The Roycroft Inn

Delicious food. Great service. Live music. And you can even order a sliver of dessert.

Hosted a wedding for 100 people here in July 2010, and it was magical! The food was unforgettable!

I came here for lunch with friends a couple weeks ago. I was excited to see the inn and the campus in general as I’m a big fan of the arts and crafts movement. The interior is definitely a feast for the eyes. The service though, as seems to be commonly remarked in other reviews, isn’t so great. No one greets you when you come in, and we had to go find someone to ask for a table.
One friend and I both ordered salads that were supposed to include bacon, but being vegetarians, we asked for it to be left off. No problem according to the waitress. When the salads finally arrived, they were both topped with… bacon. Not the waitress’ fault, that’s the chef’s fault, and the salads were remade for us, but seriously, that’s a pretty simple request to miss. Also the service was incredibly slow for a nearly-​empty dining room.
Overall it’s a beautiful atmosphere and the food isn’t bad, but the service needs to be kicked up a notch or two to make me want to revisit.

Best. Brunch. Ever.
$ 24 on a Sunday morning with an empty stomach… you will be in heaven. The atmosphere is just beautiful. No matter what the season, the building and it’s surroundings look magical.
As I was saying… BRUNCH! Sunday morning! Oh my gosh. First off, it comes with one bloody mary, mimosa, or poinsettia You get up, grab a plate, and just feel so overwhelmed by the amount and quality of the food to choose from. There’s a carving station with two or three fresh meats, giant smoked salmon, fresh made crepes, omelettes, eggs, bacon, sausage, vanilla pancakes, a HUGE table of deserts, and more and more and more.
I am telling you that you need to wear stretchy pants. You must go enjoy this beautiful gem!

Update 11÷7÷2016:
I feel compelled to make an update re: my original review; The staff quickly intervened in this issue, contacting my Fiancé and I within 24 hours of the event. We already had a meeting arranged with the Sales Manager, David Majka, to discuss details about the Inn for a wedding reception, so we agreed to sit down with them to discuss what happened.
We met with the Innkeeper Martha Augat and I must say, I am impressed and very appreciative that she was so understanding and apologetic about what had transpired. Everyone expressed their regret that something like this had happened and were quick to assure us it did not represent the staff at the Inn. Based on their sincerity (and the quality of the tour/​information David gave us), I am inclined to believe them.
I would also like to make note of our original experience here: we both stayed at the Inn for a night and had dinner there – both of which were absolutely lovely. Rude comments aside, it was one of the most pleasant experiences I have ever had. The food was absolutely delicious – we ordered off the specials menu (I, the chilean sea bass, and my fiancé, the elk) and everything was amazingly prepared and absolutely divine. The waitstaff was kind, accommodating and extremely well-​mannered.
The room itself was an absolute treasure. If you are an architecture aficionado such as myself, you will be blown away by the unique character that the Inn has to offer. On a practical level, the rooms were spotless and kept in wonderful shape. Though they do not have an in-​room coffee pot or refrigerator, we noticed both were available in a room across the hall (along with the ice machine).
If you are going to be anywhere near Buffalo, I would definitely recommend stopping by the Inn, at least just to check out this wonderful, historic treasure.
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Original Review (11÷6÷2015)
This review is purely because of the RUDE «docent» Dorothy Clough who represented herself as part of the Inn. Not only did she constantly disrupt a beautiful and delicious meal with my fiancé, she had the gall to give me some «advice» as we were leaving – she grabbed my arm and head and said I should lose «30, 40, 50 lbs» to keep him happy and that I should keep myself in good shape for my future kids – all of this without solicitation.
We drove here 5 hours (and are staying the night) to consider this place for our wedding venue – now, I’m not so sure I want to come back to a place like this. I had my heart set on this place, but now I’m afraid all I can think of will be this woman’s needlessly cruel comments.
It’s a shame – the Inn staff saw her going from table to table, interrupting personal conversation and did nothing to stop it. I do not know if she is actually employed with the Roycroft Inn, but she seemed chummy enough with everyone that she must be a staple. She was in the hotel lobby when we came back from walk around town, seated at a desk, so she must have some position at the Inn. I can’t imagine the number of people she’s likely driven away with her unscrupulous and downright mean comments.
If you come for dinner or a room, you will not be disappointed – just beware of the gargoyle who hangs around here.

Very disappointing they ran out of daily special of soup and sandwich and provided nothing as a substitution. My second choice, turkey panini with cranberry mayo was served with plain mayo. I will vote with my feet and never go back.

Pro:
Nice, decent, comfortable beds
very spacious
Bath tub
Con:
Wifi may not work in half the establishment. First room I was in had intermittent wifi so I changed rooms. However the second room I ended up getting no wifi. Parts of dining area have no wifi.
The rooms are not well lit. The desk area should have brighter lighting for people that need to do some work.
Television channels may not be clear in some rooms.

We just had a wonderful dinner experience — a beautiful table for 6 near the fireplace, lovely ambiance with a nice quiet setting so we could talk around the table without shouting, attentive and friendly service and delicious and varied food. It was Restaurant Week so we tried their $ 20.15 menu. I had the Caesar salad (offered anchovies by the server– perfect), the duck breast entrée and the pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. All for $ 20.15 seems crazy! All the meals around the table were awesome. Many wonderful choices and also a choice of wines for $ 20.15 as well. Beautiful Arts and Crafts building with so much history — a beautiful place for dinner.

Never accept a room on the first floor unless you enjoy hearing the every step of the guests above you. And the front desk staff need to be briefed on guest relations. Smile. Greet guests. Thank them when they pay FFS.

I am going to bail out the Roycroft Inn as a result of the brunch I had yesterday. For starters, I didn’t experience any service issues at all, though this might be attributed to the fact that I had a reservation. Next, I sampled many of the buffet offerings they have, and while I may be more of an incognito Unilocal reviewer for the time being, I do like to get a good sense of what a restaurant’s fare is like. So I will go into detail here:
— Smoked salmon: I’m more of a hot-​salmon guy, but this cold smoked salmon was said to be put into the house smoker, so my mouth and I came away impressed.
— BBQ Beef brisket: A little fatty, but the tenderness of the meat makes it melt in your mouth and you forget about any fat.
— Omelet station: Typical omelet selection, nothing over the top but nothing bland.
— Chimichangas: The highlight of the brunch, these were very tasty with a little kick to it. I wish I had gotten seconds.
I would give a more in-​depth review, but I mistook a beet for cranberry sauce, and it completely crashed my culinary palette…

We booked a room for Saturday night over the phone! Arrived to find out there were two wedding happening the same evening. During check in I asked are we going to hear the noise from the party — no you won’t. I said ok. What do you think? We couldn’t sleep all night because our room was right above the banquet hall! When we complained we were told this was the only room available in the whole hotel?! Hello? When I called to book a room I told we are traveling from far and have two small children with us could you please give us quite room. Why not to say then — just so you know we have weddings going on the same day? Or when checking in — so sorry it is a last room in our hotel and I am afraid you might hear noises from the party right below you!
Gorgeous building. Horrible service. No breakfast option!

We held our family gathering at the Ropycroft, May 28-​June 1, 2015. We wouldn’t have held it anywhere else. We are historically from WNY (Hamburg) but are spread to the corners of the world now. Nieces/​Nephews came from Abu Dhabi, Germany, & New Zealand. 24 people, (4 toddlers, 3 preTeens), seven rooms. See, we were not just Boomers, but three generations. We have done this before, again we had a wonderful time, carried off flawlessly. We had plenty of requests and the staff (David & Celeste in the Banquette office, Melissa in Reservations) made it happen, just as we wanted everything to go. Catered dinner Saturday with prime rib (large, rare) or chicken; specials for the children; good wine choices (from the Northwest, where we reside); personalized service with two waitrons, upstairs behind closed doors. Best yet, Friday dinner, as we arrived, outside on the end of the porch where they set up one long and two 8-​person round tables; we stayed till 10 p.m. – I hope we weren’t too boisterous! We did breakfasts here, too, and there are lots of restaurant choices literally in walking distance. When requested all bills were combined and attached to one party; when separate bills, happily done, all accurate, to the right person/​room. We always felt served, informal and comfortable, yet honored. ANd in the end, the price was, well, reasonable; I was literally joyed, surprised at how moderate for all we did.
We do have a history here. This was our second family gathering in 4 years. The Aunts & Nieces met here annually from 2000 for ten gatherings. As we scattered, two first-​timers stated we need to do this again, before five more years pass.
The art & history of the place are elsewhere well described. Negative comments about small town must have been submitted by those who just don’t understand sweet, attractive small towns of Upstate New York. East Aurora is still, half a century later, bustling, stable, well cared for, a place you’d love to live AND visit.
We would recommend the Roycroft for family gathering, Memorial gathering, wedding. I know we will be back in the next 5 years, with the whole clan, from around the world.

It was a beautiful night to sit out on the porch. It was warm and the sun was still up. Unfortunately, kids were screaming and playing on sidewalks just a few feet from where we were eating. They were very small and the parents had no interest in letting the guests that evening enjoy a nice quiet dinner. Our waiter was very nice but the service was very slow! The artichokes they bring to the table were tasteless and the bread chewy! Our lobster unfortunately looked gray and I could not eat it. I hoped for a great dessert menu but it was bland. We ended getting cupcakes in town at Firefly’s
For the atmosphere I would go again for maybe lunch but not the dinner. Too expensive for subpar meal.

We are frequent customers of the roycroft and thoroughly enjoy our meals whenever we go, however this weekends meal may have been our last due to the extremely poor service and undercooked food we received. When we arrived we were sat at a table meant for 7 even though we had only 4 guests. It took over 15 minutes for a server to come over and get our drink orders, which is fine because we are normally patient people. We put in an appetizer and and after it was cleared, we waited around 50 minutes for our entrees, and when it came to our entrees our entire table was appalled. My mother ordered the rack of lamb medium rare and it came out as completely rare with a layer of fat covering it. Attached is a picture. We sent the dish back and it came back out as rare as it went back in so needless to say the dish went untouched. The creole pasta dish we ordered came out cold, and thankfully after we sent it back it came out piping hot. The 3^rd dish we ordered, the halibut was dry and tasteless. The lobster risotto was perfect as always. We finally ordered two expressos and they both came out luke warm and at that point we couldn’t wait to get out of there. We are normally not complainers but we ended up paying 250 dollars for a meal that was hardly enjoyable. We emailed the staff but got no response, pretty disappointing for what used to be a high quality restaurant.

During a recent visit to see family in Buffalo, my parents suggested we go to the Roycroft for drinks and music. Since this would be my first time there, I was pretty excited to check out the location given its historic significance in the area. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations and would have rather had a drink elsewhere in the area.
Heads up! The crowd on a Friday night is basically an orgy of affluent baby boomers, so if you’re under the age of 40, I’d highly suggest skipping The Roycroft. The setup is a bit awkward, too. The band was located near the main entrance, which means you’re basically on stage when walking into the lounge. There are a variety of tables, chairs, and couches for people to sit at, dine, and listen to the music, but get there early if you want a decent seat. The bar is pretty tiny and is located about halfway back in the main lounge area.
Ordering drinks was way more complicated than it had to be. One glass of wine, a beer and an Old Fashioned had to be repeated several times only to have a Manhattan prepared instead of the Old Fashioned. This place isn’t terribly expensive, but the price doesn’t match the quality of the service or quality of drink (especially the mixed cocktail).
The band was alright, but it was very hard to make small talk while they were playing. We listened to a few songs before heading over to Taste for dessert and coffee.

The food was delicious but the service was slower than slow. I ordered the Lobster Bisque soup as a starter and had the steak and lobster as my meal. It was very tasty, but very expensive for WNY small town dining. I would give 5 stars for the food but the service was so slow, that it’s hard to give more than 3. Only one waitress for the entire room and one girl helping her with waters. The water girl filled up our waters two to three times and brought us bread before the waitress even came over to ask us for additional drinks.

Apparently I echo numerous other reviewers here when I say that the service here is just abysmal. We went to Roycroft last night for Restaurant Week; upon entering we see they’ve set up many tables directly in the lounge area, perhaps to accommodate for additional patrons? The hostess station is in the back of the lounge area, so it was awkward and confusing to know where to check in for our reservations.
Upon being seated, the waitress took over 5 minutes to come back and introduce herself… if you can even call it that. She never said what her name was, never asked how we were doing, or if we were familiar with their Restaurant Week specials… she just kind of stared at us, and finally mumbled did we wanted something to drink.
Honestly, I understand that Restaurant Week may bring out a different crowd for place like Roycroft Inn, who may regularly attract in their eyes the «wealthy elite», but patrons are patrons and we felt like an afterthought the whole evening. Then again, who are they to judge who is worthy enough to dine in their establishment? They have no idea who any of us are, and to assume we’re only there because it may be «cheaper» during Restaurant Week, is presumptuous, rude and frankly insulting (again, this is just the vibe I got from the servers… why else would they be so terrible?).
The rather lengthy intervals in between each course, made us ponder «well at least we have time to digest». The food thankfully was good. I ordered the salmon filet with dried horseradish and mustard seed and arugula pesto; the arugula pesto was really tasty, and added a lot of flavor to the dish. We also enjoyed the espresso chocolate truffle cake and the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake.
Overall, I wonder if this review is clouded by the fact that we decided to go during Restaurant Week. However, many of these other reviewers went during other weeks, and seemed to experience similar misfortunes. When your restaurant, both historically and reputationally has people constantly coming in the door, you’d think each time would be a great experience. Roycroft needs to start reading this feedback, and realize that their history and reputation may not precede itself anymore if they continue to treat their patrons this way.

First of all, the Roycroft itself is gorgeous. I’m a huge fan of the Arts and Crafts aesthetic, and so just walking into this space was a treat. The woodwork, furnishings, architectural and design elements were all stunning. We enjoyed pointing out, and being surrounded by, all of the beautiful little details — the understated wallpaper, the clean lines of the furniture, the polished wood floors, the rugs, the tiles, everything.
Our suite was basically a large square divided into four smaller rooms — an entry room with a mirrored bureau and a wardrobe; a sitting room with two wicker arm chairs, a table between, a TV and a desk-​and-​chair; the bathroom, which was large and spacious with a whirlpool tub and separate shower; and the bedroom, with — well, a bed, two nightstands and one chair. Again, all of the details were impeccable: the lamps and sconces and even the small side tables.
The lobby is filled with original A&C and Stickley furniture, and the Craftsman Lounge is just beautiful, with gorgeous light fixtures and a large fireplace. Unfortunately, it was hard for us to enjoy any of these common spaces. On our first night at the Inn, we wandered around the lobby en route to have a drink in the lounge, and sat down on a well-​worn but still beautiful couch just to take it all in. As we did, an employee came by to light some candles nearby, and it was as though we had personally pissed her off. She gave us a bitchy look, slammed down her box of tea lights, lit the candles near us, and stomped off. OK, we figured she was having a bad night, so we went on our way.
There were probably half a dozen other patrons in the Craftsman, either in the bar proper or in the large adjoining space. We ordered drinks and took them to sit in Morris chairs near the fireplace. Although it was 6pm on a Friday evening, the staff still seemed to be setting up – they were rearranging furniture and lamps, and calling back and forth to each other. No one, not even the manager, greeted us. In fact, we seemed to be in the way. As one employee was moving a table, I had to pull my feet up so that she wouldn’t trip on me. Why couldn’t this be done before the lounge opened? The employees were chatting and gossiping as though no customers were around, and we felt — well, we felt as though we were in the way.
This feeling, sadly, continued throughout the weekend. That evening, there was a memorial service in the lobby. The next day, there were two wedding receptions, and Saturday night, there was an actual wedding. Every time we had to pass through the lobby during these events, we had to push our way through crowds of people in various states of inebriation and fancy dress. On Saturday during the day, we didn’t dare drive anywhere for fear of losing our parking spot.
All of this would’ve been fine, but Saturday night the wedding was… loud. VERY loud. We had originally planned on having dinner in the restaurant, but changed our mind when we knew there was a wedding happening there. It’s a good thing we did, because when we got back from having a lovely meal at Rick’s in town, the DJ and band were so loud that we could hear them IN OUR ROOM. At least for this event, we didn’t have to fight our way through a crowd just to get through the lobby, but having to listen to (and try to drown out) a wedding band playing «Space Cowboy» and «She’s Always A Woman» — not to mention the DJ screaming in between — definitely put a damper on what was supposed to be a quiet, romantic getaway weekend.
I understand that, especially during the off-​season, a hotel has to make its money somewhere, and clearly events like this are how the Roycroft makes it money. But the hotel management needs to understand that there are guests who come just to enjoy the ambiance — and we were never treated like guests. Even the front desk people were coldly efficient. At no point did anyone say «Welcome to the Roycroft!» or, really, even «Hello,» unless it was absolutely necessary. Despite the fact that we had paid a good deal of money to stay at this Inn, we were treated like looky-​loos who wandered in off the street.
So, atmosphere and décor? A+. Hospitality? C– or D.
Also? When we visited it was late February/​early March, For crying out loud, take down the Christmas decorations.

Who ever heard of East Aurora, I thought, as I was wondering whether to buy a heavily discounted coupon for the Roycroft Inn. It turned out to be one of my best-​ever travel decisions. The town itself is quite enchanting and, for someone who appreciates Arts & Craft architecture and décor, the Inn is a living museum. The level of detail and quality for this restoration of a building over 100 years old deserves awards.
Staff is professional but friendly, the room I was given (Rembrandt) was very comfortable, spacious and had a great view. I ate in the dining room both nights (black cod one evening [excellent], lamb the next [they need to find another supplier]) and breakfasted twice (good home-​made granola, an interesting scrambled egg wrap). The food prices are quite reasonable, especially for breakfast, and locals seem to enjoy the menu here as well.
I would detour to visit again.

For the Mother’s Day Weekend, my mother and I stayed at the Roycroft and enjoyed their Sunday Brunch.
The rooms here are spacious and beautiful; the layout is great and you can truly relax while staying at the Roycroft. The washroom could also be another bedroom. I thought the option to make the bath tub a whirlpool was really neat. We also really enjoyed the Sunday Brunch. Reasonably priced for a variety of items. Service was excellent.
Good for: weekend getaways, relaxing