I would describe this stop as a "greasy 3 -star" meaning, I can't call this fine dining so I wouldn't rate it at a higher amount, but its a good and solid stop for cheap, fast eats. Its one of the few places you can eat for under $10 and actually be full in the area. When we stopped I was disappointed they weren't taking orders for their kitchen, and instead only doing baked goods & pizza. We had hoped to try their chicken curry and burritos. However we got the pretzelboy, pepperoni pizza slices, and chicken bacon ranch slice. The pretzelboy was quite good, enough that we wished we opted for a few other of thier pastries. The pepperoni was fine and run of the mill so nothing disappointing. The chicken bacon ranch was pretty dry under the cheese. With how busy it was I was surprised how old(?) the slices and stuff seemed to be. I was so impressed with the speed of taking and bringing out the order. Parking was nonexistent from what we saw, we walked from the parking garage 5 min away. read more

Esperanto - Pretzelboy - Pizza Near Me - Saratoga Springs, New York

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The service ! The food! As well as the location . Right in downtown of Saratoga Springs. Esperanto is historical ! If you never tried their original DOUGHboys ! It's a must ! Love you guys read more

these people saved my life they gave me and my family, free food!!!! we were drunk starving college children!!! we haven't eaten in weeks... thank you Esperanto for the wonderful service, wonderful pizza and amazing atmosphere. read more

The only reason for the two stars, is the friendliness of the gentleman who assisted at the counter. So sad because this place used to be staple in my life 15 years ago. Ordered a Pretzel Boy and a beef patty. The Pretzel Boy was so stale that it was not edible. The beef patty was missing everything a beef patty should have - spicy, flavorful meat, and a flaky, yellow crust. Both tasted like they were last night's options at 2pm today. Went to tell a colleague how horrible it was, and apparently, he had ordered from here today too, and said it was way worse than usual, but the counter guy was great. read more

I am addicted to burritos and very picky about what makes a good one. This restaurant hit all the marks. The dough the ingredients are served in is absolutely outstanding. Not the usual prepackaged stuff that you can buy commercially. It is exceptionally tasty. The fillings are plentiful. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. This is a very tiny restaurant so at really busy times seating can be a challenge. However I highly recommend this restaurant- not just for burritos since the rest of their offerings are just as scrumptious. read more

It saddens me to leave this review as I've been a patron of Esperantos for 21 years of my life. Something terrible has happened. I stopped for a quick lunch this week and ordered the chicken curry, which I LOVE, and have always loved!! When I ordered, the server said she needed to check and see if they had any, which should have been a red flag to me. It was brought out very quickly and as I ate it, I realized there were gnats/fruit flies in my food. This is when I realized that there were signs all over covering things up on the menu that were no longer available and that they were out of stock of beverages and sauces. I hope they can turn things around because I will be devastated to see them go. read more

They don't answer the phone. Their order online systems are not setup or warn that it could be an alternate party posing as Esperanto. You are forced to walk in and waste time waiting for them to fill the order. Not great customer service. read more

The food is always consistently delicious and the prices are good for fast casual. There's not usually much of a wait time either.

"The Doughboy is neither dough, nor a boy. Discuss!" Saratoga's doughboys are about as Upstate NY as it gets. The staple, late-night, Caroline Street snack is a legend in its own right, and finishing your night out with a doughboy in lieu of a slice of 'za is a strong move. But why should the night owls have all the fun? While in Saratoga for an appointment the other afternoon, I was craving that pizza crust filled capsule of goodness by the time I wrapped up shortly after 6 pm (early bird special?), and couldn't resist a quick walk over to pick a few boys up to take home (that's how I roll). I cruised over in no time, and found myself to be the only customer in the place, with the exception of coupla boys finishing up a coupla 'boys at a table inside. The doughboy display case looked a little bare to the untrained eye, but I knew what I was looking for, and there were plenty of boys to go around. I selected three doughboys, and two samosas to take home to snack on for the night/week (I can easily get a few meals out of this purchase). I've pretty much never not had a doughboy when I've been here, and I love samosas in general, so I'm excited to try something new from the geniuses behind the Doughboy. Ah, the Doughboy -- now officially dubbed an Oboy because rebranding and trademark/copyright stuff -- is a delectable cream-cheese-and-chicken-filled snack, stuffed into a pizza dough torpedo, begging to be dunked in copious amounts of hot sauce. Newsflash: you don't have to be drunk for a doughboy taste good, they always taste amazing regardless of your BAC. The good folks calling the shots at Esperanto are now doing God's work, thanks to an exciting and arguably long overdue expansion to build an operation capable of producing oboys by the boatload, blowing minds and palates of the people beyond the 518, and in this crazy world, that's a mission I can get behind. As a local who's known and loved the baked snack as a "Doughboy," for 20-plus years now, I have to admit, I'm having a little trouble with the name change, even though it's been roughly two years now; I might always refer to it as a doughboy, bc I'm OG like that. I wonder what the correlation is between Upstate New Yorkers with the 518 area code calling it a doughboy, vs. those with the new 838 area code, falling into the Oboy trap? These are the tough questions. Hmm, Doughboy or Oboy? The debate might just become a new chapter in regional Upstate New York food lore. read more

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In an effort to honor their name and be a jack of all trades--featuring foods of varying regions and cultures--this cute, ramshackle place winds up being a master of none. I've had some good food here--their garlicky chicken soup, "The Chronic" is very good, as is their Mediterranean platter with hummus, roasted peppers and olives. However, some of their other regional offerings--burritos, tacos, Thai curry--are bland and boring. And don't get me started on non-NYC pizza and pizza-related products. If I were younger, in college up here, or frequently drunker, I would probably cherish the hell out of this place. Diverse food options, reasonably tasty, no frills, affordable prices and open late. But I'm just visiting upstate for the summer, and wandering Saratoga looking for a cool vacation experience. In which case Esperanto is good in a pinch or a rush, and appreciated for what they do--but not exactly my first choice. read more

Excellent Oboys, just everything here is so so good. Perfect for grabbing a bite after being out late. Best part: delicious gluten free options! Service: 10/10.. read more

Covid precautions in place. Fresh items maybe keeping warm. Don't be fooled if you don't see items in display case. Tried the original oboy: chicken, cream cheese, scallions- creamy & tasty. Beef chimichanga shredded beef & mashed potatoes- my fav & was surprised at how flavorful it was. Pulled pork: meat was moist and rice was soft. Definitely will return- hit the spot for afternoon snack or lunchtime fix. read more

Oh, how I wish I had been around when the doughboy was only a dollar. I heard the story of how these Saratoga Springs late night treat was created. It started with the cream cheese and chicken breast filling. Someone whipped up a batch, and fell in love. The question was, "What to do with it?" I don't quite know how they decided to wrap it up in pizza dough and bake it off. But that's what happened, and the rest is the stuff of legend. You never forget your first doughboy. I was hooked from the first bite. But I have both a fat tooth and a carbs tooth. So warm cream cheese stuffed pizza dough makes me happy. All the same, I can't imagine these being nearly as good if they weren't dunked into copious amounts of hot sauce. As far as I can tell, that's the only way to eat these little purses of pleasure. It helps to cut through some of that fat, and gives you a buffalo chicken kind of experience, without having to deal with messy fingers or tiresome bones. Yes, Esperanto serves other things. There are even other flavors of doughboys. They may sound tempting at the time, but keep your eyes on the prize. Doughboys may be small, but they are filling. Don't let your eyes be bigger than your stomach. One is a snack. Two are a meal. Three are a feast. Eat them slow. Don't forget to grab the hot sauce. And enjoy this rich and comforting local tradition. read more

BEST PIZZA EVER I often come here violently inebriated, but i've been here sober countless times too and it's still the BEST pizza i've ever had. Even beats the best nyc pizza. I love this place with my whole heart. Prices are good, pizza is good, workers are loving. Way better than Pizza 7 (pizza 7 sucks don't go there) read more

This is a place that lives on its past. The doughboy is their one thing. Alas, the doughboy or oboy is not what it once was. Price went up, ingredients and flavor went down. There is no reason to stop here. read more

The pizza was rubbery. Disappointed. Would not get it again. Buffalo chicken was just shredded chicken. Recommend finding another location.

Just meh. This is an institution on Caroline Street but it really is late night drunkard fare. Small portions and high prices. I find that doughboys are inconsistent and pretty much suck. Tried a gyro this time and it was pretty meh. It's definitely not fresh meat carved off a spit like Greek places do. It almost seemed like it was prefrozen and heated up? The veggies and the pita bread were good though, but I eat a gyro expecting great meat and that just didn't happen. Come here loaded and you won't care, otherwise, you will. read more

Esperanto - Gyro. Meat was kinda grody. Pita and veggies were good. Would not get it again. - Pizza Near Me - Saratoga Springs, New York

The best fresh local ingredients, top quality and the staff knows how to prepare them. Inexpensive consistent, back of the house awesome front of the house needs to slow down and up sell. Best in Town read more

Whenever I'm up visiting my Dad in Saratoga Springs, NY, I seem to find a lot of great Italian restaurants and pizzerias, and end up eating wayyyyyy too much pizza. Esperanto reminds me of some of the great late-night college hangouts and rathskellers in the Georgetown area of Washington, DC. You walk down a steeply sloping sidewalk, duck into a doorway leading into a brick-faced building, and then down a step or two into the restaurant. In this case, Esperanto can be found down the hill on Caroline Street, just below Broadway. The menu is posted on the wall to your left, and that's when you quickly realize that this is much more than a traditional pizzeria. The owners say that they built their menu around authentic ethnic foods, and also modified great "street food" recipes for a more health-conscious diet. All I know is that this place has a real delicious and eclectic mix of food which seems to grow in popularity after the bars begin to close. The signature item at Esperanto is the Doughboy, which is sautéed chicken breast that has been spiced and diced, blended with a mixture of cheese and scallions, and then baked in fresh pizza dough. Surprisingly awesome, especially after a couple of craft beers! Esperanto also serves a full Mexican menu, Thai entrées, pitas, falafels, and hummus......and pizza by the slice, or whole pies. I tried one of the Doughboys, and also a pulled pork burrito for my lunch. The food was under $10, and it was a great meal. I can only imagine how much better everything would taste at 2 in the morning, as I'm stumbling out of a nearby bar. read more

Esperanto - Menu can be found along the wall as you enter the pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Saratoga Springs, New York

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Updating my review because the quality of food has significantly improved. The doughboys are still factory made, but it would be simply disrespectful to act like this isn't the best food on Caroline Street. Service has always been A1. Four stars my guy!! read more

Best pizza in town. Always. Also tastes amazing heated up. And all of the sudden you have legit Jamaican beef pies. Customer for life. Or at least until I move eventually. Keep it up. read more

**Update** So got off my lazy butt and have been here a few times once then. And I have to say, I was wrong in scoring so low. They have some really good carb heavy items(if your reducing carbs, sorry) They also have a great amount of vegetarian options. So check it out! Delivery distance is with only 1 mile of the city. Can't hate on that, but really let down that yelp recommended. read more

This place could have mean staff and water leaking from the roof and I would still be a loyal patron. 2 words- DOUGH BOYS But the thing is, they have friendly staff and the food is simple and tasty. I'm not a huge fan of their pizza but who comes here for pizza? The money is on the DOUGH BOY!!! They will even sell them "take home to cook" style in case, like me, you move out of the 518 for a while and want to take them back home. Saratoga legend. read more

To be frank, I have only been here after a night of drinking so my review is only relatable to the service hours between 12-3 AM. There is often a line outside the door, however ever other late night spot in this area will also have a line. To be honest I don't know why people do here for the pizza, get a freaking dough(insert: girl, boy, etc.) they are delicious, served warm and a unique late night treat you won't find anywhere else. read more

One of my favorite places to eat! LOVE the Oboys! The only reason for one less star is their pizza crust is inconsistent, sometimes the crust is too chewy and at times inedible, while other times it's perfect and really good. If you can fix that it'd be 5 stars! read more

The dough boys are disgusting. I was very excited for them, but they're just frozen food section quality. I could only tolerate a single bite. The samosas were fine, but did not save the meal. Staff was friendly. But you could tell by the fact fhat the place was completely empty at dinner time that all locals know the restaurant is bad. Will not return on my next visit. read more

Was in town for business, and I have a friend from the area. She said that I HAD to try a doughboy. While it was definitely yummy, I think it would deserve 5 stars if I had been drunk. But alas, I was sober that night. Still, I get the appeal, and if I ever find myself stumbling around Saratoga I'll most certainly go get one. I didn't have any problems with the waitstaff, in fact they were very accomodating to me (I didn't get a receipt when we first went in, and I need one for my expense report, I went back after about 30 minutes and he rang up the same thing, printed the receipt out for me and then voided it on their system). read more

Esperanto - Oh boy, doughboys! - Pizza Near Me - Saratoga Springs, New York

This place was BOMB. I had many slices of pizza in my day, but this place just plain out nailed it. Located right on Caroline Street, open late night. Such a great find especially after a big night out. My friends and I seriously couldn't get enough of their pizza. We ordered two pies and both were cooked to perfection. Extremely fresh. Amazing sauce. Cheesy and yummy. Plenty of places to sit. They have other food here besides pizza which unfortunately my group and I didn't try anything else. There was a long line here but don't let that scare you because the line moves very quick! Workers were extremely friendly and accommodating. Pies were also inexpensive. Would absolutely come back again if I am in the area! read more

Only one word comes to mind when I think of this place and it's "Doughboy". A Delicious pizza dough type pastry stuffed with cream cheese, chicken, chives, and spices. Unbelievably good. They also have "Doughgirls" which have veggies in it. But I stick to ol' faithful - The Doughboy (they reheat very well too!) I've never tried anything else here, cause honestly ... why would you? But the chimichangas look really good. So perhaps one of these days I'll venture out and try one. The prices are reasonable for the food. A couple bucks for the doughboy or a slice of pizza. read more

Esperanto - the inside of a Doughboy - Pizza Near Me - Saratoga Springs, New York

Staff should be reminded that they are not the owners,and their personal view should not be reflected on customers. That being said, the food is and has been great. read more

This place sucks now. There whole thing was that it was the same food you could get from the grocery store freezer section only home mad and fresh with better ingredients. Like you had a creative stoner friend who liked to cook. Now it seams like they make all this stuff in a factory and send it to the store to be reheated. Nothing is tasty and brown from the pizza oven it all pale and tastes processed. There is obviously no love put in this food they aren't even trying to pretend. Its fine to sell out but it has to stay at some leval of quality to work. They are just trying to capitalize on drunk pepole who don't care. What a shame. I can't imagine to many repeat customers with this new concept. read more

Saratoga late nights and doughboys are a match made in nirvana. Seriously good cheap eats.

As always super quick super delicious. Had the doughboys, samosas, and a burtato. Couple drinks and a cookie. We had hit the raceno and didn't win. But we sure did hit the jack pot by swinging over and grabbing a snack to ride home with! No picks because I was driving. read more

Recipe changed and is no longer the authentic doughboy i travel from florida to eat. Zero cream cheese. Dry frozen chicken. Just letting u know they stink now. read more

Esperanto - Wtf is that. Dry. Thats what it is. - Pizza Near Me - Saratoga Springs, New York

I have loved this place for a long time. Haven't been there for a couple years. Went there today for rice and beans, which was terrific. What was not terrific was the chain smokers on the patio. Inside smelled of cigarettes and the staff did nothing. Jeez Will, do something. That was disgusting. Homeless people chain smoking on the patio. The new Esparanto. read more

Excellent stuff all around, it is hard to choose a favorite. I am glad to see that the dough boys are being distributed at Stewarts throughout the area. They also have a concession at SPAC during the concert season that I discovered a few years ago. Update to previous review: I was at the Times Union Center last night and the concession stands there had an Esperanto item! Someone is doing some excellent entrepreneurship with that place. What's next, national distribution? read more

I see a lot of reviews are all about the doughboy. I've been here many times for fare other than their original creation (doughboy). I personally love the burritos and 3 cheese enchiladas (basically 2 burritos with a delicious sauce and cheese). The burritos are awesome. Black and pinto beans, rice, chicken, chipotle peppers, guacamole, sour cream, and a baked, crispy flour tortilla. Numerous different salsas to choose from, and they are all freshly made, some mild, some hot. I find the food very fresh and wholesome. Place is clean, staff are friendly and accommodating, and it's right on Caroline street. I have yet to have a negative experience here of any sort. I've uploaded a few pictures although my camera is not take great pictures lately. Pics are burrito, 3 cheese enchilada, and quesadilla. A staple in Saratoga Springs during a quite day or a wild night on Caroline street. read more

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This is ones of the few places in Saratoga Springs where you can get legit thin crust NYC style pizza. My guests love the doughboys too. They're service is fast, friendly and the prices are good too. read more

Two words: DOUGH BOYS. Side note: not all dough boys are the same. The ones they sell at Stewart's or Spac are not the ooey gooey delicious cheese and chicken filled doughy heavens like they are at the actual Esperanto's. Even better when you're drunk lol.. which I think is what made them popular to begin with. But they're amazing. $$$ but obviously given its Caroline st lol read more

I came here for the gluten free dough boy, but they were out of them. I got tacos instead and they exceeded my low expectations. The shells were fresh and crispy, the beef had a great flavor and the guacamole was decent. The guy behind the counter was super nice and friendly. I would definitely go back to try other gluten-free options. Bonus points for having a clearly marked menu. read more