The Old Library Restaurant — Restaurant in City of Olean

Edit to my review based on the Owners rebuttal which I might add is 5 months behind schedule**

He/she made a point as he/she does to most reviews which hurt their rather touchy feelings to try and present a condescending attack to the reviewer, but we’re using our rights given by the terms you agreed when establishing your restaurant with Google. So I’ll begging by pointing to the fact that I stated “food as expected” not which directly coincides with “mediocre meal”. I think the issue here is that they simply lack the educational basis to understand that stating the food was “as good as expected” can absolutely insinuate “mediocre” given that I provided a substantial amount of information to substantiate my comments. Further, they go on to ignore the fact that their waitress and bar were both asked for a sweet suggestion of wine and provided not once but twice a dry, that seems like a failure on leadership to properly train and motivate staff to provide exceptional service. Thirdly, they felt by my closing statement that I’d prefer Applebees for celebratory dinners rather than understanding that sarcasm was added to spice up my review. And lastly, if I were to eat anywhere else, it would likely be The Century Manor if I went local, seeing they tend to offer a welcoming atmosphere, top notch service and nearly identical menu options. Next, ill add that this was the third or fourth birthday celebration, and likely the 15th time enjoying their establishment and was even included in the soft opening so this was not to be a truly hurtful review but seeing I brought it up to the staff on service that night and was shrugged off I thought I’d take it to Google seeing that’s what you sign up for when promoting your business on their web based search engine. Seeing the owner is obviously incapable of criticism, I’ll make sure to lie next time so not to hurt their feelings.

Previous review: Well, third year in a row my fiance and I have celebrated a birthday with the Old Library. This year fell a bit flat, provided the information ahead of time so they were aware but everyone seemed very surprised and no one seemed to care whatsoever, was a little let down but that’s okay. The food itself was as good as expected, the burger had good flavor but was a little dry, the firecracker shrimp was well made (very chewy) as was the coconut shrimp on special, but she really enjoyed her seafood pasta. As far as service goes, we ordered a glass of moscato which was more dry than sweet (was not the impression provided) and so I ordered a second based off the bars suggestion and what she got was awful, dry and very very sour. Did not drink it and made a point to bring it up immediately and two more times following. Wasn’t rectified whatsoever. Left with two nearly full glasses of wine and paid for them despite the fact it was an awful suggestion. If I wanted a mediocre meal with iffy service that cost $100+ I’d go to Applebees, at least they provide a free dessert and sing...

This Old Library has a New Attitude, sing it Patti!

What a wonderful answer to the mundane. A beautiful, warm, landmark building that houses the warmest & most well-trained staff in the area, who serve the freshest, most diverse, and well-prepared dishes we have seen in a long time, in this area.

The Old Library is a welcome step up from the typical, pedestrian “beef a rama” cattle shoot “we do beef and a few other things” place. It’s a warm, rich, well thought out, casual or dress up (your choice) eatery. Every dish we have had over the last few times has been an artistically unique experience of the classics. From the Braised Lamb Shank, Prime Rib, Duck a l'Orange, Chilean Seabass, to the Handmade Pasta. (I can’t believe they make their own pasta - The Gnocchi are like little puffs of cloud that fell fromt from Heaven, so nice). This week started the new fall craft cocktail menu, which was tried extensively courtesy of my outstanding bartender. She was like watching Matisse create “The Joy of Life” in his studio. . Cocktails utilizing Salted Carmel, S’mores & Godiva. Bond & ’ J.B. Books would be proud.

Everyone here pours their heart and soul into the place for our benefit. It has become our new “go to” relaxation place in these crazy times. My tip is – Call and make a reservation, treat yourself, treat your wife and bring the family. If you’re casual like us, they “usually” can squeeze you in at the Bar itself And check out the secret parking in the rear if need be. You’ll never go back to Brother Bob’s Beefsteak & Feed...

This restaurant's décor is absolutely breathtaking. Hint: Don't walk into the huge glass into the wine area; it took me a few minutes to realize there was a barrier. This restaurant is a landmark in Olean, NY. It's full of history and I'm ecstatic a new owner had bought it and made it beautiful again while keeping its historical architecture.

I went there with a big group for lunch. At first glance of the menu, the prices were very reasonable with a variety of options. There were American staples and a few Asian choices too such as pho and ramen, which I was quite impressed with; especially in a small town like Olean. Their food and the service were excellent.

In addition, their signature cocktails were delicious and creative. I suggest choosing a meal before the cocktail. I chose a dessert cocktail because I loved tiramisu, which made my meal option to pair with it very limited. The tiramisu cocktail was easy to drink and I almost downed half of it before remembering to share it with the rest of the table.

The bartender offered my friend the same cocktail she had ordered (for free) to find out which was better. FYI: Since the bartender was still mastering the recipe, our opinion was requested. The staff of this restaurant truly cares about their customers and takes the time to improve something as simple as a cocktail. This restaurant had portrayed quality customer service especially during my visit to a large group. I honestly can't wait to go back to visit for another...