Park Inn — Restaurant in Town of Urbana

Food: We started off our meal with an order of Sautéed Calamari. The calamari was very tasty, with a perfect ratio of seasoning to sauce. The Focaccia bread that the calamari was resting upon was delightful. I ordered the Prosciutto Crusted Chicken Breast with a side salad of kale, peaches, tomatoes, and almonds. It took me quite a while to decide as the whole menu looked delicious. My meal was very, very good. The chicken was cooked to perfection and the prosciutto was a perfect touch. The kale salad was the best salad I have ever had, the sweet peaches balanced the acidic flavor of the dressing. I also sampled some of the risotto and the risotto was heavenly. As I put it in my mouth it just felt so comforting. Definitely some of the best risotto I have ever had.

Staff: The staff was very nice and was at our table multiple times to bring water and take plates. Our waitress was Amy who had a very good sense of humor and was very caring towards our party. She also made very good recommendations towards the menu and establishments in the surrounding area.

Time of Service: We were seated immediately without making a reservation, which was great. It did take a little while for the starters and entrees to come out, but it was definitely not an unbearable amount of time, as the restaurant was also decently busy.

Atmosphere: The atmosphere was so great. We sat at a table in the blocked off street right next to a nice little park in the middle of town. In the park a small band played nice music that complemented the meal.

Presentation: The meal was presented beautifully, all the food was arranged perfectly. The glasses and silverware were very modernistic and in great condition. The water was brought out and put on our table in a very nice looking bottle that added a touch of elegance.

Price: The food was not too pricey, just a little more than the average restaurant, but it was definitely worth every penny. We ended up paying around $120 for a group of 4...

We did not stay at the Inn, though the rooms look lovely from the photos online.

This review is for the restaurant. This was our second time eating at The Park Inn. The first time was excellent - we actually sat at the same table this most recent time. The service on the first visit was attentive, and the food prep was excellent. 5-stars for sure - this was for 2023.

This most recent visit, this evening, was sub-par. I know it's early in the season, and the teams are probably still figuring out how to work with each other, but both the service and the food were not great. We didn't see our waitress for long periods and had to flag her down for a second drink while we were waiting for our main; we are trying to figure out what the purpose of the runner was when we still had to flag the waitress. Anyway, the cheese board didn't have any crackers, which was odd; the runner delivering the food just put it on the table with no cheese "tour" - it was taste and guess. Still not sure what we had - some sort of cracker or breadstick would have been great. For the main, the salmon was still pink inside when we got it and not up to temperature; okay for sushi grade, but not sure this was sushi grade, so fingers crossed for tomorrow. The entrees in general were only okay. The potatoes on the salmon dish were good, as was the pesto. The squash on the swordfish plate was only okay. While sitting in the bar area last time was fine, this time we experienced two overserved guests that made it difficult to converse. The ambiance was great once they left, but unfortunately we were done with our dinner, too. The menu was limited - we didn't see a chicken main, but maybe we missed it. Probably...

My experience at Park Inn Restaurant was a letdown, starting from the front door. We chose this spot for our anniversary, excited by its culinary reputation, but found ourselves stymied by a maître d' more focused on pretense than hospitality. Despite multiple empty tables at 6:40pm on a Tuesday in the Finger Lakes, we were turned away from table service with claims of reservations that never seemed to materialize. Relegated to the bar, service lagged—from delayed orders to slow drink refills probably due to a bartender that was overwhelmed because the maître d' wasn't seating tables. Notably, another diner, even recognized as a repeat guest by the maître d', was also denied a table now 7:30pm. I had seen 3 reservations arrive during my time sitting at the bar next to the host stand. This repeat solo guest was also bizarrely denied an open seat next to us at the bar. By the time we left at 8:20pm (Restaurant closes at 9pm), many tables remained unoccupied, highlighting a disconnect between the host's gatekeeping and actual demand. The maître d' seems to play gatekeeper to an empty kingdom, the chefs who certainly deserve accolades also deserve a better host.

Photos taken during our visit clearly show the empty tables, contradicting the maître d's insistence on all seats being reserved. This unnecessary gatekeeping resulted in not only a disappointing experience for us but also other potential diners being turned away. The establishment's approach to managing reservations and guest seating desperately needs...