J’s White Elephant

I read the other reviews before going to check J’s White Elephant out as a possible party venue and, honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that I knew the girl who I was throwing the party for really wanted to go here, I probably would never have considered it. I mean, some of the reviews are not so great, and I take that stuff seriously. But wow, thank goodness I did give it a shot. I’m not sure when/​where these people’s experiences came from — but they were nothing like the one I had.
From the first time I stopped by (thinking it was a restaurant, which it isn’t: they have a bar/​lounge in the evening and do catering — the restaurant reviews are old) I was nothing but impressed. We stopped by thinking we would get dinner and surreptitiously scope out the venue but ran into the owner outside and she explained that they hadn’t been a restaurant in a while. She had someone give us a tour and walk us through options, menus, and pricing. The space was amazing; everyone was professional; and (biggest for me) the pricing was totally reasonable. We put money down right then.
We ended up doing a dinner event and it was a huge success. Everyone loved the venue, loved the food, loved the service… I was hugely relieved because there was a lot of pressure on me to make this party an amazing one. (It was entirely my own pressure, haha. Lost sleep for weeks planning this before I found this venue.) In the end, I was blown away by how amazing everything turned out.
After our event, I have absolutely no reservations about telling you to check out J’s White Elephant if you’re looking for a banquet facility. With three different sized spaces from very small to full fledged everybody’s there, you’ll be able to pick a space and a package that works for you.
Huge thanks to J’s White Elephant for making our event such a huge success!

Was here for a family banquet… dishes and glasses were dirty and they were under staffed. Drinks were watered down and beer selection is limited. Food isn’t much better. Would not recommend eating or drinking here.

My company booked a holiday party at this venue as a last resort. The «party package» my company purchased included well drinks, domestic beer, two kinds of wine, and appetizers. The drinks that were included seemed to change from person to person as well as the prices of items if you purchased outside the package. I initially asked for a rum and coke. After tasting the drink and realizing that I’d sooner get diabetes from the drink rather than a buzz, I purchased a Jack Daniels on the rocks. This same drink cost my friend $ 4 the first time she got it, $ 3.50 the second, and it cost me $ 7. I don’t understand the math there, but from moment one this establishment struck me as a shady place. The bartender’s lack of knowledge about her «profession» was only rivaled by her STELLAR personality. A St. Bernard with a brandy barrel would have been more entertaining. I know this place is a favorite among locals, so I expect they’ll get defensive, but sometimes you need unbiased eyes to examine the situation.

I am rating this for the nightclub and restaurant together. Sad to say but this is as classy as it gets in Lackawanna, besides Curly’s on Ridge Road. Dinner was nothing special. The menu was extremely limited and tasted like they microwaved my entrée, I had the special that night which was Lasagna. The only thing that had some flavor and taste was the Eggplant caprese which I had for my appetizer.
On the positive, after dinner hours they made the dining room into the nightclub dance floor, the floor lights up and the DJ came in and started to set up. The bar service was great, ask for Nick the bartender if you stop in, and the drinks were mixed well. At night this place becomes the place to be in Lackawanna on a Friday or Saturday night. The place becomes packed and the crowd becomes younger drawing in all the locals in the area. DJ played a good mix of music and kept the crowd dancing.
Would not recommend this place for dinner, but would definitely give it a chance at night on a Friday or Saturday to have a good time. Owner was very nice, he came to our table introduced himself and offered us a free cocktail after dinner.

Just rating this for the Nightclub /​Lounge aspect of the place, never ate here so could be OK for a restaurant.
As to coming here for a drink at night, well it was recommended by a friend to stop in on Saturday night. I was literally there for all of one minute before I wanted to go. Basically seemed like a bunch of older people at a meat market for pickup. The dance floor and lights for it were just annoying as was the music choice.
Basically, at 34 years of age and married, if I am going out I’d rather feel like the old guy in the room VS. being one of the youngest hippest people there. And that is not saying so much to me as a person as it is to the crowd this place caters to.
If you are single and 40+ wanting to relieve the glory days of the late 80’s and early 90’s check this place out, this may be right up your alley.

A bottle white, A bottle of red
When we walked in, the place was dead
Right in off the street
We were looking for a treat
But no one was at the door to greet
A bottle of red, a bottle of white
What will they have for us tonight?
We could have any table we want
In this new Italian Restaurant…
Ok, a little fun with them. According to the co-​owner, Karen, they just opened the restaurant up for general seating. I think the server, Brittany, was just as surprised to see someone in off the street for the restaurant as we were to find the place completely empty at 7:15PM.
The bar has been open for quite some time and before we left it was bustling with business. However, we were the only ones to actually be eating dinner there.
I got the eggplant, my date got the steak. Both were excellent. We also got a tongue altering plate of stuffed hot peppers, so no issues with food prep and quality. Service was… well, good, but still a bit odd. Chalk it up to the newness and the fact we weren’t expected to be there. Once we got seated –our choice of tables — Brittany did a good job serving, being very attentive but also managing adequate time between check-​ins. Honestly, she could have hovered and asked us how everything was every 5 minutes; we were the only ones there!
But we got some perks to that, too. Warm bread right out of the oven, a complimentary salad and the owner’s personal attention to our service. You’re not going to get that every day.
It did take us a while to get our check at the end. Small inconvenience, and something I’m sure they will be much more attentive to once the dining service is up and running full-​steam.
I’m giving them a 4-​star because after all, it is about the food. The service was very friendly even if there were some flaws in it and every restaurant is new at one time. We’ll try them again in a month when they’ve been running a bit longer and see how they’re doing.
Give them a call, let them know you’re coming in for dinner, try the White Elephant!

myself and my family went there for dinner, It might have been the best food & service I have ever had. John made his presance felt, Making sure everything was cooked the way we liked it, and it was. My son is a picky eater and they catered to his wants as far as dinner. I would recommednd this New restaurant to everybody.
Def a A+