The 16th Ward — Restaurant in Scranton

What a (mostly) wonderful experience I had during my first visit to The 16th Ward! The food – from start to finish – was quite excellent. It was definitely a five star experience, particularly for the Scranton finer dining scene. The service – although it could’ve been a tiny bit more attentive – was very pleasant. I gave the servers a bit of a pass here, considering that the place was a little busy for the rather small staff. The very young food runners could have been a little better-trained and more polished, but this was mostly more amusing than annoying.

Really, the only thing that marred this utterly pleasant experience was the absolutely heinous attitude of the hostess – a young and aloof blonde woman whose glum expression was eclipsed only by the inhospitality that practically oozed from her well-disguised pores. I can’t remember ever having been greeted so unpleasantly at a dining establishment, even in NYC, where I’ve spent most of my adult life. As she watched my party depart – having seemingly no work to do in that moment – she could barely be bothered to look up from her phone as we each wished her a “good evening” upon passing her hostess’ stand.

I was quite reminded of a wonderful scene from the 90s British comedy “Absolutely Fabulous”, where a similarly snooty receptionist at an art gallery displays equally inappropriate behavior for her station. The main character – a wealthy client – hoping to procure some art, says to her in passing, “You only work in a shop, you know.” Indeed.

I expect to return to this lovely establishment many times in the future, considering that it’s so conveniently located within the beating heart of Scranton’s slowly-revitalizing downtown district. But I certainly do hope that the next time I’m there, she is not. Or that she at least behaves in a way that is more consonant with the otherwise lovely vibe and easygoing hospitality of this delightful and refined...

Came here on a Friday with my best friend. We did not make a reservation, as we were in the downtown area for a show, and it wasn’t a busy time (5pm). We walked in to the hostess who didn’t greet us, but looked us up and down awkwardly. She(?) proceeded to ask if we had reservations and we stated we did not. She then asked a second time- “no reservation?” And walked us to a table proceeding to state “you have a two hour window”. I understand her point- however there were only two other parties seated at the time and her demeanor was anything but polite. If you’re running a business you should be at least professional . A TOTAL turn off. The food was just as good as anywhere else in the area and not worth the stuffy attitude. We’re in Scranton, not Manhattan. Do yourself a favor and go next door to AV. I won’t return and hope the message is relayed to the older individual working the hostess stand, who was more concerned with her cell phone than her customer service skills.

The food was just okay. The charcuterie “board” was served on a basic white dish. The cheese was four blocks of white cheddars, which weren’t described when ordered. It was messy. When asking the brand of cider listed on the menu as “cider”, our waitress pointed at the chalk board hung near the ceiling to the right of our table. Trough the duration of our meal, we had about 4 different waiters. It was hard to determine who to tip at the end of the evening. Even though we tipped over 20% I feel it was...

We made a reservation for our small bachelor party not knowing exactly what to expect, but we were all blown away by what The 16th Ward had to offer. The service set the bar quickly by explaining how the work as a team to cover tables, walking us through the menu, and giving us suggestions of what to try.

The drink options were truly impressive. We liked their system of rotating beers, but the selection we had on our night was perfect to impress the beer drinkers in our group. Plus, they let you try anything before committing. Personally, I stuck with the house cocktails which hit every note they described and left me excited to try the next one.

Then the food was perfect. We started with dumplings and perogies which were fresh and flavorful. Most of us ordered entrees that we loved, and then we got to split some pizza that made us wish we had room for more.

Although I'm not often in the Scranton area these days, if I'm ever back I will make it a point to come back to this restaurant. Thank you for a...