A Review of Donoli's Restaurant in Apalachin, New York

Donoli's Restaurant is an Italian inspired family-friendly restaurant Apalachin, New York is famous for their Friday night, lines out the door waiting to get in prime rib dinner. Parking is ample but typically crowded and if you go on a week night, chances are there will be little to no wait. Weekends are a different story and you may want to consider a reservation, or eat at the off hour.

A hostess will take your name and you can wait either outside or in the narrow entryway, which Donoli's expanded a couple of years ago to include some seating for those waiting to get in. During slower hours, you can typically enter the restaurant and seat yourself (there is a sign by the front door which will either ask you to wait for a hostess or to seat yourself).

To the right of the entrance is the "bar side", complete with a bar, and several booths. To the left numerous booths and tables typically seat the more family oriented. For when it is really crowded, Donoli's also has a back room, holding numerous tables and booths. Next door to Donoli's is their catering hall in which weddings, showers and other parties are held.

Aside from the famous prime rib, which you can order in either a 14 or 20 ounce cut, there are different sizes and types of steaks to choose from such as the 14 and 20 oz strip, Delominco, Porterhouse, Filet mignon or the baby back ribs, from $15.95 to 23.95. All steak entrees come with soup, salad, garlic bread and your choice of side. Chicken selections include the Chicken Parmesan ($10.95 for the small, $12.95 for the large), grilled chicken, chicken cordon bleu and chicken alfredo for $13.95.

Seafood dishes include broiled or fried haddock ($14.95) sauteed scallops ($15.95), fried shrimp platter ($14.95) or the seafood plate, which comes with fresh shrimp, scallops, crab blend and haddock for $16.95. For veal lovers, Donoli's offers more than the standard Veal Parmesan, such as Veal Francais, Veal scallopini and Veal alfredo, ranging in price from $15.95-16.95.

Donoli's has a number of pasta dishes on their menu, ranging from $7.95 for spaghetti with meatballs to linguine with clams or shrimp for $11.95. Traditional Italian entrées include fettucine alfredo, manicotti, mushroom, spinach, cheese or lobster ravioli, and meat lasagna. Taking a unique twist on the traditional lasagna, Donoli's offers (and which I recommend) the eggplant lasagna (layered baked lasagna filled with pieces of fried eggplant and mozzarella in between the layers). Another favorite of mine is the Rigatoni Donoli, ziti in a rich, creamy alfredo sauce with broccoli and mushrooms. The eggplant parmesan, available as either an entrée or sandwich is also delicious. All pasta dishes come with soup, salad and garlic bread.

To keep things interesting, Donoli's offers daily dinner specials. Monday is choice of a 16 oz porterhouse with mushrooms ($14.95) or the Italian feast (an Italian sampler of manicotti, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, ravioli and sausage for $9.95). On Tuesday, a 10 oz filet mignon ($14.95) with Italian greens and bacon or all you can eat spaghetti ($6.95). Wednesday's daily specials include shrimp scampi for $11.95, the prime rib for $16.95, or a pie and pitcher for $12.95.Thursday again offers the Italian feast or a chicken and ribs platter for $12.95. An every day special at Donoli's is the prime rib dinner with 14 oz prime rib for $14.95.

Service is typically well paced and fast, although on very busy nights you may have to understandably wait a bit longer. The wait staff is pretty efficient and the only complaints we have ever had regarding any of the waiters on our numerous trips to Donoli's was with one server, who no longer works there. A number of the staff at Donoli's have been there for several years, which to me indicates good management and owners who treat their staff well. The atmosphere is relaxed and a great place to go if you want to just kick back with a partner or friend, or to have a very reasonably priced nice family dinner. The food is extremely reasonably priced, and even though Donoli's continues to be popular, they have not taken advantage of their customers and raised prices astronomically as some restaurants do.

The food is very consistent, plentiful and good. Suggestions to try include the eggplant lasagna, Rigatoni Donoli, prime rib (juicy and tender) and a favorite of mine on Thursday nights, the chicken and rib special (an 8 oz. BBQ'd chicken breast, and a ½ rack of baby back ribs with extra BBQ sauce on the side-very tasty!). The fries are excellent and unlike most restaurants, I have never had fries come out soggy or cold. Donoli's serves their unique curly fries golden brown, hot and piled high in a basket. If you are in the mood for pizza, Donoli's also makes a good pie. The salads with each dinner entrée come with pepperoni, onion, olives and pepperocini and are pretty good. Soups served with entrees vary, depending on day and tend to be a bit on the thicker and saltier side but are often flavorful.

I have also attended a wedding in the Donoli's banquet hall and was pleasantly surprised to see what a great job the staff did in organization, decoration, the menu and service. There is even a small dance floor for celebrations with music. Donoli's offers a variety of banquet menus to meet any size gathering (up to 250) guests and wedding receptions range from $23.99 to $39.99, depending on menu selection.

Donoli's is a solid restaurant, good for bringing your family, to celebrate an occasion or to hang out with your friends or even a date. Bring your appetite-the food is plentiful and one thing Donoli's does not skimp on is quantity. This is not fine gourmet dining, but the flavors of the food are good, consistent (very hard to find) and the ingredients are of good quality. The menu is large and varied, so even picky eaters will find something. Donoli's is also a good restaurant to try some different dishes out that you are interested in trying because of the good consistency. I love the atmosphere of Donoli's and always have a good time when I go. It really is a good place to bring your family, (children included) and to bring out of town guests to (affordable, good service, good food and consistent so there are no surprises). You can also play quick pics during dinner, which can be fun, especially if you are on the bar side, and eat outside in the summer at some of the tables they have set up. Donoli's is also open late (10 during the week, 11 on Friday and Saturday) and the bartender is a real favorite with the regulars.