The Deli Restaurant
| Address: | 113 Hiester St, State College, PA 16801, USA |
| Phone: | +1 814-237-5710 |
| Site: | dantesinc.com |
| Rating: | 3.7 |
| Working: | 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–12AM |
Location
Photos 93
Reviews 5
SC
Scott Geller
Went into the establishment on Sunday Oct 9, 2016. Nieces birthday and we were visiting. Had been a big fan since 1979 and had been almost 5 years since I had last eaten there. Met the owner (Andy Z) several times before and had some good times in the Hippo Room. Not this time! There is a reason why this place is not busy on a Sunday, but yet the Waffle Shop and others are bursting at the seams. We got seated in a nice quick fashion, and we were a party of 10. After a 30 minute wait (after ordering our choices), and no update on our status, (nor refills on drinks) (keep in mind they were not that busy), two bowls of cold soup arrived. We sent them back. When my eggs arrived (poached), they too were cold. We all know you cant cook cold food! I sent them back, and they only replaced the eggs, not the entire meal (including the 7 small potato pieces they call "Home Fries"). When I went to one of the girls at the serving area about our experience, she sympathized with me and said they were only full time students. This is not the excuse I was expecting. Our waitress with tattoo on left arm of a tree did not even acknowledge there were problems, and dumped the $100.00+ check on our table without even asking how it was or the possibility of our return at any of "Andy Z establishments". You can get a much better breakfast for a fraction of the cost at many places in State College (ie: Bagel Crust, Waffle Shop, Irvings, etc.), but the tradition of going to the Deli was something I was looking forward to. Another example of how a town that knows they have you coming for a game or to see your child, thinks they can get away with charging a lot of $$ for inferior quality food and service. Make no excuses guys, you could not cook a decent meal at this place with the attitude you guys exhibited. Potatoes are cheap and smiles are free!! On the way out, the tone of the hostess greeting the incoming folks was almost like she was doing them a favor for having them dine there. You guys can do much better!!
KA
Kate Bigam
Comfy, cozy, average. Though they serve plenty of deli items - pastrami, matzah ball soup, etc. - I still wouldnt exactly consider it a deli. They have too much other stuff to be strictly a deli - fried calamari, quesadillas, falafel, burgers, lots of soups & salads, crab cakes... the list goes on. This place is standard American fare. We had great service, though Im told thats fairly unusual. The whole front of the restaurant was open, but we were seated in the sunny back room... with two long tables of families, including one of kids under the age of 11, about 20 people in total. They were better-behaved than expected, but it was pretty loud, & I had to wonder why theyd sit us back there with them instead of putting us. The food was good. They had a special soup menu while we were in town, so one of my friends ordered a trio of soups in very small cowls, sort of like a tasting, & asked for an empty bread bowl on the side. Sort of a ridiculous request, but the server was good-natured about it, which we appreciated! I ordered the grilled cheese with cheddar, green apple, & bacon, & while it was tasty, it was a lot heavier than expected - double-decker, greasy, the mounds of cheese already congealing. I ate half & took the rest home but ended up throwing it away. My other friends got the tortilla soup & a salad, both of which he loved. Overall, I dont have anything necessarily bad to say about The Deli, but Im in no rush to return on my next visit to State College, either. I suspect you can find better food & ambiance elsewhere.
A
A Private User
Considering this restaurant is next door to one of the most prestigious hospitality program in the country, the LACK of hospitality is inexcusable. I dined here for lunch about a week ago and could not even believe my eyes. While waiting to be greeted, (13 minutes btw) I observed several servers, a bartender, and what appeared to be the manager, socializing in the corner on their phone and texting. This poor image could easily be overlooked, but since my server was nowhere to be found, my eyes couldnt help but wander. Finally after receiving a somber greeting from the seemingly angry server, we were well on our way. The food took almost 20 minutes to prepare, and when I asked for a straw with my refill, the server threw it across the table at me without so much as a second glance. UNBELIEVABLE! all the while the manager stands merely feet away, having the time of her life with her friends. As a former manager of a restaurant, I find it absolutely difficult to tip below 20%, and this was no exception. I put the money in the booklet and awaited the server to come by and give me change. 18 MINUTES went by before I finally just gave up and gave him the spare change in my pocket. He ended up with an undeserved 3 dollar tip. I will never dine here again, or at any restaurant this company owns. Im not a needy person, and extremely forgiving in restaurants, but the one thing I cant stand...is waiting when the manager sits in plain sight and I am the only customer in the restaurant. Please, Dantes, hire new management!
A
A Private User
The Deli has a lot of things going for it. Its located in the heart of downtown State College, the menu is extensive and includes a wide range of cuisines including Mexican, American, Greek and Italian and their beer list boasts a very large number of both draft and bottled beers. However the service is appalling. After a long initial wait our server didnt introduce himself and his greeting was along the lines of "Are you guys ready to order?". Walking around in the July heat at State College all day made us very thirsty. So we placed a drink order for non-alcoholic drinks. We waited nearly 20 minutes for a diet coke and an iced tea. The iced tea was delivered without lemon or sweetener, which was another 10 minute wait. Tables around us, which had been without customers for a while, were filled with dirty plates, glasses and napkins. A family sitting next to us sat there with nothing but water glasses for most of our meal. At one point we complained to the hostess who said she would get the manager. Not surprisingly, we never saw a manager, nor did we see any managers on the floor at all. The food, when it did arrive, was pretty good and the prices were fair.
QU
Queen Ugh
Ive lived in State College for a long time and frequented The Deli more than once. The food is pretty good and they have a great drink selection. But the quality of service wildly varies. And lately it has gotten worse. Ive had a server roll their eyes at me when I asked for extra napkins. My partner has had to wave down a different server in order to find our original server to get our check. My last experience was my worst. It was in the fall, my partner and I were seated on the patio. There was a table with drinks and table finishing their food. We were seated and given menus, but no server ever showed up to take our order. Other people were seated at tables around us, and a server showed up to take their drink orders. I waved to her and asked if she was our server she said she was not. After waiting 30min my partner and I got up and left because no one came to take our drink or food orders while the people around us were being served. On our way out no less than 6 employees wished us a good evening. We mentioned to the front why we were leaving, they apologised but did not offer to do anything to right the situation.
