. read more

Every single thing about this place is perfect. You can't get cocktails as good as theirs anywhere else in State College, and the food was top notch. This is easily our new favorite restaurant! read more

Central Reservation - Hummus, Hibiscus Rum Punch, and a mezcal pineapple cocktail (forgot the name) - Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

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Atmosphere and food were outstanding. Can't wait to come back. Service was top notch and friendly..

I really wanted to like it...I was honestly underwhelmed. Decent burger and fries, mediocre cheesteak, pretty good Calamari with asian sauce, and a Gnocchi dish that was sub standard, the Gnocchi was not properly cooked (gummy and tough) and the pesto and goatcheese sauce seemed largely "low effort". We may give it another chance, but no time soon. read more

A very upscale restaurant in the downtown BUT it is not pretentious. The menu is limited but very diverse and the food we ordered was DELICIOUS! We sat at the bar and the bartender couldn't have been nicer. Although I give this place high marks for its food and service, if that isn't enough, go for the ambiance and decor. The restaurant's theme is loving couples and the walls are filled with photos of famous couples from: TV sitcoms, cartoons, antiquities, movies, Art, gay, notorious. The viewing added to the evening's experience. LOVED it. GO! read more

The decor is super nice and the ambiance is great. The menu was overall very solid and had some interesting things that I wanted to try like Buffalo frog legs. I ordered the grilled halloumi. It was a unique take on grilled cheese. There was a lot going on in the sandwich that it was a bit messy and all mashed together. I wish it was a little bit more simple and focused on one or two flavors/toppings. My friend ordered the shrimp and grits and said that it was the best polenta she's ever had. The shrimp was tender and had really good flavor. It is pricey but a nice place for a fancier event or celebration. I would come again as they are a new business :) read more

Central Reservation - Shrimp and grits - Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

Food was good. My date had one beer menu that was significantly different from mine. Gratuitous tv in what appeared to be hoping for upscale. Most annoying was that every staff member referred to us as "guys" multiple times. Definitely not upscale. I might go back, but with much lower expectation. read more

Major let down :( lobster mac was runny, heavy, and soupy. Lacked flavor and salt. The pasta in the Mac and cheese is shaped like a tennis racket, which made the thin cheese liquid run through the racket cracks. Only giving it 2 stars for the hummus- which was great.. wish there was more of it, though. Super small, stingy portion. Drinks aren't strong and everything is over priced. Ambience is great but that's no reason for me to return. read more

All the specialty drinks, small plates, and dinners were amazing! The lobster mac n' cheese was a cheese lover's dream. The duck ragu was amazing, but we wish the wild mushrooms weren't chopped into the ragu sauce. We will definitely return. read more

Wanted to try this place for some time. Even though State College was bustling last night, the service we received was amazing. Bartender Tim mixed us a special request drink, which was fabulous. The oysters were perfect and the crabcake sandwich was mile-high with no cheap filler or bits of shell. Service was speedy and super friendly. Great view to people watch on a fun Friday night in Happy Valley. read more

Great casual upscale vibe with excellent food and great service. Menu is unique with gourmet flair. Solid oysters in central PA...shocking...glad I tried them. read more

Cool atmosphere, great drinks. Good for a small group of friends. A get-away from the college bar scene.

Our first visit to Central Reservation and the food and service were both great. We shared an heirloom tomato salad that was flavorful, fresh and included buratta cheese. My entree was a gnocchi dish with vegetables and just the right amount of pesto. It was fantastic. Also, love that huge windows open to a few seats on Beaver Ave. This keeps the air flowing inside- which is extra important right now. They also have an excellent wine list. The menu is a bit limited, so you may want to view it online first, but the recent online version may not include everything that is available. This was the case for both items I mentioned. This is a great addition to State College. Though we were seated without a reservation, we will get one next time to be safe. Service was great and atmosphere was very nice! read more

This is a great addition to State College. Creative cocktails, great selection of wines by the glass and a very approachable menu with nice options at all price points. The space looks amazing, like a European bar that has been here for a hundred years. The sidewalk facing bar and barstools are such a cool option to enjoy the nice weather while feeling like you are in the bar at the same time. Great friendly low key bar tenders who mix all kinds of creative concoctions, each served in a unique glass. The cheese board, duck pasta and caprice' salad were all cravable. read more

Great selection of cocktails and a good stout. I had their fresh fish tacos and they were very well done. Though the chips could've been fresh. Other than that it's got a great interior design and feel, music is soft enough for a conversation. read more

Central Reservation - View from inside and a stout on tap. - Bars Near Me - State College, Pennsylvania

My friends and I went for a birthday celebration. Each of us ordered a cocktail and we split the cheese board. While the cocktails were decent, the cheese board was pathetic. There were four lousy pieces of cheese, 5 pieces of store bought crusty baguette, a HUGE helping a grainy mustard, and a measly piece of honey comb. Sure, cheese boards can be expensive to put on menu, however, to call what was served to my friends and I a cheese board, is sinful. I will not be returning, nor will I be recommending Central Reservation for anything other than mediocre cocktails and a nice ambience. read more

Excited to try this place on my first trip to State College in a while - especially since i love the two sister places so much. Very Disappointing. Arriving at 830 on a Sunday night to a half filled venue we were asked if we had a reservation - and then told they might be able to squeeze us in as they had one table available. Which they did in 15 seconds without consulting anyone or even a table grid 1- pure pretension. Once seated we were told to be aware that they were closing at 10 in case we wanted to go somewhere else. We ordered drinks which took almost 15 minutes to arrive and my daughters was visibly watered down. Food order was where it went totally off the rails. I asked for a tomato salad (caprese) and a crab cake on the side which was listed in the add on section. Was told i couldn't do that because it was on the wrong section of the menu. i could order the tomatoes and a crab cake sandwich. i could order a regular salad and add a crab cake but not what i asked for. To the servers credit, she acknowledged the ridiculous nature of the restriction and blamed it on the shared kitchen. stupid. my daughters shrimp and grits was much closer in consistency to soup than grits and was so liquid the shrimp sank. the shrimp were fine but the grits totally inedible - we left and went to sheetz to get her a snack. The only nice thing was how quickly the check came so they could get us out of there. If the drinks came that fast it would've been nice. The overall feel was that we were absolutely not wanted there and we will oblige them by not returning. Now it calls into question how i should feel about local whisky and the phyrst. read more

A much needed addition to the generally poor restaurant scene of State College. Wagyu burger and fries were great. Great drink selection. Great atmosphere - something you would more commonly see in NYC or Philly (and the menu is priced accordingly). No frat boys or drunk college students, even on a football weekend. My new go-to place at Penn State. read more

Great food. Awful, awful, awful assistant manager. Fired a guy because one of my underage relatives took a sip of her dads alcoholic drink - and the guy wasn't even our waiter. Made a huge scene and made our family feel horrible about the whole situation. Safe to say we'll never be coming back and i will be telling everyone i know to do the same. read more

Decent food, small portions. The crab cake was great, but the drinks were overpriced and small. My salad was the size of a side salad from any other restaurant in state college. read more

Really nice looking place. Overpriced for what we received. $25 shrimp and grits had only three medium sized shrimp! Cocktails are nice. No heavy pours here though. read more

The service and food was exceptional! The menu is beautifully designed, from apps to entrees - your tastebuds will be delighted. The wine list is absolutely remarkable, undoubtedly the best in the area. Go go go! read more