This is a lovely little restaurant that is seemingly caught in some bad luck. You should be warned (as we were not) that despite the gorgeous barroom attached to the dining room (and the signage talking about wine and cocktails), they are not currently serving alcohol (due to "an incident"). I'm sure it's not a problem for some, but if you desperately need a couple glasses of wine to get through dinner with your children AND your in-laws, you might want to go somewhere else. I feel terrible for the folks running the place, because we also came in on a hot night that everyone else also decided they didn't want to cook dinner at home, and they were SLAMMED. The hostess was doing double duty as a waitress and food runner and they were visibly stressed. Thankfully, they still turned out some damn good food: I had an excellent steak (the strip), the barbecue ribs and fries and chicken fingers kept my little girls happy, and all around our larger group enjoyed what they ordered. I will happily come back, but I might wait until I know there's booze to be had. read more

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Really No stars but wasn't allowed to post that way. Your waitresses are killing your business! Made reservation for 4:00 p.m., arrived a couple of minutes after that and were told "we are not ready for dinner, give us 5 minutes to set up". Hung out in bar for about 10 minutes and went back to restaurant, waited again and people who arrived after us in line were seated before us. Given menus and water. Two more groups of people were seated. All of the other 3 groups seated ordered drinks, drinks were delivered and then their meal orders were taken. We waited 5 more minutes - no waitress to be seen - got up and walked out of restaurant at 4:50 p.m. This Is the second time we have come to this restaurant because the chef is a wonderful cook. Our service was poor the first time we came here but we loved the food and wanted to try again. We will never return. read more

Nice place to eat while in Speculator. As of July 2025 they have their liquor license back! Went on a Thursday evening for the "beef and burgundy" special. Delicious carving station (beef) w / baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and broccoli. Our group had a friendly server and a nice time! We will be back. read more

Rustic spot that exudes "Adirondack". Wonderful lake view, large menu, friendly service, woodsy and wonderful. Beautiful plates and good value. A great spot to stop for a little lunch while passing through. read more

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Not many options in Speculator area these days. The Inn finally got their liquor license back,, so we went back. It's not the same. Food is sub par. I couldn't recommend anything to order other than a burger. The dinner dishes miss the mark and are over priced. I have simple way of reviewing places..whether I'd go back or not. In this case the answer is no. read more

As we journeyed through the area, we stopped for a quick bite to eat. My husband had the open faced roast beef sandwich and I had the meditterian chicken. Food was tasty and our server was very hospitable. There was no internet available in this rural area but we would go here again. read more

My family and I go every year for Xmas Eve dinner. The service is lovely and all of the food has always been great! It's usually quiet as they do not have a liquor license so I think that keeps most people away. But they are severely missing out, every meal I've ever gotten there has been great. read more

Service- slow, and appeared to be talking about us behind their menus, whispering and pointing. Food- hot beef was very tough, although thinly sliced. Big portion, but left half. Jaws wore out from tough beef. Chicken Fransaise- lemon butter sauce was basically lemon juice. Chicken looked like it had been dredged in egg and flour and baked. No seasoning. Rice wasn't seasoned at all. Disappointing $28 dish. Rolls had no taste. Couldn't tell if they were yeast or sour dough. French onion soup was good. The ambiance was nice. read more

Very nice experience. Hostess and wait staff very nice. Beautiful view of the lake and foliage. Salmon Caesar salad very good. Hubby enjoyed his Turkey blt and pumpkin pie. Definitely will be back. read more

Dawn was our waitress and she was the greatest thing since sliced bread! Speaking of sliced bread we had a wonderful BLT that wasn't even on the menu but she was kind enough to get the chef to make it for us. read more

Terrific food and very friendly service! Enjoyed the flank steak special and my wife enjoyed the chicken francais, and we had enough for a second meal. And the desserts were fantastic. It is a dry restaurant, but the food and people are worth the stop! read more

The food was terrific and the service is so friendly. I had the fish fry dinner and it was delicious. I went with some friend and they enjoyed their food too and we were not pushed out like many restaurants do. read more

Stopped several times in the last year and they are never open! Today 6/15/24. There was a sign on the door saying closed due to technical problems????. Also another sign stating they couldn't serve alcohol. The menu looks good if only we could try it! read more

Cute and cozy restaurant. The food was standard pub fare--we had jalapeño poppers wrapped in bacon (calorie bomb but very tasty), a Cobb salad and the Buffalo burger. Strawberry shortcake for dessert was the highlight of the meal, had the classic biscuit type of cake instead of lady fingers and the strawberries were so fresh and summery. They had a mysterious sign about not having a liquor license and not being BYO on the door, so I hope they get that sorted out soon. A glass of wine with dinner would have been nice. Plus the bar/pub area was desolate. read more

Went to celebrate my Mom's birthday. Friendly service. Great steamed clams. Homemade soup was delish. Prime rib special was giant. Brought out dessert and sang to my mom. Very nice night. Thank you! read more

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Good food and service. However, they no longer have a liquor license. If I was informed of this when I made my reservation, I would have brought my own. They should be letting people know. read more

Small business with good service and good food. Generally go there at least once for dinner while camping in Speculator.

There are not many options for dining in this area. This place does have a full dinner menu, but be aware that for some reason they dont serve alcohol currently. The food is average. Quite salty. Had a french onion soup that was burnt. Better to stick with the cheaper pub items I would guess. read more

Great little spot. Clean, friendly and tasty with awesome view from the deck. We had lunch, but the dinner menu looked great too. read more

We we're a party of 3, for 6 pm. We arrived about 10 minutes early and we were seated very quickly at our table already set up for the 3 of us. Loved that! A reservation that was treated as a reservation, nice start. We told the specials, Soup of the day, and any questions we had answered on the spot. Our salads and soups came out quickly along with fresh rolls. We never felt rushed, as people started filling the restauran. Our meals were presented beautifully. 2 of us ordered the pork chops. Cooked to perfection and melted in our mouths. Very large portions, so half of each went in take away container. Hubby ordered the shrimp dish and loved the shrimp. He is ready to go back and try another dish. While on our month long vaca in the ADK, we have found a sweet spot for lunch or dinner. Don't miss out on great food, atmosphere and service. read more

To start, the fried calamari was good, and the French onion and cream of mushroom soups were very good. The maple glazed pork chop with glazed carrots and sweet potato was excellent. I thought it would be too sweet, but it wasn't. The chicken Florentine was very good. The firecracker shrimp was great, as always. The dinner special was Penne in a cream sauce with chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and artichokes. It was very good. All in all, it was a great meal. We will certainly be back. read more

I had the French Onion Soup and Cheeseburger with Fries. Still thinking about it! The food was too die for! Sorry that I forgot to snap some photos...the waitress was very sweet, and she came back often to check on us, even after we finished and just sat visiting, she checked back and topped off our drinks. The quality of the food was great. Not the BEST burger I've ever had, but certainly tasty. The soup was REALLY good. Not too salty... I was certainly too full for dessert, and brought most of my burger home for dinner. I'd love to return and try something else on the menu!! read more

If there were more places like this, the world would be a better place. I've been there many times....for a quick light dinner at the bar, with a wonderfully kind bartender (wish I could remember her name!). The bar atmosphere was very close and chatty...seems like everyone was greeting each other whether they were friends or strangers. I think it was trivia night? Or was it bingo? Something like that was going to start in an hour or so, and everyone was gathering. Bartender made me a yummy once-a-year cocktail while I downed some apps. Later in the week, I stopped in to get out of the all-day rain (I was camping) and not only was I sat at a cozy table for 2, I was right next to a outlet in the wall so I could charge my headlamp while I ate. Many times, as a solo diner- you are looked upon as a pariah, taking up seats for a bigger party. Not true here. Check out the menu- they have some really great deals! I had a pulled pork sandwich that was as good as any barbecue joint I've been to. Service is fast & friendly, with the waitstaff working together as a team to make sure everyone is served well. There was a big, boisterous party of 12? 15? in the same room, and they got served just as fast & efficiently as me. Whether it's for a chat with some new friends at the bar, a quick bite, a great deal or a nice dinner, this is the place. Not too fancy, not too "roadhouse". Just right. :) (This review was from several visits over the summer of 2022). read more

We had an amazing dinner here tonight, while visiting before our camping trip. We were able to sit outside on the deck which was set up amazingly for social distancing. The food was amazingly delicious, everyone in our party loved their meal from the toddler to grandparents. Our waitress was so nice and pleasant on Lake Pleasant. Thanks for a great dining experience read more

The Inn at Speculator has always been a spot to stop for an easy meal any time we're in town and this last visit was no different. We were greeted by the very sweet hostess who we ended up chatting with a bit, and told us she was the mother of the new owner of the restaurant. It's definitely apparent that they are trying to work out some kinks (developing a wine list, ran out of a few menu items), but overall we had a good and reasonably priced meal (with generous pours on the wine!) with great service. Give it a chance! read more

OMG. I read some of the reviews and still gave this place a try. My husband summed it up, "It's been a very long time we since I've had a meal this bad." This was epically bad food. "Chicken bruschetta", heavily cheesed chicken over Noodles and zoodles with balsamic drizzle over them and nothing else. Frozen calamari with frozen cocktail sauce. The worst "Pinot noir" I've ever had. Like, I'm pretty sure this came from a red wine jug with a handle. If you are starving and have no access to other food in the ADK, by all means, take your chances. If you have another option, take it. Eat granola bars or the peanuts between the cushions of your car. If there's nothing in your cushions, try to forage for food along the roadside. No roadkill or berries?! try this place. In that order. Service was lovely. read more

Had the best time at the Inn tonight! Margie and Vickie gave excellent service! the food was amazing and beer was cold! We will for sure be back again! Thanks so much!! read more

An absolute must for everyone! We had a wonderful dinner. The starting salad was tasty. The Filet Mignon was out of this world. Perfectly cooked at medium rare. Butterly delicious. Served with horseradish whipped potatoes and a silky puréed carrots. Also the dinner rolls with garlic and herbs were yummy. Too full for dessert but looked good. Service is great. Glad to see an old favorite brought back to life. read more

Really liked this place. Well run and good food. I would definitely go back. Nice menu which was a mix of full dinners and a daily sandwich special. Need a reservation for sure. They have a nice bar area. read more

My boyfriend and I visited the Inn at Speculator last Friday for lunch after we set up camp on Piseco Lake. It was one of the best meals I've had in a long time, and we were thrilled to have stumbled upon the Inn! We arrived at about 4 when they were still serving lunch but were setting up the dining room for dinner. When you enter, the bar is on the left, the dining room on the right, so it's nicely separated if you want a meal without the bar atmosphere. We were seated and served by Johnny with great efficiency. The menu offers standard fair - sandwiches, wraps, burgers, salads and a variety of "Americana" appetizers. We settled on a chicken quesadilla for an appetizer and each ordered a cheeseburger with guacamole and salsa on it for the main course (I forget the name of the dish). The chicken quesadilla (which let's face it - is a dish that a lot of places screw up with dry chicken or little to no filling) was divine! Big chunks of perfectly-cooked chicken, lots of cheese, and free sides of guac, sour cream and salsa. It was beautifully presented, and we ate every bite! The burgers had a lot to live up to after that, and were equally delicious. They were perfectly cooked to our desired medium-rare, and were loaded with good stuff without being a huge mess to pick up and eat. I appreciated that they were served on a substantial kaiser roll. The burgers were under $8 and the appetizer was $9 - very reasonable! Great food, friendly service - I wish we'd eaten every meal there! read more

Disappointed in the experience on July 13. Three adults with tentative hopes for a decent meal despite so so reviews. Salads ok. Warm rolls ok. Shrimp scampi was overdone and really lackluster in every way, including being lukewarm. Six small and overcooked shrimp. The two others had steak and a filet. Mashed potatoes with horseradish were not appreciated by them and did not get eaten. The whipped carrot puree was an odd summer vegetable. Overall I paid over $100 for three meals, a glass of wine. Overpriced and not worth it at all. Speculator Inn could be great, but it is a real disappointment. All meals were lukewarm despite only having three tables being serviced. The table / couple next to us were very upset with their steelhead trout and chicken dinner. PLEASE improve!! read more

I was looking forward to dinner at the Inn at Speculator. However, our timing was off and we ended up stopping in for lunch. The place was pretty empty at 3pm. It was a relatively nice day, so we opted for a table on the deck with a view of Lake Pleasant. Very relaxing. I ordered the Roast Beef Special sandwich from the menu and my husband ordered a Pastrami sandwich from the list of daily specials. My husband enjoyed his sandwich. Mine was okay. The meat was on the bland side and tasted as if it had not been seasoned at all. And, the meat soaked the bread straight through making it impossible to eat as a sandwich. But, it was not terrible and I would still like to return to try the dinner menu. read more

We have not been in a while. We went tonight. Very pleased. Air conditioning worked! Food tasty. Reservation respected. Well attended. Well served. Give them another chance. Glad we did. read more

Fantastic food! The chef came out and talked to us after we were finished. Recommend the Salmon, the flat iron steak, and the shrimp scampi.

Amazing chefs. Lunch and dinner. Fab grilled prawns, yummy French Onion soup , and delish steelhead lunch!

this was the worst place i have ever been. the lady seating us was rude and rolled her eyes when she saw us walk in. when she gave us menus she threw them on the ground and made us pick them up on our own. when the waitress brought us our food i found a dead fly in my meat and it smelled like it had been sitting out rotting for days. i tried a bite of the meat and it tasted like somebody massaged it with their bare toes before serving it to me. then we saw the other waitress digging her finger nails into my aunt janet's cheeseburger to grab out another fly. when we asked for a new dish she said "eat what you have, the starving kids in africa have nothing" overall do not recommend this place read more

Horrible food and horrible service. New owners should reevaluate everything from.the menu to the kitchen to the wait staff. Unfortunate that I haven't had a decent experience here in 20 years. read more

We had to wait a long time to be seated and so did others and they actually ended up leaving and then we ordered a filet steak that was way over cooked and they took a half an hour to even bring our salad out, absolutely horrible. read more

The restaurant was clean and the food was great. The atmosphere is welcoming and the hostess was cordial. The restaurant is under new ownership and it is a definite improvement. read more

I have tried and tried to like this restaurant, as it is minutes from our home. Unfortunately, every time we go there, things get worse and worse. The first time we tried, we were "greeted" with terrible attitudes and told that the "bar area" would be the best place for us, given the fact that we had brought along our kids! We decided to search elsewhere. The second time, we were greeted in a more friendly manor, and sat in the bar area for lunch. The food was... a long long time in coming, and really, just so-so. Today, we decided to give it one more shot. It took 20 minutes just to get 2 iced teas and a water (an order which she got wrong... she brought two waters and an iced tea and had to go back!) After delivering the drinks, she took our order. FORTY MINUTES LATER she came back to the table, and asked us to "refresh her memory"... "what had we ordered again?" We got up and left, as my husband had to take a business call, and was now going to miss having lunch. Super frustrating... because the menu looked decent, and we were looking forward to giving the Inn another try... I guess it's just not meant to be! Hopefully things improve in the future... like I said at the beginning... I would really love it if we could write a good review! read more