Graft Wine + Cider Bar - Watkins Glen (NY)

5 /5 Lauren Larocca: Walked in on a Thursday around 7:30p and we able to be seated right away at the bar or countertop. They have a great selection of beer, wine, and cider - all locally sourced. I order the duck special and I thought it was excellent. My partner and I split the tomato salad which was also delightful. We ordered a bottle of Pet-Nat from Atwater which was also delicious. I think this is an excellent date night spot or somewhere to celebrate a special occasion while in Watkins Glen. Would absolutely return.

4 /5 S G: We’d received so many recommendations for graft during our long weekend in Watkins Glen. We came in right at opening (4pm) because we knew it fills up fast and they don’t accept reservations. We loved from their website that Graft sources local and keeps their menu seasonal. Everything was VERY good, but I’m not sure that it matches the immense hype. Maybe we didn’t order the right things. I was only able to snap a photo of the squash which was actually my favorite part of the meal. I got the half chicken with beans and rice, and my partner got the flank steak. The chicken was quite salty but very good. The steak was cooked well and very flavorful, though the portion was small and there was nothing about it that particularly stood out. Again, a solid meal and a super cute atmosphere and we will always support restaurants which feature local/seasonal menus, but this one fell a bit flat.

5 /5 Marianne Markopoulos: Our food was delicious and the service was excellent! I had the 1/2 chicken. It was so fresh and tender. My husband had the trout. It too was perfectly cooked and dressed. We shared the beet salad and we were surprised at the perfect balance of flavors Highly recommend!

5 /5 Kristina Zhegunova: The Best Meal of Our Trip We were looking for a nice spot for lunch, and ChatGPT suggested a list of places — this one was at the top. As usual, my husband didn’t wait for the rest of the list and had already parked in front of Graft Wine + Cider Bar. The exterior was lovely — probably even cozier at night with all the lights. Inside, it was clean, welcoming, and full of charm. We were the first ones after the lunch break, but soon after, a few more tables filled up. We started with green peppers (I don’t recall the exact name from the menu — shishito, maybe?). They were delicious! Then came a big bowl of fresh greens with beets and goat cheese — so good! The trout was also fantastic, served with quinoa and a carrot-ginger slaw. Every bite felt thoughtful and fresh. My husband enjoyed a glass of Riesling from their local selection. I went with a non-alcoholic Cosmopolitan — but ended up spilling the whole thing! The waiter was kind, helped clean up without a fuss, and at the end told us they didn’t charge for the drink. Such a generous and thoughtful gesture. I also want to mention how much I loved the plates and glasses — beautiful and carefully chosen. You could feel the care in every detail. I really appreciate the farm-to-table concept and their support of local wineries and cider houses. On the drive home, we read some of the reviews and were surprised to see a few negative ones. It’s honestly upsetting how unfair they seemed — some people must have walked in with impossible expectations or were just in a bad mood. Our waitress was amazing: warm, attentive, helpful, smiling — and she even recommended a spot for ice cream afterwards. I wish more restaurants were like this one. Thank you! You truly made our day.

5 /5 Emily Curtis: Everything was so GOOD! Haven’t been to Watkins Glen in 10+ years. What a delight Graft Wine and Cider Bar was. The girls and I had the mussels, sourdough, green salad, monkfish special and flank steak 10/10! For dessert we split a yummy chocolate rosemary treat and coffee almond cake. Waitress was lovely, too!