I don't care what anyone says, I love this place. I even called my mom right after I finished my food to tell her how great my corned beef sandwich and awesome macaroni salad was. Food is average priced for downtown Albany so I can't complain. This place mostly caters to all the state workers and government officials since it's right near all of the important buildings. I usually avoid going here before 1pm since it's packed with said clientele. read more

I came into this place with throngs of the lardass and zombie state workers and was wondering if this was just another mediocre place to cater to the throngs of Marty McGillicuddy madness. This will have to be one of the biggest pleasant suprises of the Albany dining scene. Great smoked turkey with Swiss with Russian on good rye, adequate pickle, and and cole slaw (not slathered in mayo..more like the light stuff @ a classic Jewish deli. This place has some of the classic deli pieces in place (even knishes). Even Jerked turkey if you want it for a twist on the classics. I'm still a Gershons fan but if in Albany this will be my go-to. Coming from Connecticut...I've been blessed with proximity to damn good Jewish delis, and this place really tries and succeeds in my book (I'm a royal prick with this stuff). Raising the bar in Albany...nice work. read more

Just got barred by the owner. If you're looking for a place that will try to publicly embarrass you,get your order wrong,and serves weak coffee and the worst possible Wifi this is the place. I should also point out that prior to today I've spent probably a few thousand dollars there and put up with the weak coffee and wrong orders for years as it is convenient, being in the building I work in. But the owner should leave the customer interactions to his staff and work on quality control and the wifi. He's a jerk. read more

2.5 Stars for weekday lunch, 1.5 to 2 stars for weekend brunch. This is a busy downtown lunch spot situated on the NW corner of Washington and Swan (its other corner-mates are the Capitol, the Smith state office building, and the NYS Education building) offering a broad array of sandwiches and wraps, including some good Mediterranean-influenced offerings and well-executed New York style pastrami and corned beef. The menu covers a lot of ground, with well over 50 sandwich and wrap combinations and a full breakfast menu. It is operated as a lunch counter during the day and the line moves fairly quickly. It is a first-come first served seating arrangement. Orders are placed at the counter and you grab a seat until numbers are called. Quality is about average, prices are moderate for downtown. When they announced they were opening for weekend brunch with table service instead of the weekday counter service, it was good news to me, but the place unfortunately has not really worked out the kinks and suffers in comparison to its weekend competition. I think they are missing an opportunity here, but part of the issue is likely the inconsistent customer flow on weekends, which can create staffing pressure if an unexpected rush hits and make it hard to invest in higher quality ingredients. The service has improved, but most weekends it appears only one waitress is on staff to cover the dining room and outdoor patios, with minimal assistance busing tables. I can sympathize with downtown restaurants that try and serve us on the weekends despite reduced customer flow, but if you want to offer table service, you need to ensure appropriate staffing to keep tables bused, clean and attend to customers. The full menu during the week is also available during brunch, which is a nice option to offer, but I would like to see the restaurant ramp up the quality of the breakfast food on the weekend. The prices are significantly higher than many diners, but the end product does not regularly match the quality of diner competition. My french toast with a sides of two eggs, potatoes and bacon was of uneven quality. French toast was executed well and used a decent quality bread, but bacon was pre-shaped into a circular shape. While the latter product might be convenient to stick on a egg sandwich that Capitol staffers grab on the run during the week, it is not good enough to compete with other weekend offerings, even downtown. read more

My favorite food's from this Restaurant is the Chicken Salad Sandwhich on White not toasted and it's REALLY GOOD !!!! Great Service, Nice people who work there!! I will go there again, one of my favorite Restaurant's in Downtown Albany NY, where we go for lunch. :) read more

Visited on a Sunday around 12. Quiet and laid back. Had tried to visit the Iron Gate, but it was a madhouse. Better Bite was a perfect place to read a book and have a hot breakfast. I wasn't in a rush so I understand others may have had an issue with slow service. Server was accommodating and attentive. Ordered the shaksuka, which came in a mini cast iron pan with 2 eggs, bread, and home fries on the side. Home fries had an interesting spice blend. I liked it, but definitely not a traditional American taste. The egg yolks were a teensy bit over cooked, but I asked for poached and they were fully cooked. The shakshuka sauce was amazing. Maybe a little bit oily, but I liked the depth of flavor. The cast iron pan kept my breakfast hot while I ate leisurely. Nice soft jazz music in the background while looking out over the statehouse. Definitely had a great experience, but I don't think I would come here during the week; likely a completely different experience given its proximity to the plaza. read more

This place is awesome! I always order from them for pick up or delivery and they get it right. Yummy food with middle eastern fusion .. very few places like this. Great service read more

I've come here several times on my lunch break and am generally pleased with their food. I usually order a chicken Cesar salad, which is actually one of the best i've had. really fresh tasty chicken and the dressing is really good too. I like their chicken soup too. Sandwiches always look good and the menu is huge. I give it three stars for a few reasons; 1. they are over priced by 1-2 dollars 2. if you're in a rush, DO NOT come here. this place takes FOREVER! I've called in my salad at 12:00 for a 12:30 pick up and have gotten there and it's still not ready. You will wait at LEAST 15 minutes. I would say call ahead, but even then you'll still wait. I've even had coworkers who have called orders in, and we still stand there and wait. it can be a bit of a mad scene during lunch time, theres always a lot of people waiting for food. I understand if you want good food, you'll have to wait for it but calling ahead for a salad and still having to wait? come on. And this hasnt happened just once, it's been a few times. Me and my friend even make a joke if you want your food, call it in the day before maybe that'll give them enough time and they'll have it ready for you. 3. staff is not very friendly, especially the girl who calls out the orders. i don't think i've ever seen her smile she looks miserable and it makes things awkward. staff also seems to have an issue with accepting responsibility whey they mess up a order. they will give you attitude or argue when they feel like they're right and you're wrong. They're lucky they have really good food and are in a good location because normally for these prices and the wait time, I wouldn't come back. read more

FOOD WAS DELICIOUS! Greeted kindly when we first walked in. We were there for breakfast so coffee was important and it tasted good. My omelette was so delicious. I love vegetables and ordered the roasted vegetable omelette. It was better than I expected. Overall a pleasant experience. read more

I have mixed feelings about this place. While the food is pretty good, they are very disorganized. I placed orders to-go on two separate occasions and both times they did not have the orders when I went to pick them up. They claimed they never received the orders even though I called and spoke with someone. There was also one time when I ordered a vegetarian wrap but got a meat sandwich instead. They were convinced I ordered the wrong thing. I have been a vegetarian for 21 years; I definitely didn't order a meat sandwich. They were not apologetic about it at all. If this place weren't right downstairs from where I work I wouldn't come here at all. read more

Food was really great quality and prices were not bad. I recommend the veggie melt sandwich so gooooood flavors on point. Lots of nice vegetarian options! read more

I ordered delivery today, and got the text that the delivery had arrived at my building. Made it downstairs in less than a minute, and the delivery guy snottily told me that he had been waiting for 20 minutes. I was confused and apologized. Then the security officers at the desk told me he outright lied and had gotten there no less than 5 minutes. Definitely wasn't worth a shawarma platter that was incredibly greasy and salty, with stale pita. Never again. read more

Amazing food and really nice staff. I always order the so cal sandwich. It is perfect and they are really good about letting you customize their order read more

I ordered some delivery brunch items for Mother's Day and was super-impressed by the quality of food we received. Omelets packed with fresh veggies, delicious rye bread and bagels and a couple of sandwiches for the non-breakfast quarantine crew. This was surprisingly the best takeout meal we've had in 2 months of of isolation. Thanks, Better Bite! read more

Loved our wraps, we actually ordered two and ate half of each. Talk about dwlish!! The inside is beautiful, staff super friendly. Give this place a try! Well worth it. read more

Most of the food here is fine; not spectacular, but not bad. I would consider it 4-stars, but for the price; it tends $1-2 too expensive across the board. There is a significant wait if you order during a peak time, but it is seldom excessive. I don't think they have ever gotten an order wrong. The menu is reasonably diverse, and I think that most dietary restrictions (except probably Kosher) can be accommodated. Personally, their Reuben (as the call "New Yorker") is one of their best menu items. They sometimes offer a Salmon Burger (I had it with their Thai Peanut sauce), and it is excellent. Their french fries are consistently surprisingly good. read more

Went for a quick bite after a workout about late lunch time. Upon entry I was greeted by someone at the counter. The atmosphere was clean and bright. Many others eating at the booths and tables. Not too crowded. I ordered the Grilled Pastrami Sandwich with potato salad. Service was fast only waiting 5 minutes for my order. The Pastrami sandwich was delicious. Not to salty, seasoned very well. Cheddar cheese was melted thoroughly and the use of brown mustard gave it a nice spice and tang. The potato salad was great as well. Not heavy on the mayonnaise, had just the right size potato chunks with peas, carrots, and egg. Paired well with my sandwich. Came with 2 pickle spears could be better if they had a bit more crunch. Definitely will come back again to try more items on the menu and brunch. Price range could be a bit cheaper. read more

Decent food and we got our sandwiches in less than 5 minutes (we were there 8:30 on a Wednesday). the bathroom however was terrifying, try to avoid read more

This place is absolutely garbage and the service was terrible . Nobody was smiling and everyone looked like they were miserable. I got the breaded chicken sandwich and it tasted like Jack-in-the-Box. I don't know how this place got its name but, the name DOSE NOT fit the food. Trust me on this one do not come here ever! read more

I really love this place but I feel like the staff seems to be a bit unfriendly when the store becomes busy. This morning, I called in a breakfast order at about 10:00am and the woman who took my order was short and not friendly at all. I'll still order but I won't be tipping read more

They only deliver if you order over $50 so that's kind of a bummer. They put mayo on my sandwich though I ordered it without. The potato salad is really good and the chocolate caramel brownies are amazing!!! read more

Horrible we spent almost 40. For two people not to eat.how do you screw corned beef hash up? The french toast burned and flipped over so I wouldn't notice..my husband would not even eat it...maybe lunch is not as bad but typically breakfast is really hard to mess up that bad...I can say the rye toast was OK.. read more

Better Bite - The check - American Near Me - Albany, New York

We ordered food from here. After delivering only half of our order, the owner refused to bring the rest of the food. He only offered half of a refund and required that we, the customers, bring the food to him to get a full refund. He took no responsibility and threatened us with security. After their shady action, we refused to leave until they issued the refund and we confirmed. The entire time the owner kept referring to us as babies. Worse place in Albany. read more

This is the second time I have ordered the Center Square Omelet, and I just have to say I LOVE IT! It's so good! I really appreciate Better Bite allowing breakfast items being ordered during lunch hours during the pandemic - thank you! read more

The food isn't bad but not great either. Most items are overpriced and not worth the long lunch time wait. You can get better sandwiches in the area for at least $3 less than what Better Bite charges. You're on a time crunch, definitely call in your order. They don't operate extremely efficiently and the wait for your food can be long during colder/rainy weather. read more

Cashiers are rude and they charge you full price for just a sandwich when you skip the fries- certainly NOT worth paying $10 for a burger.

This place is in a convienant location but don't waste your time. AWFUL FOOD, LINES ARE RIDICOLOUS. I order plenty of things from here to say I'm fed up. No flavor and prices are high. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Unless your desperate read more

This breakfast was the absolute worst. Smh and they refused to refund my order. 17.63 for nothing.

Loved this place, come here at least twice a week for breakfast, coffee, lunch. Have never ever had a problem. The staff is awesome. Always tip, even for pick up. Today I went in during my lunch break at work and ordered the Madison. With macaroni salad. I got back to my office and started eating. I got potato salad. Didn't care that much that they messed that up. Kept eating as I worked. Then i noticed about 3/4 of the way through the one half of the sandwich that there was ZUCCHINI on it. Ew. I did not want the tuna melt special. Which has almost everything that the Madison has. I go to return it as it's all wrong and I don't want zucchini on my sandwich. I wait about 20 minutes. I go up because I'm missing more work. This RUDE guy comes to the front who I find out OWNS THE PLACE! He starts telling me "it's half eaten how didn't you notice" hm probably because there's about one ingriedient difference from the sandwich I ordered and I'm WORKING . I wasn't going to return until a wet sloppy piece of zucchini fell out of the sandwich. This guy was being extremely rude I actually was sort of in shock seeing as everyone else that works there is extremely kind. I tell him how many times a week I come and how much MONEY I spend there. He literally goes, "so what ? ". Sounds good sir. Fantastic way to treat customers who come weekly. Sometimes daily. I ended up being so offended that I said have a good one and walked out. Wasted 10$ on absolutely nothing and won't be going back. Great way to maintain customers , and I will definitely be letting others who frequently go for lunch know . read more

I work in the building, so Better Bite is about convenience. Morning service (From 8-9am) is very fast, and you only have to wait a few minutes for your order. The omelettes are very greasy from all the butter they use, but they are very good. My biggest piece of advice for people going there for lunch: CALL AHEAD AND ORDER. The place is a ZOO after 12pm. You'll be waiting 20-30 mins for your food (I waited 20 mins for a burger one day). If you call and order, you run down, wait in a small line, get your food, and go. As for the food quality...it's average. Prices are about 50% more than what they should be based on the quality of food. But nonetheless, if you're looking for a quick breakfast or lunch meal, Better Bite is always there. read more

Way over priced for Albany. I come from nyc and think it may be more expensive than home. The food quality is average. I got the Mediterranean chicken dish last week. There had to have been a few teaspoons of oil left over at the bottom of my dish after. So gross. Service is soooooo slow. It literally takes 10 or 15 minutes to get your food. Regardless if you order a cold or hot sandwich. Go elsewhere. Please. read more

This is one of the best breakfast places in albany great staff inventive omelets and the best homefries in the area

Our go to place for breakfast. Delicious food and always somewhere to sit down. Highly recommend.

Unfortunately used be my favorite place not anymore and it's my first time ever leaving one star review but for a restaurant, this place couldn't Accommodate three different requests, that's not a good place to go to and I'm sure was the SuperVisior who I spoke to, she needs to learn how to handle customers or go to a customer service school, read more

The place is convenient for professionals in the building but the prices are not worth the quality of food. It's very over priced. I had the soup ($4.00 for a small cup) and it was very bland. I also have had their sandwiches in the past their okay, but not worth $9. read more

The food here is really hit or miss. Some of their items like the Assembly Sandwich and Mediterranean Chicken Salad Sandwich are really terrific. However some items, like the BLT, are disappointing. With a BLT you would expect there to be a decent amount of bacon, not just a few slices. And especially for the price, which brings me to... Like a lot of others have mentioned, the prices are really high for what you're getting. To make matters worse, as of 6/10/13 they decided to raise all of their prices even higher. For example, their BLT was $5.95 and now it's $6.95. That's a substantial rise in price for a mediocre product. From what I can tell, they raised the price on every item that was already overpriced to begin with. Seriously? I understand that government employees are the main people coming here, but is really necessary for this place to be gouging their prices? It's not like this place is struggling for business. That being said, their weekend brunch can be a somewhat decent deal. They do table service and offer a 25% discount off items on the menu. Generally not a lot of people are around the area on the weekend, so this can be a good option to get away from the typical weekend brunch crowds. With all of the other options downtown for lunch (and especially with the food trucks close by during the warmer months) I would suggest you save your hard-earned money and go elsewhere. read more

I found this place to be not only ridiculously expensive, I ordered the high life grilled cheese, which is supposed to have 6 cheeses on it, which is $9.00, it did not. It barely had ANY cheese on it and I only could detect American. read more

I love the grilled sandwiches potato salad and shwarma. Sure there's cheaper sandwich shops but for a couple bucks more I prefer better bite for their flavor and portion sizes are huge. read more

Amazing food for lunch.... anything I ordered just tasted good.... best place to eat around my current work place...

Ordered two sausage and egg sandwiches, one with bacon, both with salt pepper ketchup. Got two dry sandwiches, no bacon, no salt or pepper or ketchup. Bread was tasteless. Sausage kinda dry. I've had far far better, even this far upstate. Haven't tried their other food, but their breakfast sandwiches were not up to snuff. read more