Union Block Italian at the Landing — Restaurant in Town of Milo

I am giving a detailed review of this place. No reservation is needed at Union Block Italian Bistro, Penn Yan. On 10/22/2021, my husband and I decided to try it despite hearing about the long wait time. When we stopped by and asked at around 5:45pm if we needed to make a reservation, the hostess said that it is on a first come and first served basis. We went home to freshen up after a long day out, and arrived back at Union Block at 7:10pm. We were only seated at 8:25pm. The hostess was not very smart, not seating people by first come first served as there were people who arrived and gave their name after us, were seated first because they were a group of 3 and can be seated at a 4 person table even though we arrived an hour earlier and waited patiently by the door. We understand the seating arrangements and were willing to wait a little, but to be passed over several times, that’s just bad business. Food quality is good if you can wait over an hour just to be seated. We won’t be back because we value our time or until we hear that this has improved. We have given this place a chance despite hearing about the long wait times. Many eateries are available and more will open in the area. This place will be out of business quickly if this continuous. To be fair, there are people who just refuse to leave after having their meal. To those type of customers, please know how to leave after your meal especially during peak hours so that other people can enjoy a meal as well. No reason to sit at your table for an hour AFTER you have finished your meal when you see that there are people waiting to be seated. These are customers who will affect the turnover of a restaurant and cause businesses to close. To that type of person who likes to be seen, please know that you are definitely seen as inconsiderate and selfish. (There was a couple with the guy in a plaid shirt sitting at the corner of this restaurant, near the pianist, facing the entrance door who just refuses to leave and sat at the table for over 2 hours when he can clearly see that people are coming in and waiting to be seated). I remember clearly because he had a horse’s grin and kept looking at us who were waiting for a table. My husband said, that ‘plaid’ and his partner/wife/gf should get up after finishing their meal and adjourn to the bar if they want to keep chatting and drinking. To Union block owner, Customers have other choices and do not want to wait for over an hour just to be seated. We will spend our money elsewhere. To clarify the timeline, we arrived at 7:15pm, were seated at 8:30pm, order taken around 8:35pm, received our meal at 8:46pm (yes, kitchen staff prepped the food fast), finished our meals, coffee AND desert in 20 minutes, got the check, and left the place at 9:10pm. We just want to enjoy good food, and happy to leave shortly after we’ve finished our meal. Our server was Ashley and she was efficient. The place opens from 5:00pm to...

It would be impossible to have a worse experience. Our terrible experience was 100% the fault of a rude, untrained team and no real onsite manager to address a problem, that was caused by staff. Your food can be the best food in town, but if your staff are disrespectful, rude, uncooperative and don't tell the truth it's a problem. We were celebrating a special event in the area and came to the restaurant for dinner with a group. Our name was taken for a table and we were directed next door to wait at the wine bar. We had a lovely time at the wine bar, which I now know is not associated with the restaurant. A young, obviously untrained hostess came over to our table at the wine bar two, maybe three times as we waited and told us we could bring our drinks from the wine bar into the restaurant. We immediately assumed the two locations were connected. In fact, at one point we asked her if we could be served dinner at the wine bar. After waiting close to an hour and 45 min. + for a table (they gave ours away in error) we were called for our table. Two or three people (of 10) brought their drinks with them. We were thrilled to be seated and excited to try the food. A waitress who I can only identify by her fresh mouth and pink dyed hair, approached our table, angry and hostile because people brought drinks in. When we attempted to explain the hostess had advised us to do so she called the hostess to the table and she point blank lied and told the waitress she did not. The situation deteriorated from there. It was nothing short of embarrassing. I got up to walk toward the back to see if I could find a manager to try and fix the situation only to be aggressively approached by a guy, Mr. H, who claimed to be the cook and manager. He screamed prior to my even being able to speak and told us to get the F out. I was in shock and speechless. Never in my life have I experienced anything like what went on in this restaurant. The bartender felt terrible and I think was also embarrassed by the behavior of his colleagues. One young man who was some type of manager walked out with us and apologized profusely for the behavior of his colleagues. Thank goodness for Top of the Lake we were able to call, explain our nightmare, and have them welcome our group in to dinner with 15 minutes left before everyone closed. We had a fabulous time, a fabulous waitress and a wonderful evening. Needless to say when reaching out to the owners they did nothing. They should have absolutely done something to make up for the person we were celebrating that evening and how they destroyed and embarrassed them on such a special night. Any owner in their right mind would have terminated at least three of their staff...

Recieved a gift card for Christmas to Union block. Was excited to try it, we normally head to the city on a Friday night for food but stayed around town tonight.. Called ahead and was told it's first come first serve but she stated they had 8 tables open. We arrived 10 minuts later and that was in fact true, we were seated promptly. Thats where the good part stops.. We sat and waited for a wattress to stop and ask for drinks and or to welcome us for almost 15 minuts. Other new guest were seated and had drinks that come in after us. After polity asking 1 of the 4 hostes walking around about some drinks and bread and perhaps a waitress we received our drinks instantly and placed our food order (we havd about 30 minuts by now to look over the relatively small menu) another 15 minutes pass and we have yet to receive bread or a refreshed drink, after asking another hostess about the warabouts of a waitress and some bread it was finally brought out, and so was our entrees at the same time. Homemade noodles were great! Meatballs are nothing to write home about, and neither is their red sauce. The wife liked her salmon carbonara and had no complaints on the food. In all, the service sucks and a hostess with some sort of organization would turn the 1 star into 3.. Ashley was our waitress, she was very friendly but lacked on being present on the tables she had.. (Mind you there's maybe 18 tables total for the entire place with 3+/- waitresses) Hate to bash a small town business, but needless to say we have $50 remaining on the gift card that we...