I love Ralph's. It's the perfect Quintessential American pub/restaurant. Simple food at simple prices. I can't say I've ever had a bad meal there. It's a great place for a low key night with family or good friends at the restaurant - or to watch a game with friends at the bar. read more

Please don't hate me... I went to this place twice and I didn't like it either time. They pour dressing on the salad like it's a soup, and the food (first time: linguini with white clam sauce, second time: fettucine alfredo) was bland. And I came hungry the second time too!! But everybody loves this place... it's always packed and the line is always out the door on weekends. So it's probably just me. Please don't hate me. read more

There chicken Parmesan is like rubber. Boy have they changed! Waitress knew that was the problem. " she said it was rubbery right. Yeah the chef is pounding it down . We have a lot of people who don't like it." They refunded but that's not why I went. Bummer. read more

I have dined at Ralphs a number of times. They offer very generous portions of acceptable food. Its major appeal is that you don't have to cook it. While i have had decent meals there, i have had a few horrible meals there as well. Once, I was served a soup with a quarter inch, I'm not exaggerating, of grease on the top. When I pointed this out to the waitress, she seemed disinterested but willing to take it away unapologetic. Another instance I can recall involved getting what I can only hope was the last ladle of soup from the vat where everything had settled into an inedible muck. I believe it was supposed to be cream of mushroom, but it resembled a culinary students first attempt at mushroom gravy. Staff can be friendly, or curt, but never rude. The place lacks any real ambiance if your into that kind of thing. If you don't want to cook, maybe want something to take to lunch tomorrow as well and don't feel like cooking - this place will probably do OK. read more

Never had the chance to eat. The hostess should find a new job. She sat multiple other parties prior to ours and when confronted about it simply said "oh, sorry" in a very no apologetic tone. I know her hostess job is difficult so I don't hold it against her. Is that mean? Oh, sorry. read more

Stopped in to try again. Sunday 3/13/16. This place has really gone down the tubes. Ordered 2 antipasto salads which were ok 50 wings which were decent but only came with 2 blue cheese after asking 4 times for extra. Also got a rueban. The rueban was a soggy nasty mess, the wings ok. The nasty bartender came over and took the last wing out of the bowl and said "I'll put this on a plate in case anyone here wants it" she grabbed the wing with her bare hand and placed it on a plate. Pig, just gross, I wouldn't do that to my own family. Place is filthy dark (to try and hide the filth), cramped, slow and terrible food. I will NEVER return. Enjoy my $100.00 I spent maybe buy a vacuum and some bleach and clean that pig pen. read more

Ralph's Tavern - Here is the wing the nasty bartender took out with her bare hands and put on a plate in "case anyone wants it" Disgusting - Italian Near Me - Albany, New York

Three Stars, but really would only give 2.5 The good: On a regular basis we grab a cheese pizza and an order of hot wings and it's one of the best in the area. However, I only like their cheese pizza. Once you ad toppings on it (like pepperoni, etc), it goes down hill from there because they use really cheap toppings. But they do have good sauce - and sauce is what makes a really good pizza. My advice: Stick with the plain cheese pizza on this one. Wings are pretty good too. The Bad: Last week we finally decided to venture away from the routine pizza menu. We had read a lot of great reviews here on Yelp for their other Italian dinner items, so we decided to give it a try. We ordered the chicken parm and eggplant parm to go. Both with linguini and sauce on the side. The pasta was pasty and mushy - as if it had been pre cooked hours ago and then reheated to order. The chicken part was mushy and boring. Egg plant was complete mush. Disgusting. Now, I know you may be thinking - maybe it went mushy in the take out containers right? Well, maybe it did. BUT - we have gotten the chicken parm and egplant take out from TJ's Cafe a few times, and it is still crispy - and they manage to get the pasta al dente. Sorry to say that even Bucca Di Beppo has better eggplant (take out) then Ralph's. Good for pizza - but the dinners were a waste of $30. Bland and mushy. We threw most of it out, and were sad that we wasted calories on the portions we ate. read more

Food is delicious, drinks a reasonably priced. Maddy is an amazing bartender, she greets everyone as if they are family!

My wife and I love Ralphs, it's a staple at our house! The usual includes a basket of wings, a couple of beers and a pepperoni pizza, which is outstanding and never misses the mark. We've never been disappointed at Ralphs, whether we dine in or take out. We don't dine often enough to be considered regulars, or know any of the staff by name, but that doesn't mean we get treated any differently than the true regulars. Staff is always friendly and fast! read more

+1 star for having the kitchen open til midnight. I like the separate dining room from the bar. I am always turned on to bar styling with a restaurant setting. Huge menu. Great prices. Difficult to order yet easy to pay. Primo wings. Smart size, They even have my crave: garlic and parmesan Eggplant parm was excessively great and I want more from Ralph's Tavern. read more

Took my family to try Ralph's last night. Lesson learned is that when in a bar, order the bar food. Atmosphere was comfortable and enjoyable. Not too fancy, but clean and not run down. All good. Service was pleasant, polite, and quick. In fact, I would give the service a 10 out of 10! Food was meh at best. Clams casino were shells filled with oil-soaked toasted breadcrums. Really quite bad. Don't order these. Salads were good sized portions and very nice. Chicken wings weren't anything special, but they were just fine. Fried clams were really bad. HUGE amount of batter/breading around each clam. Sat like lead in my stomach. Don't order these. Veal sorrento was not so good. Sauce tasted like it came from a can, and again the breading was over abundant. Looks good when it comes, but disappoints when tasted. Burger was really good. Cooked perfectly medium with a nice sized patty (1/3 lb?) and presented well. Definitely order the burger! We didn't try the pizza, but saw several being delivered all around us to smiling patrons. It looked delicious and is probably worth trying. Best to stay with the bar food, though. And maybe try the pizza. read more

Another great neighborhood-y place in Albany. It's a small restaurant, cozy yet comfortable. There was a bit of a wait for a table, so we hung out at the bar. Bartenders were very friendly and attentive. The hostess graciously found us at the bar and told us our table was ready instead of yelling our name in a crowded room. The menu was extensive, from meatball sandwiches to pizza to prime rib. The typical pasta dishes were also on the menu, too. And the prices! This place is pretty cheap for the amount of food that they give you. I opted for one of their dinner specials, mussels in marinara sauce over linguine pasta. Out comes a large plate filled with pasta buried under a mound of mussels and marinara sauce. Yummy! If your looking for good, decent Italian food for cheap prices, Ralph's is the place. read more

I came to Ralph's after reading all the positive reviews on the Onion rings and Mozzarella sticks. I ordered both to try them out. First off the rings definitely lived up to the hype, very good rings. You could tell they were fresh, right amount of seasoning, perfectly fried, definitely up there in my top 3. Now as for the Mozzarella sticks, I don't feel they came close to their hype. First, just looking at them reminded me of frozen French toast sticks, and oddly enough (maybe it was my mind) but I was getting a hint of those French toast sticks in these Mozzarella sticks. Second, they were either improperly fried or improperly prepped, cause the outer crust was really flaky and almost coming apart, and not seasoned at all. Finally third, the raspberry sauce. Ralph's is the third place I've come across that offers the alternative with their sticks, it is second out of three. Mainly because it has some substance to it; #3 is because it is a straight liquid, no substance. But the raspberry sauce is too much like a jam, so it cannot be #1 in my book. read more

It seems a little superfluous to review this institution. Everyone from Albany seems to know about this very family style, Italian home cookin' style place. I'd give it a 5, except I'm reserving the 5's for places where I yearn to go back to again and again. The vibe of Ralph's answers the question, "What would happen if you crossed a family style Italian restaurant with an Irish pub?" The eggplant parm is killer, oh so crispy, light and tasty. The decor is like a neighborhood bar, and there is a general air of real friendliness. it's a total Albany experience. The place is always crowded and there is usually a wait. On weekends there is a long wait. You can get either pizza or pasta with your choice of toppings and sauces. Everything is good, fresh, and dirt cheap because the portions are enormous. You can get half portions, which are just large, rather than enormous. read more

I travel up to Albany quite a lot and have only been to Ralph's twice in 7 years. Shame on me! After running to Utica and back today, stopped at Ralph's for Chianti and linguine In white clam sauce. Place was packed and they sat me at a 4 top. Asked me to change to a 2 top....no problem. Hostess was polite and professional.. Servers while very busy took time for my drinks and order. Another server got me water and bread. The servers were in sync with each other and the customers all night. Many other establishment managers should come to Ralph's to see how well this team worked. The service (or lack thereof) at local restaurants is terrible. These ladies hustled and the kitchen was putting out food like crazy. Great to see post pandemic teamwork. Now the food....plentiful. white Clam sauce was too buttery for my tastes...prefer white wine, clam juice and a spot of butter but clams were fresh for being inland. Crisp salad and the caramel apple pie was okay. Server warmed it and added cream dollops on the side. I will be back soon and most likely with a larger party! Well done Servers and Hostess! read more

Went here on an Sunday with my family for the first time. I had high hopes reading some of the reviews. I have to say that is was good, but not great. My meal started with a cup of their Manhattan clam chowder. I was impressed by the generous size for a cup of soup. The soup is self was decent. it had big chunks of potatoes and carrots in a light tomato broth. There wasn't much clam meat in it, but the pieces that were in it were very chewy. Aside from the clams, the soup itself was hearty and filling. Onto the main course I selected. I ordered the Shrimp Scampi and opted for rice instead of pasta. It came with six shrimp over a trough of rice. It was huge, making the shrimp disappear on the plate. The shrimp were cooked just right, the sauce was good with a nice amount of garlic but a little too much oil that created a slick on the plate. The Scampi was good, I just wish their was less rice and the shrimp were a bit bigger. read more

Ralph's Tavern - Manhattan Clam Chowder - Italian Near Me - Albany, New York

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There is noting really bad I can say about this place. The prices are fair, and food is amazing. Even stuff I may not usually order like split pea soup is really worth it here. I really love their meatballs. They are juicy and not full of bread. The decor can use a fresh redo. This place has not changed in the entire time I can remember going here, so at least 10 years. It is always packed lunchtime, and that is a good sign, and the staff is fast. You see the same faces that keep coming year after year. Once you eat here you become a regular, it is very good. The new owners streamlined some stuff, but most of the great reasons to come here are still very good. Meatball torpedo is a must, as are the shells. Additionally this is one of those places that does full meals and bar food like pizza and wings equally good, so come here for either. One room is a bar, one a dining room. Call ahead if there is many people coming and they will have it all set. read more

Ralph's Tavern is a basic busy restaurant where you can have a decent meal and a good time. The bar is comfortable - the bartenders friendly. The dining area is a bit tight but you do get caught up in the positive vibe of the patrons. This extends to the friendly service as you may find yourself joking with your server by meals end. The food however is average. Ralph's defines itself as an Italian Restaurant - it's not. There's the standard Chicken & Veal Parmigiana dishes and other "standard" Italian selections but the strength here is "Pub Food". The Chicken Parmigiana arrived w/soup & spaghetti. A hearty but -again - average meal. Same with the Cheeseburger order (Onion Rings stood out). The Pasta Fazul - forgetfully average. The house Chardonnay was surprisingly good - the bill very reasonable. The cheerfulness of Ralph's is the standout here. Hey - Food isn't everything... read more

I was told that this is where all the local chefs hang out. I can see why. I love the late night dining vibe. It's a good excuse for not exclusively drinking, or if you don't drink you can still enjoy a good tavern. It's one of the few vintage Italian restaurants still standing. If they survived I hope it's a sign they'll be here forever. I've had the steak and spaghetti and meatballs. I'll be more adventurous someday. read more

Ralph's is a great tradition. My family has been coming here for years, and I always enjoy a trip here when I'm visting for a weekend. It's been around since the dawn of time, and has that Buffalo NY vibe, where everyone knows everyone, and there are many many regulars. We usually get a ten cut pizza and my mom & dad will share a basket of wings. I also grab a blue moon or a glass of red wine. Around the holidays there are christmas decorations which gets you into the spirit of the whole thing. Good times! read more

We always like to go to Ralph's. Good food, good people, and good atmosphere. Vegetarian options also!

You want to know why this place gets high marks? It's simple...because every aspect of being a restaurant they do well. Service - superb, friendly, smiles Food - above average Portions - more than ample Prices - very good value Atmosphere - Homey, non-pretentious, comfortable. Location - Main street convenient, safe It's a great place for you and your family and/or friends to come eat, relax, enjoy. My only regret is that I live too far away to come often. read more

In town for a week for business. There are a lot of cool local places but this one stands out. I walked in the bar area door by mistake, which was packed at the time and the bartender politely led me to a very nice waitress who seated me in the dining area. The service was excellent and the food was great. I had motzerella sticks, shrimp cocktail and half an order of meat lasagna. And when I left my credit card there, both the waitress and another employee went out of their way to find me in my car and return it to me. Will definitely go again before the week is up. Highly recommend checking out this friendly neighborhood joint. read more

not what it used to be. pasta overcooked! otherwise scallops and eggplant was good. our tiramasu was frozen.

I used to enjoy going to Ralph's on a semi-regular basis, but ever since "the soup incident", as we call it, the Husband is very resistant. Rewind eight months or so. We were having dinner at Ralph's and had ordered soup with our meals, as we often do. The waitress brought us our Cream of Mushroom, and I could barely grasp what I saw on the table in front of me. It must have been the bottom of the batch, because the soup had a very, VERY thick layer of separated fat on the top of it. Really, it looked like someone poured 1/4 cup of olive oil in my bowl. Eck! I sat there and stirred it in disbelief. So, of course we didn't eat the soup, and Husband explained our beef to the waitress. Yes, it actually needed explanation. She did not apologize but took it away, and seemed completely unfazed by the incident. I think her reaction annoyed me more than the soup itself. But I still really can't believe she even served it to us looking the way it did. We had sampled several very tasty soups at Ralph's prior to this, and we had even had this same type before. There had never been any problems with the food. I needed a little space from Ralph's after this happened so that I could sort through my feelings and come to terms with it. I'm not the type of person who likes to let one bad experience spoil my favorite spots; however, the Husband is less forgiving than I. So, we haven't been back. What do I miss about Ralph's?? It's sort of a local establishment in Albany. It's been around a long time and has an extensive menu. Large portions, a good value and good quality. I can't recall anything that stood out as blowing me away, but everything I tried was always very good. Downsides - the place is a tad cramped. You will be subjected to other people's conversations whether you like it or not, and you need to be careful backing your chair up into the table behind you. But this is part of the charm, I think. You feel like you're sitting with a bunch of extended family in somebody's dining room, which... well, you are. Staff is often very friendly; other times they are all business, but they are always attentive. So, don't tell my husband, but I'm considering a secret rendezvous with Ralph. Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. read more

Amazing. Old school. Fabulous food. And I mean fabulous. I've had Italian from Arthur Avenue in the Bronx to little Italy in NYC and this rivals it all. Great casual ambiance. Friendly service. Cold beer. Don't pass it up. read more

Ralph's is one of the best values in Albany. It won't be the best meal you have in the Capital Region, but it will be perfectly decent and you'll get way more food for your dollars than anywhere else. Seniors know this, which is why it is one of the few restaurants that is busier before 6:30 than after. Waits of a half hour or more are pretty standard, in my experience. From the main entrance, entry is split between the restaurant side through the door on your left and the bar side through the door on the left. If you don't want to hang out at the bar while you're waiting for your table, there isn't much space where you're not in somebody's way. Once seated, however, the rest of the experience has always been very solid. The wait staff is efficient and friendly, and as I mentioned the portions are huge. I don't think I've ever ordered off the menu, because one of the specials always seemed to catch my eye. My last visit I had bread, salad, I believe soup and the prime rib special for under $23 with tip. Was it the best prime rib I've ever had? No. It was just a bit overcooked and a little tough. But not only was it tasty enough, so was everything else, and the price was certainly right. One of the best places in town for when you want a real meal out without hurting your wallet. read more

What a great spot. I sat in the tavern side and had the antipasto salad with a half order of cavatelli and a meatball. Everything was great. The salad had too much dressing on it for my taste, but that is more a preference than a criticism. Good honest food. Take a break from the chain / factory restaurants and try this place, you'll be glad you did. read more

Great place. My family and I ordered a steak (and it came with choice of pasta and choice of side), the meatball torpedo (came with french fries), pasta and meatballs (choice of side), shrimp cocktail appetizer, two slices of cake and a cannoli. They have their own house italian bread which came with our meal as well. The meal was only $54! (not including dessert) The waitress was Terry (Terri?) and she was so nice! She was patient and very friendly. She even gave us an extra cannoli! (on purpose). This place is delicious! I enjoy this place every time i eat here. read more

Ordered a pizza with onions for take-out. It was cold, and the crust was made from, what looked like, flat bread. The sauce was dried up and no cheese, and no taste. You know a pizza is good when you smell the aroma before you open the box; this had none. Little Anthony's rocks pizza. read more

This place hit the spot! The homemade mozzarella sticks are a must and get both sauces. VEGAS chicken fingers wee decent but even the XXX sauce was not very hot. Pizza was incredible with a crispy crust and fluffy dough. Toppings we fresh and a good amount. read more

My family and I love Ralph's. Without fail, we always stop here on the way back from our place in upstate NY. An Italian tavern. Does it make sense? No. Does the food taste good? Absolutely. Huge portions, tiny price. LEGIT Italian food. After 5 hrs in the car, all four of us could care less that we all ordered the same thing: stuffed shells special. This is the comfort food your grandma makes and you pig out until your body is literally incapable of doing anything but falling asleep. Whoever said the sauce tastes canned is a filthy liar, the sauce is phenomenal every time and definitely tastes homemade. Skip the side salad. Obviously bagged and mine was brown. Gross. The ambiance is less than desirable...but on a long ride home, who cares? We love Ralph's. read more

Delicious food, reasonable prices, and wonderful service! If you go to Ralph's, you will not be disappointed! I had the new england clam chowder to start, which was delicious. If a restaurant's chowder is good, it's usually a good indication of how the rest of the meal is going to be. Surely enough, the boneless wings that followed were delicious. Perfectly cooked - crispy, but not too dry. The chicken parm was very good as well. If you are in the Albany area, I highly recommend Ralph's. read more

I haven't been in the restaurant in years, not much has changed. The food was great though. My lady got fish fry,which was flaky and moist and the fries were crispy and hot. I got wings and they were awesome just the right heat. I wish that I got a refill but other than that super. read more

Dined here a few times on a business trip. It's home-cooked Italian in a relaxed atmosphere. Kind of like eating at your friend's house. Some of the dishes his mom makes are good, others are just ok. My favorite dish was a veal parmesan/eggplant combo that was on special one night. I asked for the meat sauce with my side of linguini, and I really liked it. Good meaty, rich sauce. I'd recommend the meat sauce if you do the design-your-own pasta meal. I liked the caesar salad a lot better than the garden salad, which has too much iceberg and was not the freshest either (some brown lettuce). Saw a lot of people getting pizza, but I didn't try it. The meatballs looked good too. My friend got the chicken alfredo, and it looked pretty sad, and the chicken was burned. Try to get here early to beat the dinner rush, as it is very popular with the locals. Feels like this place has been here for a long time, mostly in a good way. read more

This is place is great. It seems like a hole in the wall and it kind of is but a really great hole. Prices are decent and it's a great place to run in for a quick bite. I've had their bolognese and their pasta was cooked well and their tuna fish on Italian which supringlsly I was a big fan of. I love tuna fish in general but everyone makes it different and it's just far easier to be satisfied with it more making it in your own home. But this sandwich was delicious, I had a tuna melt with coleslaw which also was a little sweet and good. They don't always bring bread but when I've asked for it they've brought it out. I love a good Italian bread and butter sandwich. This is not a place for breakfast, there are random omelets or egg meals but it just isn't meant for breakfast. Go alone or with friends, the workers are welcoming and you never feel like you're just another number here. read more

picked up takeout and I'm not impressed. We ordered a burger for my mom and there was no top bun for $10. My chicken Francaise was dry and the portion of chicken was extremely small... not worth $20 disappointed read more

Ralph's Tavern - chicken Franny - Italian Near Me - Albany, New York

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Very unhappy. First, the food was not good. One meal was cold so I had to reheat it. A house salad was left out of the order. This was a very expensive meal for what we got. Will not order here again. read more

If you are visiting Albany, make sure you stop at Ralph's and dine in. This tavern has a bar section with tables & booths around to dine in addition to another dinning area, both appear to be busy. The staff are amiable, well aware of their menus and drink selections and provide excellent service on timely manner, the food is rich in flavor, the portions are generous, a complementary freshly baked bread with butter will be served. I ordered the linguini pasta with Alfredo sauce and shrimp it came with complementary manhatan chowder (vs creamy chowder or salad), I am eating my delight but also enjoying the smell of the juicy wings, eggplant Parmesan and burger served around! Yum! The atmosphere is sociable, people here from all age groups, and parking is easy around. Don't miss out the food here! Highly recommended! read more

We are visiting from Kansas City and wanted Italian food and boy did we pick the right place. Food was delicious and our waitress was so sweet and attentive! Thanks Ralph's for a great meal! read more