Brooks’ Brings Back Table Service Ahead of 75th Anniversary
By DAKOTA KEATS
SUNY Institute for Local News
ONEONTA
After a few uncertain years of operating as a buffet, Brooks’ House of Bar-B-Q is returning to full table service, restoring a dining experience many longtime customers have missed at the beloved Oneonta institution.
As of March 17, the family-owned restaurant has officially reopened its dining room with traditional sit-down service, marking a significant shift after a challenging period shaped by staffing shortages and the COVID-19 pandemic. The move also comes as the restaurant approaches its 75th year serving the community this summer.
Owner Ryan Brooks, a third-generation leader of the business, said the decision to bring back table service has been more than a year in the making and comes after one of the most challenging periods in the restaurant’s history.
“We had to adapt, but closing was never an option,” Brooks said.
When the pandemic struck, the Brooks family was forced to rethink how the restaurant operated. They initially shifted to takeout only, then by late 2021 they were able to reopen the dining room doors with a “fast casual” buffet style. Staffing levels dropped sharply, making it impossible to maintain the large team of servers the restaurant once relied on. Switching to a buffet-only model allowed the business to stay open at a time when many restaurants were shutting their doors.
The community remained supportive during that transition.
“A lot of people were just happy we were open,” Brooks said.
Still, for many cust-omers, the buffet lacked the personal touch that had long defined the Brooks’ House of Bar-B-Q experience. For decades, the restaurant has been known for attentive service—for servers who recognize regulars, refill drinks without being asked and make families with young children feel welcome.
“Service is why you come back,” Brooks said. “Food is important, but if we have bad service, you are not coming back tomorrow.”
As staffing levels improved, Brooks began laying the groundwork for a return to table service. Current employees are being retrained for new roles, and additional staff are being hired from the community. Catering and takeout services will continue alongside dine-in operations.
In the days leading up to reopening, half of the dining room was temporarily closed to allow staff to focus on hands-on training. Brooks invited guests to help simulate real dining scenarios so servers and kitchen staff could practice timing, communication, and guest interaction.
The restaurant has also created what Brooks calls a “knowledge book,” outlining service standards and expectations, with special attention paid to families with young children. Staff are trained to anticipate needs, move efficiently and create an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome.
“We want to give them what they need before they need it,” Brooks said. “It is training, training, training.”
The return to sit-down service also brings menu updates designed to enhance the shared dining experience. Classic favorites like strip steak, the sampler dinner, and beef and pork buns and dinners are making a comeback. They are joined by new shareable appetizers such as brisket nachos, pulled pork nachos and towering onion ring platters. Oversized soft pretzels and expanded dessert options add to the sense of occasion, while a selection of craft mocktails ensures that guests of all ages can enjoy a specialty drink.
For the Brooks family, the transition is about more than serving food—it’s about bringing back the warmth and spirit generations have long associated with the James Beard award-winning restaurant. On Oneonta’s east end, Brooks’ House of Bar-B-Q has been a destination for many years, drawing families, returning SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College alumni, and the support of local institutions and longtime residents.
The past several years tested Ryan Brooks’ resilience, with long workweeks and constant uncertainty. He has been determined to keep the business alive, however. He relied on the foundation that has carried the restaurant for three generations: family. This includes the Brooks family, the staff, and the local residents and their extended families who have supported the restaurant since 1951.
The restaurant is continuing to hire waiters and waitresses to support the full-service dining room, Brooks said.
The March 17 reopening served as a soft launch, with a focus on service and quality rather than publicity. A larger celebration is planned for Wednesday, June 24, when Brooks’ House of Bar-B-Q will mark its 75th anniversary with live music, giveaways and a community gathering under an outdoor tent.
“We are still here because of them,” Brooks said of the Oneonta area community.
This story was created by student reporters through the OnNY Community Media Lab, a program of SUNY Oneonta and the SUNY Institute for Local News.
