Huckleberry — Restaurant in Town of New Paltz

Long Review, skip to the bottom if you just want to hear the short opinion.

I used to go here often when I was a student and I miss it very much. Especially the Fried Chicken Banh Mi sandwich! I haven't been here in a little while but I want to give a review from what I remember because I love their food so much.

The staff here are so kind, they even helped answer questions about the food over email after moving away from the town. The ambiance is like something you would see in a magazine or a movie. There are a few different areas to choose to sit, each area gives a unique experience. The outdoor area is cozy with fire pits that are relaxing and great around fall.

The same cozy feeling extends into the bar on the first floor. It has the kind of rustic charm that New Paltz is known for. The bartenders were always quick when I used to go, although I didn't drink much here so I can't speak too much about the bar.

The upstairs area is where I usually went. This is more of an open dining area and the coolest part is that they offer board games to play while you eat!

Now, for the most important part of the review, the food! The French fries here are amazing. They are always crispy and perfectly seasoned. The ketchup is even freshly made and you can really taste the tomato, it's a small detail but it shows how much care they put into the food.

The main reason I would come here though, and also the main reason for this review, is for the Bahn Mi Sandwich. This sandwich is seriously the best thing I've ever had in my life. Not to sound pretentious, but just for some context, I've been lucky enough to try amazing food from a lot of great restaurants. From Korean bbq to Brazilian steakhouses, Taco spots to Sushi spots. Nothing I've tried compares to this Banh Mi sandwich. The fried chicken and the ciabatta roll are both crisped to perfection. The pickled veggies and kimchi add so much flavor, it's very fresh. The jalapeños and spicy mayo add a great extra kick that truly ties everything together and balances with the pickled veggie flavors in a delicious way I've never had before or after (The spice isn't too much either if you're worried, I always thought it was just the right amount of spice for most people, unless you have a particularly hard time with spice.) Every part always seemed freshly made and put together with intention and care. It just made me so happy every time I had this.

I know this is a long review but I just wanted to show some love for this great restaurant. If you are thinking of going here, do it. It's worth traveling from out of town to try, trust me. If I could just give one tip, it would be order straight from the menu without asking for a change to the food (barring dietary restrictions of course). From my experience, this is the kind of place where the chefs choice is usually the best...

We came here on Sunday, October 1st, after the garlic festival 2023 for drinks and food. Getting to the host station was a challenge because the walkway between the sidewalk and host had a huge puddle, at least 3 feet in diameter, in the middle. The only option was to walk in the mud, along the edge, to prevent stepping in the water. I understand our area received a lot of rain over the past several days, but some attempt to clear the water should have been made. When we were leaving, a woman was coming in, wearing a nice, long dress, and open-toed sandals, and ended up with her toes covered in mud.

Once we got to the host station, we were immediately greeted, and told since we were a party of 8, there would be a wait. We were provided menus and sat in the open area, waiting for our table to be ready. We were seated in less than 20 minutes.

The service was atrocious. Once our server finally came over, we ordered our drinks. The drinks came out quickly and were enjoyable. We ordered our entrees relaxed with our drinks. Our server came out after 15 minutes or so and told us the kitchen was backed up and our food was taking a while. We understood and appreciated being told. However, we noticed several couples that came in after us were getting served, eating, paying the bill, and leaving, while we were still waiting for our food. We waited an hour and 15 minutes for salads and burgers.

Once we did get our food, it was very good! Everyone was pleased with what they ordered and enjoyed the meal.

We had two women help us: a blonde and a brunette (they never shared their names). The brunette was so unfriendly to a couple of people in my party, and it seemed like the blonde was trying to soothe over some of our frustrations. That was until we were given the bill and saw there was a 22% gratuity added to the check because we were a party of 8. There was no mention on the menu or on the website that they would be adding gratuity for parties over a certain number. I understand larger parties are harder to handle but there was no heads up given that gratuity would be added and in my opinion, 22% is exorbitant, especially considering the service we received.

I waited several minutes for our server to return so I could pay the bill, but noticed her standing in the corner, on her phone. I went over to where she was, placed the bill on the counter, then waited several minutes more, until the busboy got her attention and pointed to me.

What a waste of an afternoon! The food would be worth returning for, but the deplorable service killed any chance of that happening. We will never be back, and we will tell our friends of our horrible experience, so they don't have to go...

Came in on a Wednesday night to celebrate a friend's birthday. We struggled to find somewhere to grab a drink that had adequate seating past 10pm and saw they were open until 12. We arrived at 11:00, with the intention of grabbing a couple of drinks before calling it a night. We were greeted by a bartender named Warren, who was visibly displeased with us as we entered. We ordered a round of drinks, planning on leaving a nice tip before we left to show our gratitude for serving us at such a late hour. A member of our group went up to order a second drink when, to our surprise, the bartender said he was done serving us due to not receiving adequate tips. Some of us had already tipped on our individual drink orders. I then proceeded to explain we were planning on leaving a big tip before we left. I handed him a $20 bill to tip him for my $10 drink as an attempt to make amends. He continued to give us an attitude, exclaiming that he wasn't inclined to stay open for us if we weren't going to properly compensate him. Keep in mind this is 11:40, still well before they close. It clearly states they are open until 12 online and in the restaurant, but the bartender made it clear that our presence was not wanted. Even after receiving the tips, he continued to antagonize us. In response to us vocalizing our intentions to tip at the end, he claimed that's "not how that works". This has not been my experience at any other bar. Maybe things work differently at Huckleberry's, but even so, he could have explained this in a much more professional manner. Several of our group members have tended bar in the past, and they agreed that it is appropriate to leave a tip as a group on the way out. We left due to feeling so unwelcome. I personally have worked in several restaurants and don't see any justification for that type of behavior towards paying customers, especially after receiving a good tip. I would not recommend giving your business to Huckleberry's unless you have absolutely zero expectations for...