I've had brunch, lunch, and dinner at MIX, and all with varying levels of enjoyment. My recent…read morebrunch experience included ordering a Where the West Begins omelette, which includes "Braised short rib, butternut squash, red onion jam, spinach, smoked gouda". I wasn't sure how to feel about butternut squash with everything else (I'm not necessarily a huge squash fan - but I'm trying to learn to enjoy it), but the omelette was decent... it's the other side on my plate that looked less than appetizing. The biscuit was still covered in flour (and who wants to bite down on a clump of flour?), the cheddar hashbrown casserole lacked in flavor, and the brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal just... wasn't doin' it for me. Other recent experiences have been similar... there's usually one item on the plate that's flavorful or imventive (sometimes a main dish, sometimes a side), and the other parts of the plate are lacking. In reality, I think MIX is suffering a bit from rising food costs and inconsistency in their service and offerings. They've also changed the style of their menu from the original tapas-style to now being more typical entree options. Again... they've lost some of their innovative, experimental approach. In terms of ambiance, it really depends. I've been here for a work event and, because of the number of people, it was SO LOUD... they had also done a buffet offering for the event. As you can imagine, the food from the buffet was lacking, but that's often what happens when you're more mass producing your food (and it's left in a chafing dish, trying to be kept warm). On the other hand, I've been here for a dinner on a random night and was able to enjoy one of their Thai noodle bowls (and split some other apps with friends). The reality is that experiences at MIX are... well... a mix. Whether service, menu offerings, etc., I've found MIX's recent inconsistencies to be a disappointment. Will probably only visit in the future if it's suggested by others.

we made a resy for 5 for a wednesday night dinner, not crowded at all and our server was the most…read moredarling lady. she checked on us many times and would call us "love" after she would take our orders or give us more water. it was very nice and homey. we came here initially because in the past it's been a tapas place and we were looking forward to sharing small plates. unfortunately they changed their menu so they mostly do individual entrees now with a plethora of options from spaghetti to steak to burgers to thai noodles (lots of options) thai mussel bowl - 3/5 mussels a little ocean-y fishy tasting and the thai sauce a little liquidy brazilian cheesy bread gluten free 4/5 - yum appetizers delicious crunchy with cheese inside. the red dipping sauce was just tomato sauce a little strange but not bad osco bucco 3/5 - a little salty but a solid pork shoulder. the gnocci was also fried which was interesting italian sub with house salad 4/5 - good solid sub, i could only finish half and ate my entire side salad which had nice breaded croutons (not the dense thick ones) red clam linguine 4/5 - not bad, only about 4 clams but some more inside the pasta penne alla vodka 3.5/5 - a solid pasta nothing special

One of the only places in the Commons with breakfast service, Monks doesn't coast on how they own…read morethe market. My confit mushroom omelet was just one of plenty of egg dishes on offer. You've got your eggs Benedict, your sausage, your usual American-style proteins. My omelet was just browned - very nice color - and not overcooked, which I was thankful for. That said I could've done with more seasoning. The home fries were pretty crisp; some too much so to eat. Totally worth a try!

Took forever to get food. Ordered seabass. Over 40 minutes with no one in the restaurant except me…read more Also ordered the garlic rolls and it was just reheated and didn't taste fresh

Must visit! Five stars! I visited years ago and somehow never got around to leaving a review, but I…read moreremember having a wonderful experience. The atmosphere was great, the service was friendly, and everything came together for an enjoyable visit. Even after all this time, it's one of those places I look back on positively. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area!

Impressed on my first visit to this restaurant! After a day of hiking 15 miles on the FLT, we…read moreneeded to refuel and recover with a drink and dinner. We decided on Bickering Twins, because can you go wrong with Mexican food and a margarita? Luckily we had no wait on a Friday evening at about 7pm. I was worried that since not many people were there it was a bad sign, but that was not the case. We were seated at a nice, sort of private high-top table near the door, which made it feel like we had privacy and our own little space. We ordered drinks, and I wimped out and went with a paloma instead of the tamarind maragarita. The paloma was great, but I'm still wondering whether I shouldn't have risked it. Our group of three decided to get chips & salsa (because why wouldn't you), and then we ordered three dishes to share. Our choices were as follows: Peruvian Ceviche, Birria Quesadilla and Chicken Enchiladas. First of all, the fact that they had ceviche and it was good just hands down made my day. It was good - I only wish there had been some corn kernels served with it. The birria quesadillas weren't what we had expected, but they were very flavorful and the juice was tasty. I Really enjoyed the enchiladas for the mix of flavors and textures. There were so many vegetables with our dishes and the sides of rice and beans were more than filling. My only complaint is that the rice was too much of a yellow rice - I prefer a white rice, but that's just personal preference. Even though we kept the menu at the table anticipating that we would want to order more, we ultimately were stuffed and the portions (while they looked small were actually quite filling!). Jose our server was kind and friendly. I would definitely come back as there are a variety of other meals I would try, and they have flights of Mezcal and Tequila that looked tempting. After a long hard day of hiking, this fabulous meal made the day. We returned to our hotel with sore legs, but our bellies full!

I was on a search for a quiet cafe-style spot with indoor seating, for days where I want to post up…read morefor a couple hours to get some work done but also be out in the world. The Greenhouse, with its cafe-by-day and lowkey bar-by-night atmosphere is perfect for this. I arrived at 3pm and there were two table occupied, with a few more folks trickling in between the time I arrived and 5pm. This was ideal for a quiet afternoon of studying and working. I note this, because the space can become much livelier later at night, when folks transition to (delicious) cocktails and enjoy occasional live music. I recommend the Blue Skies gin cocktail, but I'm looking forward to trying multiple others on their menu. I ordered chicken sliders, which had a great aioli. Felt reasonable for $12 -- could easily be shared with another person. The interior is delightful, with a gorgeous seated bar and lots of healthy plants. The people working were lovely too. Happy to have a new spot to haunt.

Nice atmosphere. Best to order the simplest foods on the menu as this is really more of a cafe. The…read moremenu is a bit too ambitious for the restaurant.

I have been going to Cent-Dix for 10 years and let me tell you this restaurant doesn't disappoint,…read moreand is probably my favorite in Ithaca. We are talking about great execution on basic french dishes here with excellent service on the commons. It's also the most elegant of the restaurants in the commons in my opinion. None are particularly elegant, but Cent-Dix feels the nicest. A must get is the beef tartare. It's so good, it's better than many tartare's I've had in france. Just hands down an easy winner. To cut it's richness I think you should get the Frisee aux Lardons. No matter the table size this is a perfect salad. You can always get more salads or greens, but if the table size is 2 or 6, everyone will like this. The fat, acid, bitterness is perfect. Steak frites are amazing, but even better is the cote de bouef on Saturdays. Either way you won't go wrong, but this restaurant does steak so well, and has good wines to pair with the steak. I've personally never had room for dessert, but everyone always orders it and I have some. It's good, but my favorite is that the espresso machine is always running after dinner for a nice pick me up before my walk on the commons!

One of the better restaurants in Ithaca!…read more I enjoyed the coursing- they did a very good job with timing. Service in general was very good. I also like the flowers on the dishes. I came with a friend and we tried the pear appetizer, mussels, leek and gruyere tart, and the ricotta gnocchi. Honestly, everything was really good. The gnocchi was pillowy and the tart did not have a soggy bottom. For dessert we tried the Pear frangipane which was also good. Quite a strong almond flavor and a little on the sweet side. Overall very good, I would recommend!

Tasty Tex-Mex food! Bright décor!…read more Well-made Tex-Mex is definately comfort food. And Frida's Mexican Grill in Ithaca is a cute place with good food. Inside has some brightly painted walls, paitned carved wood in the booths, a bright banner across the ceiling, and posters and lots of authentic photos of artist Frida Kahlo on the walls. (Jul 2026). Their homemade salsa was Excellent! Thick, chunky, and rich. The Steak Burrito had plenty of well-seared tender juicy steak, soft tasty onions and peppers, and cheese sauce, with rice and beans on the side. The Chicken Quesadilla was full of melty mozzarella, soft tasty onions and peppers, and juicy tender chicken, served with yellow rice and salad. All were flavorful and generous. A fun, satisfying meal, reasonably priced under $16 per dish, in a nice friendly place.

Cute Mexican place just opened. Great decor. Woodwork on booths, images of Frida Kahlo adorns the…read morerestaurant. Service was attentive and friendly. The food was tasty with large quantities. She has the shrimp burrito and I had the steak fajitas. Everything was tasty, juicy and delicious. Honestly better than the commons spot. But haven't tried the college town spot. But this place was solid and tasty. Definitely a solid addition to the areas.

Amazing server, Genessis, do all the details and knew how to match our interest in preferences with…read morethe innovative menu items. Sitting by the the street was comfortable enough, but the restaurant has a more attractive into you that its advertising might suggest.

We drove to Ithaca on. Monday. When we arrived at the hotel we were told many restaurants are…read moreclosed on Monday. We took a walk to The Commons and were happy that Food Lab was opened. Fortunately, we were able to get seated. Our server, Kylie, was so attentive. We ordered a salad and three shares. Each one was a wonderful blend of flavors and texture. The presentation of each was a work of art. What an amazing find!

Ok this place is stunning inside. I could've never imagined that a place in collegetown could look…read morelike this. Service was excellent. The food however, was beyond lacking. I ordered a spinach and mushroom crepe that claimed to come with gruyere cheese. The portion was small for $14 and when I tell you it was bland, it was blanddddd. There was absolutely no cheese in it at all and I thought, ok this will be healthy, but it was cooked with plenty of butter. I wanted to like this place, but the menu is too large for anything to be stellar. My friend got the nutella crepe, and again, it was small for the price. But it was good. I guess a nutella crepe is hard to mess up though. My cappuccino milk was between a latte and a cappuccino. It wasn't bad!

I was pretty surprised by the poor reviews for The Embassy. I popped in with some friends for…read morecocktails, and they were actually pretty good. The inside is super pretty, almost fancy, which is weird because we're in Collegetown, not Downtown. You mean to say that this place existed all along here? It's got two floors of style, but be warned - it DOES definitely get crowded in the evening (especially on Mondays when they host a trivia night). I haven't tried their food or brunch yet, so no opinions there. But for drinks and a cool vibe, The Embassy is definitely worth a visit. Just grab your friends and get ready to hunt for a table!