Elite in every way. Picked up a 13.6 lb lamb shoulder. Exceptional quality. Wings too - sweet…read morefatties. Best in class.

The staff are speedy, competent, attentive, and consistently appear to like their jobs…read more Good home cooks need quality ingredients. Having this place close has spoiled us; the deli and prepared foods make cooking virtually unnecessary. The fresh-made takeout is also delicious. The shelves have plenty of fresh and unique ingredients and I love being able to order exactly what I need at the butcher counter. This is a delightful, friendly neighborhood butcher and specialty grocer. Often just walking through inspires my creative side.

Very good French dip staff was polite aswell very good potato salad thanks not a lot of parking but…read moretraffic isn't that bad

We stopped in here a couple weeks ago after I saw that this new deli had opened on Facebook. It is…read morereally nice and clean inside and everyone is very friendly and eager to help their customers. We got a couple of subs here. They were reasonably priced and quite large. Bread has a nice crust on it. Loved it and will definitely be going back soon. They also sell deli meat and cheese by the pound. They have hot subs as well as cold. I just wish they were open a bit later than 5:30 pm as we sometimes work past this time and then cannot get a sub. It would also be great if their day off was Tuesday as most places in this area are all closed on Mondays so it would be great to have another option. Just throwing that out there. All that said, this is a wonderful deli and I hope they thrive for many years!

I need one of these near me! Picture this....a Starbucks but the line actually moves, the coffee…read moretastes good and the bagels are made fresh. Stopped by for coffee and a quick breakfast sandwich on our way out of town. Parking lot was nearly full but it's shared w a smoothie place and other businesses. That being said, almost everyone was at UG and for good reason. The line was out the door when we got inside. I was discouraged and ready to angrily wait, but I was wrong! The line moved quickly and a staff were friendly for a busy morning. I had the summer blend hot and wife had an iced latte. The hot coffee was tasty. Low acidity, smooth and balanced. Only complaint was that it could have been just a click hotter for me. I don't necessarily want to burn my esophagus, but this was only lukewarm. The iced latte was delicious. We each had an egg sandwich on a bagel and they were terrific. Soft and chewy bagel with plenty of flavor. We took a couple cookies home from the case and Oh Em Geeeeee! Phenomenal! Now I regret not getting the bag of yesterday's bagels at the door. Even "day old" I bet these things are great!

Whenever I'm traveling for work, I'm always on the lookout for spots that have:…read more 1) Great coffee 2) Great savory breakfast bites So many coffee shops nail the first count but miss on the second (lots of pastry cases but not as much savory options). Uncommon Grounds nails it on both counts and is a great spot to get a little work done to boot. Stopped by this location when I was in the area for some coffee and breakfast. I'm usually in search of sugar free options as well as milk alternatives. Uncommon Grounds had a couple sugar free options (yay! caramel and vanilla) and a few different milk alternatives. I got a caramel latte made with almond milk and it was dreamy. For my breakfast, I got the Mediterranean breakfast sandwich on a salt bagel. It came with egg, spinach, avocado, tomato, and a bit of pesto. Delicious! The only tiny thing for me was the tomato made the sandwich kinda slippery and difficult to eat so the next time I ordered it (which was literally the next day), I got it with double the spinach and no tomato. The service was really lovely and the prices are reasonable. They're a popular spot and were pretty busy when I was in and even with that everyone was so kind and helpful. Get to it!

The BEAST pulled up to Bella Lucia... and this one? Yeah--it's stepping into a higher tier. Grabbed…read morea couple slices and some knots. This is a strong slice with real upside. Right out the gate, you're dealing with a clean, crispy New York-style foundation. The crust has that light crunch on the outside with enough give inside to keep it legit. Not overly doughy, not cardboard just balanced. That's how you start winning points with The BEAST. Now let's address the big talking point--the sauce. There's been some chatter on Yelp about inconsistency, and while that concern isn't totally off base, this visit leaned more positive than negative. The sauce had a nice tang with a slight sweetness, and more importantly it actually complemented the cheese instead of disappearing. Still not elite-tier locked in, but definitely better than average and trending in the right direction. Cheese + toppings? This is where Bella Lucia separates a bit. Good coverage, solid melt, and everything tastes fresh. No grease overload, no shortcuts it feels like they care about what's coming out of that oven. And let's not ignore the menu depth Stromboli's, sandwiches, etc. this isn't just a one-trick pizza stop. There's some versatility here.

The chicken parm sandwich on a garlic knot with vodka sauce is OUT OF THIS WORLD. So good.read more

My favorite bagels in the 518 area. I really like their colorful wagel bagels, whitefish salad,…read moreFunfetti cream cheese, jalapeño cream cheese, and their chive cream cheese.

Eleven years? Has it been that long since I've had a bagel from West End? I don't know why…read more These are really decent bagels. After reading my last review I think it would be fair to say they have addressed most of my previous comments. The Cinnamon Raisin I had today had a reasonable number of raisins and continued to have a nice amount of cinnamon flavor with a very enjoyable chew. The plain cream cheese I requested on my toasted bagel ($2.95) was proportionally appropriate. My wife's toasted Chocolate Chip bagel with plain cream cheese ($2.95) had just enough chocolate chips to not overpower the enjoyable flavor of the bagel and to also not become a dessert bagel. Two very good cups of coffee from Capital City Coffee Roasters ($2.10 ea.) added to our enjoyment. Staff were friendly and service was prompt.

I knew this tavern existed, but never stopped before. This evening my wife & I decided on a simple…read moredinner and a drink. After checking Yelp for suggestions, Crescent Wrench popped up as a suggestion. A short time later we arrived at the Wrench. Upon entering the Barmaid/Waitress greeted us with a warm hello. We took a table and were immediately asked what beverage we wanted. We each found something off the menu that sounded good. I ordered the hot Italian Combo which came with fries. My wife had the hamburger quesadilla and she loved it. Both were hot and very good. The Tavern isn't huge, but it is cozy and this is what I'd call a Home Town Tavern.

This place is amazing! Great food, great people, great…read moreprices and its named for a Great Dog named Crescent who is no longer with us (but he loved the sanack food). Its a real hidden gem off the Thruway - do not pass it up if in the area. Great for kids! Staff was really nice + food was fast. Places like this are a rarity, reasonable but exceptional.

I wish I had taken pictures of their amazing food but it smelled and looked so good I forgot my…read morephone existed. We frequented this place over the past two weeks while taking care of a family member in their final stages of life. Pita and Olive became our family's go-to spot for comfort food. We all ordered various plates from kebabs, falafal, beef and lamb pitas, chicken bowl, and sides of their delicious rice. While running errands a few days ago I actually stopped in JUST to pick up a side of rice and a small cup of their creamy dill sauce (which tastes amazing on everything). Fresh ingredients that are seasoned beautifully and plates that are crafted to satisfy and bring happiness to your tummy and your heart. I want to thank Pita and Olive for providing us with nourishment during some pretty chaotic and sad times.

I've been a fan of Pita & Olive for a while. Their food is obviously made with the best ingredients…read moreand many items are also clearly made from scratch. The addition of the coffee bar/cafe menu has only further endeared me to the place. Just like their food, many of the components of the coffee menu are scratch made, including the milks. They make a pistachio, almond, and oat milk all in house. There may be more too, but those three I know for certain. The attention to detail is also impressive, such as the presentation of each beverage. The cups the drinks are served in aren't just pretty, but also sturdy. Which as a clumsy person, I appreciate. Harder for me to spill. Ha! Something to keep in mind about the cafe menu is that since everything is mainly scratch made or ordered special (their Matcha is from Japan) they will be out of things at times. But there's nothing bad on the menu so I humbly suggest going in with an open mind. The lack of one item being available has caused me to try others, and I haven't disliked anything! I hope they continue to do well and are in the area for a long time to come.

I've been a customer for years and everyone is always so friendly and welcoming. I love the book…read moresection and the comfy chairs to lounge in. Food and drinks are great too!

I absolutely hate their new location it is not warm it is not cozy the ceiling is too high all the…read moreseats are bunched together there's no privacy it's not comfy it's not cuddly it doesn't give me that warm feeling. The service was the same it was perfect. The mocha latte was what I ordered. The chicken sandwich I suppose it was okay it just wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe put some dividers in and drop the ceiling and make it a little more Cozier lighting. But the new location is the pitts. I was cold and I hate being cold. Also the ceiling is too high maybe lower where the seating is and not where the stages or the doors are and also put in some dividers so it feels like smaller rooms to give it that little privacy that can be moved to different areas when you have shows.

I love Venezia pizza. It's a small business. They've been here in Clifton park forever! I love to…read moreget the family special, the cheese pizza is my favorite. It's casual dining, they offer take out service or table side. They have lots of seating. And can take large parties. Highly recommend Venezia pizza Oo and they have slices, though I like to get a full pizza 17"

Venezia was the perfect place to start my trip in Albany/Clifton Park. The pepperoni pizza had…read morethin, crispy slices with a great sauce and just the right amount of cheese. The meatballs were some of the best I've ever had--juicy and full of flavor. Everything was incredibly satisfying. What a great way to kick off my trip!

The Dog Haus in Clifton Park has the best onion rings in town. The Chili the Kid with a brat is my…read morego to with a cheese burger slider. Don't get me started on the beer selection- it's HUGE. For get Druthers across the parking lot. Go to the Dog Haus.

Blame it on Covid! I was surprised to see that I had previously written four reviews for the Dog…read moreHaus seven years ago, each one with 4*, and yet I hadn't been back since. It being July 4th, Independence Day, I thought it would be an appropriate day to enjoy a hot dog. Just ask Joey Chestnut! I'm not going to reduce my # of *s because we really enjoyed our food and beverages. But I do have to question what I had to drink. The board said it was an Ommegang Grande Tripel stout at 5.5 ABV ($9). That level of ABV would be reasonable for a stout, but the color of the brew was golden like a typical Tripel, and not dark like the typical Stout. The bartender gave us a sample, and it was full of flavor with my wife noticing the vanilla tones that were described by the bartender. I didn't initially identify any specific flavor other than delicious and different than I would have expected from a stout. I also would not take issue with the posted 5.5 ABV. HOWEVER, a quick reference to Ommegang online as I write this says that it is a Belgium Tripel and the ABV is 9. Yes, NINE ABV! I would definitely have noticed if I were drinking a 9 ABV on an empty stomach. I also would have noticed it driving the car after finishing a pint within one hour. For those familiar with Utah Phillips, "It was good though!" But on to the food. We ordered a shareable Tot-Chos ($12.99) consisting of tater tots, tomatoes, avocado, cheese sauce, pickled jalapeños, and chipotle aioli. These were very tasty and not too spicy, with crispy on the outside and soft on the inside tots. My wife ordered the Sooo Cali ($10.99) hot dog. The black angus beef hot dog is very tasty even before it is topped with wild arugula, tomato, avocado, crispy onion strings, and spicy basil aioli. The combined flavors work well together on the Kings Hawaiian rolls. My choice was to try the Hogfather ($10.99) - a pork bratwurst with bacon chipotle onion jam, chipotle aioli, and miso ranch. The bratwurst was delicious and again, the flavors worked well together. BTW, my wife had a Grimm Nothing But Citra ($8), an IPA that even I found acceptable. We really need to return here more frequently.