Location: 115 Nanticoke Ave., Endicott, NY 13760
Phone: (607) 757-2678
Cuisine: Breakfast/Lunch
Price: Around $20 for two
Review:
Before I begin, apologies to our loyal readers for taking so long between reviews. It's been over a month since the last one. Sometimes the day job gets in the way of writing...but it hasn't stopped us from eating and trying out some new places around the area. New to us, at least.
Corbin's Cafe can be found in West Endicott, near the intersection of Nanticoke and Main. I really hadn't heard too much about Corbin's before heading over to check it out, so I didn't have much of an idea what to expect. We arrived on a rainy Saturday morning around 11:00 AM and the place was bustling. It's a small restaurant with about 10-12 tables of various sizes scattered around its small dining room. Since they were busy, it took us a few minutes to get seated, but eventually we were seated at a small table near the front of the space.
The menu at Corbin's seems to be going for a slightly more upscale diner vibe. They offer various breakfast items, including some specialty omelet choices and Eggs Benedict, as well as sandwiches and wraps for those wishing to go the lunch route. Ever the breakfast fan, I decided to go with their special that day, a Mexican omelet served with home fries and toast. Megan tried out lunch, opting for a Turkey Bacon Ranch wrap with a side of slaw.
I really enjoyed my omelet, admiring it not only for the taste but also for the presentation. The omelet included seasoned ground beef, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and a little cilantro and was perfectly cooked and very tasty. I'd have to say this was one of the finer omelets I've had around town. The rest of the plate was just OK. The home fries were not my favorite and were perhaps a little overdone in spots, while the toast was soggy and soft rather than crispy like I prefer. However, it was still very good tasting bread, even if calling it "toast" might be a slight misnomer.
Megan did not care for her meal very much at all. She commented that her wrap was quite bland and was lacking in the promised ingredients, namely the bacon and the ranch. There was so little bacon in the wrap that at first, she thought they had forgotten to put it in, and not enough ranch dressing to provide much flavor. She did like the slaw, and ended up dipping her bland wrap into the slaw to infuse it with a little more flavor. In the end, I don't think Megan would be too enthusiastic about a return trip to Corbin's.
Service was about average for the area, and I'd say the atmosphere was a little cramped, but somewhat charming. They had some weird, vaguely operatic music playing that was rather loud and intrusive as well. I think Corbin's is a fine spot for a good breakfast in Endicott, but it is not without some flaws. I would definitely go again, and would give a mild recommendation to check it out for yourself.
Grade: B-
You should have tried the eggs florentine! Corbin's has the best hollandaise sauce!
ReplyDeleteAs a person who has been a regular, for 13 years, (unusual for many small businesses), I have to comment on the inaccuracy of some of your critique. The resturant has 14 tables. The Mexican omlet is made with seasoned ground pork,(used for the homemade sausage, as well), there was no cilantro, and toast and homefries are not NORMALLY temperatured.
ReplyDeleteThe resturant,(not an upscale diner) is in Union, not West Endicott.
As for Megan: if you check their menu on the website, you will find there is no Turkey-bacon-ranch wrap. There is a Turkey Club Wrap: turkey, no bacon, being the first ingredient. The flavor isn't supposted to come from the ranch dressing. If she needed it to be smothered, she could have asked for a side of ranch! The oriental coleslaw is a family recipe which IS a huge favorite with the clientel.
Andrea Bocelli was probably the "wierd, vaguely operatic" music you were listening to. (Also a favorite part of the "ambiance" with the REGULAR clientel.
My suggestion, if you want to be a REAL critique: bring a notebook, ask questions, and don't base your opinion on one experience. You went in looking for something to criticize, which anyone will always be able to find. By the way, our service has always been friendly and attentive, much better than average!
Anonymous #1 - Thank you for the suggestion!
ReplyDeleteAs for Anonymous #2 - I think it is wonderful that you have been a patron of Corbin's for as long as you have. Gaining support for local businesses is the reason why Dan and I started the blog in the first place and I can tell that you have truly enjoyed your experiences at Corbin's. However, I would like to clarify a few issues that you brought up in your comment.
First, and most importantly, Dan and I never go in to a new place looking for something to criticize. If anything, we approach every new place hoping to have a great experience and to find another local place that we love and can recommend to others. We always try to point out the good in our experience and actually dislike having to say negative things. Our experience in Corbin's was mostly a positive one and our write up reflects that.
Secondly, as for my turkey club wrap experience, while the website (which I cannot locate on a google search and perhaps you could provide) may not list bacon as an ingredient, a club sandwich by definition includes bacon and that is what I (perhaps mistakenly) expected. Yet, the real issue was not the lack of bacon. It also was not a lack of ranch dressing, which I do not like to be overwhelming, just present. It was simply the fact that in my opinion, I did not feel that the wrap had much taste. I love turkey wraps and order them often, so it was not that I was expecting something it could not live up to. I thought the slaw was very good and that is why I dipped my wrap in it. Others are welcome to disagree, hence the existence of personal opinions.
Thirdly, your approach of attempting to slight our review simply because we are not "regulars" misses the point of our blog and also your opportunity as a "regular" to let others know what you like about Corbin's. We write our blog on our own time and on our own dime simply to let others in the area know about the existence of these local places and encourage people to venture out beyond the chain restaurants. We do not make our presence when we go in to review a new restaurant known by writing in a notebook or speaking to managers in order to have an average experience that would be equal to that of any other person who reads our blog and goes to that establishment. Let's face it, for most people a new restaurant has only one chance to make a good impression to compel a repeat visit. We look to "regulars" like yourself to add helpful comments to highlight great things that we may have missed on our trip. You could have used your comment to do this, but instead you made it seem as if Corbin's is a place that may be unfriendly to those of us who are not "regulars". We can only report on our experience and our opinions and we do not seek to speak for everyone. You are also allowed your opinion, but you would be better served in your cause of promoting Corbin's (if that is your desire) to concentrate on what you like about their food, service, ambiance, etc., rather than passive-aggressively undermining our review.
I have to say Corbin's is the only place I will eat breakfast when I am in town. I grew up in Endicott and therefor know there is not much to offer in this area. However, Corbin's offers a refreshing change from the ordinary. They serve excellent food, all of which is prepared from scratch.
ReplyDeleteTheir blueberry, as well as their buckwheat pankcakes are to die for. They even offer maple syrup! If you are not into pancakes, try their Irish Royal. It is oatmeal with a delicious banana's foster sauce, topped with whipped cream and nuts. Mmmmm, just writing about it makes me hungry. Oh yeah, and the mexican omlet that was mentioned above is also amazing! It isn't on their regular menu, but I have seen it on their Saturday specials a few times.
As for lunch, although my favorite here is the fish and chips, I can recommend the buffalo chicken wrap, the philly cheese steak and the rueban. Corbin's serves their toast and sandwiches on this home made, thick and hearty bread. They have red river, which is like a wheat, white, pumpernickel and one other I can't remember the name.
Don't miss out on this place!!
We've been going to Corbin's for about 7 years. The food is excellent, the service is excellent and the price is fair for the quality of food. We love going to Corbin's. This whole area lacks that family owned, quality and classy attmosphere.
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