Birthday dinners, family visits, dates, bored with Frank — no matter the occasion, it seems like Colgate University students are drawn to the Colgate Inn when looking for a nice, sit-down meal. The Inn is great — it has delicious food, a very quaint, cozy atmosphere and is conveniently located right in town, but it is not the only such restaurant in Hamilton. Seven Oaks Grill, which is just down the street from the Inn, offers another great option for Colgate students who want to sit down for a nice meal. Yet, for whatever reason, the Inn remains a much more popular dinner destination than Seven Oaks, despite (in my opinion) the superiority of the latter.
Firstly, since Seven Oaks is overshadowed by the Inn, it is usually pretty empty. Except for Family Weekend or Homecoming Weekend — times when getting food anywhere in town is nearly impossible — Seven Oaks does not have a wait. You can walk into the restaurant, be seated immediately, put your order in and receive your food with impressive speed.
The Inn is a different story. Even if you plan on going to the Inn on a weeknight, it is wisest to get a reservation to avoid a wait. Once you get seated, you can generally put your orders in pretty quickly, but the food takes a while to come out, especially for larger parties. As students, we have a lot on our plates (no pun intended), so it is important that the restaurants we choose to eat at can serve us fairly quickly. In this category, Seven Oaks comes out on top as the more efficient choice for students looking to sit down without sacrificing too much of their time.
The Colgate Inn and Seven Oaks have different aesthetics as restaurants. The Inn’s vibe is comfortable, homey and warm. It has a tavern-like feel with the wood flooring and dark-colored walls. The Inn is situated in the center of town, so the view of Hamilton from the windows is pleasant as well. Seven Oaks can be better described as country club-adjacent. The interior of the restaurant is not as tastefully decorated as the Inn’s, but it still features a pleasant, minimalist design. That being said, the view of the Seven Oaks Golf Course is magnificent. Especially in the late summer and early fall when the golf season is in full swing, the course serves as a stunning backdrop that elevates the dining experience at the Grill. While the moods are different, it is hard to deny that Seven Oaks offers a more impressive view of the beauty that Hamilton has to offer.
Another aspect of the dining experience that I find important is the variety of options available. Being a picky eater and a foodie, I gravitate toward menus with a variety of options. I like to see vegetarian options, seafood and other kinds of proteins on menus. In the appetizer section of the menu, the Inn offers eight options while Seven Oaks offers eleven. For entrees, the Inn and Seven Oaks feature eight and fourteen dishes, respectively.
Clearly, Seven Oaks has a greater number of options, but it also features dishes with more diverse flavor profiles. One item on the Oaks’s dinner menu that stuck out to me is the Kimchi Chicken, which is a piece of fried chicken served alongside a kimchi pancake. While I have never had this particular menu item, it sounds like something that I would absolutely try the next time I go. I have had other chicken options on the menu, such as the chicken parmesan, which was very tasty. Simply put, the Seven Oaks menu features a more impressive selection than the Inn’s.
Lastly, and most importantly, Seven Oaks has better food than the Inn. When I go out to eat, factors such as speed and quality of service, the vibe of the restaurant and the variety of options available are important, but, overall, it is the quality of the food itself that determines whether or not I consider going back. I want to note that I am not a food critic, nor have I eaten every item on either the Oaks’s or the Inn’s menu, so I am speaking from my personal experiences from dining at both restaurants. The food at the Inn is good, not great, and I always find myself satisfied yet underwhelmed after dining there. Seven Oaks, however, has great food. Every time I eat at Seven Oaks, I leave wondering why I don’t eat there more often.
None of this is to say that Seven Oaks is worlds better than the Inn, rather that I think Seven Oaks is underrated among the dining options available to the Colgate community. The Inn also has some notable advantages over Seven Oaks. For example, the Inn has brunch while Seven Oaks does not. The cookie skillet at the Inn is also a must-order dessert that you can’t find anywhere else in town. But, in the battle of upscale dining spots in Hamilton, Seven Oaks Grill is a criminally under-appreciated option given the qualities that it boasts.
