2 Ames, Chautauqua NY

A truly incredible place and one-of-a-kind experience. 2 Ames brings such a unique vision into the food and drinks they offer. I’ve eaten here for years, whether it be dinner, lunch, or brunch, and it’s consistently exceeded my expectations. No joke, some of the best cocktails I’ve ever had.

I’ve always recommended 2 Ames to anyone visiting Chautauqua and will continue to.

I don’t even know where to start. I am never one to write a bad review, but after my experience here I honestly had to. My friends and I went to Two Ames for a small lunch, just the three of us. When we walked in, we were immediately seated, and only two other tables were dining. About 20 minutes later a waitress finally came to take our order. It was fairly simple— we ordered three salads and a tomato soup. We then preceded to wait around an HOUR and FOURTY FIVE minutes for our food. Once again, there were only TWO other tables dining at the time. When the food came out, there was no apologies for the delay or anything. The salads were small, and honestly not very tasty. To pay that amount of money on a meal with terrible service and one that didn’t even taste great was awful. Save your money and skip Two Ames.

EDIT TO OWNER RESPONSE:

I was not mistaken. We ordered the Kale salad and a tomato soup. It was thick and chunky and served with pieces of bread on the side. Look— I am a lifetime Chautauquan, I really didn’t want to leave this review but it was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had.

Great spot for food and drinks after a lively concert at the amp but should stay open later. Also lowkey best poutine in the state

We had reservations here before the Natalie Merchant concert at the Amphitheater. There was a line outside for those without reservations. When we walked in, instead of a "Good evening, folks" we were basically told to "go back outside. " very abruptly by a large bald man. If I'm going to drop $175 at a restaurant, I don't want to be treated like a child.

The table service by contrast, was excellent. They were short staffed that night and our servers were hustling to keep up. They were very welcoming and pleasant despite the craziness of a packed house.

The food was just "meh". Our appetizers were over sauced and under flavored. The ceviche was soggy and the beet salad tasted like the vegetables were canned. Conversely, the linguini carbonara was excellent and their wine list impressive.

Overall, 2 Ames needs to try harder. Since they're on the grounds of Chautauqua institution they basically have a captured audience. That's no excuse to just be mediocre when you have such potential.

This restaurant is lucky to located in Chautauqua institute where there’s limited options and not many options to go or else it’ll be out of business due to:
1- the young owner has no business to be in the service industry as he is rude, unprofessional and arrogant unlike his kind father who opened this restaurant for him.
2- they do not honor their hours which is number one rule when you run a restaurant is to honor your door hours so if you think you can just assume that they’re open because their hours says so you better call ahead and check because depending on the owner mood they might not. Staff seems confused and not treated with respect which is a big mistake as they’re the one representing your brand/restaurant to the customers.
3- food selection is limited, portions small and overpriced, and if you think that being overpriced will get you at least quality food then you’re wrong.
4- no one knows what the bar prices are, in order to order anything from the bar they have to call the owner to ask how much they should charge. You’ll never know if you’ll get the same price next day for same item.

In summary with only having 2-3 restaurants around mediocre is the way to go for this establishment.
The only good thing about that place is not food or service or being open when they say they are, it’s simply the location and nothing else.

Fantastic meal with a limited menu - (which in my opinion is a good thing for such a small kitchen) We are thrilled that a restaurant of this quality is in the Institute. Would love to go back and just dine for the heck of it. Everything was fabulous for a pre Bonnie Raitt concert dinner

This is a very good restaurant. The location is top notch and the ambiance is very pleasing, though occasionally it is a bit cold. The food is quite upscale but consistently high quality and tasty no matter what’s on the menu. Maybe not the best for kids as the selection is more veered to explorative pallets and the experience is not speedy. Overall a must visit restaurant (I would recommend a reservation)!

Giving a mercy star. In theory this should be the best place on campus, but it misses the mark on everything. Have been here many times over the years, pre, during, and “post” pandemic. Staff doesn’t seem to know/understand the menu & isn’t good on following up. Staff is slow & not good at setting expectations. I’ve dined globally at places from food stalls to white tie establishments. I understand price/portion size expectations. If all you provide is 2-3 bites worth of food for astronomical prices, then that food needs to be absolutely exceptional WITH outstanding service and cleanliness, no excuses. Go to the restaurant across the street from campus. It may not be haute cuisine but you will be genuinely welcomed, not treated like a cash cow.