Pantagis Renaissance

**This review is for the Pantagis Renaissance Event Space for Wedding**
I had my wedding at the Pantagis on 29^th May 2016. Thanks to the professionalism of VALERIE who is one of the event coordinators at the venue, our wedding ceremon, cocktail hour, and reception executed without a hitch. Our Matre D was ANTONIO who was the most hard working, dedicated, accomodating, fast-​on-​his-​feet, professional Maitre D I have ever known/​worked with and my husband and I and our wedding party were blown away by how effortless he executed every minute and hour of the event. If you are considering this place as for a wedding venue I would recommend it for sure

***This review is only for the restaurant portion of the establishment and its weekend buffet dinner.*** The venue itself looks pretty nice and I could see holding a decent event at this place (however if the food is the same quality as the dinner buffet, you should probably look for another venue).
June is a special time of year– the weather is finally getting warm, Father’s Day is celebrated and immediately ignored, and schools let out for the summer. With the hiatus of these centers of higher education, a slew of new graduates– bright eyed,
bushy-​tailed, naïve young people, who are completely unaware of the horrors of the real world outside of little bubble they lived in for the previous four years, and the looming effects of the crushing student loan debt they are about to deal with, come out with their family and friends to celebrate their accomplishments.
It was this very situation that brought me to this venerable establishment to celebrate some family friends’ graduations of their little girls/​young women. The parking lot was spacious and I believe had an option for valley parking. The hostess and wait staff were friendly and very accommodating. However, the food from the buffet left much to be desired. Beginning with the plates– they have seen years, if not decades of use and were rather spotty. Some were even chipped at the edges. The food itself was mediocre at best, flavorless and boring at worst. Even the carving station, which was the highlight, offered some less than average quality prime rib, although the lamb was fine. The seafood offerings were questionable. I usually stay away from the seafood offerings at buffets, even if the cold seafood is served on a bed of ice. I just know a bit too much about microbiology and what these microbes like vibrio vulnificus can do to your digestive system, than to eat them at a place I don’t trust, especially a non-​seafood restaurant.
They did have some hot seafood dishes, including mussels marinara and seafood Newburg, but the mussels and shrimp were overcookes and rubbery, while the crab or lobster in the Newburg was artificial.
Even the desserts were subpar.
The cheesecake was extremely mushy, the fruit tart was bland and the fruit tasted like frozen or canned fruits, and even the mini cannoli weren’t that great.
I’m just glad that somebody else picked up the tab, because I would not have been happy to pay such a high price for sub par food.

At least 7 of us fishermen go every few months for their Thursday night buffet.
The staff is fine, a good selection of food plus a raw bar, all the prime rib you can eat.
Desert also. 17.99 –makes sense. We will be back.

This is the place to be if you want the best steak in New Jersey! I also LOVE the Cheesecake! I’m a big seafood lover too so it was awesome to still order what I wanted as my entrée and eat as much seafood while I wait. With also an unlimited option of cheeses and salad. Great place!

Just had a delicious Easter brunch here. I was worried at first because it seemed like a costly buffet ($ 33.95/adults and $ 16.95/kids) but the breakfast foods and fruits were tasty. But they were just the beginning. Prime rib, leg of lamb, roast turkey, stuffing and every other entrée and side dish you could crave. The desserts were awesome and varied from cookies and pastries to rich cheesecakes and specialty cakes I would recommend brunches there if they keep this up.

Al DeRienzo is simply amazing! Words cannot even begin to describe how awesome and professional he is! Being a new bride and not knowing ANYTHING at all he helped us so much and answered every question we had!!! Even gave us some great ideas! He’s has catered to us more than you could imagine!!! He treated us like family! I highly recommend Al and Pantagis for any and every special occasion that you have!!!

My family has had events here twice. They don’t seem to mind the large groups or the loud kids. The food is truly just mediocre. There don’t ever seem to be many options when it comes to the buffet. It’s pretty inexpensive and not really difficult to get to.

Went for a wedding. Cold food and flavorless. Coffee wasn’t served until almost all guests left. Would never have my wedding there.

second time here and it has gotten worse. The waiters mopped the floor by out table because they spilled water. They got us wet and no apology. They ran out of food items and the server had an attitude. it was like they were doing me a favor. The manager was worse. he complained about people with groupons. Well I didn’t have one and paid full price. If I had one I would have used it. He and his staff had a war agaisnt the diners. If you don’t like like groupons, don’t offer them dumb a$$. Very horrible experience with mediocre food and the worse attitude of any restaurant I have been to in quite a while.

Had my wedding here the place is beautiful, the food was great. BUT the matridee they gave us Ahkmed was atrocious! ! For the mini cocktail hour they did before our ceremony they served the bridal party bad shrimp! I told him to get it out of the room. He kept telling the officiant we weren’t ready when we were, before walking down the aisle he almost had my husband an i see each other if my bridesmaid wasn’t infront of me to tell me to stop while he kept telling me to go. After the ceremony we go back to the bridal suite to smell that the rank shrimp was still there!!! He was rude to every single member gof my family had to be hunted down to find and told what to do because he was clueless to all of our notes and plans for the wedding. And he absolutely ruined our cake cutting ceremony he forced us to have our backs turned to our familys literally grabbed us and positioned us like mannequins and HE rubbed cake in my husbands face and pushed us to kiss all the while we were telling him to stop that its not what we wanted and he just said «i know what I’m doing», our photographer even told him to back away every picture from the cake ceremony my husband and i look mortified my mother and brother actually left the room because they were so upset. I the bride went through my wedding day with a terrible stomach ache un able to eat the food we actually wanted and ordered to wake up my first day married with food poisoning from the shrimp it’s now 3 days later and my stomach is still not right. I wish we didn’t get Ahkmed as our matridee he really put a damper on our day it was actually embarrassing.

My family and I have been going to Pantagis for special occasions and dinners since I was a teenager. My mom, aunts, and uncles love it because of the all you can eat buffet. If I do have go to a buffet, I’d definitely go here. We went for brunch yesterday and I recommend all the breakfast fare. The pancakes and bacon were delicious. The prime rib was tender and juicy. All of the staff were friendly and accommodating. They also have a full service bar if you’re in the area and want to grab a quick drink before dinner. Over the years, it’s been a great place for the family to get together and spend some QT over a nice meal.

Went to a Father’s Day brunch today with the entire family. The food was horrendous. Not one of our party of 10 enjoyed it. Some of the food bordered on inedible. Waste of 28 dollars per person.

3.5 stars for this old relic. I’ve been here may times growing up for school events, weddings, graduation parties and it’s always been average to me. The food can be hit or miss with some being dry or juicy, tasty or bland, etc. I recommend it for big events though if you’re in the area or around route 22 since it’s an easy access from the highway. The owners are pretty nice and helpful. There is plenty of parking out front and there are always other events going on on the weekends, especially in the summer so book ahead of time.
You can also just eat at the restaurant any day of the week and their prices are reasonable. I’ve had steak here and it was average, pretty good.
Overall, I’d come back for events but probably not having my wedding here.

I used to love this place. My parents got married here in the early 90s. Our high school had events here in the late 90s. We had the luncheon after my dad’s memorial service here in the early aughts. Now, though, I won’t go unless I have to.
First, the décor is extremely dated. It looks exactly the same as it did the first time I went there in 1992. Second, the food is… meh. Everything was just very bland. There were plentiful options at the buffet, but it all looked as tired as the décor. Taste-​wise, it wasn’t awful, just really bland and lifeless. Thirdly, the desserts at the buffet are clearly frozen and just taken out in hopes it will thaw before anyone eats it.
True story, we were there for an event and there were no longer any desserts at the buffet by the time we had all gotten our dinners. We asked if there was anything else they could bring out, so they put out a selection of mostly-​frozen brownies and cookies. The little bit of apple pie that was still out was frozen in the middle. The fruit salad tasted like it was on its last legs (not spoiled yet but it was starting to taste a bit sour). The only saving grace of the evening was the half priced drink selection during happy hour. That was if you could get a bartender’s attention to get a drink, anyway. I’m a fairly attractive young female — you’d think the bartender would notice the twenty I started waving in the air after waiting for 10 minutes to get served.
This used to be THE place for weddings and big events in the area. While many people still book events here because they offer really low prices, the name doesn’t have the lustre that it used to. There are other venues in the area that are more worthwhile.

Just got home from celebrating my mom’s 70^th here and my husband has locked himself in the bathroom. The food was pretty bland, but I think it was the cheesecake that set everyone off. Most of our party left feeling sick. Being that is valentine’s day they jacked up the price of the buffet, so we were anticipating some quality food. It left a lot to be desired. The set up was pretty inconvenient too. tables were cramped together and the buffet aisles were awkwardly small. We had a shortage of napkins and forks and plates became stacked waiting to be cleared. The staff was nice though, not their fault the food was bad.

Snuffy’s has been our go to place for large events for over 25 years, baptisms, sweet 16’s engagement parties, bridal showers, baby showers, EVERYTHING. My dad worked here when he first immigrated to the States and they have been wonderful to us, until recently. George and Nick the two brothers who own the place are great and respectful to their customers and the service was always reliable.
Recently, I had my sister’s bridal shower there and when I first booked the place, it was meant to be a small event. However, my father got sick and was no longer allowed to travel. Since the actual wedding is in Dallas, TX, we turned the Bridal Shower to a Wedding Shower to accommodate co-​ed guests and my father being there for this event.
I called weeks in advance and let them know the changes and it was approved. When I got there, the day of the event when all the guests were there, I was approached with a nasty attitude from a man named Tony (Nick’s son). He told me if I don’t pay $ 500 upfront, he would cancel my party and that it was only reserved for 2 hours instead of the 4 I reserved it for. He was very frustrated and frustrating to work with, like a child pouting and crying or a teenager arguing or a spoiled child who was always given things growing up and now thinks the world will treat him the same, (that’s most likely the case). Anyway, this was a charge I was unaware of that needed to be paid for having music at the event. As I respectfully tried to explain myself, he scolded, «I have no problem canceling this party but you will not have the party unless you give me $ 500!» Then he stormed off. Tony also did not believe this was a shower and asked for proof since he did not see any gifts. (The couple is from Dallas and gifts were sent directly to their home.) I have never been so disrespected my entire life. A different man came out and informed me about the charge. Long story short, we paid a fee just to get the party going but the party started ½ hour later and guests were getting restless.
When the bill came out, I was over charged per person $ 3 more. This made up for much more than the fee would have cost. The new management at Snuffy’s is rude and inconsiderate. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve dealt with rude people in the past in the food industry but their food was to die for. Snuffy’s does not have anything on local catering halls so I don’t understand the attitude. The food is very bland and prices are comparable to better quality in the area. The building is old and does not look like it has been updated for the 25 years we have been going there. It is not modern and the parking lot needs a lot of tlc. Needless to say, after 25 years of parties here, we will not be coming back due to the new management here, in specific, Tony.

My aunt had her 50^th birthday party here. The place is still decent. My first time here since 1996, back in the day when it was very popular. We all had a blast as we always do together. But the food sucked! I went and left the same way — hungry. Other than that, the room was beautiful.

Went here for a wedding and the food was terrible, very bland, no flavor what-​so ever, it tasted like school cafeteria food made in bulk. I was beyond surprised to see any positive reviews for the food and testimonials from couples saying that they got compliments on the food (I think people were just being nice). I don’t think I have had wedding food so bad.
On to the good:
The venue can accommodate an entire wedding from start to finish and has plenty of great vendors they recommend which makes planning a lot easier! The staff, service etc were all very very warm and helpful and the price, from what I have been told, is very competitive.
I noticed a few reviews said that it need updating but it’s supposed to have that old world feel to it. There is beautiful wood and stained glass throughout but I understand that doesn’t appeal to everyone.

A decent place for a special event, but nothing out of the ordinary.
I went to a friend’s graduation brunch here on a warm Sunday afternoon. Not much to say, really: harried waiters, bland and uninspired food in a not-​wholly-​uncomfortable setting. The dishes were served buffet style and some (a nice salad bar, a well-​made tilapia in red sauce) were clearly better than others (an inedibly tough and offal-​tasting roast beef), though thankfully none caused any illness. The desserts offered seemed to be a high-​point, in particular the vanilla-​coconut layer cake with lemon filling.

Pantagis Renaissance as I grew up knowing them as Snuffy’s in Scotch Plains is where I came to attend a luncheon after a funeral service. Greeks call it a (Makaria.)
I arrived to a very ornate and large atrium with a big staircase on one side and banquet rooms down the hall and off to my right. From the outside you would never know just how really big this place is.
Our group ended up in the ballroom on the 1^st floor. There were 230 of us.
Yes, I said 230 !
As we entered the ballroom we were immediately greeted by the Pantagis staff who welcomed us and gave each person over 21 a glass of Brandy aka (Metaxa.)
It was open seating with all the tables. There was a dish of kalamata olives, cubed feta cheese, stuffed grape leaves on every table to be passed family style. There were pitchers of water and coke, and diet coke and what else? A large bowl of lemons. Greeks love fresh lemons they put it in everything.
Hot delicious rolls were continually replenished on the table.
We started with a delicious bowl of Avgolemono soup. It was so rich and creamy, and it had soft rice in it with a fresh lemony taste. I could of kept just eating that and been happy! Then we were given a nice Greek salad of lettuce, olives, feta, red onions, tomatoes, cukes.
When we walked in we were given a choice of chicken franchise, grilled tilapia or grilled salmon. I chose the chicken franchise. It was two large chicken breast with a lemon butter sauce, with yellow and green string beans, cooked carrots, and red potatoes. My cousin got the grilled salmon it was a nice piece and cooked perfectly.
If that wasn’t enough, we were all given vanilla ice cream b/​c it was a favorite of the person who passed, and Greek cookies similar to biscotti called (Paxamadia.) Whoever made these, they were outrageous! Everywhere I looked people were dipping them in coffee or crumbling them on their ice cream! Very addictive !
The staff couldn’t have been nicer or more attentive! They were constantly refilling water glasses, refilling hot coffee. Replacing clean silverware. Snuffy’s also has plenty of free parking.
They really made this sad affair a little more special.