Remember back in the days when this place would spam the Talk section, with claims of their establishment being the best? I do! Well, turns out, they weren't really wrong. My friend had her baby shower here. Coming from East Amherst, it was super easy to get here, which I totally appreciate! Parking was plentiful, though the lot was a bit craggy. Also the street-facing door is not an entrance so park around the back/side. The room was pleasant, spacious. Tables and chairs were comfortable. Everything was very pleasant/nice. It's not the Ritz, it's Lackawanna. I absolutely LOVED the food, which isn't always the case with banquet food. I had roasted potatoes, baked chicken, and breaded pork chops... Okay, the potatoes were good, the baked chicken was DELICIOUS, and the pork chops were OUTSTANDING. Of course, the food is a bit informal. Like, the chicken had skin with a delicious seasoning on it, and was on the bone pieces, which I love. I like dark meat and skin and bones give chicken more flavor and moisture overall. At one point though, I did use my hands to pull chicken apart, which if you're prim and proper, you might not enjoy. But I can get down and dirty with some chicken, and I really don't mind if others find that uncouth. The pork chops were boneless, but I'm guessing dark meat boneless, which yes pork has both dark and white meat too. Seemed like the meat was pounded thin, breaded, and probably fried in oil, maybe baked too? OMG, SO DELICIOUS. It was super tender and flavorful. I would love the recipe! Same with the chicken! I looked on their website, to see what pricing is like, and it's VERY reasonable. I regularly price catering and banquets as part of my job, and the price for the quality of food is really good. If my work place were closer to Lackawanna, I'd certainly bring some business here. Great experience overall! read more

I had a very disappointing experience with Jay's White Elephant. The owner quoted my family $1,400 multiple times over the phone prior to our event, and several people clearly heard and confirmed that price. However, after my brother's Sweet 16, the total was suddenly increased to $2,200 with no clear explanation. When questioned, the owner denied ever agreeing to the original price, despite multiple witnesses and repeated conversations confirming it. There were also several other inconsistencies leading up to the event. Initially, the owner told my mother that decoration would be handled and specifically instructed her not to bring anything like balloons. Closer to the event, that changed, and we were then told that no decorations would be provided at all. What made the situation even more frustrating was that only about half of our expected guests attended, meaning less work and fewer resources were needed. Despite this, the price was still significantly increased. My mother even attempted to pay in advance to avoid any confusion, but the owner declined at the time, only to later raise the price. The way this situation was handled caused significant stress and ultimately left my mother in tears and my brother very upset on what was supposed to be a special celebration. Based on this experience, I cannot recommend this venue and would encourage others to look elsewhere. I would give this zero stars if I could read more

Every event I have ever had to plan J's has hosted! No worries about anything, here, clean, food is always outstanding. The breaded pork chops are the best on the menu. Can never lose with pork chop dinner! Karen is definitely the hostess with the mostest. I will be making plans here again absolutely read more

Food was typical banquet food. Nothing memorable. Bartenders kept up with orders. Great service. Out-dated decor, but cute balloon arches to give it a more modern look. read more

J's White Elephant - Wedding salad - food was typical banquet food - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lackawanna, New York

Went to a baby shower at J's White Elephant on Saturday. First impressions little out dated but a wonderful room. Between the shower decorations and the White Elephant's Decor was a nice touch. Had 2 punches a fruit non alcoholic one and a fruit punch with red wine both very nice. The tables were decorated with real table clothes and napkins and the chairs were comfortable not the fold up kind great for a 3 hour party. The food was buffet style layed out well had real dishes and silverware very nice change from plastic. We had spring mix salad and rolls with butter then seasonal vegetables that was broccoli and carrots, Herb roasted potatoes,penne pasta with homemade sauce that was nice and saucy not dry, chicken Parmesan that was huge nicely breaded and fried was still crispy when we ate and Italian sausage with green peppers and onions everything was warm and tasty love everything! The help staff was polite friendly and attentive. Was a very nice affair would love to come again for something else they do a great job at throwing a great party. read more

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My friend had her baby shower here and everything was perfect. The staff was great the had the food and drinks set up nice and made sure that all the plates were taken care of. The decorations were still up from Christmas and they were beautiful. read more

At an event catered by J's White Elephant at Evans Rod and Gun Club. The food is awesome, on time and hot. read more

J's White Elephant - a plate of food - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lackawanna, New York

I wish I could give them an even higher rating than 5 star. we had my daughters shower there and omg the food was out of this world. the staff was so super nice and helpful so the owner. when I called to book it I didn't know what questions to ask as this was my first shower planning and Karen was so helpful and patient. if you have an event.. don't hesitate to use them. you will not b sorry read more

We had my son's picnic reception at Emery Park, and J's White Elephant catered the food. The food was delicious, and everyone raved about it. For being about a 25 minute ride from the restaurant to the park, everything was hot when served. Staff stayed to make sure all of our items were refilled as needed, cleaned up and were pleasant to the guests. I would recommend them highly. read more

A bottle white, A bottle of red When we walked in, the place was dead Right in off the street We were looking for a treat But no one was at the door to greet A bottle of red, a bottle of white What will they have for us tonight? We could have any table we want In this new Italian Restaurant... Ok, a little fun with them. According to the co-owner, Karen, they just opened the restaurant up for general seating. I think the server, Brittany, was just as surprised to see someone in off the street for the restaurant as we were to find the place completely empty at 7:15PM. The bar has been open for quite some time and before we left it was bustling with business. However, we were the only ones to actually be eating dinner there. I got the eggplant, my date got the steak. Both were excellent. We also got a tongue altering plate of stuffed hot peppers, so no issues with food prep and quality. Service was... well, good, but still a bit odd. Chalk it up to the newness and the fact we weren't expected to be there. Once we got seated -our choice of tables - Brittany did a good job serving, being very attentive but also managing adequate time between check-ins. Honestly, she could have hovered and asked us how everything was every 5 minutes; we were the only ones there! But we got some perks to that, too. Warm bread right out of the oven, a complimentary salad and the owner's personal attention to our service. You're not going to get that every day. It did take us a while to get our check at the end. Small inconvenience, and something I'm sure they will be much more attentive to once the dining service is up and running full-steam. I'm giving them a 4-star because after all, it is about the food. The service was very friendly even if there were some flaws in it and every restaurant is new at one time. We'll try them again in a month when they've been running a bit longer and see how they're doing. Give them a call, let them know you're coming in for dinner, try the White Elephant! read more

J's White Elephant - Eggplant - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lackawanna, New York

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I read the other reviews before going to check J's White Elephant out as a possible party venue and, honestly, if it weren't for the fact that I knew the girl who I was throwing the party for really wanted to go here, I probably would never have considered it. I mean, some of the reviews are not so great, and I take that stuff seriously. But wow, thank goodness I did give it a shot. I'm not sure when/where these people's experiences came from - but they were nothing like the one I had. From the first time I stopped by (thinking it was a restaurant, which it isn't: they have a bar/lounge in the evening and do catering - the restaurant reviews are old) I was nothing but impressed. We stopped by thinking we would get dinner and surreptitiously scope out the venue but ran into the owner outside and she explained that they hadn't been a restaurant in a while. She had someone give us a tour and walk us through options, menus, and pricing. The space was amazing; everyone was professional; and (biggest for me) the pricing was totally reasonable. We put money down right then. We ended up doing a dinner event and it was a huge success. Everyone loved the venue, loved the food, loved the service... I was hugely relieved because there was a lot of pressure on me to make this party an amazing one. (It was entirely my own pressure, haha. Lost sleep for weeks planning this before I found this venue.) In the end, I was blown away by how amazing everything turned out. After our event, I have absolutely no reservations about telling you to check out J's White Elephant if you're looking for a banquet facility. With three different sized spaces from very small to full fledged everybody's there, you'll be able to pick a space and a package that works for you. Huge thanks to J's White Elephant for making our event such a huge success! read more

I had my bridal shower here yesterday in the front banquet room and it was honestly amazing! The staff was attentive to my needs and were very organized. They provided me with lanterns for the centerpieces but I decided to spruce it up a little with some fresh flowers. The food was great! Everyone kept saying how good the brunch potatoes and creme brûlée French toast was! All in all, my shower was great and would definitely recommend them to any future bride! read more

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The memorial luncheon I attended on Saturday was my first time here, and I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. Plenty of parking, and there are separate entrances for their front and back rooms with signage to denote which event is in which. The servers were so pleasant and accommodating. They very thoughtfully prepared plates and served the immediate family. The food got good reviews all around. I'm a salad person, and usually buffet salads are nothing to write home about, but the crisp fresh greens, grape tomatoes, shredded carrots and sliced radishes & cucumbers hit the spot. I'm not a consumer of meat, but folks gave the breaded pork chops rave reviews. And more often than not, baked pasta on a buffet is overcooked - either mushy or dried out, but here they manage to get it right. The vegetable choice was corn - meh. The coffee was exceptional! My only complaint was that the space was a little too tight for the size of our party. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place for a smaller size event, but since I've never attended a large function here, I don't feel qualified to comment in that regard. read more

I feel bad I did not take pictures of the food , close up. But I had to let Buffalo know, as per banquet recommendations, consider the White Elephant! So many packages and food options. We have had numerous family parties (Christmas , birthdays , etc.) And the food is always consistent and delicious. Amazing breaded pork chops, chicken picatta , mashed potato, pasta , beef roulade and the list goes on and on. Usually with banquet food it's a lot of just okay food or one dish stands out. At the white elephant everything is excellent , even the salad. The banquet manager is extremely accommodating and courteous. You can bring in your own decorations, gifts, microphones ( my family), to complete your event experience. It is also reasonably priced. There are two different rooms to choose from depending on your event needs . A more traditional large space and a more party space complete with large wall TVs and light up disco floor! As previously stated, when shopping around for web event space you will not regret the White Elephant. read more

J's White Elephant - You cannot really see our plates , but trust from our smiles, excellent food! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lackawanna, New York

We had our sorority banquet here I just really loved the space. It's more on the quaint size, but very lovely. Our package included liquor well drinks, wines, and beers. Pretty decent collection and a talented bartender made for a great evening. The food is also better than I expected. My favorites had to be the chicken parm and stuffed shells. Service was great and up to par for this kind of venue. We were able to select our own menu, which I think is a great feature. They also have a 75 car parking lot. My date and I drove there but got alternate transportation back. I emailed the owner if we could leave his vehicle there overnight and pick it up in the morning, and he said that was perfectly fine. I really appreciated this, and would assume he would allow it in the future. I would recommend this for parties or banquets around 50 people. You won't be too cramped and there will be enough room to dance on the floor near the tables. I do wish there was an actual dance floor, but since our group wasn't more than 50 this wasn't really an issue. I highly recommend and hope to have an event return here in the future. read more

Just rating this for the Nightclub / Lounge aspect of the place, never ate here so could be OK for a restaurant. As to coming here for a drink at night, well it was recommended by a friend to stop in on Saturday night. I was literally there for all of one minute before I wanted to go. Basically seemed like a bunch of older people at a meat market for pickup. The dance floor and lights for it were just annoying as was the music choice. Basically, at 34 years of age and married, if I am going out I'd rather feel like the old guy in the room VS. being one of the youngest hippest people there. And that is not saying so much to me as a person as it is to the crowd this place caters to. If you are single and 40+ wanting to relieve the glory days of the late 80's and early 90's check this place out, this may be right up your alley. read more

I am rating this for the nightclub and restaurant together. Sad to say but this is as classy as it gets in Lackawanna, besides Curly's on Ridge Road. Dinner was nothing special. The menu was extremely limited and tasted like they microwaved my entree, I had the special that night which was Lasagna . The only thing that had some flavor and taste was the Eggplant caprese which I had for my appetizer. On the positive, after dinner hours they made the dining room into the nightclub dance floor, the floor lights up and the DJ came in and started to set up. The bar service was great, ask for Nick the bartender if you stop in, and the drinks were mixed well. At night this place becomes the place to be in Lackawanna on a Friday or Saturday night. The place becomes packed and the crowd becomes younger drawing in all the locals in the area. DJ played a good mix of music and kept the crowd dancing. Would not recommend this place for dinner, but would definitely give it a chance at night on a Friday or Saturday to have a good time. Owner was very nice, he came to our table introduced himself and offered us a free cocktail after dinner. read more

Came here for a baby shower and the place was nice. Decor and furniture were simple, nothing over the top or expensive looking. Only one stall per gender, and since it was all women there, we used both restrooms to cut down on the line. Staff was very nice and from what I saw, were excellent at catering. Everything remained organized and clean and overall very nice time. Plenty of parking for multiple parties at once. Our rented room could hold up to 150 people. I'd consider having my own event there if it's a good price. read more

Wow the place looked amazing. I had the bacon blue sirloin and it was great the bocce balls were a great appetizer. I ended up staying for cocktails after it was a great time and the service was very good read more

J's White Elephant - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Lackawanna, New York

We used J's White Elephant for my mom's surprise 60th disco party. The staff was wonderful. They offered many menu options and worked within our budget with ease. When we arrived to decorate, the room was clean and ready to go. We didn't have to worry about moving any tables or chairs. The staff asked us if we needed help setting up the decor and helped us decide where we were placing the photo booth area. They allowed us to bring in our own musician and desserts. The food was delicious. We had Wings, medium and BBQ, stuffed pepper dip, pizza, stuffed mushrooms, and meatballs with marinara sauce. Everything was great, but I really enjoyed he wings the most. My mom loved the stuffed pepper dip. We will be back for future celebrations and events. read more

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I have had catering twice, once for my daughter's graduation & my mother's surprise party, everything was exceptional! Karen was such a pleasure to work with!! Highly recommend!! read more

First thing I saw when I went for a banquet lunch today was the unwashed windows and doors at the entrance. Full of smears and fingerprints...disgusting. The entryway looked like it hadn't seen a vacuum in a while. If this is how the customer's area is kept up, what does the kitchen look like? None of the staff was wearing gloves or masks at any time. The soup was an obvious potpourri of leftover vegetables and a random crumble of beef. The pork chops are supposed to be their best dish. The chops were no more than 1/4" thick, and the breading was slathered all over the meat, until it fell off. Green beans were 2 different shades of green; one was obviously reheated and mixed with another batch which was nearly raw. Potatoes had something on them that was supposed to make them au gratin, I think. The whipped cream on the ice cream dessert had an odd flavor to it. The whole place looked old and smelled musty. VERY disappointed. read more

My husband and I shared our big day with J's White Elephant. The ceremony set up was beautiful and very romantic, everything was set up just how we wanted. Though I still would have liked for things to have been more organized. Throughout the time we had the room for our ceremony, other guests were coming through for a funeral service which was booked in the room behind our ceremony room. In order to get to their party, they had to walk through the room where the ceremony was being performed. Needless to say, we ended up with extra guests watching our wedding. Our food for the reception was amazing! Our guests had nothing but good things to say about the food. The server we had and the bartender were great! Awesome customer service! A big disappointment we had was for the fact that we were told we would have 10 tables, 8 chairs for our 79 guests, also paid extra for at least 79 chairs to have covers, but we were left short handed. Even with a few people not showing, we still had to run around to grab chairs and place settings in order to make sure our guests had somewhere to sit. Overall everyone had a great time, the venue was beautiful, we just wish things would have been much more organized. read more

Was here for a family banquet...dishes and glasses were dirty and they were under staffed. Drinks were watered down and beer selection is limited. Food isn't much better. Would not recommend eating or drinking here. read more

I had my wedding here ... It was perfect! IT WAS EASY! They were so accommodating and handled everything! I didn't do much of anything and their prices are the best around! The food was great! The only thing is it was over before I knew it! And not their problem ! Lol I would highly recommend them for any event! read more

Had my sons graduation party catered by them and everything was absolutely delicious. Will use them again. Thank you for everything

We attended a birthday party and were impressed by the excellent service provided. The staff were there for anything needed and showed flexibility in making the party more enjoyable. Finally, the food was outstanding, especially the roast beef and breaded pork chops. Great, comfortable experience. read more

My company booked a holiday party at this venue as a last resort. The "party package" my company purchased included well drinks, domestic beer, two kinds of wine, and appetizers. The drinks that were included seemed to change from person to person as well as the prices of items if you purchased outside the package. I initially asked for a rum and coke. After tasting the drink and realizing that I'd sooner get diabetes from the drink rather than a buzz, I purchased a Jack Daniels on the rocks. This same drink cost my friend $4 the first time she got it, $3.50 the second, and it cost me $7. I don't understand the math there, but from moment one this establishment struck me as a shady place. The bartender's lack of knowledge about her "profession" was only rivaled by her STELLAR personality. A St. Bernard with a brandy barrel would have been more entertaining. I know this place is a favorite among locals, so I expect they'll get defensive, but sometimes you need unbiased eyes to examine the situation. read more

Attending the New Year's Eve Gala and found it to be incredibly disappointing. They advertised premium open bar online when I bought tickets. Ended up being lower end liquor and I definitely know the difference between the brands as I'm a bartender. The staff was standoffish and not the most pleasant. The place was lifeless and boring if you're looking for a party for nye this is not the place to be. Older crowd. Wasn't worth 65 bucks. Also I initially needed a refund because I had a family emergency and had contacted them about a refund. No response from them even though they had read my Facebook message sent. I guess some of he reviews I've read were correct but i normally like to try and give the benefit of the doubt. Never again! Waste of money. read more

Had a great Cajun salmon and some good Sothern Tier beers. Salmon was cooked perfectly with just enough spice at a good size. Wasn't stuffed, but felt good when done. nice ambiance and really great service. Glad this place is back open, will be back soon read more

The hostess was very rude, and the food was undercooked and terrible. We asked for it to be re-cooked and i think they threw it in the microwave. I was sick for over 2 weeks eating here. Drink prices were ridiculous, i thought i was in New York City the way they charged us. $6 for a vodka and tea. Are you serious? NEVER NEVER AGAIN. read more

I had my daughter's baby shower here. From start to finish everyone was so well organized and helpful. The room looked wonderful when we arrived and from the time the guests arrived everything went smoothly thanks to the great staff. The food was delicious and we received many compliments on it. We were frequently asked if there was anything i else we wanted or needed- Laurie, the event manager, even made up a plate from the buffet and served it to my daughter! I can't think of anything else they could have done to make it any nicer for us. I had never been at the White Elephant before so beforehand was a bit nervous as to what to expect but was extremely happy with the day. The guests had a great time with delicious food in a pretty venue with friendly professional and helpful staff. Would not hesitate to use this venue again. read more

I went here with my wife for what i thought would be a nice night out. Well were we wrong. To start the bartender was very rude and took over 10 minutes to get us a drink when there were only 6 people at the bar. I guess their private conversation was more important. After sitting down for dinner i ordered the Bacon Bleu Sirloin medium and my wife ordered the citrus crusted haddock. 10 minutes later, the waitress came out and told my wife they were out of the haddock, then she ordered the stuffed chicken breast. After waiting another 30 minutes our food came out. The steak was burnt to a crisp and cold and tastes like leather. My wifes chicken was raw. We then asked the for a manager and some kid stumbled out the back room, and rudely asked us what our problem was. I nicely told him about our food and promised it would be fixed. After waiting another half hour and no food, we got up and left. No wonder this place was dead on a friday night. I WILL NEVER RETURN AND EITHER SHOULD YOU. read more