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.

First night in Albany brought us to Albany Ale and Oyster…read more Great food and beer here! Whenever there is a Main Brewing Company beer on tap anywhere I am sure to get it. They are an elite beer company. The tuna tartar was delicious and fresh, I really enjoyed it. The oysters on the east coast are always amazing. My wife loved the clam chowder, I tasted it and it was very flavorful. The people with us got an amazing charcuterie board! It was very well put together. There is lots of conversation going on around us but not so loud you can't hear your own.

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.

We made a dinner reservation Thursday May 14, 2026 two weeks in advance. Confirmed reservation two…read moredays before with Linda & Dan K. We were a party of eight. Brothers & sisters get together monthly at different restaurants & pubs. We, Nick & Liz, are regulars here & it was our turn to choose. For everyone else this was there first visit. First our table was all set. Our server, Christina, had already set out menus & waters, then took our dinner orders. One sister was impressed with her Bloody Mary made by Dan K. Two excellent pub melts w/ steak fries-always great, two Cajun fish tacos - just great (and she's the fussy sister). Also the Cajun dry rub chicken wing appetizer was also great. Everyone was happy with this choice. Also enjoyed four rounds of Thursday Night Trivia. Thank you Greg & to the staff & the kitchen. You all made it a great, fun evening. See you again soon. Nick & Liz, Albany, NY

Food was fantastic!!! Service was excellent!!! Would have given 5 stars but the bathroom is gross.read more

Missed the swordfish but the salmon was great. Mariah offered professional and gracious service…read more The Albany location met my needs!

Very small menu. Standard American pub food trying to be a real restaurant. Fish and chips was a…read morebig let down. Medium size single piece of fish and cold fries. Any add on , like condiments, was by request only. Wait staff was fine but not really interested in the customers. Definitely seemed like a job for her to stop by every so often. Price was way higher than the quality. Would not recommend and I will not return. Get a fish fry literally anywhere and it will be twice as good for half the price!

We stopped here just to have a couple of drinks. Fun friendly atmosphere. Dogs are welcome!read more

What does "dive bar' really mean anyway? It's a terrible word, and furthermore I think it is been…read moreco-opted by the younger generation. There, I said it. Joe's Grill is not a place to go see and be seen. It's not where you go chasing the latest cult beer can release. One might look at it and think it's not a place to go for the food either. Those people would be wrong. Are there regulars in there, sucking down beers on a Saturday afternoon? You bet there are. If you get there early, you might even inadvertently sit in one of their seats. But don't worry about it. You're just visiting. They know you'll be gone before too long. Actually, if you order food, you might be at Joe's longer than you might suspect. The food is cooked to order, and it's worth the wait. The wings are seriously good. Now I want to go back and try the pizza. Actually, I want to try a lot of the things on the menu. I'm not entirely sure about the dining room. There's a pool table right in the middle. And while nobody was playing, I found sitting at the bar felt like a much more natural place to be. But this isn't the place to come with a group. They have beer on tap. But beer in bottles is probably a better option. Judging by the empties, It looks like they go through a lot of bottles, so I would expect product cycles through with some regularity. When drinking macro brews, I prefer them to be impossibly cold. But old refrigerators aren't quite up for the task. Still, that's okay. Because do you know what Joe's has that places with colder refrigerators don't? Character. And it's not a character that can be created or imitated. You can't artfully decorate your way to a soulful bar on a forgotten stretch of Central Avenue. But you should find a way to get yourself there. For fried fatty foods, beer in bottles, and some classic rock on the jukebox. It feels wrong to take an Uber or a Lyft. Maybe you can have the car pick you up or drop you off next door, and you can walk the 90 feet to Joe's. Then maybe you could feel like you're part of the neighborhood. More than anything else, this is a neighborhood tavern. And Albany's taverns are this region's diamonds in the rough. They may not look like much, but the culinary and cultural wealth they hold inside is staggering.

I looked this place up after a hotel staff recommended it. I have been back twice since and have…read morenot been disappointed. Good happy hour deals. Can be a bit loud.

I've been here many times before, but this was hands down the worst restaurant experience I've had…read morein a long time. For a party of two, it took 1 hour and 15 minutes from the time we were seated until we left. Our waitress was great at first, but after our food came out, she disappeared and we rarely saw her again. The Southwest Egg Rolls are usually one of my favorites, but this time they were undercooked. The French onion soup was so heavily seasoned that it was difficult to eat. I also ordered the Nashville Chicken Wrap, but it was basically plain chicken and lettuce. It was missing the slaw and any of the Nashville flavor that the menu promised. This place has been a favorite of mine for years, which makes this experience even more disappointing. Unfortunately, I won't be going back.

best staff, best food no questions asked. restaurant itself has an amazing ambiance and atmosphere…read more wouldn't go anywhere else. Food is well priced and not expensive. real bang for the buck.

I stopped here for an early dinner on a Tuesday evening. The…read morestaff were very helpful and friendly. I ordered the pulled chicken, baked beans and collard greens. And it came with a piece of cornbread. They were all very good. They also have a pretty extensive selection of beverages. Also, each table has 6 different bbq sauces. I tried all of them and narrowed down my favorites to 2. There's a lot of military-type memorabilia on display. And country music playing in the background, but not too loud. Fairly comfortable. Oh, and the ladies bathroom was spacious and very clean. I recommend this place if you're in the mood for tasty food.

Didn't realized this spot was here until today and we'll definitely return! The owner was so…read moresweet she served us our drinks and made our food. We love the set up here, clean and lots of space for groups. They have all different entertainment between trivia, live music, karaoke and more - we'll be back for one of those nights for sure! We had a Buffalo chicken wrap and quesadilla - definitely enjoyed both with our Sam Adam's cold snap on tap!

A friendly fun atmosphere, there is always something fun in play. Whether it be karaoke or some…read moretype of bar athlete contest, their monthly calendar seems to have something for everyone. We sat at the bar this time. Quick friendly service! We just had drinks and laughs. Cheers!

It's been a while since I've had a meal here. It's always good. There have been some changes to the…read moremenu. They all looked delish. The service has always been good here. There has been some turnover in staff but they were just as friendly, helpful and professional as I remembered. I kept it casual and picked a Tofu Banh Mi which is a Vietnamese sandwich. It came with greens. I really enjoyed this dish. It was filling but didn't weigh me down. I ordered Wayward Lane Brewing Monarca Gold: A Mexican-style lager. It was very good but I have to admit I ordered because I liked the butterfly on the can. I actually liked my friend's dark smoked beer even better. Wayward Lane Brewing's Lifeblood looked like stout and tasted a bit like smoked bacon to me even though it was supposed to feature notes of toasted brown bread and caramelized sugar. My friend also had truffle ( mushroom) fries and a smash burger. He loved the meal. Dove & Deer is a pretty place. Attractive furniture and light fixtures. Big windows. A nice variety of food and beverage that you might not find everywhere else.

I have visited Dove + Deer for dinner several times, and what consistently impressed me was its…read morecasual, lively vibe, along with a large bar area and even a spot to play darts. The live music on many evenings adds to the atmosphere, and I've particularly enjoyed some of the creative fusion dishes they've been experimenting with. The street corn flatbread has a strong spicy kick and reminded me of the Indian-style pizza I enjoyed back home in India. The peach salmon was another standout, with the lemon-flavored rice adding a unique touch. And the Chocolate Cookie Skillet is an absolute must-have! Other highlights include the stuffed mushrooms, truffle parm fries, and tiramisu, and the service was quite good as well. Dove + Deer is definitely an excellent option to explore if you're in the Albany area.

Brunch in Albany was a new experience for me. I decided to try this spot out and was pleasantly…read moresurprised. The atmosphere is very modern, with all the bells and whistles. The color scheme is amazing, and the service is second to none. They move efficiently throughout the restaurant; they don't have just one person assigned to each table but use a group approach, and you can order at the table with the app, which is cool. Bartender Benny was great! The food, I'll say, was fair. I do believe the prices don't fully reflect the quality, but the overall feel is great. The champagne machine is a great touch, so that was unique. This is a very upscale brunch, but it's worth the hype for the decor. Parking is not the easiest, but it's worth it.

Its a very high-toned place. The whole interior and exterior is extravagant looking and cozy. The…read moremain issue I had was that the tables were sticky and not clean. When we received out food the syrup was spilt by the server but they never refilled it for us. We also were given silverware and not napkins which to me feels a little odd. Our drinks arrival time was Staggered as well so we were not able to enjoy our drinks at the same time lest they become cold or no longer desirable. Despite all this both the food and drink were very good.