In my continuing trend of posting reviews days later because I forget that’s a thing I’m supposed to do, on May 3rd we decided to take a scenic drive to go get a burger with a view. So we headed south down Skaneateles Lake to the farthest south point on the lake you can go and sat on the deck if The Glen Haven in Homer. The view from the deck alone made it worth the meal, even if the food wasn’t that great. Thankfully the food was that great.
Our service was slow but not only was it pretty busy, the restaurant isn’t open at full capacity just yet because they aren’t quite in season for the year. So they have a smaller staff on hand with our waitress actually doing triple duty of waiting tables, helping at the bar AND cooking. Chelsea checked out the menu before I got home from work and we knew going in exactly what we wanted, so we ordered right away. We planned to start with Fried Dilly Beans, which are house-pickled green beans that are then deep fried and served with house ranch dressing, but unfortunately they didn’t have them available yet due to the skeleton crew. Totally understandable, so we settled on the Loaded Fries, which were hand-cut french fries topped with cheese, bacon, sour cream and jalapeños but we opted for the sour cream and jalapeños on the side. These fries had a TON of flavor right off the bat and there was a massive pile of them. Smothered in cheddar cheese, heaps of chopped bacon, perfectly seasoned. This was a really solid appetizer and could easily feed four and the house ranch dressing is very good.
For entrées, Chelsea knew she wanted a burger and there was only one basic burger listed, so she went with the Glen Haven Burger which is your choice of beef, bison or veggie patty with lettuce, tomato, onion and garlic aioli and your choice of one side, cheese and bacon as a listed upcharge. She went with a medium well beef patty with American cheese, no tomato or onion and corned bread for her side. The burgers are pretty large, with a massive, hand-pattied burger that is very well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The garlic aioli was a really nice touch to add flavor and creaminess and the cheese properly melted. The corn bread was a good size and was grilled on the flat top to add a little extra texture and had a great flavor all around.
I originally planned on getting a bison burger, but they weren’t available yet just like the Fried Dilly Beans. Mildly disappointing, but not the end of the world for me. I went with the Glen Haven Burger with a medium rare beef patty, lettuce, onion, garlic aioli, sautéed mushrooms and swiss cheese with coleslaw for my side. Just like Chelsea’s, my burger was thick, well seasoned and cooked perfectly. My personal taste could have gone with a little more mushrooms on the burger, but they were still there and flavorful. The coleslaw was sweet but not sugary, had a gentle vinegar flavor and was a really light and refreshing side to go with just a big burger.
Overall, we were there for around two hours for just burgers and loaded fries, but we didn’t care at all. The staff were extremely nice and running at all times for the whopping three people we saw working (two waitresses and a bartender) plus the one person in the kitchen trying to man the grills AND a smoker you could smell running for the house-smoked ribs that were on special. The view from the deck is astounding and we thoroughly enjoyed watching the sun set behind the hills at the south end of Skaneateles Lake as well as the two families of Canadian geese coaching their babies on swimming in the glen.
EDIT: I am not a smart man and completely missed the handicap ramp leading up to the deck, so my apologies for any confusion!!
You can also pull right up to the docks and break wall on your boat and hop out, cross the street and grab some food, so anyone with a boat on Skaneateles Lake gets an added bonus as well! 9.5/10 food, definitely will come back to get a bison burger and Fried Dilly Beans during the primary season and to try their house-smoked brisket special on a Saturday because those ribs smelled DELICIOUS. 100/10 on the view, it was absolutely beautiful.
7434 Fair Haven Rd, Homer, NY 13077
(607) 299-4526