Pickled Owl — Restaurant in Town of Fallsburg

Reviewing a Sullivan County business in the off-season is always a little tough, and hard to know what is fair.

I visited for lunch a week ago, arriving around 12:30. I wasn't sure if I should go in--since none of the three OPEN signs in the front windows were lit up. Inside, there were two ladies having a lunch meeting at the bar, and the bartender was also the only visible employee.

This man, was not the most professional greeter for the business. Friendly, yes, but also wearing a camouflage T-shirt that barely covered his belly. He directed me to the rear dining area, where I had my choice of the entire room.

Other than the chill from the two open windows in the room (it was about 30 out), I noticed the lack of any background music, which made it feel rather uncomfortable and also made the soon to be long wait much, much longer.

I ordered a sandwich from the lunch menu, and then proceeded to wait... And wait... And wait. While the sandwich that came out was fresh and well-presented, I waited long enough that I think an employee drove down to Walmart to buy an avocado for my sandwich, and had to wait in line. No worries, because I did bring my Kindle with me, but still...

The fries were very tasty, and somehow, a little charred, which was a nice touch. The pickle was fresh, and I think was brined with rosemary, but I can't be sure. The sandwich was on a freshly grilled bun, and the ingredients were flavorful, but the avocado patty only covered about 2/3 of the bun, and it wasn't that large of a bun.

The price of the sandwich was reasonable, even by Sullivan County standards. Some of the appetizers were overpriced, so I didn't order one.

This is where the off-season remark comes in. I'm not sure if some of these failures are just because they don't bother with the niceties in the winter, saving their energy for the city money that won't be driving up for a couple of months, but it felt like they (he) was just phoning it in for the season. I'll give it another chance in the summer, when maybe they'll have specials and a...

I cannot say enough about this amazing place and wonderful family-friendly establishment. It's a gastropub and many might not know what that means if you look up on their website about them you will understand what a gastropub is and what they are trying to achieve with their food wine and spirits carefully created, heartfeltly made delectable Delights that your palette just wants to savor.

The owners are local to the area this is their way of giving back and supporting their community and wanting others to have a great experience of dining and entertainment locally right at your back door.

It's a place to come to that is upscale yet homie all at the same time which isn't easy to achieve. Its well-appointed and ahead of the Curve for the area.

They have the most amazing events functions and gatherings and weekly activities that should not be missed like chives open mic typically on the fourth Thursday of every month. Chai is always seeking local talents so stop by on a fourth Thursday and bless everyone with your talents and gifts! And if you aren't quite an adult yet but you're 16 and over she has opened up her open mic to give back to the youth! So get off of that High School auditorium stage and check out what it's like to be an actual venue;) And if you want more information about Chai's open mic and the restaurant of course itself please give the Pickled owl a call and find out more & get Chai's number.

And did I say that they were well-appointed, uncomparable food, an amazing selection of an array wine beer and spirits, excellent amenities, a loving staff that understands the meaning of customer service and owners that are passionate about their community and how they serve their love to those that come through the door, outdoor seating in a wonderful town that has other things to offer like movies yoga dance it's just all-around good out there in Hurleyville New York! Check it out! You will be mad at yourself...

We were so looking forward to trying the food here, unfortunately, it was quite the disappointment. We placed the following order to go : Cauliflower 12 Calamari 11 Gnocchi (vegan) 19 Veggie Burger 15 Side fries 5 Side mac and cheese 5 Brownie Sundae 7 Total ~ $80

We were unpleasantly surprised when we got home and opened up our order. Not only were the to go boxes quite small, they were not even close to full. The pictures I attached will show you just how ridiculous their portions are for the price. In terms of taste : The cauliflower was pretty good but mushy. The order of calamari had exactly 14 pieces - the we did not even finish it because that's how bad they tasted. The Gnocchi had 11 pieces of gnocchi - again they were just ok but the vegetables with it were very sweet and oily. The veggie burger was dry and just ok. The side fries were great and the portion was ok. The Mac and cheese had interesting flavor and was pretty good, however, the portion was about one big spoon of Mac and cheese... tiny. Finally the Brownie Sundae, which unfortunately we didn't get a chance to take a picture of, was absolutely delicious - it is so so good. In addition the amazing waitress was kind enough to have the sundae made only once I arrived so that it would not melt entirely by the time we got home.

Overall, The Pickled Owl food was a disappointing experience. While some things were flavorful the majority left much to be desired and the portions in general are laughable. I hate to leave a negative review for a local restaurant, but I would not want anyone else to be...