The Dining Room
Nittany Lion Inn,200 W Park Ave, State College, PA, 16803
The Dining Room Menu
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Visit below restaurant in State College for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in State College for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in State College for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
Nittany Lion Inn,200 W Park Ave
State College, PA, 16803 - Phone (814) 865-8590
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Parking : Garage
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Dressy
Ambience : Classy
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Kimba Z.
This restaurant has a vegan menu! And you can get these dishes in Whiskers Pub too. Here are the features: * Vegan Sliders (black bean, amaranth, and falafel) * Quarter Pound Beet Burger (beets, brown rice, and lentils) * Chickpea & Kale Stew with cashews * Curried Lentils with Seitan * Falafel with quinoa pilaf Price range is $8-15. No hummus, boring salad, or roasted veggie plate to be seen! Nicely done!
(4)Herb A.
Do not order steak!!! I ordered the dry aged 20 oz center cut New York strip for $54. The steak was ordered at medium-medium well. The steak was gray throughout - definitely overlooked. Half inch think and no taste. No way it was 10oz. But if it were cooked properly and truly aged, it would not matter. Comment by my son "dry aged in the back of a freezer". All entries came with mashed potatoes. Just bizarre place. Definitely not worth the price we paid. After, we stopped next door at the Inn's other restaurant, Whiskers Pub, and spent $12 on a bbq sandwich. Would have taken the bbq sandwich over the $54 steak even if similarly priced.
(2)Anthony W.
Took my wife for the famous Seafood Buffet on Friday night during artsfest. Very disappointed in how far the quality of their food has gone down. It used to be great seafood fare such as crab legs and fresh fish. Not so much any more. Everything is dried out, the cocktail shrimp dry, warm, water logged and impossible to unpeel. At least they still have their lobster bisque although I noticed they are using imitation lobster instead of real lobster now. The service was good, but it was a buffet, so not much work required on the servers part. I forgot her name but she was very attentive and pleasant. The manager opened our bottle of wine that we brought and placed it in a ceramic chiller that was too big for our bottle and did not do a good job of keeping our wine chilled. He didn't seem to know much about wine. On top of that, they raised their corking fee from $3 to $10!!! For what? Missed their older manager who knew his stuff. I think his name was Robert oler. As far as value goes, this is one of the worst in state college. They raised the price from 22.95 to 28.95 per buffet and I have no idea how they justified it as they obviously cut costs on the food quality. I used to go here all the time and don't see myself going back anytime soon. What a shame. My advice: Skip the over-hyped buffet and order off the menu instead. You are allowed to do that but the hostess "conveniently" doesn't mention it. Just ask to see a menu. You get a much better food experience at a better value. Also: DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR GARAGE PARKING TICKET VALIDATED OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED.
(2)v t.
my friend and I both had stomach aches and the runs after having the seafood buffet. the scallops and the seared apple salad were the two things that were good, but not worth the bathroom runs. lobster bisque was too thick. it was like drinking coagulated heavy cream.
(2)Nikki C.
We had a great experience this weekend at The Nittany Inn. We arrived around 7pm on a Saturday night, and it was pretty empty. Normally not a good sign, and a little awkward, but don't let it fool you. We ordered an appetizer - sates, which was beef sauté on skewers with a peppery peanut sauce. Absolutely delicious and cooked really well! Very tender. For our entrees, we orders a pork chop (served over mashed sweet potatoes) and the Cornish game hen served over Brussels sprouts, potatoes, and bacon. Both entrees were absolutely delicious! We had a very good dessert as well - just a classic cheesecake, but it was perfect. All in all, it was a romantic, laid back, friendly experience. The food was cooked really well, and brought out at a perfect pace - we had just enough time between apps + entrees. I also liked that our waiter didn't hover, but was available. Great dining experience in State College!
(5)Lauren M.
Meh. We've been to the seafood buffet twice now, and the best way to describe the experience is catch as catch can (no pun intended). The first time, it was probably closer to 3 stars. The scallops in particular were perfectly prepared, and the lobster bisque is reliably excellent every time. The fried seafood was fine, though I'm not a huge fan of fried foods in general. The raw bar wasn't great. I guess it's tough to nail that one, this far from the coast. (But honestly, it you can't get it right, it's probably better not to even attempt it.) The other dishes (chicken, a couple of different preparations of fish) were pretty basic- and this a really expensive meal for them to be serving up basic. The second time was definitely a step down. To start, service was unbelievably slow. It took at least 10 minutes after we were seated for the waiter to find out we were his table (I say this because he - and multiple other staff members - had walked by several times before this without talking to us - and he was quite attentive once he did acknowledge us, so I'm guessing he just wasn't told right away). Fiance was ready to get up, explain in no uncertain terms to the hostess why we were leaving, and walk out - and had I not spotted colleagues from my department seated near the door, I would have been cool with it. On to the food. It seems like each time, there's one really standout dish surrounded by a sea (still no pun intended) of mediocrity. First time, the standout was the scallops; this time, it was the Cajun redfish. In fact, this second time around, the scallops were utterly flavorless and the mussels actually tasted bad. Fried seafood platter was still okay. Can't really comment on the raw bar this time, as it was empty when we got there and they never bothered to replenish it. I will say this: the salad bar was really decent both times, and I LOVE the cheese board with spreads and garlic toasts. It just seems like salad, garlic toast and cheese should not be the rock star items of an expensive seafood buffet at a nice restaurant. In any event, if you're looking to impress someone with a nice atmosphere and at least one or two passable dishes, you could do worse. And honestly, in spite of everything, it's still probably your best bet on seafood around here, unless you're into sushi (which - thank goodness - we are). But if you're a foodie, or with a foodie, pass. There are other, better places to go in the area.
(2)Liz M.
Sunday morning brunch spans 3 long tables of fab breakfast yums, and just-ok lunch offerings, in addition to an omelette bar and dessert table that will have anyone wishing they hadn't started that diet yet. Fancy ambiance makes you feel like you're not in state college...until you notice the fellow diners, but hey, they're trying.
(4)Matt O.
The interior is elegant and classic, and our large party was seated in a side room, which afforded us privacy during our lunch. I give it two stars instead of one because of this. Beyond that there's not much positive to say. The service was mediocre; our server seemed totally unprepared for anyone asking for a menu, and actually came across as annoyed. We had to go to a wait station to grab pitchers of water because no one was refilling our glasses. Also, our plates began to pile up, so we had to clear some of them onto the empty trays outside our room. There was a general lack of attentiveness from all the wait staff. The buffet was ok. Overall the food wasn't bad, but it was underwhelming. The carrot-kale soup was inedible. The two most important aspects of the restaurant, the food and service, were average to sub-par. I would not go back to The Dining Room.
(2)Rob P.
Overall, The Dinning Room is a good place. I've only been there for the various buffet offerings. The good thing is there is a ton of food to choose from. The bad thing is there's a ton of food to choose from. Because of that, the food in the steam tables tends to dry out on the less popular choices. In my opinion, less food should be placed in them in order to constantly put fresh food in them. The overall taste of the food is better than many chain restaurants, but not as good as some other upscale State College restaurants (i.e. Zola, Carnegie House). Overall, I'll be back. I typically go for special occasions or when I'm in the mood for multiple types of food.
(4)Robert B.
We were scouring the internet trying to find the nicest restaurant in State College. From past experience and from what we read everything was very casual. We really wanted to treat our son and our nephew to something special. Then the weather took a turn for the worse and we decided, "why not stay in and take a chance on the hotel restaurant". (Translated: let the college kids walk in the rain!) What a wonderful surprise, it was just what we had been looking for. Formal dining, classic menu, perfect service. We had an elegant meal. The food was wonderful... not great mind you... like a lot of hotel restaurants the food has a bit Catering Hall pre-preparation to it. I hate to say it but it's true... It's really good for State College.
(4)Mary L.
JACKPOT!!! I'm talking about the Seafood Spectacular Buffet on Friday evenings at the Nittany Lion Inn. I can't believe I've been here for 4 years and am just now finding out about this through word of mouth. Wonders never cease, I tell ya! As you can imagine, the idea of seafood in a land-locked area of the state doesn't typically excite me. Yes, I was pleasantly surprised that Red Lobster was pretty good out here but we're talking SEAFOOD BUFFET for $25/person. It was recommended to me by 2 very trusty sources so we all made a date to go there tonite. (In this next part I go into detail about what I ate, so skip this if you're already sold on the fact there is a $25 seafood buffet in State College.) We were greeted by a delicious seafood aroma when we approached the door of The Dining Room. A good sign. By the door was food station #1, where someone seared large scallops (we're talking bigger than the size of a quarter, some were half dollar-sized!) and cooked mussels in garlic and white wine! Penne pasta was also offered here, along with 3 types of sauces (marinara, alfredo, and a tequila lime) and carving station of london broil au jus (but really, why would you eat beef at a seafood buffet?). The middle of the room was a sides (and chicken-- but again, why eat chicken at a seafood buffet?) station. Tonite they served Chicken Breast in a pomegranate sauce with rice (I was so happy to see rice), crispy green beans, creamy garlic mashed potatoes, and a cooked white fish. In the back of the middle room was a fish station, where someone cooked 3 types of fish: salmon, monkfish, and a different white fish (haddock?). It smelled great and reminded me of home. Unfortunately, I didn't even make it to this station because I was so stuffed. At the far end of the room was the salad, shrimp cocktail, seafood pasta salads, raw oysters and clams on the half shell, a whole baked salmon, deep fried seafood (shrimp, scallops, crab cakes), a seafood sushi roll (my guess is deep fried tuna), and a really rich Lobster bisque. Oh and fruit. Wow! All in all, I ate as much as I could of those delicious mussels. How happy was I that the mussels were tender and not overcooked? I also love the comfort of the mashed potatoes, rice, and green beans. The seared scallops were really good-- again, not overcooked but were nicely browned on the outside. Lobster bisque was good but too rich for my taste, plus it just isn't efficient to fill up on a thick soup when there is other seafood to be had. The fried seafood I had were cold and seemed like it would've been tasty if they were hot out of the fryer. I'd skip the pasta to save room for you-know-what (seafood!). If we could give separate ratings, I'd give the desserts 2, maybe 3 stars. The sad part is you can only choose 1 of the 5 desserts per person. That is very anti-buffet! We chose 1 of each of the featured desserts, which was slice of fruit tart, chocolate cake, carrot cake, and a plate of 3 types of mousses (chocolate, lemon, and coconut). The 5th selection was Creamery ice cream. The carrot cake was the best and the others were mediocre. Our 2 experienced friends said they got creme brulee last time so I hope they offer this the next time I go back. Just a quick note about service: it was pretty close to excellent! Your plates are cleared quickly and our waitress frequently refilled our drinks. Everyone was very friendly and attentive. As of today, there was no online menu for the buffet; offerings change weekly. Reservations recommended, especially on football weekends. Parking in the Nittany Lion parking deck next door is free if you remember to bring in your parking ticket for validation on your way out. All in all, I highly recommend the Seafood Spectacular Buffet at The Dining Room! Definitely a nice place for a date, celebrations, or to satisfy your seafood cravings in State College!
(4)Paige D.
Well, I've never actually tried the buffet here, but this is where we take visiting faculty and recruits to breakfast. And man, do I sign up :) Both items I've had here have been awesome: the chorizo goat cheese quesadilla, and some sort of omelet (I can't remember what it's called) with fresh tomatoes, onions, and chipotle cream cheese. Oh yeah, chipotle. It was spicier than I expected, which in State College is only a good thing. They have good coffee, the wait staff is pretty attentive, and the food is about the same price as the waffle shop, but much more sophisticated. This is a great place for breakfast to take parents/visitors!
(4)