We went here for a birthday after not having been in many years! We were happy with our experience. The service was good. We had a 6 pm reservation, so just as things were getting busy. The servers worked together to keep people happy. I got a glass of wine (huge!) and we shared the calamari. The calamari flavors were great, but it was a bit overdone. I'd get the stuffed mushrooms if I could choose again. Salad bar with bread and cheese was fabulous! Our entrees were prime rib (medium rare) with stuffed shrimp (perfect), stuffed haddock (delicious, maybe a little heavy on the hollandaise), and a chicken and pasta dish (very tasty). Asparagus was cooked perfectly. Creme brûlée for dessert. Delicious! read more

I always enjoy my meal. Thankfully the salad bar is back. The brownie sundae dessert was excellent. Both my wife and I got the baked haddock with 7 Oz sirloin. I ordered rare and it came more on the medium well side and the wife ordered medium and it came well done. First time that's happened, but it was still was good and we didn't return it. Always enjoy it. read more

The last time I visited was with a large party for a birthday outing, and overall we enjoyed our time there, but it certainly wasn't a spectacular fine dining experience. The service was excellent, both of our servers were friendly and accommodating, which can be hard when there are so many people ordering different things. But, they were on top of our drink refills, and very patient with us. I don't feel like the food merits the high prices they charge. My steak au poivre was tasty, although a little TOO rare for my liking, but it certainly wasn't a $35 piece of meat. I also feel their presentation is severely lacking...if you're going to charge high end prices, I don't really think an expensive steak should be served with a bland looking baked potato on cheap looking dinnerware. The plates look bare when all you are getting are those two items with your dinner. Throwing in some free sauteed/steamed vegetables would go a long way. I really enjoy a good salad bar, which they do have...although I agree with some other reviewers about the lettuce being wet. As I mentioned, the experience was nice overall, but I'm not in any rush to return. read more

Barnsider - Steak Au Poivre - Steakhouses Near Me - Albany, New York

Food was ice cold, nothing worse than a cold $40 T Bone. Long wait for dinner, veggies were like baby food. Ranch dressing so watered down it had no flavor. Overrated and overpriced. Never again!!! read more

I have been coming to the Barnsider for over 30 years and used to love it. No longer....Food was meh. Steak good, seafood mediocre. Cocktails overpriced. Service terrible, only one excellent waiter in team of 3. Bathrooms really old and dingy. What was super upsetting was I slipped and fell by the salad bar on slippery wet floor. Fell HARD. Fell so hard everyone dining stopped eating to stare and/or come over to help me up. Other patrons came to our table to ask if I was ok. One patron came over and insisted I file an incident report because the fall looked that bad. Service staff NEVER came over to ask if I was ok. How bad is that? We asked 4 different service staff to wipe up 15 foot long wet stream on floor before someone else slips. No one did. We finally asked for manager. We had to insist he fill out an incident report and he was super pissed about that! Really? Also he was the one that finally cleaned up floor. Of course the manager never offered to buy my drink, dinner or desert which would of been the correct or classy thing to do. So no more dining at the Barnsider for us. read more

Scallops use to be so good now big slime no taste little ones with crumbs were so good very disappointed and are very expens

Thanksgiving was our second visit to the Barnsider this month. Our first time was just the two of us (and it was terrific), and on Thanksgiving there were ten of us. Thanksgiving dinner was a fabulous dining experience. It was not a buffet, it was a sit down dinner. Besides offering a traditional turkey dinner you also had the option of ordering from the regular menu. We had the traditional turkey meal, and it was done to perfection, not under or overly seasoned. Delicious. And the waitstaff was so accommodating! One of the grandchildren is a picky eater, and they let her have linguine. In fact, the waitstaff was so good you didn't even notice them serving or clearing the table. We can't wait to return to the Barnsider. Two positive visits made us fans. read more

Popular steakhouse in Colonie that's been in business for 40 years. I used to frequent this place quite a bit in the 1990s and my Dad used to have business lunches at The Barnsider in the 1970s when the place was located at Colonie Center. I decided to stop here for dinner on a very icy Sunday night and there was no wait for a table. The entire place has wooden floors and wood frame ceilings. The front portion of the restaurant has the Hawkeye Lounge which has checkerboard & backgammon painted tables and seating around the bar and a large flat screen TV near the window. The Hawkeye (lounge) Menu is serves pub fare, sandwiches, burgers, and entrees. The main dining room has booth and hardwood table seating with linen napkins/silverware & candlelight, and the salad bar. It sort of feels like a rustic loud atmosphere, yet classy. The Dining Room Menu offers the typical steakhouse fare including steaks, chicken, seafood, prime rib, lamb, pork chops, children's menu, salad bar, and desserts. Daily specials are offered. Most of the dinners are in the $20-$30 range and the smaller appetite dinners are $15-$20. Full wine list is available. Check out the menu offerings at http://www.barnsiderrestaurants.com/2barnsdr/index.html I ordered the "smaller appetite" Chicken Florentine ($14.95) with Rice Pilaf & Salad Bar and stuck with ice water. I went up to the Salad Bar which was very crowded around with other diners. The basic Salad Bar offered romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, garnishes, dressings, three bean salad, Italian hot peppers, "carve your own" warm bread & cheddar cheese station. The Salad Bar was a bit of a mess and metal cover guards were provided to protect the bread & cheese while carving. What I witnessed next grossed me out. This bald old bearded man used his grubby BARE HANDS to cut the bread and cheese with NO COVER GUARDS. Good thing I got my bread & cheese first, but I don't know who else was there before me. Fortunately, it was getting late and the staff took away the bread & cheese. IMO, the management should have the cheese cut (not literally hehe) in the kitchen and hot bread served at each table. DINER BEWARE at the SALAD BAR. My dinner came out to my table 25 minutes after ordering piping hot. The Chicken Florentine was good and rich, a breast of chicken wrapped in puff pastry & stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, & cheddar cheese served with fresh basil cream & sundried tomatoes. The Rice Pilaf was decent and moist with diced tomato & a chicken flavor. After dinner, I was given a dessert menu ($3.95-$6.95) which offered ice cream, sorbet, brownie sundae, tiramisu, peanut butter pie, key lime pie, turtle cheesecake, chocolate cake, fried ice cream (with chocolate & toasted coconut OR rum sauce, bananas & pecans), and fresh fruit parfait. The special dessert was Oreo Ice Cream Pie ($5.95). For dessert, I chose the Fresh Fruit Parfait ($5.95) served in a sundae glass. The parfait was refreshing & sweet, which had French vanilla ice cream topped with strawberries, bananas, pineapple & strawberry citrus juice and sweet thick cream & cherry. Overall on this visit, the service here was decent, a bit delayed. My waiter and another server worked together to bring out the food, refill my water glass several times, and clear dishes. Other than the incident at the bread & cheese carving station, the food served here was good, but nothing special. read more

Barnsider - Steakhouses Near Me - Albany, New York

Very inconsistent. I don't mind paying a hefty price for a steak - IF it is top quality. Often Barnsider's steaks are overly gristly. This is not an inexpensive restaurant. However. when they are good they are very good but when they are not it is a waste of $. Service is always friendly and attentive. However, when they are busy, expect a delay in getting your entree. Decent salad bar. Deserts are good but they are overpriced. read more

Went there last night for dinner with my husband. He had never been but I went once years and years ago. I don't remember my experience but my husband said he remembered it as "The" place to go for steak. I was very disappointed in our experience. We made reservations for 5:00 on a Saturday. When we got there the hostess was a bit unfriendly as was the person who sat us. The restaurant has an open floor kitchen and we were sat as close to it as you could get without actually being in the kitchen. I am not interested in watching the meals prepared or listening to the kitchen staff cursing while out for dinner. We were told the servers work in groups of three which makes it confusing to know who to ask for help when needing a drink refill for example. When we ordered the server was flipping through three different pages to write down our order. It didn't seem to make sense to me as the server seemed confused. The salad bar was very underwhelming. No bread or rolls available. Had the French onion soup which when the server brought it out he told me to be careful because it was hot(not the case at all- lukewarm at best.). It was bland but my husband ordered the Clam chowder which he said was good. Husband had the rib eye steak and he said it was good. I got the filet mignon ordered medium. It came rare. It took awhile for anyone to come back and check on us. Told them the steak was too rare and the server took it back to put back on the grill. Came back charred and well done. Gave up at that point and asked for the check and left. Will not be back. read more

The food was cold. the steak was overdone. for the price I expected more. the service was good. the salad bar was minmal. the fish was dry. overpriced. overrated. read more

Stopped in at Barnsider tonight to try out their patio dining during the pandemic. My husband and I have been there for many special occasions in the past, and we wanted to show our support for a local business during this time. Tonight's meal did not disappoint! Same quality of food we've come to expect, and the service was even better than it has been in the past... and that's saying something. I had the scallops and steak tips, and my husband had Steak au Poivre. Made to perfection. Since the seating was so limited, it felt like the staff was able to make an even more personal connection with each diner. Still a great place to get a great meal. Highly recommended! read more

Had a delicious and appropriately social distanced birthday dinner on the deck last evening. Thank you so much

Used to frequent this place when we lived nearby ten years ago, came back for a family gathering for old times sake. I love foodie friendly places with inventive menus as much as anyone, this is not that. What it is is a really solid, family friendly, old fashioned steak house. Think of a Ponderosa with a little more personality. Service is always good. They handle large crowds well. Nice fresh salad bar. Steaks are consistently good. Not quite the quality of a Morton's or Ruth's Chris, but not those prices either. I think the negative reviews on here probably reflect an unrealistic expectation. read more

Barnsider - Perfect medium rare - Steakhouses Near Me - Albany, New York

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I tried it twice. I don't get the hype! Not even the salad bar, bread and tasty cheese can redeem it! A steakhouse? Perhaps. Steak that is the size you ordered, well-seasoned, and prepared to perfection? Absolutely, not! read more

Barnsider - The largest prime rib with Cajun seasoning - what a joke! - Steakhouses Near Me - Albany, New York

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Haven't been to Barnsider in years. Won't be going back any time soon. Their Beef Wellington was just awful. Terrible congealed red wine Demi glacé as if it hadn't been reduced but made with a fistful of corn starch or something , dry filet, and all of it tasteless. They should have been embarrassed to serve it. read more

6/21/22 I made a 6 p.m. reservation for our anniversary dinner at the Barnsider. We arrived 8 minutes before 6 p.m. & were shown an un acceptable table and requested another. The hostess looked confused & asked her manager where to seat us. He gave us a table set for 4, directly in front if the kitchen. The waiiter came & took our drink order & we settled in. After a few minutes the manager came over & told us he had made a mistake and needed our table for a bigger party and we needed to move. He pointed to a table for 2 where a couple were still eating & told us we could have that table as soon as that couple finished and the table could get cleaned up. In the meantime he wanted us to wait by the hostess desk until that happened. I told we were celebrating our anniversary and we had made a reservation and this was the 2nd table. This was unacceptable. Other diners were looking, it was embarrassing. I told me husband we were leaving. We got up & left the drinks on the table. read more

Just left after a NYE dinner. Service was good. The old school salad bar was good. I ordered the rack of lamb. The server suggested medium rare but I asked for medium rare plus just a little. A good steakhouse knows what this means. My lamb was flavorless and rare, almost blue Honestly I have cooked better lamp at home from Pricechoper. I know it was NYE but I am done with this place. read more

Stopped in to treat myself to steak while on a work trip to Albany. The restaurant is split into a lounge/bar area and separate dining room.. It seems like they were going for a barn/rustic vibe...which keeps in line with the name. I chose to eat at the bar to catch the Patriots losing... Yup losing! I ordered the filet, blackened with Cajun seasoning, twice baked potato and veggies. I skipped the free salad bar because I didn't want to over do it. The steak is served with bernaise sauce, I'd never had that sauce before, turns out I'm not a fan. The filet was cooked perfectly. And the Cajun seasoning was amazing! The veggies were pretty good, but let's face it, they're just veggies. My twice baked potato was also very delicious, with pieces of bacon and mushroom mixed in. The service was itself was great. Sometimes sitting at the bar lends itself to the best, quickest service, especially in a busy, happening place. Added bonus, they had my favorite cabernet.... And did I mention the Patriots lost! read more

This place is way overrated. The menu looks great. Atmosphere is ok for this type of place, loud, clattering, tons of tables, load of people. Not much ambiance at all. We had a reservation and walked in about 15 minutes early. Surprisingly tons of people waiting, yet we were seated immediately. Waiter brought waters and took a quick appetizer order as we were starved. The appetizer came out in a few minutes....no waiter. They were slammed and we were not in a rush at all. So we waited, and waited.....and waited to get our order in. Finally he cones back, takes the order. No big deal yet...fast forward about an hour later...still waiting. Finally comes the dinners. My wife had prime rib. Uninspired, no taste, ton of fat, poorly plated. Just ok. Nothing special. I've seen and had better at a wedding for sure. Others in the party, included a prime rib and stuffed shrimp, boring. My daughter order a 6 oz filet, med. Came out med rare. Small, poorly plated, bernaise sauce was tasteless too. My own so called 10 oz filet. Ordered med-rare. Big surprise it was way over cooked, dry, tough, served with tasteless bernaise sauce ...and rubbery vegetable medley. Again, I've enjoyed wedding food way better than this. Waiter eventually checks in. Told him filet was way over cooked. Oh sorry.....do you want another? I said is it gonna take another hour? No, maybe 10 minutes.....or so? I said no. My entire party will be done by then. He says oh, ok. He really didn't care, that was clear. Waiter disappears, never to return. No drinks, no checking in, nothing until we were done. Offers a free desert....as apology from manager. He or she couldn't be bothered coming by obviously. Said ok. Ordered another for table as well, and coffees. Coffee came right out. Half hour later, desert finally shows up. Big surprise, uninspired pumpkin special desert and chocolate cake. Both, just ok. This was just a complete bummer all around. We could not have been more underwhelmed. Overall poor service, blah salad bar, tasteless overpriced steaks, ridiculously long waiting. Never again. Too many other choices all around this area. Save the time and trouble, pass this one by. read more

This Place is AWESOME haven't been here in few years and it hasn't changed one bit. The Prime Rib was Excellent The Service was Outstanding I Give it 5 Star's everyone Should come here. read more

Barnsider - #PRIMERIB 5 STAR - Steakhouses Near Me - Albany, New York

Just got back the from Barnsider (Tuesday December 13, 2022). I ordered meal almost as soon as I sat down. I then waited an hour for my entree. Waiter disappeared. So, I got up and left. read more

We hit Barnsider about once per year if a family member chooses it for their birthday dinner. Last year my favorite NY sirloin was temped nicely, but tough. I shrugged it off because the flavor was good and everything else was fine. This past Thursday my wife and I hit them and once again for my birthday and the NY sirloin was again tough and my wife's stuffed shrimp were dry. Additionally, the presentation of our appetizer was rushed as we had just sat back down with our salads when it was delivered. Not sure why the quality has declined, but sadly, this will be our last visit to what used to be a "go to" restaurant for us. read more

Visited the Barnsider for a family dinner a few weeks back - we were a party of 10+ and made a reservation. We had a quiet section of the restaurant that was pretty private - that was nice for the setting of the occasion. It's fairly expensive, but we knew that coming in. The waitstaff was incredibly friendly and did an excellent job keeping up with our many requests throughout the evening. I liked the salad bar, but have had better. It was incredibly tough to cut their bread and wished it was pre-cut - it also held the line up. My food was good - nothing to rave about, but nothing to complain about either. I wouldn't rush to come back here but wouldn't take this off the list. read more

The past few times we have been here, once Aug 5 and again last month, not up to par. out of baked potatoes, weird then recently lamb chops supper rare, sent back still not good, it use to be great! Happy salad bar it back. Just saying inconsistent lately, always loved it here. read more

Probably the worse meal I've ever had. The filet was undercooked and tough. It arrived about a half hour after our salad. The salad bar was good. read more

Was at the Barnsider twice in 2020; both during pandemic era. They treated us well. The second time, early December, involved a larger group. With the usual precautions, they treated us well, with good food. Once seated, things were quite normal. The restaurant has the space to allow some distancing. Also, they were very patient, and did not rush us. An enjoyable evening. I'm not a "steak" guy, but the menu is quite full. I miss the salad bar they used to have (understandable, for the time-being), but everything else was excellent. Hats off to the team there - waiters, hosts, and "Josh". read more

Where to begin? Through-out the evening we had at least 5+ different waiters. I've worked in the restaurant industry for a long time but have never seen a system like this. It made it very confusing of who you should ask for something from. This place defiantly reminds me of a Florida restaurant. Slow service, odd crowd, etc. It took over an hour to get entrees when the restaurant was not that busy. I'd hate to be a customer when they do get busy. Open Kitchen is a cool concept however the black electrical cables that the heat lamps are hanging from are covered in dust. From my table 15+ feet away I can see dust. Gross. This is sitting over my food. If someone knocks a light there's a good chance dust is going in my food. This is crazy. Clean the place. Almost $30 for 8 pieces of sliced steak on soggy white bread with some garlic from a jar sprinkled on it. Seriously? This place is very over priced and weak on the food quality. I will not be going back. They got two stars just because no one got sick. Open salad bar. Gross. read more

Horrible experience - manager (Josh) was very rude and mean. We had a reservation but there was only one table left in the bar - it was in the middle of an extremely high traffic area. This was my Mother's Day celebration and I told him we would wait for ANY other table. He said we could not wait for another table, asked if I wanted his job, and then stormed away and never came back. We left, and by then all other restaurants were full. We are 30 year customers and we will never come back after being treated like that. He was downright mean and ruined my Mother's Day. I am sure it was a busy and stressful night but the customer service was poor. An employee (a girl) was nice to us and told us that we could wait for a better table to open up in the bar (about 20 minutes). I appreciated her trying to help us but I was too upset by then so we left. Very disappointing experience. read more

I have visited barn cider twice in the past few months as I have traveled to Albany for business. Both times, my colleague and I sat at the bar and had exceptional service. At the bar, you can request the full menu and have your meal there. The bartender is as professional as any waiter and extremely knowledgeable about the menu. I have enjoyed both a rare steak as requested and the special of the day, swordfish. Hands-down, I would order the steak again as I feel like that is what is to be ordered when you go to the barn cider. As for the ambience, it is not a typical steak restaurant as the lights are very bright, the tables are close, and the noise level can be high, plus there is a salad bar. However, if you want to go and enjoy yourself with a group of friends, this is a great place - there always seems to be a celebration on any given week day that I have been there. read more

Always get the 10oz filet mignon with a baked potato and salad bar. The food is cooked perfect, served hot and delicious. The salad bar and bread are fresh. Service, food and atmosphere are great. Been coming to Barnsider since 1976 or 1977 and have not been disappointed. read more

TLDR: prices high/quality low. Prices are high for the quality of food. The NY strip was ordered medium rare but was cold in the center and had a huge strip of gristle through it. The teriyaki was burnt versus seared rendering the exterior inedible. The prime rib was ordered medium and came out rare; had to be returned for "reheating". All in all the beef was flavorless and not properly cooked. Salad bar is of mid quality. Waiter affected an odd, aggressively cheerful "I really hate my job" attitude. Will not be back and will not recommend. read more

We had a large group from out of town for a working dinner. 1. Large back room with its own salad bar(Who doesn't love a good salad bar?) 2. Staffed appropriately for size of party. Drinks were delivered promptly(never going too long without a refill) food order was taken quickly and delivered just evenly throughout the room (still hot did not appear to be sitting under a lamp.) 3. Delicious high-quality food. Known for steaks and prime rib. The only downside was the bathroom was all the way on the other side of the restaurant... I am a fan of local restaurants! Was feeling a little disappointed after the The Cranberry Bog, The Butcher Block, not to mention a few others who do not survive Wolf Road and had seemingly forgotten about the Barnsider? Looks like this void is now filled. read more

if you're looking for good stake I wouldn't recommend this place, the free salad bar was alright probably because it was free, we didn't get our entree for 40 minutes either, wish they would put out that they need help or something seeing only a few servers running around frantically :/ read more

Very disappointed. Everyone (4 people) had Filet Mignon that were awful. Wasted $40+ each. Won't be back. Salad bar was good. Meat tasted like cardboard. read more

Went with my son to enjoy a relaxing dinner. The service was attentive, the salad bar was a nice touch. I had the prime rib and onion soup, both were wonderful. My son had the special for that night which he said was delicious. We both had more than enough to take back for lunch the next day. Highly recommend. read more

Love this place !!! Their salad bar is terrific and the menu is so big it's hard to pick. Save room for dessert!

Have been very pleased both with the quality of food, wait staff and efficiency of ordering (both in restaurant & take out) my husband is a big fan of either the rib eye or prime rib. It is a great quality & cooked properly. I personally like the combos especially the scallops & fillet medallions. Of course the salad bar is back open & a side selection is included w dinner. Desserts are excellent recommend the key lime pie or strawberry shortcake. Enjoy! read more

We went to dinner here a few nights ago, using a gift certificate from Christmas. Never been before. Very surprised by how much a simple sirloin steak dinner was. Most plates were in the $30 range. Each meal came with the salad bar- which was antiquated. My husband ordered beef Wellington and it was burnt on top, laying in a pool of congealed sauce with onions. It was truly gag worthy. I ordered the prime rib, and though it was medium rare as ordered, it was so dry I could barely swallow it. Dumbfounding?? We're never had such a horrible dining experience. I would suggest to anyone to not go. Stay home and eat a grilled cheese. Save yourself $100, on a crappy meal. read more

This is the kind of place I never thing to go to. It's just been there forever. I went with a few girlfriends. Made reservations and was seated immediately despite the restaurant being very full. I appreciate that. So many places take reservations and still make you wait. I ordered clams casino which were decent but I prefer the clams chopped instead of one big clam in each shell. I got scallops and filet medallions for dinner. It came out piping hot and was delicious. I ordered a had carafe of wine which equaled out to two very generous glasses plus a half glasss. The steak was cooked perfectly. I also like the tag team approach to waiting tables. Everyone is pitching in. I paid appx $62 which for that I felt like was a fair price. Willl def be back read more