This used to be a good restaurant but not anymore. Don't waste your time or money on this place. Staff very rude and menu and drinks are very over priced. read more

Classic local Ithaca restaurant with friendly and humorous staff. The place has the feel of a hunting lodge and is filled with locals. This was our first visit and the Martinis were solid and the Big Mike burgers were cooked precisely rare and medium rare as requested which is our litmus test for a great restaurant. Great casual soot for dinner... read more

We were visiting Cornell from Maine. Looking for a place for dinner after several long days visiting schools. What a 'hidden' gem we found. I questioned my selection after searching for some time and Waze took me away from town. We had awesome scallops for an appetizer, several great salads and perfectly done steaks. Serve was timely and friendly. If our son ends up going to Cornell-we know where to go for a great meal. Nice and comfy atmosphere! read more

I was so excited to see they opened for brunch. We went this morning. A standard breakfast that was so tiny was $13.95. The portions have gotten so ridiculously small. Food tastes ok but very expensive for tiny portions. 2 sausage links the size of half dollars was a side for additional $4.00 Very disappointed. Just serve bigger portions for the prices your charging. It used to be a wonderful restaurant but even dinner portions have gotten smaller and smaller till they point that we stopped going. Hopefully brunch and portions will improve. read more

Went to Ithaca to look at a car which was a bust so rainy fall evening what do we do, try a new restaurant. The Antlers was wonderful! Very cozy atmosphere, love the wood work and fireplace! For apps we got the smoked trout ( never had it before ) LOVED it ! Also tried the stuffed shrimp which had great flavor! Hubby had the Salmon DIablo and I had Glazed salmon both dishes with green beans and garlic mashed potatoes, both of our dishes were delicious and the salmon quality was great ! We also tried the au gratin scallops which were super! I would totally recommend , we joked that they saved us from a wasted trip lol Also our waitress was named Annie and what a great waitress! Knew the specials, what was in the dishes ( allergy concerns ) off the top of her head, never hovered but seemed to magically appear when needed :) read more

We had our anniversary dinner there Sunday and of course it was fantastic. Food was excellent, service was great, fireplace was delightful and just love going there! Oh and try their new item mussels. They were amazing! read more

A very nice place for traditional american food. Had lots of good memory when i was at Ithaca.

The food was mediocre for the price, tables and booths are cramped to the point I could smell the not so recently showered person behind me. Good for going out in a pinch, but not what I would have expected. read more

One of the best meals I've ever had, I would come back to Skye just for this restaurant

We really enjoyed our meal here. The restaurant has been there for a long time. Real wood fire was burning near us. Bombay and tonic was perfect. We had the ribs, chicken and salmon. There was a pretty long wait but everything was cooked perfectly. Would definitely return. read more

Very satisfactory eatery, with old-school decor, blending rustic with somewhat upscale. Appetizer was flatbread - kinda tasted like a pizza - could have been larger, actually! The lobster bisque was delicious, though wished it was less starchy. Scallops with wine cream sauce were also delicious; the wine flavor stuck around too long, and there was a significant amount of cream, but generally was good, and the portions were not bad. The burger left a bit to be desired; it could have held its heat a bit better, and could have been warmer or hotter to the touch. The desserts, including cheesecake, New England Indian pudding, and sorbet were all decently sized, and provided nice finishing touches to the meal. read more

Excellent food . Excellent service. Everybody in the party loved their meal especially the ribs appetizer and the Chicken Marsala dinner. read more

I like the place, and I recommend it to anyone who feels like a burger. We ordered their food delivery last night: I had their burger last night and my spouse had the bacon burger. Both were very tasty: well cooked and full of flavour. The fries lost a bit of their crispness due to the delivery, but were still tasty -- I imagine they would be fantastic if you ordered them in-person dining. I liked their coleslaw. And we also had 3 ribs which were very tasty. All and all, a lovely meal that held up very well to delivery. I'm looking forward to the day I get to enjoy their food in person. read more

It was alright. Nice portions. Interesting citrus butter with rolls. Slowest service imaginable. But they were friendly. Cool place but you're not missing out. Don't bother with the prime rib special. Bland af read more

This place was killer . A 5 star place for sure . Food was great .had scallops au-grauten were to die for . My girl had Stuffed shrimp. It was good. The fillet was cooked to perfection for her and my scallops shrimp and mushrooms was good read more

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My husband and I went on prime rib night, made a reservation just in case. Husband got the prime rib, it wasn't good, overlooked despite asking for it not to be well done. My scallops were also unimpressive. The service was slow and then for some reason my card wouldn't work but a preauthorization was put on my card. I went somewhere after and used my card no issue. I drove back to the restaurant to make sure the charge didn't go through, ruined our nice night out for dinner. They couldn't figure it out that night. Manager/owner had to call me back which he did, but still frustrating. Too much of a hassle for nothing. My husband and I haven't gone back and won't. read more

Wonderful meal! We were pleasantly surprised when entering into such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The wait staff is lovely and very attentive. The important part of this review is to know how great the food is! Can't wait to go back and bring friends! read more

"Good for Ithaca" Decor: Pretty cool place. The fireplace and stuffed animals reminds me of a stereotypical man-cave or lodge you'd see on TV. Food: Ok, but in typical Ithaca style, a bit on the expensive side for the portions. Ribs are pretty decent, but the burgers are pretty small and consistently dry. Service: Fine. Polite, but not the fastest. read more

We went to the Antlers on the recommendation of the front desk clerk of the hotel where we were staying. It was very casual and relaxed and the food was very good. My husband had a huge burger with fries and Cole slaw; and I had the flank steak with mashed potato and vegetable. Both were very good, done as requested. The waitress had several tables and was very busy but was very friendly and efficient. Prices were moderate. The manager was very personable, engaging customers and following up on people's satisfaction. Would recommend. read more

Stumbled upon this restaurant and saw they were opened for inside dining. The bread and citrus honey butter were fantastic. The salmon el Diablo was superb. Tender and tasty. The baby back ribs were also VERY good. Could not have asked for better service. Cozy setting with blues music playing softly in background. Just perfect. If in this area again, will be sure to stop in read more

Wow, I am so pissed. "Discover Delightful Dining" my ass. More like "Damn Disgusting Dining." What's more a lot of people have given great reviews about this restaurant, and that is why I am so much more disappointed. Someone wrote that the food quality has suffered lately, suffered is not severe enough of a word. Starting from when we entered the restaurant, I was excited for the Thursday Lobster $15.99 special. I had heard great things and lobster just happens to be one of my favorite foods. We had made a reservation for four. First, the host who comes to sit us gives us a look kind of just gives us a cold "come sit here please." I thought nothing of it, seeing as it might just be how the guy is (and I also think he was the owner). The restaurant itself seemed like a very homey classic restaurant, with traditional food. Imagine a Johnny Rockets meets Cabin in the woods atmosphere. Yes, it was sort of busy, but not super packed or anything that it should have taken that freaking long to serve us. First, it takes them at least 20 minutes to ask us if we wanted drinks. Then they come back another 20 minutes later to ask us what we wanted. I wasn't too upset at this point as I was having a nice time talking with friends. The garlic bread they gave was pretty good and warm, so I'm getting even more excited and I'm whetting my appetite in anticipation for that lobster. Even the mashed potatoes and dilled carrots were pretty good. Finally, our lobsters come out. Wow. I didn't know you were allowed to feed trash to people. My lobster was horrendous, disgusting, and just overall, so disappointing. I'm not even angry that I wasted my money, but WHAT A WASTE OF A LOBSTER. They over-boiled the hell out of it. It was basically just mushy liquid inside. I should have stopped eating it after I noticed that, but naive me, thinking about how great I hear Antler's was, just could not imagine a bad dining experience. Also, I had expected the tail to at least be good because usually the main body of the lobster tends to be a little softer. It was like eating mushed up watery lobster crap. I literally can't think of anything else, it was revolting. After that, no waitresses ask if our meal turned out okay or if we needed anything. Only after we finish the meal, the lady comes and asks if we want anything else. I just want the check and want to get the hell out of there. I shouldn't have tipped. In fact, I should have been paid to eat that. It was like something straight out of those reality tv shows where they put stuff like frogs in a blender and made contestants drink it.That lady is lucky she didn't ask me how I liked my meal, I would have exploded on her. How can service be that horrible? They basically ignored us the whole time. I don't know how I ate that crap. Thank God my parents raised me right. I just paid the damn bill, and steamed out of there. -2 Stars For Horrible ass service, -2 Stars For animal cruelty and boiling the lobster so long it looks like barf. I'm not overly picky, but I love seafood and I value good service. I don't think I would be as pissed as I was if at least the waitress tried to treat us like customers. This place is not worth your money (plus it's pretty expensive) or time. Actually, I guess maybe you should come here if want to prepare for being a contest on "Fear Factor." read more

An exquisite mix of a country estate & cozy mountain lodge--the Owner graciously opens the front door and greets each customer--happy to seat tables both large & small. The warm feeling of the restaurant---both the environment and treatment the staff give to all customers is certainly a unique find in a small town where living wage and unions dominate local politics. And yes, the wood fireplace actually runs during the winter--keeping both people & the food warm (in the summer fresh flowers are placed in the fireplace). As a New Yorker of 8 years and Cornell graduate, I can without a doubt say The Antlers provides the perfect blend of a high-quality dining experience with the food that matches and is actually fabulous as well. Try a delicious fresh Maine lobster on lobster night (Thursday)--or the lobster bisque on any other night...or if you don't like those options--the restaurant's many various other meat (steaks, burgers & London broil) & fish dishes too--and let's not forget the vegetarian pasta options! Coupled with their classic "Antler's salad" any entree (and desert) you choose will delight your taste buds and leave your body with the same feeling of warmth you encountered when the Owner so graciously opened the front door. read more

My wife and I were in the area visiting family before the holidays. We wanted a nice dinner, searched around yelp and settled on "The Antlers". Upon pulling in there was nothing but good signs, plenty of cars in the lot, nice decorations outside for the Holidays. Looked busy and promising. Upon entering the hostess politely asked us if we had made reservations, we hadn't, but were seated right away at a high top just outside the bar. This is where the obvious signs of what was to come should have been appreciated, but we failed to do so until after the meal. First we were the only patrons there without a AARP card. Second every transfer from one level to the next, was a ramp/walkway. All signs that were pointing to what was to come, but we soldiered on. We started with a bottle of wine. I got the lobster bisque to start, small but appropriate tea cup filled with a bisque with good balance, some small chunks of meat, and nice cream finish on top, and a very faint touch of nutmeg, nice touch for the season. The bread was a small baguette with tough skin, dripping with butter and garlic. Not appetizing at all due to the toughness of the bread. For my main, I ordered the baked haddock with steamed broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes. My wife ordered the salmon with horseradish and pickled vegetable garnish, vegetable meddly of squash and the garlic mashed potatoes as well. The dishes came to the table with no presentation taken into consideration at all. The plate was a small 8" diameter plate, and the portions in respect to the sides, were skimpy at best. Also the rims of the plate hadn't been wiped after plating, and some sauce and crumbs were left unfinished. My fish had broken while being plated and the crumb topping with sauce had slid off to the side, if it was on to begin at all, I don't know. Served with skin on the bottom which was a saving grace, in respect to moisture, due to the fish itself being over cooked and dry. My wife's salmon was quite delicious, although similarly plated haphazardly. The pickled vegetable countered the smooth salmon nicely. As for the sides, the mashed potatoes with garlic might as well have been called mashed garlic with potatoes. Wow what a punch to the palate! We are both lovers of garlic, but this was wayyyy to much garlic. We both swapped our mash for a baked potatoes with sour cream on the side. My "steamed broccoli" was microwaved and resembled sad mushy left overs. My wife's meddly was salty and over seasoned and complete mush. When she requested for new sides with less seasoning for both the potatoes and squash meddly, we were told they were all preprepped/preprepared and nothing good be done. Damn, they cant or wont make fresh sides? Also what with all the dried parsley over everything? While eating our meal, a couple of the wait staff had congregated near the service station at the end of the bar to wait for their drinks from the bartender etc. Now in fairness, we were sitting right in front of the bar, but we and others audibly heard over the hum of the restaurant the bartender say rather loudly "...and then I got my period again!" A couple scouring "side eye" glances confirmed that they heard it as well. Now I don't know about you, but 1. The waitstaff congregating in view of the dining room to chat is just poor service. And 2. Nothing other than work or service related things should be discussed on the dining room floor in front of patrons! We were shocked and rather put off. Overall, we will most definitely not be returning to the Antlers. From over salty, banquet style food with no finesse, to the nice update on the bartenders menstual cycle. And worst of all, we got it all for the whopping price of 87.00 dollars. Fool me once... read more

We had a large group and the service was great. All of our food came out at the same time. Looking around the restaurant, the crowd was all much older and without families. The age of the crowd made more sense when our food portions came out. Sandwiches and entrees alike the portions are pretty small. I had a crab cake and it was more breading than crab. In short it would not be something I would order again. In general the food was pretty mediocre and the prices seemed a bit high for both the quality and the amount. read more

Haven't been to this dump since the horrible visit six years ago. I wanted to take my parents out to dinner, and they said they had never eaten here. So we stopped in a on a completely slow saturday. The frowning, humorless host led us past the tables near the inviting fireplace, and directed us to a table in a far back corner that was so dark and chilly, we couldn't even read the wine list. After being abandoned for about fifteen minutes, we decided we would leave to find a restaurant that actually wanted customers. So as we approached the exit, Chuckles sneeringly asked us what was wrong? "Well! I could sit you somewhere else!", he hissed. No thanks, Lurch. I guess there's enough first-timers and trust-fundies to keep this mausoleum afloat for so long. read more

We came for the Thursday night lobster special, which is a crazy deal at $16.95 for a lobster. The lobster was small (to be expected), but good. I ordered the vegetable of the day, local sweet corn, and it was a bit over cooked for my liking and could be seasoned better. I also had the garlic mashed potatoes and the flavor was good but the texture was glue-y. We had coffee and creme brûlée for dessert. The coffee was terrible - watery and weak and tasted like Folgers. Possibly the worst coffee I've had in Ithaca. The creme brûlée was overwhelmingly sweet and lacked vanilla bean and the portion was too big for me. The service was spotty. She was great at first and became more and more absent as the night went on. We had a reservation but definitely didn't need one on a Thursday night. They also have prime rib specials Tuesday and Wednesday's I think, if that's of interest. read more

Went for a prime rib and ordered a medium rare, when I received the dish it was cold the membrane was still on the rib and the grave tasted like alcohol. I had just worked a 12 hour day so was so hungry and just ate. read more

Went back in person now that lots of folks are vaccinated and it was just as it was before Covid. Great food and great service

Lobster Bisque, Santa Barbara Salad, and the desserts are excellent. I have been there about 30-40 times over the decades as my family likes going there for birthdays and it conveniently located. However the mentioned food dishes are the only memorable items I can think of after all these years. I have been disappointed with Tuscan Fettuccine. It's description has suckered me in a few times and after I get it and it's bad I remember "oh yeah I hate that dish". Don't take any vegans there as they will be horrified by the tacky hunting lodge decor and menu. The walls are crammed with big, old, dusty mounted heads of bison, elk, deer,"jack-a-lope", etc. and use poor judgement in commissioning artwork to make fun of a Cornell institution. Usually way too dark and dusty fake plants. We have always had excellent service. The menu hasn't changed much if at all and no entrees that wow you. Would be great if they had some fresh and new items on menu. read more

Tried this place the night after going to Lucatelli's (see my review). What a world of difference. Spectacular environment, friendly staff, good prices. My wife and I split a bowl of the lobster bisque (delicious!), a crabcake sandwich (delicious!) and finished it off with the indian cornmeal pudding -- I highly suggest you try it if you go. Cons: Fairly out of your way if you're staying at a B&B that is outside Ithaca; we went during a bit of a snow, and getting up their sharp driveway to the parking lot can be sort of scary if you're not driving an SUV. It's worth the hassle though. If we weren't moving, I'd definitely go back! read more

I was recently there to celebrate my sister's graduation and I have to say I wasn't that impressed. I thought the food was fine but nothing amazing. I'm not sure if this is typical or because they were so busy with all the grad familys that the food quality suffered. It was so unmemorable that I can't even remember what I ordered. My sister did get the ribs and she was really happy with that and it looked pretty good. There are definitely better options in Ithaca than this place but I'd go back if I had to. read more

Strong service and a quiet (save the rambunctious kids near us) setting. Nice preparation and presentation. Friendly and warm atmosphere.

Greedy prime rib. The specials are always changing and the prices good. Lobster night is also good, nice time for a date! read more

I've been going to the a Antlers for years - when I was younger it's where I always went for my birthday. I don't go as often anymore, but when I do I always enjoy it. The staff is friendly and prompt. The atmosphere has a intimate charm to it - the kind of place where you want a quiet meal and good conversation. It's not loud with music or crowds of excited people making a lot of noise while eating. It's a very relaxed atmosphere, and avoids being stuffy, but at the same time isn't overly casual. One note, if you have an aversion to taxidermy you probably won't be comfortable here. These days I generally go on Thursday nights as they serve lobster then. It's a fair price for the area since we're not in the heart of lobster country here. The Wednesday night prime rib is also really good. I've never been displeased by a dish here, though a couple times I've had things which I felt weren't up to the same level as other meals I've had there. And of course it's always nice to end a good meal with an Irish Coffee or maybe the chocolate mousse. read more

I got hungry and went down to the hotel desk to ask about close restaurants while working in Ithaca. The front desk-man suggested this place, so there I went. Anyone who has seen the '80s movie Baby Boom knows what I mean when I say this place looked like the little town lodge in Vermont. You pull up to what looks like a rec house in the middle of a nice neighborhood. A coat room and warm fire welcomed me, and a sparse amount of couples were scattered around the room. My colleague and I sat down and all I could say was "how precious." Beyond the old school decor, this place had great food. My stuffed shrimp came with excellent garlic mashed potatoes, and some type of wonderful zucchini. The zucchini was refreshingly sweet, and for the life of me I can't figure out what they used to season them. Ithaca is not big on chains, so give this local restaurant a try. read more

Service was excellent and friendly. I was dining alone and didn't have a reservation, but they were able to accommodate me quickly. I would recommend a reservation if you have a group of people. Food was good and the ambiance was nice. read more

You cannot have a bad meal here. I have folks in Dryden, Freeville, and Ithaca and we love coming here for a nice supper. Our waitress most recently, Jackie, was wonderful, friendly, and attentive. We ordered wine, bread, appetizers and desert and all were served hot and well cooked with fresh ingredients. The meal is always really nice, but the environment is one where if you're dressed up or dressed casually, you'll feel comfortable and welcome. This would be a good date spot or group dinner spot, too, though I'm not positive how kids would fare here. read more

Another favorite of mine whenever I'm in the Ithaca area. I came here in the middle of graduation weekend at Cornell, and it was obviously booked solid. It did not feel that way at all as the atmosphere gave it a kind of " Home " like feeling no matter how many people there were. The food has always been top notch and the same can be said of the service. We had a rather larger group but our server was always there when something was needed. We left around 8:30 and people were still pouring in for dinner. This place is definitely popular and one visit will be enough to show you why. read more

Antlers is a great spot to go for the ambiance. In the winter months, the restaurant is very charming on the inside with the unique fireplace, pictures, pine plank floors, etc. The food is quite good - I've had their pasta dishes, salmon, steak and a mix of other items throughout the years. I do recommend this place but sometimes the service can be a bit slow. Stand by the fireplace in the winter and admire the great panorama shot of Denali National Park in the entrance room. They also have great wood match sticks to grab on your way out! read more

Food took a very long time to arrive. Steak fries not really fries, more like baked potatoes quartered and seasoned, garlic bread not quite garlic bread and Antlers Classic burger was ok but not hot enough even though we were the first dinner customers. read more