Three words: Pineapple Dole Whip. This is the same stuff from Disney World, hadn't had it since the 80s. It's as good as I remember! And it's fat free, only 90 calories a cup. Turns out they rotate each Monday night between pineapple, strawberry and mango. I'll be back...often! Sorry I can't review anything else. But the Dole whip rocks!!' read more

Great clam roll but when I paid for POTATO SALAD they gave me macaroni salad because they were out of potato salad. (Without asking me first) I HATE mac salad (which was why I did not purchase it) and when I asked to switch to french fries they refused!!!! Need to learn better customer service. read more

This is a summer staple for me since it's only a half mile from my workplace. I am a big fan of dairy bars and a big fan of airplanes - so getting to sit outside and watch the planes take off and land is awesome. The food is just OK; I feel like its quality has kind of declined in recent years. My favorites are the cheesesteak, buffalo chicken sandwich (it's hot!), and fried clam roll. I've had the (bacon) cheeseburger, and it's pretty basic, reminiscent of Burger King in flavor but a bigger patty; not the best dairy bar burger I've had, so I probably won't be ordering one again. The menu is very large for a dairy bar, going beyond the standards. They have salads, wraps, and specialty paninis, as well as more sides than just fries and onion rings. And they have meal deals that come with cole slaw, fries, and a drink. In case you're wondering, the ice cream is not homemade; it is Perry's brand, which is commonly served at dairy bars. They offer probably 15 or more flavors, but I've been to places with more Perry's flavors available than here. The servings are large, even the kiddie cones. Prices on everything pretty standard--not terribly expensive. My boyfriend was disappointed with his chocolate milkshake, though; he said it was about the consistency of chocolate milk - weak and no thickness. He didn't ask for another, so I can't say how they would handle that in terms of service, but all the cashiers I've encountered have been friendly, usually the standard seasonal teenagers. The large outdoor eating area is covered with a roof, but toward the back end there are some tables in the sun, so you have a choice of shade or sun, which is nice. There is a large indoor area too for not-so-nice days, with the same (maybe better?) view of the aiport. You have to order from the window outdoors, though. I must say that I love that there are bathrooms indoors - large and clean ones! All in all I'm a fan. Like I said, the food is mediocre - not bad but not *great.* I think they've changed owners in the past few years; not sure if that made the difference. And I haven't been yet in 2015, so I will have to update with any substantial changes for better or worse. read more

I first went there because I wanted to have ice cream and watch the planes taking off and landing. Unfortunately the Albany airport is not that busy, there were like 1 plane an hour. And they are all narrow body jets. So for commercial plane fans, it will be quite disappointed. However, aside from that, the place is super relax. And the fries are really crunchy. read more

Control Tower - Cheeseburger - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Latham, New York

The venue for this place is legitimately cool. Even though we showed up after the sun had set (and I wish we had shown up at least an hour earlier), we were still able to see and especially hear the planes take off and land, and that was pretty sweet to me. Now for the down side. The product sort of stank. When I order a milkshake, my expectation is for something that is frustratingly hard to drink. The moment I sipped it, I was able to draw way too much of it into my mouth on the first sip, and what I got was really bland. I kept sipping because, well, you know, I paid for it, but I already knew that I thought it was mediocre. The further I got, the thicker it got, and the flavor got stronger closer to the bottom. Which was good, I guess. I mean, my complaint was that it was flavorless to begin with. But the thing is, at the bottom, the flavor was almost TOO strong. This tells me that the thing wasn't mixed right (or maybe wasn't mixed at all). I'm no expert at making milkshakes, but I think the people I pay to make me one should be. So points off there. We also ordered some ice cream for my son, and that was run of the mill. Not disgusting, by any means, but nothing special, either. It was like they pulled it off the shelf at the nearest grocery store. I could've done that myself and brought it to the airfield. So points off for blandness there as well. Maybe my expectations were too high (we had just gone to Emack & Bolio's in Albany the night before), but I don't know. I realize it's just ice cream, but ice cream can be special. And this wasn't. I would return here in a bind, but I would never crave it. read more

Blech, while we love the ambiance at Control Tower and the amenities (when they're open) at neighboring All4Fun, the fast food from a freezer here has gone downhill year to year. Soggy buns, uncooked meat, cole slaw that tasted like somebody had dumped the entire jar of celery salt in it, not quite microwaved from a freezing state pizza rolls, just a major litany of baaad the last two visits, straddling the year. We'll give them another try because we love to watch the planes land and take off but take your Pepto Bismal or just skip straight to the ice cream in the meantime. read more

My favorite summertime place to eat cheeseburgers and fries plus they also have good milkshakes. They also offer other foods such as hotdogs and fried fish, as well as ice cream. They provide both indoor and outdoor seating areas. Plus it's also a great place to watch planes takeoff & land as well with its ideal location at the north end of the Albany International Airports main runway. read more

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So much better than the last time I was here.. Soft serve was very good and the pineapple dole whip was great!!! I would go back again soon... the staff was really friendly.. read more

No longer serving food! This sucks because coming from Clifton Park I want to feed my family, get ice cream, then play mini golf or go karts. Won't be going back because we can't get dinner. We really enjoyed the whole experience. We will tell everyone about the changes and I'm sure they won't be happy!!!! So sad!!!! read more

Favorite ice cream spot. Great selection, covered indoor and outdoor seating, friendly staff, clean and a medium dish is the size of your head. What more could you want? read more

One of the best places for soft-serve ice cream in the area so far in my (unofficial) 2010 Summertime Soft-Serve Tour. Their soft-serve is dense and delicious, not airy and whipped like some I've sampled. They also have unusual twist pairings--I had English Toffee/Vanilla, and they also had a lowfat Blueberry/Cheesecake twist. If you're into fried food, mini-golf, go-karts, and general family fun, they have those too. It's right next to an open field near the airport, hence the name. read more

This ice cream place is right by my house.. just a short drive. It's now worth the drive to go elsewhere. The last few times we have been there in the evening they have been understaffed. 3 families left once they saw the line to get they order once they placed it. A Sunday evening...85° 2 employees Maybe the owner should take more time to train/staff than to write and post signs that say " If I find you wasting my time (yes you are on the clock) I will let you go.. How about wasting my time standing in line for 15 minutes waiting for my ice cream to be handed to me.. read more

The ice cream is good and that is why I have been a regular at The Control Tower for many years. The food is average on a good day. Items are often overcooked and the wait is long. The tables are often dirty in and out but we put up with it for the ice cream and the airplanes. Sadly I am forced to give them a terrible rating on their customer service after a brief but heated exchange regarding a Groupon I had purchased. I tried to use the Groupon good for $32 of food at The Control Tower yesterday only to be informed that you have to use the entire $32 at once. I mentioned that stipulation was nowhere in the fine print, but left without issue because I was not 100% sure. This morning I checked my Groupon fine print and saw nothing that stated the Groupon was good for only one use and/or that you had to use the entire value in one visit. So I called restaurant to ask. The Groupon does say "limit one per visit". The supervisor told me that "limit one per visit" meant that it was good for one time only. (No. It CLEARLY means the maximum you can use per visit is one.) After what seemed like an eternity of this woman saying that again and again and me disagreeing, she told me to call Groupon and get my money back. I asked her if she was comfortable with the level of customer service she was providing and her answer was yes. We won't be back. read more

Omg this place is ridiculous!!! My family and I went to get icecream and fried dough, there are two different lines you have to go on. Which by far is an inconvenience, we had to to do 2 separate transactions. By, then I was highly annoyed!! My eleven year old daughter wanted to go on the race cars, so I allowed her she became frighten and as the slim guy stated she was a danger to everyone Hello she's eleven!! I will never go back there ever ever my child was embarrass. read more

The ice cream isn't spectacular. I got chocolate chip hard ice cream and it tasted freezer burnt. A small which is two scoops was almost $4. There are much better places in the area to get ice cream. I will not be going there again. read more

Perfect for ice cream in the summer! On rt 7 so its a busy road but you can't really tell. For regular food there's the typical hot dogs hamburgers etc.... But its all about the ice cream. read more

Prices are high here, compared to anywhere else in the capital region. Ice cream is no different than other places. Staff is not particularly courteous. I'm going elsewhere. read more

Found this place on a "what to do with kids in Albany" website. My 3 yo loves watching the planes come and go and my mom and I were hungry so we stopped here for lunch. It was too windy to eat outside so we just ate in the car but got to see quite a few planes land. They have a large selection of food and ice cream creations. My mom really liked the mushroom, bacon, and blue cheese burger and my clam roll was decent. Had curly fries and regular fries but curly were better. Went back in to get a cookie dough and m&m "flurry" to go which was loaded with both. Lastly the staff working at the time we're super friendly and informative. Will definitely be back to grab a snack and watch the planes when the weather gets warmer. read more