This is the biggest disconnect between yelp reviews and actual experience I've ever had. I have to assume they were having an off night or a backup chef or something. The mixed salad was just a generic greens salad you'd find at a buffet. The crab cakes had bits of hard shell bits I've never experienced in a crab cakes. The scallops are for some reason left in a sauce in a ramekin, meaning they kept cooking, meaning these were the most overcooked, rubbery, hard to choke down scallops I've had in my life. We didn't finish our meal. What a rough experience across the board. There's much better food in town for similar price points / fine dining ambiance, this is the one bad experience of our whole trip to the lake read more

We had a great meal at Elderberry Pond on a Wednesday evening. Will, our server was attentive and helpful. Thanks, Will. The food was superb, flavorful and with nice portions. As always, it is a great environment with dining room, patio or sunroom options. Wine or beer only, and wine prices are quite reasonable. We ordered a wonderful bottle of rose, served chilled and crisp and with just the right amount of sweetness. I ordered port wine mushroom bisque, perfectly made and creamy. For an entree I had shrimp scampi, garlicky and lemony and fabulous with a plethora of Large shrimp. We had to order dessert to share since they had coconut custard pie. Out of this world. read more

Elderberry Pond Restaurant - Mushroom bisque - New American Near Me - Auburn, New York

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Elderberry Pond is located in a super fun location, set in the woods in a refurbished barn. There is both interior and exterior seating. The food itself was good, I ordered the garlic and brie bruschetta and a tenderloin. My partner got a tenderloin as well as crab cakes. I went in a party of six, and to be honest was not very impressed with the service. Of the 5 tenderloins for our table not a single one was the correct doneness, some of our party didnt recieve an appetizer so we had to remind them. Glasses sat on our table until the end of the meal, and we waited for our check for over 30minutes whilst we could see the staff standing on thier phones in the back. It was a little awkward. read more

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Always a treat to come here! It's so beautiful inside and very relaxing! I made reservations for a Saturday for lunch. They had a seasonal menu and it was hard to pick what to eat. I chose the soup to start and it was simply amazing! Creamy with Asian spices (I don't remember the name). My entree was chicken pesto pasta. That was really good with the pasta cooked perfectly. The desert I picked was pumpkin bread pudding. It has really good flavor but very heavy so I had enough for 3 deserts (not a bad thing). My friend got coconut cream pie and she said it was good! The waitress was excellent! Very attentive but not overly so. I can't wait to go back read more

Elderberry Pond Restaurant - Pumpkin bread pudding - New American Near Me - Auburn, New York

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2025 Update: Another year, another wonderful lunch at Elderberry Pond. The mushroom soup is still there and is still to die for. Service from William was attentive as always at the restaurant. A bonus this year was the fresh veggies, particularly the tomatoes, for sale as we went out the door. read more

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There aren't enough great things to say about this restaurant. It's beautiful inside, very cozy, clean and quaint. Service is always top notch. The food, especially desserts are always out of this world. I always get the crème brûlée and it never disappoints. read more

Elderberry Pond Restaurant - Crème brûlée - New American Near Me - Auburn, New York

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Always a fun and authentic place to visit. The home made pizzas are my favorite. Desserts are worth the trip anytime. Service is top notch . A perfect place to take out of town company. read more

Top notch ingredients beautifully prepared in a charming setting. Service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive.

What a cute and charming place in the country-side of Auburn, NY! They are only open for lunch for a few hours before they close and open for dinner at 5 pm, so I highly recommend a reservation. We were quickly seated and greeted by our waitress who told us the specials of the day. She also brought us some delicious homemade bread and butter. We then went with the tomato bisque soup and 3 bean soup to start. For entrees, we had the crab cakes and chicken salad croissant. Only complaints were the crab cakes could have been a bit crispier and the coleslaw was a bit watery. We heard great things about their desserts, so we made sure to have room! The waitress listed off about 4-5 options and we went with the lemon cake with berry sauce. Everything was delicious! I definitely want to go back for dinner sometime read more

Elderberry Pond Restaurant - Tomato bisque - New American Near Me - Auburn, New York

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This is such a lovely place to dine especially on the patio. The landscaping is beautiful making the setting pleasant. The service was attentive from the host to the servers. The food was excellent. I had the tomato basil bisque which was light and fresh tasting. The homemade bread was delicious served with warm whipped butter. I opted for the seared scallops in butter. The scallops prepared well but there were so many of them I couldn't finish them. The mashed potatoes were tasty but again a large serving in my humble opinion. It may seem strange to give one less star for too much food but a little less would have made the meal perfect. I definitely recommend this delightful Resturant located in the hills between Skaneateles and Auburn NY. read more

Food was great, ambiance very nice and service was excellent. It is on the pricey side, so maybe try lunch first.

Really cute spot just a 10 min drive from downtown Skaneateles. I made a Thursday lunch reservation the day before and was pleased to be able to get in. We opted to sit inside but they had a nice patio as well. This is a nice spot for a slow lunch; we split a bottle of wine and ate the risotto (really tasty) and the soup/salad combo. Is worth checking out! read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants anywhere. We always have dinner here when staying nearby in Skaneateles. Lovely menu, perfectly prepared food, good service, and a beautiful setting. Just be aware they're open only Wednesday through Sunday in season. read more

Lovely space.. service timely and friendly.. food excellent and plentiful and desserts a great way to top off meal!

Lots of menu options, delicious soups and large dining room and enclosed patio seating in rural location. Our party of four each ordered a different entree and all were beautifully prepared, delicious and worthy of a repeat. We had seared scallops, chicken Milanese, duck breast and red pepper mushroom risotto. All were served with two choices of bread, a rustic white and a seeded wheat which required a second basket they were so good. Ordered mushroom soup with port wine to take home for the next day. We opted to be seated in the main dining room because the porch had quite a few diners and seemed pretty noisy. We were very happy with our choice of table and our waitress was very attentive. Definitely a wonderful experience with friends. read more

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Walked into the dining room, and a large fire was crackling in the hearth. Nothing more inviting on a cold November night! This is a farm to table restaurant. All the wines were from New York State. Hurray! They have a great selection of appetizers and entrées, and our waitress listed even more specials. I had the Thirsty Owl Reisling and new England clam chowder to start off my dinner. The chowder was full of chunky clams and veggies, and was delicious! I had the salmon, served with smashed potatoes (yummy!) and topped with an artichoke and cheese pate. Very rich, very moist, fabulous flavor. To finish, I had the flourless chocolate ganache cake. Good, but not excellent; it was a bit dry for a ganache. Service was friendly, attentive, and helpful. This place is out in the country, but so very worth the drive!!! read more

Excellent lunch! Quiet, fresh, and delicious. Busy but not crowded. Can't wait to go back for dinner. read more

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Saturday lunch at Elderberry Pond was a delightful experience right from the start. Our party of six was immediately seated, and brought water and a small plate of bread. Drink orders were taken then, and the drinks came promptly. Our server, Cathy, introduced herself and was very personable and helpful through the meal. Our party enjoyed the ham and lentil, and the tomato bisque soups. The meals ordered were the chicken and bisquit, a fancy burger, a quiche, and crab cakes. Everyone enjoyed their meals and praised their choices. Craft beer and wines were ordered by those who chose each, and all if the beverages were satisfactory. The dessert menu is extensive. I had the Death by Chocolate cake. It was definitely an amazing experience. The atmosphere at Elderberry Pond Restaurant is casual and laid back. We felt relaxed and unhurried, giving us plenty of time to converse with the newly met people we came to be with. I recommend this establishment to everyone who likes a fine dining experience in the country. Try for the table we enjoyed, right in front of the beautiful fireplace. read more

Even though this restaurant is one hour away from where we live, it is one of our very favorite restaurants, and we go there whenever we can. The staff couldn't be nicer, the atmosphere is so lovely, and the food is absolutely delicious every single time we go. read more

Absolutely Love this place. Beautiful decor with charm to spare. Set in the countryside, dine in, or on the patio. Large or small party. Entrees include Veges and herbs from the on-site garden. Conservative wine list, but with tasty choices. Friendly staff throughout. The food prepared perfectly each time. I opt for seafood and typically the special (salmon today), prepared perfectly. Have had the pleasure of dining here several times-- always a hit!! read more

I was taken out to dinner for my birthday by my darling wife. She knows how much of a terrible food snob I am so she picked a" fine dining " restaurant. Somewhere we had heard about but never been. I was excited as the reviews and recommendations were manifold. Beautiful setting. Wood beams etc, a little bit like a Provenvale farmhouse. Nice view from our table. We ordered the special starter, flatbread with crab and garlic. I have to admit that it tasted like cheese pizza. I couldn't taste garlic or crab. Then I ordered the baked haddock with crab stuffing for and she had the Spring Pasta. Unfortunately, my haddock was bland and uninteresting and the crab stuffing really something I could do at home. Her Pasta seemed to be swimming in some kind of broth which was really strange. I don't know whether it was just a bad night but I would never go back. At best the food was ordinary, not seasoned and cooked carelessly. At $30+ a plate, we could have done a great deal better at many other restaurants. Really disappointing. read more

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Incredible hidden gem! The food is fantastic, everything is homemade, grown fresh, and organic. The outdoor patio is so peaceful with a great view. If you're traveling through the area or live near here and haven't tried it, you must go. You won't regret it! read more

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Extraordinary service, friendly staff, spectacular decor, fabulous outdoor dining patio. The food is a gastronomic delight. The owners are proud of their establishment, and rightfully so. I come here often and always leave pleased. SASimmons read more

Mushroom and tomato basil soup was great. Ambience is really nice. Desserts are great too.

Incredibly tasting food. Went for Mother's Day and couldn't have asked for anything better. It is fine dining, so expect to pay more than a normal restaurant, but the food is worth it. read more

Elderberry Pond Restaurant - Chocolate cake - New American Near Me - Auburn, New York

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Great food at a reasonable price in a lovely location. Save room for dessert! Fresh and delicious.

Great ambience, great food. It was a true pleasant surprise for us. THANKS We had the squash soup, pasta, beef and ice cream. All of it a delight. read more

I don't even write reviews on here but I just had a bad experience at elderberry with my wife on our anniversary dinner. The service and food are just not so good for a bigger bill restaurant. Bluntly, the best of the food was the complimentary bread. I ordered the prime rib special. It came out overcooked. I asked for medium-rare yet my prime rib had browning on top encroaching toward the center and the center was too warm in color. Disappointed, I complained to the trainee waitress and asked for another dish - and the reason for that is because the prime rib was extremely bland but I did not express this aspect of my complaint. It might have been the most bland prime rib I've ever had and I order prime rib often. The mash potatoes and squash on side are also very bland. I did make an attempt to eat it but I figured for such a place and premium it should be a tasty dish and cooked properly. The manager comes to my table after hearing I wanted a new dish. Long story short, the chef was "not going to take 'the fall' for this because it was cooked properly" she insisted (Well any quick google search will show you medium-rare prime rib does not have a pink center with brown parts on top). That was a baffling statement to me not because she was incorrect, per se, but from a customer service perspective. After a back-and-forth I finally understood she was offering no alternative dish for me but a new slice of prime rib. Just this time as she called it "rare." I agreed to get this "rare" prime rib (accepting my mistake of incorrectly ordering "medium-rare" I guess) since that's the best I would get and would very much like to end this uncomfortable interaction with her. Well at least that was resolved. I do quickly get a new prime rib and it's cooked properly this time. My wife commented to me: "No way that's one step down in temperature compared to the last." The new prime rib still doesn't solve the problem that it's just bad so I am still disappointed. My wife ordered duck and after taking a bite it's probably just not for me to comment on it since I haven't had duck in many years but she said it was "ok" and liked it less than the last place she had duck. We got crème brûlée to end our experience. It was good but that's not exactly making up for the rest of our experience. To her credit, the waitress in training was great but dang, what a disappointment in regards to the food and other service. read more

Wonderful food in fantastic surroundings. One of the best. I dined on Sunday there and again Wednesday before leaving the area. read more

Wow! Just wow! My wife and I attended a family dinner (12 people) here with relatives visiting from Europe. This restaurant, though expensive, is worth it. Everything is made in-house or locally sourced as much as possible. The menu changes as to what is available. I had an excellent beef dish and my wife had shrimp scampi. We will return here when we visit the area. read more

Inexcusably atrocious customer service. The dining area was busy. The party before us in line gave up an indoor table to go outdoors, but the "hostess" said they weren't serving any more walk-ins for lunch -- on a Wednesday after we explained we were from out of town and did not have reservations. Website did not say "reservations recommended". However attractive their story and their menu may be, if I could give them a zero rating I would. read more

I busted elderberry pond last weekend and I cannot wait to go back. We celebrated a birthday dinner there - the farm experience is absolutely gorgeous. Apart from that, their service and food is delicious. We ordered the artichoke bruschetta which was honestly the best bruschetta I've ever had. We also got the risotto and the chicken - both were 10/10. My husband also got a wine pairing which was quite delightful! Overall our experience was really nice! The victorian decor makes the whole place both a great date night spot and a family dinner spot! read more

What a lovely spot! Elderberry Pond far exceeded my expectations. Located on farmland between Auburn and Skaneateles, the short drive is very pretty. And to think, I didn't even know it was there. The drink menu features only beer and wine, but local wines are a nice treat. We were greeted warmly in the lovely entryway and shown to our table on the sun porch looking out into the woods. Everything from the warm fresh-baked bread, super fresh mesclun salad and crab stuffed haddock was delicious. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals. Check this place out!!!! I can't wait to go back in the fall read more

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An incredible dining experience. A feast for the eyes, the palette, and the spirit. You have to experience a meal at Elderberry Pond as we are getting back to normal. In the meantime, please support this special place by enjoying their cuisine in an alternate way. My husband and I loved every minute of our dining experience. read more

Very disappointed went there on Sunday with family expecting excellence and came home wondering what we're all the great review about?? Only 1 at our table were satisfied with the food. Not only in taste but really served ICE cold. Hot food should best be served on plates that somewhat warm,not cold plates. All the food that came from that kitchen was COLD with no attempt to insure it was hot! Waitress could not handle our unhappiness and made no attempt to fix the problem. Sorry for me and family and hope that this will help the kitchen staff smarten up. I/WE Will never return to this at best less than good place read more

This is an outstanding fine dining restaurant. The service is impeccable, the food is exceptional. It is the first restaurant that I have encountered that has had NO health code violations in it's history. This is remarkable. The ambiance will make for a fine dining experience. read more

Group of 8 had dinner here to celebrate a birthday. Beautiful location on a sunny fall day. Service was very good..the menu and the evening specials made it hard to decide! We enjoyed stuffed mushrooms appetizer, and the shrimp linguine, scallops, stuffed haddock, turkey dinner, and beef tenderloin entrees. The smashed potatoes and baked squash were amazing.. everyone loved their food.. flavorful, fresh, delicious. Can't wait to go back! Great place for a special occasion. read more

Off the beaten path Food 5/5 Ambiance 4.5/5 Location 5/5 Service 4/5 We made our reservation ahead of time due to the size of our party, 13 including kids. Making the reservation was some what easy. We had crab cakes and sausage stuffed mushrooms for appetizers. Crab cakes were really good but the stuffed mushrooms lacked depth of flavor. We had red wine that was reasonably priced and excellent with our main courses. 2 of us had the halibut with mashed potatoes and my wife and 2 others had strip steak and one of us had duck. They were all delicious. We had yummy cheese cake, crem brûlée, rhubarb pie and lemon cup cakes. All were good except rhubarb pie, the filling was good but not the crust. It was bland. read more

Second best restaurant meal of my life. And the first most likely will never be topped. So it's high praise. Tomorrows my birthday. And my boyfriend will be cooking for me for it. And I would have it no other way. But he took me 250 miles away from NYC..... And we ended up here. In this perfect, delicious, quant restaurant. The food is amazing. Please.. if you're in the area and want a really great night. Go here! read more

My husband and I greatly enjoyed our meal at Elderberry Pond and plan on getting there much more often. You can't beat this restaurant for the charm of its location and the beautiful views from almost every window inside this rustic farmhouse restaurant. We shared the crabcakes and greens as a starter. Served with a tasty remoulade and freshly picked greens from their gardens, these crabcakes were perfectly made and some of the best I've ever had. We both enjoyed the Thai shrimp with coconut sticky rice and loved the fact that it was not overly rich.After spying on our neighbors table, we had to try to desserts. I had a coconut cream pie and my husband got the chocolate layer cake. The coconut pie was delicious, with that rich, silky mouth feel I was hoping for. The tough crust fell very flat and didn't do the rest of the pie justice. My husband's cake was gorgeous, presented beautifully, but was a little on the dry side. Overall I think this place is very special and I am always happy to support farm to table restaurants.Make sure you ask for a window seat when you go so you can look out on their gardens! read more