I just can't give this place any more than three stars. My fish sandwich was decent but wasn't anything more than that. The wife got a chicken sandwich of some kind and I could tell by the look on her face she wasn't happy with it. She pulled the chicken piece out of it and it looked about like the bottom of my shoe. On the plus side my French fries were very good and the girl that waited on us was friendly and efficient. We will look around for some other place next time. read more

Not very good at all. Small salads, oily pastas, greasy fish, and pizzas that look and taste like they came out of a microwave. The one star is for our lovely server who was cheerful, attentive and funny. read more

We stopped here for lunch before taking the Erie Canal Cruise. My husband is on a low sodium diet and I like salad lunches. We had great lunches and were able to stay on our diet needs. We had a reservation, but I do not think it was needed. The food was good and plentiful. The waitstaff was super friendly and fast. read more

If I could give less than one star I would. Dakota was it incredible waitress and went out of her way to fix our horrible experience. We were seated, and the chefs told the waitress is to not submit any orders... We waited an hour and a half for our dinner. When we got it the egg plant Parm chicken Parm and veal Parm was unrecognizable. It all tasted like pre-breaded frozen meat. No one finished their meals. Dakota tried to have one of the meals removed and the owner refused. Dakota it was unbelievably apologetic and said that the cooking staff had recently changed and where trying to work things out. I won't be returning to see if they did. read more

After taking a birthday celebration cruise on Gems we decided to have dinner at the Waterfront Grille. We were greeted by a friendly hostess who seated our group -very friendly. Our waitress immediately came to our table to take drink orders and let us know about the evening specials - very friendly. A young lady that was responsible for our table brought over a plate of crackers and cheese, replenished it twice when she saw how quickly we devoured it. :-) She also was very attentive to use throughout our meal, removing dishes almost immediately. She was especially noticed and commented on by our table for her attentiveness. Our appetizers, salads, and meal were all served in a perfect time sequence. The house Italian salad dressing was light, tasty and complimented the dinner salad nicely. Our entrees were absolutely delicious. I enjoyed the Rose Pasta dish...a wonderful spaghetti dish with a tasty marinara sauce, sausage, meatballs, peppers and mushrooms. It was just like eating at an Italian family home, absolutely delish! Others at the table had the scallops, salmon, and another pasta dish all were equally enjoyed, with plenty to take home. My grandchildren enjoyed their chicken finger and fries served in a basket that added to the appeal. Unfortunately we were all to full to have desert, the choices seemed delicious, even the kids passed it by. I'm not sure how the unfavorable reviews had issues with this establishment, looking around everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as us. Can't wait to come back! read more

A group of seven of us went here for lunch after a nearby morning meeting, and were pleased with our meals. Several of us ordered salads. Three of us split two small antipastos for our lunch, and we were quite satisfied. I appreciated that it included real chunks of hard provolone and not just cut up strips of processed cheese. The salami was good, although limited in variety, and the peppers were eye-watering hot, the way I like them. This was better than many antipastos I've had in other restaurants, and the dressing was just right, nicely flavored but not dominating. We received a side order of garlic bread with it, and it was buttery, crunchy, and garlicky -- yum. A few in our group ordered the grilled chicken caesar salad and received large, filling servings which they liked. The only disappointment in our group was the margarita individual pizza. It wasn't quite what the customer expected, compared to ones she's had elsewhere, but I'm sorry I didn't follow up on why not. For the price of the meals -- reasonable -- and the professional service, we were satisfied. read more

I have been here twice as I pass through. Two very different experiences. I get the impression they prefer groups. On my first visit, had a nice meal over looking the water and had a great waitress. I was grateful for the pleasant experience. On the second visit as a single they were completely unwilling to seat me at a table and made me sit at the bar, which I found uncomfortable for a number of reason not the least of which I don't drink and it took forever to get a simple salad. Not sure if I will return. If you can stand up for yourself and insist on a table, give them a try. read more

We rented the entire restaurant out for our wedding ceremony and reception for 55 people. The owner was very pleasant and friendly. He helped us pick a buffet type menu for our reception and was very pliant about rearranging the tables and whatnot to suit our taste. He made planning much easier and less stressful, and gave a very reasonable price However the pleasantries stopped there as on the big day it seemed things were not as we had planned. The only thing the staff had to do was follow the table arrangement plan we had given them and we would be doing the rest of the decorating etc. They set up the tables completely wrong and we didn't have time to rearrange the whole restaurant. Originally we had wanted to have the ceremony in front of the big glass windows overlooking the river. But, because they didn't follow the plan we didn't get to do that. Servers and staff showed up wearing jeans and t-shirts. I was very disappointed when I saw my carefully planned, elegant wedding was going to be served by people wearing jeans with holes and old band tshirts. At the reception when the buffet was set up, the staff and servers went ahead and served themselves first before our guests and wedding party had even eaten. AFTER the staff got their food and most disappeared into the kitchen, they announced we could now go get our food. By then some staff had spilled food onto the floor and white tablecloth, and some of the platters had large "dents" taken out of the food. I'm sure the platters were once very pretty but I never got to see them before the staff dug in. Also, since they were all eating, it left pretty much no one to refill my guests glasses and BE the service staff I was paying for. I give 2 stars because the food was absolutely delicious. It was exactly as we planned (dents aside) and very tasty. Not to nitpick, but I was also very upset when I realized staff was cutting chunks off my wedding cake and putting it into containers for themselves. It had been our intention to send guests home with containers of cake if they wanted it, but after everyone had been served and staff took theirs there wasn't enough left.. including my top tier which we had intended to save and someone decided to box up and take but no one would admit they took it. It really nipped my butt because the restaurant did not provide the cake. I purchased it separately from a cake designer and they had no right to take any of it. They basically stole from me. I would definitely go there again to eat, the food is great but I will never have an event with them again because the staff they employ is despicable. read more

We are in Herkimer to look for diamonds, and decided to try dinner here. The dinner and atmosphere were very good. My husband and I had salads and they were very good, my husband said the best antipasto salad he's ever had! Just a tad pricey..... read more

We had a quick lunch before an Erie River cruise. Seated quickly. Server was pleasant and attentive. I had a grilled cheese and fries with a diet coke. Kids had chicken fingers and fries and fried ravioli with waters. Spouse had a pulled pork sandwich and coke with macaroni salad. Parents split a wrap and fries with a Saranac root beer. Overall, the food was decent and quick. The atmosphere was odd and not terribly comfortable. The bill was $53 for the meals described. It was local and quick, but nothing special. read more

My second trip here. Food was very nice! Staff is pleasant. Although I did wait a few minutes for a table and the place was empty. Chicken sandwich is priced very well and coleslaw is better than most. House salad is overpriced and could certainly be better done. ( a plate of romaine centers a slice of cucumber a slice of carrot. I know it's worth yet but it could certainly be better presented. I would stop again if I pass thru. Great view of the lake read more

Our family had a wonderful Easter Dinner here. All our meals and desserts were fantastic. Service was very good and friendly. Will be sure to go back, next time in the area. read more

We got off the Thruway to try to find something healthier that the usual service area food. It couldn't be closer or easier to get to from the Thruway and the setting on the Mohawk was very nice even though it was rainy. We had a puppy with us and did not want to leave her in the car. The hostess was very cooperative and packed up our meals for take out. I was able to get broiled salmon, a plain baked potato and a salad with dressing on the side. You can't get much healthier than that. The salad was fresh, cold and crisp; the dressings were ordinary. My husband's meat balls were lacking in flavor he said. All in all the best part of the experience was the lovely hostess who went out of her way to be gracious and accommodating read more

Stopped here on our way back from Hunter Mountain expecting a nice meal. Our party had a less than satisfactory experience. The meal was way over priced for portions and food quality. My daughter and her friend ordered stuffed rigatoni priced at $15.95. There were approximately 7 rigatoni in the dish measuring approximately 1 and a half inches in length and 1/2 inch wide. My daughter is a petite 15 yr old who has never been able to finish a meal when we go out to eat. The portion was so small she finished the entire serving and was still hungry. Her friend also completed the entire serving and was still hungry. After meal was delivered, our server never came back to check on us, nor offered any extra bread to go with our sauce. I finished my water shortly after food was served and was never offered a refill. My salad was drowned in Italian dressing. My husband's salad barely had any dressing. We were never offered dessert. My chicken was dry and the portion was smaller than other Italian restaurants. When I addressed my concern about the meal portions, she said she had never had that complaint before. However, another server in the restaurant agreed the portions were small and said she had heard that complaint before. I said you should make people aware of the small portion size when they order and stated the kids aren't even full and I'm going to have to stop at a McDonald's or something to get them more to eat. Furthermore, the service was unbelievably slow. We waited at least 30 minutes for our check and boxes. Gratuity reflects service. If you want a good tip then provide good service. read more

I can't comment on the food, the service was so bad that we ended up leaving because we couldn't get a server to take our order. The place was only half full and they weren't short of help, but people who came in after us got waited on before us, so we gave up and left. read more

Went for lunch. Food was good. Service a bit slow but is was busy. Beautiful scenery right on the water. Decor a bit strange and random. Table set up not exactly cozy...dinning room large and some tables feel like you are not even in the "dining room". read more

Terrible experience. Arrived at 5;50 PM on a Monday. Dining room was empty and 3 people at the bar. Waited nearly 15 minutes and never saw a hostess. We left. We are local and will never try the place again or recommend it to anyone. No excuse for the lousy service. read more

This is the worst restaurant experience I have ever had. Didn't even get to taste the food. Our waitress failed to explain anything on the menu and did not warn us that there $20 caprese salad was just tomatoes, 3 pieces of mozzarella, and dried basil. It was not what we expected so we asked to talk to the manager to get it removed from our bill (none of us had touched it). He came out steaming and was extremely rude. We knew at that point that any of our other food would absolutely be spit in so we requested to take the bill and send any other food that was being made back to the kitchen. The manager was AWFUL and not a single waitress smiled once. I will never go back to this overpriced and hostile restaurant. read more

My husband and I have really wanted to stop here for quite a long time. We drove out of our way over an hour with a healthy appetite for a late lunch. We pulled in at 3:20pm and as the sign said, lunch was served until 3:30pm. We were immediately greeted at the door by a woman (waitress?) who said it was too late for them to serve us. Note-there were people seated both at tables and at the bar. After an explanation of the drive we had to get there, they finally acquiesced and showed us to a table saying that the fryer was shut down so we could order anything else. Then they told us they could only make us a cold sandwich and soup. Sandwich being ham salad or turkey. We were famished so we ordered. To say the sandwiches were sloppily thrown together is doing them justice. On top of it-the ham salad on white bread-no chips, no fries, no sides cost $10.95-total cost for lunch with tip (yes, I felt guilty leaving nothing) was $42.00. I felt as if I had been robbed. The people at the other table clearly had been served dessert-we were offered nothing. I haven't had such a disappointing dining experience in a long time. read more

I would not return to eat here. I am gluten free so I played it safe. We started with the antipasti that was mostly iceberg lettuce, a couple slices of meat, and square slices of cheese. Roasted peppers seemed out of a can. We ordered steamers which were okay but served in the purple netting that they come in from the store. For dinner, one in our party got a chicken dish that was basic. Chicken, sauce on the side, and a separate bowl of pasta. One had the pulled pork sandwich which tasted like the prepped kind you get from the grocery store in the bucket and heat up at home. No one in my party ate the pulled pork or the fries. And if my kids turn down fries, that's saying something... The kids pizza was made with a frozen crust. I ordered the capris salad which was mostly tomatoes with about 4or 5 mozzarella balls. Wine was okay. Service was okay, not great. I will absolutely NEVER return. My family did say the garlic bread was good... and 2/3 liked the soup. Other than that, we weren't pleased. I gave this place 2 stars because the servers were nice and the steamers were okay. They don't have a gluten free menu so I didn't try a lot on the menu. My non-gluten free family give it 1.5 stars because they liked the soup and bread. Bill came to around $96. Not worth it. read more

Where to begin? We are from out of town and had a lovely meal at the Waterfront Grille over the summer. We planned for a nice evening out when we visited the area for Thanksgiving. We left extremely disappointed. Our server was not very knowledgeable about the menu. We had several questions about items with allergens and she could not answer any of them. She checked with the kitchen and we found that one item they didn't even have the box to check for ingredients at all and many items contained the allergen, which left very few items for us to choose from. Our server was not very sympathetic and offered no alternatives for us or help choosing non-allergen items. My husband ordered a pizza. It arrived on a 5" silver tray that was smaller than the dinner plate it arrived on. The dough was clearly pre-packaged and it was extremely overpriced at $10.95, considering the size, quality, and ingredients (sauce, basil and a sprinkle of cheese). My cheeseburger was presented with no lettuce, tomato, onion, etc. Also $10.95, it was way overpriced. Not even a leaf of lettuce for $11? Really? Our server never came to ask how our meals were. In fact, no one did. A hostess cleared our table and we only saw our server when she came with our credit card slip. This is clearly a restaurant desperately in need of Gordon Ramsay. read more

I really enjoy getting lunch or dinner on my monthly trips to this area. The staff is friendly and attentive, but without being bothersome. They can answer questions about ingredients. Menu is not extensive but has enough variety for me, plus they have specials. And a full bar, although you might need to ask about a particular wine. The view of the river is an added bonus, and the store attached is a great place to wander through before or after eating. I love that I can get steamed clams when they are in season. read more

Easter Dinner for 6 today, very good service with friendly staff. The meals were exceptionally good, fresh fish and scallops along with great steaks. This is a real great restaurant. read more

I don't understand the less than favorable reviews some people have left. Waterfront Grille is an exceptional place. The wait staff are so friendly, they make you feel right at home. There is not a long wait for the food. About the food..... Absolutely perfect and so delicious. Last night I had the broiled Norwegian salmon, twice baked potato and the fresh tomato soup. The soup was the best tomato soup I have ever had and I am a well traveled with extensive dining experience. It was seasoned perfectly, was light yet hearty. I almost never eat carbs but their bread is so good I could not help myself. The salmon was cooked perfectly, moist, succulent and most flavorful. The twice baked potato, well next time I will just order 4 of them and nothing else. My dinner companion had the fish fry. There was not a morsel left on the plate. The portion was very generous. All I kept hear was, wow, this is so good, this is so good. I have known Rocky and Barb for years it is true but you should know I rarely write a yelp review and only do so if the establishment, food, service is only of the highest caliber and one can say nothing less than that about the Waterfront Grille. I will be frequenting this establishment much more in the future. read more

I recommended this restaurant on a trip to Albany area to break up the drive. Unfortunately, 2 of the people with us got the soup and Half sandwich lunch special. They both said something was wrong with the soup, to the waitress. The waitress' response was "Hmmm, she just made it today". Never offered a replacement or reduction of the bill. I felt very bad about this because I suggested the restaurant. read more

This is a gem of an Italian restaurant with very authentic red sauces and very good and fresh shell fish and meat. A very big favorite on my list is the veal Parmesan! All the pastas are cooked perfectly and all portions are very generous. A salad is served with all entrees at dinner. The service is always friendly and professional, and you cannot beat the warmth of welcome by it's on-site owners. It is our "go-to" place for great Italian food in the area. read more

We were deeply disappointed by our most recent visit to this restaurant. Upon arrival we noticed the specials board listed Southern fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and collard greens for 12.99. It sounded like a nice comfort food meal and all 3 in our party ordered this special, which was one of about a dozen on the chalkboard at the entrance. The dining room was not busy, perhaps 5 or 6 groups of 4 or fewer at each table, less than 1/3 of the dining room was occupied, it was about 530 PM on a Monday. The waitstaff was very youthful, to the extent that they were unable to fill beer or cocktail orders and the bartender had to bring alcoholic beverages to the diners who were seeking an adult beverage. The waitstaff was pleasant enough, however not really very skilled. We were served sub sandwich type rolls with a margarine and garlic scented covering as a bread basket. We waited over 40 minutes for what we expected to be a quick service. We anticipated the macaroni and cheese and collard greens had already been prepared earlier and it should take about 15 minutes to fry chicken freshly. I was astonished to be served 4 chicken wings, one drumette and 3 wing pieces alongside a large bowl of greens and a 2 inch by 3 and a half inch rectangle of mac and cheese. I asked incredulously of the waitress if I was looking at chicken wings and she cheerfully confirmed "yup", apparently either unaware of my complete dissatisfaction of being served a small appetizer of chicken wings with 2 sides or afraid to deal with the situation. The other 2 in our party were so famished they ate their meals, although agreeing with me that the greens were heavily oversalted and possibly of the canned variety with some smoked meat added which may have been turkey or ham, it could not be determined from the taste of the bits of meat in the salty limp greens. On to the macaroni and cheese. There was a strong sweetness to the first taste and I genuinely thought perhaps a kitchen utensil had been used to dispense cake or ice cream and then used for serving the mac and cheese. Nope, it was very sweet, perhaps mascarpone or white chocolate or both ? Some may delight in a sweet mac and cheese however it is not traditional and should be mentioned on the specials board or by the waitstaff if it is a new take on an old standard. I ate a wing and it was full of veins and not very flavorful. I found the meal inedible and my disappointment caused me to lose my appetite. We had hoped for fried chicken, mac and cheese and collard greens, not a tall order. What we got was a dozen chicken wings with salty greens and sweet mac and cheese for 3 for just under 40 dollars. and I dont mean a dozen wings each, it was 4 wings each. We had a party of over a dozen here for a family members birthday celebration a short time ago and it was an entirely different experience. I probably wont return as the lack of response from the cook was too much to accept. My uneaten meal was "comped" I was told. Really ?! A complimentary meal is not the same as a customer being disgusted with a meal and not being able to eat it. A huge disappointment and an insult additionally. Mark A. Morse A central New Yorker read more

Decided to eat something other than fast food on the Thruway. Glad we did and wish we had started stopping here sooner. Good food and friendly service. read more

We were driving to Boston on the thru way and we wanted something other than rest stop pizza. Got there just before closing. The waitress was very friendly. That was about as good as it got. We ordered two pizzas to go. When the waitress came out of the kitchen the first bad sign was that they were in Styrofoam to go boxes. (small) The total for the two was $28 which is not a problem if it was good pizza. However this was not the case. I have had better pizza that came out of a freezer and was microwaved. My wife also agreed that it was not only bad but the worst she ever had and sadly I have to agree. It was soggy, small, (equivalent to about one slice of NY pizza) and just the worst pizza I ever had. This should not be called pizza and the cook should be ashamed of himself making that. You could get better pizza in a fifth grade cooking class. Too bad because the place looked really nice and watching some of the food come out of the kitchen actually looked good. BUT if you want the worst pizza you ever had guaranteed go for it. Please waterfront grill, take it off your menu... I don't think we will ever try this place again but if we do....say NO to pizza I never write reviews but this bothered me so much I had to and only got one star because I don't think I could give it zero read more

Atmosphere was charming and had a lovely view of water. However food was terribly over priced for quality. Paid $15 for 8 pieces of barely stuffed rigatoni in soupy vodka sauce. Haddock sounded promising but most flavor was in Tatar sauce. Bill came to $35 for a meal we didn't enjoy. A shame, because menu sounded great and with such a nice view I wish we could've enjoyed the food more. Excellent service but chef was sitting with customers, perhaps he should've been focusing on food during dinner rush. read more

Food was absolutely repulsive. Marinara sauce tasted like straight wine. Bitter and all. The chicken was chewy, I could taste all the hormones and processed stuff in it. The bread was the best thing about this place and the bread wasn't even that good. Needless I say I'm never leaving Westchester again. read more

Nice bar but the food isn't memorable, service so-so, and the prices are high for what the food is.

This evening, my family went to the Waterfront Grille to enjoy a meal with a view of the Erie Canal. As a large party of three generations, we were seated at two tables. A table of four for my sister, my parents and I and next to us was a table of the 6 grandchildren ages 12 - 16. After we were seated and had placed our orders, an older women approached the table with a demanding tone and required the children to give up their table to a "reservation" for a party of five. We were notified of a standing reservation and saw there was a table marked with that information in the corner. It was such an abrupt change that the waitress was confused when she returned to the dining room with the orders. Shame on this Manager. She thought nothing of taking advantage of children. We were dining early and when we arrived the dining room was virtually empty. Service slid from that point onward. The utensils at the new table for the "children" were dirty. The service became slow and they weren't respected as paying customers. We go out to dinner ALL THE TIME and clearly know the difference between good service and poor service. From a culinary standpoint, the food was mediocre and terribly overpriced. Clearly this restaurant is resting on it's riverfront real estate. A culinary destination, it is NOT. An example of service, it is NOT. I pity the owner who has employed an insensitve, ill trained manager. Good luck Waterfront Grille. I'll be back in a month, but I won't be dining with you. read more

After visiting a nearby location for poss future wedding venu, we were recommended the Waterfront Grille as a good place for waterfront, light fare dining. It was a beatiful 80 degree day on a Sunday at 5p. We were greated by the hostess asking if had a reservation, The restaurant was virtually empty. We asked if we could sit outside and she said they did not have outdoor dining. We said we heard they did by a local establishment and asked if we could sit us by a window inside then. We were then told no since we were a party of 6. There were many tables in the room including under the window that were unoccupied 4 seaters, so my guess is they did not feel like pushing tables together. We were all tired and hungry and had an hour drive home so we decided to stay. It appeared someone was setting a table for us but then the hostell said since they were busy now, we would probably have to wait twenty minutes. The menu we had glanced at only showed pricey dinner items (mostly 20 dols) Restaurant was cold, dark, and old style Howard Johnsons look to it. What a shame for a spot on a waterway. Very odd, weird service. We left hungry !! read more