This was a go to spot while we were staying at the grand cascade lodge. The food was consistently good and we came almost every day of our stay
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Tommy A
I’m just your average working class person, and this spot blew me away. Breakfast was amazing (the French toast was unreal), and dinner didn’t disappoint either. The menu’s small, but every dish is top-notch. You can tell they care about what they make.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
D H
Don't ask someone making a reservation at this place if you are celebrating an occasion when you don't even acknowledge it. 700 a night to stay here and not have a decent meal. Shame on this place.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Manager
I recently stayed at the grand cascades and dined at Crystal tavern more than once. We kept giving it chances. The only thing that was remotely tasty for breakfast is their coffee. As for dinner, everything was awful. I was very disappointed. For such a costly resort, they need to do better with their food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Deborah Heaton
Unfortunately we had several extremely disappointing meals here. We stayed at the resort and it was the only restaurant open during our 3 days. The restaurant is small and has a large party room attached. The constant noise from staff setting up and cleaning up from events was really loud and disturbing. This happened during 3 different meals. The restaurant staff closed the doors to the party room on multiple occasions trying to cut the noise level down but the catering staff had to push carts full of dishes and other things across a bumpy floor through the restaurant. Clearly the guests who are dining take a back seat to private events. The menu options were limited and not very interesting. The dinner menu was completely warn away and you couldn’t read multiple descriptions. The server looked for a better menu but they were all the same. The food quality was poor. They had no bread at breakfast other than an English muffin or a frozen style bagel. No pancakes, waffles, muffins, or any type of pastry available. Not a single seasonal item or special offering to be had at any meal. This was far from an up scale restaurant. We heard NO so many times in 3 days because they were out of so many things. We arrived on Sunday at 5pm and left on Tuesday. We would not return or recommend this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 4
ORCL Health
Our dining experience at Crystal Tavern was a complete letdown, spoiling our wedding anniversary and birthday celebration. The Manhattan the clams in the manhattan chowder were gooey and the soup overly salty. The French onion soup was the only edible dish. Everything else was atrocious. As a Maryland native, I found the crab cake—soggy, mushy, and utterly deplorable—to be the worst I’ve ever had. The ribs had a foul odor, suggesting spoiled meat, and the beef fat fries reeked like a dirty gym sock, rendering them inedible. Even the complimentary dessert was poorly executed and unenjoyable.
The staff—Sue at the front desk, Cheryl at the activities desk, and our server Rachel—were exceptional and a delight, but their kindness couldn’t salvage the abysmal meal. To add insult to injury, while my complimentary drink was free, they charged $8 for my wife’s “complimentary” drink, which was a flat sparkling beverage that tasted like it had been open too long, lacking any fizz.
At these prices, this level of incompetence is unacceptable. In our four years here in New Jersey this was the worst dining experience we’ve had. The breakfast at Kites, another hotel restaurant, was equally dreadful. We cannot recommend any of the hotel’s dining options and won’t return.
To management: spare us empty apologies. My wife, with over a decade in the restaurant industry, agrees that the pattern of similar complaints reflects serious issues with ingredient quality, kitchen execution, and basic oversight. Soggy crab cakes, rancid ribs, foul fries, subpar dessert, and a flat, overpriced “complimentary” drink are inexcusable for a high-end venue. Either the kitchen isn’t tasting the food, or their standards are so low they can’t tell it’s inedible. Months of consistent negative feedback demand immediate action. Taste the food yourselves—honestly—and address this culinary disaster.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
Kathryn Wisse
Rob H gets every star that exists in the sky. He was the brightest part of our trip and he deserves every praise he can receive. Keep it up, you are amazing!!!
Service: 5
Maiya Kim
We had a wonderful dining experience! I ordered the filet mignon, and it was absolutely perfect—tender, juicy, and cooked exactly the way I like it. The seasoning was excellent and really brought out the flavor of the steak. Truly one of the best filets I’ve had.
My kids ordered burgers and fries, and they loved them! The portions were generous, the burgers were fresh and flavorful, and the fries were crispy and delicious. Even the pickle on the side was a nice touch.
The atmosphere was warm and inviting with candlelight on the tables, and the service was friendly and attentive. Overall, a fantastic meal for both adults and kids—we’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jane C
Crystal Tavern is one of the signature restaurants within the Crystal Springs resort. It's one of the easiest way to dine on property as a resort guest, but also open to the general public.
As a larger party, we were able to order quite a few things from the menu, and all of it landed somewhere in the range of decent to excellent. Those who ordered the chicken were underwhelmed, but the hanger steak was delicious. I love a good char on my steak, and I loved the smoky crust they achieved on mine. Some of the appetizers skewed toward the smaller side, but they were well prepared. Our whole table loved the shishito pepper appetizer, which was served tempura-style with a lovely orange sauce. God knows what was in it, but I was dragging pieces of pepper through it repeatedly.
As a large party with lots of little ones, we were grateful we didn't have to wait long for food. Bread baskets are sumptuous and filled with the softest rolls I've had in a long time. Our other orders were delivered to the tables in quick procession, and I have to leave a big shoutout to our server Angela, who was kind, patient, and attentive as she tended to our big tables, replete with distracted diners and squirmy kiddos.
During our family's stay at the resort, some of us were able to get walk-in seatings for lunch, but come dinner time, it seems the seating gets pretty limited so dinner reservations are highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Zuhro Qonunova
The food is completely overpriced and tastes so bad, not worth any penny! Would not recommend to spend here your special day, as my birthday dinner was ruined. If i could give a zero star, would absolutely do so!
One star from me. Came here with my girlfriend for our anniversary, she ordered the filet mignon cooked medium, and it came out hard as a rock completely over cooked. I’m not the type of person who bothers to send something back if it’s not completely ruined but I was left with no choice when I received this ruined $60 steak. The replacement steak came back PURPLE, so undercooked you couldn’t even eat it, so we sent that back too and she was left with no dinner. I myself ordered the Roast Chicken and it was dry and flavorless. The food here is overpriced and subpar at best. However the wait staff was very understanding and helpful so that improved the experience. Take your money somewhere else folks.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 5
Monique Renee
While attending breakfast at the Crystal Tavern, our waiter Juan provided poor service. Only part of my order was brought out, and after 30 minutes of waiting for the rest, the food I did receive had gone cold. I asked for it to be reheated, but after another 20 minutes, nothing was brought back. By this time, everyone at my table had finished eating, so I ended up cancelling my order after waiting almost an hour in total.
The manager did offer a dry, insincere apology, but there was no offer of any accommodation for the delay. The waiter never apologized at all, and the whole experience felt like no one truly cared. If you are looking for efficient, attentive, and friendly service, this is not the place.
UPDATE: The front desk manager Tom was great and accommodated me by letting me get something to eat out of the coffee shop. He was very sweet and sincere and made me feel much better about what happened.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 1
Gary Bua
I had the Sunday Sauce special on a Sunday evening hoping for an Italian treat…..nope! Taste was decent, but the spaghetti was absolute mush and cut into tiny pieces…..terrible execution for $30. PS….we had a good lunch experience here…..just never order Italian food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
kerrylthompson29
Lovely service, delicious lunch, nice atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Thomas NJLA
Expensive, but very good! Great sunset views over the golf course!!!! Reservations for dinner!!!
This was a go to spot while we were staying at the grand cascade lodge. The food was consistently good and we came almost every day of our stay
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
I’m just your average working class person, and this spot blew me away. Breakfast was amazing (the French toast was unreal), and dinner didn’t disappoint either. The menu’s small, but every dish is top-notch. You can tell they care about what they make.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Don't ask someone making a reservation at this place if you are celebrating an occasion when you don't even acknowledge it. 700 a night to stay here and not have a decent meal. Shame on this place.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
I recently stayed at the grand cascades and dined at Crystal tavern more than once. We kept giving it chances. The only thing that was remotely tasty for breakfast is their coffee. As for dinner, everything was awful. I was very disappointed. For such a costly resort, they need to do better with their food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Unfortunately we had several extremely disappointing meals here. We stayed at the resort and it was the only restaurant open during our 3 days. The restaurant is small and has a large party room attached. The constant noise from staff setting up and cleaning up from events was really loud and disturbing. This happened during 3 different meals. The restaurant staff closed the doors to the party room on multiple occasions trying to cut the noise level down but the catering staff had to push carts full of dishes and other things across a bumpy floor through the restaurant. Clearly the guests who are dining take a back seat to private events. The menu options were limited and not very interesting. The dinner menu was completely warn away and you couldn’t read multiple descriptions. The server looked for a better menu but they were all the same. The food quality was poor. They had no bread at breakfast other than an English muffin or a frozen style bagel. No pancakes, waffles, muffins, or any type of pastry available. Not a single seasonal item or special offering to be had at any meal. This was far from an up scale restaurant. We heard NO so many times in 3 days because they were out of so many things. We arrived on Sunday at 5pm and left on Tuesday. We would not return or recommend this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 4
Our dining experience at Crystal Tavern was a complete letdown, spoiling our wedding anniversary and birthday celebration. The Manhattan the clams in the manhattan chowder were gooey and the soup overly salty. The French onion soup was the only edible dish. Everything else was atrocious. As a Maryland native, I found the crab cake—soggy, mushy, and utterly deplorable—to be the worst I’ve ever had. The ribs had a foul odor, suggesting spoiled meat, and the beef fat fries reeked like a dirty gym sock, rendering them inedible. Even the complimentary dessert was poorly executed and unenjoyable.
The staff—Sue at the front desk, Cheryl at the activities desk, and our server Rachel—were exceptional and a delight, but their kindness couldn’t salvage the abysmal meal. To add insult to injury, while my complimentary drink was free, they charged $8 for my wife’s “complimentary” drink, which was a flat sparkling beverage that tasted like it had been open too long, lacking any fizz.
At these prices, this level of incompetence is unacceptable. In our four years here in New Jersey this was the worst dining experience we’ve had. The breakfast at Kites, another hotel restaurant, was equally dreadful. We cannot recommend any of the hotel’s dining options and won’t return.
To management: spare us empty apologies. My wife, with over a decade in the restaurant industry, agrees that the pattern of similar complaints reflects serious issues with ingredient quality, kitchen execution, and basic oversight. Soggy crab cakes, rancid ribs, foul fries, subpar dessert, and a flat, overpriced “complimentary” drink are inexcusable for a high-end venue. Either the kitchen isn’t tasting the food, or their standards are so low they can’t tell it’s inedible. Months of consistent negative feedback demand immediate action. Taste the food yourselves—honestly—and address this culinary disaster.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
Rob H gets every star that exists in the sky. He was the brightest part of our trip and he deserves every praise he can receive. Keep it up, you are amazing!!!
Service: 5
We had a wonderful dining experience! I ordered the filet mignon, and it was absolutely perfect—tender, juicy, and cooked exactly the way I like it. The seasoning was excellent and really brought out the flavor of the steak. Truly one of the best filets I’ve had.
My kids ordered burgers and fries, and they loved them! The portions were generous, the burgers were fresh and flavorful, and the fries were crispy and delicious. Even the pickle on the side was a nice touch.
The atmosphere was warm and inviting with candlelight on the tables, and the service was friendly and attentive. Overall, a fantastic meal for both adults and kids—we’ll definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Crystal Tavern is one of the signature restaurants within the Crystal Springs resort. It's one of the easiest way to dine on property as a resort guest, but also open to the general public.
As a larger party, we were able to order quite a few things from the menu, and all of it landed somewhere in the range of decent to excellent. Those who ordered the chicken were underwhelmed, but the hanger steak was delicious. I love a good char on my steak, and I loved the smoky crust they achieved on mine. Some of the appetizers skewed toward the smaller side, but they were well prepared. Our whole table loved the shishito pepper appetizer, which was served tempura-style with a lovely orange sauce. God knows what was in it, but I was dragging pieces of pepper through it repeatedly.
As a large party with lots of little ones, we were grateful we didn't have to wait long for food. Bread baskets are sumptuous and filled with the softest rolls I've had in a long time. Our other orders were delivered to the tables in quick procession, and I have to leave a big shoutout to our server Angela, who was kind, patient, and attentive as she tended to our big tables, replete with distracted diners and squirmy kiddos.
During our family's stay at the resort, some of us were able to get walk-in seatings for lunch, but come dinner time, it seems the seating gets pretty limited so dinner reservations are highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
The food is completely overpriced and tastes so bad, not worth any penny! Would not recommend to spend here your special day, as my birthday dinner was ruined. If i could give a zero star, would absolutely do so!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
One star from me. Came here with my girlfriend for our anniversary, she ordered the filet mignon cooked medium, and it came out hard as a rock completely over cooked. I’m not the type of person who bothers to send something back if it’s not completely ruined but I was left with no choice when I received this ruined $60 steak. The replacement steak came back PURPLE, so undercooked you couldn’t even eat it, so we sent that back too and she was left with no dinner. I myself ordered the Roast Chicken and it was dry and flavorless. The food here is overpriced and subpar at best. However the wait staff was very understanding and helpful so that improved the experience. Take your money somewhere else folks.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 5
While attending breakfast at the Crystal Tavern, our waiter Juan provided poor service. Only part of my order was brought out, and after 30 minutes of waiting for the rest, the food I did receive had gone cold. I asked for it to be reheated, but after another 20 minutes, nothing was brought back. By this time, everyone at my table had finished eating, so I ended up cancelling my order after waiting almost an hour in total.
The manager did offer a dry, insincere apology, but there was no offer of any accommodation for the delay. The waiter never apologized at all, and the whole experience felt like no one truly cared. If you are looking for efficient, attentive, and friendly service, this is not the place.
UPDATE:
The front desk manager Tom was great and accommodated me by letting me get something to eat out of the coffee shop. He was very sweet and sincere and made me feel much better about what happened.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 1
I had the Sunday Sauce special on a Sunday evening hoping for an Italian treat…..nope! Taste was decent, but the spaghetti was absolute mush and cut into tiny pieces…..terrible execution for $30. PS….we had a good lunch experience here…..just never order Italian food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
Lovely service, delicious lunch, nice atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Expensive, but very good! Great sunset views over the golf course!!!! Reservations for dinner!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
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