The Krebs — Restaurant in Town of Skaneateles

I have contemplated writing this review for the last several weeks because of how horrific our experience was. I sincerely hope that management reads this and takes action to improve these things.

I visited on 1/27 with a large party. Our waiter was incredibly friendly and we quite honestly felt sorry for him having to deal with the back and forth of the incompetent kitchen staff. One of our guests ordered the clam chowder special and received a cold salmon soup instead of the chowder. Embarrassed, we told our waiter about the mixup and he apologized and came back with the correct order. He told us that someone else special ordered salmon soup, and it was accidentally delivered to our table as leftovers. (When the runner was taking this back to the kitchen, he dropped a bit of soup on my friend’s shoulder). At first, we didn’t think it was a big deal until the entrées came. Half of our table ordered the tenderloin and three out of the four meals were served black & blue. My poor pregnant best friend wasn’t even able to eat her short rib, and when she brought it up to the server, he informed her of a certain cooking cooking technique that the beef was braised in. What’s funny is that technique Has nothing to do with serving raw beef. We ordered medium rare tenderloin and were served barely cooked, inedible beef (see photo for reference of what they said was medium rare). We were embarrassed to send it back after dealing with the salmon soup and the arrogance of the food runner. After talking to our server and showing him the food, he came back out and told us that the kitchen staff agreed the food was undercooked. He offered to cook my friends steak a bit more and the others didn’t even touch their $65 tenderloin. As we were waiting for our check two men wearing chef coats, walked by our table, giving us the death glare and dirty looks. I am assuming this was the executive chef, considering he was wearing a gray chef coat and the other guy was not. I have never seen such unprofessionalism. You would think after spending $1000 on food and drinks that you would be treated with a little bit more respect. After all these issues, they didn’t even offer us one complementary drink or anything to rectify this situation. It’s safe to say that I am extremely disappointed in the experience that I had, and I will make it a priority of mine to never recommend your restaurant to anyone who visits...

Before I review our recent dining experience, I want to preface by saying that my previous visits were met with above average service and cuisine. Yesterday, we arrived a half hour prior to our reservation and enjoyed delicious cocktails (I highly recommend the Rosa Fresca) in the bar area while we waited for our table. About 10 minutes after our reservation time, we were approached by a young woman who informed us that our table was ready. I didn’t mind they were behind because we were enjoying ourselves and they were busy (SU commencement & Mother’s Day weekend). What I did mind was that she was very speedy getting us to our table. I didn’t want to lose sight of her, so I awkwardly hurried after while trying to keep my husband and mother-in-law (both of whom were paces behind) also in sight so they knew where to go. I didn’t appreciate that she didn’t wait to guide us to our table as a group. After getting to our table, it took 20 minutes to be greeted by our waitress (always very pleasant, she’s usually our waitress when we go for brunch). Again, I understand they were busy, but a greeting only takes a minute. Plus, considering the size of our party, it would have taken an additional minute to take our drink orders. Our first course consisted of the asparagus soup, bison tartare, and wedge Caesar. The asparagus soup wasn’t served hot, but at room temperature. The style and presentation of the bison tartar was different than I’ve had it previously (less palatable) and the wedge Caesar was just okay. For our main course, my husband ordered the center cut tenderloin with the signature herb butter “sauce” (a ramekin filled with whipped room temperature butter with herbs), and my mother-in-law and I both ordered the black sea bass. Although the tenderloin was incredibly tender and cooked to his liking, it wasn’t the slightest bit warm, but at room temperature. Both sea bass entrees were okay, though pretty thin, overly salty, and served at room temperature. It seemed that all entrees had been sitting for some time prior to being delivered to our table. We concluded our dinner with passion fruit tarts that were delightful. This was my mother-in-law’s first dinner at the Krebs, so I was a little embarrassed and disappointed that it wasn’t at the standard of my previous...

First-time experience at The Krebs!

First of all, I loved it. The food quality, music, interior, and staff were all perfect. I quickly understood why this place has such a high rating. For appetizers, I tried the bison tartare, and for the main course, I opted for the duck breast and bone-in beef—both were superb.

I visited on my birthday and had left a note about it when making the reservation. Every staff member passing by greeted me with a happy birthday, and there was even a "happy birthday" lettering on the ice cream plate.

Additionally, the overall vibe of the restaurant was awesome. The ambient lighting inside the restaurant was optimal, creating a luxurious atmosphere complemented by the music.

I will definitely revisit and explore other items on the menu.

Having experienced fine dining in many countries, I can say I am highly satisfied with The Krebs. The staff doesn't pressure you to order alcohol, unlike some other fine dining establishments, and they don't solely recommend expensive menus. While it may not be important to everyone, if I were to suggest an area for improvement, it would be the plating. I'm not sure if all the plates are plain white, but introducing other colors and enhancing the presentation with more intricate decorations could elevate the dining experience. Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying their current style isn't fancy—it's just that there's potential for even more sophistication.

Overall, it was a...