Ithaca Ale House

Great skillet wings. Nachos are so so. Kindof a limited beer selection for an ale house. Great location for people watching. Great service

My wife and I just stopped in for a drink and apps. Really good apps, I had the sesame tuna and my wife had the Caprese salad. Really tasty, wanted more. I had the Bug jar drink, fantastic! My wife had the evil Pinot Noir, really good. We will go back!

This is probably my favorite burger joint I’ve been to. The wait can be long with the restaurant being so narrow but it’s worth the wait. They have an intense beer list and most items on the menu come with a drink recommendation. I love getting a burger here and like that they have classic creations and some NY/​Ithaca the meme ones. The orchard burger with apples was amazing, sounds weird with apples and onions and cheese but I Loved it so much we’ve been back twice now!

Great spot in Ithaca to sample some craft brews and some gastro pub fare. They have a great selection of sides to go with their sandwiches.

Really solid place to get food and relax. It’s definitely more of a loud pub type, but I really enjoyed my meal. I had the steak caesar sandwich, which was amazing. The fries were really good and I ate all of them. My date had the fat kid burger I think, it’s the one that’s between two grilled cheeses. They cooked both our meat exactly how we asked, and we were very happy. Our water glasses were filled and I would say the overall meal and service were really solid.
There was, however, a very odd interaction with my waiter. I ordered a glass of white wine (my date also ordered a drink), and when I gave him my id, he told me that I’d better be careful because they don’t usually accept vertical driver’s licenses, even if they’re not expired, and that next time I would be rejected.
I switched over my license from my home state just before my 21^st birthday so I have a valid, NY state license that clearly states my age is above 21. Yet it’s not good enough for them? I told him I thought that was illegal (it’s not) and he got really mad and was like «well you’re not the one facing a 10,000 fine» and stormed off. I think he was trying to be nice by warning me, but I’m not taking a day off work to avoid being bounced from a really mediocre bar over an ill-​informed policy that makes no sense. I won’t be returning to this establishment, or any other place that has such asinine id policies. If I have a valid state issued id, other forms of photo id, and credit cards to verify my identity, but you’re going to reject me because I have a vertical driver’s license, I will take my money elsewhere.

One of the best beer selections in the city! These guys do a great job presenting a well thought out bar menu and there are tons of TVs to watch sports. My favorite place to watch a game!

Sat at the bar to get a drink before getting dinner elsewhere and watched the bartenders have 5 different drinks together in the short 15 minutes we were sitting there. While we were waiting for the check and signaling to the bartender to come over, she was taking shots with her coworkers… Someone from the kitchen came out to the bar, took a couple shot glasses, grabbed a bottle and went back to the kitchen…
I get that bartenders drink together but to see all the employment get trashed together in front of me was just unprofessional. They’re not even trying to really hide the fact that they’re ripping shots 3 times in a row while taking a while to get to customers.

Came on Friday with a large group. Was really crowded. Asked for rare burger. But into it and it’s well done. Told the waitress. «Oh. I’m sorry. I’ll let the kitchen know. «. Not «would you like another?» Or something like that. I’m thinking at the end she’ll discount it. NOT. horrendous.
Decided to stop by and try again. Ordered burger with crab cake. Rare. The burger was medium well, the crab cake was mostly filler and was refried. Greasy to no end. Oil was dripping from it at every bite.

I have been to the Ale House a few times for drinks with some friends. Having always ate before I got there, I never tried their food. My friends raved about it and everything coming out of the kitchen always smelled so good. My boyfriend came to visit me in Ithaca recently and we were looking for a place to watch the NCAA games. Ithaca Ale House it is!
A-​M-​A-​Z-​I-​N-​G food! We each ordered a burger and what a pleasant surprise it was that they offered gluten-​free rolls! The bar was packed so we weren’t seated for a good 45 minutes but this was a Thursday night at around 7:00pm, so we did not mind. It is also one of the few places in town that had TVs around. Once we sat down, our waiter was polite and shared with us the specials which all sounded amazing. After we ordered, the wait for the food was a bit long the long side, but again, it was probably because it was a packed house.
Now for the food. I ordered Ale House Burger because I am a sucker for caramelized onions. My boyfriend ordered the El Inferno Burger. All of Ale House burgers are made with certified Black Angus Beef — so juicy, so tender and flavorful. I don’t know how many ounces of burger I got but it was just the right amount, not too much where I could barely bit into my burger but not too little where I am feeling jipped.
For dessert, we got a little reckless and got the Mrs. O’Leary’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Sundae which was served with three warm chocolate chip cookies on top of some vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. My goodness — I had gone to heaven — that’s what my stomach was telling my brain.
Very affordable and delicious food, excited I finally tried their food — no complaints, great place for casual date night, catching sports, catching up with friends, etc. Definitely stop by!

We stopped here on a Sunday afternoon while visiting our Son at school. We were surprised to find out they had a Sunday brunch menu. My son & husband ordered breakfast items, my daughter & I ordered lunch. Everyone enjoyed their meals, my daughter & I split the 6 Onion soup, which was delicious and I ordered Orchard burger, it had great flavor and was more than I could finish for lunch.
My kids split the fried Oreos, which they throughly enjoyed. I got a sugar shock just smelling it.

Got a blond ale was great normal brew prices I think 6 had the burger with pulled pork and onion ring let me just say size was insane cooked perfect the pork lacked flavor but that’s been the norm I have found… the lobster bisque was beyond good could of licked the bowl spicy with lots of lobster and the shaved Asiago was perfect. over all very good a little pricey for everyday but for once in a while not bad. services was spot on glasses always full and plates cleaned up

I like this place, but they just charged us ELEVEN DOLLARS!!! For a side of fries, are you insane??? My french dip with fries was $ 12 haha wft???

My wife and I met some friends here as a central spot between where they were staying and where we were staying in Lodi. They gave us a huge table which was great because there were so many of us. They had a pretty enticing selection of burgers and a ton of great local beers to choose from. I wound up ordering the Fat kid burger which was a burger sandwiched between two grilled cheeses and it was awesome. It had been a long day on the road and working, so it was very much deserved for me. The patty itself was perfectly medium as I had requested, and was seasoned nicely. The grilled cheeses were actually great on the outside of the burger. I wanst sure if they were going to be too much, but they actually wound up being perfect. They were the perfect size, not over the top huge which made it a bit more approachable as well. I was actually able to get my mouth around it to take bites. The fries were great too, super crunchy, just how I like them.
Great beer selection, good solid burgers. The band was super loud so it wasnt the greatest place to try to catch up with friends, but I definitely would go back as a place to hang out and drink some good beers and chow down on some burgers.

Best burgers in Ithaca, but horrible service. Our burger was waiting in the window for 10 minutes, and our server was sitting down at a table and chatting with his friends. When we received the burger, it was lukewarm and we asked for it to be heated. When it went back to the kitchen, the chefs yelled «it’s not cold!» We were never offered a service recovery (I.e free dessert, or a free side). I loved the food, but the 35 minute wait to get a table, combined with the lackluster service will ensure that I never return.

Coming from what felt like 10 thousand steps on at Ithaca Falls, I was kinda hungry and ready to sit down! A group of friends and I decided to stop here because I had a hankering for a delicious cold beer. There’s Ale in the name so why not this place!
For starters we got their seasoned fries with a curry dipping sauce. That was a delicious appetizer, not too heavy on the seasoning but just enough there so you can taste with every bite. I also ordered a Sackets Harbor War of 1812 Amber Ale which is outside of my comfort zone (I tend to drink cheap Canadian beers or Rorbachs or something) and pleasantly surprised with it! The finish was as they described: hint of bitterness with a nutty, caramel malty flavor.
For my lunch/​dinner, I got a french dip sandwich! The cheese was very melty, the steak was seasoned a little bit, very tasty on a French roll that was soft, and the fries were crispy and golden. Nothing crazy to write home about but it wasn’t bad at all.
I’d definitely go back when I’m in the area again, and maybe when I don’t climb the seven thousand steps to the throat of the world I mean top of the falls.

Great burger, great customer service.
Bartender surprise me with a blueberry beer actual blueberries inside really good

My favorite burger joint in Ithaca as an undergrad. They cooked it to perfection, the fries were amazing, and the suggested beers they paired were just… too good of a combination. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.
Make sure to make reservations as this place gets quite busy!

Hopped the hotel shuttle downtown and went here at the recommendation of the staff. The front desk swore it was the best burger in the area.
We got there around 715 on a Saturday night. It’s a small place and not surprisingly, there was a 30 minute wait which wasn’t a big deal since I wanted to check out the town anyway. It’s quite close to the newly renovated Ithaca Commons, which has shops and houses the start of the Carl Sagan walk which has a scale model of the solar system with optional audio by Bill Nye. Half an hour later we went back and were seated promptly.
The beer selection is phenomenal. There’s about 20 draft and each one has been well thought out to represent the craft brew movement as well as pair nicely with the grub.
Among the chosen items were the BYOB (ie. plain) burger, the french dip, the french onion soup and pub fries. My daughter swore it was the best burger she has ever had. The french dip was less greasy than the normal prime rib sandwich and much moister than the normal dip made with dry outside round. The french onion soup was among the best I have had. The fries sucked.
Service was good although a little scattered and slow at times but more importantly the waiter knew his s#!t.
Overall, a great experience with great food and great beer and in homage to the great Carl Sagan, maybe even out of this world. Who knew extra-​tastestrial experiences were so close all along.

Good beer selection and large food menu. We had the pub fries with curry sauce as an appetizer — awesome!!!
My husband had a beef burger and enjoyed it very much. I had a veggie burger and was disappointed. It was crumbly, dry, and fell to pieces. I ended up scooping it up with a fork.
Service was good. Staff was friendly. Worth checking out.

I give this place 3 stars for a few reasons .
1. My son and I came here in the evening around 6:00pm for dinner and it was pack with stupid guys yelling and cursing and drinking beer … It’s like a bar but a restaurant also Really not a place for kids !!!
2. The place It’s very small also … We had to wait 30 mins to be get a seat.
3. The food: we both order burgers. And to be honest I had better. It’s not bad but deff nothing to brag about… Like I said before in my past reviews trying to find a good place to eat in ithaca is like trying to find a safety pin in a stack of hay … So I think people who live in ithaca are not experienced in different foods so that’s why probably they think this place is gem… It’s not… I had better food in Florida … AND ESPECIALLY burgers …
in conclusion I wouldn’t be coming back here because I’m cheap … Well not really but I like to spend my money on things that are worth it and if I’m spending money it would be on way much better food but I wouldn’t mind coming back if someone else is paying…