Delicious good; fun cocktails; great atmosphere. The best restaurant in Chautauqua Institution.

Fantastic take out options during COVID-19. We have had take out lunch, dinner and a variety of alcoholic beverages. My son would eat the Oxtail Poutine everyday! Highly recommend!! read more

Welcome new addition to CHQ dining options. Great location and enthusiasm, think tapas menu and you won't be disappointed. Small plates, nice wine selection and draft craft beer. Enjoyed the poutine fries, hamburger was great. Three time fries were super. Progression of steak were canapé medallions with good toppings. Kale and apple salad was the best first course. Service was disjointed and confused, hope it improves with the season. read more

2 Ames - Downstairs and upstairs dining rooms on the corner of Bestor Plaza, corner of Pratt and Ames - New American Near Me - Chautauqua, New York

Cute place with live music and friendly service..... but they change your order from the time you order it and the server writes it down.... to the point that it is delivered..... and without notification. I ordered a Sangria (which was supposed to be red wine with fruit.... it said so right on the menu) and I was given a concoction of white wine, orange juice and fruit. When I questioned it, I was told that is how it's made now.... no apology.... no offer to get me something else. And a friend ordered a latte..... and after her first sip she was told "I hope you don't have a nut allergy because it was made with almond milk since we ran out of regular". Huh? Maybe next time let the customers know of changes before bringing out their items. read more

Ceilings are low, rooms are small and if diners are talking, the music is too loud so you can't hear the conversation at your own table. Also, I was too low in my seat at the table. Menu was limited. Trout was tasty, but the plate was drenched in butter. I'm not a fan of squash and zucchini -- both of which have little taste so when drenched in butter, the veggies were greasy and way too buttery. Same with the risotto which was also cooked in too much butter. I understand it's farm to table, but our waiter looked like he just left the farm with a dirty, scraggly beard and wore a hat inside. Just didn't do much for my appetite. We ordered drinks, but didn't order appetizers or desert and were in and out in 35 minutes. Servings were small. They charge for bread and butter. The drinks were skimpy. 2 Ames just felt like amateur hour... read more

My husband and I had dinner with friends at 2 Ames last night. The service was extremely slow and unprofessional. Several menu items were not available. Hamburgers were overcooked and the added sauce made it unappetizing. Save your money. read more

Great little spot in the Institution! We had dinner here last year, as well as this summer. The menu is very limited and seems to change from year to year. Last year they had a drunken pasta option on their menu, which was outstanding! Sadly, it is not on this year's. It was the best thing I've eaten there, and they said it was very popular so I do hope they'll bring it back! We ordered some appetizers, entrees, and a side. We put the appetizers in first, followed by the entrees and side. My husbands drink took as long to come out as the appetizers did, and then all of our food was rushed out. We ended up getting the side (which was meant for dinner) at the same time as the appetizers, and weren't even finished before our entrees came out. My husband ordered a second drink, just a beer this time, and it again took longer than the food. We were done with dinner by the time it arrived. The food itself was delicious, however, and we had pie for dessert, which was the best pie we have ever had. Our waiter was very kind, and the ambience of the whole place was beautiful. This is the perfect restaurant to dine at before a show at the Institution! This area really needed a place for good, quality, locally sourced food and 2 Ames delivers! If they could just bring back the drunken pasta, and work on the timing of their food service it would be absolutely perfect! read more

My new favorite place to eat in CHQ! Quaint atmosphere and incredible food. The menu changes on a daily basis and includes only fresh ingredients. Reasonable pricing. Exceptional service. 100% recommend read more

Great place... Inventive menu. Our dinner was very good. My only complaint was that the entrées are fairly small. I'd recommend that you order a side salad to start. And they get very busy... Service was a bit rushed.. we had a dinner reservation and we were in and out in 45 minutes. The bar drinks are A perfect addition! Owners appear to be great mixologists! I recommend that you sit at the bar but note that it is small and gets extremely busy, especially at night. Overall a fabulous experience and helped to contribute to an overall Fabulous vacation. BTW, order a Bloody Mary if you get there while they still have their homemade mix available. It's perfect! read more

Not the first restaurant to bring alcohol to Chautauqua, but the 2nd. The Athenaeum Hotel was the first. Good drinks, nice wines and the guys are pleasant. It's a fun place but needs a bit of attention to detail. The restrooms and light fixtures could use a good cleaning. read more

2 Ames is THE BEST hangout spot in Chautauqua Institution for people of all ages and especially twenty-somethings but it is so much more than that. 2 Ames offers a friendly atmosphere, vintage decor that makes you feel like you are at grandmas house. 2 Ames has a unique but delicious selection of beer, wines, spirits, and creative cocktails. Their kitchen creates exceptional, thoughtful, and local ingredient inspired food....they have a very friendly staff that is not afraid to have deep and meaningful conversations with customers, their business model aspires to be as sustainable and green as possible and does not offer plastic and styrofoam containers or plastic straws. Finally, they feature weekly live jazz music, played by talented local musicians. If you visit Chautauqua Institution, you do not want to miss out out on the 2 Ames experience! read more

See all

2 Ames has a polite and responsive wait staff. The beer menu has some of the best microbrews on tap--Southern Tier, Great Lakes, Stella I had the chicken and grits. The chicken was sliced and tender with stewed fresh tomatoes on the side. The grits were buttery and smooth and a perfect complement. Yum! read more

Hands down the best dinner at Chautauqua. Fantastic location, great atmosphere and personal service. But best of all a superb meal and wine. A must visit while at the Institute! read more

Great service but limited menu. Skip the "poutine" - it's french fries with oily gravy and large chunks of bland white cheese. Even my kids who love fries did not care for this. read more

Very disappointing. Inexperienced waitstaff. Food just so-so; undercooked & under seasoned. When we asked to speak to the chef, he was defensive and angry. Very uncomfortable experience. Will never go back. read more

Two Ames is my favorite place ever. Joey is AMAZING and never fails to put a smile on my face. His energy is absolutely electrifying. He enhances the experience every time I go. All around great food, drinks, and people. Their creativity during Covid has been unbeatable in terms of takeout food and drinks. A must visit for SURE!!! read more

I have never had food so amazing and service so friendly it feels like family. You walk in and feel like you're right at home. We've gotten coffee to go a few times which is amazing but nothing beats sitting upstairs in their lounge and eating breakfast/dinner. read more

We went here expecting great food and variety. Minimal menu and meager portions. I had the tabouleh as an appetizer which was dry and tasteless. The lamb balls were tasteless also and had no lamb flavor! Maybe the hamburger. I would not return and was truly disappointed. A ham and cheese sandwich at the deli was superior as was the hot dog at the cafe!overpriced and undergood. read more

This place is great. Very hospitable hosts and the food is reasonably priced for the area. Try the fries....it's my go-to

Great new restaurant on Institution. Young owners bringing new food choice to community. Liked the coffee and prices. Decor and Internet access is the perfect fit. Check out upstairs for even more room. read more

Great! We had the lamb meatballs and Moroccan chicken, which were both excellent. Vastly better than the declining food options at the Athenaeum. read more

Pleasant surroundings, but staff was inexperienced, food was disappointing, and customer service was awful. Waiter didn't know what at least two menu items were, was too casual in demeanor, and simply inexperienced waiting tables. Food was poorly prepared, not what was described on menu, and some of it inedible. We complained nicely, were challenged in our opinions by the owner/manager who did not come to the table, but made the poor waiter communicate with us, and then there was no adjustment to the bill. The kicker was that they hoped we would return. We will not. read more

We wanted to love this place because we come to Chautauqua every year. My daughter ordered the fish n chips and sorry to say it did not look anything like the previous picture. It was so burnt and over fried it was almost black in color. I had the burger and it tasted ok, we talked to another couple who had their burger served raw. For a quick drink and snack it's decent, but for a dinner out they need to step up their game for the price. read more

This was our second visit. Last time they had just opened, but now they have been open a year. Service was a little better, though servers are still not very knowledgeable about the menu. In his defense, the owners had recently changed the menu. He described the "drunk pasta" as a traditional primavera, but it wasn't- it was more like spaghetti with a vegetable and cheddar cheese. Evidently the owners got "drunk" one night and made it up, hence the name. Hamburgers were good but very plain. Burger, pretzel roll bun, and "special sauce", which my husband liked. No sides came with it, and no other toppings or condiments. Fish and chips were wrapped in a newspaper (yuk) and served on a piece of wood. Clever, but I was a bit concerned about how hygienic it was. We also had the blackened salmon (which wasn't blackened) with citrus quinoa (some grapefruit added). Fries were delicious! They are on the right track, but using recipes might help. This continues to be a great place for the under 40s to get a drink and hang out, but for better food, go next door to the St Elmo. read more

So happy to have 2 Ames in Chautauqua! Food is delicious and the wine and beer selection is awesome. The eggo bagel for breakfast with the home fries was my go to until I tried the French omelette which was also really good! Definitely get the home fries!! For dinner everything is really good!!! Great music and live performers! Really cute decor too! Highly recommended! read more

See all

The time we were there, they seemed busier than what they could handle. The staff was pleasant but green. It was 12:30 and they only had breakfast options which were extremely limited. When we ordered, the server came back to tell us once that they were out of the home fries and second they were out of pancakes. We had to request for silverware and napkins. Eggo bagel was tasty especially with bacon jam which added a nice touch of sweet and salty flavor. The maple shay was light in taste but luke warm. read more

Like others, I wanted to love this place as dining options are limited at Chautauqua. We had a reservation for my birthday. A bit after being seated, someone introduced himself as our waiter and we asked for iced teas. Someone other than the waiter brought them to us. Then, er, nothing. Nada. Tight space in there, and our waiter passed by our table several times, close enough to touch if we had been so inclined, without making eye contact or asking us well, anything. Twenty-five minutes later, still zip. So I can't give a review of the food because we never got to order. Several other folks had issues as we waited, from no ice cream for the pie and really long wait times. read more

Probably won't be coming here again. I came here looking for a quick app after an 8-hour work day and was disappointed. I would love to support fellow millennials who also love Chautauqua, and believe that there is a need for a restaurant like this in the institution, but $15 for a completely flavorless plate of poutine (oxtail and gravy NEED seasoning, people!). The waiters not knowing whether or not they had a dish on the menu available is kind of ridiculous. The attempt at a vintage/boho/hipster atmosphere is really just not executed well, so you feel like you're eating in an antique store's going out of business sale. The best part of this establishment is their repurposing of the old amphitheater pews for outdoor booths, but I probably won't be sitting or eating in them anytime soon. read more

Zero stars would be appropriate but alas one is the minimum on this site. Had the worst meal I've had in my life with two other guests. The service was abominable and the food...well you really have to be trying hard to prepare it this badly. Soggy half cooked chicken that looked as if they pulled it out of the dumpster a couple of days after. A cold half cooked hamburger on an ice cold plate. Had to remind the waiter to bring some cutlery. And the waitress who was supposed to bring some bread and tomato sauce brought it after we had complained and we were on our way out. Thankfully the restaurant across the street was able to accommodate us and saved our evening. read more