4/23/2018 Really enjoyed the meal. Very easy to overeat. The portions are large. My lunch consisted of the mussels appetizer. It was delicious. I got it with wine and garlic sauce. It came with four pieces of garlic bread, which I didn't need. My fiancé had the veal parm. He thought it was great. Not keen on the decor. Harkens back to a different time period. Maybe the 1980s or 70s, but everyone's there for the food. Service was super. Waiter was attentive and the food came out very fast. (Repost from another account) read more

Tried this place twice with two different groups of people. Both times everyone thought the smell of fish is overwhelming. Did not even wait to be seated. read more

A great place to meet friends and hang out inside listening to some nightly music or going and relaxing on the patio. Don't expect happy hour prices because they do not do them. They have some good food options but some entrees are kind of expensive. I usually get a small bite to eat either one of their sandwiches or pizza. The food is very good. read more

Lanie's Cafe - Antipasto - Italian Near Me - Albany, New York

this place is a 10/10. The food is amazing. I would recommend the chicken sorrento, it is cooked so well. patio was filled during lunch hours but the inside was cool. the nachos were huge! read more

Lanie's Cafe - Italian Near Me - Albany, New York

Lanie's is very popular and packed. The wait in line option on Yelp worked well for us. The clam chowder, scallop and shrimp dishes were excellent. Haddock was just ok with sauce that was a bit too heavy. As others have said, the portions are huge and probably better for sharing. Service is fast and friendly. read more

Came here for lunch on a friend's recommendation. We came in early before noon for lunch and were seated right away. By the time we had left by 12:30 the place seemed fairly packed even for a Tuesday so you can tell it is fairly possibly. Menu seemed primarily Italian inspired but a fair mix of burgers and salads as well so a lot to choose from. I had the Tuscan Chicken & Eggplant Panini and upgraded to the onion rings. Service to get out the food seemed somewhat slow, but when we received our meal I could understand why This panini was huge. The price to food ratio was extremely good. In addition the over quality was great as well. My friend did their BBQ Burger which also looked very generous however I did not try any of it (He orders his burger well done, an absolute savage in my opinion). In short for lunch this place was pretty spot on. On the slight higher price side but given the portions still comes in reasonable given how much you get. Might not be the fastest option, but if you have the time to wait for a better experience, I would give this a shot. read more

Lanie's Cafe - Tuscan Chicken & Eggplant Panini - Italian Near Me - Albany, New York

Went here tonight with friends. We heard about the salad bar and it was fresh and had bread and cheeses to slice. I had cedar plank salmon cooked just as I asked. The guys had a pizza and it old have been a bit more crispy. My friend had pasta and meatball loved them al! Funky place with tons of decorations! Very tight when crowded but staff made it fun. I I'll go back to try some pasta! read more

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The best, me and my girlfriend love the food. Servers are so nice, and food is absolutely spectacular.

Salad bar was great. As was the service. The entrees not so much. Chicken parm was rubbery.

My boyfriend and I went here for lunch today. Sabrina was a wonderful waitress who was highly attentive and very knowledgeable about the menu/selections. He got the Cobb pizza and I got the black and blue filet (my favorite). The food was not only cooked to perfection, but the sides and drinks were delicious as well. I got a half carafe of house cab (a decent portion at a reasonable price) which paired perfectly with my steak, and he got a high noon. The salad bar was beautifully organized and fully stocked with fresh vegetables and add-ons. Overall, this was one of the best meals of my life! I highly recommend Lanie's for lunch or dinner. Thank you to the staff for a wonderful date meal, we can't wait to come back! read more

Excellent steak, pasta and seafood. Also, be ready to eat! The portions are enough for three meals! Great good and Great staff!

So we went on Mothers Day. Made a reservation for 6 pm. When we arrived a lovely young woman named Amber, the hostess was welcoming, and explained that we're a little behind. That was a understatement! After waiting nearly 1 hour for our meals, 1. The food runner was so rude 2. The food was WRONG! 3. They served 4 meals to 5 people, the 5th person was a child. 4. The food they did serve was cold, 5. The room was so cold, all the patrons had their coats on. I know it's a super busy day, but when we complained, little was done to accommodate the errors. Perhaps had they not focused on the many, many take out orders and just served the people in the restaurant, things would have gone much smoother for everyone. Very disappointed read more

We ordered take-out from here, but everyone we spoke to and interacted with was very nice. When they had to make a substitution they called us and asked us about our preferences and then wound up giving us a complimentary cookie as well. The portion sizes are generous and the sandwiches we had were both excellent. read more

It wasn't my choice to come here again. But I went. I made reservations for 8 at 6:45. They called that morning to confirm. We got there early and had some drinks at the bar. 7:15 comes and goes. I went to the hostess station and asked about our reservation. She assured me it would be soon as they were waiting for a couple of ladies to get up so they could push two tables together. 7:30 comes and goes. They bought us a drink which was nice but we were hungry. Two tables become available in the bar area we thought maybe they would be pushed together and we could sit there but they immediately sat other people there. Didn't even think to offer that space to us. I think they should have offered them to us first considering we had a reservation and it was 45 minutes past our seating. We did take bets on who would slip and fall on the dead shrimp and the steak knife on the floor that everyone seemed to just walk by. Had to try and entertain ourselves somehow. At 7:50 we were seated finally and told our server was taking care of a birthday party. Ok. We wait some more without any acknowledgement. After about 10 minutes we decided to get up and feed ourselves from the salad bar. About halfway through our salad the server came over and took orders. He was very nice but overwhelmed. The food was really good this time but too bad because none of us want to ever go back to eat there. You would think if our reservation ran an hour late they would be a little bit more attentive. They weren't. Took forever to get a glass of water. Not giving this place anymore chances. Our bill was huge too. They are way over priced anyway. Not worth the aggravation! Maybe just for drinks. The bartenders are always great. read more

Great food, live music, and service. Be sure to bring your appetite because they are generous with the portions.

Wonderful staff, great food and Mike the manager will always make any problems right. The "small" nachos will feed 4 people! Their pizza is the best pizza I've ever had. Love the place!! read more

Fabulous atmosphere, & the staff is truly wonderful!! ( Sabrina....you are top-notch amazing)!!! Now, THE FOOD......absolutely delectable with such generous portions!!!!! I've now been here 3 times & each visit is more enjoyable than the last!! If I could only give them 10 stars!!!!!!! read more

Great service- great food - great atmosphere!!! Family friendly! Love going there! Always a good time!

Wow! What a great find. We were in town for a few days. We had veal Parmesan, French onion soup, chicken pot pie soup, steak salad and manicotti. All were quite large portions. All were amazingly good. Staff was very attentive and kind. Loved this place. Will go back before we leave town. read more

Always love the food here, was a little disappointed when they took calamari off the menu but it's back !!! Always pleasant environment .

So so so so so good! The portions are huge so come with an appetite! Also be prepared because it may be a bit crowded. Also the address will usually take you to the front and leave you a bit confused to remember to go around the side towards market 32 read more

This is my favorite place to go for a special dinner. At times they have a long waiting time, especially Friday evenings but it's worth the wait in my experiences! read more

When a place has no sign outside and is around back, and the parking lot is full at 2:30pm, you know it is gonna be a good one! And it Is.

Had a wonderful lunch in this cafe with my girlfriend's mother while passing by Albany. They have ample parking and a large outside dining patio. The service was quick and excellent, we had no wait to be sorted outside and, when we were advised of an incoming thunderstorm, we were immediately transferred inside before the storm arrived. Kathryn had their shrimp cocktail appetizer, which consisted of three jumbo shrimp accompanied with a delicious sauce and lemon slices. I had their bacon wrapped shrimp salad, which was superb! The menu is extensive and there's something for every taste and budget. read more

Lots of space. Good burgers! Nice atmosphere and staff. My companion likes the pizza, lots of special toppings.

I went on a date here once and loved the salad bar that came with my meal. So, I came back again and I'm so glad I did! The stuffed steak is amazingggg. Between that and the Prime Rib, I'm hooked. read more

Lanies has been a staple in this area for many years it's had ita ups and downs but it's back in a big way the waitress was spot on friendly fast and professional food was out of this world we ordered sandwiches enough to have a second meal full of meat and vegetables I can't say enough nice things about them read more

Updating my review as of our visit last night. I LOVE this place and hands down recommend this place to anyone I come in contact with - their food is not disappointing at all, but that being said (typed), I was thoroughly unimpressed with the management's lack of apology or concern as I had the unfortunate experience of finding a piece of plastic wrap in my meal last night - to be more descriptive, it was found in the bite of food in my mouth... I work in the food industry and although this has not happened to any of my guests, our management staff makes every effort to personally apologize to a paying customer when there is something wrong with their food. I understand that things happen, meals come out wrong or something you asked to be removed from the dish comes out on the dish, but we're talking plastic wrap. Mistake, I get it, but I should have received an apology from management, not my poor waitress who genuinely felt sorry for me and handled the situation wonderfully. read more

Great food, attentive and kind wait staff and bar staff, nice vibe, affordable and occasional live music!

Even though we showed up without reservations on a Friday night, we found ourselves lucky enough to be seated within 10 minutes. My boyfriend was in the mood for steak and after noticing the specials, the Jack Daniels steak with bacon wrapped scallops stuck out to him. I, on the other hand, opted for the Chicken Sorrento, which is basically chicken parm with eggplant on top. Both of our entrees came with the salad bar, which was nothing exceptional, but definitely a nice touch. When our entrees arrived, the size of my chicken was unlike any I'd ever seen. It was HUGE. My boyfriend took one bite of his steak and fell in love. The sauce on his steak was the perfect amount of sweet and savory. The scallops were a great size, but I felt the bacon on them was way too salty. My entree was delicious! The homemade marinara sauce was so good and I'm glad they had a heavy hand when putting the sauce on the chicken. Both of our entrees came with a side of pasta, or baked potato or oven roasted potatoes and zucchini. The server we had (of course I didn't get her name) was super friendly. We can't wait to go back and try more things! read more

As always an excellent meal with excellent service. My wife had the beans and greens and said that they are the best in the area.. I have no reason to doubt her. In addition, the manicotti and eggplant were also both exceptional. read more

Some of the best food around. The stuffed steak is to die for. Been there many times. Never have been disappointed.

We had a beautiful night on the patio, with delicious food and a great waiter. I will definitely be back, as I want to sample the whole menu (which will take forever because it's huge and has very broad options!) read more

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Very nice place! Food was excellent! Service was prompt and really friendly (thanks Mo). We had mozzarella moons with both marinara and raspberry sauce (new for all of us), very good. Everyone raved about the stuffed portobello mushroom. I hate mushrooms but tried it and liked it. I had the Reuben which was very good and recommended. My only qualm was the cheap bucket pickle, it really didn't meet up to the overall excellent quality of all of the food. My wife had the Prime rib, also quite good. My wife who's area of expertise includes bathrooms rates the bathrooms very high. Lanie's Cafe is my new favorite spot in the Latham area. read more

Very disappointed. Will not be returning. We stopped by for Sunday lunch and while not busy, my food tasted like it had been reheated. Chicken was tasteless and dry. Outside of tortilla was overly cooked and left to toast a bit too long. Quesadillas are not supposed to be overly cooked and dry. Decided to order desert...the smallest piece I've never been served and $8. Mind you, this is not a high-end eatery. The stuff was very friendly but shared a bit too much about their drunken state the night before. Prior experience was decent, but in today's economy, is would like to get my money's worth. read more

OK: For $25 to $30 would you like a familiar entree that's so big you'll be eating it the next day, or a dish that's more modestly sized, but is unique and exceptionally good? Lanie's plays the favorites and serves it up big. But the portions at Lanie's aren't the only thing that's big, for the menu is pretty overstuffed, itself. For example, you'll find every possible variation of the Italian-American eggplant/veal/chicken/shrimp/cheese canon. Then a bunch of steak dishes. And pizza. And many, many sandwiches. You won't go away hungry. This is a solidly neighborhood place and the people in the neighborhood love it. That may say more about them than it does about Lanie's. The service is good and it's comfortable, and if you don't like it, go to your fancy place in Albany with the regional, organic and sustainable world food, or that Italian place that doesn't even serve chicken parm. Here in the neighborhood, we want the same thing we always eat and we want enough of it for leftovers. So there. read more

Two recent visits Fri 3/22 for lunch and Fri 4/05/19 for dinner. Friday's lunch w/ Florida friends in town for the weekend. They always enjoyed Lanie's Cafe when they lived in Albany. We had an one crock of chili & salad bar, which is excellent & very popular here, two Friday only fish fry specials, & a crispy chicken wrap. Note: you can get the one trip salad bar w/ any meal for $2.95. We all agreed that it was a very good lunch value. Lunches were $10-13. Always busy during lunch time but service is consistently good. Friday's dinner was w/ local friends. Very busy, we sat at one of the bar high tops. Our server was Karene B who coolly kept up w/ the frantic pace between 6-8pm. Our entrees were eggplant parmigiana w/ salad bar, spaghetti & meatballs, broiled haddock, and chicken picatta w/ salad bar. Eggplant & spaghetti were very large and more than half taken home. The picatta had twice the penne as needed and was not taken home. Most of the haddock eaten, none taken home. Most entrees are enough for two meals and range from $16-32. Four dinners w/ drinks & bottle of wine, & tip $200. Personally taste and variety are more important that large portion sizes. But the regulars like the extra to take home. Lots of Italian-American food on the menu but something for everybody. Full dining room via front door. Bar w/ some high tops and tables via patio/bar entrance from the parking lot. Full dining room via front door. Hours: Sun-Wed 11am-11pm, Thu-Sat 11am-12am Note: In the summer Lanie's patio is extremely popular. And they DO NOT take reservations in advance. A very popular meeting, drinking, & eating place in the Colonie/Albany area. p.s. in our humble opinion Lanie's is the greater value for lunch. But try both times and judge for yourself. read more

This place is packed if you come during the summertime and it's nice out. Came here on a Monday and the patio was jammed packed. They refuse to give an estimated wait time for outdoor seating because they said "they like to let people stay as long as they want." Wow, must be nice to not worry about turning over tables, business must be good! The inside couldn't be more different than sitting outside, it's dark and a bit drab, definitely old school. The food is not only on point, the portions are outrageous. The "side" of pasta that comes with some meals has to be a dried pound, easily. 2-3 people could easily have the side of pasta as their main. The personal pizzas are a full 12 cut, enough for 3 hungry men or a family of 4. We chose to get the salad bar option. It's not fancy but solid and a good deal. If I had to make a recommendation, I would say that four people could easily just order 2 meals and be plenty full. read more

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Absolutely love lanies! Their chicken parm is amazing! Most entres come with a trip to the salad bar which is great and their portion sizes are huge. They also have great tasting pizza and dishes like loaded nachos which come in a huge portion size. I loveee their cheesy garlic bread. It's a great environment and they also offer outdoor patio seating and even have live music sometimes. I have ordered for catering from here and loved it (the honey lemon ginger chicken is my favorite!). If you haven't tried lanies you need to go! read more

Lanie's Cafe - Cheesy garlic bread - Italian Near Me - Albany, New York

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Another excellent meal. The food and service are always exceptional. Dining on the patio is a plus because we won't dine indoors and we enjoy the beautiful flowers. read more