Amazing food (great locally-sourced food and wines). Service was friendly - highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex Yoken
Amazing farm to table food, excellent service. My boyfriend wasn't a fan of the veg they were serving the night we went and the chef found and made him some broccoli instead. So nice. He loved his steak and I had the Arctic char special which was delish. The table next to us got the roast chicken and my mouth was watering just looking at it. Only drawback is they don't have many tables and the seats are backless stools, but it is worth it! Interior also looks chic. One of the best restaurants in Watkins Glen, also lots of cider and wine options.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
April C
First visit to the Finger Lakes. This place came highly recommended. The moment we walked in, the waitress told us to sit where we wanted. No hello or welcome with a smile, just a directive. Perfect, there were about 5 options. She came over to take our drink order. We didn't want an alcoholic beverage and she seemed annoyed. There were dinner specials listed, but they were out of two of them. I ordered an expensive steak and asked for it to be cooked medium. It came out well done and charred. I did not say anything because the waitress left all her happiness at home that day. The other entrée we ordered was chicken with rice and beans. Pretty expensive for a simple meal. We weren't interested in dessert because truly, it was the most awkward and unfriendly dining experience we encountered.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Barbara Gates
Fine dining at its best. Perfect for a lovely date or drinks and appetizers with friends.
Highlights: service, wine, local ingredientsLowlights: taste and cookMy partner and I have been trying to go to Graft for a long time. We drove 45 minutes two separate times, after checking their website and Instagram just to find out they were closed on days they were listed as open.We gave up for about a year, and finally was able to make it in last night.The restaurant is small with only three tables and bar space. It is cozy and cute. They have an upstairs but we did not see it.We love that all their ingredients are farm-to-table and my partner who had been several years prior was excited to take me. The first thing he mentioned when we walked in is that the menu seemed to be "whitewashed" which we found to be disappointing. In his past experience, he loved that the chef's Dominican culture was really represented in the food. Now, you would not be able to recognize it from any other American menu.We ordered a wine and started continued to enjoy the company we were with. The waitress was funny and attentive, with a perfect amount of awareness of when we needed her, but not consistently interrupting conversation.Unfortunately when we got our food we were a bit disappointed. The scallop appetizer was tasty but over cooked. We also got oysters, which were okay but I think could be more fresh. While not near the ocean, I have had oysters in this area that I enjoy much more.The bread was amazing and is from my favorite bakery in the region, Wide Awake.For food, we ordered the Arctic Char, Tuna special and the dry aged steak. The arctic char was dry, the tuna dish was very one note and SUPER salty, but the worst thing was the steak.It was ordered medium rare and was WAY over cooked. It was very dry and hard to chew through. All the seasonings on everything seemed to lack depth.Lastly, we ordered all of the desserts and none of them were that good. Rice pudding was not the right consistency and very sweet, the cheesecake was sour and the other chocolate tasty was just okay.Overall we had a great time, but were pretty let down by the food, especially for the cost.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
ben gould
Its a gem!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marybeth Longo
Graft is my favorite restaurant in Watkins Glen. Owner and Chef, Orlando, has created a relaxed, fun wine bar with an upscale atmosphere. The food never disappoints as it is always fresh and made to order. This quaint and intimate restaurant is not to be missed. We are locals who frequent Graft often.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Rachel Sandle
Faye served us the most amazing farm to table food. The salad was fresh with goat cheese, smash burger was delicious, strip steak was perfectly cooked and flavored, raspberry chocolate dessert was phenomenal! Will definitely return. We had not so great food earlier, glad we found this place. Ciders and beers were from all local places and delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smash Burger
Eric W.
The food here is sooooo good. Small plates, salads and entrees, all great. Ingredients local, fresh and so good and what the chef does with them elevates the flavor. Presentation also good. Nice selection of local wine, cider and beer. They have increased seating upstairs now. Atmosphere is nice, quiet and comfortable.
Lauren Kanner Gyoerkoe
Visited this restaurant on a whim based on reviews last night after hiking Watkins Glen State Park. IT WAS PHENOMENAL!!!! My husband had the duck and I had the trout. We split the mussels and green salad. The wine the beer everything was fantastic and the staff is very attentive. Definitely going back again!!!!
Fantastic food and atmosphere. Service A+. Duck was amazing along with the fish dish. Highly recommend if in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rose Calimano
A wonderful birthday dinner with perfect ambiance, a delicious meal and excellent service from our server, Natalie. We were only in town for the weekend but wouldn't hesitate to return on our next trip.Vegetarian options: There are vegan and vegetarian options available.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Olives Almonds
Nicholas Sygula
Our experience could have been so much better if the staff wasn’t so rude and unprofessional. We had a reservation and showed up a few minutes ahead of schedule, however we were not seated for 50 minutes. We decided to grab a drink from the bar while we waited (which had 4 open seats out of a total of 10 seats) and we were told that the staff was too overwhelmed by the current crowd and we would have to wait till we were seated at our table to order drinks. The restaurant is in an old dilapidated building that can maybe accommodate about 60 dining guests at a time with 4 or 5 servers. They do not serve liquor, so it is completely beyond my comprehension as to how they could not take even two minutes to pour a few guests a glass of wine or beer. They were sold out of one of their specials and the menu is extremely limited. The only saving grace and the only reason I did not rate it a 1 star was that we did enjoy our food. Based on the staff and service experience I would not return.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Charles Fausold
As locals we like to support local establishments, but dinner last night was very disappointing. My $55 dry-aged steak was mostly gristle and my $23 glass of wine can be purchased locally for $45 per bottle. The seats were so uncomfortable as to be painful.
Amazing food (great locally-sourced food and wines). Service was friendly - highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing farm to table food, excellent service. My boyfriend wasn't a fan of the veg they were serving the night we went and the chef found and made him some broccoli instead. So nice. He loved his steak and I had the Arctic char special which was delish. The table next to us got the roast chicken and my mouth was watering just looking at it. Only drawback is they don't have many tables and the seats are backless stools, but it is worth it! Interior also looks chic. One of the best restaurants in Watkins Glen, also lots of cider and wine options.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
First visit to the Finger Lakes. This place came highly recommended. The moment we walked in, the waitress told us to sit where we wanted. No hello or welcome with a smile, just a directive. Perfect, there were about 5 options. She came over to take our drink order. We didn't want an alcoholic beverage and she seemed annoyed. There were dinner specials listed, but they were out of two of them. I ordered an expensive steak and asked for it to be cooked medium. It came out well done and charred. I did not say anything because the waitress left all her happiness at home that day. The other entrée we ordered was chicken with rice and beans. Pretty expensive for a simple meal. We weren't interested in dessert because truly, it was the most awkward and unfriendly dining experience we encountered.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Fine dining at its best. Perfect for a lovely date or drinks and appetizers with friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Olives Almonds & Crackers, Cheese Plate
Highlights: service, wine, local ingredientsLowlights: taste and cookMy partner and I have been trying to go to Graft for a long time. We drove 45 minutes two separate times, after checking their website and Instagram just to find out they were closed on days they were listed as open.We gave up for about a year, and finally was able to make it in last night.The restaurant is small with only three tables and bar space. It is cozy and cute. They have an upstairs but we did not see it.We love that all their ingredients are farm-to-table and my partner who had been several years prior was excited to take me. The first thing he mentioned when we walked in is that the menu seemed to be "whitewashed" which we found to be disappointing. In his past experience, he loved that the chef's Dominican culture was really represented in the food. Now, you would not be able to recognize it from any other American menu.We ordered a wine and started continued to enjoy the company we were with. The waitress was funny and attentive, with a perfect amount of awareness of when we needed her, but not consistently interrupting conversation.Unfortunately when we got our food we were a bit disappointed. The scallop appetizer was tasty but over cooked. We also got oysters, which were okay but I think could be more fresh. While not near the ocean, I have had oysters in this area that I enjoy much more.The bread was amazing and is from my favorite bakery in the region, Wide Awake.For food, we ordered the Arctic Char, Tuna special and the dry aged steak. The arctic char was dry, the tuna dish was very one note and SUPER salty, but the worst thing was the steak.It was ordered medium rare and was WAY over cooked. It was very dry and hard to chew through. All the seasonings on everything seemed to lack depth.Lastly, we ordered all of the desserts and none of them were that good. Rice pudding was not the right consistency and very sweet, the cheesecake was sour and the other chocolate tasty was just okay.Overall we had a great time, but were pretty let down by the food, especially for the cost.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Its a gem!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Graft is my favorite restaurant in Watkins Glen. Owner and Chef, Orlando, has created a relaxed, fun wine bar with an upscale atmosphere. The food never disappoints as it is always fresh and made to order. This quaint and intimate restaurant is not to be missed. We are locals who frequent Graft often.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Faye served us the most amazing farm to table food. The salad was fresh with goat cheese, smash burger was delicious, strip steak was perfectly cooked and flavored, raspberry chocolate dessert was phenomenal! Will definitely return. We had not so great food earlier, glad we found this place. Ciders and beers were from all local places and delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smash Burger
The food here is sooooo good. Small plates, salads and entrees, all great. Ingredients local, fresh and so good and what the chef does with them elevates the flavor. Presentation also good. Nice selection of local wine, cider and beer. They have increased seating upstairs now. Atmosphere is nice, quiet and comfortable.
Visited this restaurant on a whim based on reviews last night after hiking Watkins Glen State Park. IT WAS PHENOMENAL!!!! My husband had the duck and I had the trout. We split the mussels and green salad. The wine the beer everything was fantastic and the staff is very attentive. Definitely going back again!!!!
Restaurantji Recommends
Fantastic food and atmosphere. Service A+. Duck was amazing along with the fish dish. Highly recommend if in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A wonderful birthday dinner with perfect ambiance, a delicious meal and excellent service from our server, Natalie. We were only in town for the weekend but wouldn't hesitate to return on our next trip.Vegetarian options: There are vegan and vegetarian options available.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Olives Almonds
Our experience could have been so much better if the staff wasn’t so rude and unprofessional. We had a reservation and showed up a few minutes ahead of schedule, however we were not seated for 50 minutes. We decided to grab a drink from the bar while we waited (which had 4 open seats out of a total of 10 seats) and we were told that the staff was too overwhelmed by the current crowd and we would have to wait till we were seated at our table to order drinks. The restaurant is in an old dilapidated building that can maybe accommodate about 60 dining guests at a time with 4 or 5 servers. They do not serve liquor, so it is completely beyond my comprehension as to how they could not take even two minutes to pour a few guests a glass of wine or beer. They were sold out of one of their specials and the menu is extremely limited. The only saving grace and the only reason I did not rate it a 1 star was that we did enjoy our food. Based on the staff and service experience I would not return.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
As locals we like to support local establishments, but dinner last night was very disappointing. My $55 dry-aged steak was mostly gristle and my $23 glass of wine can be purchased locally for $45 per bottle. The seats were so uncomfortable as to be painful.
Absolutely brilliant 1/2 chicken, brilliant salad, and outstanding sourdough bread. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5