Big Tree Inn

The room I stayed in was pretty nice. It was the Bertia room with the fireplace and jacuzzi. Apparently the place is haunted and that was the master bedroom. There are only 5 lamps in the room. No actual lights. The restaurant was alright. The food wasn’t the best and it took 20 minutes just to get served.

Evidently a brand new waitress who had nooo clue what beers are served. Ordered a Caesar salad which came with chicken I never added on at an extra cost, & half of the lettuce was brown. So $ 42 for a Caesar salad, a pretentious grilled cheese & 2 glasses of Riesling… I gave up on the beer. Sadly Geneseo has so little to choose from… try the next town over or stick with the chains.

I am a student at SUNY Geneseo and went to dinner at the Big Tree Inn for the first time. Despite the delicious burger I had, one of the best in the area, the manager was extremely rude. Upon ten minutes after sitting down and ordering our drinks, the manager came over to us, a group of five, and told us that «Because you’ve already been seated she won’t ask us to leave, but next time when you come in smelling like pot we won’t serve you.» The thing is; none of us have smoked marijuana and all felt personally attacked that the manager would accuse us of such a thing. There were several other guests seated in close proximity to us that were not accused of the same, however us being the only college students in the dining room, she must have given in to the stereotype of college students consuming marijuana. Unfortunately for them, I will never come back to the Big Tree Inn and give them my money (in addition; everything was quite overpriced for a ‘broke college student’ to begin with). However, our waitress was very nice and polite, and it’s a shame I enjoyed the food because they will not be getting any more of my money. This was my first time being at the restaurant, but a few of my friends I went with have had bad experiences there in the past as well.

I have been a return customer at the big tree inn over the years and have enjoyed the atmosphere and food. I will never return again. Upon arrival we were told we would have to wait an hour and a half for a table by the hostess who had a sever attitude. I checked half way through the meal to see how crowded the dinning room was and there was no patrons in the dinning room. We were a party of seven and we were crammed Ito the small tavern where we were brushed and shoved as servers went by. We ordered appetizers and they didn’t even bring us plates. There was no bread or butter offered with the meal. One person out of seven was happy with their meal. Over all worst dinning experience and treatment I have ever had in a restaurant.

A good priced hotel with a great location that is close to campus. The room was nice with a good bathroom and comfortable beds. The doors were weird with the locks not working well. The workers were nice. I wouldn’t eat here though, as there are cheaper and faster places to eat (and Rochester is close enough to drive easily).

As some people on here allude to, this place has so much potential. Given how much you’re spending on a meal, relative to where you are (Podunk Nowhereville), you’d likely expect a pretty phenomenal meal. You’d be wrong. The new chef showed some promise by rejuvenating the menu creatively, but even that spark is pretty dim, now. The dinner fare should shine. Instead, its tabled without much flavor. The only thing «special» about the specials is how especially mediocre they typically are. Service is also pretty hit or miss. I’ve had a few 2+ hour dinners here on relatively calm nights. That’s a pretty bad look. That being said, the bar is actually pretty solid, and the gentleman who generally tends on evenings is a wonderful dude.
The Big Tree Inn COULD be a première restaurant. It is wide of this mark, though, not only because dinners here are never more than average, but because the restaurant doesn’t even think to aim higher.

I eat here often — mostly in the pub. The service is friendly (Paulie is a gem) and the fare is ample, well prepared and tasty, I’d give 4 stars except for a small banquet I hosted where the salmon special was universally over cooked. I’ll be back.

I really wanted to like this place. I really did. I went back and forth in my head about whether to even write this review, because I take no joy in it. There were some good things, but mostly bad. I can’t honestly recommend it. This place has SO much potential.
Let’s start with the hostess. We called ahead to make a reservation, and it was incredibly difficult to hear her. She spoke at a volume so low, only ants would be able to hear it.
We get to the restaurant, and it’s beautiful. Love the architecture, and even the old world, charming design inside. The inside seemed a little stuffy though, so we decided to eat outside.
It took about 30 minutes for anyone to wait on us. Two other waitresses even came over during that time and asked us if anyone had come to wait on us, and said they would go find someone for us. Once our waitress finally came by and took our drink order, it was another 15 minutes to wait for the drinks. This gave us the opportunity to observe that all of the tables around us had some form of problem with the service. Some had issues with coupons, some were charged odd things, and some required the manager’s attention to come out and fix a problem. It seemed like the staff was running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
We ordered the BTI sausage sampler as our appetizer, which was actually pretty good. The sausages were excellent, but the «pretzel» it came with was nothing more than a tiny, sort-​of-​pretzel-​tasting bread. The appetizer said it came with some mustards, which were nowhere to be found on our plate. When I asked our server, she said «oh we stopped serving it because people kept sending them back.» Have some faith in your cuisine BTI. If you believe in your homemade mustards and think a dish should come with it, serve it.
For our entrees I ordered the porterhouse with their garlic bliss mashed potatoes, and sautéed kale. My wife ordered the cannelloni di maiale. We both were given the option of having our choice of salads with our entrée, which was a surprise to us. We both ordered Caesar salads. The dressing for the salad was clearly homemade (which I have to commend), but was something I can only describe as runny, anchovy flavored milk.
My wife and I both agreed her cannelloni dish was fantastic. Her dish also came with a side of sautéed vegetables, which was a surprise as there was nothing on the menu mentioning it. They tasted good, but I would have liked a little more balsamic vinegar (just my personal taste).
After 90 minutes from sitting down to receiving the entrée, I was so excited to dig into my porterhouse. To my dismay it was completely overcooked. I ordered medium rare, but the fillet side was well done, and the strip side was medium-​well at best. I made the touch decision to send it back, and they made me a new one. The second one wasn’t much better than the first, but what am I going to do at this point? Send back a second steak? My wife had well finished her entrée at this point. Utterly demoralized, I decided to just box it up and take it home.
To sum things up,
The BAD:
–Service was SLOW and terrible. The restaurant wasn’t even busy either. Our server seemed more interested in hanging out and talking to the table of 8 of her college friends than serving other customers.
–Overpriced
–Not a lot of customer service. If you mess up my steak I’m paying $ 37 for, and make me wait for another one it would have been nice if you comped me a drink. I don’t expect it, but it would have been nice and greatly improved my experience. There was also no apology either for messing up, just an «ok we will make you another one, here it is.»
The GOOD:
–Place is beautiful. And has lots of potential as a first-​class gourmet restaurant.
–The menu seemed well thought out by the chef, and I admire his commitment to locally grown produce and sustainable cuisine.
–The bartender made me some of the best long island iced teas I have had anywhere, ever.

I don’t know where to start! I ordered the grouper in parchment paper and it was dreadful. No seasoning and tough and at the price the WORST meal I have ever eaten. My date had the Fillet and it was unfishable to say the least. She asked me to taste it and it was the worst tasting piece of meat I had ever tasted. The blue cheese nightmare covering was actually acidic and awful. Neither of us finished out plates, not even close. My sons chicken was so over cooked he hurt his mouth and throat.
When asked how are dinner was and if we needed to go boxes I said awful and no way. That food deserved nothing but the trash can. Not even good for animals to eat to be honest.
Dinner total was $ 97.00 and we were not drinking and it would have hurt less by just tossing my money in the trash.
By far the worst meal I have EVER been served in my 44 years.

Had dinner in main dining room, which had a nice atmosphere. I was hoping the food would be worthy of the visit, but unfortunately it was not. We ordered 3 appetizers and the one that was liked the most by two of the 4 of us was the sausage platter. The pan fried kalamari had a better description on the menu than what came out. The New Orleans beef tips were covered with crisp onion bits and had very little meat, which was rare and did not appear to be tips. One guest got the burger, which he asked for medium rare and just looked medium, but he said it was tasty. The chicken sandwich ordered by another guest looked like something you would get at a fast food place. He decided to take his to go. My husband and I ordered the chicken payard, which I almost didn’t get, because it has to be very thin and a lot of places do not get it right. I asked the waitress specifically about this and was assured it was paper thin and delicious. It was not. It was a regular chicken breast with a smoky tomato topping that ruined the entire thing. I would have eaten the chicken breast and said nothing, had it not been for the tomato topping which permeated the entire piece. The mashed potatoes were smashed potatoes, which would have been nice to know, because I would not have gotten them at all.
The lunch we had at The Nines was way better and less expensive. The Big Tree Inn tries to be something it is not and the menu is much more creative than the actual plated food.

Really pretty historic building. Was at a luncheon here. Desserts really good. Did not get into the Tap Room on this visit. Want to come back and experience it.

The Big Tree Inn is probably the best dining option in Geneseo, and the closest thing you’ll find to gourmet food in this area. There are two dining areas: the main restaurant (which is a little more elegant) and the pub (more casual). I believe much, if not all, of the menu is the same for both. Personally, I prefer the pub, which has a cozier, more convivial feel, and where it’s not uncommon to find Geneseo locals, college faculty, and students all rubbing elbows. The food is usually great and the inn itself is lovely. A good option for a special occasion.

Pretty amazing when you are in the middle of nowhere but can still get a Turkey burger. Pretty much every restaurant for miles is traditional American, microwaved pizza, or day old chinese. Big Tree has it going on at the tavern or restaurant. The Tavern is comfortable and has high-​end TV’s. Beautiful décor, professional staff, diverse menu, reasonable prices… of the 10 or so restaurants I’ve been to in Geneseo, this one is in an echelon of its own.

The food here is amazing. It is excellent. I’ve been here three or four and my meal is always perfect.
The first time we came her for lunch. It was a breezy summer day, We sat on the small outside patio. I had a picture perfect vegetarian sandwich with hand cut chips.
The last few times we were there for dinner. I went out on a limb and ordered the grilled swordfish with peach bourbon glaze, fennel risotto. I savored every bite. It was delicious. Perfect blend of flavor. The risotto was cooked just right and a savory compliment the sweetness of the peach bourbon glaze.
Scallops with bleu cheese Alfredo and fettuccine are the best scallops I’ve ever tried in my whole life. Usually I reserve creamy pasta dishes for special occasions, like my Grandma’s birthday, but this is a dish not to miss.
Calamari appetizer was excellent. Not overly fried with a trio of sauces.
Tofu vindaloo is perfect meal in size and taste.
There is a nice menu for lunch and for dinner.
The menus have at least one vegan option, and vegetarian and gluten free menu items are noted… and the vegetarian options aren’t just salads!
Service is a always professional. They have a very nice wine list and a decent selection of beers, both domestic, import and microbrews.
The Big Tree Inn is a Historic mansion made into an Inn in 1886
The décor and atmosphere are historic. Beautiful bathrooms & a lovely seating area. There are fireplaces in a few dining rooms. The dining spaces are in rooms as opposed to be open spaces. We usually make a reservation since space is limited.

For such a small town — the food is very good. I don’t mind campus food; but rather use my meal plan to eat here. The dishes here are very standard, but nonetheless are tasty and delicious!
The staff, like everyone else in Geneseo, are kind and friendly. This is a great place to have birthday or date dinners!

I had a meeting here today. The staff was fantastic, as was the food. Usually for meetings, the facility just mails it in. In this case, they went above and beyond to accommodate each and every attendee.

Upon arriving the staff at the front desk was pleasant and accommodating. We were brought to our room which was nice, clean and exactly what was presented via their website. Only complaint: the portraits of the Murray family stared at the bed. A little creepy for sleeping.
We went downstairs to the Tavern. We were given drinks quickly, bar tender was polite. We searched via Unilocal for a place to eat and discovered where we were was the best option in town. All the other places were geared towards college students, diners, pizza joints, and the like.
We ordered the crab dip appetizer, which was awesome although a little spicy. It went well with the pints we were partaking in. For dinner, I had the Filet with mushroom risotto. It was one of the best steaks I have had in a long time. I am still baffled as to how they made it so tender. My boyfriend had a chicken dish with a sherry, mushroom sauce that was awesome.
All in all, it was a little pricey but well worth what we paid. We went to bed satisfied and full.

Service very nice but often very slow. Tonight’s chef first overcooked the salmon and then confused rare with raw. Overpriced for what it is, despite the best efforts of the staff and excellent hostess. Sadly, although this has improved, it’s just not there yet. Serious competition would decimate this restaurant.
The cap to it all was the really strange though tasty Irish coffee plus a «crème brûlée» that we all sent back. The kitchen told the waitress that a pudding (which appeared to be from a mix) was «a different kind of crème brûlée.» Apparently one that could not have the crisped sugar for which the dish was named. The reorder included cheesecake with paper stuck to it.
Apparently tonight lacked the usual head chef, but it was pretty embarrassing under any circumstances, and the kind of thing that will keep me from coming back for a long, long time.

Considering it’s Geneseo, I’m giving this place 5 stars. This is 5 stars on a relative, Geneseo-​based scale. There are still things that I’m going to criticize about this place. To be frankly honest, I feel like this place and Yard of Ale are the only two places that even try to be a bit more high end, which I appreciate. I’m also judging the restaurant/​tavern.
I come here fairly often, enough so that the people at the bar don’t annoyingly ask if we’re over 21. I like eating at the tavern, but they don’t do the whole complimentary bread thing, even when you decide to order from their main menu. The ambience of the main dining area makes you feel a little bit sleepy…
As for the food, I love how they brought back the stuffed sole this year. They didn’t have it all of last year. They have a nice thanksgiving menu, and I realized that they kept the lobster macaroni and cheese, but without the filet. Good idea, considering the blackened filet was overkill. I also really like their blue lump crab dip appetizer. To be honest, I don’t really like anything else from the main menu other than that; the mushroom risotto is too salty for my liking. The tavern burgers and the monte cristo is really filling and delicious too. The quiche is too plain, and isn’t worth it when you can get a really good quiche for like ¼ of the price at Muddy Waters across the street.
Their bisque soup is really good. I could eat a whole bowlful of that and keep going.
For dessert, get the brownie mug sundae (you can share it with two people.) You can also get the sweet potato pie, which is also really good. Their coffee is plain, but it comes with a tiny cute pitcher of cream, and a 3-​way partitioned tray with chocolate, brown sugar, and whipped cream to make your coffee very dessert-​like.
They serve a LOT of food, and their food tends to be on the heavy side, so don’t order too much unless you want to endure food coma.
The only thing I don’t like about this place is the service. The servers themselves are actually really really nice, and so are the students at the front of the house. I have an issue with management though. They’re really condescending about meal-​plan usage. Whenever I go I pay with my debit card, but it’s really annoying having to deal with that whole lecture about not being able to use our student cards. I never knew 21 & overs still lived in dorms and had huge mealplans on their cards… ._.

The dining rooms are decorated nicely, but the food is typical American cuisine that you can get for much cheaper elsewhere. DON’T stay at the inn. the Comfort Inn is actually much nicer.
I’ve been here for dinner several times as a student, and it’s not bad. I have heard the burgers are good, but I personally like the french onion soup and the filet mignon. The tuna steak is not bad either, but if you are a bread person, their bread with homemade butter that comes with the salads is the best part. Note that if you order an entrée and opt out of the salad, they won’t give you the bread either :/​. The food is pricey, and really only remotely worth it if you have extra money on your meal plan to use up. Sometimes the service is better than other times, but don’t expect much– it’s usually not great.
I recently had my first experience staying at the Big Tree Inn overnight, and I would strongly advise against staying here. I stayed two nights in two different rooms. One room was more expensive and was supposed to be bigger than the other, but both rooms looked exactly the same. The photos on their website are decieving– there was about a foot between the bed and the wall on either side. There were no amenities such as coffee, vending, etc. and the breakfast was just a buffet with some muffins, a fruit platter, and some yogurt with orange juice and coffee. A room at the Comfort Inn is much cheaper, roomier, and provides more amenities.
I feel like the Big Tree Inn tries for a fine dining atmosphere, but that the food itself is what would be found in a steakhouse.