The Arnold House

My husband and I had our wedding here this June and the team at The Arnold House was so amazing to work with throughout the process. I truly do not think we would have had as great of a weekend if we had done it anywhere else. Everything felt very personally cared for, they approach everything with a 'yes' attitude, and in general they were so hospitable and communicative that we never felt nervous about their ability to execute the wedding weekend. As a venue itself there are a myriad of options to choose from for hosting all the different parts of a full wedding weekend, and we never needed to repeat using a location over the course of the 7 different scheduled events (rehearsal dinner, welcome drinks, ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, after party, farewell brunch). It was great being able to host the majority of our guests on-site as well, and minimized the amount of coordination we needed to plan in advance for off-site guests, like hotel blocks and transportation.

We had the most incredible week-long stay at Arnold House! We're a group of artists, and we so enjoyed the beauty and inspiration of the surroundings, the delicious food, and the outstanding hospitality. Will and his team (John, Viry, Phil, Brittany, Francesca, and many more!) were so open to ideas and feedback to make our stay special. Danielle and Emily on the events side got everything set up for us in advance and I always felt we were in good hands. Looking forward to return trips!

The Arnold House exceeded all of our expectations! They were extremely friendly and hospitable and went above and beyond to make sure our weekend (girls trip of 10) was fantastic. Planning was easy and executive was, again, beyond expectations. Will was extremely helpful, but everyone we met (bartenders, yoga instructor, etc.) was very friendly and helpful. Live music on Saturday night was great! The Arnold House is a gem! Thanks again!!!! If you are planning an event, the Arnold House will help you create exactly what you are envisioning.

Highly recommend Arnold House! It's such a lovely hotel with the kindest staff and coziest interior. We enjoyed hanging out in the tavern, playing pool and music on the jukebox. The rooms are very comfortable and while we weren't able to enjoy the pool yet, it looks like it'll be such a nice spot to hang out in the summer. Our pup had a great time too :)

We came up for one night to relax with our pup.It was a perfect place for that. The property is really pretty. We enjoyed the trails. The tavern was delicious and made a great cocktail. The staff was top notch! We will be back!

We loved ending the day with s’mores by the fire! My partner and I came to the Catskills to explore some local trout towns and attend a concert, the Arnold House was the perfect home base for us in our adventure. The staff was incredibly friendly (looking at you Will, Lori, and John) which added to the comfort and home away from home feeling.

Truly an incredible stay and a gem in the Catskills. The staff were so attentive to our needs and helped plan an incredible bachelorette event. The on-site activities, food, drinks, and service were beyond what we expected and I highly recommend for anyone who is planning a group retreat or event. Will was so accommodating and helped with any changes we needed during our stay. A must stay and unique experience!

I don’t eat out very often but I stopped by the Arnold house last weekend and the food was amazing. The fig flat bread was delicious! John at the front desk was helpful and friendly. I even met with Chef Britt she was super friendly and funny! She recommended the shiracha honey wings and they did not disappoint!

An odd experience for our large party with a handful of children. The management and service seemed bothered by our presence, and we opted for outdoor seating (this was in July). The chairs outside are painful to sit in, and the sun was beating down on half of us due to poor umbrella placement. We didn't get a few of our ordered drinks and menu items after ordering, and my husband received the wrong entree. It took so long to get our food at that point that we didn't even bother to send it back to get it right. Our server just seemed to be in her own world, unenthusiastic, no smiles, eye contact or personality. I guess we should expect any better since we're not in a very populated area...

We had a nice stay at the Arnold House. It's got a fun vibe and they go all in on it with the decor, the common areas, the amenities. Our room wasn't fancy or high end and it was small but it was thoughtfully designed and the bed was comfortable. The bathroom is a small / dark. We didn't have our dog with us but liked that it was dog friendly. We also liked the tavern - it's a cozy place to hang out and the menu has plenty to choose from. Two areas for improvement. The lighting in the bathroom was pretty horrible - it was incredibly dark. Also - Our room was right over the kitchen and it was very loud late into the night while the kitchen was wrapping service for the evening. Then in the morning some huge truck idled outside our room window for at least 30'mins and it was incredibly loud. Hard to fall asleep and then no sleeping in! For a place that's so isolated it was somewhat comical how much noise we were contending with. Overall, we'd stay again and ask for a different room not over the kitchen. We thought it was a comfortable, cozy place.

I'm torn between giving this place 1 or 2 stars. The food is way overpriced. The Spinach Artichoke dip with naan bread was bland and definitely not worth the $14 price tag. I ordered a $19 Fried Chicken sandwich, and it was a major disappointment. The bacon was undercooked, and the chicken was as tough as leather. I ended up removing the bacon, but even then, I couldn't finish the meal. My wife ordered The Fungi Burger, which turned out to be a $19 bean dip masquerading as a burger. She couldn't finish hers either because the taste was just terrible. The only redeeming factor was the host, who was kind and attentive.

It's fine. Nothing to write home about. Serviceable new American food in a slightly nicer setting than most places upstate. Honestly this place is kinda played out.

A really cute spot upstate New York. I thought the interior decor was great - very retro, but cosy feel to it. I must say, the food was a little disappointing. My clam chowder was too salty to finish. The staff were nice though!

My pita was burnt The Indian appetizer was cold The bacon was too tough to eat The food did not come out together I've eaten here many times I must say I'm more and more disappointed with each visit

There is something beautiful about upstate. And it's beauty is only enhanced in the changing of the summer to fall season. And what better way to celebrate the turning of the seasons but to splurge and treat yourself to a decadent meal at the Arnold House with a good friend. My friend drove on a winding road and as we passed the Halloween decorations and country life, we arrived to this large house that is The Arnold House restaurant. We were able to snag a table on the outside deck. The two tables next to us were busting at the seams. The hostess had sat us next to the second table covered in children of the parents from the other table. My friend and I perused the fresh, seasonal and local menu. Everything jumped out of the menu. I love a restaurant that makes me feel torn between dishes. And makes me happy to know that everything on the list will be the best version of itself. Looking over the cocktails, I was immediately pulled into the pickled leek gin martini. It literally has my name all over it. Something about a refreshing herbaceous drink with a tart, sour topping that I couldn't resist. And let me tell you. It lived up to the expectation. The shaker came over, the chilled martini glass was set in front of me. Our waitress, Vanessa was an absolute doll, while I nerded out and made a little short video of her pouring the drink into to the glass. Felt nice, to escape and enjoy this moment. For dinner, I picked the fresh tuna salad. It was light and refreshing. In addition to the tuna there is also roasted red peppers, cucumbers, wonton strips and a soy-ginger dressing on a bed arugula. Just what I wanted for the relaxing weekend getaway in the Catskills. My friend and I could not help but order some apple pie (the last slice, the kiddos and parents did a swoop of the desserts) and some pumpkin cheesecake. We ate these at home and they were the best flavors of fall. The Arnold House was a treat from start to finish. The inside of the restaurant looks like some sort of ski lodge where people get married at. It is a stunning place. The wait staff was incredibly friendly, especially Vanessa. And the atmosphere was breathtaking as the sun went down. Surprisingly the inside dining was already available here. I would gladly add this place to my must see's in the area.

Great food and drinks - a few different spots to enjoy including the indoor space and outdoor patio.

Came for outdoor dining towards the end of September. It was raining, but we got takeout and ate in the barn, which was cool. Loved the strawberry jalapeño margarita and Catskill sour cocktails. Burger was also amazing, as was the sweet potato cheesecake. Pork chop was also decent, but the burger was the winner. 4.5 stars.

the service at the Arnold is always good but the food.... recently they change chef and menu. it is pretty sad we come here weekly and there is NOTHING exciting about the menu plus last week a medium rare burger was extremely over cooked and the pats' nachos were soggy we have given feedback to the staff but no change.... hopefully with this review.....

This place was so, so good! I ordered the branzino and it was very flavorful. BUT the chicken (that I also tried) was so tender and juicy. I would definitely order the chicken next time I came here. This spot is set up similar to a ski lodge. Parking is around back and I was seated in the lower area. The restaurant was pretty full but there was no wait. There were also plenty of bar spots available. There was also a pool table off to the side where people were playing, as well. I loved the ambiance here! It was such a cool spot. I'm glad I came here. I would definitely come back here!

Wow! I don't know which I enjoyed more: the view, the food, or the entire ambiance of The Arnold House. I should have brought extra home with me just to relive the experience. One of the best smoked wings I have ever had. The have options on their menu that brilliantly tie directly into the experience itself. My party and I came on a slower afternoon, so I can't speak for when it is busy. However, from my experience I can confidently give 5 stars.

***A strong 4. I felt at home here. The music was on point, food was on point and service was on point. If I lived in the area I'd frequent this spot regularly.

have been coming to Arnold house since it opened, but have become more and more disappointed. Went recently for dinner and even though we were one of 2 tables, the service was terrible. both our meals came out ice cold, and the salmon was raw and cold in the middle. I love this place and the space is beautiful, so I hope they get it back in order

We stopped by here for brunch at the tavern and absolutely loved the drinks and food. The place had the perfect winter vibes with a fire burning in the corner, cute and cozy. We got the smoked trout dip, the eggs Benedict and eggs in a basket for brunch. Would definitely recommend this place for your visit around the Livingston Manor area!

After a very long day & frustrating day, we found this place by chance. The food was excellent and the service was even better

Food is mediocre, but elegantly served. Service is attentive. Ambiance is charming, we love to go there.

We had a nice long weekend stay at The Arnold House. We loved the decor and cozy feel of the room and common area. We enjoyed the bar and restaurant on our first night. Justin was very accommodating in our booking and check in process. All of the staff were very pleasant. We had the opportunity to participate in the greenhouse tour/activity session with Scott and Simon which was excellent! They do an outstanding job maintaining the greenhouse which is a key feature of the property. We also participated in yoga with Leanna which was very relaxing and a nice addition to the experience. Only a few critiques including; the main light fixture was not working in our room and we quickly ran out of toilet paper, tissues, body wash and clean towels. It would be nice to have cleaning service for extended stays to freshen up the room and restock for guests. In addition, the heat is regulated and at times, the room was very hot and stuffy. The Tavern was closed due to a pump/drainage issue which was a bit disappointing, but we understand that these things are unpredictable! Overall, a wonderful stay. Thank you.

Excellent appetizers! The Mac and cheese bites, the spinach salad, the tater tots and the spinach dip were all very good. My Impossible burger was very good although it needed way more sauce than what came with it, since it was on the dry side overall. The Catskills Sour was tasty. Very friendly service too.

Been here many times. Pros: * Reliable menu with meat, fish and veggie options * Pretty good food * Open daily * Decent/rustic dining setting with nice outdoorsy areas (the greenhouse is by far their best asset) * Decent cocktails Cons: * Menu rarely changes (specials are rare) * Food doesn't always taste as fresh as it should * They cannot/do not identify their meat or poultry providers (even when asked), which is sketchy * Service isn't particularly friendly * They tend to get grumpy when approach closing time (staff is understandably eager to get home, but it's a bit much). * Cocktail options are limited. Will change review if improvements occur.

Went for trivia night with some friends. We do this sometimes, but this was our first night going to this place ever. Total of 5 teams about 30 people total in the place, not all there for trivia. Oh and the kitchen was closed for renovations so we only got "bar food" to eat. First we order drink. They took for ever. The DJ for trivia informs us there will be a $5 charge for trivia and to pay the wait staff when the come to our tables. Our waitress come and I go to pay and she informs me it's added to our bill already. She never asked us if we where there for trivia, just assumed and charged us. It wasn't posted about the charge and even the DJ didn't know about it We ordered. Food was okay, but nothing to write home about. When the bill comes it show $5.40 for trivia not $5 as w where told. Asked waitress and she said that the tax!!!! TAX FOR WHAT??!! I give her $60 cash & 2/$10 gift card. Total for bill was $73.44. She brings me back $6, it wasn't till I got home that I realized two important things. 1. The charged us the tax twice for trivia night & she didn't give me all my change back. $80 - $73.44 = $6.56. I got $6 back. Now normally it wouldn't bother me, but what if this is happening to everyone. That bit of change adds up over time!! Beware and double check your bill if paying in cash!! Never going back to ang of their

Went with friends to the restaurant and boy we were fooled by the reviews. I had a whisky sour as a cocktail which was just terrible, absolutely no attention to detail in the drink . We ordered a potato soup which was the soup of the day and it was never delivered. I had the Arnold burger which was just at best average. My friend had a vegan pasta. I understand that the vegan pasta sauce is supposed to be more olive oil. But there was enough olive oil in there to shallow fry chicken in it. Will never recommend it to anyone.

We found this gem after a day of hiking. It was night but it looks beautiful. We had dinner at the tavern, inside. The service was excellent, and the food amazing. The spinach dip and the arugula salad with fried chicken were excellent. It was the best meal I had in the area. I will come back for sure!!!!

This beautiful, quaint spot was found because we were staying ( unfortunately) at Villa Roma. So glad we drove here to enjoy a great dinner! Staff was wonderful & so friendly. The grounds are beautiful. The homemade pasta was great & the burger was delicious, kids loved the chicken tenders . Attention to detail and sanitary conditions are great! They cleaned the tables with new products- not the unclean reused rags. All staff work masks and there was a lot of regulars coming in for takeout. They ambiance was very warm and inviting. We will be back! Great place!!

Service was extremely slow, menu choice were minimal and portions were small especially for the price. Not going back.

First off: THE TATER TOT NACHOS. Incredible. Now that that's out of the way, my family and I have been coming here for dinner every so often since this place opened, and we're very pleased! Great cocktails, great ambiance, expanded seating upstairs in busy times, and a can't-miss menu.

The trout entree was incredible. And they had a selection of great local beer. The peach pie with ice cream was delicious! The pie had the most flaky, buttery crust, with just a touch of savory flavor to balance the sweet peaches. Amazing food.

An unexpected treat on our way home from NYC. The food was exceptional and the greenhouse soothing and gorgeous. We walked to the pond with our pups and brought dinner into the greenhouse. Next time it will be a treat to stay over

I must say. We had an awful experience here. I was there for dinner and comedy with A few friends the food was practically inedible. We frequent their sister location at the Debruce. Shocked all of us that the 2 places were run by the same group. It was just bad. The waitress was horrible. Terrible attitude. The food was really not good. Menu was so limited and the things on the menu were so bizarre and not interesting. It's very disappointingto see. The bathroom upstairs needs a real Reno. It's a stretch to say it's vintage. More like we ran out of funds and attempted to make it feel vintage. This place falls horribly short of a place I would visit again. Get your act together Arnold House. Please. We would love to come here all the time. With the way the dinner was last night. We just can't.

Real good food! Beautiful location and views. I didn't realize the this place had an upstairs until my last visit here. The menu has a nice selection but it's a little pricier than it should be. The service was a bit slow a few times that i've come and i'm hopeful each time that they step it up a bit but nothing that will keep me from trying it again.

We stayed at their sister property, Nine River Road, and came here one night for dinner. The food was amazing. We had the grilled squid and the burgers. Both were fantastic. The drinks are also reasonably priced. Our server was very kind and helpful. It's a beautiful property and dog friendly! Looking forward to our next visit!

While my family and I were visiting the Western Catskills we had lunch here on a Saturday. The food was ok, but nothing special. Service ok too. The surrounding grounds are picturesque. Trout dip with crackers was pretty salty. Soup of the day ok. Buffalo wings alright.

(Summary if you don't want to read through: YUM but meh service.) Okay, details. Came here for a dinner date while in town for a weekend getaway. First of all, the set up is very cool: there's a downstairs seating area that's kind of tavern-y, an upstairs seating area that's very spacious and makes you feel like you're in somebody's fancy dining room, an outdoor seating deck, AND a barn type deal where they have a live band and a bar. All very nice and cool. The food was really great: the asparagus and corn sides are delicious, the burger was definitely on point (get it with cheddar), and the steak frites came with this intense bbq sauce. All good. Now, my issue and why this isn't a 5-star review: we had to wait FOREVER. First round of drinks and apps came pretty fast. And then..... nothing. We had to wait a good 25 minutes before our entrees came out (while watching the table next to us that had more people get all of their food first). During these 25 minutes, nobody came over to us or asked if we need our drinks refreshed (which we did.) The waitress said the kitchen was swamped, and yes I get that it was a Friday, but still. There was no acknowledgement or apology until after I passive-aggressively asked, "what took so long?" They did then comp us 2 drinks, but only because I not-very-discreetly said, "so what can you do for us for making us wait so long?" In any case, I would come back because the food was quite good, but hopefully they get their kitchen efficiency checked out.

Just ate outdoors here and except for the uninvited flies it was a perfect meal. Great service. Great cocktails. Great kids menu. And the best trout I think I've ever tasted. Everything was cooked and flavored to perfection. Highly recommended.

I have been here a few times and everything was excellent. However, this time was an epic failure , something has changed! We waited 45 minutes for our trout dip appetizer and onion soup that was cold and the tout dip has decreased in size significantly. Our entrees were trout and gnocchi which both arrived cold . The trout entre was $29 without a starch or vegetable and my tomatoes in the pasta were cold. We returned all our food for reheating. This has never happened before and the grounds are beautiful! They comped our drinks but left hungry and frustrated. I will be awhile before we go back.

I have come to this place several times over the past year and when I tell you I was really wishing this place would get their act together! However no such luck! As I sit here waiting as my food gets cold ($17.00 fish and chips) (for now 10 minutes)for an extra side of tarter sauce ( if you can call it that) I am truly sad. This place has such potential yet it lacks all around! My partner ordered a cheeseburger which came with the most pathetic side of lettuce, tomato and onion. To top it off the bun fell apart due to it being dry and stale! The prices are to high for what they consider food! If you are looking to get a great or 1/2 decent meal with in a timely manner, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE!!

If I could give 0 stars, I would. We called as we were a large group of 15, they said they didn't take reservations, but that it wouldn't be a problem and they would be able to accommodate us. When we walked in, we weren't greeted and after standing around for a few minutes, we approached the bartender and asked if we could be seated. She said, "well, we don't have enough space for 15 people, but you can all sit as separate tables". When we asked if we could move the tables together (because we saw a party of 12 had done just that) we were told with an attitude, "no, we can't do that". After saying we'd just sit separately, because we were hungry and frustrated we decided to do that. We sat down for probably 25 minutes. In those 25 minutes, not a single person approached us to HAND US A MENU or even ask for a drink order. Now, with COVID, I fully understand being short staffed and service taking longer than usual, but to blatantly stare at our tables, and not even come over to bring us waters and say, "hey, sorry we're just really busy but we'll be with you in a minute". We felt uncomfortable and unwelcome. At this point, we were debating just riding it out, or getting up and leaving because why would you want to give a business money who treats people this way? So, we decided to get up and leave. As we got up and began to walk out the door, the rude bartender with blonde hair just glared at all of us on the way out, not saying a single thing, and before some of us were even out of our chairs, someone was coming over and wiping the tables down!!! How on earth did you not have a minute to bring some menus over, but we're quick to not even let all of us out of our chairs before wiping it down? As unfortunate as it is, I can't even rate them on their food or beverages because they made it clear from the jump they didn't want any part of serving us. I've never felt more disrespected, or unwelcome walking into a business in my life. It was by far the worst experience I've ever had in a restaurant.

I ordered the fish and chips just a few nights ago for take out. Let me just say, this is BY FAR the best fish and chips I have ever had in the US. The only comparable fish and chips I have had has been in Aruba made with fish caught that morning..... This fish was delicious and the batter was crunchy, crispy and perfect. The fries were also crispy with the perfect amount of salt. You could tell the tarter sauce was homemade too. Totally in love. Thanks guys!!

Wonderful, beautiful place in the Catskills with so many fresh foods. Amazing delicious trout, lamb chops and salads. Everything is so fresh and wonderful!

Cute room setup, dog friendly, but with awful sound insulation, which would be fine considering this is an old house but very inconvenient if you rented your little city getaway during a wedding reception (on Saturday) and on Sunday, although no guest was in the dining room, music was being played loudly until 2am. White noise machines that they placed outside the rooms could be an helpful touch if this hotel was in the middle of NYC, but it is really not what I was expecting when I booked a vacation in the middle of the Catskills. Mediocre food at the Tavern, but good service. Terrible breakfast for a 250$ nightly/rate. Really an incredible disappointment. Yes, beautiful setting in the lounge area, really nice staff and beautiful outside area. Overall not worth the price.

Hidden gem for us near the Catskills. Food was a nice change to the usual spots we eat at during our yearly trip upstate. Cozy, woodsy vibe that served up good eats and even better hospitality

Fantastic ambiance and service. Food preparation was good but we thought the menu options could be improved. I know it's listed as a gastropub but it doesn't look or feel like one. We will try again and see if there are any menu changes.

DO NOT STAY at the Arnold House's Lake House! Based on the reviews, I was incredibly excited to spend my 50th birthday week at the Lake House property, which is managed by the Arnold House and is about 1.5 miles down the road sitting on a lake. The descriptions described a secluded, remote, and modern cabin experience. Unfortunately, none of my expectations were met, and the property and facilities are incredibly run down. I am including a detailed summary of the experience along with pictures so that others do not make this mistake. We only stayed one night and left. We booked a week stay at over 300/night. The total expense would have been in excess of $3000 for the week. They did, however, only charge us for one night and did not make us pay for the entire week. The one night was close to $450. Based on the experience, we should not have paid more than $100. We were told the manager would call us to remedy the high price once she arrived but we never received a call from the hotel management after leaving. The experience... Upon check in, the main hotel seemed fine, though a bit worn out. Was a sign that they do not put a great deal of money back into their property for upkeep often. Water stains, cracked paint, etc. When getting to the lake house, we noticed that there was one drive way accommodating three other very close lake houses. The drive way is short and does not include paths for walking or hiking. In fact, there is a sign to stay off the other properties. Cars were lined up down the drive way for the guests of the other lake houses. Very little privacy and certainly not secluded. As we looked at the lake house, we immediately noticed variations of colors of brown paint on the house to patch up old spots, rotted wood structure. However, looks like it has a fairly new roof. It is a very old cabin. Very little upkeep. Let me list a number of disappointments: 1) There were mice droppings everywhere, including all the kitchen drawers. 2) Cobwebs, spiderwebs on all of the windows 3) Dead flowers on the dining room table (did not even bother to replace from previous guests) 4) Very badly stained couch and old "hodge podge" garage sale scratched up furniture 5) Heavily rusted appliances 6) Cracked paint on all interior molding and cabinetry 7) Water stains on many ceilings 8) Back patio columns not secure It was one of the worst accommodations that I have ever stayed - and they wanted me to pay more than some of the best I have ever stayed. The only positive was the view of the lake out back. I hope that others do not make the same mistake we did by booking this lake house. Management should cut the prices of this space at least by half and target a different traveler - maybe rough cabin fishing experience.

Me and my boyfriend came here on our way home from Watkins Glenn on a Sunday evening. The place is cute. The service is slow but our waitress was friendly. The food was good, not great. I ordered the chicken sandwich, which was good. It was a very small piece of chicken, but it was juicy. It was fried in a tasteless batter, definitely could have used some seasoning. However, because it was served on a bun with homemade pickles and a delicious sauce, that made up for it and added some flavor. My boyfriend ordered the po boy. I had a bite, it was tasty but again a very small portion of chicken. I wasn't sure whether to give three or four stars, But decided on 4 because I think if you came on a Saturday it would be much better. They have a cool barn outside with seating that I think would be a really cool place to hang out. The upstairs also looked intriguing.

Yummmmmmmm almost about anything on the menu is yummmmmmm My third time here and I felt compelled to share my thoughts

Visited on a Saturday afternoon for a late brunch. Grounds were busy as they were getting ready for a wedding in the barn in back. Sat down in the tavern and were immediately greeted by the bartender Peter. Ordered wonderful proseco gin and elderflower drinks. Had the soup of the day which was a fantastic asparagus. We both ordered the fish and chips which were perfect. Served with perfectly prepared fries and fresh hot fish. Trusted Peters recommendation of having the chocolate cake for desert and were not disappointed! Even with the staff getting ready for the wedding the service was attentive and spot on! We will be back for sure!!!!

Amazing restaurant in an excellent location. We went on a freezing February night and the fire was roaring. The wings were amazing, the portions were great and the service was excellent. Highly recommend you stop here!

Very disappointing evening at the Arnold House last night. First of all, they were out of pork chops, NY strip, cheese three way, salmon, and practically everything else. Our only option was burgers, ravioli, and fried chicken. I chose the Ravioli in brown butter sauce. It was dried ravioli all stuck together sitting in a plate of melted butter. My wife ordered the fried chicken. The waitress said it was a sandwich, and my wife opted to have it without bread. It looked like a piece of chicken from a fast food restaurant with a piece of melted cheese on top. I have had good meals here before, but was extremely disappointed last night. It also appears the owners do not care about bad reviews as they never reply offering their apologies or attempting to make things right.

Quick review: Keep driving. This is hit-or-miss overpriced food (when it didn't run out or even show up), served barely above room temperature in a chaotic, near-comically poorly run pub setting. In what may be one of our family's worst dining experiences ever, we made the terrible mistake of ignoring multiple warning signs that things weren't right at Arnold's. The waitstaff seemed to be short handed, and with no visible bartender, runner or busboys to help in the medium-sized not overly busy space. With multiple parties waiting, tables sat uncleared, while others that had been set up weren't promptly seated. Food from the kitchen sat for extended periods without being served, while servers and hostesses ran around frantically. The faces of diners who had been sat showed a range of emotions from bewilderment to exasperation to frustration and anger. Our party (two families, seven total) was large enough to occupy two tables, which they kindly accommodated after a half hour wait and sat us adjacent to each other. The disparity in service between the two tables - mine with the adults, the other with teens - was remarkable. Bad and really bad is how I would summarize it. After seeing some of the chaos, and noting that we were the first party of a new wave of diners, we promptly gave the server our entire order. Our kids were hungry so we thought getting in orders for appetizers quickly would work to everyone's favor. It's unclear if that was a smart move or not, since our server basically ignored us for the next 45 minutes as we waited for our food. She stopped - slowed, actually - to express regret at one point, but even that couldn't make up for the rolling disaster that was still to come. After a half hour, I finally managed to get someone who I think was an employee to get water for our table. I observed another server across the room ask another table if the glass of wine that had been sitting unattended was theirs - they said no, but then she shrugged and gave it to them and they all laughed. I figured that was the glass I had ordered. Our server came out to apologize and announce that the restaurant had run out of fries, reducing the potential of two orders of fish and chips by half. Fifteen minutes later the food for the kids table arrived suddenly and all at once. With this came the additional news that the pizza my daughter had ordered was not going to arrive. They were out of that as well, and for some reason only just noticed. She asked for a veggie burger. Only one of the the three appetizers ordered showed up. For our table, our mains arrived, just above room temperature. I waited in vain for my salad while I ate my pork chop, which was small but decent. My wife's trout was very good but the portion was tiny, while my friend's steak was unremarkable. I was still waiting for my glass of wine. The kids said the fish portion of their now fish-and-salad orders was still partly frozen, and the only appetizer to make an appearance was the calamari, which they said was tiny and "disgusting". A third order was "good", while they waited for the last (substitute) item, the veggie burger. While we ate, we couldn't help but notice tables around us that had been seated after us being served before us, and with items we had ordered but which never materialized on our tables. In contrast, a couple who sat for an eternity finally got their food, but had to have it boxed to go. After finishing our food, we flagged down our server to ask where my daughter's main was. I asked after my wine and was promptly delivered a glass with an apology. I said I could assume my salad was never going to appear and the server looked mortified and we cancelled it. My daughter's black bean burger arrived, which was mediocre. We asked for the check, not even contemplating dessert. Without comment, we were only charged for our mains, with the (one of four actually delivered) appetizers and two drinks comp'd.