Last review was 7 years ago and Scenic Root is still out here doing their thing and doing it well. We've been going since the early days and it's one of those places you just know is going to be good every time. I ordered the tropical salmon and was side eyeing the coconut a little, but wow... it all came together perfectly. Sweet, tangy, and the salmon was cooked exactly right. Service never disappoints, and whoever was behind the bar deserves a shoutout because that blackberry margarita was dangerous. I went back for round two and I'm not sorry about it. Dessert was a dense chocolate cake that didn't even last long enough for a photo, which says everything. Consistently good food, fabulous drinks, and a cozy atmosphere that makes you feel like family. read more

Scenic Root - Tropical salmon over jasmine rice. Pineapples, peppers, citrus, and a little coconut. - New American Near Me - Manlius, New York

I have had Scenic Root on my "must go" list forever it seems, so was excited to finally check it out. We had an amazing meal and definitely made for a great date night! We ordered the bang bang shrimp appetizer, and the batter was so crispy and also fluffy (almost like a battered haddock but lighter) - awesome! The bang bang sauce has great flavor, but slightly too mayo forward for my preferences - but ate it up nonetheless and would get them again! I also ordered a blackberry margarita- which I will say was strong, but the flavors were great. When I asked if they minded giving me a couple Slices of lemon and some simple syrup (and yes I admitted that it was a ME problem, not that they made it poorly- it was just stronger and I'm a big wimp!) , they promptly, no questions asked said "we got this" and put the drink back in the shaker and added some simple syrup (mind you I was totally fine with just a little shot glass of it to dump in my drink!) - so the willingness to be so helpful was very appreciated. As for our entrees, one of us ordered the Cajun Alfredo and one of us ordered the Tropical Salmon, both were made incredibly well, and the flavor and seasoning was fantastic! The Alfredo sauce when I tried it was lovely, not so thick and "artery clogging" as some Alfredo can be, but coated the noodles beautifully and packed a flavorful punch. The salmon was cooked perfectly, and the pineapple and coconut in the rice made for an amazingly delicious dish. We were also fortunate to sit at a window overlooking the swan pond and then take a nice walk around the pond. So lovely- cannot wait to go back!! read more

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Nice rustic ambience with a view of the swan pond. Nice fireplace. There's an auxiliary parking lot across the street as the adjacent parking lot can be hard to find parking. Nice place for a date. Great cocktails. Had the Mediterranean Lemon Chicken which was very solid. Would go again read more

Scenic Root - Mediterranean Lemon Chicken - New American Near Me - Manlius, New York

The sever Landon is very nice to everyone here at Scenic Root in Manlius, New York! The food is extremely good and I recommend it to everyone who hasn't eaten here before. The place is very comfy and beautiful inside. read more

Scenic Root - Bread with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar - New American Near Me - Manlius, New York

It's been about a year and a half since we dined here. Last night we met up with our son and his wife for a 6:30pm dinner and drinks. We were seated right away which was great because we got the fireplace room, which was a first for us. We got a great view of the staff who were quite attentive to everyone dining. We started off with a round of drinks including a G&T, Malbec, Butterscotch Cocktail and an off menu New York Sour. Apps included a half portion Caesar (which was still quite generous and fresh), fried meatballs and a half house salad. Mains were the eggplant parm (always a favorite), scenic parm (each cutlet was easily 10 oz), and pork tenderloin. Everything arrived in a timely manner and was served at the right temp. Each dish was generous and exceptionally tasty. Our lone desert was another butterscotch cocktail. We each had a box of food to take home for the next day. All in all, a great dinner and they still are the best meal in Manlius. read more

I used to live in this neighborhood years ago and only visited it once. We decided to give it a try under the new name. We were pleasantly surprised on the atmosphere, the service and especially the food. Our server, Jennifer, was most attentive to our requests. She offered advice about our cocktails and then later gave the same advice about what was good to eat at the restaurant. We certainly appreciated her. read more

We visited New Years Eve. Food was delicious, and reasonably priced. The service was very attentive. The place recently renovated and restaurant and bar was really nicely down. It's going to be our new go to place. read more

Went on a Saturday with a party of 7. Had an early reservation for 5pm, the restaurant wasn't that busy yet. The servers and hostess were very nice. We ordered the croquettes and asked for the gravy on the side as some in our party didn't want sausage gravy. The appetizer came with gravy on the bottom and top, so not everyone could eat it We ordered calamari, it was good. But plate was mostly lettuce. 3 out of the 7 people ordered the Nashville Chicken Sandwich, despite "Nashville" being in the name, the chicken did not have any spice. All three of our chickens were cold. One of the hoagie rolls was also soggy, leading us to believe it sat for a while before getting to us. 2 ordered the shrimp tacos, they had nice flavor and were warm but not hot. The only hot meal was the eggplant parm. read more

Owner Mike McDonough opened the Scenic Root in 2016 next to the Swan Pond Manlius in the space that has housed several restaurants such as Bella Cigna and The Saucy Swan. McDonough had experience working at The Dark Horse Tavern in DeWitt, which is owned by his father, Bob, and partner Kevin Kelley. The menu at The Scenic Root is similar to that at the Dark Horse, offering a varied mix of classic and modern American, Italian and other cuisines. The wife and I recently stopped in for dinner for the first time at the Scenic Root after a Christmas lights walk through at The Wild in Chittenango. It was about 630 on a Saturday, and we were sat immediately without having reservations. It's a small, traditionally decorated restaurant, although a little dimly lit for my taste, with maybe 15 tables total. Our server brought menus and told us the specials for the night. My wife ordered a cup of seafood chowder, the soup of the night, and a Root burger, a burger topped with root beer BBQ glaze, goat cheese, and frizzled onions. I chose their linguine pesto and added grilled chicken. Our meals were made in a timely fashion, about 15 minutes. My wife got her cup of soup first and said it was very good, with large chunks of seafood. Our main meals were both very good, my wife's burgers root beer BBQ glaze was very tasty and I loved the pesto cream sauce on my pasta. Prices were reasonable and comparable to other similar restaurants. 2 main meals, a cup of soup, and a cider cost us $50. Our server was great, she was very friendly and personable and just attentive enough. We're rarely in the Manlius area, but if we found ourselves there again and hungry, we'd definitely eat there again. read more

Scenic Root - Scenic Root linguine pesto - New American Near Me - Manlius, New York

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Not family friendly and do not stick to reservations. We called ahead and they took our name and number, but when they saw our party or 6 consisted of four children they said that they no longer had any space left. When we called and made the reservation they said "we can definitely seat a table of 6". We haven't eaten here in a couple of years so decided to give it another try and was shocked how bad the experience was before we even had the chance to sit down. When I talked to the manager he said there was nothing he could do as a full table of 6 people right behind him finished and walked out. He said if we wait another 20 minutes then maybe he could seat us. It would've been great if they called us back and told us they gave our table away so that we could plan somewhere else to eat for our family. read more

Great food , service and ambience. We loved the food and the wonderful & friendly service. read more

Ordered a pasta dish it was served cold. Sent it back and it was microwaved with hot spots and cold! Awful!

Food was delicious and staff were amazingly attentive. Very warm and welcoming environment.

New to the area and feel really happy I found this gem! Great service and my meatloaf was as close to "Moms" as it gets! Terrific neighborhood spot! read more

Loved this place. Wasn't expecting the ambiance to be so inviting and nice!! But both the inside and outside of this restaurant has so much charm! We sat outside, nice little outdoor area, garden like, overlooking a small pond and woodened area. The menu was on point. Small but some great and healthy options! I got salmon over zoodles. So good, light, healthy, and delish! Also they make some BOMB drinks! We walked around the pond after dinner and watched the sunset- it was beautiful. Definitely a good find in the cuse area! read more

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Love the vibe of this restaurant. Staff are friendly and real nice. We went there for an early dinner, the restaurant does not take reservations for parties 6 or below. There is outdoor and indoor seating for this establishment. Parking seems easy enough at the lot, could possible be limited peak meal hours We were served bread and olive oil after being seated. We ordered the tuna poke and chowder. Brad order shrimp riggies and I had the steak bernaise. It was all really good . We even ordered the shrimp riggies to go for my MIL. read more

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Love Kat who is the friendliest woman behind the bar. Always knows your name and usually what you drink. Great food, fresh, portions are good, scenery of the swan pond is a nice touch. I have never had a bad meal and enjoy going there. Sheila Marsh read more

My friends and I all met for dinner at the Scenic Root. The menu offered a wonderful selection of offerings. I had the strawberry salad with shrimp. The shrimp were fresh and delicious. The salad was so delicious with their homemade dressing. The service was wonderful. We must have had at least 5 different waiters and staff taking care of us. The water glasses were never empty. The servers were always checking on us to make sure all our needs were met. We had a beautiful private room for our party of 10. The room was very rustic and nicely decorated. I loved the atmosphere. I definitely recommend the Scenic Root for your special dining experience. read more

Food is decent every time I go here. I know they had a chef that they were not happy with so I believe things may have changed a bit. The service is good along with the atmosphere! I do believe it's a little pricey for the quality. Also could use a larger selection. read more

We enjoyed dining at the Scenic Root for the delicious food and nice variety in their menu. But what keeps us coming back is the excellent servers and staff! We are always treated very well by friendly staff with the best service! They have plenty of rooms for lots of customers but it doesn't feel crowded. I like that it's close by in our neighborhood and we can support a local business. read more

Very impressed. We decided to visit here after hearing very good things about this place, I'm glad we did. We went for a late lunch early dinner so there was no wait but the place filled up soon after. Here's the breakdown. Location was next to the swan pond and they have big windows so that you can have a great view while having and amazing meal. Staff was great very courteous and very knowledgeable about the food they served. Food was amazing! We had 3 different appetizers and 3 different entrees and they were all a hit... Everything was great so I couldn't pick a favorite, go out have some fun and enjoy a great meal. Cost you ask? Who cares, it was well worth it. read more

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Nice dinner spot right in Manlius. Doesn't look like too much from the outside, but has a steady stream of clientele no matter what night it seems. You can sit down or at the bar. It was a bit strange to me that they didn't have a cocktail list or any signatures. I opted for a cosmopolitan, my go-to (Carrie Bradshaw vibes). We tried the greens to start off with, which were very good in my opinion. Not too spicy and very fresh. I tried the steak bearnaise, my mom had the salmon. Both were delicious and quite large. My steak was cooked perfectly and full of flavor. I would have loved to try dessert but we were full. read more

It's ok. It's just ok. Staff is nice but there is no vibe. I had been looking forward to going as it was really nice before. It's ok.

AMAZING place for cozy, delicious dinners! There's a bar in the front of the restaurant to hang out and get a drink with friends. If you're staying for dinner, the restaurant is very spacious and has a relaxing vibe. The staff was beyond friendly and attentive to our needs, and our food was so good! It also looked beautiful. The dipping oil and bread was the best I've ever had...I will definitely be coming here again!! read more

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food was really good and waitresses were nice but a table with more people who came after us got their food first but this place was so nice and the food was delicious! I highly recommend this place!! read more

Great service, great food, interior and ambiance is a bit meh, but it's truly brightened up by the sunny dispositions of the staff!

We decided to try this place out for dinner since we were driving around the area. The restaurant does not stand out much on the outside. It's part of a plaza so there is parking. There is also a small park with a pond to the opposite side of the restaurant. I feel like that adds to the outside appeal. When you walk in, you have the bar to your right and then the restaurant opens up into a bigger dining room split into sections. It's much bigger on the inside than you would imagine. It has a warm and inviting ambiance. The attire is casual but nice. Our waitress was very nice and made sure we had everything we needed. We were given bread and asked for our drink order. They have a large selection and a full bar. For an appetizer, we ordered the ginger clams. They were so good! We had never had such delicious ginger broth that drenched the clams. There were a lot of clams and enough of the broth to dip our bread in to. For main course, we ordered the maple glazed salmon and the pork tenderloin. The maple salmon was a great fall/winter dish since it came with squash and Brussels sprouts. My boyfriend doesn't like Brussels sprouts but he loved these! The pork was delicious as well. Came with a nice smooth mashed potatoes. We obviously got dessert since we were on a roll. The cake was phenomenal! We thought we'd come in for a light dinner but ended up with a three course meal. Honestly everything was delicious. I felt like this is a good place for a nice family or celebratory dinner. Also a great place for a date. Initially, the room was really dark as the sun was coming down and they hadn't put on the lights yet. So it was a bit hard to read the menu but then they added some mood lighting which all added to the ambiance. read more

Scenic Root - New American Near Me - Manlius, New York

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The wait for a table on a Friday night was about 25 min, but we got a bottle of wine to pass the time, and had a great meal when it was finally time to eat! We were disappointed that they were sold out of the Haddock, but ended up ordering other things we enjoyed. I got the seafood bisque which had chunks of seafood and was really tasty! I also had a harvest salad with apple and cheese that was perfect for a summer night. My husband got a pork tenderloin entree with mashed potatoes and fried onions that was really tasty. The couple we were with also really enjoyed their meal. Service was great and I like that they work as a team so you can ask anyone for help. We will definitely be back- love that it is close by and a nice change from pizza dinners! read more

Scenic Root - Pork tenderloin at Scenic Root - New American Near Me - Manlius, New York

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This is one of my favorite family friendly places to go. It's quiet and cozy, with different rooms that give off a few different vibes depending on the night or time of day. The food and service are unmatched, and you always feel like you're home. Not to mention the delectable food and drinks. Definitely a great place to have so nearby read more

This is a cute place. We were lucky enough to be seated at the best table in the house, so our experience was very nice (next to the fireplace and the window). Other tables in other rooms of the restaurant did not seem as desirable. The food was fine ... not great ... just fine. The fries were kind of chewy instead of crispy. My salmon sandwich had to be eaten with a fork because the toasted naan wasn't really useful. The salmon was good. My husband's burger was dry. Our servers were very attentive. The host at the door seemed to have too many tasks. read more

This place is fantastic. The food is delicious. They have specials that are always really great and their desserts are amazing. Customer service is great. Sometimes they get really busy- but it's worth the wait. read more

This was an excellent restaurant for date night. Nice ambiance with dim lighting and beautiful views from the windows in the dining area. We split calamari and I had shrimp tacos and he had Mediterranean chicken. Everything was delicious. We went on a Friday night and did have to wait about 20 minutes for a table, but we were able to wait at the bar with drinks. We will definitely be going back! read more

I have come here a couple times now and the first time I was on the fence between having a 3 or 4 star. I had the tenderloin a couple weeks ago and it was pretty good, but the service was a little off. I chalked it up to a hectic night and decided I would come back. I came back about a week ago and there was some glaring issues. First and foremost the food was better last time. Maybe they are just better at making pork, but I wasn't a fan of their calamari at all. It could be personal taste, but just something was completely off and that really upset me. I'm about 25 minutes away, so coming out here is a hike. I wouldn't have give. A 1 just for that though. It would been probably a 3 when thinking about last time. The reason I gave a 1 star is me and the person I was with both were able to see some of the people who cook not wearing masks. I was so mad! Like in this day and age you can't do that. Maybe their cooks or whoever it was is vaccinated, but as far as I'm concerned masks are still a requirement until we all get vaccines. It's completely against health code too. (Just in case the owner replies saying they wear masks, we got a pic. I won't post on here and embarrass you, but you know what's going on in your shop). After that I won't be ever coming back here. I'm sorry we don't know enough about this pandemic still and I'm not riskin my mom or pop at a place that does this. read more

Scenic Root has been our go to place on Tuesday nights for over a year now. Billy, the bartender, the staff and Tuesday regulars are the best! If you are looking for your own little "Cheers", with amazing food as well, stop by Scenic Root! Located right next to the swan pond in Manlius! read more

DO NOT EAT HERE! My husband son and myself went here this evening. Wait staff was friendly and accommodating. We ordered drinks, appetizers and main meals. Two of the main dishes had chicken. The chicken was raw in the center and cold. The other main dish was a burger requested to be medium rare it was well and tasted burnt according to my son. Also a very long wait for the mains. The staff did apologize and did remove the mains from our check but for raw chicken I think they should have given us the meal without charge. The rest of the charge only amounted to around $35. We would have left feeling much better for that little and raw chicken is a real problem. Goes without saying we will not be back and will never recommend. read more

Best place I've eaten when I've sat down in a long time go and talk to Kat the bartender because she is the bomb and she makes everything right everything there is incredible no matter if it's a special or anything he will love everything read more

Never disappointed when eating at this little gem in Manlius NY. Great food great service at reasonable prices.

Amazing service, nice atmosphere, great food! Food was ready fast and the waitress was great.

Okay so with this quarantine....scenic root has it nailed down. Their customer service is outstanding. We get food here weekly because it's so good - and they are so efficient. Their wings? Ridiculous! And the home made blue cheese is the tops! Fish fry? Amazing! Just. So. Good. During such a crazy time. read more

Scenic root worked with my family to accommodate a private party outside of normal hours. They had exceptional service and were extremely kind and friendly. The food they made was amazing - would recommend their chicken riggies and Mac and cheese! Thank you and we will be back soon :) read more