Windows on the Lake

Had a fantastic brunch on Mothers Day! Food and staff are amazing– Thank you again!!!

Easter Brunch was wonderful! Food delicious and abundent — replenished constantly. Very varied choices — all were delicious. The staff was excellent, courteous and helpful. The best buffet I ever went to and I’ve been to many! the view of Lake Ronkonkoma was the icing on the cake!

My husband and I had the misfortune of attending their disastrous Valentine’s event. What should have been a romantic evening became a nightmare the likes of which I have never experienced at a catering hall. When we arrived we were forced to wait 30 minutes in a drafty, crammed hall which made no sense since perfectly good tables were available at which people could have been seated immediately. When they finally allowed us to sit, the room seemed dangerously overcrowded. Getting up to use the restroom or having to exit in an emergency would have been extremely difficult. There was insufficient wait staff, so service was horribly slow. Despite the number of people jammed into this room (I seriously wondered about fire codes) it was freezing. When the food arrived it was only barely above cold. There appeared to be no managerial presence whatsoever at this event. Other reviewers mentioned misplaced coats. I had to wait 15 minutes in frigid conditions to be told no one could find my coat. My husband finally went into the coat check area to find a pile of coats on the floor and found mine at the bottom. Then came the interminable wait for our car. I detest being forced to valet park my car, but whenever I have had to do so in the past, I never encountered a significant wait. Clearly, they were understaffed in every respect. It seemed as though every competent person who may have been employed here simultaneously quit right before this evening and was replaced by people with no experience in working at a catering hall. I am happy to have this dreadful night behind me. If this establishment seeks to torture its patrons, then their purpose has been accomplished. If they wish to have repeat customers, I can guarantee no one at their train wreck Valentine’s event will ever return.

They don’t let you rate zero stars, that should be an option. We attended the Funny Valentines dinner and comedy show on February 13, and were extremely disappointed. Paid $ 55 pp and only $ 5 of it went to the charity. So let me tell you what our $ 100 got my husband and I. Where they sat us my chair was on a ramp so I sat on an incline the whole evening, there was no heat and a huge draft coming from a section of the room they tried to block off with a screen (which came crashing down on the people and table behind us), we checked our coats when we came in and decided to get them since we were freezing when we handed in our ticket to get our coats mine was missing after the ladies looked for it for about ten minutes I recommended maybe I should look for my myself finally found it on the floor under a chair, getting back to our table a waiter took our drink order after being there for almost an hour, we knew it was a cash bar which was fine but for the price soda was not even included, one gentleman at our table finally got his drink only to return it since the rim had lipstick all over it, our table wondered when our waiter would be back to take our dinner order only to find out there were no choices only chicken, we had bread come to the table but only 6 rolls for the 10 of us, one couple left before dinner even came, dinner consisted of pre made from a manufacturer frozen warmed up chicken (and I say warm because it was far from hot) two potatoes and some boiled carrots and string beans, after dinner I was looking forward to a nice hot cup of coffee, it was colder then the chicken, we ended up leaving early since I caught such a chill that I was literally shaking. There was more but I believe that is enough to make anyone’s mind up. It is a shame that this place made so much money on this horrible event and the charity received so little, they should be ashamed. I feel bad for the waitstaff they tried their best and probably got yelled and complained to all night, this was none of their faults it was all mismanagement. They knew how many tickets they sold they should have been more prepared, and considering they served pre made food this all should have been a breeze. What a shame because you had a room full of about 300 plus potential future clients and ruined it for yourselfs. I have been in the catering business and word of mouth is your best advertisement, but I really cannot think of one nice thing to say. Ps you should split your profit with the children’s hospital to make up for all of this.

Feb 13^th 2016 valentines day comedy show and dinner. Paid $ 220 for 4 people and i was just embarrassed by the service and how the layout was. We were stuffed in like sardines. And the section were we were was so freezing that we had to leave early. The food wasent that bad but it took forever and didnt have a choice in entrée just chicken and they gave a basket of bread to each table but only gave 6 rolls and 10 people sitting at a table. Another couple that sat with us left early because they were cold and the comedy part hardly any body laughed because they were disgusted by the service as well… ive been here for a christmas party and never had a problem but after this. Im going to pass on future events

Attend the ²⁄₁₃ Dinner and comedy show here. Simply put it was pitiful. Crammed us in like sardines. Overcrowded tables, took forever to be served and food was cold. I felt bad for the wait staff. They were over whelmed. The place was freezing I never took off my coat. Glad I did not check my coat as the coat check staff started letting people in to find their own coats as they could not. Total Chaos. I will never attend another event here and blame the management for this Valentine fiasco. Just plain lousy. We should have burned the $$$ we spent, at least I would have been warm

@ Anthony Pellegrino General Manager, this matter occurred a couple of years ago around Christmas time. I appreciate you looking into changing the issues. Thanks.

Well, my family and I came here for breakfast with Santa and it was certainly an experience.
First of all we had the first seating and they were not at all ready, staff frantically moving around not seating the many people who were waiting.
The set up of the buffet was terrible and portions distributed embarrassing. (3 tortellini for an adult, that paid $ 40 a plate.) the sausage was raw– completely pink! The pasta was tasty but cold. The servers behind the table probably weren’t old enough to have working papers and just didn’t know what they were doing. So much wasn’t ready yet and the whole thing was so disorganized it gave me the customer anxiety!
I had hoped for the price we’d pay it would be a nice looking Santa and a nice photo, but unfortunately the photo machine wasn’t working correctly and printed random names/​dates on this photo booth style photo… And well Santa; was a very poor impersonation
Save your money– go to the local firehouse! Never again!

Went to a wedding here recently and had a great time. The service was generally good and everything went well with the flow. I loved the cocktail tapas party on the patio with all the food and beverage options. The server assigned to our table was awesome. My water glass stayed full and wine glass never empty. The dj did a great job as well.
There were 2 things I found unsettling. First, half of the food on the plate was cold. Second, the espresso was terrible. It would be a wise idea for such an upscale place to get an espresso machine. Other then these 2 things it was a great experience.

Went here for a wedding on a Saturday evening. It appeared to be that there were about 200 – 250 guests at the wedding and the venue handled it beautifully. The ceremony was done on premise and was beautiful. The cocktail hour and reception were also great.

This place is an absolute dump! I looked into the kitchen and saw bugs which in my book is a total deal breaker. I would not book my event here and nor should you. Sure the grounds are nice but cleanliness counts. BEWARNED!

We just went here for Year’s Eve where they had a buffet dinner and DJ. There were positives and negatives. For New Year’s Eve, I think you can do better for the price. On the positive side, the food at the buffet and the salad was good. There was plenty and it was tasty. No complaints there. The DJ was good and kept the music going and most people were up on the dance floor. They also gave coffee and bagels to take home after the event which was nice.
On the negatives…
1. We did arrive about 30 minutes into the event which ran from 8pm through 1am. The coat check had no more hangers when we got there and this meant that our nice coats were stacked on the floor with many others that came in around the same time and after.
2. The bar had limited selection of everything and nothing was top shelf. The bar setup was also not very attractive and looked very makeshift. Did not have the look of a typical catering place.
3. The table we sat at was set up with too many chairs. Luckily our table was not full and we were able to move two chairs away which made it comfortable.
4. The waiters kept taking our drinks away when they had about an inch left in the bottom. We had to stop them many times. They told us they were instructed to do this. When you get a drink like scotch, it only has that much in it to start. Got a bit ridiculous to keep fighting to keep our drinks.
5. There were TV screens high in the main room which I was expecting to show something festive like from Times Square. From 8pm through 11pm, the screens showed video of Windows on the Lake food being served and carved. This was in poor taste and felt like an advertisement. From 11pm to midnight, they showed Times Square.
6. While the buffet food was good, when we got plates from the plate stand in the middle of the room, all of the plates were soaking wet which was awkward and unappealing. Not sure why the plates couldn’t have been dried before being stacked in the plate holder.
7. Dessert was basically a platter of cookies and choc covered strawberries. Not very impressive. They were good as was the rest of the food, but not impressed.
In the end, all said and done, I did have a good time but will be trying somewhere else next year.

I didn’t want to deal with the usual crazy family drama for Thanksgiving so I asked around for a local restaurant and was told about this place. The price was great for Thanksgiving dinner $ 40pp for buffet. I made the reservation online for 6:30. Looking at the website I was very excited and hoped it looked just as nice in person. When we drove up, the valet guys were complaining that they hadn’t eaten and that they weren’t going to be given any of the food, not even left overs. That bothered me but hey they’re college kids and chose that job. Getting inside, it had a normal catering feel. I felt slightly over dressed as many people were dressed in jeans and sweaters but whatever. My boyfriend and I dressed up since it was Thanksgiving after all and a mini vacation & date night since we were staying the night in the area. The food was good, we had seconds and the servers were also attentive. The bathroom needs a facelift. I usually make small talk with the buffet servers and was told by two of them that they were hungry and tired and wasn’t given a break and wasn’t getting one anytime soon. Again, I felt bothered by the treatment of the staff, how can I really enjoy my food when these kids are serving me hungry? ugh! Note to self: stop asking «how are you doing tonight?» My other issue was with the desserts. We went to the «dessert room» and there were barely any desserts at 8pm. They didn’t even bother to replenish any of the pies, brownies, or pudding each looked dry and old. I really expected a better assortment of desserts. The desserts looked store bought. Whatever they put out earlier was still there. It’s Thanksgiving people! No pumpkin pie?! WTH? My boyfriend had to ask for someone to make more whipped cream for the dry slices of apple pie that were left. That was the only good part, we got freshly made whipped cream. It was dark out so I couldn’t see the lake, another downer. Well I didn’t have to clean up and no family drama, so mission accomplished.

My lovely wife enjoys brunch, so I decided to take her here for our anniversary. It is only 15 minutes from our home.
I found a deal on Groupon, so we were able to save almost 50%.
If I were able to give them 0 stars, I would.
This was one of the worst brunches I have ever been to.
The plates were drenched and I had to use a napkin to dry them off.
There was no French toast or cereal to choose from. No French toast at a brunch? I went to the omelette section and asked for 2 eggs over easy, and was told we don’t have actual «eggs». They had egg product for scrambled or an omelette. On to the carving station hidden in the corner, I did not get anything because the meat looked dried out and terrible. It was probably from an event held the night before. Even the cheeses tasted dried out. The cream cheese and butter knives were dirty and nothing was labeled as to what it was. The bagels were decent but I think they were kept frozen and not brought in fresh. Even the waffle bar consisted of pre made waffle quarters that were cold.
Even the penne vodka was terrible.
The best part of the whole meal was the biscotti on the dessert table. Even the chocolate mousse was not put on ice so besides being warm, was probably not the best.
Our waitress was attentive and decent, although when she asked us how everything was, we told her the truth and she looked scared and didn’t know how to react. I assured her that it wasn’t her fault but I figured she would have passed along the message to MGT.
Lastly, there were several events going on and people needed to walk through the dining room to get to their party room. Probably uncomfortable for them and def uncomfortable for us.
Will not go back, even if Groupon offered 95% off. It’s a shame b/​c based on location it has potential.

I attended the brunch with santa last weekend with my wife and inlaws from out of town. We were told to come hungry by the girl that made our reservation over the phone, and man was i glad i did! The food was so fresh and the ham from the carving station was perfect! What sets this place aside from other catering halls brunches is that they really do make everything on site from the bread to desert and even their pasta! I was stuffed and my inlaws were impressed so i will definitely be coming back here very soon!

went here for a wedding, the site is not bad, cocktail hour food is good, but reception food was kind of bland though. I was going to give it a 3 stars, but the reason why it took away the third star is because I feel the service really needs improvement. They spilled the whole glass of cocktail on my friend, which is ok, everybody makes mistake, but after he apologized he just throw a towel to my friend… what the… !!! 20 min after this incident happened, I heard from the other side, some waiter dropped the whole plate of food on the floor… Ok, now is too much when a mistake made twice during a wedding! I really don’t think those wait staffs are full time, they all looked miserable and acted like they have never waited a table before.

I came for a friends wedding… let me start by saying that the staff is wonderful! Especially Giovanni, who was this amazing Italian man, he definitely made us feel welcome. The wedding was very fun, the food was amazing! During the cocktail hour there was a variety of stations based on what you what kind of food you were into. The entrees and desserts were amazing as well! I loved the layout, the attentive staff and the open bar… these people get 5 stars!

First off This venue is absolutely gorgeous! Everything I wanted the staff made happen, They even had fireworks for our grand entrance! The staff handled every aspect of my wedding, which relieved all the stress and probably the reason i didn’t turn into a bridezilla lol! The filet mignon was so amazing we had to come back for more the next day at their sunday brunch and i am looking forward to coming back in the holidays! Thank you Windows on the Lake!

I lived in Memphis when I was 19 and I was dating a girl from the area.
(I used ask her to say CEMENT WALL over and over. She would say in the cutest accent: CEEMENT WAL haha)
Anyhoo, She says: we HAVE to go to her favorite place for brunch. When we’re there she asked me, is it ok if I eat bacon with my fingers?
She felt comfortable in her surroundings. I understand that type of thinking. Windows on the Lake is something that has been with me for years.
When I came home on leave from the military, this place was a nightclub, My buddies take me here and I remember, hand to God, a naked girl walking about in a see thru wedding dress? Freaky man…
Now its a catering hall? It’s a nice local place with a great view of Lake Ronkonkoma. Never swim in Lake Ronkonkoma. Legend has it.
My wife bought a Living Social deal for brunch. I wanted to go on a nice sunny day to see the same lake view I saw as a teenager. Nice grounds, nice patio, so far so good.
We walk up the stairs and I see a shelf eye level that has, a big hunk of broken glass? Like you can make a shiv out of this sucka if someone cuts you in the Omelet line?
We walk into the main dining hall and it looks like a cruise ship! Tablecloths with numbered tables. We are seated and the waiter takes our drink order. (More on him later)
The buffet is a small but standard all you can eat Sunday brunch buffet. Carving ham, Omelet station, Waffle station, fruits, bagels with lox as well as breakfast meats in tins. Its not a bad buffet but the service? OMG, I had to tackle this dude for coffee.
You get little cups and after two sips you’re done. Dude, I need COFFEE on Sunday morning. And those drinks? Yeah, have one and see ya never again.
The food was ok. My buddy had a big birthday and his wife catered his party here.
Windows On the Lake is a nice local place where you can be comfortable and eat bacon with your fingers if you so desire. *I think I dumped that girl who ate with her fingers…
Enjoy!

I came here in June for a Sweet 16. I haven’t been to too many halls but I thought the place was nice. I enjoyed the view of Lake Ronkonkoma across from the place.
The staff here was attentive and very friendly. No complaints.
We had a buffet style dinner and the food was pretty yummy. Everyone at my table raved about the meatball and one of the pastas offered. The appetizers and dessert were pretty awesome too.