Tried dinner here and have to update my review. I found the food to be only mediocre and the portions small for the price. Their brunch was amazing, but they aren't quite as good at supper. I was also surprised that the beer menu was not as extensive as I had hoped. I still stand by my original positive review of the beer garden and the brunch, but the dinner was disappointing. read more

If you haven't been here yet, you're missing out. This place has the best food for the price in Ithaca- Lots of locally-produced ingredients and amazing variety. Try the Mac n' cheese, BBQ salad, and curry. read more

The food is good here but the service is terrible. The main bartender (Dave) is extraordinarily rude and stupid to boot. Basically you're better off going for dinner but skipping the bar. read more

Enjoyed dinner with my family. Great atmosphere and ultra crossing kitchen. Will definitely return to try the rest of the menu.

I was in Ithaca for work and this restaurant was recommended by the hotel manager. I very much enjoyed my experience. The prices are a little higher than I would have liked but the food was very good. I got the tofu curry dish and the vegetables were fresh and delicious. The downside to the dish was the rice was overcooked and was more like a rice flavored mush. I would have liked some naan served with it as well. My dessert was a dark chocolate pudding served with fresh raspberries it was amazing. The waiter was attentive but not overbearing. Most importantly he kept wine in my glass. I also enjoyed that the atmosphere allowed for me to dine alone with my book without many distractions. read more

We came to eat here two weeks ago for breakfast right after opening for the day. There weren't too many people eating but we were asked where we wanted to sit and were sat at the table we asked for without a problem. We didn't have any problems, which caused us to want to come back again. Today, we were asked where we wanted to sit by the same hostess who sat us previously and proceeded to tell us they reserve bigger tables (table for a max of 4) for larger parties, so we sat at a table for 2 (there was only one table filled in the restaurant). While here, the waitress came to our table after about 5 minutes of waiting and asked if we were ready. We said no and she walked away. She didn't offer to take a drink order (the water that is on the table isn't very appealing to drink because it just sits out in a jar and doesn't seem very sanitary). We waited an additional 10 minutes before she came back over. While away, she was standing at the bar just talking to other staff members. When we received our food, part of the order wasn't correct and at that point, we were ready to walk out. We waited about 25 minutes before our waitress came back to check on us. We ended asking for the bill, paying and leaving. While here, only four sets of families came in, one sat at the bar and one sat inside and the rest sat outside. I hope something changes with the service that is being provided. read more

Some of the best french fries ever. The waitress was great and my hamburger tasted good but not great because it was a little dry. The servings were very large and reasonably priced. The restaurant is in a neighborhood so the outdoor tables were in a quiet area. Even though the area is surrounded with a 6 foot privacy fence, the parking lot was visible and detracted from the appeal. read more

Disappointing and overpriced meal. Cute place but not impressed with the food or the server. She messed up our appetizer order as well as the meal order and wasn't even apologetic about it. I was expecting a better experience after reading the reviews but cannot recommend this place for dinner. read more

I get to come to Ithaca once a year and the Sunday highlight is North Star House all day sunday brunch. However North Star House is price gouging by not offering their brunch menu due to Cornell Graduation. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!!!! If I was you I would skip this unethical establishment and show them this practice needs to stop. read more

I have been to Northstar on several occasions and have always had good experiences. The food is good, consistant and vegetarian friendly with A great selection of beer and wine. The only negative that I can find with Northstar is that the staff is somewhat aloof. read more

I used to love coming here, even though the food and drink are pretty over priced.. But not anymore! Last night, I took my adult son and a friend to dinner here. It was not busy, yet we waited an hour and a half for food that was not tasty. Bartender was the rudest service person I've ever encountered in Ithaca (I've lived her for 17 years)! Wanted to complain. Turns our HE was the manager. That plus the food explained why more than half the tables were empty during peak dinner hour (730-9:00). read more

Really wanted to leave talking about what a great meal I had, but left somewhat disappointed. Food was fine to good, but service was crazy, slow - even though not packed with people. Assuming they were short staffed. Still - long time to get order taken and incredibly long time to get food. read more

Love the atmosphere and keep coming in hopes they will improve. Brunch is never served hot. Not even luke warm. My eggs are always ice cold along with my bacon and home fries. Which sucks bc their breakfast is good. I'm not the only one who feels this way. Everyone else at my table says the same thing every time we go. Eggs are cold. Why not just bring the food out as soon as it's cooked??? I'd rather be served hot food than be served all at the same time!!! And if you are gluten free --beware. They serve you 1 tiny piece of gf toast cut in half with your eggs for $2.00. I don't understand this. Has anyone in the kitchen tried to eat two eggs over easy with a piece of toast the size of a saltines cracker??? Kitchen staff--a word to the wise--create an experience even you would want to boast about. Otherwise, hospitality is not Yo thang. C'mon NorthStar up your game. We love coming in but are growing tired of the lack of detail in your execution. read more

We were staying nearby for Cornell's parents weekend so we thought we would checkout a local spot. As soon as we walked in we were greeted by a hostess that didn't seem like she even wanted to be there. The ambiance of this place is more like a dive restaurant then a nice pub (what's with the cheap catering hall chairs and tables?) that said- the food was pretty good. The wings were up there as some of the best I've had and the burger was also very good (which is why they get 3 stars and not 1). The mac n' cheese was just so-so. If you want some good pub grub and are staying nearby- it's probably worth a visit. But if you are going to hop in a car, there are plenty of other better places. read more

I've been here maybe 8 times. I'm not sure why I keep coming back - it is so uneven - every other time I come here I luck out. I always order something different - It's a 50-50 chance that i'll get a good meal, and when it is good, it's GREAT. When its bad, it's terrible. The other night I tried their vegetable pot pie. It was a bunch of lukewarm peas & potato slices in a dish with odd curry-like sauce and skinny slices of a tough biscuit on top. I could barely stomach it. On the other hand, The last time i went there, i had some of the best Mac & Cheese of my life. Their mac & cheese is incredible. It just depends on what you order. I wish they would pay equal attention to all of their dishes. This place could be amazing. read more

This review and rating concerns the Sunday brunch. I will start with the fact that I have NEVER had a disappointing dinner there, service can be a bit slow but no more so than anywhere else in Ithaca ( well, except Dewitt Cafe but that's another review )- Sunday brunch is whole different story. I have been to brunch at Northstar half a dozen times in the past 2 years and have never been wowed, but the last three times (within a 4 month period) have been abysmal. Overcooked food, undercooked food, flavorless food. Brunch service is non-existent unless you grab someones attention. Today I order the Northstar Floretine with poached eggs( as per the menu choices). Server tells me "We don't take a temperature on the eggs" Then why offer it on the menu? Uh..okaaay- then how do you poach it properly, not that hard to use a kitchen thermometer to get a 180 degree water reading. ANY cook worth a hoot should be able to do that. My order arrives with one poached one, "hard poached" (?) I tell the server who says, "Well, I told you they don't monitor the temperature". Not the right response. Will not be going to brunch there. Dinner however is always good. read more

Oh, Northstar. I really want to like you. I'll probably come back just because you have so much potential (and I want to try your mac and cheese), but my first experience was not the greatest. I went for my birthday with my parents and boyfriend. It was a Sunday night after Porchfest so we expected a wait, which we were fine with. What we didn't expect was what an ordeal getting seated would be. The hostess didn't acknowledge us for a good 10 or 15 minutes, and then once she did finally talk to us she said there would be a wait to be put ON THE WAITING LIST. What?! She couldn't even write our name down? We asked her how long before we could be put on the list, she said she didn't know. We asked how long the wait would be once we were on the list, she didn't know. Ugh. The most infuriating part was that the hostess didn't really seem to be doing anything, just kind of walking around and looking like she didn't really know what was going on. A couple of people in front of us left in frustration, but I had heard good things about the food so we stuck it out. All in all we really only waited about 45 minutes which isn't bad for a small place on a busy weekend, but I just wish the hostess was able to tell us that when we walked in. Once we were seated it was like we were in a different wold. Ambiance was great, excellent drink menu and our waitress was friendly and attentive. But the food, unfortunately, was meh. The menu sounds really interesting and there were a lot of things I wanted to try, but none of them lived up to my expectations (although I will give them props for accommodating two vegetarians and a gluten-free person). To start we got fries, barbecue tofu "wings", and some spinach croquet things. The fries were on the greasy and mushy side (although I don't think any restaurant will ever match my love for Bandwagon fries, except maybe Burger Mondays in Binghamton) and the spinach croquets were dry. Everything was cold. For my entree I got pappardelle in some sort of lemony sauce with cherry tomatoes, which would have been good except it was very oily and, you guessed it, cold. The creme brulee was solid, tasty but nothing special. Everything was almost really good but it was just lacking something. Anyway, here's the short version of all that: Northstar could be SO GOOD. I wish they would figure out the service and food issues. Pros: good atmosphere, good drink menu, accommodates dietary needs Cons: mediocre food and service read more

I used to love North Star, but my last three experiences have left me feeling like major changes have happened in management and food service. Last night I ordered a bricket sandwich at 7pm only to learn the kitchen was out of brisket and would be replacing it with pulled pork. Sounded good so, I left my order. As it turned to night, no one turned the lights on in the back room where we were seated. We asked multiple times for the light to be raised. We were laughably sitting in darkness through the appetizer and when the entree arrived. After pouring the liquid in the small metal container on my plate onto my salad, my neighbor thought I may have just poured BBQ sauce on my salad. It was too dark to tell! Thankfully it was balsamic dressing (which made me realize I never specified a dressing with my order). Halfway through my sandwich (which was in fact tasty!) I chomped down on a huge piece of bone. My neighbor also found a hair in her burger. We were out of water, which we had asked for, so we sat there a little grossed out until the waitress returned after everyone else at the table was finished with their meals. I let her know about the bone but did not receive an apology, and was not asked if I wanted anything to replace the half sandwich still left on the plate. Water jugs still weren't filled as we moved into and through dessert. When the bill arrived, the brisket sandwich was on the list. I added my card to the bill to be taken. When our water glasses were finally filled and the bill taken away I reminded the woman I thought was the waitress of the bone. She gave me an attitude, telling me she was not our waitress and then said something rude to me about "other guests who are willing to pay." It was humiliating. My last visit there my fried fish was overcooked and dry, and the sweet potatoes were undercooked and hard. The visit before included a plate of wilted lettuce. I won't be returning here for a while. read more

What a disappointment this place has become. It used to be one of our favorites because of the farm to table menu and the food was also great. After 3 terrible experiences in a row, we decided to never go back! The final straw was when i went there for brunch with my husband and two daughters. The place was dead when we went. We ordered our food and after 45 minutes, the waitress dropped off some dry, fried things and just said "here are some complimentary items". After another 15 minutes went by we realized that she never put in our order in the first place and the dried up deep fried things were supposed to compensate some how. When the food came, we could barely eat anything. I got a BLT and couldnt eat more then a few bites because the bacon was chewy and didnt taste like bacon at all. Ive never seen bacon look the way it did. The only thing i could think of was it had freezer burn or the food was spoiled. My husband and daughter had bacon with their breakfast and neither of them could eat their bacon either and they both LOVE bacon. The waitress never checked on our table once. When she finally came around my husband asked for the bill. After about 15 minutes i went to the car with my daughters. My husband finally had to walk up the bar ask for the check. The service was a nightmare and the food was even worse. Anyone that can mess up bacon has no business being in business. It just seems like no one cares and there is no management what so ever. So sad to see one of our favorite places turn into a place we would never set foot in ever again. read more

The food seems overpriced for what it is. The crab cakes are very tiny and very boring tasting ($21). They seem to think that "no fillers" means better but, HEY NORTHSTAR, - crab cakes are SUPPOSED to have other ingredients besides crab! The "roasted broccoli" was simply raw broccoli placed too close to the broiler for a minute or two...inedible unless you like charred raw broccoli. The macaroni and cheese was good, as were the fries. The beers on tap were also good, but overpriced for this area. The place is very crowded with the tables very close together so it is difficult to have any sort of conversation that doesn't include the people sitting next to you. read more

This place just leaves me confused. The service is sort of meh. Last time my husband and I went, the waitress forgot our appetizer. My husband had to send his burger back to the kitchen 3 times because it was pink (he ordered it medium well), no actual apology from the waitress. I had 3-4 tiny over cooked pieces of chicken on my dish, but after the other issues with the meal, I gave up and just ate it. Don't even recall what I ordered. That being said, the appetizer we did finally get was quite tasty. We have had other delicious items other times we have been here. I am going to give it another chance, but the inconsistency and service leave me hesitant about returning. read more

Wonderful neighborhood gathering spot. Great everyday food, excellent friendly service, comfortable atmosphere.

Lovely brunch, nice setting. We ate outside and it was delightful. Our server was friendly and answered our questions about the menu. I had the french toast and was delighted. I'm not giving a fifth star because when we arrived, no one acknowledged our presence for about five minutes and during the meal, many things (getting a coffee refill, getting the check) took a very long time. But I would definitely go back. read more

Great vegetarian options (tofu wings!) in an off-the-beaten-track part of Ithaca. Cozy outdoor seating, interesting cocktails and a strong beer list. read more

Waitresses looked bored, were slow and watched customers eating their food. Food itself was ok. Nothing special. I dont believe that my Garlic Burger has ever seen any garlic. We did not like it there very much also because of the atmosphere (especially caused by the waitresses...) read more

My wife and I planned our wedding in NY from NC (until about 2 days ago same-sex marriage was illegal in NC, so we had to travel elsewhere to get legally hitched). Anyone who has ever planned a wedding knows how crazy it can get...add to that planning from a few states away... eeek. But Shannon, who was our point person at Northstar, was amazing at helping us plan our wedding reception at their restaurant. We had a group of 19 people and we decided to let everyone order off of the menu instead of having a smaller set of options. We had dedicated staff for our group and were well taken care of throughout the whole process. Oh, and the food is ridiculously delicious - both for vegetarians and meat eaters. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a dinner out or for a special event. (Greenstar did our wedding cake, and they communicated about delivery and such.) read more

Our burger was raw - not rare - actually uncooked meat. Unappealing. Staff was unapologetic and we had to lobby for 50% discount on the dish ($5 off) because of the uncooked meat. Won't be back soon. read more

I have eaten here at least 5-6 times and have always enjoyed my meal. Great, casual atmosphere, terrific beer selection, reasonable prices. I am a particular fan of the veggie burger, but everything I've had there has been great. I do wish they took reservations, but that's my only complaint. Yay, glad to have sich a great neighborhood place! read more

It was alright. I heard soooo much about the mac & cheese and the online menu looked great to this mostly vegetarian crew, so I was really looking forward to trying this place. Mac & cheese though? Bland, at least on this particular night. We did arrive pretty late but they were out of 2 of the 3 things we wanted to order - which we found that out WHEN we were ordering. My 4-year-old's sweet potato wedges were drenched in a 3-alarm sauce (not mentioned on menu) that we couldn't scrape off and she agreed that the mac & cheese wasn't a hit that night so my kid ate fries for dinner. The Basket-o-Fries was good with 4 dipping sauces. The Jerk Tofu Wings were kind of Indian-spiced and good with the cucumber dipping sauce. The meat-eater at the table wasn't thrilled with his burger, noting a soggy roll. We all could agree that the beer menu offered lots of great choices - draught and bottle alike. I'm not saying I won't visit again, but likely on a kid-free night for a beer at the bar...with those yummy fries. read more

Hostess seemed like she was on something and no one came to our table for 20 minutes. Usually this place is great but the hostess couldn't have been doing herself or Northstar a favor by being stoned. Very disappointed and let down after many great times here. read more

Ate at Northstar on a friend's recommendation. Beer was good though less than a pint, so a little pricey. Service was good but we ate in the very dark back corner of the restaurant. Would have liked there to be more atmosphere there. Needed a candle on the table or something. Portion size was rather small for the House Curry, but very tasty. Didn't feel it was a good value for the money. read more

I had such a wonderful dinner here. My beet and goat cheese salad (recently added to the menu according to our waiter) is the best salad I've had in a long time. I highly recommend it. My friend had the garlic burger which was superior; it was perfectly cooked. The atmosphere was a good blend of laid back and European style. The staff was incredibly attentive and knowledgeable. I'll definitely be back. read more

This is THE BEST restaurant in Ithaca. Having lived in Ithaca for almost five years, and Chicago/Minneapolis before that . . . . Northstar has both the best burger and the best brunch menu of anywhere in Ithaca. Not the most extensive beer list, but everything is wonderful, local, and full of flavor. Very reasonably priced for brunch as well. read more

Summary: WORST MANAGER ATTITUDE EXPERIENCED AT A RESTAURANT ---- My food was mediocre - the regular mac 'n' cheese was somewhat bland, even a bit watery, and the mixtures of flavours of the mac 'n cheese of the day did not go well at all - poorly paired. In fact, I lost my appetite after eating 1/3 of it. But why this place deserves one star is because of the attitude of the manager. My group called ahead to ask how long the wait would be, and we were told ten minutes if we made it there within 15, by a hostess (key: a woman). We got there well within time, and waited an hour and a half, frequently asking the hostess time and time again, how much longer she thinks, in which we kept hearing "soon". Soon was not the case, and granted it is not the fault of the restaurant that its customers were not leaving - but they should have given us a more accurate estimate of our wait time, so we could make an informed decision. The customers did not pay until 10 minutes before we were seated (we could see them paying at that point), but for the whole wait we were told that they had already paid and were just chatting. Now at the end of our meal, of course for a party our size, there was a 20% gratuity stamped to it which is standard, but nothing at all to show for the fact that we were led on and waited for so long to be seated. The manager rudely came up to our table and said WITH EXTREME ATTITUDE "So why should i give you a discount" - what kind of attitude is that?! - and upon explaining the situation, he attacked us and said we gave him attitude, so he was going to give us attitude, and slammed the bill down HARD on the table and demanded that we pay the bill with the gratuity and everything. Here's the kicker: When we recounted to him that a woman hostess had told us 10 minutes, he insisted that it was him who picked up the phone and answered. It's not our fault the manager wasn't paying attention to who was picking up the phone, and he should take responsibility of the fault of his staff, instead of taking it out on the customers claiming that the customers are wrong. I think we are smart enough to distinguish between the MAN who was so rudely speaking to us at the time, versus the WOMAN on the phone. As educated individuals, most of whom had or currently run businesses in the area, and will very likely be influential in the future given our career paths, being told "this is not how we do business" (regarding giving discounts for unhappy customers at a small establishment) is a huge insult. You do not come to your customers who are upset, ask them a question with attitude (seriously, do you think that as a manager of this small establishment it gives you the right to be rude to people who are paying for your wages and employment? As far as being in the restaurant, you are serving me along with your staff), claim that your customers are giving attitude when they are simply answering your charged question, then tell them they are lying, and then SET THE BILL DOWN very hard on the table saying "because you're giving ME attitude, I'M going to give you attitude". Then we waited 20 minutes before anyone came to pick up the bill, when the place was nearly empty. Poor service (on the manager's part). Ridiculous attitude. I'm disgusted that a person like this was made manager. In the end, the manager did not apologize until someone from our group apologized first THIS IS RIDICULOUS - why should the customer EVER apologize for something like THIS. Poor quality person. To his credit, only after we had ALL paid and half of us left, did he give 1 gift card. However, that hardly undoes any of his false accusations of his customers, and his credibility as a good manager. Never going again, that's for sure. read more

Northstar is the spot for Fall Creekers. I stopped by here when I first moved to Ithaca for a mixer for newbies. It was a lot of fun and the space is very intimate. I would say it is much smaller than most places but if you don't mind sitting at the bar, it's a great alternative. Once I started my job, my boss and I went her a few times - she actually lives right around that area so it was very convenient. I can see why this place is such a hit for folks in the Fall Creek area. Great beer, very good food. It sounds strange but my favorite dish here is the Cauliflower dip - so creamy, so delicate, so delightful. I imagine it goes with every imaginable beer. Aside from that, I have also tried their Trout and Chips, which is wonderful in that it is not fishy at all. I have heard wonderful things about their Trio Puree and their wings. I have no been back to this spot in a few weeks but as I am writing this review, I am reminded of all its wonderful offerings. read more

Solid restaurant, good healthy and local options. Food is very fresh and obviously homemade. Prices seem a tad high and service has been only OK both times. Great outdoor seating. read more

Northstar is my absolute favorite restaurant in all of Ithaca. Thinking about their tofu hot wings and barbecue wings makes me salivate, and their drink menu is pretty sensational. Also, their beer garden is absolutely wonderful in the summer, complete with a Tiki beer bar, outdoor seating and a ping pong table. read more

Service has improved a lot - Northstar, Carriage House, and Dewitt Cafe are the top breakfast/brunch spots in Ithaca. You can't go wrong with any of these three! read more

Four of us dined at Northstar on Valentine's Day. We had made a reservation and the table was waiting for us when we arrived. The food was great and the service was excellent. And, because we had an out of town guest, we really appreciated being able to relax and "hang out" after our meal with absolutely no feeling of being rushed. They didn't need the table at that time and left us alone to spend a couple of hours of together time in a quiet corner where the sun came in warmly on a cold winters day. Wonderful experience that will have a lasting memory for us. read more

Love this place! I've been here both with colleagues and family, and have been pleased each time. The beer garden is lovely-- it was so enjoyable to hang out outdoors while watching the Olympics and then cruise to the other end of the garden to play some ping pong. The burgers are great and the beer selection is too-- you just might need to head inside if you want to take full advantage of the drink menu. Highly recommend. read more