what a great place with a cool vibe. obviously great coffee choices but their sandwiches were very unique. fresh highly recommend this has a lunch spot. if weather permits sitting outside is great. staff is very friendly when ordering. read more

This is one of my favorite breakfast places. The food is delicious and simple. It's affordable. The coffee is hot and keeps on coming. Our server was wonderful and personable. The restaurant is showing wear and tear that is evident in the booth seats, the chipped flooring and the older bathrooms, but it adds to the charm. It is still incredibly clean. read more

See all

This is a staple for locals and everyone should come to Schenectady for a visit. Whether you want to grab a boozy muffin and coffee then shop on Jay Street, or sit down for a meal check Ambition. Weekend breakfast and brunch is busy and the Saturday brunch menu is different than Sunday brunch. The decor is festive and artistic with playful menu item names. My favorite items are Ver Klempt served with plenty of cream cheese and lox and strawberry fields French toast for a sweet tooth. read more

Ambition Coffee & Eatery - Gay Sex omlette and Jeremy's package sammy - Sandwiches Near Me - Schenectady, New York

See all

I've always come here for the Ms. Doubtfire and their matcha latte--it's been my go-to spot whenever I want a good breakfast. The staff is always super sweet, which makes the experience even better. Unfortunately, something seems different with the matcha lately. I'm not sure if the recipe or ingredients have changed, but the latte I ordered today didn't taste good at all. The color was off (which isn't a huge deal), but the flavor was really unpleasant--honestly, it tasted like sewer water. I took one sip and had to spit it out because it was that bad. I'm hoping this was just an off day because I truly love this place. I'd love to see them bring back the original matcha with honey and cinnamon--it was amazing. read more

Food is Excellent!! love the Menu!! The staff is excellent as well!! we had gone to Proctors for a play and a friend recommended it!! You can tell that the staff love working there!! And the owner is such a nice man as well!! Will Definitely Be Back!! read more

This place makes amazing sandwiches. The pretzel bread sets some of them off real nice. Im allergic to nuts and they're always great about if i ask for a sandwich to not mess with the nuts. I cant believe Mark the cook is such a skinny dude because he knows how to make a hell of a sandwich. Especially the specials. Always worth checking on the specials when ordering a sammie. The coffee is pretty good too. I grab an iced coffee from time to time. Not really a baked good kind of guy so I cant tell you there. read more

We had a great brunch here, great amosphere, great decor, great staff. Food was good and hearty. Blood marys were ok. read more

A Cute and whimsical eatery. The Ambition Cafe is a small hidden Gem in Schenectady. Tucked away on a small paver laden street. Ambition is the kind of place that feels like a cool bar restaurant. The ambiance, paired with the rustic decor is entertaining. The friendly staff, creates an inviting atmosphere that makes you want to stay a while. The menu is simple offering a delightful mix of comfort food, coffees and freshly baked "Boozy muffins" which they are famous for, unfortunately, we passed on those muffins but will be back to try them in the future. The prices are extremely reasonable. It was a Sunday morning and we ordered off the brunch menu and had the Novel waffle with sausage and Jeremy's package. The waffle and sandwich was fresh and tasty. They use fresh local ingredients which always elevates even the simplest of meals. Ambition Cafe is more than just a place to grab a bite. The locals gather here to catch up, relax, and enjoy great food in a warm setting. The restaurant is located in a a busy area where a street fair and farmers market was happening that day. Whether you're there for a quick coffee or a leisurely lunch, Ambition delivers a delightful experience that will leave you coming back for more. read more

See all

Came here with a friend for breakfast on a Monday morning and fell in love with this place! It's got a really cool, chill vibe that defies pretension. It's on the Jay Street strip, so there's only street parking away from the location. Service was great--our server was attentive and food came out at the right time. Speaking of, I had a western omelette that was exactly what I wanted, and the home fries were perfect. Next time, I'll be interested to try one of their boozy muffins. Definitely worth checking this place out if you're coming to Schenectady! read more

This is a great place on Jay street. Small footprint at the street, but extends way back to make a large interior space. It is packed to the rafters on Sundays for brunch, but on a weekday, there was no problem. Simple menu and the food was good. Though, all I had was eggs, toast and coffee. I did get a scone to go, which was large and delicious (though, I think I would have preferred a softer interior of the pastry). The restaurant is nicely decorated with cool fun items. The owner delivered my food and recognized that I had not been in there before ("you are a new face here"), which I found amazing. read more

The most amazing little place! Found it on a random walk looking for breakfast. So much art inside, server was very sweet, the coffee was HOT and delicious. Literally told everyone about it when I got back. read more

See all

I walk here on my break to get breakfast sandwiches sometimes. The food is pretty decent. It's a little bit of a weird vibe which a lot of people love. read more

From the moment you step in the casual, cool, welcoming vibe can be felt. The retro decor and background music exude chill & fun. And that is exactly what we were looking for before we got back on the road to head home. We didn't want anything fancy just chill. We were greeted by the super friendly and accommodating staff. They offered up their suggestions followed up by personal reasons. The menu is fun and the food is freshly prepared and satisfying. Their prices are reasonable too! You honestly can't go wrong here. To start, I had cinnamon hazelnut coffee. I was so excited to hear that there were free refills. In addition to our yummy sandwich choices (the chipotle pretzel and the Jeremy package), we took some fresh out of the oven boozy muffins to go. While we were waiting for our sandwiches, we were told to check out the boozy muffins for our car ride home. In doing so, I lamented that the one flavor (raspberry mimosa) I really wanted was already sold out. By coincidence or design, I'll never know but I have my suspicions since they knew we leaving town right after our lunch -- a batch of muffins magically appeared prior to our departure!!! Needless to say, we took them for the road. If I'm ever in the area again, I'll be stopping back. read more

See all

What an adorably kitschy place. The wall decor is so eclectic and fun to look at. The staff was very friendly. The food was absolutely delicious. We loved the fun menu names for some items. My husband ordered the Bluffin' With my Muffin sandwich (not pictured) and man, the pretzel bun was so amazing, soft and not too breadE as some can be. My daughter ordered the Avocado Toast and declared it to be the best she has ever had (she lives in Long Island and has A.T. often) I had the eggs Benedict special and it was clear that it was made with love. The ham was delicious the hollandaise was not gloopy and the home fries were well seasoned and actually crispy. I also had the hot chocolate and it was chocolatey deliciousness. The only negative about the place, my husband said the bathroom was um.....a dive bar bathroom but I am not deducting any points because everything else was perfect. read more

Ambition Coffee & Eatery - Avocado Toast - Sandwiches Near Me - Schenectady, New York

See all

Ambition Coffee has been a Schenectady go-to for years. The menu is delicious, the staff friendly and the vibe is relaxed and funky. My only regret is that I don't live closer. read more

Food was decent and service was fast and easy. It reminds me of so many college town breakfast spots with lots of color and inviting people. read more

The food is delicious and reasonable prices. The people who work there are are always polite with good service

Service with a smile,old world ambiance in the lobby and new world in front cafe, The coffee was great and the treats were delicious. read more

It had been a while since I swung by ambition cafe, but I wanted to show my friend this cute Schenectady staple. They do pandemic seating, but we found a spot near the back of the cafe. The staff was incredibly friendly, and very accommodating. The restaurant designed is very old school, with fun celebrity murals, photos and news articles about the cafe, bottle cap poles, and a fun mishmash of everything the owner collects. As I remember from the last time I was there, the menu is eclectic and has some nice vegan options. Most orders come with a bag of chips or a side salad, which was a pretty decent size. We were also thrilled to see that they had fountain sodas, so we could order our Diet Cokes. We both ordered Jeremy's Package, which is made with grilled turkey, apples, bacon, tomato, cheddar, cranberry pesto, and balsamic reduction on pretzel bread. Boy did this sandwich live up to the hype. It was scrumptious, with a sweet little edge, and the acid of the crisp apple tartness balanced out the fattiness of the bacon and turkey. The pretzel bun tasted just like a pretzel, and it was warm and soft inside. Very happy! The salad is also very good. It was mixed greens, and I got the honey mustard vinaigrette. He worked really well, and was a perfect compliment to the dish. I'm so glad we hit this place up for lunch. I forgot how great Ambition Cafe has always been, and I'm really glad to see they're keeping it up. read more

Ambition Coffee & Eatery - Jeremy's Package with a side salad. - Sandwiches Near Me - Schenectady, New York

grilled turkey was delicious. loved it. incredible place if you're looking to eat in a neat looking joint, definitely a star on the map. food comes relatively quickly considering how packed it usually is. read more

Service was exceptional. Very attentive staff. The orange juice tasted like fresh squeezed. The sandwich was delicious. The pancake was fresh. Pay to park is a little ridiculous, but did it because of the recommendation to the restaurant. read more

See all

Been in a couple of times in the last couple of months while visiting Schenectady. Food, All service was great; except for one server (blonde and wore glasses, she seem rushed, unprofessional, and not very friendly/personable in the least); and the vibes were all perfect. Even down to the female busser who looked like Betty Boop, was friendly, checking on patrons, and added to the vibe. I went last weekend and noticed she wasn't there. Missed seeing her cheery disposition. read more

Very respectful good food wasn't rushed !very unique atmosphere relaxing very nice wait staff very comfortable

We went for breakfast and our scrambled eggs were burned! The owner clearly saw it as he made it (could see him in kitchen from where seated), he is cheap and didn't want to lose money by cooking new eggs. The home fries were very salty and tasted like the frozen ones you get in a bag. You have to ask for jelly for the toast, they won't ask you or check on you once you receive your food. The table was moving nonstop from being unlevel, and it looked like the ceiling was going to collapse as it is in disarray. The ceiling can easily be replaced, to keep it looking historic. Not worth the price, frozen breakfasts are better then this place. Do not waste your money on this awful food! read more

Went on a Sunday morning during the farmers market and got seated right away with a very friendly waitress Breakfast Sammy with chorizo and pepperjack on a croissant - very very good sandwich! Added some hot sauce and then it was really top notch! Bluffin' with My Muffin - Sandwich itself was awesome! I loved the raspberry chipotle sauce and thought it complemented the rest of the sandwich perfectly :) The thing I found odd was that the sandwich noted that it came with chips and a pickle and then it came with plain tortilla chips with no salsa or anything in which to dip them. I guess I had incorrectly assumed they would be potato chips, but that was an unexpected disappointment. French omelet - we all three felt that this was the weakest of the entrées we got. Nothing terrible, just nothing remarkable either and kind of small for an omelette in our opinion. Raspberry mimosa muffin - this was recommended to us by both the waitress and the woman who was up by the baked goods counter when I went to take a look and they did not disappoint! A very yummy muffin :) Overall liked this place and would recommend for anyone looking to eat a quick and solid brunch! read more

Great food and nice outside vibe! We didn't eat inside but did peek in for it's kitchy and cool decour. The outside is on a cute little alley, calm and cute. Th food was delicious and the server was friendly and delightful! A great place for brunch! read more

See all

Lovely place with many stunning collections of art throughout. Charming places to sit and enjoy at your leisure. (We are here 9:00 am Sunday morning before farmers market)The staff is kind, welcoming & knowledgeable. We are getting gift cards. The food...if you enjoy food you will have difficulty deciding which to order. Hubby got the French omelet (I had a bite, sooo good!), I had baba wawa ...perfect amount of home fries, the English muffin had a half of strawberry on it, what attention to detail!! Meal was delicious, we will be back for sure!! Also had Godiva shot in my coffee, yum!! The mugs look hand made, so sweet!! I appreciate the time & effort to run such a great establishment...well done read more

Ambition Coffee & Eatery - Fun coffee & strong coffee...yeah - Sandwiches Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Great little coffee and sandwich shop with a terrific sandwich menu. Solid choice. Can't go wrong with Ambition.

A nice little place to grab brunch on a Sunday. Definitely a little divey but very fun place to look around at everything. I got a bacon breakfast sandwich with avocado and it was delicious. My boyfriend got a western omelette and enjoyed it too. We both agreed the breakfast potatoes were good. The portions seemed a little small but the price wasn't bad. Overall, not sure I would rush to come back here... But I also have no major complaints! read more

Ambition Coffee & Eatery - Breakfast sandwich and omelette! - Sandwiches Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Maddie our waitress was wonderful , attentive and efficient , raspberry mimosas delicious !!! Wonderful place

My daughter and I were visiting my mom and looked up a place for lunch. Saw Ambition coffee and we headed over! We were greeted warmly and took our seats in one of the available booths. Our server was so friendly and so attentive! The establishment has a lot of charm and learned the owner (and chef) is also an author! Our sandwiches were out of this world and we were able to purchase Marc's latest book and he even autographed it for us! So glad we found this cute place for sandwiches and coffee! Highly recommend!! I'll be back the next time I'm in town!! read more

Very cool place to get your grub on. The ambiance is where it's at here, small but cool. I had French toast with strawberries. Their home fries were on point ! Probably the best I've had at a restaurant . Pricing wasn't horrible either. Would go again and definitely recommend. read more

I was lookin' for a nice brunch spot close to my house one Saturday morning to bring my lovely boyfriend. After looking at some Yelp reviews I decided on the Ambition eatery, conveniently located in downtown schenectady. Rule #1 NEVER EVER judge a restaurant by the outside! (You will miss out on so many amazing places if you do) From the outside this place looks like small, basic café, but it's SO much more than that! From the moment we walked in I was drawn in by the atmosphere and decor. It kinda looks like someone took all of their old junk from an attic and put it in random places around the restaurant, but surprisingly it worked! As I sat down in a booth near the bar I started looking around and within 10 seconds I saw a disco ball, a wall covered in bottle caps, Broadway show posters, and Marilyn Munro!!! Could you imagine playing the game "eye spy" in this place?!! Anyway, Ambition is such a cool, laid back place. And the crowd consisted of young, hip kids as well as old couples, wicked chill spot!! They also have a FULL BAR and it looked like couches in the back which is cool. The menu is small but they have some great options. My favorite part: they have mimosas, hard GODIVA hot chocolate, and many other morning beverages that include alcohol. I think it's a nice touch. I ended up getting a regular Godiva hot chocolate even though I totally regret not getting the one with alcohol. I bet it's even more delicious than the regular. For my meal I got The Jeremy's package- Grilled turkey, apples, bacon, tomato, cheddar, cranberry pesto and balsamic on pretzel bread. My boyfriend got the Ambition sandwich. Grilled chicken, pesto, roasted red peppers & mozzarella. Both come with a side of chips. Wish they would do fries or something. The chips are EH, just bagged tortilla chips. The sandwiches were good though, my BF and I did 1/2 and 1/2 so we could try each one. Both agreed mine was the better of the two. The pretzel bread is aweeeeesommmmme. Our waitress was a cute little thing, and a great waitress to say the least. I've come to the conclusion this is a perfect spot for a post-hangover breakfast. I vow that next time I go here I'm getting 3 mimosas and the strawberry French toast. It took everything out of me not to get it the first time. GO HERE! You'll love it. read more

See all

This place is great! Nice service! Food came pretty quick and the drinks were great. The location is great too! Near a lot of cute shops. read more

Ambition Coffee & Eatery - Ice tea and Mayan Chai Latte - Sandwiches Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Our service was fantastic at this awesome eatery! Try the boozy muffins for sure! Loved the ambiance.

I frequent visit this coffee shop on jay steet! Want a fast meal, this place is for you! Coffee is consistent, food is ALWAYS hot and great customer service! They are always looking for wait staff so be patient but every interaction has been friendly and would totally keep coming back! read more

Ambition has incredible food and service. We stopped in after a long day and were greeted by the friendliest staff. Our server Ronnie was so friendly and funny! Our food was delicious, Marc is not only an incredible chef, but personable and welcoming! We may even come back to Schenectady just for Ambition! read more

One of my favorite places to go. I enjoy the atmosphere and different sandwiches! So tasty!

Very quirky artsy place! Looks can be deceiving from the outside, just come in! Nice quiet Tuesday morning, I decided to kill some time so I stopped in to Ambition. Which is ALWAYS one of my go-to breakfast spots! Their menu changed a bit which was nice to see. I got a create your own omelette with a side of avocado (perfectly ripe!), potatoes, and rye toast. The waiter greeted me with a smile and immediately asked me if I would like a drink and brought over a menu. He was very attentive and unfortunately I didn't catch his name. The food almost never disappoints as the owner is the chef (if this hasn't changed). The food came out nice and HOT! I believe I may have waited 10mins for the food so I was able to enjoy my cup of coffee quietly. I sat on the small table near the window so it was also nice to people watch on Jay St. Food came out perfectly, just like I asked and the potatoes were my FAVORITE! Perfectly seasoned and not mushy. read more

See all

Funky little hole in the wall breakfast/lunch joint with delicious and creative menu. The service is friendly and good came out quick on a busy day. Definitely going back again soon. read more

Ambition Coffee & Eatery - Sandwiches Near Me - Schenectady, New York

See all