The Loon Restaurant and Tavern — Restaurant in Town of Chester

I have been twice in the past couple weeks and although the ambiance and decor are warm, cozy and welcoming the food and drinks were not much to be desired and a let down. The first time visiting I ordered a dirty martini and the olives had a citrus tang as if they had been sitting in lemon orange juices. I thought it wouldn't be the same in the 2nd martini but they again tasted the same. So they either need to be changed more often which should be every day or buy a better brand. Our salads took a very long time to come out and as soon as I took my 2nd bite of the salad our entrées arrived. I ordered the Mediterranean Scallop dish without pasta and extra spinach in place of the pasta. The scallops were definitely not "Sea sized" scallops but bay scallops that most use in pasta dishes. Sea scallops are 1 1/2-2 inch in diameter where as Bay scallops are 1/2 inch in diameter. The menus need to be corrected and switched to let the customers know the correct type of Scallop they are ordering so they are not shocked and let down and charged a price that is meant for the larger type of Scallop. $30 for actual Sea scallops is normal in Manhattan but for bay scallops especially up here is completely an outrageous price! They also completely left out the spinach which was supposed to be in the dish already as it states in the menu. So I had to wait for the server to come back and let her know there was no spinach whatsoever where she wentvand checked and sure enough they omitted it completely. So I had to wait for my side of spinach which was a very very tiny portion when it should have been double if not triple in size since It was the substitute for the pasta base.

The second visit our drinks were not good at all where mine tasted like nothing but juice and my mothers old fashioned was not made properly. The bartender made a Manhattan instead of an old fashioned, It was very sweet and she put too much bitters which was overbearing and a muddled cherry. An old fashioned should have simple syrup and a dash or 2 of bitters with an orange peel. I decided to try and give the scallops another shot thinking if I ordered an actual Scallop entree instead of a pasta dish with "Sea Scallops" they would be the right size. Well once again the scallops were Bay scallops in size and instead of rice I again substituted sautéed spinach which came out uncooked like a salad on the side of my plate which was equivalent to a bite size worth and nowhere near a side portion. To me this shows a sign of laziness and no passion for the culinary profession. Also that the chef does not like substitutions or accommodating the customers dietary needs. As if it's a burden on them to take an extra minute to sautee up a side of spinach in an establishment that was not busy at all and had only 3-4 patrons in it at that moment in time. Even if it was busy it is not that difficult to substitute spinach for rice and every establishment I've ever been to even in the busiest of cities such as Manhattan they have no problem accommodating the customers. Another tip would be to offer more vegetable options as sides other than carrots and potatoes such as asparagus, brussel sprouts, sauteed zucchini/squash or even a medley of mushrooms since you are in the mountains with plenty of fresh vegetables to chose from.

I will not be returning...

Great spot across from Loon Lake. Pretty much the only place around. Saturday night 5:15pm and the Loon was busy when we stopped by. Very quick to be seated. Nice menu, and drink list, fairly priced and a good pour on the wine choices. The draft beer choices also looked good. Bang Bang Shrimp was recommended by a friend we met there. Great appetizer, spicy and very tasty with enough shrimp for 2 to enjoy. Difficult choice on the entree, they all sounded good! Chose the Mediterranean with added chicken. Came with a salad and 1 of 2 minor hiccups. The Bread "side" which accompanied the included salad was 2 tiny wedges of bread. Was told more bread was an up charge. Would have been nice to have bread with the main pasta dish but.... Salad was good as was the house made balsamic dressing. The Mediterranean which we had ordered with fettucine, came with the standard spaghetti, so that was minor misstep 2. Nothing bad - but just a mention. The dish was excellent, large portion, fresh tomatoes, lots of olives, and spinach in a wonderful sauce. A definite winner for us. Highly recommend it. Definitely some experienced chefs back in the kitchen here! They were "out" of most of the listed desserts already. We wanted the maple bread pudding. Chose the peanut butter chocolate cake with whipped cream, and it was amazing. The waitress and servers were very good as was the man at the door. He deserves extra praise for the handling of the arriving customers. Well done. By the time we were leaving the place was full and really humming. Bar was packed too. The dining room is cozy, old time Adirondack feel and although the place was packed it not a problem or too loud for us. Must go back again for sure!! Check out the phone booth outside the main door. A time capsule of yesteryears no...

We were very disappointed by our recent experience at Loon Restaurant and Tavern. When my daughter called ahead to inquire about a reservation, the individual who answered the phone was unnecessarily curt and dismissive. We decided to visit anyway, hoping the in-person experience would be better — unfortunately, it was not.

Upon arrival, we checked in with the host, “G,” and were told there would be a wait. However, during the next hour, we observed several parties of the same size who arrived after us being seated before us. When we politely asked for an update, “G” appeared inconvenienced and offered no clear communication or courtesy. His demeanor was unprofessional and dismissive throughout.

After waiting for over an hour without any meaningful updates, we chose to leave. It was clear that certain guests were prioritized, while others were disregarded. This kind of selective and discourteous treatment reflects poorly on the establishment’s management and hospitality standards.

While the restaurant may offer a pleasant dining experience for those who seem to be in favor with the host, our experience suggests that fairness and customer respect are not consistently practiced. We will not...