The Colonial has been a go-to spot for not only the Binghamton community since its opening, but also for college students because of its more than ideal location. The restaurant has the perfect blend to include all age groups into its atmosphere, creating a warm and inviting space for all. Each Restaurant Week, The Colonial adds something new to the menu or switches it up so that it’s not repetitive, which is a nice change from some other menus.

Around lunchtime, there was a steady buzz going on within the restaurant as people talked and had their taste of the Restaurant Week menu for a mere $12. This price is well within most college students’ budgets for a three-course meal. As I looked over this year’s menu, I appreciated the fact that they have something for all diet preferences: gluten-free, vegetarian and, of course, meat-lover options were there. Because I am not the biggest fan of meat, I was happy to see that the appetizers and entrees had lots of selections I could choose from. For the first course, their options were a creamy tomato soup with grilled cheese strips, Brussels sprouts with garlic aioli or a roasted cauliflower Caesar salad. Since their options were all predominantly meatless, you could add bacon or chicken on if that’s up your alley.

The choice for me was a very tough decision, seeing as I loved all the appetizer options, but after looking at the menu for an extra few minutes than necessary, I finally decided. The Brussels sprouts stuck out the most to me, and I decided not to add bacon. When they came out, I was pleasantly surprised to find they were cooked exactly the way I like them: light and perfectly crispy. Sometimes Brussels sprouts can come out to be a little bland, but the garlic aioli really helped divert from that problem.

For my entree, I wanted to go with one of the two vegetarian options: the portobello slammer or the Caesar salad. I went with the portobello slammer, since I was not feeling just a salad. When the burger came out, the presentation was impeccable, with a branded logo of The Colonial on top and a knife right down the middle holding the insides together. The mushroom was served on a toasted bun with hummus, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach with a side of traditional fries. The hummus and sun-dried tomato was a nice touch and complimented the marinated mushroom nicely. The fries, as always, were crispy and addicting, making it hard to not fill up solely on them. I was so surprisingly full from the appetizer that I was not able to finish the burger.

Their other burgers ranged from their signature Colonial burger to a blackened chicken sandwich with roasted red pepper, grilled onions and garlic aioli. Another option was the Caesar salad with romaine lettuce, Caesar dressing, Kalamata olives and parmesan cheese. No matter what your food preferences are, there is something to please everyone on the menu.

Perfectly in time with the uncharacteristically nice Binghamton weather, the milkshake for dessert was the perfect touch. The Colonial had three flavors to pick from: chocolate, vanilla and shamrock. Since I didn’t get the chance to fulfill my shamrock shake kick, I decided to go with the shamrock flavor and was delightfully surprised. The shake was everything you would expect it to be and more, with mint chocolate chunks at the bottom that added an extra minty flavor to it. Within a couple of minutes, it was gone much too soon. You could even spike the milkshake for an additional $5 if you wanted something a little boozy.

Overall, The Colonial serves up a stunning meal once again, and their service was even better. They are always great with a smile and are extra attentive, no matter how busy they are.