Emma Jayne’s Restaurant — Restaurant in Town of Halfmoon

The Grilled Chicken Apple Burger is underrated.

I'm always on the hunt for new and interesting menu items to try, sadly many restaurants fall back on safe and sound menus that are sure to sell but not very diverse. Emma Jayne's however offers a bit of a break from the norm.

Placed my order over the phone, going with the Apple Chicken Sandwich and the Chipotle Chicken Tacos. All together the total came to a little over $31 before tip, a little steep for just two items but that's just the world we live in these days. Plus, there was some fine quality to be had.

Starting with the Tacos, which I had requested be without tomato, but for some reason they left them in. Which almost had me dock a star for failing a request, but upon trying them as they were I decided to forgive the error as they tasted quite good. A trio of soft shell tacos with chicken and cheese and just a little greenery, I was half expecting hard shell but the soft shell actually made for holding everything together much easier. Now about that sandwich, and what can I say except it was beyond my expectations. Sweet and savory blend together perfectly, the tartness of the apple cuts the apple butter which mixes with the bacon's crispness. The chicken acts like a base for it all, held together by the nicely toasted bun.

I was a little weirded out by the side of "Mac" that did not taste anything like any Mac I have had before, more closely resembling macaroni salad, but I have never heard anyone describe macaroni salad as "Mac" before; Only Mac and Cheese. Luckily the flavor was fine and I polished it off with the fresh pickle slice.

The service was pretty quick, my meal ready only a few minutes after the 4PM pickup time, but I actually prefer that as it remains warmer than any dishes finished before my arrival. Since I do have a 45 minute trip home, it's hard to find many places where I can get there and back with a meal still hot and ready.

So aside from the minor mess up with the tomato on the tacos, overall, Emma Jayne's gets...

Update 2 years later with original review below. This place has gone downhill. Our last visit we assumed it was a fluke, after this visit we won’t return. We entered the restaurant with 2 other tables sat. The hostess had the server put us in the middle of the restaurant, we waited 40 minutes for our food (burger, sandwiches and fish fry) while 3 other tables came in, ordered and were served before our food came. A younger couple didn’t eat what they were served and left(now we know why) One person in our party still waited a few minutes after everyone else’s food came out. Burger was raw in the middle. All but the fish fry cold. Sides forgotten. Our server was very sweet and it’s obvious she was doing her best being alone on the floor which had filled up in the near 2 hours it took us to get lunch. No one trained her to keep thumbs out, stack and clear, or how to rectify issues that stem from the kitchen. We will not be back. Almost 2 hours and $140 before tip for cold pub food. We loved it here.

Eat here!! You’ll be surprised at the interior, upper-scale design while still casual. The service is great no matter if you show up during rush or when they first open. The food seems mostly homemade, everything is always fresh, portions are large and it is inexpensive. 3 meals at a drive through are the same price as 3 amazing plates here. If you order an appetizer make sure you have a few people, they are a meal in themselves.The wait staff are dressed neatly and are extremely friendly and attentive. Ethan is fantastic! If he’s working request him. Each time he’s waited on us he’s been attentive but not overbearing, and he seems to genuinely appreciate his customers and job. The dining area is spotless, along with The bathrooms being incredibly clean regardless of how busy it is.This is worth any drive you may...

I'm not sure who's giving this place five star ratings, but if you like flavor in any of your food I would not suggest going here. First off my daughter asked the waiter if we would be getting bread after we ordered and he completely ignored her and walked away. No bread ever came but as we were leaving I noticed other tables getting served bread, is it supposed to come with the meal or is that extra because I definitely didn't see that on the menu. It took a very long time for our food to come and when it did it was gross. Somehow my butter garlic sauce was more clear than yellow and had absolutely no flavor and my lobster was overcooked as it was tough and chewy. My daughter's pasta dish was served with a ball of cheese on top, however it was ice cold. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be served, but I just don't understand why ice cold cheese would go on top of hot pasta. Her dish was also flavorless except the balsamic glaze was the only saving grace that made that dish edible. I honestly should have said something while I was there but we were out all day and starving so by the time the food came we were famished and just needed to get something on our stomach. I can't say the last time we've been to a restaurant that we couldn't wait to leave. Our waiter who took our order came back once to check on us and we had food in our mouths so he quickly walked away, but someone else brought all of our other food out, he literally just took our order and picked up our check. In my opinion this food is highly overpriced...