Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant & Inn

I have rarely experienced such poor service at a restaurant, and certainly not at one that charged the prices this one does. Went for Father’s Day buffet brunch. We were never offered the menu, so we didn’t know what was on the buffet and we were also never offered the a la carte desserts.
We specifically asked for a wine list after the waiter offered us wines by the glass by type rather than by name. Although it was obvious my dad was carefully choosing his wine and that he appreciates wine, he was brought a stemless glass of expensive pinot noir. We had to ask for a stemmed glass, into which the waiter poured the by now too hot red wine from the stemless glass, rather than getting a new glass of wine served at the proper temperature.
Later, when I asked for the bill, our waiter answered «Sure, babes.»
The food was okay but really overpriced for the quality that you receive. And when you have a reservation later in the brunch service, as we did, the buffet runs out of some dishes, so you are not getting the selection you paid for. All in all, very disappointing. As much as we’d like to sample the famous wine list, we’ll probably pass after this experience.

Seated promptly as was drink order and service. Appetizer portion of pasta was very good. Fish entrée was seasoned and presented well, but the fish was a little dry
Reasonably priced and ambiance was good and dining room was quiet allowing for easy conversation/​
This restaurant was at one time «special» but has lost it’s lustre

I have been wanting to try this place for years and we finally came for brunch yesterday and were very disappointed, especially for the reputation it is supposed to have.
The setting was beautiful. That’s the main thing that it has going for it.
The biggest thing that detracted from the experience was the buffet line flow. The fact that you have to go through the whole line — which can take 20 minutes! — to get anything from the buffet is completely inefficient and somewhat frustrating. The servers at the end of the buffet table (hot dishes) were standing around most of the time while the beginning of the line was jammed. They need to set up the buffet in the main room where there is more space and people can go from station to station freely. Losing a few tables for a happier customer experience is worth it in the long run. The dining tables were too close to each other as it is.
The food itself was not bad but not great. The quality was average to above average (except for the brownie, which was hard as a rock) but there wasn’t much innovation. The salmon with seaweed was the most interesting dish there.
20% gratuity automatically added, not even for a large party, is also not cool.

My best friend got married here this past weekend and must say it was a great day. We stayed at the Kittle House Inn during the weekend for the wedding and must say the staff was absolutely amazing with helping us with all that we needed.
Lets start with the rooms: they were all absolutely adorable and unique. Each room had their own personality and it they were all spacey. I stayed the first night with my friend in her «bridal suite» and must say that the bed was comfortable and super relaxing. While we went out to get our hair and make up done we had requested to get the bridal suite cleaned up and ready for pictures when we got back. They were so helpful and didn’t hesitate.
When it came down to the wedding the food was absolutely fantastic. The cocktail hour had tons of food and the signature drink was floating. There wasn’t a moment that you didn’t turn around and someone wasn’t offering you a drink or a bite to eat. Once we walked into the venue the room was tight but worked fine. My friend did have a 200 person reception so they worked magic in that room.
Dinner was fantastic and everything came out in such a great timely fashion. We had time to dance, drink and have fun in between all the meats. They offered a ice cream bar which had all the fixings and a s’mores bar. The outside bars worked well since they had heat lamps and a fire pit going. One station was for all the cocktails and the other for just wine and beer. Well played on the venues perspective I thought.
Overall, it was a great night the only hiccup was that the ladies bathroom stall was having issues and guest were plunging the toilet themselves. Wasn’t the worst thing but it definitely didn’t help the ladies bathroom line. The venue was beautifully decorated, wait staff was amazing, and wonderful time. High recommend this venue.

Came here with a huge group (15) and was disappointed. After much hype about this place, I was expecting a great experience, and this was not the case. Maybe it was an off day for their staff, which I truly understand that everyone is entitled to an off day, but they were not on their game at all.
I arrived with 3 others about half an hour before our reservation and told our hostess we wanted to have some cocktails at the bar before our party arrived. We ordered a couple of old fashions with our bartender who was very personable and attentive. She was working alone and mixing drinks for tables but took care of us right away. Unfortunately she served us the wrong drink (manhattans instead of O.F.), but we drank them anyway since we didn’t want to make a fuss and our party was arriving. We paid our tab and waited for the rest of our party to arrive.
After being there for 30 mins we STILL had to wait for our table to be set up. Once we were seated we had the buffet style brunch, which was subpar at best. They seemed to be short staffed as the waiters seemed to be overwhelmed taking our drink orders and cleaning up. They quickly ran out of a lot of the food offered. After a disappointing meal when the bill came we were charged for the first round of drinks we already paid for at the bar. Huge pain, especially with a big party and people trying to figure out where the hell these extra drinks came from.
With so many other great places to eat in NY I doubt we will be back here. Hopefully the staff gets it together since this place has the potential to be a great place.

My girlfriend took me here for my birthday last night, and it was an experience I’ll remember for a long time. Not only was this place beautiful, massive, and «rustic» (corny term, but it applies), but the service, food, and wine were top notch. The «piano man», Jon Cobert, was very talented, and he even sang for my birthday! Among the highlights of our meal were the rock shrimp tempura as an appetizer, the burger and steak sandwich (both on pretzel buns), and their amazing desserts, which included their signature «Kittle Krack» pie (gooey goodness, but a tad too sweet) and pecan pie, which was comped from our bill as a birthday treat. The menu is huge, not including nightly specials, so this fact alone is a good enough reason to return.
I was always under the impression that this place was really expensive, but it is not… unless you’re planning on having more than one bottle of their literally thousands of wines to choose from. I will be back again soon, and not necessarily just for a special occasion. Loved it.

What a wonderful dinner for my husband’s birthday tonight! I’m telling you that the pri-​fixe menu during the week can’t be beat! The absolute very best food for a sensational price. Service is perfect, drinks are perfect! I don’t know what more I can say!
Thank you for a wonderful meal!

My family and I decided to try the Kittle House for Easter. What a great decision! Everything was perfect! The wonderful welcome, the wonderful food and a lovely table! We can’t wait to go back!

Restaurant week at the Kittle. The dining room is lovely and not too noisy. The service was cordial but somewhat distracted. The food was a disappointment. The risotto was undercooked. The duck confit was very nice but lacked seasoning. The lentils were a boring choice as the duck needed something sweet or acid to balance it. The accompanying greens were sandy, as they had not been washed enough. The chocolate desert was quite good. There menu was pretty similar last year. Their bread is unbelievable and the best thing on the menu. It had walnuts and cranberries in it, and the butter was very fresh. I could have skipped the whole dinner and eaten bread and butter and coffee.
The food was a two, but the atmosphere is a four, thus the three rating.
If the disappointing food was not bad enough, a local couple, (Master of the Universe type with sophisticated wife) kept the cell phone right on the table and received a few calls. What’s up with that?
When restaurants have bad meals during Restaurant Week, there is little incentive to go back and try their regular menu.

Last night my wife and I were able to sneak out for a date and Crabtree Kittle House has been on our short list to check out. We tried the price fixe menu and got a Big Bang for our buck. For apps we shared the lobster bisque & cavatelli dish… both very fresh and light. For our entrees, we shared the organic chicken and slow roasted lamb shank… Wow. Both meals were fantastic but the lamb was out of this world tender and flavorful. The chocolate terrine and gelato trio ended our dinner perfectly. Service was impeccable. Cocktails, craft beers and wine selection was on point.
On our way out, we met Michael the GM and he couldn’t have been more welcoming. He took us down to the massive wine cellar and shared the history of their collection, showed us their hosting rooms for events and even took us upstairs to check out their rooms they book in the evenings… We had no clue! Afterwards, we decided to stay and listen to the live music being played in the bar which is there every Wednesday night. Their booking was really great and the cavernous atmosphere of the bar was really cozy. Michael even came back to offer us a taste of his favorite Bourbon and tell us more about Jay Lippin, their award winning Chef.
If your in your 30’s, you’re going to be surprised at this place. The bar atmosphere is really cool, reminds me of some of our old haunts when we lived in Manhattan and Philly. We had, hands down, the best Irish coffee we’ve ever tried. It’s layered in a wine glass and topped with a chocolate Irish cream mousse that was insanely good.
I’d highly recommend this restaurant and it sounds like they are picking up the pace with live music, comedy, craft beer and wine tastings. We’ll be back for sure.

Awesome experience here. Took our out of town friends for our first trip to Crabtree… perfect food and perfect service. Wines were fantastic and reasonably priced. The appetizer special (pasta with braised short rib) was one of the best dishes I’ve had in recent memory. The ny strip was cooked perfectly. Pacing and attention were top notch. Overall, a well deserved 5 star rating. Mike the Maitre D is the man… make sure to ask him for recommendations and try to grab him for a tour of their astounding wine cellar before you leave.

Truly a WONDERFUL experience! From the outside white house façade to the inside, the restaurant/​bar/​inn has old world charm that cannot be replicated.
–The Kittle house provided a very warm relaxing and well timed meal experience from the lovely welcoming hostess to the decadent «signature» irish coffee at the end.
–Food was beyond outstanding! The «meat» of the experience. The bone-​in lamb shank was dripping with fall off the bone meat.
–The service was attentive but not hovering… vastly different from the hustle and bustle of NYC where service is often rushed in a crammed space.
–Warm chocolate «gift» is NOT to be missed for dessert. Liquid chocolate cascades out when the fork splits the flaky pastry shell, UNREAL!
The Kittle House is such a diamond in the rough outside the city (and ended up costing less than many Manhattan restaurants too). Never once did we feel pressure to get the check or finish our courses (common occurrence in NYC) but instead were allowed to leisurely enjoy each perfectly timed course. The manager and owner even greeted us and made us feel completely at home. After our meal we just had to go to the bar area to have a night cap and see the elegant barn-​like atmosphere with live music. All in all we were completely impressed with the professionalism that the restaurant and its casual fine dining provided by every staff member and its hospitality

Hands down this was one of my favorite places in Westchester for fine dining. My husband and I decided to try the chef’s tasting menu which did not disappoint. The wine was terrific and the courses were to die for. If you like to treat yourself or someone special to a wonderful experience this is where you want to go. It is $$$ but worth the money. The staff was impeccable. I absolutely felt the love and dedication they put into their practice from the moment I was greeted to the time I left. They truly make you feel at home.
Thank you for the lovely and amazing experience!
The Quinn’s

We drove a long way yesterday from Manhattan to re-​visit this once we thought was a beautiful restaurant. A long drive in snow, heavy traffic and darkness… A restaurant remote in nowhere but was thought big in our mind.
We dined in this restaurant exactly the same weekend a year ago. Great food, fantastic hospitality… We left feeling that we would come again every time when we visit NY.
Staff at the check in front were very friendly and super nice. Our solute!
After we had settled down, we were left unattended for some good 15 minutes, common when it is peak time and understandable. But it was 6:00 pm, few tables were occupied, waiters were chatting among themselves…
A long story better be summarized:
1. Staff at the front upon check in – 5 Stars
2. Waiter — stone faced and showed no interest for work 1 Star
3. Bus boys — 4 Stars
4. Food — 3 Stars (no longer the same as last year. New chef?)
5. Atmosphere — cold and unfriendly 2 Stars
A restaurant-​imposed 20% gratuity was charged and paid. Additional tipping was suggested by the restaurant on the charge slip, but was declined.
Tons of great restaurants in Manhattan to choose from. Driving in snow to Crabtree again? Unlikely.

A recent dinner did not impress.
The special appetizer of raw scallop thinly sliced with caviar between the slices and topped with a remoulade was okay. The caviar was disappointing and did not provide anything tangible to the dish. I like raw fish, but the real impact, flavor and texture of this dish came from the remoulade topping.
The main course was Cape Cod Skate Wing with green beans. This was more successful. The skate wing was flaky, with enough of a crust to provide texture.
My partner’s shrimp and grits were decent. Perhaps the grits were a little too garlicky, but they had the necessary grittiness. The shrimp were unfortunately slightly rubbery.
The pecan pie desert wasn’t bad, but lacked a degree of that sticky sweetness.
The final verdict is an average meal from a place with a reputation it could not match. Mediocrity thy name is Crabtree Kittle House.

My parents had their wedding receiption at Crabtree’s Kittle House back in 1965, so I’d always wanted to spend a night in the inn and finally had a recent opportunity to do so.
The room I had was clean and the bed was very comfortable. I especially liked how the inn’s 1790s ambience managed to include modern amenties without disrupting the comfy early American feel.
That being said, the kinds of things you’d expect in modern hotels such as ice makers were missing (you need to call the front desk to have it delivered). Also, my room was apparently directly above a kitchen/​dining area and was noisy until the late evening hours.
I didn’t get a chance to dine in the restaurant but from what I’ve seen, the menu features some very good local dishes. Maybe next time.
Overall, I had a very comfortable stay at Crabtree’s Kittle House Inn. I hope to return for another stay sometime soon and to sample the restaurant’s fare as well.

What I loved: the cozy quaintness and ability to have conversation, even as a piano player played. The wine my BF choose and the crazy huge book of selections to choose off of. The romantic feel. The fact that we never felt rushed, and stayed at our table for almost 3 hrs.
What wasn’t so special: food and waitstaff! If I’m having a $ 49 dollar steak, I do except a fab piece of meat. It was mediocre at that. Fried onion rings were soft and bland. The waiters sadly were difficult to understand, and we were confused as to who was our main guy! 2 or 3 different guys would come by and ask the same questions within minutes of eachother! Lots of repeating… they need to coordinate and communicate with eachother! But all in all, I enjoyed. Mostly due to my amazing company, the atmosphere, and the wine. Also the Dark and stormy after dinner drink I had was great– real ginger beer!

I totally agree with Jean’s review. Went for Thanksgiving dinner with family. Food was horrible, staff was clueless. A 20%tip was automatically added to our bill, plus drinks we didn’t order. Not to mention severe food poisoning… Never again!

This review is for Sunday brunch only. And what a brunch it is!
Being the kind and generous guy I am, I agreed to meet some geographically-​challenged friends (we are talking Rockland County, if you can imagine!) at this bucolic space so they wouldn’t have to come down to the filthy, pustulant city.
The venue is lovely, set in an unassuming neighborhood of well maintained suburban homes. You would almost never know there is a large restaurant/​hall there!
Brunch is buffet style and the spread is large but not overly expansive. Salads, meats and cheeses are top notch. I liked everything I had. Seafood is another plus… I like shrimp and there was a tower of it, chilled on ice, along with a variety of oysters.
The meats were very nice. The lamb and the roast chicken were my favorites. That chicken was so moist and flavorful.
Desserts are not on the buffet and my friends and I had one of each. Flourless chocolate cake was good, pecan pie was better, white chocolate parfait was tops in my book.
Service was lovely throughout, although getting the check was a bit of an ordeal. No fewer than four employees successfully avoided eye contact with everyone at my table for over 15 minutes.
There were numerous octogenarians there and you could tell the staff loved them and made them feel like family. There were a lot of hugs and kisses and I thought that was really sweet.
At around $ 36 I thought it was a good deal. I had a bellini to drink and it was great. The venue has an extensive wine list, but I don’t drink wine so what the hell do I care? But you may, which is why I mentioned it.
I enjoyed myself and would definitely go back, next time I feel like spending an hour on Metro North going to the fringes of civilization.

Rating is somewhere between 2 and 3 stars. Some parts were great, others not so great.
We were there for a wedding and stayed overnight. Kittle House’s primary business seems to be celebrations. The night before the wedding, a party with pretty loud music ran until midnight. Since most of the rooms overlook the lawn, there was just no way anyone was going to get any sleep until the party was over.
Room: narrow staircase, no elevator. Good thing we’re youngish. Furnishings are quaint but pretty random/​eclectic; they seem like garage sale finds and don’t really match other things in the room. Towels are coarse and worn. Sloppy paint job on the windows, amazingly horrible grouting job around the sink/​tub/​toilet, lots of dings and dents in the framing, slightly dirty in the corners of the bathroom. The marble floor was so slick I almost wiped out twice walking on it in my socks. One elderly person in our party had a downstairs room where the bathroom floor was 2″ higher than the bedroom floor and I was concerned about them tripping.
The wedding itself was very competently done. There were plenty of staff and they did a great job. The food was properly prepared and delicious. The cake (which I’m assuming they prepared) was beautiful, with a tender crumb.