The Fat Lady Café

This is a very high end restaurant in Kauneonga lake, NY. The food is very good, with ample portions. The wait staff is very knowledgeable about the food and the drinks available. The view of the Lake is fantastic. Parking is a bit hard, and be sure to get there early!!! Across the street is the bakery, also very good.

The best place in the area. We came with the all family and had a great time, both service and food was wonderful! We had the ravioli, fish and chips and sandwich wraps. We will definitely come again! You must try the deserts :)

Always an amazing meal had here, from their entrées to their salads this place is really quite top notch and definitely a local secret. They are now open year round so excited to go in the winter since many local options are few and far in between. Can’t wait to go soon and bring my father in!

This was the first time we tried this place. It was packed and the wait was long. We had to ask the waitress for menus since they were not provided after waiting for 30 mins. Only one menu was legible, the rest were in orange ink and it was dark on the patio. The app took an hour to get to the table and was gross (fried calamari), we also order kids item (chicken nuggets and French fries) which didn’t even make it to the table. After an hour and a half we couldn’t wait anymore and told them we were leaving. The waiter was very apologetic, but the hostess or whoever she was, was extremely rude. She came over and said «I told you it was a long wait, why did you sit down if you couldn’t wait». An hour and a half wait is ridiculous for chicken nuggets. Instead of admitting their mistake she insisted that we were at fault for even sitting down since they were busy. Disgusting, I have never had customer service so horrendous. We paid for the items that did make it to the table even though they shouldn’t have charged us for their mistake. Never again will we return and I advise people to stay away !!

I would not recommend anybody eating here. The food is bland and the service is terrible. Don’t bother with this place.

Stopped by here on a lazy evening hoping for decent fare. The fresh baked bread, offered with garlic laced olive oil really hit the spot as an opener. The salad was comprised of fresh greens mixed with carrot strings and a chunky tomato wedge. The house dressing was fruity and sweet tasting.
On to the main course: crab and scallop stuffed flounder in a cream sauce for my darling bride and a seafood platter with shrimp, scallop and broiled salmon in a butter sauce for me. String beans accompanied both our dishes.
I chose the house Chardonnay. It was tarter than I expected but still enjoyable. I’m guessing the string beans are locally grown, you could almost taste the freshness. Scallops were fresh and meaty as were the shrimp. My one hesitancy in granting the fifth star concerns the salmon; it was skimpy as well as overcooked. Just a tiny bit more diligence, dear chef. The butter sauce, by the way, was excellent.
The crab and scallop stuffed flounder in a cream sauce, like Bogie’s Maltese Falcon, is «the stuff dreams are made of». It was rich and delicious, the fish, crab and scallops fresh and savory.
Dessert: we shared a flourless chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, which proved a good choice to accompany the espresso. It was a delicious cake to contrast against a nice stiff espresso. One more movie line, «I’ll be back».

DISAPPOINTED. Me and my family have been coming to the Fat Lady Café for years. We come for the beautiful view of the lake and the food is typically fair. We all left the Fat Lady Café today with a bitter taste in our mouths. My grandfather turned 88 years old today. My father asked him where he would like to go to lunch for his birthday and his first response was «The Fat Lady Café». He has been coming to the Fat Lady for sometime now and he has been a member of the Smallwood community for about 50 years.
My aunt asked the busboy if we could surprise my grandfather with a piece of cake. The owner of the establishment, the Fat Lady herself, came over to the table and had the nerve to question my grandfather. «Is it actually your birthday? Do you go to different establishments all the time and try to pull this same act? Do I owe you a piece of cake?» He is 88 years old and you are questioning him?! We didn’t ask for a free piece of cake. The cake was of poor quality, naked (no candle), and was served on a paper plate.
My grandfather left the establishment disappointed and upset. He even said he was going to tell his other friends in Smallwood about this. There you go Fat Lady, you just lost some clientele.

Not impressive. WAY over priced. They brought the wrong app but replaced it and charged us for both.

I am giving one star for the beauty of White Lake… HORRIBLE! We were seated at an outdoor table on the deck and given water by «somebody» who did not say a word. We were there at least 20 minutes and no one came back or even acknowledged that we were there. Believe me– we are not ‘picky people” in the least. (Had someone at least come over and brought us a drink we could have been appeased). While we were sitting there waiting we could over hear the bartender (Possible owner) yelling and scolding the wait staff. I am sure that half of the restaurant could hear her rant. Anyway… we got up to leave and went through the inside of the unattractive restaruant to see 4 young waitstaff standing there idol and one waitress eating a hamburger. I believe that this could be a great place but they need new management and training for their young inexperienced staff.

You guy know me buy now short and sweet. Great little place on the water the service was great the food very good, a mojito is a must my only criticism is that the AC was not working. Will def go again.

The brunch was nice, but overpriced. The food for dinner is not bad, not great. It is okay on a nice evening sitting outside. The staff is friendly. While the food will not blow you away, it can provide a pleasant group outing. Nobody in my group was unhappy.

I have been coming to Fat Lady for years and have always been pleased with both the service and quality of the food. As the other lakeside restaurants have opened, the staff at Fat Lady continued to not only provide good food and service, but also support their fellow local businesses (which is a plus). Unfortunately, the past few times I have been to Fat Lady, I noticed both the food and service going downhill. I still however enjoyed supporting the local businesses which mostly thrive during the seasons. After tonight’s experience, I have to write about just how far downhill this once neighborhood friendly, fabulous eatery has gone.
I understand this is a holiday weekend, and these local businesses get slammed– it is expected, but businesses do not have to compromise the quality of their food or service.
I’ll start by saying though we were seated right away, we waited awhile to get any service whatsoever (menu, water…). Holiday weekend, I understand. It takes a lot to get me upset. The experience only continued to decline, as everything we ordered was followed by an apology from the waitress and literally «I hope you get it.» This left us confused as to whether we would get our drinks and food or not. Being the fourth of July, we had asked to sit outside to see the fireworks over the lake. Although there were 5 tables open, we were told they were reserved. Again, holiday weekend– I understand. As we continued to wait and wait for our food, we noticed not one of those tables were being filled and asked if we’d be able to sit outside. «They are reserved» was replied, but the tables remained empty. Inside or outside table, what bothers me most was the insufficient service and food. When I finally did get my salad with spicy shrimp (the salad did take the longest and they couldn’t accommodate dressing on the side because well, a salad obviously is the first item to be made, no?) — the shrimp though fresh, was extremely bland– not one hint of a spice. I guess they were so busy they didn’t even have time to season their food. At this point (probably about an hour and a half in to getting our food), I’m still waiting for my drink and upon my inquiring if I should go to to the 3 person bar to order it myself, the waitress suggested yes because well, she was still «hoping» I’d get it. Throughout the night, there was not one manager, owner, host– or anyone for that matter– visibly in charge of ensuring this holiday weekend «slam» would go as smoothly as possible.
Although, at one point my husband was waiting for the bathroom and heard someone bark at a waitress for trying to put a dollop of whipped cream on a dessert because the whipped cream was reserved for the upstairs patrons. Not seemingly the way to treat staff members. Though our server seemed to need more experience in the industry and etiquette, one must wonder what guidance she is getting to bring the patrons a decent experience. All in all, I would have to say if you come up to Kauneonga Lake, support your local businesses that will consistently provide good service and good food. After all, isn’t that what we’re all looking for (especially on a weekend getaway).

Had mushroom soup that was as fresh as it gets. Followed that up by a really tasty spicy shrimp wrap with their home-​made fries and coleslaw. Everything is not just delicious but also very healthy-​tasting. Not too much sauces, fries are fresh-​cut without too much oil … And all this on a gorgeous lake with breezes and killer view… added bonus that the owner is from Brooklyn ;-)

I would take your business elsewhere (to one of the other lake-​front restaurants). While the view was lovely, the service and price for the quality of the food was not. Beware– one of the waitresses was asking tables «soup or salad» after they ordered their entrees but then ringing up the full price for an additional soup or salad (another $ 8-​$ 15). We saw several tables go through this confusion while we were there and the manager refused to take them off the bill.

Food was mediocre at best. Our waiter never bothered to come and take our order so we called over another waitress and she did a great job picking up someone else’s table.

We arrived on a lovely evening and wanted seating outside on the deck overlooking the beautiful lake. We were seated promptly and fresh bread soon followed. That was the end of any pleasantry.
Our server was extremely rude and untrained. We sat for — literally — an hour before receiving our dinner order, only after she came back to check twice on our what we had ordered. No apologies or check in’s…we had to get up and ask for our beers, get up and ask for more bread, and get up and ask about our order. We had two senior citizens and one 3 year old with us, who were all getting a bit cranky with the slow (non-​existent) service. The owner came to check on us after I asked about our food order. She said she «didn’t want us to go away unhappy,» but that was the end of her sentence. She then followed up her excuses for the service with «…well she’s a new server.» and «…you know how it is here in Sullivan County…» as if to blame the local education system for the pool of talent from which she had to choose. Two other tables around us, one with two small children, were receiving the same poor service and not entirely happy about it.
When our food finally arrived, without as much as a mumbled «sorry» from our server, it was decent. Oh, but it’s hard to review the food when you DON’T HAVE A FORK at two of your place settings! All of the adults at our table have worked in the service industry and understand feeling overwhelmed and confused at work, but have no tolerance for plain old rudeness.
Frustrating, embarrassing, sad experience on what promised to be an easy, relaxing summer evening dinner.

I’ve never been to a restaurant that runs out of everything on the menu by 6 pm on a Sunday. I mean everything… even dressing. We waited almost an hour only to find out that nothing we wanted to eat was available. Apparently it’s camp visiting day and a concert at Bethel woods, but that’s no excuse. They need to plan ahead better. Never mind reviewing the meal, we’re just happy to get something to eat. No time to leave and go elsewhere after waiting this long. Felt sorry for the wait staff.

And now for something COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!
The Fat Lady Café
T’was a beautiful afternoon for a lazy late meal, so I took M’Lady Pilar out for a quiet lunch. We decided to head for the Fat Lady Café on Kauneonga Lake. Dear Reader, I must confide that other than two or three… somewhat sturdy dinerettes, there were no Fat Ladies on the premises, not one, so don’t ask why. I don’t know.
We arrived around 4:30pm and parked a slight distance away down the road. A word about parking — you cannot park directly in front of the Café, as the parking strip is too narrow, even for a Fiat 500. There are signs and the police do ticket the naughty for parking there, so don’t try it. And when you do park down the street take care not to park yourself on the sidewalk, as you will most certainly be ticketed for that, and deservedly so.
The walk to the Café was pleasant and slightly breezy, and when we arrived we decided to sit inside as the deck was packed with a mass of humanity and we really wanted a quiet, private lunch where we could savor our food and each other’s company. Just so you know, even from the inside there is a spectacular view of the lake. A young lady brought us water (no bread as it was not yet dinner,) menus and cutlery as we sat and relaxed on the comfy cushioned chairs. Our server Christen came within minutes to introduce herself and inquire after our orders.
Today’s adventure in the world of gastronomical wonders was most definitely a super good thing; a super yummy thing. Pilar and I both started with the Roasted Vegetable Soup and we both came to the same conclusion: YUMMY WITH A CAPITAL «Y.» So yummy in fact that when there was but a drop at the bottom of the bowl, unreachable by conventional methods, I did the unthinkable and tipped the bowl almost upside down to get at that final yummy drop lest it perish a lonely death in a dishwasher. All under the disapproving look of the very proper Pilar.
I am most definitely a steak, chicken and pork chop sort of guy and I despise soggy, squishy vegetables and any kind of soup filled with soggy, squishy vegetables, ugh! So what compelled me, someone not too fond of P.E.T.A., to try the Roasted Vegetable Soup, a vegetarian dish?
Adventure…what else.
Adventure can be a good thing or it can cause one to die suddenly, uncomfortably and distastefully (Lion Taming come to mind.)*
Next came our main dishes. Pilar asked for the Grilled Chicken with Avocado, Greens, Mozzarella, Basil Pesto and Tomatoes all deliciously piled between two slices of Seven Grain Bread. This came with a nice fresh salad on the side and a small bowl of really yummy Potato Salad made with a slightly spicy mustard sauce. I opted for a Spicy Shrimp Wrap filled with nice big fat juicy shrimp, Spicy Mayo, Black Bean Salsa and Shredded Romaine. This came with Lady Fries and the same Potato Salad as Pilar ordered.
I have to say that everything was scrumptious. The Grilled Chicken was extremely tender and as I wrote before, the Shrimp in my wrap were AMPLE… definitely not those midget shrimp or medium sized shrimp one gets in some places. And the wrap was overflowing with shrimp. The Fat Lady is apparently not skimpy when it comes to the expensive parts of their dishes. That and the spectacular waterfront views justify the slightly above moderate pricing.
Dessert was a story all to itself. The kitchen apparently is constantly baking different things so one minute you might have one sort of cake or pie and the next it might be replaced by another sort of yummy pastry, all freshly baked on the premises. Pilar opted for the delicious Crème Brûlée and I for the equally delicious Lemon Orange Pound Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream. The Crème Brûlée was served in a rather large bowl compared to the teeny bowls I usually see making for quite a few extra bites of the dessert. The crust was nice and crunchy. The pound cake was pleasantly different in that the top was nicely crisped and the cake itself had tasty bits of rind in it.
We rounded off our meal with «Israeli Coffees.» Basically Iced Coffee with Heavy Cream and quite good if you like Iced Coffee and even if you do not. I don’t and I didn’t know this was not going to be a hot coffee, but I liked it.
A very delicious and satisfying meal was had, served in an amiable setting by extremely courteous and friendly staff in spite of the crowd, including the proprietress Judith, who approached our table to say hello, introduce herself and engaged us for a bit in conversation. A very nice lady she was to us relative newbies.
Shout out to «Jackson» the… busboy, I think. Every few minutes we would hear «Jackson» do this, «Jackson» do that and the kid multitasked dutifully and cheerfully no matter how many times he was summoned, and even when he wasn’t. We found it sort of amusing and it added to our adventure. We put extra in the tip section expressly for him specifically because of his positivity.

We are here for Dinner and it was delicious! My husband had the shrimp and scallop stuffed flounder in a lobster sauce and I had the fish of the day which was blackened salmon. Both meals were excellent. I love salmon but hate it when it’s over cooked, but this wasn’t it was perfectly cooked.
Only 2 beers on tap but it looked like they had a bunch of specialty drinks and wines. The deck is pretty small and with the baby in two it was tight quarters.
The staff were very friendly and the service was prompt. Bread came out immediately and salad came very quickly after ordering.
The setting on the lake was perfect. It was a warm evening and the breeze off the lake was wonderful.
The other diners we’re very friendly, some of they seemed to be regulars.
Over all a great dinner, we definitely recommend it and will go back.

We encountered a total of 4 employees throughout brunch, all of whom were inept and confused by the most basic questions. They forgot to give us brunch menus, which we had to wait 5 minutes to request; the table was sticky; missing utensils; had to wait for them to check the soup selection; had to wait a long time for our food and then almost as long to receive the bill and get charged.
The wraps (that came with the BLT as well as the veggies with pesto) were yummy, especially because they were pressed thin and a little crunchy. The lentil soup was mediocre. Ultimately, the food was forgettable, but the service and the prices were not.
The prices are ridiculous for moderately sized portions: $ 12 for a regular omelette order and $ 6 for a small crock of lentil soup. I had to repeat my drink order (i.e., water) twice. Then, and only after my friends received their meals, did a waitress ask me what food I had ordered! My friend also had to remind the waitress to bring his bacon that came with the meal.
The view on the lake would have been nice, had it not been raining, but we were still gouged for the ambiance nonetheless.
The Fat Lady needs to stop running for town supervisor and make sure her investment doesn’t go down the tubes any farther.

We really wanted to like this place, and it started out promising, but went downhill fast.
Fairly nice atmosphere on the water, though a bit crowded due to the number of tables they crammed on the deck (one fewer table would give more than six inches apart from the next tables).
Drinks were okay to meh. My Vesper martini was great. My friend’s margarita was fine, nothing special. The Blackberry crush was a disaster. First off, they were out of blackberries and used blueberries instead. the waitress did warn us about the change but said it was still delicious. It was not.
Soups were great, though super, super rich. The crab bisque was more like a sauce, but it was bowl-​licking good. The potato soup was so thick it was almost like watery mashed potatoes, but quite delish.
Calamari was bland. How something can be deep fried and bland is a bit of a mystery, and one I’d not soon like to experience again.
Entrees were a mixed mess. I had the Escarole in a fig reduction sauce. It was delicious, simple, juicy, and the sauce was divine. The end piece tasted weird though — rubbery and off. I’ve had this before with some swordfish stakes and Escarole tasts likes its in the same meaty fish type of family so I didn’t hold it against the fat lady.
The other entrees were from mediocre to gross. Almond crusted trout was fine. The green beans that came with that and the escarole were wonderful. They tasted like they came from the nearby farmers market — crispy snap to them with just a smidge of salted butter. Those dishes were also served with Quinoa. It seemed like from the other tables I saw they just make a bit batch of quinoa and serve it with everything.
My friends steak was okay, tender but not very flavorful. We ended up taking half of it home, seasoning it up with some leftover potatoes and served it up with some poached eggs.
The boyfriends pumpkin ravioli was bland beyond believe. He likes his food and he ate like two before pushing his plate away.
Overall, another place on the water that relies on the view more than the talents of the chef. If the Fat Lady is indeed fat, it shouldn’t be from eating here. Not expensive, but overpriced for the quality and presentation.
Staff were lovely, which was a nice plus.