We first found this restaurant when visiting my in-laws last year and remembered really enjoying the schnitzel. Since we were back in the area visiting our aunt, we decided to stop by again. My husband and I ordered the schnitzel again but unfortunately, it was much saltier than we remembered and it was a bit too salty for our taste. I ended up eating only about a quarter of it. The appetizer we ordered was good though and our server was nice and friendly. Overall, the experience was okay but the main dish didn't quite live up to our last visit. read more

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Not only is this a great restaurant for daily dining, it is a great restaurant for special occasions. Kara was able to give us everything we asked for as we planned our dinner party celebrating my husband's 75th birthday. Every detail was executed perfectly. Delicious appetizers and top quality scallops and filets for the main course. All our guests said it was "over the top"! We even had a palate cleansing sorbet between the soup/ salad course and main entree. And to top it all off "Irma Cake" for dessert. If you've never tried these cakes, you are missing something wonderful. Carrot cake, coconut cake and red velvet were all delicious!. Our servers were very good and they provided us with a private space in the main dining room with a partition. So even though the restaurant was packed, we had our own private space for our dinner party. read more

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I write this review not scare people away but to hopefully inform the owner. My wife and I have been eating here for quite some time. We eat out quite often and this is the closest sit down restaurant to our home. The food and service have always been good here and continues to be. The background music is always light and good. The issue we see with this restaurant is it seems to be becoming a bit dilapidated. There is an odor now when you walk in the front door that didn't used to exist. The place seems a bit dirty and dingy now. We like to eat at the bar. The bar seems to be a bit of a collecting place and is cluttered with things that should be in storage. I believe it's time for an update. If you go here you certainly won't be disappointed in the food or the service but the ambiance is ready for an update. read more

I'm giving this five stars because of the potential that you can see. I went at an off time, maybe low staffed. Service was super nice but very slow and limited... perhaps understaffed. German menu was delicious, got the pickle soup which was outstanding. Got the potato pancakes, fried up perfectly. Just the right amount of onion and salt... Had the fried provolone sandwich which to be honest... wasn't great. Using tiny basil flakes instead of fresh leaves? It's July, what are you doing. Using mediocre slices of tomatoes???? It's July, again.... Get fresh ripe beautiful tomatoes what are you doing? After asking for some balsamic drizzle to be added on the side... home, run! Sammy turned from zero to hero. Dramatic turnaround. Some of their international specialty dinners look intriguing... not sure how they are. They are on specific evenings. The building is big and elegant on the inside. Nice big bar, plenty of choices. Looks like it's trying to be a German inspired tavern with some of the entrees? Not sure but I'd definitely go again for an attempt at dinner. read more

Chef Dato's Table - German Pickle Soup - New American Near Me - Latrobe, Pennsylvania

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We were here for Valentine's Day dinner. The special menu looked good. We ordered special martinis an appetizer. I ordered the chocolate covered scallops and my husband ordered the filet - well done. We didn't get our drinks until after our main meal arrived. We were planning on having 2 drinks each during the evening, but not at this delivery time! The appetizer was okay. The salad dressing was not the best, but the waitress never came back around so we could not ask for a different dressing. The food came and each of our plates looked like dog poop! My 5 scallops were no bigger than my thumb. One of them was so tough that I couldn't even chew it. My husband's filet was butterflied - it is supposed to help with well done cooking - but it was still pink inside. It was so tough that he only ate a few bites. His baked potato was barely warm- the butter don't even melt. The waitress only came back once when she brought my drink (the drinks were not delivered at the same time. She asked how was everything we said very disappointing. She said oh and walked away. We have eaten here before and the meals and service were good. We will not be going back for any SPECIAL dates. read more

Very good food at good prices. Good wait staff. Try the seafood specials. Also the Chambersburg chicken.

Great food. Everything fresh,flavorful, and homemade at a reasonable price. We will be going back there again!

Service was excellent very friendly .Food was fast and good. Prices are reasonable. We usually get the lunch specials.

I found the experience to be quite acceptable. The service was excellent and the food met my expectations. I was bothered by a 20% service charge as a mandatory on my bill. The vast majority of good patrons will leave a 20% tip so the waiter can make a living, but I found the service change usage as insulting to the customer. A service charge and a tip are not the same although they were both on my receipt. It felt like a coerced 20% tip. I think this is poor policy and the tip should be left to the discretion of the patron depending on the service, which could be more or less than 20%. read more

It was a positive experience all around. I ordered a "comfort food" dish and it satisfied that need. The slice of cake was exceptional and the creme brûlée was perfect. We will be back. read more

Stopping by Dato's on a Saturday afternoon for a late lunch is like stepping back in time. The dining room is very dark windowless 1970's décor and features a huge rotating dessert carousel. We didn't know about the outdoor area or we would have picked that instead. They feature a lot of super interesting themed dinners which would be fun to check out like wild game night and Oktoberfest. Our meals were decent and the server was super nice. Two of our group had the Southwestern Fajita Salad and really enjoyed it with shrimp. I tried the broiled cod with buttery crumb topping that came with veggies and basmati rice. As you can see, no buttery crumb topping to be found and the rice definitely did not taste like saffron at all. So, it was bland and one note in texture. The dessert case is crazy. A local woman prepares their desserts which include cakes, pies, and apple dumplings. They are towering behemoths of cake layers and creams. The dumping came with vanilla ice cream and was super yummy. We also tried the death by chocolate which lived up to its name, the peanut butter chocolate pie featuring an oreo crust which was super delish, and an orange cake that was a little lacking in orange taste but good. We enjoyed our lunch and would try it again. read more

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The service was great. The food was simple and perfectly prepared. Broiled cod with butter herbs and panko, moist and clean tasting, buttered green beans, and rice cooked in chicken broth. The apple dumpling was huge, the crust like grandma's apple pie, and apple tender. read more

Food was good but service was spotty and atmosphere was dated and there was a musty smell. I had high hopes and convinced the family to go but not sure I'll get them back except for a special event. read more

If you want good food, warm beer and horrible service! This is your place!! I can't say a thing bad about the food! Always been good. But service!!! Holy crap! A new level of bad service! My response in the tip column was DO BETTER!!! Every beer I tried was just warm. Started with bottles , warm! Went to drafts, warm again! Went too wine, had a glass , waited over half hour and never seen waitress again. Used to be a fantastic place to go, food is still worth it. Service is less than desirable! read more

Last year Oktoberfest had wonderful potato pancakes there. I went back this year for the same. Very disappointed. They now are deep fried mashed potatoes. Nothing like the old version where they used grated potatoes. It makes all the difference. They now show them on the year round menu. I'm pretty sure the owner told us last year they were only for Oktoberfest. Whatever. However, I won't be going back anymore. read more

Good food. Normal portion of food. Had chicken marasla. Food cook very tender. Not tough chicken. Believe órganic and .local Farm

They say you should never judge a book by its cover - a statement I wholeheartedly agree with. I think the same can be said of a restaurant's exterior - no one should ever judge the quality of the service or food from the street. From the outside, the place really is unremarkable, but when you enter, you feel like you've been transported to an upscale restaurant at a big-city downtown location. I like to think of this place as a casual-upscale restaurant, vibe-wise, with a varied menu that is not your run-of-the-mill choices for the area. Upon entering you find a very nicely decorated inside with a decent sized bar and seating all around along with table service besides. The main dining area, right beside the kitchen you can sorta see through frosted windows, is big and spacious. Service is exceptional from the greeter to the waitress, and food comes out at a good pace from apps, to salads, to the main dish. I really do hope the locals understand what a gem of a place they have. This is truly special and my wife and I will now always make it a point of eating out at least once, here, when we visit. read more

Chef Dato's Table: what an amazing gem just outside of tiny Latrobe this is! Kara (the owner and the late Chef Dato's wife) and her chefs and servers are all absolutely wonderful. The food? Incredible; large portions as well. The drinks? Delicious. You can go ahead and make it a point to come here now if you don't want to keep reading (trust me, you'll love it) but I'll share a bit about what we had below. My wife and I visited for lunch and each got a handmade cocktail--a Negroni and Manhattan--perfectly crafted by Kara herself. We ordered the giant Bavarian pretzel with bier cheese as an appetizer, which was enormous (the size of my adult head!), hot and flaky, and the hot cheese dip was *chef's kiss*. We were both feeling a sandwich, so after some help from our amazing server Paige (ask for Paige as your server!), I selected the famous Chef Dato's Battered Fish Sandwich and my wife picked the Turkey sandwich on stuffing bread (basically a Thanksgiving meal in sandwich form). Did I mention the portions are enormous here? Come hungry! Our sandwiches were perfect and the fries hot and crispy. We had zero room to try dessert this time around but I cannot wait to return to try their dinner entrees or one of their famous Wild Game nights. Latrobe is incredibly lucky to have Chef Dato's. Swing by when you're in the area! read more

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Unique menu with lots of interesting choices and revolving specials. International themed nights. Mile high pies and cakes too

This was our first time here and were blown away! We heard about this place through word of mouth and it truly is a well hidden gem. The menu is vast so there's something for everyone, and it all sounds amazing. The staff was very friendly, welcoming and attentive. The prices are modest and you get plenty of bang for your buck! They have a great wine selection and a huge craft beer selection. The environment is unique and modern with retro accents that make it a sleek date night idea. There was also a plethora of special events and promotions to check out with all types of unique foods. My whole table was very happy with our experience and will return soon! read more

Chef Dato's Table - Frog Legs with a Green Pepper Cilantro Lime Sauce - New American Near Me - Latrobe, Pennsylvania

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Always an incredible dining experience from the greeting to the last crumb of scrumptious dessert. A super comfy atmosphere that feels like Sunday at Grandmas old mansion belies the sophisticated menu with mouth-watering entrees. The wonderful theme-nights allow one to explore non-traditional, international fare from a special menu or top-notch cosmopolitan selections from the standard menu. My dining companions and always I speckle our evening's conversations with raves about the dishes we ordered - every time. I've had nothing I don't like and dessert is a must have here. It's the only place I eat that I ALWAYS have dessert (and yes, even when I'm "stuffed")! Chef Dato's Table is a local GEM without compare! Absolute MUST TRY! read more

Let me just say- if you have an excellent chef close to your family or have a refined palate, you will appreciate this restaurant. We ordered a huge assortment of items on the menu and each and every one of them was delicious and unique. It's obvious the chef is particular about what gets taken out to the table. The desserts we got were made by a local woman that makes all the cakes and they were amazing. But first, we got some appetizers- caprese flat bread, and a portabella mushroom with a crabmeat cream sauce. Both were outstanding, full of flavor, and you could tell great care was taken in making the sauces for both. This chef is a sauce & dressing extraordinaire! Entrees: chambersburg chicken: chicken, peaches, cream sauce. Beautifully made green beans and rice. Next, salmon salad. Clean eating, but full of flavor. Next dish was the lunch special, half fish sandwich and cup of whitefish chowder. Each meal was delicately and thoughtfully made. I will say, if you are on a diet, this chef is about flavor - save your diet for another day. Indulgent, rich, memorable! Home cooked from scratch food here! As far as the ambience, there's a bit to be desired. It's dark, not overly modern. However, I take in to consideration the personality of the owner and cook, and this is supposed to be a low key environment but exceptional experience for your tastebuds. read more

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Great place, friendly people, ands the food is good. Thursday is international day featuring a specialty from different countries.

The food was very good and the service was excellent. I will definitely eat here again.

The onion soup was great The sesame crusted ahi tuna had no sesame seeds. When ask the server she took it back and the cook put a little sauce on the tuna and a tablespoon of sesame seeds. Sad to pay so much for that. read more

I just wanted to say how glad I am that Chef Dato's table and their unique menu offerings are still in the area. I remember seeing their weekly ads in the newspaper featuring Thursday international menus. It always sounded so fun, but raising kids, it wasn't until much later that we could finally go. This week my son saw on their FB page they were having wild game night (see menu picture) which they have a few times a year, so we decided to make the trip to the countryside and loved every dish we ordered. It's just so fun to enjoy the variety this restaurant has on their changing menu. We were told by the owner that they have continued with their Thursday international dinners (Cuban food was next) and I also saw they still have international culinary passports on the tables. They also have German food every Tuesday and the upcoming Oktoberfest for several weeks which is very popular (in honor of the owners German heritage and her father). Desserts are in a display and one woman makes the beautiful, tall cakes. Our waitress was funny and terrific too. The restaurant looks a little dated and is a bit out of the way in Derry/Latrobe, but I kind of like it that way, it's like a destination adventure! read more

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Decided to give the restaurant another chance. Last time it didn't go so well. Glad we did! It's not an upscale restaurant, but the food and Service were both exceptional! Will definitely return! read more

Excellent home made food. Beef tips and German noodles perfectly done. Desserts are amazing. Can't wait to return!

I had no idea what to expect being way out in the middle of Pennsylvania, but WOW. Went here with my fiancé and son. To give you a frame of reference, I have been to 58 Diners Drive Ins and Dives restaurants...if this was on the show, it would be in my top 5! They have a large menu that we looked up ahead of time only to be surprised by an Oktoberfest menu. They have special menus throughout the year it seems. We started with kartoffelpufannkuchen and a giant baravarian pretzel. Both were amazing! For entrees my fiancé and I split the garlic cream chicken and my son ordered Sauerbraten. We also got a soup that was amazing but I did not pay attention to it's name, it had cabbage and meat in it. Since the meal was so good, we had to have dessert. My fiancé and I split a piece of peanut butter mouse cake and my son had a large strawberry shortcake looking one. Again, awesome. They also have a good beer and liquor selection! My fiancé had a dark German beer and a chocolate type drink. The only negative thing I have to say is that it is 5-6 hours from my house! If it was closer I'd be here every week for sure! read more

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We had an event here last evening. Everyone had a great time and the service (Emily) and the food were excellent. The atmosphere is okay and family friendly. Don't expect trendy, but do expect great food at very reasonable prices - even with inflation. We don't wonder out here too often as it is off the beaten track, but it is always an enjoyable experience. Every Thursday is special with a nice short added menu of international fare. Last evening was Indian, and the extra selections were tantalizing, though we all ordered off of the main menu. As some of the group had dietary requirements (GF and dairy), they were able to meet and surpass the needs of the group. The drink specialties are always great and they have German import beers on tap (the weissbier was excellent), and a good selection of beers and wine. Dessert is always enjoyable and they can provide wonderful cakes for special occasions (this was a 60th anniversary). We shall return again soon, as there is no reason to wait for a special occasion to eat at the Chef's. read more

The food and service is excellent. We go for a quick bite and their special dining like Thanksgiving brunch is one of the best read more

Alright, so first off, I had never heard of this place. We were invited by my sister in law and brother for my birthday and they decided to bring us here. I was a little weary of the menu I looked up because this place brings you in mind of one of those country cooking joints by the location and outward appearance. Even inside brings me vibes similar to the recently closed Slick's Ivy Stone. When I tell you that we were floored with the food and service is an understatement. We had Nina take care of us, and y'all listen... ask for Nina. She is a BLAST! Having said that, the menu seems to change regularly with specials based on different regions or countries, while the static menu remains in place. The price is very reasonable based on what you're getting. Our average per person was $50 but we ordered 3 appetizers, 4 entrees, and 4 bar drinks between us. This is in line with any big-big cookie cutter corporate restaurant in the area. The portions? Big yikes. I ordered the Schnitzel with the paprika sauce and the plate was MASSIVE. You're not leaving here hungry. This is where i tell you to your face that you're an absolute fool if you don't try the made to order bread pudding with freaking creme brulee sauce. When we got there at about 5:40 there were only 3 cars in the lot. By the time we left around 7 the lot was almost full. I cannot stress this enough, give these folks a try. We will be back. *afterthought* I'm extremely disappointed with myself for having not taken any pictures of the food. I guess you'll have to see for yourself. read more

Fabulous food, Fabulous service....I have visited Chef Dato's three times during the last three weeks!

We were out-of-town guests of friends. Thought we were going to a pizza place. But surprise! This is the prized needle in a haystack! Nice, quaint, great service, delicious food. Has a large barroom. Fun was looking at the cakes in the display case. We were so happily full that we took dessert back to the house! Beware. One slice of cake serves at least two people easily. read more

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Why did I wait so long to stop by? (Well covid closure didn't help). Frog leg appetizer! Wow, the sauce and so tender. I just drank Pepsi; however, their alcohol list and extensive beer selection was very surprising! The manager(possible owner) interacted with us multiple times and with other guests. {I really felt the small business appreciation.}. The menu was huge and diverse. I chose prime rib. The wife ordered fresh basil Alfredo with chicken. I can not wait to return to try other dishes. The chocolate cake dessert complimented the end of a great experience. The service.. was acceptable. read more

At best I will rate Chef Dato's Table three stars. This is partly because I thought the service was good. I started with the soup of the day, chicken noodle soup. It had an oktaste but the noodles were mushy and way over cooked. My main course was the seafood pomodoro. The first observation was that they covered the meal with grated cheese. I would have rather preferred to add the cheese as I liked it instead of the kitchen. The shrimp were small but the scallops were nice size. They did use real crab meat and not imitation crab but it tasted like it came from a can. My biggest objection is that they seemed to have added green peppers to the meal but it was not mentioned on the menu. I am not a pepper fan and the flavor permeated the meal. There are not a lot of choices in this part of PA but I will try someplace different next time. read more

We love their international and wild game nights. The owner and staff are very friendly, added bonus is Irma's cakes for dessert.

When you walk in a restaurant and don't smell food. LEAVE!! Should have followed that rule here. We were passing through and reviews looked good, but it was not. Musty smell, frozen food... would not recommend or ever go again. read more

Fabulous is the best description of food and service seems unassuming from the exterior but a real gem! Can't wait until the outside patio and bar open! read more

Atmosphere was just so-so , but the food was great! My only complaint - We waited a long time for our appetizers, shortly after they arrived our dinner was delivered, leaving us little time to enjoy them. But the food was delicious. It is a little bit of a drive for us, but I cant wait to go back and try it again! read more