Rocky's on The Lake — Restaurant in Town of Russia

We found our new favorite spot by accident! This is a long review with our fabulous experience. We just set up our new camp in the area and were looking for the closest place to eat. It said this place was closest but closed in an hour at 9. We decided to go check it out since it was just a few minutes away. I truly wasn't expecting much, since a lot of the restaurants up in the area are small and simple. From the entrance I still wasn't expecting what we found inside! The bar was very modern. Lots of High top tables the place was not too busy at the time, except for that bar area. There was another dining area to the right of the bar where bathrooms are located as well. I guess being so close to closing on a Thursday night we got lucky and missed any crowds. They sat us in a separate room with regular tables, a view of the lake, modern gas fireplace, big screen TV and beautiful antler chandeliers. The vibe seemed more of a Westchester County NY vibe. Joe, I believe the bar manager came over to wait on us. Very friendly. He brought us menus and I gave him our 2 choices off the drink menu. I was celebrating the work we did at our property. I chose a spicy pineapple margarita and something mango in a martini glass. Amazing flavor combinations! Better than any drinks I've had in NYC! Eventually I went for a 2nd round before I left! He recommended some specials. We both got something from specials. The stuffed chicken parmigiana. Again I wasn't expecting much, Italian up in this area from my last experience wasn't great. It was delicious! It was cheese and pepperoni in between 2 perfectly cooked chicken breasts, topped with sauce and fresh parmesan cheese over a bed of pasta. If my husband didn't always have a huge appetite and finish my food I would say this could be shared. My husband got some sort of hot Italian salad, a steak and sweet potato fries. He said it was cooked perfectly. He's very picky about his steak. The fries were not greasy, salty or soggy as most sweet potato fries are. Joe checked in regularly and thanked us for the compliments about the wonderful drinks, since he chooses them for the menu. He was so pleasant and attentive. While we were eating and he was in the back, even the bartender popped her head over to our side to see if we needed anything. My husband had a peanut butter pie or something for dessert, which he also loved! No negatives, except I wish they were open later. Joe wrote a note to come again soon on our check. The views, food and ambiance was enough to bring us back every time we travel up that way, but wait.. there's more! It was about 11:30pm before we got back to my camp and realized I forgot my wallet on the table! We rushed back over there, but it was closed by now. My husband left a VM and our numbers and I wrote a note and stuck it in the door and prayed someone would go in early that Friday and see it. I was worried and prayed all night that they would realize it was my wallet. Based on my experience at the restaurant I wasn't concerned with it too much, except the fact that I had $500 in that wallet and needed to head back home before the restaurant opened the next day at 4:00pm. I barely have cell service up there so left my number and asked to text if they couldn't get a hold of me. How happy was I that Christine the manager called me bright and early Friday morning. She instructed me to go right to the kitchen door and Steve would have it waiting for me. A few hours later I did just that and nothing inside was touched. I was so thankful to her and all of her wonderful staff for not only one of the best last minute dining experiences I've had in a while, but restoring some of my faith in humanity and good in this world. If I lived up there full time I would have parties there! This is definitely one of my new spots! Hope you have as good of an...

Posting this review for an elderly family member who traveled over an hour one-way yesterday to dine here for the first time, but who is unable to post online reviews (due to lack of understanding/familiarity of the internet):

Firstly, positives that all members of the party agreed on: the waitress had a warm, friendly demeanor; the atmosphere was nice; no trouble finding parking; fantastic boozy drink-menu AND a vast beer menu; of the numerous meals served for their party, two were said to be delicious; one member of the party liked the bathroom door signage

Now, the negatives (sharing with hopes that this serves as constructive criticism that will be appreciated and foster change): no paper-towels at the communal hand-washing station for over an hour; when meals were served for the party, half of the party was served and half was not, so the first folks served sat politely waiting--without eating, which is simply good manners--for 10 minutes until the other members of the party were served their meals, which resulted in the first round of meals (that were served at the start) going cold. And there was still one final member of the party not served for another 10 minutes, which meant one person in the party sat waiting for 20 minutes while half--and then all--other folks in the party had meals in front of them; 2/3 of the prime rib was pure fat; two shrimp came with the "steak and shrimp" (which one person found amusing, remarking, "Couldn't they have at least given me three? Two is, like, bare minimum"); one steak was pretty under-cooked, taken back to the kitchen, then served 15 minutes later still under-cooked; one person asked for steak sauce and waited five minutes for steak sauce to be provided; two people in the party remarked that the asparagus was "quite rubbery" and "hard to chew."

Would they go again? One person in the party said that they had been there once before for brunch and found it to be good, and added that they would return and give it one more try. The others said probably not, even though some members of the party found their meals to be delicious. The person who I am writing this review for, who was a member of this party, said that had the meals all come out at the same time, things wouldn't have become awkward, meals would not have gotten cold, and the conversation likely would not have shifted to criticisms, and they all agreed that the experience would have been a really good one. No manager came around to ask how the meal was going, which is usually standard at nice restaurants nowadays. Yes, it was busy, however perhaps they could limit reservations and intentionally leave a few tables spare if both the kitchen and wait staff (and whoever is in charge of restocking paper towels) can't function in an acceptable manner. Quality takes priority over quantity, is a wise adage from a...

Restaurant Review — A Cautionary Tale Twice Over.

One year ago, I left this restaurant vowing never to return after a Father’s Day dinner that went from bad to worse. Against my better judgment, I gave it another chance this year. I regret to report that it has somehow managed to decline even further — a feat I didn’t think possible.

From the moment we arrived, it was clear that time management is a foreign concept here. Despite a mostly empty dining room, we sat neglected for 26 minutes before anyone bothered to take a drink order. When the drinks finally appeared — a full 35 minutes later my father‘s drink was missing. The waitress informed us they were out of Rosé so he ordered a Zinfandel. After waiting another 10 minutes, my father had yet to receive his drink so I made an embarrassing trek to the bar to retrieve my father’s beverage. On Father’s Day. For a United States Veteran.

The neglect only escalated. It took over an hour to place our food order in a restaurant that could hardly be described as busy. When the food did arrive, it did so in a slow, insultingly staggered parade: my husband’s and my mother’s showed up first. 10 minutes later mine and my father‘s showed. Then my son’s 15 minutes after that . By then, our veal and chicken parmesan had wilted into soggy, lukewarm disappointments unworthy of the steep $300 check.

Adding to the farce, the cook — whose grim, disheveled appearance did nothing to inspire confidence — emerged from the kitchen only to praise the waitress for a “great job.” One wonders what, precisely, he considered commendable: the glacial pace, the dirty look she gave me because I went and got my father‘s drink for him, the cold entrées, or the inexplicable charge for desserts they didn’t even have in stock.

It took an additional wrangle to correct the bill, prolonging our stay to an exhausting three hours for what should have been a straightforward family dinner.

In fairness to the wait staff, they quietly admitted that a lack of kitchen management was making their lives — and tips — miserable. Unfortunately, this honest confession did little to salvage an experience that fell short in every conceivable way.

In the end, this establishment is no more than a bar masquerading as a restaurant. The food is mediocre at best, the service incompetent, and the management seemingly nonexistent. Save yourself the frustration — there are countless better ways to spend Father’s Day, your time, and your hard-earned money.

One star — only because zero...