Parker's Grille - Penn Yan — Restaurant in Town of Milo

Just had a great experience overall here as tourists. Would be a 4.5/5.0 for us.

We are staying at Glenora---about 20 minutes away. After our first and second choices for a Tuesday dinner in Penn Yan were unexpectedly closed (thanks for being wrong on the hours, Google!) we decided to give Parker's a try.

The ambiance is very down-to-earth and unpretentious. They have an extensive menu, and prices are very fair, especially considering it is a touristy area. We decided to split an order of poutine as an appetizer. We also ordered hard ciders (love hard ciders, but for some reason they are hard to find up here?) and ultimate grilled cheeses. Our waters and ciders arrived promptly. We also got our poutine very quickly. We enjoyed the poutine, but I would personally just consider it to be average, as I have had better elsewhere.

Our ultimate grilled cheeses were ON POINT though! We enjoyed very greasy and very flavorful grilled sourdough bread. Inside was a blend of cheeses, tomatoes, and avocadoes. Given there were children nearby I had to really control myself so I didn't let out an audible moan while taking my first bite! Haha! We upgraded our sides. My partner LOVED his onion rings. They seemed fresh and homemade. My sweet potato fries were just okay. I like mine a bit firmer/crispier, and these ones were very mushy. They were seasoned well, though, and I finished them.

I also enjoyed trying out a local hot sauce (what a TREAT to NOT have to endure Frank's Red Hot for a change of pace!) There was a bottle of it on the table. Sadly for being such a cute town Penn Yan rolls up the carpet at 6 PM, so the store that would carry bottles of that hot sauce (along with every other interesting store in town) was already closed. Bummer. I liked that this place did feature that local hot sauce, though. It means a lot to me for a local business to help promote another local business and vice-versa to help keep the town strong!

Our server was polite and checked on us a few times but wasn't overly personable. She seemed surprised that my partner ordered a pumpkin martini (which he loved)---we are on a much-needed "essential worker vacation" and wanted to really splurge and try different things and drop some money vs. just buying the cheap booze we have and are used to back in Pittsburgh. I also wish I knew her name because I like to compliment servers by name in reviews, but she didn't introduce herself. I also saw on my own that they had desserts---she could have increased her total bill (and her tip, accordingly) if she asked us if we would like dessert. I didn't feel like it should have been up to me to request the desserts list, so we skipped it. We still tipped 22%, but 20% is my "normal" tip. I tip 30% for really good service and 15% for poor service.

We really liked the hard ciders! I wanted a second but had to drive in the dark back to Glenora and was already starting to feel a buzz after finishing my first one. I didn't want to risk crashing into a horse and buggy or a deer on the way back if I had a second one.

We would definitely come back the next time we are in town. We would like to try a different appetizer (maybe the potstickers) and would also probably try some wings...

Went here when it was about 1/2 full, and there were at least five staff members tending to the customers, so they were not overwhelmed by any stretch. Loved the location, but the prices were insane. My friend got the Moroccan beef sticks for $15, which were only two sticks and had no sides - good thing she got a cup of soup separately, because otherwise there wasn't enough food for her! I got a $12 wrap (which was only worth at most $9, honestly). This would have been fine if the customer service were prompt and kind, neither of which were true. We were seated immediately, but we had to wave over a waiter after 10 minutes just to get drinks. After eating we waited 15 minutes for the check until we had to wave someone over again, after they had looked at our table multiple times without bringing us a bill. While we were eating, they kept talking and laughing behind the bar, constantly ignoring customers. The food was decent and the location was lovely, but those were the only saving graces. If coming through on vacation, try Angel's or some other...

My wife and I were seated in the middle of a high traffic area and yet it took about 20 minutes for a server to acknowledge us. A couple seated at a high top next to us got fed up waiting for their food and left. Employees continuously dropped silverware, food and plates throughout our stay. A table of three that were seated after us had finished their meal and left by the time our pizza arrived. Pizza was good but not worth waiting an hour for it. While we ate, five staff members congregated loudly right next to us. Our server was not one of them as we didn't see her again until she brought the check. She never checked on us or asked if we'd like anything else. Very chaotic and in need of...