I'm writing this during the isolation order due to COVID19. They have a good pickup system. I ordered the fried chicken, a salad, dessert and a drink called Bodega Man. The chicken smelled so good it was all I could do not to pull the car over and start eating it before I got home. The chicken was delicious, the coating was perfectly crisp and the meat moist. The mixed greens were fresh and the buttermilk dressing tasty. The donuts were smaller than I envisioned but were heavenly. The drink was a wonderful mix of bourbon, bitters and pineapple. Tasty and strong. I'm looking forward to being able to drink at the bar and eat at a table again in the future but in the meantime I'm truly grateful that they are still available to us. read more

First time visiting Ithaca. Absolutely loved it. Food and drinks were exceptionally good and staff was friendly.

This place is a cute hole in the wall, and has a decent burger. It was heavily seasoned but very well done at the same time. Mock tails offered here were yummy! read more

Our favorite Ithaca upscale restaurant! The staff here are as friendly as they get and very accommodating. The constant menu change and New Year's Eve three course meal always has us coming back! We love their donuts for dessert and highly recommend literally anything on the menu!! read more

I'm not an easy customer to please, but let me say this was by far one of the best meals I've had in my lifetime. From the service to the cocktails to our meals, everything was outstanding. We had the grilled dates which were simply divine, the flank steak which was cooked to perfection with a romesco sauce that kept us on our toes! And I ordered a fan favorite, the black pepper gnocchi, which did not disappoint. My husband and I will he frequenting this establishment every time we are in Ithaca. Thank you for bringing fine dining to this hippie town! read more

Wonderful atmosphere, great service , interesting fare and delicious--we enjoyed the liver pate with yummy red onions that were brined in whey, lovely squash tart with mascarpone cheese, and the trout was delightful veggies and served nice and hot! The peach dessert was also fabulous... Can't say enough good things! Added benefit was that it was not freezing in the eating area! read more

Hidden gem In Ithaca. Limited menu, but that's the beauty....they know what they do well. We loved everything, the fried chicken is super moist, the rib special was fantastic, street corn delicious, date app was unique. My most favorite though was actually the tomato salad. A fresh side dish with all that heavy food. The drinks were spot on also! Additionally, we sat outside as all their tables now are located outdoors so I guess if it's raining you'll have to do take out. read more

Everything here was perfect! Portions aren't huge for the price, but it is a fancier place. But everything was delicious! We got the grilled dates as an appetizer which were so delicious, they're a must have! I got the house ricotta gnocchi and my fiancé got the blackened catfish. Both were amazing! For drinks we got Birds of a Feather and Inside of Clouds which were two great cocktails, however we preferred the Birds of a Feather because it was sweeter and fruitier. It's great if you like grapefruit! Would love to come here again next time I'm in town. read more

The Rook is one of my favorite places in Ithaca. The service is exceptional, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the food is delicious. My favorites are the greens that come with their fried chicken and their little dessert donuts...so damn good! Can't wait to get back to town so I can stop by and eat there again. read more

Awesome cocktails and good food make this a must eat place in Ithaca. The service is on point, both from the bartenders and the wait staff. Also, they have some incredible vegetarian appetizers and entrees. read more

Great place, a bit of a walk from the Commons, but well worth it. Great selection of food, awesome appetizers and a good late night menu as well. Whether it is beer, wine or liquor, there is a choice for everyone. read more

The service, atmosphere and the food was FANTASTIC!! :) i love the beet salad and the spaetzle tasted like old world German style flavor! :) fantastic food and service. very trendy and chic location and very nice within walking distance from the commons and parking therein. i very much enjoyed the vegan fare! a fantastic place for vegan and non vegan fresh fit fare! read more

We came here after wine tour on Cayuga lake. It's American style food. I had fried chicken which is half a chicken with collard greens. It was crispy and tasty. I would prefer if they serve collard greens on side instead of in one dish. My partner had flank steak and he enjoyed it. They have some interesting cocktails. They do have good wine selection but I would prefer to have my wine in wine glass and not cocktail glass. Especially with Reds it can make a difference in taste and smell. Good place though. Seems cozy. read more

I was looking forward to a lovely late night dinner but was sorely disappointed. Place was pretty empty- but not uncommon for a Tuesday eve. The first sign was having to wave frantically to try and get the attention of our hostess waitress- who preferred chatting with the bar tender than taking our order. Then, both our burger and steak were not medium rare but bloody rare. For an established restaurant with a pretty limited menu- this was a total surprise. At least the duck fat fries were good. read more

Best fried chicken EVER!!!! First experience here was carry out because of COVID19 pandemic but let me say that I was more than pleased! The duck fat fried chicken? Are you kidding me? Delicious! The roasted cauliflower and spaetzle (Mac and cheese) was also a huge hit amongst the 2 families eating dinner. Already planning the next trip there, and it's an hour drive from where we live! Super friendly staff too! Treat yourself!!!! read more

Dinner was ok. I had the steak (cooked medium) and a friend had the salmon. The salmon was not anything worth celebrating. The worst part of our experience came from the staff, however. They were ridiculously rude and condescending. We had a large group, and it's likely that we won't be coming back. read more

This place is a gem. Off the beaten path, but a nice little stroll from the commons. We had the date appetizer with the fried chicken and flank steak for dinner. All were unbelievable! I don't know what they put in their collard greens but they are the best I've ever had! Our drinks were fantastic. It's so nice to find a bartender who makes a good craft cocktail. What makes this place even more unique is the fact that this is not a kid friendly place but the staff is certainly kid friendly. We came for dinner with our 7 year old, sat outside, and they brought out a coloring book and crayons. They also asked if there was anything they could bring out to make our son happy with his steak after he started to melt down. Our server also chased us down the street after I had forgotten my sweater. I hope this place stays just as it is... perfect! read more

Absolutely amazing! The food and drinks are all thoughtfully crafted. Service is always helpful and caring. Don't miss the peanut butter and butterscotch dessert. read more

I really wanted to order take out from here but had a poor experience in trying to place my order. Initially I called at 6:30 and was told the kitchen wasn't taking to-go orders yet so I should call back in an hour. They didn't say anything about only being able to order take-out when dinner service was slow so I waited an hour 15 and called again only to be told to try calling back in another hour. I explained I had just done that and the guy said "yea we're busy." I said something like "I'm just trying to figure out if I should keep waiting another hour to maybe be able to order or figure something else out" and he said "well you could try coming in for dinner" in a pretty rude tone. It was unhelpful and wasted my time and if he had just said after the first call "oh we only do take out when it's slow" I would have understood it was a gamble and made other plans since I specifically needed to do takeout. read more

Cocktails were great. Docked a star for the food and some other cultural issues. Something about paying $8 for four dates rubbed me the wrong way, and the hush puppies came with a sweaty, thin and separating pimento cheese, and were something we struggled to finish. The ambiance of sitting outside brought the irony of gentrification to the forefront. Literal crackheads, dozens of them purchasing and selling drugs and handling neighborhood issues steps from a place where none of the actual occupants of the neighborhood were welcome made me feel as weird as the lauded fried chicken Wednesdays advertised in the bathroom. Worth a visit, yes, but be prepared to ignore who you are, and where you are while an entire population steps from the front door would never be at home in the environment. There are ways of being more inclusive. read more

The gnocchi dish was delicious as was the simple buttermilk salad. We went right when they opened and didn't have to wait at all. Good service and cocktails too. read more

I cannot day enough good things. We had nine menu items total and each one was delicious. The spaetzel and schnitzel and the bacon-wrapped dates might be the best part. Jason makes a mean custom cocktail too! I strongly recommend this place for some killer drinks and flawless food. read more

Well I could tell they were trying to do the American(new) and stylish restaurant. However, food was just okay. Portion size was way too big, which kept us from trying more dishes. Food was overpriced too. read more

I have eaten here on 5 occasions in the last 4 years and NEVER been disappointed. You cannot BEAT the fried chicken. The duck fat fries are out of this world. I make mean collard greens and theirs are better than mine!! Waitstaff is super friendly and did not constantly bother us during our meal, were very observant, and only showed up when needed. Great atmosphere, and EXTREMELY well prepared food. Grateful for the outside seating, as I can bring my cockatoo and let him sit with us outside and he is happy as a clam (and loves the fries!!). You will not be disappointed if you are a true foodie, and try The Rook. read more

I have been here a couple of times for both dinner and drinks. For dinner, the food was delicious. I have had grilled dates and savory tart as starters. The grilled dates were the perfect amount of savory and sweet. The savory tart had a phyllo dough shell which was greasier than I expected, but the mushroom and onion filling was delicious. I also throughly enjoyed the trout and flank steak. The fries have the perfect amount of seasoning. Their drinks are inventive and tasty. The menu changes frequently by my observation. Try the Birds of a Feather! It is light and citrusy! read more

The cocktails we had are very delicious! We had the duck nuggets and the grilled dates for appetizers and then the duck fat fried chicken and the roast trout for entree. It's probably the best fried chicken I've ever had. The food is absolutely amazing! Would definitely recommend this place to friends and come back another time! read more

Came in late to get some work done with the free wifi and had an excellent time! Cool atmosphere, kind servers and delicious food! I had the bundt cake and trifle and both tasted amazing (trifle was my favorite). I highly recommend it if you need a late night spot to chill! read more

Excellent food and service. Bistro vibe. Value for sure Full service bar. Skillful bartending. Terrific addition to the Ithaca restaurant scene. Call me a regular. read more

I loved the Negroni on tap! Great beer & cocktail selection. I came as a late night diner and thoroughly enjoyed the burger & fries. The burger was cooked perfectly to my liking and the brioche bun was delicious. Loved the cornichon on top and the red pickled onions were an awesome topping. Shared the grilled dates with the table - super yummy and fun. Causal atmosphere. GORGEOUS BAR! read more

So far, I have been to The Rook for drinks and dinner and both have been fantastically pleasant. The staff is so nice, but not overbearing. The food is delectable and skillfully selected and prepared. We had the Reuben fries to start and an assortment of excellent entrees. The desert donuts are great too! I'll be back, just what Ithaca needed!! read more

Amazing drinks, delicious food. We went right at 5 when they opened and decided to sit at the bar. All of their house-made cocktails were fantastic (we tried about 3 each!) Bartender was super friendly and even made me a drink he had been experimenting with off menu. The appetizers we shared were delectable along with the dessert! Love this place and can't wait to go back! Highly recommend. read more

The Rook - New American Near Me - Ithaca, New York

The food is creative and the customer service is refreshing. They accommodated our party of 7 with no wait time on a Saturday night. The gnocci and duck fries were unique and delicious, and the donuts are a must try! read more

The food here doesn't come cheap, but it was the finest meal out I've had in Ithaca in recent memory. The fried chicken (fried in duck fat) has a light crispy crust which the smoked honey really adds to while the inside is perfectly juicy. The collard greens with ham hock also rival those that I've had in the south. The snackboard also deserves your attention, especially for the chicken pate and salmon rilletes. I was somewhat less impressed with my friend's pork shoulder that I tried, but I think that was more of a personal preference. read more

Excellent food and a great atmosphere. Service was fantastic and the selection of alcohol was outstanding.

We're from Bay Area near San Francisco, dropping off our youngest for her sophomore year. We've visited numerous times over the past year and have struggled to find a great restaurant, even though the one inside our hotel is supposed to be awesome. It's always been good, never great. But the Rook was simply great. The gnocchi was a different twist from the usual preparations of red sauce or pesto, and was super tasty. The tomato salad was wonderful as well, and featured a fantastic cheese apparently made by the owner/chef. My daughter had the blackened catfish and proclaimed it "best ever". And the desserts were fantastic. We enjoyed it so much we are returning tomorrow night. read more

I had high hopes for this place based on the reviews. The food was ok at best. The service was great and I love the atmosphere. The drinks are good and it's clear the bartender knows what's up. The dates appetizer was good. My husband had a burger and it was fine, the fries were good. I ordered the steak. The steak itself was so-so. Cooked as specified but not really that flavorful. The potatoes were bland and cold and dry. It would have been better served with their fries. The smoked onions were great I wish there were more. The dish really needed some sauce- something to tie it together. The trifle dessert was good but I wasn't blown away. All in all I'm on the fence on whether I'd go back. Maybe I'd try the fried chicken next time. read more

Fabulous food and excellent service. Everything that our table of 6 ordered was met with rave reviews - perfectly cooked, seasoned, and plated. Our server was attentive and friendly. Would definitely recommend this establishment to anyone in the area and can't wait to dine there again soon. read more

Was disappointed after all the great reviews. Place was kid friendly and service was ok (friendly although server didn't clear us before our entrees arrived). I just felt every dish that we had; the bacon wrapped dates (too dry), the snack board, the flank steak (a tough cut which was undercooked), and the savory tart (too heavy on the cheese and very rich) all missed the mark. The windowsills also had a bunch of cobwebs (my kids tried to play with them). We didn't try any cocktails, just wine, although the cocktail program looks very good. Maybe just an off night. read more

We had the worst service experience we've ever had at an Ithaca restaurant. The host was rude and completely detached from the concept of customer service. We waited for over an hour after he told us it would just be a minute with a few tables already eating dessert. I get it, sometimes people just hang around and talk, good for them. When we asked after an hour, we were told we were the next group and then the host sat another party at the table that arrived 15 minutes prior. When I asked what happened, he snapped at me and said they called ahead. Meanwhile, we called ahead and were told they do not accept reservations. Of course, we left without being seated at all. Ugh. In my opinion, this is another trendy little place that will be around for a couple more years until their employees drive everyone away. I'd recommend one of the many other options in Ithaca that actually care about their customers. read more

I loved this place, and even though I dropped in a bit late, my bartender and the staff were really great. I ordered the fried chicken, which was very good. Also, the cocktails were some of the best I've had recently, even compared to NYC. I don't get to Ithaca very often, but I hope to go back. read more