Seneca Farms — Restaurant in Town of Jerusalem

They claim they’re a local favorite, and that might be true. But apparently the locals have no taste. If Penn Yan had a Popeyes and a Ben and Jerry’s in town, Seneca farms would be out of business. Although I prefer to support local businesses instead of chains, this local spot was horrendous.

The chicken was unbelievably dry and flavorless and had been sitting under a heat lamp for god knows how long. After trying one piece our entire party breathed a sigh of relief that we did not buy the family combo. Those poor chickens died for nothing, actually they died to produce the world’s worst fried chicken. The sides were equally abysmal. Mashed potatoes were incredibly bland and the gravy they put on top tasted like it was made of wet paper. The famous corn fritters were both lacking corn and flavor. Trying to salvage them with the syrup was hopeless and none of us could finish them.

We could not believe our eyes when we saw how many people were eating here and seemingly enjoying the food. I beg the locals of Penn yan to leave their town and try some food anywhere else in the world. Do not be fooled by the foot traffic and the reviews, this is by far the worst chicken and ice cream I have ever had. Cold fried chicken from a grocery store has more flavor than this.

After being severely disappointed in the chicken we figured we’d give the ice cream a shot since it seemed like Seneca Farms’ main attraction. That was a mistake. The ice cream was very obviously not home made and tasted like something you’d get from Sysco or restaurant depot. It was freezer burnt and had a very artificial flavor.

Overall we spent about $25 each to find out that Seneca Farms has horrible food and worse ice cream. If you don’t believe me, sort by lowest reviews and you can see people mentioning how dry and flavorless the chicken from reviews as far back as...

My wife and I have been doing some sight- seeing in the Finger Lakes region (visiting from Texas) and just happen to drive by and the white and red exterior caught our attention. We turned around to go back and check them out (5/25/25, their 75th anniversary). The parking area was very busy as well as the dining room and the enclosed pavilion out back. At first we walked into the ice cream shop in front but then we went to the back for the dining room. The lady at the counter asked about taking out order and we exlained that about the curb appeal of the restaurant from the road got our attention and we had never been there. She was very pleasant and helpful with describing what they had to offer. We decided to get a 4-pc meal and share just to try it out. I do not regularly eat fried chicken (on the bones) but we after taking a few bites, we just looked at each other amazed at the taste of the chicken and how well the chicken was cooked. Today, we made a special trip to to drive back here from Bath, NY, just to have lunch. We ordered the Family Meal just so we could take some with us to eat later. Hitting the ice cream shop next specifically for the Banana Split, which uses the 3-flavors of ice cream like I remember a a kid (in Illinois). Most places we have seen around the country (including DQ) uses all vanilla ice cream with the jar flavored toppings. This place is as good as it gets for great dining in the Finger Lakes...

20250521 Came here to get some fried chicken for my finicky pup. The ladies working here are very nice. I ordered a garden salad and 3 pieces dark meat with Mac and cheese and beans. The garden salad was ok. It only has iceberg lettuce, cucumber slices, tomatoes and some cheese. I don't recommend it unless you really need some veggies. It would have been better if they add an egg. The fried chicken was delicious! My pup loved it! The corn fritters were amazing!! The best I ever had! I would definitely come back for their dried chicken. The entrance to the diner is on the side where the parking lot is. Facing the street is the entrance to the ice cream shop. The employee working in the ice cream shop was soooo nice and informative. I didn't get ice cream because my pup is diabetic... no more ice cream for her, and I can't eat it in front of her. The ice cream products look delicious! They have ice cream cakes and sandwiches too. He mentioned they have a gift shop...