Veranda Cafe

It's a shame this restaurant is so poorly managed. I feel like it has so much potential.  The location is absolutely gorgeous, overlooking the silver lake golf course and the building itself is very charming but the food quality leaves you feeling so disappointing because it's simply edible and nothing more.  The bar area is quite nice and the golfers that gather there make it a friendly place to have a drink.  I live close by and would love to see this place live up to it's potential and it's ambiance.

Well seeing the other 2 reviews, i'm not sure this place is the same place I ate at. I can't believe how bad a dining experience this has been. I have heard of this Thursday prime rib dinner special so I was eager to try it since I live very close to this place. The special that is advertised is a complete 16oz. prime rib dinner for $16 or a 20oz. dinner for $20. Good deal, right? I decided to try it with my family of 4 tonight.
First thing I noticed pulling into the parking lot was there were only 2 cars there. OK maybe I should have known better and I know it's a Thursday, but even at this price where are the customers? Already a bad sign. It was 7:00pm when we walked in and nobody was in the dining room and 4 people in the bar area. The manager,who was a bit tipsy to say the least, greeted us in the bar area and a waitress seated us in the dining room. The place was as quiet as a library and we started playing some music on my iphone just to break the silence in the room and add some background noise to our conversation. I have to say that the waitress was the best part of the dining experience. She was very attentive and apologetic for the shortcomings.
We ordered an appetizer of fried calamari. I know it was an appetizer but it was the smallest portion and most overdone I have ever had.(not to mention it had an unappetizing fishy smell to it) Tough like shoe leather. As small a portion as it was, we didn't finish it. The salad was standard, but how can you screw that up? Bag of mixed greens salad,bottled dressing. No brainer. After a rather long wait our main course came out. My wife and I both ordered the prime rib medium, which came out well done and very grizzly. We each didn't eat more than 2 or 3 bites. My teenage son ordered a rib steak rare($23), which he was served a medium prime rib,not a steak. He was ok with it as it was not overdone like the other 2 dinners were. Actually my young daughter was the most content wih her meal of chicken fingers and french fries. How bad is that when the best meal was nothing more that frozen food cooked in a deep fryer. Well needless to say we couldn't wait to get out of here, and cut our losses,paid the bill and left. On the way out we saw the manager again in the parking lot drinking beer with 2 patrons.  Too bad since it's a neighborhood place for me and i've been golfing here for 30+ years. I will never be returning for dinner.
And FYI if you go there with 6 or more people in your party, the menu clearly states that in addition to the  sales tax of 8.875%, there is a 18% service charge and a 18% gratuity charge. This is 44.875% added to your check. I thought it was clearly a typo until I questioned and it was confirmed by the waitress.

The Verranda Cafe at Silver Lakes golf course on Staten Island is truly an unknown gem of New York City.  45 minutes from lower Manhattan (1/2 hr on the ferry and 15 minutes by bus that leaves immediately upon the ferry's arrival), it's best described as a county club gone public, complete with breathtaking views of sunsets over the course and with a top notch restaurant that servers fantastic gourmet American and Italian food prepared by the very creative chef Mike Campell.  And if that's not enough, it's very affordable as well.  Thursday's menu features a prime rib special for $20.  Appetizers included a roast duck quesadilla with anouille sausage served with a home made salsa and sour cream.  

If you're in the mood to get out of the city and enjoy a country club atmosphere, great food and great prices, hop on the ferry and 61 bus and take an idyllic break from the urban rat race.