Outstanding fries! Local food. Really great service too. Thanks for a lovely meal while we were in town. The perfect conclusion to our stay.

Great food, hidden neighborhood gem. Locally sourced ingredients, with great vegetarian options as well as carnivore's delights. Seasonal menus. Always a different mac & cheese of the day.

One of my favorite places to eat in Ithaca. It's off the Commons so it's rarely a crazy to get table. The food is always delicious and anything but "the average American fare."

Best brunch I've had in ages! Had the cheddar biscuits, gravy & eggs, with Northstar potatoes - so yummy! Service attentive and not overbearing.

Northstar always surprises me with great food, a warm and friendly staff, and lots of vegetarian/vegan options. They also just added a big awning to their front porch area which provides a fair amount of outdoor dining.

Locally sourced ingredients, good food, wonderful staff. The patio was nice, but no shade. You'll want your sunglasses and sunscreen. Really, the French fries are amazing! And the sauces they come with are perfect. I was a little disappointed in their idea of salsa, it was tasty but more of a pico de gallo. I love good salsa. Wait staff is attentive and pleasant. Took great care of us without being intrusive. Wonderful brunch options, open until 2 pm on Saturdays.

I basically bumbled my way into this place and I am so glad I did - excellent! Ate on the covered patio, weather was perfect, the ambience was great, the food was wonderful ... everything I like, and I need to be gluten-free - didn't know they cater to that .. and dessert was beyond spectacular, as was the salad, salmon and wine!

I've been there twice. Food is extremely unique, probably their best selling point. Though I can't vouch for over a month ago, contrary to other users, there was a "please wait to be seated" sign on the host podium; and in any case I was greeted promptly by said host. Server was prompt and the food was good. If I can concur with one aspect of the negative reviews, they do seat you whereever, but keep in mind the window seats seem reserved for family-size groups. The bathrooms were very dark and was hard to see; but good food and good service are my top 2 concerns unless something else is just so totally out of order it has to be noted. As for food, its unique, as I mentioned. I'm used to less quality food in bigger portions for the same price at other restaurants. This is less-portioned better quality food for between $10-$16. But keep in mind its all locally grown food, so they have to either offset portion or price (at least thats my take anyway), and I hate taking leftovers home so that part doesn't bother me any.

First time visit here and we loved it. Food was excellent. My burger was tasty and different. Our vegetarian friend had several choices and enjoyed his. Background music was alt-rock, but did not interfer with conversation.

The food is amazing, the drinks are even better. The beer garden out back is wonderful, and now serves a small menu, too. A giant TV is mounted both inside and out back for sporting events (mostly). And everyone who works here is kind and friendly.

One of the best places to eat in Ithaca hands down. Ever since being recently diagnosed with Celiac, Northstar is one of the best places to eat if you’re missing or reminiscing on old Gluten filled foods. I had an amazing GF fish and chips, and burgers. Almost every if not all menu options were GF or had GF options. Everything I had was amazing which also included the lemonade, fries, tamari chicken, and house salad.

Overall, the place was incredible. Mac and cheese of the day was great. Stay for the desert! The coffee and bread pudding were unbelievable surprises. Away on business? Eat at the bar, a very friendly environment.

One of the best options in Ithaca. Young chef creating innovative pub/comfort food, often from local ingredients. Great liquor and cocktail selection. I wish they would stop playing Reggae, but that's my only complaint.

The food was incredibly good! But the wait for food was horrendous. Down 2 people in the kitchen on a Saturday night is poor planning by ownership.

Really neat place! Went at night, wasn't too busy at that time. We sat ourselves (under canopy with string lighting or several picnic tables in the "yard" to choose from) and viewed the menu with a QR code that corresponded to our table. Interesting variety of menu options, and a great drink selection as well (which your also order online). Once your order is ready, it's brought out to you. Not sure if they request picking up after yourself when finished, but we did, as there were trash cans on the way out. Also a portable toilet out back. No lights in there, of course, so be careful it's it's dark out. :) Food is a little pricey, but considering the fresh, delicious, and local ingredients.... You get what you pay for! Overall, really enjoyed it here, as well as the casual, laid-back atmosphere, and would definitely recommend checking it out!

Eclectic comfort food menu with interesting farm to table ingredients. Indoor and outdoor seating. Friendly, attentive servers. Cherry sour cocktail was great. Casual venue was OK but bland. Definitely would go again for very good food at reasonable price.

The fish sandwich and service was fantastic. Thank you.

Went here for the first time and it was great all around. I love the way they’ve adapted to operate during pandemic times with the QR code system (seat yourself, scan QR code to read menu, order & pay, and your order is brought out to you shortly after). Had the tofu wings, grilled vegetables & fries which were all awesome. Overall, a laid back experience with smart adaptation to the times. Will definitely be back!

What a hidden gem! I took my entire family there for a recent celebration, without ever being there before or even seeing the menu. (This is quite abnormal for me) Our party of 7 were easily seated. Mask mandates and vacc proof made us feel safe. The tables, the glasses the water and the cloth napkins all made us feel much higher class than most restaurants on the commons but with half the pretention. There were only good comfy vibes. The waitress was phenomenal, got so the orders right, checked in frequently, refilled drinks and was a joy to interact with! (I regret I didn't ask her name but she wore a bone with a colorful tie around it). The food was delicious and perfectly portioned. 10/10 will absolutely go again

Waitress (Olivia) was a delight. My wife had the very popular garlic burger and I had the adventurous curry with bacon and extra hot sauce which was amazing. Such a delicious burn.

Nice location, especially the outside seating. Feels like you’re eating in a friend’s backyard (in the good type of way). Food was great as well. Very unique — without being odd — and full of taste. Also very vegetarian friendly.

Menu changes as constantly as the season, so you know that whatever you're getting is seasonal and fresh. The chef and staff are no joke and I stand by my comment as their fried chicken sandwich likely being the best I've ever had. Great beer and liquor selection as well. Food and drink curated by foodies and drinkers? Yes, please. Northstar is always on deck when we visit Ithaca.

Came into Ithaca from Pittsburgh to hike for the weekend. We picked here for dinner because of their vegan options. I ordered the shredded pork burrito and my boyfriend ordered the buffalo tofu burrito. Big servings for both and super tasty. The pork was great. But i really came here to write about the margaritas we ordered! Ordering booze to-go during COVID has been hit or miss, and sometimes you spend $$$ only to get something weak or watery. We ordered the quad serving of the margaritas and they were awesome! Came premixed in a bottle with some ice packed separately. Perfect strength to separate out into 4 drinks. All around great experience, would definitely recommend!

We were happy to find this gem of a restaurant. Eclectic menu with choices to please everyone from vegan to carnivore. Excellent cocktails, cocktails and some special tequilas.

Everything at brunch can be gluten free! Few places in town have GF pancakes or waffles, and they not only have them but they are good. The brunch menu rotates but everything we've had there for brunch and dinner has been awesome. Highly recommend if you have celiac or just want to avoid gluten and be a little gluttonous.

Incredible food! All very fresh with a menu that's always unique.

In town for work and looking for a local place. Food was very good, some of the best fish and chips I’ve ever had! All the staff was very courteous and polite. Will definitely check them out again if I find myself back up here.

Wife and I tried Northstar for first time last night. Requested to sit at the bar and served by Olivia. Both the service and the food was fantastic. Great selection of beers, wine and cocktails. I had the curry with fish and she had the burger with fries. Everything was cooked to perfection. The fries were crispy and seasoned just right. The curry was amazing! Highly recommend Northstar.

Great Red Curry dish over rice with chicken. It will be hard to opt for something different on my next visit. Although while gazing at dishes as servers delivered them to nearby tables it appears I will have to try everything eventually. Interesting cocktail list, spirits and spirit free. Great atmosphere, wonderful service. Will return. No doubt!

Gertrude Von Hohenlohen

We had glutenfree burgers and fish sandwiches, which were delicious not just for glutenfree standards but in general.

Amanda Gallagher

We tried this restaurant tonight & I could not be more impressed! Every item is, or is available, gluten-free. The only things not gluten-free is the pasta & rolls, but gluten-free is available. The fryer is gluten-free only so fries are safe for even Celiacs! I personally had the fish & chips, which is fried gluten free cod, & was incredible! Other menu items (curry & fried rice special with GF fried tofu pictured) also looked amazing! There is no doubt that will be back again soon!!!! Need to try the mac & cheese and so many other menu options!!!!

+2

Wally Herrera

Visiting from San Antonio and wanted a local spot away from The Commons. Found Northstar after our visit to Ithaca Falls and wow, did we strike gold. Great vibe, stocked bar (that's also a pop culture scavenger hunt), great service and the best meal we had the whole trip. Fried green tomatoes that are Gluten Free, yes please! My wife had the salmon & grits and I crushed the Tamari glazed chicken. Flower Power IPA & the Gentle Violet for the drinks. Thanks Jed & team for a great experience, we'll be back.

Giovan Cooper

We were in the mood for fish and chips and found Northstar Public House, one of the few places in Ithaca with a Gluten Free option. So glad we did! Hands down the best dinner we’ve had during our visit. The fish and chips were amazing, the mac and cheese was super tasty, and the mocktail Shy Violet was spot on. Our server was wonderful and made the whole experience even better. The vibes are great too—reggae music playing when we walked in set the tone right away. If you’re looking for a spot with delicious food, friendly service, and Gluten Free options that don’t compromise on flavor, this place is a must!

Michael Newcomb (Loach)

The food was really good, lots of gluten free options for my celiac wife (dedicated fryer too). Service was a little slow even though we were one of three tables. But the food made the wait worth it!

kathy chy

Wonderful GF food that you can’t get elsewhere! I love that the have a gf dedicated frier and many options are DF too. We will be back during our vacation stay.

Doran Santacroce

Was so very excited to have GF fried fish! I've missed having battered fish. It was FANTASTC! The restaurant was charming. There is outdoor seating but it was in the 90's, so we chose to sit inside with the little. The waitstaff were very attentive. We were on vacation, and I truly wish this restaurant had a location in Cbus OH!!!

charles lawhun

This vegetarian leaning restaurant serves up some delicious dishes, including some with animal protein. I selected the pork and mushroom special. The pork was slowly roasted with spices and herbs. There were several types of herbs flavoring the mushrooms. Blood orange margarita was a great accompaniment. Appetizer was squash fritters with a delicious sauce. We also tried the squash curry and yum, definitely worth trying. This is a must try restaurant.

+7

Bramley

I have been here twice now and both times have been nothing short of exceptional. The food is delicious! This recent time my boyfriend and I shared chicken wings as an appetizer. Very tender and crispy with great flavor, we loved their homemade blue cheese dressing. I got the blackened salmon with grits. I’m not a giant fan of grits, but these I would come back for again and again. My boyfriend had the impossible burger, which I had a bite of, and was delicious. Crazy to think it was meatless! The food was cooked extremely well. I loved their selection of non-alcoholic drinks. I had a citrus spritzer that was delicious and refreshing. The wait staff were all so nice and helpful for questions we had. The music that was on was not overwhelming and added to the wonderful chill atmosphere. I look forward to coming back in the summer to try their summer menu.

Giveita Shank

Love, love, love this place! Can't wait to come back when it's warmer and we can sit outside. There's lots of Gluten-free and locally sourced options. I would say the only negative was music was kind of loud for a casual dining experience, so perhaps they could turn that down so people can converse more. The other thing was the tables were a little small for all the delicious food we wanted to order lol. We had the Gluten-free Mac n cheese which had an exquisitely creamy cheese sauce with a nice sharpness to it. The Gluten-free fish was crispy and moist inside (we switched out the fries or rather "chips" to side of coconut rice) which was a nice contrast so that it wasn't a completely fried plate. Also had the locally sourced wings, which were HUGE. We recommend the Baltimore style wings.

+5

Elzie

While visiting Ithaca for a music festival, we happened upon this place accidentally while looking for parking. We decided to get brunch here the next morning! It has a cozy local vibe, mixed with a contemporary and rustic touches. The food was outstanding and they serve food primarily sourced from the area. The menu was concise. Overall great find!!!!

Andrew Gallagher

Mother's Day brunch was a great time. Everybody enjoyed their food and the service was great. The Fried Chicken and Donuts were phenomenal and the French Toast is awesome! I want to come back sometime for dinner.

Very tasty all day Sunday brunch. There were a few small mistakes in the order, but the food was yummy! Family of 5 leaving satisfied.

This is my favorite restaurant in Ithaca with delicious and unique meals and creative and catchy cocktails. Do not be fooled by Google Maps DoorDash ordering app. You must order food through Northstar’s Web Page function. They do not contract with DoorDash which may result in you losing money and them losing business. When in doubt just call them up and see what the best way to order is!

Food is always good (although I wish honey in fired chicken wasn't such an in thing now), get some appitizers and save room for dessert. Mixed drinks and draft beer selection are top notch

4th good meal here. yum. love this part of town. the art and music here are good also. i see a bar tucked away in a corner, cant tell if its a good place to drink but the vibe is good. OH. and they have an Amarula coffee driink special. someone knows whats good. i recommend a double shot.

So freaking good. Everything is gluten free and celiac friendly. The fries are amazing as is the Mac and cheese. Only took away a star cause it is pricey.

Rib-sticking heart-warming food, featuring local ingredients when possible! Also possible for GF and vegan folks to find something modifiable too. Incredible curry, yummy tofu sandwich, tofu wings too! Sitting on the porch is the most delightful. Small draft beer selection, plenty of cocktails, good wine.

The food was pretty good. However, the first 3 drinks that I picked off the menu were sold out. Also, it is a bit overpriced for what it is "$26 for <4oz of blackened Whitefish with Cheese Grits."

Always delicious food, but a bit noisy and not the best ambiance in town. Today I got the Scotch Egg, and with the mustard it was excellent! I don't love the coffee, I find the flavor leaves a little to be desired (it's too light a roast for my taste, I think), but it's not terrible.

We loved the atmosphere. they were flexible with our needs. Food was amazing! Onion rings were a bit salty but still good. The fall raviolis were out of this world! Definitely a spot that needs to be explored! Oh and not to mention a fantastic beer menu. Check it out!

Intimate and fun atmosphere with a plentiful selection of beer, wine and spirits - including a outdoor space in the warmer months. Staff has always been pleasant, but some of the prices are somewhat steep for the portion size ($13 for a breakfast sandwich).

Very good burger, but as a warning, it starts at $20 (+$% for bacon), but was worth it to me. Local beef with a hand-packed patty that was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Awesome fries too. They had several side sauces for the burgers that perfectly doubled as dips for the fries. I only tried two, but can't wait to go back for more. The rest of the menu looks great too, but I honestly keep getting the burger and usually with bacon on it (+$5) The bar is a treat to sit at with the decorations (full Star Wars cantina scene at the top) and they have some great and unique cocktails on the menu. Rather limited seating inside (tables nicely spread and not packed in), - they also have an outdoor covered area when the weather allows.

Derrick Deans

This was our first restaurant during a 4 night visit to Ithaca and area. I say that because we wanted to return later but unfortunately it was closed for two nights for a private event. My wife is celiac and she ordered the fish and chips with sides of mac and cheese and fries. She found the order plentiful and excellent. The fish was lightly breaded, properly cooked, and VERY tasty. The fries were excellent and the mac and cheese also tasty. It was a real treat for a celiac to be able to order delicious gluten-free fish and chips. I ordered the blackened fish and grits and it too was delicious and plentiful. Unfortunately, I gave this restaurant 4* because of the very long wait for our meals to be delivered and then for the bill to arrive later. And this despite the fact that the place was less than half full. However, the three staff were all moving very quickly and our server was quite helpful when we placed our order. So I suspect that maybe the restaurant was short-staffed that day or unable to hire sufficient staff. In any case, even with the wait we were willing to return if we could.

erik clark

Mac and cheese was not very tasty at all. However the fish and chips was pretty good. Service was nice and the atmosphere was very chill and relaxing.

Jeremy Gutierrez

I went to Northstar with a group of friends, and we adored the outdoor seating. The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere with signs making operation smooth. We had waited over an hour to get our food, which was probably the only bad thing about this place. When we did get the food, it looked delicious and tasted scrumptious. Would go again.

+1

Mixed experiences. It feels like the service has gone downhill over time. The food is good but not great. The location is great and I like the beer garden area (when it’s open. It’s a nice place to go when you want to get away from the craziness of the commons.

Always mixed feelings about Northstar. Their food is good to great... depending on a lot of factors. There are some really cool people working there. The service, however, is what I'd call typically Ithaca. Slow, borderline apathetic, and the place seems chronically understaffed. If you have lots of time, patience, and money, you'll probably enjoy Northstar immensely.

The fish was delicious! Paid $13 for a dinner size salad that only consisted of lettuce in dressing. The sauce on the kids cheese pizza was not good.

I’ve been meaning to eat here for years, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to the hype. Portions were large but food was bland and dry. I got the breakfast sandwich. The bun was just a dry english muffin - no butter, no sauce, no toasting. It crumbled apart under the weight of the fillings. Sausage was great. Eggs were under salted. Side salad was full of veggies with a nice dressing. French toast needed more salt and seasoning, and was a touch too mushy. Bacon was the best part - thick and chewy just like I like it. Pink sauce (chocolate?) was tasty. Biscuits and sausage gravy were good. Sausage gravy was creamy and felt homemade rather than from a can. But the biscuits were doughy and dense. The two parts still work well together. You have to eat it hot so the gravy stays runny. I probably won’t be eating here again for the price, but it’s good for the brunch mimosa experience.

This was our first visit to Northstar.....and we have mixed feelings. When we walked in, the first person to approach us was very stoic, but polite. We waited a few minutes and she came back to take us to a table. She did not ask us our preference for seating (i.e. by a window, outside, tall table, etc.) she just took us to a table and said "here you go", set the menus down and walked away. We sat down and a few moments later, another waitress approached our table. She was trying to tell us about the specials but the table we were sat next to was so incredibly loud, we could barely hear her. She took our drink orders and came back with 4 small glasses of water and the one soda. We tried to ask her some questions, but still difficult to hear with the noise from the 4-top beside us. I even mentioned to her that I couldn't hear her and yet, no attempt from the staff to quiet these guests. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a lively conversation and expect people to have a memorable experience when they go out. However, I do expect people to act respectable in public.....but this group was over-the-top loud and rude....using foul language in just about every sentence (more like bar/club than restaurant etiquette). My 14 year old was very affected by their behavior. She acted more respectable than these young adults did. Even when their food came out, they managed to continue their obnoxious conversation, only now with food in their mouths. They finally left about 1/2 way through our entrees and immediately, our experience got better. The neighborhood setting is quaint and the menu is unique. We like trying new places and different foods. Everything we had was tasty and fresh and well prepared. Prices were average. It was fun to have different people giving us service, from the hostess seating us, to our waitress taking our orders and then another waitstaff person delivering our apps, and yet another delivering our entrees. Disappointments were that we could not get local wines by the glass (and very limited selection by the bottle) and that we never received a water jug for our table or our water glasses refilled. We will probably give it another chance...there were items on the menu we'd like to try.

Some of the food was good. But I just can't endorse the "scan the QR code and order online" system as a substitute for physical menus and human interaction. You can't ask a QR code "how small is the small and how large is the large?" You can't ask a QR code to hold the tomatoes. If I pay Dine-In price for a meal, ideally I'd like to have a Dine-In experience. And I think that given the seating is outdoors, this could be done with pandemic safety protocols in place.

I was really excited to try the tofu wings here, until I found out they aren't actually vegan. They're fried in the same oil as everything else, as are the fries. The black bean burger was pretty good, though, and I'm not usually too keen on those. The side salad was not great; if I'd been less hungry, I probably wouldn't have eaten it. The server was very nice, and the service in general was good, but I don't think I'd eat here a second time.

Cute, little gem tucked away in Fall Creek with a friendly staff. They held our table even though we ran a little late which I appreciate, as they had a full house. Had the fish and chips which were tasty and fried just crispy enough. Their homemade tartar sauce was delicious. Ended the night by taking Lime bikes to the Commons for a night cap. Will come again!

Food is decent-ish. The fish and chips were good but both our burgers came with cold patties and burnt buns. Also one of the burgers got served with the wrong side. The food itself took a long time to be served and we were already hungry/annoyed to do anything about it. Perhaps just an off day. One positive is that they were very kind to the pets.

We fell in love with this place 5 years ago.... loved the varying menu offerings and the local sourcing. Came for some tasting events and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Staff was always friendly and knowledgeable. Like many folks we have been trying to spread the love and support our local businesses after this past year. The current seating outside was perfect beautiful weather... a little busy but people ahead of us seemed to clear out quickly. Our food took 57 minutes.. 2 burgers... and mine very over cooked. One table of 5 adults and 2 kids... one party if 3 and another party of 4 all came in after us... all received their food within 30 minutes of arrival... It was a huge disappointment. We will not write off this place but for now... until there is more normalcy sadly it will not be in our rotation of restaurants ... Hope we have a better experience next time.

For a ‘farm to table’ spot it’s VERY selective on what they choose. We arrived at 5:45 and they were out of steak and chicken. The wings were really good! But the fried chicken sandwich was the equivalent of a mcChicken… frozen from a big box distributor. We would have shared this with the server but no one came back until we asked for the bills

Andrew

North Star was pretty good I had the Garlic Burger and it was very garlicky in a good way. Although I was a little disappointed from looking at Google they had all these pics of some crazy dishes, Chicken and donuts, a waffle sandwich, some breakfast stuff that looked amazing as well. Craziest thing on this menu was Salmon.... That might have been pre-covid because they are also not open for Brunch. Don't get me wrong the burger was good, the server said the menu stays relatively the same but they sometimes change things and the online website menu might not always be correct. On my quest to find the best and craziest food the server mentioned that they have the most amazing desserts (not on the menu or on the website menu) and that they are constantly changing. Sadly after eating a whole dinner I was too full to eat anything, if I go back next time I'll have to get the dessert menu first.

Went in for a meal and drink. No one at the door to greet me or a sign stating customers needed to wait to be seated, so I went to a table and waited for service that never came. Waited about 10-15 minutes. Other tables were prepared for others, and staff walked back and forth several times, but no one came to even acknowledge my being there. Did not want to fight for service the rest of the night so left.

Slow service. There was a cricket crawling around my feet and flies buzzing around my food as I was eating INDOORS. We tried to return a beer selection that we did not like and they refused to take it off the check. They said had was asked to return it earlier while the beer was still cold they would have accepted it. We took ONE sip out of it. Which has me concerned with the health safety of this restaurant. Would they have poored it back? Food was decent. Overall, it was not a pleasant experience.

Walked in tonight for food. The host was very welcoming and let us know he was going to seat us right after he put in an order. We decided to sit at the bar. The bartender walked by me, looked at me and glanced away. He walked by us again before coming back through and giving us a slapping down a drink menu. We told him we were eating as well. He went through the draft list in a rushed rude manner which he excused by saying it's been a rough day. We asked him for the food menu. He gave it to us and walked away and said he'd be back. We decided to leave due to how rude he was. Will think twice before going back again.

they changed the chef or something - foods are different. Used to be one of the best place to dine in town, but the visit last night was extremely disappointing. Burger was dry and the desserts were... mediocre at best. Probably won't return for long time.

Sadly this place is very disappointing. Service is very slow took us 50 minutes to get our meals and about 10 minutes before server greeted us! The portion size for the ravioli and macaroni were very small for $15 the best thing about it was it was two blocks from Ithaca Falls.!

Was pretty disappointed by this place. Found it on Google. Options were pretty limited (both food and drink) and no obvious kids menu. We did find there was a kids menu, but it only had 3 items on it. The food we did order was ok but not so delicious that it was worth the price. It's definitely not a family place.

This used to be one of my favorite restaurants and I always recommended it to visitors for brunch. My last few visits have been disappointing. The wait staff is always wonderful, but the quality of the food is declining. Yesterday I ordered chicken and waffles, and what I received was one small waffle and three chicken wings. The wings were absolutely coated in paprika but had no other seasoning--they were somehow over-seasoned and underseasoned at the same time. They were rubbery and didn't go well with the waffle at all. For $15, this was terrible. Overall, the portions seem to be shrinking and the quality isn't what it used to be. I won't be returning unless there's a serious improvement in the food standards.

I want to like this place but I've been here 4 times now and it always disappoints. The French toast is soggy, the waffles dry and too dense. My fried eggs ordered medium were served easy and cold. It's such a shame because they use great ingredients and the restaurant space is nice. (Great coffee, too!) However, they focus too much on little things, like a "peanut butter glaze" for a waffle, when the waffle itself is not well-made. This place needs to get back to basics, focus on their core recipes.

Don't go if you are in a hurry. We arrived around 6:45 pm per our reservation and were seated immediately. Our server was pleasant and we ordered dinner at the same time as our drinks. One of the best selections of NA beer I've seen. Unfortunately, no one checked on us for over 45 minutes and we noticed that other guests seated after us were receiving their food. The young family seated next to us said it takes a long time to be served but the food is great. I asked a server if he could check on our order. He said it was coming right out. At 1 hour, I was tired of sitting and stood next to my seat. Our server came to tell us a chef had quit and they were backed up. We received our food at 8pm. And the young family was correct, the food was excellent. We did not order dessert. The manager brought our bill and reduced the total by 20%. The ambient noise is a little higher than I remembered. Left the Northstar at 8:30pm. Our out of town guests were not impressed.

We were really excited about this place. The fact that everything on the menu can be made gluten free and there were vegan options was amazing. I usually get GF but not vegan and vice versa. It wasn't busy when we arrived and we were seated fairly quickly. But then we watched two other tables get seated and waited on while no one came to our table. We had to ask twice before a waitress finally came (30+ minutes)! Throughout our dinner we also had no service, no water checks/refills, nothing. If we needed anything we had to get up and track someone down. The worst experience we've had at a restaurant. When it comes to the actual food, we ordered the tofu wings and they were flavorless. The black bean burger was good and a decent portion size (only reason for 2 stars on food, 1 star everything else). One friend got the blackened fish and grits and said it was so salty it was disgusting and the portion size was itty bitty and EXPENSIVE. Other friends got the harvest bowl and they also said it lacked flavor, even after asking for more dressing/sauce. They also got the ginger beer on tap, and it was a very small glass filled with ice...it was like 4-5 small gulps and it was gone and NO free refills! In summary...overpriced, flavorless food, with very bad service. Go somewhere else.

Ross L.

I was excited to try a farm to table restaurant on Ithaca but this was a disappointment. The service wasn’t great, but even worse was the lack of flavor in the food. They’re afraid of salt! Doubly disappointing because the ingredients are clearly high quality, but they’re not making the most of it.

KellyAnne Herman

vegan review: everything was mid. the crunch salad was the best thing i ate and it still had little flavor. the dressing needed some punching-up. the squash fritters were confusing to all of us as we expected something different based on the description; they were hush puppies. everyone liked them but they were very plain to me. the sage aioli carried a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of flavor. the curry was good but lacked salt & sauce. when i hear curry i expect it to be saucy and it just wasn’t. the “wings” were the other misnomer. they’re tofu wedges. or triangles. to call them wings is disrespectful, given what many veg restaurants are doing to innovate faux chicken wings with rice paper skin & sugarcane “bones”. the BBQ ones were good. the medium buffalo ones were not spicy. was not happy with my drink, the night nurse (medicinal taste, but based on the name i should have expected as much), but adding the strawberry rhubarb cider helped. the vegan chocolate cake was fine. the texture was really spongy and both the cake itself and chocolate glaze lacked sweetness. the service/wait was not good. we got all our food at once instead of getting appetizers out first. surprisingly, the fritters came out last. then when it came time to pay we had to sort through everything ourselves, and even after that it took a long time to get paid up. ours was a party of 12 and they had a reservation for us but still had weak service. (at the restaurant where i work i’m used to seeing servers be very attentive to large parties with reservations, but that wasn’t the case here.) atmosphere was also mid as the music was a weird combination of jazz and reggae? felt lacking in personality, like the food.

Jared Dietz

So they are good, yes. The demand they receive results in higher wait times than at other places I like around here. Seriously, only come here if you have extra time to spend. Ye can walk around the 'hood while waiting & there is a pretty fine creek nearby.

Sadly not a great experience: Irish Coffee made wrong, Bloody Mary had no celery and was weak, told by the waitress they don’t do poached or soft boiled eggs(suprising for a non-fast food establishment), entrees came out at different times, food was warm at best, restaurant was cold(portable heater next to the table unplugged), incorrect entree sent to the table. We will never go back. Customer service is not a focus here. This is my first review I have ever left before, anywhere.

A close friend and I made Northstar our weekly hang out spot for almost two years. The food is only so-so, but the place is in our neighborhood and has decent beer so it worked. One night we went with my daughter and another friend and a group of waitresses sat near us on a break and stared rudely at my daughter. When questioned about it, the waitress in question (Lisa) denied anything happened. The she said that she and her fellows had stared because my kid had drank water direct from the bottle and they just "weren't used to that." I told her it was very inappropriate and was not pleased with the situation. I also shared with her that we had been loyal customers for years which made this treatment all the more unsavory. I shared the scenario via Twitter by stating that it is ridiculous to go out to eat/drink, spend money, and have to deal with rude wait staff and management that does not take customer service concerns seriously. I never received any reply or response from Northstar. Months later, my friend attempted to go back to Northstar for dinner and was told she would have to leave. Apparently we are not welcome there any longer for bringing this situation to light. Unbelievable! Do yourselves a favor and skip it. Mercado, Bandwagon, or Ithaca Beer have much better food and atmosphere.

Hands down the worst bite of food I’ve had in a decade. The wings were unforgivable. RAW. No sauce. Northstar you should be ashamed you let that leave the kitchen. Ashamed. If you weren’t closed, I would’ve driven back and made you look at what you gave us and explain it.

One of the top 3 worst dining experiences we have had. We received our drinks 1 hour after we were seated. 3 of 4 dinners were served 15 minutes later. The 4th arrived 15 minutes after that. The food was cold, the bun on my impossible burger (aptly named) was burned, and we heard 1 almost-an-apology. The restaurant was not full (no surprise). We will not return.

We just ate here and it was one of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had. We were part of a big party, but the waitress was indifferent at best and openly uninterested in serving us. The service was so slow we had to go to the bar to order drinks. I had to flag the waitress down for everything as she never came to check on us. I called the manager to complain and he was a complete jerk. Eat here if you want to overpay for mediocre food and be treated with disdain.

Sub-par for the price. The food is usually pretty good, but we've had problems with undercooked French toast and cold sides that should be hot. The drink specials are watered down as well. The worst part by far, though, is the service. 5 visits in a row we've had issues with excessive wait times. We waited longer for draft beers than for hot entrees, even when the restaurant was half-full. The worst time was when we came for brunch, were seated in the back, then promptly forgotten for HALF AN HOUR before I had to pull a server aside and get our waitress to come introduce herself. The staff just doesn't care. We've given this restaurant plenty of chances, but no more. We'll take our business elsewhere from now on, to restaurants that actually value their customers.

Update as I have pondered my review now that it is the next day. Extremely difficult time finding the building. There are no discernable signs saying this is Northstar. I only found it by a crowd of people lingering outside the door and then still questioned if I was in the right place. When I got inside- to what appears to be a storage area of chairs instead of a front entrance- I preceded to wait for 10 mins while I thought people who were customers walked by me but made direct eye contact. Finally after 10 minutes a man who I thought was a customer who had seen me standing there for 10 mins and said nothing comes to the host stand. No apologies, no professionalism. I had to tell him that I was there to pick up on online order. He then just points at the bag sitting there for a pick up and I was like no that's not mine. He disappeared for 2 secs, came back said it's not ready. He then was very unprofessional to a couple who walked in and told then their wait time would be a while, then a younger couple came in and he said he'd see what he could do about squeezing them in. That's biased and unprofessional and I am shocked he did all of that as if it were normal. He then while continuing intermittently to make eye contact with me for 25 mins and ignore 2 brand new groups of people that had walked in, I waited 10 mins of them standing there and his inattentive behavior finally when he came up to the host podium he said nothing to the groups of people so I brushed past them and asked "any word on my take out order?" He then disappeared for 2 secs and came back right away with my bag that had (judging by the coldness and condensation that had formed from all the steam escaping) been sitting there for about 20 mins. Then when I left and got back to my hotel and opened my mushroom risotto it smelled completely like pungent fish which there isn't meat or fish sauce or anything like that in the dish I called and the same host and one of the inattentive waitresses were trying to convince me that it was the box the food was carried out in. Never in my life have I had the unprofessional behavior from not just the host but the waitresses as well it was despicable. I ended up not eating it and from someone who has a zero waste policy that just took the cake. Original post below Worst service Ever. Had a 7 10 pickup time guy had me waiting for 25 mins over pick up time bc he was too lazy to go back to kitchen and check to see of its ready. Food is cold and no manager in sight will not recommend or return what a joke

This restaurant used to be one of my favorite, go to spots in Ithaca, however their food and service has plummeted. I went recently for brunch and after a long wait, I received a tiny egg that was very over cooked along with a sad looking piece of bacon. The bloody marys are still decent- but that is hard to mess up and at the price it should be. I tried to do their dinner one last time and asked to sit outside at their nice patio. After being seated we waited OVER 20 minutes until the hostess came back and asked if anyone had assisted. Obviously there was a miscommunication... I ordered the fried chicken sandwich, which was mainly bread, a small piece of chicken and a blob of coleslaw. Sadly, I wont be back

Our food was TRASH 🗑️ f.fries were deceivingly golden & hard as rocks & cold ( I think they cooked them, took them out & fried them again) 5 wings for $16 were leather & half a$$ flavoured = TRASH, impossible burger was decent, Cheeseburger was kinda ok but soggy, added 1/2 slice of bacon for $4, unreal !!! My dumba$$ accidentally added 20% for gratuity, super mad I did that after I tasted the food which I picked up n readily ate it in about 4 mins of pickup time…. Super disappointed! Never again. I’ll go for drinks only, bartenders & the drinks I drank while waiting for food were awesome.

Mary Rose A

We arrived on time for our reservation, which we had made to allow time for dinner before a show we had tickets to. When we arrived, the "host" walked away with no greeting. We assumed he was checking for available seating or something. He was actually running food, although sauntering along slowly was more accurate. Meanwhile people came in behind us that told us they were extremely late for their reservation. When the host came back and finally acknowledged us he said he would need to figure out a place to put us. We moved out of the way, and he talked to the people behind us and seated them immediately, even though they were admittedly really late and the policy indicated that the reservation is only held for 15 minutes. We were both two-tops. When we did get seated a few minutes later at a large table, the menus were thrown at us. We then waiting for a full fifteen minutes without anyone even greeting us or taking our drink order. My wife had to flag a server down to get service at all. We told them that we had a show that we needed to get to. Our drinks took another 15 minutes to come out, and our food, even though it was an appetizer, salad and mac and cheese, did not come out for a half hour after ordering. People around us who were seated after us had their food and drinks much sooner. My wife is a long-time server and she was livid at the treatment. Nobody that worked there showed any sense of urgency, and there was no dress code to indicate that someone DID work there. The host wore a graphic T shirt and athletic pants with stripes down the side. We only knew people were servers because at some point they walked by with food. It was a Saturday night- if you don't have the staffing to handle it, don't take reservations and only seat the amount of the people you can take care of and take care of well. Never ever will we return, and absolutely do not recommend. There are PLENTY of other places to eat.