What an excellent lunch spot! It's a must stop!…read more We came here for a quick lunch spot after a tour of the state capitol. Well worth it! The Smash Burger and Chicken Wrap were great. Seasoned to perfection and very tasty! The house salad was ok nothing to report home about! Service and ambiance were great. I would return here for a dinner! Highly recommend.

This review is strictly for brunch on a Sunday, and directed at ownership/management:…read more You guys, really? First, your Brunch menu and food are excellent, when we finally got our food - after roughly an hour of waiting - I was instantly reminded of why Dove and Deer is great - bold flavors, excellent preparation, gorgeous plates all in a city that desperately needs it. Second, I really felt bad for the 3 people responsible for running an entire restaurant on a Sunday (two waiters and one person in the kitchen). They did their absolute best, were so kind and apologetic, but obviously completely stressed out and frazzled. Tables got up and left after waiting for someone to get back to them - and we almost did too. It's unfair to restaurant staff to put the burden of running an entire place on them. I get if someone called off and you're short staffed 1 or 2 people, but did everyone call off? Besides 3 people? Come on. You have a real opportunity to be a go to brunch destination, my advice is to staff appropriately and give it a real go or risk customers not getting to experience the greatness that is your food - and taking their dollars to someplace far more mediocre. The only reason this isn't a 2 star or 1 star review is because of how hard your staff tried, and how good your food is (when it finally shows up).

My wife is from Albany, and I've been making the trip to the Capital Region for the past 14 years…read more During all that time, I can honestly say this is the best meal I've had in the area. Every course was exceptional. The crab cake was outstanding, the pasta was cooked perfectly, and, as my wife said, it was the best blondie dessert she's ever had. The service was warm, attentive, and professional from start to finish. The cocktails were also outstanding--easily on par with some of the best we've enjoyed in major cities across the country. This restaurant exceeded our expectations in every way. It's clear the team takes pride in every detail, from the food and drinks to the hospitality. My wife and I will absolutely be back. Bravo to the entire staff for an unforgettable dining experience!

Great ambiance, nice staff, good food, decent portion sizes, but slow service…read more I feel like it would be rude to give this a harsh 1 star review like the others, we ordered two orders of truffle fries and a salad and it took 25 minutes to get them. In the mean time the wife and I just drank. Had a Lyre Rum Moscow Mule Mocktail, it was similar tasting to the real thing.

Wow! We had a great experience at the Delaware! The ambiance is excellent. It's a moody vibe with…read moreforest wallpaper and hanging air plant planters with candles in them hung from the ceiling by string (I was impressed they have to turn each of the candles on every night!). The food and cocktails were delicious! We had a Nigroni and Blackberry Basil drink. The Nigroni was blended well, smoky and a good quality. The Blackberry Basil drink was also delicious, which says something as I'm a picky cocktail drinker! I ordered the bucatini which was flavorful with specialty mushrooms and whipped feta. The description slightly varied from what I received as I didn't see any of the nuts described but it was so good I'll overlook it. My husband had a buttery bass which he enjoyed. Our chocolate cake was rich and the perfect size for a sweet ending. Waiter was attentive and friendly. Overall highly recommend and thought the value was on par for our area. Also bonus points for cardboard takeout containers. I hate plastic and styrofoam.

For some reason, a lot of my local Yelp searches didn't include The Delaware, which was just wrong…read more Now that I've been there for dinner, that's no longer a concern. This restaurant has a lot of things going for it which appeal to me. They do need to clean up their web information, and with that, the associated Yelp information. Both list the weeknight opening time as 5pm, and yet in different spots, they list a weekday happy hour starting at 4pm. Other snippets of conversation I overheard imply they have to make a few other menu updates. But as per my review, that didn't adversely affect my opinion of the place at all. We did, in fact, show up during the "happy hour period prior to 5pm," and we sat at the bar for drinks, for happy hour foods, and for our dinners. The happy hour menu is vague for cocktails... "well crafted cocktails" will be discounted, but you really have to ask which ones get the discount or not. We were content to order some of their regularly crafted cocktails. We were inundated with menus as well, one of which we got by mentioning it was our first visit there. That had two of immediate interest, the lobster and scallop crusted salmon, and the quail. I had never had quail, so of course I had to try it, and it was delicious (as was the salmon, which I also got to sample). I can't comment on table service, since we sat at the bar for the entire evening, but that was quite enjoyable... friendly service, made to feel welcome immediately, great conversation among staff and patrons. I look forward to exploring more of their offerings on future visits.

The copper crow is great they have unique dishes! I loved the stuffed haddock! Also the calamari…read morewas good! They have lots of seating and a cute lounge area! Great for a date night.

The women greeting us rolled her eyes when we asked if it was possible to have a booth. We had…read morereservations and there were many open. She told us no so we settled with a table. Our server was friendly and attentive. She helped us select our meals. The atmosphere was nice and we really enjoyed the food. The low rating is because it took over 45 minutes to get our meals. We watched people get seated around us and receive their food and couldn't help but wonder if the kitchen forgot us or had to remake something. Our server was sweet and recognized the wait was far too long. She did keep checking on us and bringing water while we waited. She offered us a free desert so we choose a cake slice (to go) to share but then ended up leaving because we paid our bill and sat another 10 minutes so we decided we would move on with no dessert. The food was really good. I had the filet, horseradish mashed potato, and Brussels. The filet was cooked perfectly. The potato's were good but just tasted like regular mashed potatoes. The Brussels were not cooked enough so I could only eat some of them. The Korean cheesesteak was the star with smashed potato's. I tried a bite of my husband's and wished I had also ordered it. Again, food was good but they need to get a little more organized and rolling your eyes for a customer question isn't a great first impression. If you aren't in a hurry at all, and don't want a booth, the food is great.

Totally blown away by this restaurant. The service was casual but attentive, the staff dressed…read morecasually and the vibe very laid back but everything was on point. The menu is varied and offers something for everyone. I absolutely loved our first meal here and it was just appetizers. I can't wait to come back and try the Ruben and lobster bisque. We are planning to return here several times during our next few weeks in Albany. The parking is challenging as the back lot shares with at least 3 other restaurants but it is well worth the effort

My partner treated me to lunch at Ale & Oyster. While I was excited to come, my expectations for…read morethe resto were not entirely met: -Our server ignored us for at least half an hour. We couldn't easily flag someone down to take our orders. -Our waters tasted like fish water :( -I ordered a house salad with added shrimp, but I only got 3 pieces of shrimp. It didn't feel like it was worth my money. Not sure if I would return again.

The rating begins as soon as I entered. The Hostess was pleasant, and accommodating. We didn't want…read moreto sit at the high table right next to the door. So she seated us at a regular table in the dining room. 5there. The wait staff arrived immediately at out table, took, out drink order, brought water, without having to ask for it. They gave us time to view the menu. Took our order. I got the cheeseburger with truffle fries, my sister, ordered the surf, and turf. Absolutely the best burger we have ever tasted. My sister is picky about ambiance, but she gave a 2:thumbs up. We will definitely be back , oh yeah the price was good, for the meal too. Well worth it!.

Excellent burgers and sweet potato fries!! Both need and beyond burgers. Sit in bar for best vibes.read more

I stayed one night at the Renaissance because I was overnighting in Albany and it looked close to…read moreCity Beer Hall which looked good on Yelp. Well that's a confusing sentence. I walked the half block from my hotel room and saw the lighted sign on the building drawing be to City Beer Hall. The bar is old school wood, long tables, and people generally having a good time. I was alone so chose the bar for sitting because that is more convenient for me and the wait staff. The beer menu was long with a few regionals new to me. Too many sours though for my taste, but those are popular now. I am not going to talk about the beers available because those will surely change by the time you read this. I ordered a beer and checked out the food menu. There were some good looking items on the menu, I really wanted a good pizza after my earlier airport pizza debacle, but a whole pizza was too much for one guy. I discussed the food choices with my friendly bartender and settled on the chicken nuggets and a side of fries. The nuggets are hard breaded from thighs and pretty good. The fries were crispy, well seasoned, and overly abundant. Overall the meal was great! It was Thursday night and they had a trivia-like game that was related to Family Feud so I played that. Might have stayed a little later than I should have but the beer was good. I was looking at the beer refrigerator and saw Fiddlehead IPA and asked my bartender about it. He was not really keen on it but that is the best beer they had there, but that is one really good beer. Later I notice that was the beer they were giving you if you ordered the $8 beer and a shot, which is an excellent value! There was some kind of drama this night. There was a lady who first tried to order Jager Bombs for her table and the bartender told her sorry we don't do those so she ordered Tito's shots instead. Well this ended about how you would expect with her losing a credit card and blaming everyone in sight for her problems. The bartender and manager were S-tier professionals managing her and keeping the food and beer flowing to the rest of us. Guys, thank you for your service! If you are in downtown Albany and you are hungry or thirsty hit up the City Beer Hall.

I was staying at the Renaissance down the street for a conference at the Albany Capital Center. I…read moreneeded a quick dinner before I went to do more work in my room. The City Beer Hall fits the bill. Located on Howard Street, the City Beer Hall has the local hangout vibe for professionals in town like me and locals wanting a beer and a pizza and fun times. The building at one point housed the city's old telephone company, and now is a cool pizza bar joint with a speakeasy that wasn't open when I went. The large room that houses the bar and long communal tables with high ceilings and large windows is like a Biergarten that is works great for happy hours and evening hangouts. Pizza wise, I was pleased with their Hot Honey Pizza that balances sweet, savory, and spicy flavors between its delicious crust, pepperoni, creamy ricotta, tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil, and a lovely drizzle of hot honey. I enjoyed the pizza with a Ommegang Blueberry Falls that was a "Blueberry Kolsch" whose crisp and slightly sweet flavors balanced well against the spicy and savory I was noshing. The only downside was I found the service behind the bar to be a bit slow and distracting from conversations with other customers. I felt I was forgotten until I finally flagged for the check. But overall, the City Beer Hall was a solid experience highlighted by their hot honey pizza.

Best burgers in the Capitol Region! I ordered the Empire Smash with Parmesan Truffle Fries from…read moreUber Eats, and everything arrived very well packaged and still hot! I've been coming here and ordering delivery for over a year and have never been disappointed.

Any time we visit our daughter at her nearby college is a great time, Illusive made it even…read moregreater! We ran an errand nearby and I found Illusive on Yelp. We approached just as they were opening for the day on a Saturday. (Slightly after noon) Not seeing many cars in the neighborhood and having the gps seem to "arrive" outside of an empty lot was an inauspicious start but when we pulled fully into the lot, we saw that they had put some work into the place and it had a nice modern look. Didn't get to take advantage of the nice outdoor seating area because the weather was rainy. We were greeted by friendly staff and seated at a comfortable table. Our timing was impeccable because the place was full within the next half hour. Our waitress deserves her own paragraph! She knew the menu inside and out and had tremendous pride in the food served and the awards they've won! Illusive is a "foodie" restaurant, every dish is elevated yet remains unfussy. For appetizers, we shared the street corn dip and tater tot poutine. The street corn dip was creamy and zesty. The tater tot poutine was revelatory, the cheese was melted perfectly, the gravy wasn't some jarred nonsense, and the tots themselves were crispy. I enjoyed the different textures of it, some more cheesy and some more gravy. My wife enjoyed a chicken Caesar salad and my daughter enjoyed a grilled chicken pesto sandwich. Her sandwich was a nice enough portion that she finished it leftover for dinner! I enjoyed the buffalo lemon pepper wings, the sauce was a nice blend of heat and zesty flavor. I appreciated the amount of wings they served, some restaurants are going for "shrinkflation" but Illusive provides a full portion! We received quality and personable service throughout a delicious meal, we will gladly return!

Pretty uncrowded before 7 PM. Definitely picks up the later you go in the evening. We were able to…read moreget a table easy. But the tables were practically all full when we left. Good menu with plenty of options. And the portions are large. Not incredible, not bad. Just some middle-of-the-road tasty food. The service is...not great. Unfortunately, I think they were understaffed? After we ordered, we didn't really see our server again until it was time to get the check and leave. Has a nice dive-y feel to it. Chill vibe. Definitely a decent spot to spend an evening.

Excellent vegan options, amazing service, a classy but casual atmosphere was cozy and inviting,…read morewith a nice selection of draft beers, craft cocktails, and some epic sandwiches and burgers Savoy Taproom has something for everyone. Yes, you can make reservations which is what we did to ensure we would have a table on Friday night. It wasn't necessary but with a larger crowd it is a must if you are expecting to get seated otherwise you may just have to rely on luck. We had a variety of eaters in our group but Savoy was able to accommodate all. Appetizers. Soups, salads, burgers, and even hotdogs most menu items can be customized to be made vegan. This often means omitting the cheese. And here is where I think this should have been a five star experience but they lost me on this... burgers can substitute a Beyond patty for an additional $3, infact, the only burger on the menu made entirely vegan is the "Far Beyond Lark" with fries which was price at $24. Literally the most expensive burger on the menu. It's 2026, the cost of Beyond or Impossible meat is almost the same as beef. Why are vegans still being penalized to pay a higher price when dining out? If anything make the vegan burger the same price as the others and add a $1 substitution fee to make any of the others vegan with vegan cheese, Beyond burger patty, and vegan mayonnaise. Just a thought. All the burgers come on a lovely toasted brioche bun but because it contains egg, the vegan substitute is a sad gluten free bun of dispare and remorse. The cauliflower wings were delicious, I got Nashville Hot but something in them almost gave me Indian food vibes like a curry of some kind? The fries are the absolute best, I love a basket of good hand cut French fries. The guys at the table who ordered their burgers enjoyed them, although they needed extra napkins but that's not always a bad thing. Overall, great experience! I would love to go back. I hope to see in the future a menu change to be more inclusive of customers on a plant-based diet considering their health and not how deep their pockets are.

I am always on the hunt for a great local restaurant to support. Dominic is very vocal in the…read morecommunity and I am a fan of Yono's, so I always wanted to try DPs. I came on a very blustery Saturday night and it was quiet inside, and freezing. It was about 55° in the dining area and our server couldn't care less. Everyone was bundled up at their table. Honestly, we should have left. The server was very slow to welcome us at the table and take our drink orders, but when they arrived, they were great. The cocktails were large and strong, I loved my dirty martinis and the aviation. Excellent drinks. The appetizer round fell flat and felt so overpriced. The French onion soup was what I was most excited about, however it was not soup. It was soggy bread covered with cheese. I don't know what happened, but the crouton added to this must have been the size of the whole bowl. There was no soup. It was a good flavor but, not what I wanted or expected. The calamari looked like it could have came from any hotel restaurant, pass. The lobster fries, which I saw online, were sad with a tiny portion of over cooked lobster, they weren't even served with a sauce. On to the entrees, we ordered the clam sauce (fish special), a build your own burger, and the duck gnocchi. My sister enjoyed her clams, and the burger looked great. I ordered the duck gnocchi and I was just shocked at the tiny dish. It was not as described on the menu, it was 4 slices of duck, 10 fried gnocchi, spinach and few mushroom floating in an overly salty brown butter. I ate the duck off the dish and told the server that this was not what I thought I was ordering. If it tasted delicious I would of course look past other things, but it was inedible. There was nothing to balance from the heavy butter and salt on the dish. I am really sad to write this review. I can't even say it was an off night, because the owner was there. I don't know if I would ever return here, but the cocktails were amazing.

So the food was good the location is ok but we def coulda had better service for the amount of…read moreindividuals in the restaurant. The server was nice but tables are very small and dishes are presented on large plates. I had to pull up a chair to out my cheese plate on and she never asked if she could do anything to make it easier despite their being empty tables nearby us. Food wise the dips and cheese plate were yummy and presented well with chips and all the yummies. I also had the French onion which was good but the broth was a tad over reduced making it super sweet. Tried 2 of the tiki bevs on the menu one was a special the Saturn and the other the Mai tai. Both presented nicely with garnish the Saturn had a bit too much passion fruit bit all in all ok for New York tiki. Would I go back next time in town. Maybe but they should work on accommodating guests a bit more