I've only dined at Next Door Kitchen & Bar once before, and that was 8 years ago. I don't think I was completely hooked then. What a difference a few years can make. This was an amazing experience. Every touch point was a pure joy, from the moment I entered and was promptly and politely seated, to the last few minutes as I chatted with one of the owners, Chris. Every single interaction we experienced gave us the comfort of being amongst friends who were happy to see us, and more importantly happy to be here. From our fully engaging server to the wonderful highschool sophomore who never let our water glasses get below half full, each and every person made our experience just that: an experience of excellence and perfect attention to detail. Our meals were just as delicious as the people. The Grilled Double-Cut Pork Chop was an absolute triumph--impeccably juicy, beautifully charred, and perfectly balanced by earthy morels, rich creamed ramps, and the bright, sweet pop of local cherries. The reimagined "Ratatouille" was a stunning work of art, featuring a beautifully seared zucchini steak, smoky eggplant crème, and a crisp, fresh nest of squash topped with plump, perfectly grilled shrimp. For the perfect conclusion, the Espresso Crème Brûlée delivered a silky, robust coffee custard beneath a shatteringly crisp caramelized crust, brilliantly elevated by the crunch of cacao nibs. What truly elevated the evening, however, was how flawlessly they handled my strict wheat- and grain-free dietary needs. Navigating menus with these restrictions can often feel stressful, but our server and the chef made every possible effort to accommodate me. They proactively verified every sauce and reduction to ensure they were safe, and the kitchen effortlessly modified the dessert by putting the biscotti on the side. To enjoy a multi-course, world-class meal with that level of meticulous care and total peace of mind is incredibly rare. They didn't just accommodate a restriction; they crafted a masterpiece around it. We certainly won't be waiting another 8 years to return. read more

Next Door Kitchen and Bar - New American Near Me - Ballston Spa, New York

Great cocktails, amazing food, warm atmosphere. A great neighborhood favorite. You always feel like you're welcomed there.

Love having events held at the Next Door Kitchen & Bar in Ballston Spa, NY. Always good food, well-made drinks, and a friendly atmosphere good for networking. read more

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I had a really nice time here. Now mind you, it is very loud and very crowded, so if that isn't your thing maybe try a weeknight or something. Our waitress Jackie was a hoot! She was super nice, attentive, and most importantly she was super handy with the fresh cracked pepper mill! The food was very decent, small errors here and there like needing salt and pepper. Not sure if they are seasoning for an older crowd or not. I will definitely like to come back to tru more items on the menu! If you haven't yet, come try! read more

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This is a Ballston Spa treasure! Wonderful food and impeccable service! They have recently added some new menu items, which has been a big improvement. There is such attention to detail in all of their dishes. Beautiful bar and overall ambience! read more

Food is always amazing both for takeout and dining in, which is important to me. I love that they truly try to source their ingredients locally and the farm to table aspect (I wish there was more of this around). I love that they offer amuse-bouche!! Idk if this is standard at this establishment but I have received this every time I have dined in :) High quality and reasonably priced read more

Service has always been on point, not as big of a fan since the chef and menu have changed. Cocktails are intriguing, liquor selection is excellent, nice atmosphere though seating is a bit tight on one side of the restaurant. Overall a 8.5/10 read more

We came on a Thursday night for the burger and a beer deal and it was fantastic! It was the best burger we have had in the Capital Region. We also tried the Upstate whiskey flight and the strawberry rhubarb margarita and both were delicious! Such quality food and drinks for a reasonable price. Service was very good and it was a great atmosphere. Can't wait to go back! read more

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We LOVE your restaurant and come every Friday during the racing season! We just aren't able to make it tomorrow. See you next week

The food was amazing. The service from our friendly bartender and all staff was amazing. The ambiance was amazing. Top notch all around.

This is simply the best restaurant in the area. I recommended it to a friend who was asking where to take a friend who was visiting -- who was a chef! They loved it. I was unable to click on food above as "what went well" -- must be a technical issue because I tried to several times-- Anyway, the food is amazing. I've gone with groups and everyone has loved it every time. read more

The food was cooked to perfection. The service was friendly and accommodating. This might have been one of the best meals I have had in years. Everything was a class act. 10/10 would go back. read more

Been going to Next Door Kitchen since they opened. I never had a bad experience there. The food, service, atmosphere are all great.

Our family made reservations (highly recommended). It was very busy. Food was excellent and the bar was superb. It was crowded and loud. We had a very nice time. read more

Service was excellent, food was pretty good, the space looked very nice. They first gave a complimentary tasting plate. Started with fries (ok) and crab beignets (pretty good). Entrees were fried chicken (really good) and pork chop (pretty good). We got a free dessert bc of their "Sunday sweets" promotion and the sticky toffee pudding was amazing!! read more

Great food and atmosphere, varied farm to table fresh food. Wide selection of liquor and spirits.

I thought long and hard about taking a star away and how to explain my reasoning. We've enjoyed meals and service here, both in-house and takeout, on numerous occasions and we've always walked away feeling it was a five star experience. But on this occasion the walk away feeling was that the meal and experience did not seem exceptional. Reservations were made a week ahead of time to ensure that we would leave in time to attend an event in Saratoga. The suggested time we were given was perfect (keep the 5). We were seated in the "new room" and when my wife felt a very cold draft coming from an air vent behind her chair, our server was quick to provide a cover for the vent. Obviously, a problem they've dealt with before (keep the 5). Along with the menus we were promptly served an amuse-bouche of cucumber and sesame seed, and some house-made herbed focaccia with a white bean spread. Both were excellent (keep the 5). The draft beer selection was a nice cross section of a handful of styles, not dominated by IPAs, from mostly smaller NY breweries (keep the 5). I chose to try for the first time a beer from Schilling Beer Co. in Littleton NH, Alexandr Pilsner ($8). It was clean, refreshing, and light flavored. Upon hearing the daily specials from our server, we chose to share the Braised Calamari ($19) as an appetizer and my wife ordered the Pan Roasted Halibut ($46). I stayed with the regular menu and selected The Best Fried Chicken ($34). The Braised Calamari was outstanding (keep the 5). The non-breaded squid was perfectly cooked with pozole verde, zucchini, avocado, crispy tortilla strips, and cilantro. And I got to enjoy all the heads. The Pan Roasted Halibut was beautifully plated with smoked corn cream, fingerling potatoes, chorizo, roasted fennel, a piquillo vinaigrette, and fresh cilantro. The halibut may have been just the slightest bit overcooked, but was still moist, and the flavors of the other ingredients seemed somewhat disjointed. The Spanish style chorizo slices seemed too large for their flavor and texture to be melded with the other ingredients (not a 5 dish). It's been a long time since I've had fried chicken. Maybe I'm not being fair; maybe I don't expect a comfort dish to be outstanding. But I did enjoy it and it satisfied that craving I had. The chicken was lightly breaded and the meat from a wing, a thigh, and breast was supper moist. The apple butter was tasty on both the buttermilk biscuit and the chicken, the bacon braised greens were flavorful, and the pimiento mac & cheese were a reasonable alternative to the normal ooey-gooey variety served elsewhere (I just don't see it as a 5 dish). Finally, service was excellent. Young staff assigned to refill water glasses and buss the tables remained unobtrusive throughout dinner but presented themselves professionally at the appropriate times (keep the 5). The only distraction was the friendly bartender, who in conversation with a couple dining at the bar, spoke so loudly that he almost overpowered the excellent background music being piped in (drop the 5). Can't give a 4.5, so it gets rounded up. Looking forward to another 5 in the original dining room on our next visit. read more

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Listen gang, I've dined here probably a dozen times or more and I have NEVER had a bad meal. Ever. Atmosphere. Check. Bar. Check. Menu, not a lot of choices but every one is a hit. Check. Specials. Check. Desserts. Check. Our most recent visit w the wife, daughter and boy field of said daughter featured this unreal halibut chowder, the grilled pork chop, sweet corn risotto and their burger. All was on point and worthy of any spot in Saratoga. And do not leave without getting the cider donut bread pudding because if you do you you're an idiot. Go here. read more

I was rather disappointed at my experience at Next Door Kitchen. We ordered the pork with kimchi fried rolls for apps and we got the smoked trout bucatini and the fried chicken. The pork was dry and flavorless as well as the kimchi. The only thing that gave flavor was the small amount of sauce. My fried chicken was overcooked. The batter was flaking off. I feel like the dish was sitting under a heating lamp as everything was dried. The trout and the pasta were ok. Again, flavorless. I will say the service was ok. Inside look modern. I have experienced many fine dining and unfortunately, will mot be returning. read more

First time, long time. My first time here yet my sister's fam have been going here for a very long time! Finally got to try it. Wow they weren't lyin! Such genuinely nice service, expansive and eclectic menu, and an impressive cocktail and mocktail offering. Had the shrimp and grits- omg best grits ever! Creamy and tasty with a creole flavor profile, I wanted to finish it all but the portion was mighty (could order half portions.) the pork chop was a standout, cooked perfectly at Medium, charred and seasoned, I scooped up an unravaged bone and took it home for later. Desserts lived up to the expectations and I can't wait to go back. Highly recommend this gem of a place, close enough to Saratoga and by far a neighborhood hotspot! read more

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While the ambiance was warm and welcoming and the apps were good, I can't get past 2 things: 1. Portions are generally small for the price 2. The fried chicken plate was served with a biscuit, which we initially thought was filled with cheese, but it was uncooked dough. We alerted the waiter who apologized and went back to the chef to get another one. The second biscuit they brought out was still doughy and raw in the middle. Unsure what happened there, but for $34, maybe offer a different side if you can't get it right? 4 people who shared 2 apps, 3 drinks and 3 entrees with tip ended up being almost $260. If we were in Brooklyn or Manhattan, sure, I'll expect those prices and smaller portions, but for Ballston Spa, it's not worth it. read more

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Always so delicious and the staff is very kind. The breakfast burrito is my absolute favorite.

Exceptional Food here there is no denying that...I forget I'm upstate when I'm here.... However atmosphere and service could use improvement, and unfortunately food portions are extremely small and so is the menu. What there is a lot of is Bourbon possible new name "Next Door Bourbon and Bar" read more

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Excellent food with attentive service Staff were courteous. Ate at the bar and was comfortable. read more

This is a place to go for a special meal with a great atmosphere. The food is amazing and the cocktails are fabulous. Not cheap but you get a great meal every time. Love it! read more

WOW! Can't believe I've never been to this restaurant ! This is in Ballston Spa, a 10 minute drive from Saratoga , but so worth getting a little out of town . Restaurant is upscale , service was excellent and food was " farm to table" fresh , tasty, and presented well. Yes the portions could be a little bigger but I'm not complaining, since it all was so delicious ! Shout out to Jeremy, our server , who was friendly and attentive .there are two attached dining rooms, each having their own bar. The first room is a little noisier, second room a little less so. I highly recommend coming here. They have outdoor seating in front, when weather permits. Parking on the street. I'm only sorry we just discovered this restaurant ! read more

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Small place but big flavor. Jaqueline, our server, seemed frazzled but in the best, busiest way. Such a gem of a waitress. We decided on the butternut squash soup special which was great, and the kale salad special which was perfectly dressed. The large French fry serving was so huge we couldn't finish it--a first. Overall I enjoyed our meal. It was super loud though. Not sure anything can be done about that in a small space. read more

The double-sided bar was spectacular! We were a party of six and they were ready for us. The menu is limited, but nice choices. We had appetizers,Brussels sprouts egg rolls and cheese plate, thought the cheese plate price did not match the serving size. I had the fried chicken, which was excellent, my husband had the pasta, he felt could have used a bit more flavor, a little bland but okay. However we like spice and bold flavors. The others had pork chop, scallops, and another pasta, everyone was happy with their meal. Since our daughter had an upcoming birthday we got the trio of desserts, not really shareable for 6! Our server was patient, kind, and knowledgeable. The room was very loud, in a fun way, but not if you wanted an intimate dinner! We will return! read more

Wow. The fried chicken dinner is pretty amazing. Can't go wrong with this selection. The double bars are top notch with the best bartenders in the area. Makes a mean old fashioned. Make a reservation on the weekend. It's not a secret anymore. read more

I have been to many establishments, of all styles and prices. This is my 315th review (on yelp). Unfortunately, there are some establishments serving OK creations for a high price tag. That is how I felt this evening at Next Door. This restaurant has been on my list for probably three years and tonight was my first time visiting. The service we had from Jeremy was great. Very attentive although very busy, sometimes we did sit with an empty cocktail glass but they came out very quickly after ordered. The cocktails were great. I started with the Baltimore Boulevardier and followed it up with a Manhattan. You can tell that they are serious about cocktails. The bourbon cocktails were great and boozy. My friend had two of the sweeter cocktails and they were both beautiful and she enjoyed them. We were first served with a cute amuse bouche and two slices of focaccia served with a white bean paste. The amuse bouche was a nice start, a tiny tasting of a lemon yogurt with crispy chick peas and a fennel frond. The bread was nice and the white bean spread had good flavors of a nice olive oil and lemon, although white beans are generally very bland. We ended up getting two appetizers. First, we wanted to try the crab and ricotta fritters. They were served with a sweet and spicy glaze with pineapple. The fritters were very dark and crispy on the outside, and very soft in the middle. I got some crab flavor, no ricotta but it was very soft inside. The sauce added acidic sweet and heat, but I was missing a note of umami or salt. The sweet sauce over powered the crab and subtle flavors of ricotta. It's was ok. For a secondary appetizer, we order the small version of the Gnocchi dish. The gnocchi was meant to be the star of the dish, but it was poorly executed. It was dense when it should be light and fluffy. The flavor was good. The vegetables over powered the plate. The dish was a medley of summer veggies with some gnocchi. The zucchini was great. The chard was great. The flavors were great. But the gnocchi was nearly absent and not well executed. It was ok. I splurged and order the halibut special with smoked corn cream, roasted fennel, potatoes, chorizo, piquillo peppers, arugula pesto for $42. The fish was perfectly cooked, albeit a small portion. The accompaniments were very light. There was one baby potato, two thin slices of chorizo, a slice of fennel, and plenty of delicious sauce. The whole dish was great, but it was a very small plate and I think the side could have been much more plentiful. My friends ordered the burger and fries. The burger was big and a nice thick patty with good layers of flavor, but the cook was under. The middle was pretty raw but she ate half, and took the rest home to heat up and cook more. The fries were really nice shoe string fries and seemed to be made in house. We ended on a good note with the trio of desserts. I am not one to order desserts but my friends loves to. The trio was a chèvre cheesecake, lavender crème brûlée, and a chocolate cake. All three were great and not very sweet which was amazing for me. The chèvre cheesecake is what sticks out to me. I liked the funkiness of the goat cheese. Over all, the food quality was good, the ideas were good, I think a lot of it fell on bad execution and fine dining pricing. This meal was as much as I have spent at top end steak houses and I was a bit underwhelmed. read more

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The atmosphere was perfect. The restaurant itself is very inviting and rather eclectic. Good beer choices and the bar is one of the best stocked. Our server was very friendly and attentive. The food was a solid "A". My wife ordered pork tenderloin, she gave it a big thumbs up. I tried the shrimp and grits, same score. We also had the cauliflower soup, best I have had at a restaurant. Deserts were tasty. They aren't the same-old-same-old stuff. Would we go back again? Yes, absolutely read more

It's a bit expensive but it has delicious food. I recommend you try it. Friendly Service and good ambiance, local restaurant

Always been a favorite of mine. After moving away a few years back I was super excited to return. I ordered the Brussels for app which I loved. I was mildly disappointed as while they still tasted great, the proportions were weird. More apples than Brussels. I hope that was a fluke. My blood orange cocktail was definitely just a regular orange (see pic). My daughters meatballs were very mediocre and had always been great in the past. Just a lack of seasoning in both the meat and the sauce. Overall still love the place, but it was super loud and service was as mediocre as some of our food. Took a long time to get our original cocktails then no one ever offered us a second drink. I had to grab the hostess to get our waitress and we were finished with our meal before a second drink was delivered read more

Next Door Kitchen and Bar - Definitely not blood orange but ok... - New American Near Me - Ballston Spa, New York

I loved Next Door Kitchen and Bar. I attended my niece's baby shower there. Both the food and the service were great ! The fried chicken with apple butter and the homemade bacon - yummy ! Chris and his staff were excellent hosts ! Looking forward to coming back ! read more

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Never disappointed when I come here! Seriously the best cooked scallops. Dessert did not disappoint either. The cider donut dessert was amazing read more

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Such a warm and welcoming atmosphere. While I came for the strawberry rhubarb margarita it was sadly out of season. So I tried the Ruby read margarita. Quite tasty! The halibut special with smoked corn cream, fingerling potatoes, roasted fennel, chorizo and cilantro was scrumptious the $46. Price tag I felt was exorbitant. Next time I'll have to check the price of the special!!! The cappuccino was perfect and the strawberry rhubarb crumble luscious! . The barmaid made me feel immediately welcome and her service was excellent! I'm looking forward to my next meal there! read more

One of the best dining experiences I've had in the Capital Region! We were able to get reservations sitting at the bar on 24 hours notice. I think we'll request to sit at the bar every time we come here. They don't pack the chairs too close together so it's a comfortable dining experience with a pleasant and helpful bartender attending to your needs. Plus, the entire menu is served at the bar and you can examine their extensive whisk(e)y library - including watching the bartender climb up the library ladder when someone requests something off an upper shelf. We started with their old fashioned, which was extremely well done. Our appetizer choice was the cheeseboard, which included a type of blue cheese, a semi-soft cheese with rind, and something similar to an aged white cheddar. The cheeses were recognizable and approachable, but very delicious and paired with the strawberry and another apple/white grape (I think) spreads very well. Our entrees were also really good. My pork chop was perfectly cooked - it's not often I trust a restaurant to cook pork since it's so easy to dry out, and the kimchi fried rice that served as a bed for the pork chop was also really tasty. My wife's burger also looked really good and was cooked medium-rare. Next Door is absolutely going high on our list for future date nights. read more

Next Door Kitchen and Bar - Old Fashioned - New American Near Me - Ballston Spa, New York

My mom and I went here for dessert one night during the summer for my birthday. This place is always packed and has great reviews so we'd wanted to try it out. The menu didn't really have anything that looked terrific to us so we decided to try dessert. I had the donut bread pudding and thought it was really good. My mom had a peach cobbler and the fruit tasted a bit past its peak. The peaches weren't flavorful at all. I understand this can happen towards the end of the season for fresh fruits but if that was the case, I wouldn't have served something that wasn't of the ideal quality. The staff was friendly and sang happy birthday, which was very sweet. It is super cute inside and was very enjoyable to sit outside. The menu prices are on the higher side and from what I saw, the portions were on the smaller side. I would possibly go again for dessert and if I saw something from the specials that looked good, I wouldn't mind trying the food here. Honestly, when I'm in the mood to go out or have dessert, I've considered going here but always choose somewhere else, even if I have to drive a bit farther. read more

I remember it well. Drinks and food had always been very good. Have not been since COVID but will go back soon.

Just another update to reiterate my belief that this truly is one of the best (if not THE best) restaurants in the Saratoga area. I have never had a disappointing meal here and whenever I bring new peeps...they always love it. Service is wonderful and the staff is fantastic. Food quality is outstanding and meals are made to order (so....sometimes there might be little bit of a wait...but nothing out of the ordinary). Prices have creeped up a smidge but it's worth it. One day I want to get the sticky toffee pudding as my meal. I'm an adult and can have dessert for dinner, right? It's sinful and seriously the best sticky toffee pudding that I've had anywhere. Also, I'd like to do the "burger and a beer" gig some Thursday night. This is only served at the bar and is $14. If beer isn't your jam, I believe that wine is an option. (only during off season...). Anyway, this is still my favorite in this neck of the woods for special occasions or if I just want a consistently high quality experience without snootiness. read more

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