Latest reviews from Ithaca
| 76 /100 111 N AURORA ST “Stopped in on a Saturday for dinner and beer. Good crowd. They had good food choices with solid tap list. If in town go here, not a destination stop though.
Staff were very nice.“ |
| 80 /100 The Cellar d’Or (Beer Store) 136 E. STATE STREET ON THE ITHACA COMMONS “Railroad wine shop stuffed to the brim, but also packed with a healthy shelf for ciders. Very hyper local with a few notable bottles from out of state plus a handful of well known imports. If you aren't from NYC, you might not recognize most of these, as they don't do distro(but I have seen some of them available via vinoshipper). Maybe 25-30 bottles, so selection has shrunk since COVID, but still big if cider is your game. The growler bar has also been closed since COVID sadly, which was a big want for me.
Service is attentive, helpfully suggestive also a little geeky about it, but is frequently only one person who is often stretched & rushing everywhere.
Prices are really bad, especially for a small town four hours from NYC. $18 bottles are $24, rare-ish $24 offerings are $28-30. Small formats carry similar premium & make it difficult to grab what you really want. Several of these are available in on vinoshipper, but if you include shipping(or there is no promo) this might be a better option.
Overall, a nice, centralized location for walkers. Many of these cideries are available within driving distance if you have the time(& they are seasonally open).
Solid shop despite my criticisms.“ |
| 82 /100 Finger Lakes Beverage Center (Beer Store) 605 W STATE ST “Quite nice bottle shop in downtown, a 15-20 walk from several hotels, all sidewalks.
Attractively large, but somewhat barren shelves. Still so much here though. I have never seen such a large & random cider or seltzer section before. Loving in NY, I still found 25 rates in single format in 10 minutes of perusing. Love that everything is broken up. Three long shelves in front, displays, side room for waters & imports. Back middle is all cider. I never got all the way to the back, but it looks like wall to wall fridges. Lots of duds, but just so much stuff.
Service is quaint, but not super helpful. Maybe the owner/buyer wasn't there at the time. There's a growler station too with eight taps, but I didn't want to dust off some glass.
Prices were pretty good, with only a slight markup for singles & cheap/supermarket prices for packs.
Ambiance was whatever, but the selection is great. Sad nights in my hotel are made slightly better.“ |
| 72 /100 111 N AURORA ST “I've tried to get a beer here many times, but it is in the center of the action and generally very busy, and it is not the largest place. Not a huge selection but some good options, e.g. fiddlehead. Excellent food, of the pub variety, great sandwich and soup for me. Rumor is they'll be moving down the street to a bigger place.“ |
| 82 /100 620 WEST GREEN STREET “I mostly pretty impressed. Mostly the large variety of styles - and those I tried captured the styles fairly well. Extremely attentive friendly staff, quite knowledgeable about the beer. I don't believe there is any food here. Growlers and crowlers available.“ |
| 72 /100 620 WEST GREEN STREET “Our group was going by on the way to the Commons and I had heard this was here so we stopped in. 5 pm on a raining Wednesday only a handful of people there. Within half and hour there were at least 40 people there with a steady flow coming in. The bartenders were attentive and some beers were pretty good. I'll stop on the way by again.“ |
| 74 /100 23 CINEMA DR “Patty and I stopped for lunch Monday. About 30 people there enjoying the pizza and good beer. They had 8 of their beers on tap. I enjoyed a flight of 3 stouts and a IPA. Nice big clean place. Good view off the deck.“ |
| 84 /100 111 N AURORA ST “Von außen recht unscheinbar, aber auf jedenfall einen Besuch wert. Einige regionale Biere, ebenso internationale, Flights sind möglich (vorsortiert). Sehr gutes Essen.“ |
| 80 /100 620 WEST GREEN STREET “Visited late January, 2018 with the search committee for a job I was a finalist for and didn't get... woe is me. Nice place, seemed new and very clean. Small-ish place kind of in a strip mall as I recall. It was pretty busy, but the bartenders were prompt and friendly. Okay beer - I'd probably stop in for ticks if I lived in the area, but not a destination by any means.“ |
| 80 /100 111 N AURORA ST “Visited late night in late January, 2018. Empty place, so the bartender was friendly and helpful. Big wooden bar, kind of a cross between warm and homey and a touch of dive bar. I liked it. I was living in Georgia at the time and they had lots of beers on tap I hadn't had. It was a Monday or Tuesday night and a lot of the breweries and such in the town weren't open, or at least weren't open that late, so this filled a much needed slot. I'd be back!“ |
| 60 /100 Wegmans - Ithaca (Grocery Store) 500 SOUTH MEADOW STREET “Super crowded Wegmans right in the heart of town. Beer-wise, they have an okay selection and some mix your own 6-packs. Fine option if you are visiting the area, but mostly just because you are probably going there anyway to buy other stuff.“ |
| 68 /100 23 CINEMA DR “
Basically looks like a typical strip mall pizza joint that also happens to brew their own beer.
Food was nothing spectacular, but it did the trick. Beers (7 total on our visit) were kinda the same way.
Some were poor, some decent, and the chocolate peanut butter one was actually pretty tasty. Not much in the way
of atmosphere - again just picture any strip mall pizza place you’ve ever been to. The woman working behind the bar
was friendly and attentive. Not a destination, but okay for a quick stop.
Also, I think they might have a 2nd location near Seneca lake, but this rating is for the one just a few minutes NE of Ithaca. “ |
| 66 /100 111 N AURORA ST “Located downtown just off of the commons, this place definitley has student dive bar feel. It’s not a huge space so it gets loud quickly. I also wish they had more than 2 toilets which quickly accumulate long lines. The craft beer selection was comprised mostly of solid locals but nothing too unique or interesting. The hamburgers were good though I went with with the house special and it got a little messy. It’s decent if you’rein the area, but it’s definitely not any kind of destination place.“ |
| 82 /100 The Cellar d’Or (Beer Store) 136 E. STATE STREET ON THE ITHACA COMMONS “Located in downtown Ithaca on the main pedestrian mall. It’s not a big place, but they did have space in the back for tastings. As the previous reviewer noted, they have a damn fine cider selection with 8 available for growler fills. they had a lot of top ranked ciders I hadn’t seen before as well as a lot of locally produced stuff, A lot of their stuff isn’t cheap, but I think they price fairly. I’ll definitely stop back by if I’m in the area.“ |
| 78 /100 122 ITHACA BEER DRIVE “Located just outside of Ithaca, the spacious taproom really gives the feeling of being on a farm. They have a lot of seating outside including a tent area. I happened to go on the Friday of Cornell’s commencement so the place was packed even at 12:30. They had over a dozen taps including a few taproom exclusives. The beers are solid, brewed to style, nothing too adventurous. I think if I liked there beer more I’d be back more often, but I did enjoy my time there.“ |
| 76 /100 Red’s Place (Bar) 107 N AURORA ST “My wife and I stopped in here after a hike in the Ithaca area. I had a very nice Sloop IPA and she had a Brooklyn summer. Enjoyed them both. A nice selection of food choices and the food was very well prepared. We enjoyed our time there and will be back.“ |
| 82 /100 Finger Lakes Beverage Center (Beer Store) 605 W STATE ST “Located 1/2 a mile from Downtown, this place isn’t much to look at from the outside. Inside it’s got to be one of the best craft beer stores in this part of the state. Lots of local, regional, and national craft arraigned by geography, They also had a large selection of cider and mead which is nice to see. The staff was friendly and seemed happy to talk beer. I’ll definitely stop by the next time I’m in the area.“ |
| 78 /100 Ithaca Coffee Company (Beer Store) 2255 N TRIPHAMMER RD “Learned of this place through the beer card and really enjoyed it. Quirky, lots of interesting stuff to buy, eclectic stuff. In the back is beer. Well thought out growler selection and for a small number of bottles, an excellent selection. Will return when back in the area. Prices were very good and competitive on beer.“ |
| 80 /100 The Cellar d’Or (Beer Store) 136 E. STATE STREET ON THE ITHACA COMMONS “Probably the single largest selection of cider I have ever seen in any one single store, with at least 60 bottles and 8 drafts, if not more. They have an amazing international and local cider bottle selection and howlers for filling from 8 drafts, including lots of local cider makers as well as international drafts. The one drawback is that the prices are generally high on the ciders. As much as I’ve never seen this great a selection of ciders, I’ve also never seen so many ciders north of $20, which bums me out quite a bit. Regardless, this is still an American cider destination as far as stores go, in my opinion.“ |
| 42 /100 23 CINEMA DR “Only had one of their beers available? Wings were delicious, service was excellent. Place could use some updating. But only one beer available?“ |
| 74 /100 122 ITHACA BEER DRIVE “When we last visited the Ithaca Beer Company their tap room was in a small, functional building just off the main road. This time we arrived three weeks after they’d opened their new place, quite close by and easy enough to find down a track known appropriately enough as Beer Drive. They’ve put a lot of thought into the design. There’s a nice curved bar with bottle tops embedded into the surface underneath, taps (all their own beer) set around a brushed stainless steel cylinder and a nice garden overlooking fields and the hills beyond. They have several acres where they’re growing hops and vegetables for use in the kitchen alongside produce from other small local producers. As an aside, when we visited the old place we met a local wine producer from the Six Mile Creek winery and distillery up the road. They don’t have beer there but it’s a lovely place to go for a wine tasting and their gin is some of the best I’ve ever tasted.
(Last visited 2 November 2012).“ |
| 68 /100 111 N AURORA ST “For some reason I remembered this as a sports bar but actually it’s not. There’s a Giants crash helmet over the till but only two television screens. It’s modern and busy - mid evening on a Thursday it was buzzing, slightly frantic and not too studenty. The beer is dispensed from taps set in a series of stainless steel kegs and the range was pretty good.
(Last visited 1 November 2012).“ |
| 64 /100 311 E. GREEN STREET “Appropriately, there’s a lovely aroma of coffee as you enter the Ithaca Coffee Company. It’s a coffee shop at the front and was full of studious young people working on their laptops when we went there having picked up a flyer saying they have beer tastings every Thursday from 1600 to 1800 (Wednesdays at their other branch north of town). It was an unexpected pleasure, with eight beers on offer. The bar, which doubles as a shop selling a pretty good selection of bottled beers plus home brewing supplies and coffee beans and machines, is at the back. Well worth checking out.
(Visited 1 November 2012).“ |
| 84 /100 122 ITHACA BEER DRIVE “Farmhouse vibe, bright and open. Long bar, lots of tables and retail towards the front. Food looked and smelled good but I did not partake. Friendly, helpful staff. Good prices. 5 tap room only beers on offer as well as a guest cider, and several regular beers. Beer quality was top notch. Worth the trek.“ |
| 94 /100 Finger Lakes Beverage Center (Beer Store) 605 W STATE ST “I’ve been to several stores in other states, including my native Michigan, that love to tout their best-of-someone’s list. I have to admit I did not appreciate what a great selection I had access to at Finger Lakes Beverage. I’ve honestly not been to a better store, which has kinda been a bummer when I go to high rated ones that don’t match up.
I always found prices fair (competitive with the local grocery store, Wegmans) and was impressed that the owners drove to NYC to pick up some great product when it wasn’t accessible through distributors -- like Captain Lawrence and Pretty Things -- turned away old product grocery stores would shelve (near end-date IPAs), and would talk to distributors to get stuff I wanted.
The store is in the midst of a huge remodeling (which actually temporarily brought down selection) and does a lot to improve the ambiance.“ |
| 68 /100 Ithaca Coffee Company (Beer Store) 2255 N TRIPHAMMER RD “We had stopped in last winter during the finger Lakes 2014 Passport time. Sat. morning before noon and she had to ask if they could serve beer yet? We had a few samples. Then bought some bottles to go. Good selection for a small place.“ |
| 72 /100 Wegmans - Ithaca (Grocery Store) 500 SOUTH MEADOW STREET “This one is a zoo, with a parking lot that is always crazy. I don’t yet know of many better alternatives though so deal with it. The usual Wegman’s perks like pick 6 and decent prices, and selection of some locals and some bombers.“ |
| 78 /100 Kilpatrick’s Publick House (Restaurant) 130 EAST SENECA ST “Reasonable prices for beer and food, friendly, some decent tap selections, not a huge quantity of taps but some nice craft beers. Was able to get a spot at the bar on a somewhat busy night, comfortable. Upscale feel.“ |
| 84 /100 122 ITHACA BEER DRIVE “Great atmosphere especially when outdoor seating available. Ridiculously bad service at the bar but it was busy. Great service at our table and knowledgeable on the beer. Great food pub selections and 3 small batch beers available only there.“ |
| 78 /100 111 N AURORA ST “based on lunch the other day with the wife who is a chef. at the bar the tender was friendly and knowledgeable in a regular guy kinda way heck i wondered if he owned the place (he doesn’t). pretty darn big piece of Haddock done well and a perfect burger that was at least very good. they tell you on the menu you get up to three samples? that’s service!“ |
| 72 /100 122 ITHACA BEER DRIVE “Small brewery. A few taps and bottles for sale. A bit disorganized at the release I went to. People walked out with entire cases of beer while dozens got shut out with nothing.“ |
| 74 /100 122 ITHACA BEER DRIVE “went for the Luminous release.,Big well lit open area. The bacon burger was tasty. would go back.“ |
| 56 /100 23 CINEMA DR “Visited: 6-1-11
The place is kind of hard to find on its own, but if you look for the northeast pizza co. Then you can find it. The brewpub is attached to a pizza parlor and is not the highlight of the combined businesses. I came here because it was right behind my hotel and within 2 minutes walking distance.
I came on a monday night with the start of the NBA finals and there were only 9 people here, so not crowded by any means. The beer selection was lacking because they only had their red ale and american pilsner on tap (2 taps were blank) and a half dozen bottles of craft beer, which was a diverse selection surprisingly (Great Lakes, Syracuse, Bear Republic, Erie Brewing, Rooster Fish, and Dogfish Head), plus your macro garbage bottles. The service was good and the girl behind the bar was very friendly. I didn’t eat here so I can’t help you there.
Overall, not a haven for a beer nerd unless you are staying at the Homewood Suites and don’t feel like driving.“ |
| 70 /100 122 ITHACA BEER DRIVE “This was a pretty nice place, very busy on a Saturday afternoon. They have a good number of beers on tap at one time, probably more than 6 as listed. The food was fairly good, typical brewpub style food. One of the better places in the area.“ |
| 80 /100 Ithaca Coffee Company (Beer Store) 2255 N TRIPHAMMER RD “I went to the downtown Ithaca coffee company because I have become a coffee snob. Did you know that coffee has a nose and a palate too and plenty of subtle nuances? Anyway - I turned the corner in their store and they had all this beer. They had a nice little seasonal section, then a little back room where they had plenty of beer to choose from. None of the dates were rubbed off or conspicuously missing and I did not have to check my fresh beer list for location of freshness date even once. They had imports like la chouffe and some kind of flemish sour ale, they had celebrator, they had plenty of fresh stone beers, they had locals and near locals. They also had a nice selection of coffee, coffee brewing equipment, chocolates and a bar. Many of their singles were under two dollars each and that means I am going to bring a bunch of them home. Next time, as I am now prepared for what I will get there, I will pick up more exotic beers. They have a nice little table and chair section for enjoying a cup of their coffee as well as a bar in back for enjoying some beer on tap. Refreshing staff who weren’t too aloof and who didn’t mind that I ask dumb and obvious questions when I am testing a place out. Lastly there is no problem with the lighting being poor or with the idea that the prices are not marked. Everything was neat clean and in it’s place. They did have some old beer but who doesn’t? I would highly recommend it. They also put together mail order gift baskets which is how I discovered them. My one peeve, the location. It’s far from me. =)“ |
| 78 /100 Finger Lakes Beverage Center (Beer Store) 605 W STATE ST “Nice, compact beer store with lots of goodies. Lots of singles, lots of New York stuff and even quite a few bottles you can’t find in the bigger stores. Friendly staff. They have some growler taps as well. Great if you’re in the area.“ |
| 80 /100 122 ITHACA BEER DRIVE “A nice brewpub with a beautiful setting on a farm outside Ithaca. A great place to sample their beers, and they often have a lot of specials and one-offs on tap through their 5-barrel series. Service was super friendly. Beautiful patio.“ |
| 60 /100 Wegmans - Ithaca (Grocery Store) 500 SOUTH MEADOW STREET “The Ithaca Wegmans is in a mall on the edge of town but within walking distance of the centre (and of course it has a huge car park). The beer selection was quite good. It was mainly in 6 packs or 750ml bottles (possibly something to do with the confusing laws each American state seems to have about how and where beer can be sold) but for $9.99 you can create your own six pack of single bottles from US microbreweries.
(Last visited 31 October 2012).“ |
| 70 /100 The Westy (Bar) 516 W STATE ST “Ithaca has plenty of bars and the westy is nothing unique in that respect. They have a lot of taps and they are pricey. They change the art work on their "fence" every so often and that makes them so Ithaca. It’s pretty nice inside with everything made of wood. They have darts, they have board games too. It’s very hipster and if you go in the winter you are missing a good part of the vibe which is outside playing hacky sack. Aren’t people done with that yet? There could be grilling outside in the summer and that adds to the flair. Cash only and I’ll say it’s not too loud.“ |
| 70 /100 Maxie’s Supper Club and Oyster Bar (Restaurant) 635 W STATE ST “It’s an old house on the corner of one of the main streets. It is extremely popular. Had some really good beer on tap and few good ones in the bottle as well as a nice wine list. The food is New Orleans style and there’s nothing like it in Ithaca. It was wall to wall bodies. Really loud, really crowded and really expensive. I like to eat a little late and they serve the full menu even after 10 pm. The food was the high point but I just didn’t like being shoved into a loud, crowded restaurant. In the summer there is a little outdoor area but it’s kind of in a parking lot. I might like it better out there but then again maybe not.“ |
| 84 /100 122 ITHACA BEER DRIVE “Stopped at the new expansion and relocation out behind the old place. Nice and spacious. Open seating area and a nice bar with seating also. Pub food, samplers and pints. Outside there are picnic tables and fire pits. Quite a dfference from the old place. Still have merchandise, bottle/case/growler sales. They also have a root beer and a ginger beer. Food was fine, the service quick and friendly, looking forward to stopping back again when the weather warms and enjoy a pint outside and take the brewery tour.“ |
| 76 /100 Zaza’s Cucina Italian Restaurant (Restaurant) 622 CASCADILLA ST “I liked it. It’s a traditional upscale Italian restaurant, not the most inventive menu but classic. You wont find an extensive beer list but you will find some. You can order Negroni without the waiter asking "what is that?". The menu is ok, the food was good but the service was lacking in enthusiasm. Not in the greatest location. I would go again.“ |
| 60 /100 23 CINEMA DR “Pretty cool little place. Odd location, but would visit again!“ |
| 88 /100 Simeon’s (Restaurant) 224 E STATE ST “Simeon’s is a great place to go if you want good expensive food and a large selection of alcohol. You can get anything from a nice glass of port or sherry to a variety of beer. They have lambic, they have wines, they have champagne. It’s local tradition and it’s got a great location. While you may not frequent the place you certainly want to sit in the front window at least once and watch the passers-by on the famous Ithaca Commons.“ |
| 76 /100 Glenwood Pines (Restaurant) 1213 TAUGHANNOCK BLVD “It’s out a ways but it’s worth the drive. When you exit the car the view is breathtaking. It’s a local dive and doesn’t try to be anything else. There is a tiny bar section separated from the main dining room. I had their "famous" burger and it was good. They offered me a Flower Power as a "special" selection and I loved the beer. Comfortable family atmosphere and you don’t have to dress.“ |
| 84 /100 Wegmans - Ithaca (Grocery Store) 500 SOUTH MEADOW STREET “Convenient. It’s where I’m shopping anyway. Good selection. Prices reasonable. Wegman’s is the kind of grocery store that has a quiche bar so the fact that they have a lot of beer is not impressive in itself. But they have quite a bit and unlike some other places the mix and match is only 10 bucks. You can try a lot of beer that way without investing in a six pack and without going broke.“ |
| 58 /100 Finger Lakes Beverage Center (Beer Store) 605 W STATE ST “I don’t understand why all the high marks. Went in because the local Wegman’s didn’t have what I was looking for. It’s small but they have plenty. It’s hard on the eyes because it’s deliberately dark in there and the bottles and the prices aren’t clearly marked . In fact they are hand written and I took points off for that being a too difficult. They have a sign up front that say no refunds and most of what they have is pretty old. The imports section is dirty with dust and age and the few items I bought from it were stale. They are rude and do not help you with any reliable information as I asked if the beer I was purchasing was fresh and they said "yes" but the date on the bottle did not agree with them. It definitely wasn’t fresh. I tried to leave it at the counter and the woman tried to intimidate me to take it. She offered to show me the "date on the case." Right. . . Wegman’s will give you a refund no questions asked and with online mail order these guys are not on my list. In fact the most clearly marked sign in the whole store, says no refunds and the brew dog was dated best by January of 2013. I would not buy any imports from them..“ |
| 82 /100 122 ITHACA BEER DRIVE “From Brew trip 2011. Got there shortly sfter opening about 11am on a sat. (Delayed by town cops giving me a speeding ticket by Wegmans) My group of 4 had the lone operator’s sole attention for a while as he poured us a free sample of the 8 beers he had on tap. Very good. We each purchased some beer to take with us. (Not much of a selection that day) 1 friend was glad to purchase some good rootbeer that day.
2013 We stopped there in late January with the Finger Lakes Beer Trail winter Passport. The new Brewpub looked great. Good food and beer. Had great time. Got beer to go.“ |
| 54 /100 The Nines (Restaurant) 311 COLLEGE AVE “Stopped in here for a late Monday night pizza and beer. The list is short and has a few craft rotators, like Ithaca, Southern Tier, and a couple more. Just not many beers. Pizza is good. Nice to try the new Ithaca Pumpkin Ale. Not really sure why this place is listed here- I wish people would list beer places more responsibly.“ |
| 76 /100 Finger Lakes Beverage Center (Beer Store) 605 W STATE ST “Stopped here recently while in the area. Kinda a dumpy place, but they only sell beer and craft soda. I was looking to local stuff that I can’t get back in MA, but they seem to have just about something for everyone. Even growlers (which is a new thing for me - being from Mass.). Not much service to speak of, but I usually don’t need any as I prefer to look. Prices seemed about average.“ |
