It is closed. Out of business. No longer is open. Liked it last year. Wishing there were more places to eat on campus. Wish they would take it off so people would not look for it. read more

This restaurant has wonderful food. The buffet was $18 which might seem a bit high but it is on Institute grounds and the food is of very high quality. I thought that it was well worth it. All of the fruits and vegetables were fresh and well prepared. The staff was prompt and attentive as one would expect of a family owned and run establishment. I would rate this as the best food in Chautauqua! read more

To stroll through the streets of Chautauqua in summer is to fill one's nose with the charcoal of outdoor grills and one's ears with the chatter of countless private dinner parties. These gatherings appear as central to the experience of Chautauqua in summer as the official events of the Institute. They are also clearly essential, as the public dining options inside the gate are fit only for wailing and gnashing of teeth. Having previously sampled the variations on a theme of prison loaf on offer at the Athenium Hotel and finding them wanting, we opted instead for reservations at La Familia. Surely, we thought, it could hardly be worse than the Athenium? . . . Alas, it could, and alas, it was. The service was plodding, ramshackle, and the least of the restaurant's problems. The menu, despite several items featuring an odd sounding gorgonzola tomato sauce, was well balanced and provided no intimation of our future punishment. After the appetizer had been brought out, we inadvertently intimated to our server that we would need be done with our meal in slightly over an hour's time, so as not to be late to our concert. With this intelligence, our server snapped to attention, and gave us every assurance that the kitchen would put a rush on our order and that there was no cause for concern. In retrospect concern was in order, as we had opted for the pork and lamb chops, both ordered medium rare. To do so places a fair amount of trust in the kitchen, for while beef is a relatively forgiving protein, pork and lamb have a narrower range of acceptable done-ness. The lamb chops bared their fangs with more obvious menace. Beneath the thin layer of breading, the lamb, once cut into, revealed a deep purple interior that glistened in the evening sun like the knock-off amethyst of a cheap bracelet. It lay prostrate upon a bed of indifferent risotto as an offering pristine and virginal, utterly uncorrupted by any source of heat. The pork chop played a more subtle and menacing game of dissimulation. It was neatly seared on top, and gave just enough resistance to the knife upon slicing as to suggest it had been cooked through. The second bite, however, revealed a certain gelatinous squishiness in the center. A third bite was sufficient to drive home the point that a fourth bite was unwise. The lamb was denied its victim as it was untouched, the pork denied its as it was quickly if violently purged. Abandon hope all ye who enter. read more

If I could give one star I would. Overpriced. Small tasteless portions. Disorganized wait staff and arrogant ownership. Never again. I wish I would have seen the many negative reviews before coming here. Maybe Burke should spend more time perfecting his craft than attending ridiculous and irresponsible protests. read more

Great food! Amazing service! New owner goes above & beyond. Delicious food with a warm inviting environment. read more

Went there last week with my family. My sister has an allergy to chicken, three times she asked for a salad with no chicken on it, but shrimp instead as a protein, THREE times the salad came out with chicken. The last time they had obviously tried to just take the chicken off the plate, but looking beneath the wilted lettuce low and behold, a piece of chicken. HORRIBLE for someone with an allergy!!!! Three times my mothers salad came out wrong too, on top of that they offered drinks which they didn't have, the server had to come back multiple times because she didn't remember what we had ordered, and my boyfriend's sandwich was sour (It was tasted by a few of us). I have worked in a restaurant and I have NEVER seen such poor guest service for what they were charging. The manager finally showed up after 6 incorrect dishes, 2 incorrect drinks, and told us rudely to leave and never come back. There was NO apology, NO offer to comp the drinks (which in the end we paid for because like I said, I've worked in the industry, I get it, but seriously comon) and we left. After the horrible way they treated guests that not only pay a lot to even be on the grounds but still paid for their drinks after the treatment we received. I would tell all to avoid at ALL costs. This place needs to get their act together and treat people as people not just walking profit. We could have taken a trip to the emergency room that night, they are lucky to still be in business because a health inspector would have shut that down mighty fast. Should the restaurant choose to respond, the most dignified thing to do would be to issue the apology that was necessary in the first place. The entire situation could have been avoided, and someone who has worked in hospitality and the service industry knows that the right way to handle a situation such as this where it was your employees endangering the welfare of a guest, is to apologize profusely. Not continue with scapegoating or pushing it under the rug. A very simple, professional, apology would have cleared the entire thing right up read more

Appalling, negligent, rude. The three words used to describe this restaurant. Long story short, the kitchen thought they could remove an allergen and send it back to be eaten. Luckily we saw the allergen still on the food and did not have to rush my wife to the Hospital! Please read on. My wife has an extreme allergy to chicken, so ordered a salad with shrimp. First time it came out with chicken so it was sent back. Second time it came out it had both chicken and shrimp. My wife again explained about her allergy and the server assured us the salad would be remade since it had chicken on it, she could not eat a salad that had chicken on it. Third time it came out it looked great, just shrimp and good for her to eat. Luckily before she took a bite she looked under the lettuce, and behold there was a few pieces of chicken. The kitchen had thought that if they just removed it and sent it back that it would be ok, and no one would notice. Except that if she had taken a single bite of the salad we would have had to rush her to the Hospital. Unbelievable, I had worked in the food industry for the majority of my teens and 20's and have never encountered anything as negligent and plain wrong as this. AVOID at all costs, especially if you have an allergy. read more

Started with the baked Brie which was a wedge encased in pastry and topped with blueberry sauce. The filet mignon was tender and came out done as ordered; the ziti con filet with Gorgonzola cream sauce had two 3/8 inch tender beef filet medallions in a great sauce, both orders came medium rare as ordered. Side salads were a plus and the carrot cake was ample and delicious. read more

La Familia - Salad Near Me - Chautauqua, New York

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Recently had lunch at this restaurant. The food was not good at all, salad was two withered thin wedges of lettuce with a handful of chicken. Not only an outrage for the price, but unappealing and didn't taste good. The other salads came with the wrong protein, three times even though we explained to the server that we couldn't eat the chicken (shrimp was supposed to be on the dish). At one point after the second try at getting it right they just put the shrimp on top of the chicken. The steak sandwich had a sour taste to the sauce and the last salad came with dressing on top when dressing was asked for on the side. Service was slow and couldn't get the orders right after three attempts. The manager was rude and nasty and screaming. She should not be in the service business. I would not recommend going anywhere near this restaurant. read more

Though the food is good, it is overpriced. When we ate there on a Thursday night, the service was slow. for which the waiter apologized, By 7:00 PM , they had run out of bread. We ordered one entree, the striped bass, two appetizers , one small order of crab cakes and one of scallops, ( two scallops) one order of braised romaine, one glass of wine, one of iced tea;. We also had two desserts : creme brûlée, which, though tasty , was curdled. The total came to $110. read more

My dad and I went to dinner here this evening. I am vegan and loved the La Familia salad and Portobello Stack vegan meal. It was delicious!! So happy to have vegan choices, but to have them on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution is the icing on the cake. My dad had the salmon and thought it was very good. The service was terrific. Jessica did a great job as our server. We were out in plenty of time for the show. You need reservations!! read more

I was really surprised to see unfavorable reviews here for this place. We've been there 2 times for lunch and both meals were really delicious. We thought the prices were fair considering its "chautauqua" and within reason. My grilled chicken panini was great and my husband had the turkey sandwich. Their soups were very hot and tasty and our servers both times were friendly and efficient. The rooms are pretty and charming and clean. To top it off the chef came out and sang a beautiful ballad (they said he is a musician on the side). We really enjoy this place. read more

I brought my son and his family to La Familia this evening for what I had hoped would be a nice dinner. After a nice start with a warm, friendly server taking our food orders, the dining experience quickly went downhill. Bread was immediately served; however, there wasn't enough bread in the basket to serve everyone. Iced tea (including the refill) was served with melted ice. After a very long wait, the entrees were finally brought to the table. Two of the entrees (filet medallions with pasta) were cold by the time they were served to us. My grandson's grilled chicken was so charred and over-cooked that he was unable to eat it. To add insult to injury, the restaurant added an $8.00 "split plate charge" to my son's entree order. We did not ask for a split plate; however, La Familia decided to get a little more money by spooning the pasta into two separate bowls. How very kind of them! Although there are very few "sit down dinner" establishments on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution, I strongly recommend you dine elsewhere. read more

At first glance this restaurant has a professional feel, which is inviting if you're looking for a nice, stress free meal with family or friends. This restaurant is anything but professional though. The meals are outrageously overpriced for the amount and quality of the food. The waiters do not know what they are doing and are very slow. To top it off, the manager knows nothing about customer service. When our meal was not what we had expected, she blamed us for not reading the menu correctly. The menu was very misleading and the food was horrible. After continually making us feel terrible for not enjoying the meal and being confused by the menu, she offered us a dessert, but could not make us another entree. The experience was absolutely terrible and we will never go back there. I recommend that you do not waste your time or money there either. read more

Fresh food (farm to table) and that shows up in the flavor ! Excellent seasoning and tender meat. Prices are reasonable and service is excellent (neither hovering nor ignoring you)! Good selection of menu items and unique and tastey desserts ! read more

Saw this family of 6 order lunch. The food got sent back to the kitchen due to misorders more times than there were people eating. The family really tried to get it right but the kitchen staff was just not getting it. They got a number of items comped and then one of the mangers asks them to leave and never return Most unprofessional attitude I have ever seen it wasn't as if the place was busy, it wasn't. And it wasn't as if they ordered anything complicated - looked like salads. But this manager just went off on them for something her staff had done wrong. Patrons never deserve to be treated that way - period And to top it off, our lunch was lackluster at best. We come up here every year but after this meal and performance, I doubt that we will ever return read more

I usually hate reading negative reviews and think people are crazy for leaving them but I had to review this place. I've been coming to Chautauqua for 20 plus years and am shocked they would allow this place to be here. We ordered take out for the kids which was literally frozen Red Barron pizza and bad chicken fingers. We ordered risotto cakes that had no taste what so ever and one of them was actually a crab cake that smelled like a wharf. We were charged sixty bucks for all this garbage. If you are looking for expensive frozen food this is your place. read more

La Familia - Salad Near Me - Chautauqua, New York

What a treat! The restaurants in the institute have not knocked my socks off but La Familia was a lovely change! We were serenaded with a lovely rendition of, "Maria". And the scallops were divine, melted in my mouth. The greens were cooked perfectly & our entrees were crowd pleasing. I dined with my Mother, who is a foodie from Manhattan, & 3 children (14, 12, & 7). It was comfortable for us all and our service was excellent. The best food we had in Chautauqua. read more

Alicia and Chef Burke went above and beyond to help me organize a 20 person speciality dinner. The food was wonderful and the service was outstanding. La Familia exceeded my expectations in every area: food, atmosphere, quality, and service. Chef Burke sang for our family and it really made our family dinner extra special. My father in law said that the dinner was the highlight of his summer! I recommend La Familia in the very highest of terms! read more

New to Chautauqua with wonderful food. We ate there for their buffet lunch. A bit pricey as lunch goes with the buffet regularly priced at $18, but the quality of the food made it well worth it. On our visit, they offered salad, potato, chicken, vegetable medley, and spinach. All were fresh and well prepared. The outstanding entree was the seafood soup - absolutely delightful with mussels and shrimp in a tangy tomato base. The chef noted they they change the ingredients, but the broth stays the same. Service was prompt and attentive. Managers came by to check on the customers. My husband loved the creme brûlée - thick and very rich. He had two! Best food in Chautauqua and we haven't had a better seafood stew anywhere. read more

Last night the ribeye steak was tough and way to much charcoal on my medium steak.other guests were content with other entrees

I seriously advise eating elsewhere while you are on the grounds. Though it's fairly common knowledge that it is difficult to get high end food in Chautauqua, every so often I venture out and try again. Sadly this was another instance of being very let down. Our server and the management were both courteous but unfortunately couldn't make up for the food. The ladies in our party ordered a chicken dish (possibly Aegean chicken) which looked appealing and they said they enjoyed. Our gorgonzola cream pasta with filets were another matter entirely. The beef was of mediocre quality, and one person's was warmish and the others cold. The pasta was bland with only a hint of sauce. The worst by far was my childs kids chicken. When it came out it was clearly the most overcooked pieces of meat I've ever seen in a restaurant.... literally gray with black grill char marks. I tried it just in case and then gave a piece to my son who immediately had a look of horror on his face and spit it out. Shit happens and stuff gets overcooked but you can't let that leave your kitchen and the server shouldn't have let that fly either. Management was apologetic. Some money was taken off the check but what really pissed us off was a $8 split plate fee on 1 of the pasta dishes. It was 2 pieces of meat over pasta, no special prep or larger quantity of food. There was also no split plate fee listed nor discussed. This was a bit of "salt in the wound". At that point it was all I could do to get our party out of the restaurant without saying something regrettable. While I appreciate the attempt to bring fine dining to the institution, this is yet another failed effort. read more

Lovely experience, after having to flee another local restaurant as no one would wait on us. Delicious food, filet, and great service. Thankful this place is on the grounds of Chautauqua. Thank you! read more

We have been coming to Chautauqua for many years and have seen many restaurants come and go in the location which La Familia now occupies for the second year. By far, La Familia is the best iteration. When we ate here, we found the food and service to be excellent. We wish it well for the future. read more

Don't waste your money. This restaurant tries to be high brow by charging high prices but doesn't make it. Had the Elk special. The price was special but the elk wasn't. Tough meat served with 4 slices of beets and 1/2 cup of sweet potatoes for $25. Chopped salad for $9 wasn't chopped at all and was lettuce only served with one tablespoon of shredded carrots and one cherry tomato sliced in two. Dressing was maybe a teaspoon amount and very bland. The ambience is a cellar like. They charge what they do because they are located at the Chatagua Institute. Big deal. My wife had a steak for $36. Good but not excellent. Served with a cup of mashed potatoes. They said their carrot cake was "award winning". It was ok but not award winning. read more

I'd give this a zero if I could, because I never got my food! The food that got served around me looked good, but clearly something was going on in the kitchen. We ordered their seafood soup and a caesar salad before the symphony performance we were attending. 40 minutes later, no food! We had to leave. I'm especially annoyed because neither thing really needed much time to be prepped! read more

What a great surprise! Scallops were cooked to perfection, French onion soup can take any NYC restaurant. Staff was amazing... soon to be back. read more

One expects high prices at Chautauqua, but not mediocre food and chaotic service. My biggest complaint was that I called a week ahead of time to make a reservation. They took my information (including my contact phone). When I arrived with my party, I was informed that they don't take reservations, my name would go on the bottom of the wait list and there was a 35-minute wait. A quick look into the dining showed at least 8 empty tables, yet they had a large number of people standing outside waiting. I will not be back. read more

This is a very nice, unpretentious and healthy, tasty food spot at Chautauqua. In addition, the chef sings a bit of opera at 5:15, and sometimes can get freed to sing at a later time as well. We had the onion soup (full of good cheesiness), the crab cake (good) and the Brie (wonderful), as well as several lunches that were good. I liked their garbanzo salad and the ability to mix and match small plates and appetizers left you with a reasonable bill and a scrumptious dessert. The Berry Bomb was good, but the creme brûlée (chocolate) was really nice, and the blood orange sorbet very nice. I think we had four meals here over the course of a week, and never disappointed. Accessing the restaurant bathroom is a little crazy though as you need to have the hostess take you in to the lobby where they unlock it for you. Nonetheless, this is a private and pleasant spot, with good food, and a unique singer to add to the experience and ambiance. read more