It's been a while since I've had a meal here. It's always good. There have been some changes to the…read moremenu. They all looked delish. The service has always been good here. There has been some turnover in staff but they were just as friendly, helpful and professional as I remembered. I kept it casual and picked a Tofu Banh Mi which is a Vietnamese sandwich. It came with greens. I really enjoyed this dish. It was filling but didn't weigh me down. I ordered Wayward Lane Brewing Monarca Gold: A Mexican-style lager. It was very good but I have to admit I ordered because I liked the butterfly on the can. I actually liked my friend's dark smoked beer even better. Wayward Lane Brewing's Lifeblood looked like stout and tasted a bit like smoked bacon to me even though it was supposed to feature notes of toasted brown bread and caramelized sugar. My friend also had truffle ( mushroom) fries and a smash burger. He loved the meal. Dove & Deer is a pretty place. Attractive furniture and light fixtures. Big windows. A nice variety of food and beverage that you might not find everywhere else.

Thanks to InKind, I tried this place out for brunch today. If you don't have InKind, download it…read moreand you'll get reward cash equal to 20% of your bill. Also, Dove + Deer has a current welcome gift of $30 off of $90. Anywho, I felt like getting pancakes and these were nice and fluffy with a nice chew. The strawberries were sweet and soft and the maple syrup was great. The eggs were scrambled perfectly as well, with great flavor - shocking because most eggs are so flavorless. You get a choice of additional protein and I chose the maple sausage which was delicious as well. The only thing that could be improved was a bit more salt and/or pepper on the home fries but I guess most people use the ketchup that's given, so I understand the under seasoning. The service was friendly albeit infrequent, and that's just fine. Water is left on the table for self-service and that's really why I need additional service attention anyway. All in all, a great brunch place because it has lots of space and feels casual and comfortable. Try it.

My wife is from Albany, and I've been making the trip to the Capital Region for the past 14 years…read more During all that time, I can honestly say this is the best meal I've had in the area. Every course was exceptional. The crab cake was outstanding, the pasta was cooked perfectly, and, as my wife said, it was the best blondie dessert she's ever had. The service was warm, attentive, and professional from start to finish. The cocktails were also outstanding--easily on par with some of the best we've enjoyed in major cities across the country. This restaurant exceeded our expectations in every way. It's clear the team takes pride in every detail, from the food and drinks to the hospitality. My wife and I will absolutely be back. Bravo to the entire staff for an unforgettable dining experience!

Great ambiance, nice staff, good food, decent portion sizes, but slow service…read more I feel like it would be rude to give this a harsh 1 star review like the others, we ordered two orders of truffle fries and a salad and it took 25 minutes to get them. In the mean time the wife and I just drank. Had a Lyre Rum Moscow Mule Mocktail, it was similar tasting to the real thing.

I had an amazing experience here, I'm not sure why some of the reviews are mixed, I don't have any…read morecomplaints. The atmosphere is amazing, beyond beautiful, the service was great- the hostess was kind and helpful, the waiter was attentive (checked in on us regularly, but also didn't push or rush us) the food was great. I wanted to get the lobster dumplings with mushroom slaw, but they ran out of that dish. I really wanted to try the mushroom slaw (how unique!), so we ordered the vegetarian dumplings and they accommodated by pairing those with the mushroom slaw. The drinks were excellent, we had two each and all were expertly crafted and presented beautifully. I got the pot roast, it was fall apart moist and so flavorful. My partner got the Steak Diane and he really enjoyed it. I was worried about parking because I'm not familiar with this area of Albany, but they had quite a large parking lot. Another great feature is the tables aren't jammed together. I have been to fine dining restaurants where the seats were arranged like the Cheesecake Factory- when spending quite a bit of money on a meal in an upscale venue, I expect to have some space and The Delaware delivered on that, all the tables aren't jammed together nicely spaced, it's not too loud (the music is not blaring), you can have a conversation without shouting or hearing the table next to you. We will definitely be returning, this place is a gem!

Don't get the Italian eggplant hero with gluten free bread. The gluten free bread was okay but…read moreflavorless and without substance. The eggplant was a floppy mess. The coating on the eggplant came off. There was very little actual eggplant and cheese. It came with no option but fries and the fries were burnt so bad I had to move them across the table from me because of the stench. To his credit, the waiter offered to replace the fries or get me a side salad. The greens in the salad were fresh and beautiful but they were unpleasantly drenched with dressing and I had to stop eating after a few bites. The server never should have put those burnt fries in front of me and should warn people the Italian eggplant hero sucks ass. The best part is the cozy atmosphere and he refilled my dirt Coke twice without being asked.

I'm definitely a fan of this place. This is the second time we've stopped by and we all try each…read moreother's dishes which have been great each time. Today, I got the Korean chopped cheese which comes with fingerling potatoes. The bread is soft but substantial enough to hold all the beef and cheese which is nice and flavorful albeit a tiny bit salty. The fingerling potatoes were different and a good choice since you need the large amount of potato to cut through the richness of the meat and cheese. The menu here is a decently sized and varied, with some Asian inspired ones like this sandwich. Note: some of the dishes, like this one, are quite large and could easily feed two people. The space is large with regular tables and chairs, an area with couches and lounge chairs, and an outdoor patio area with tables and umbrellas. We've opted for the outdoor area each time since it was nice out. Service is nice and friendly. Check it out.

First visit to The Copper Crow and definitely not our last!…read more We had a 6:30 reservation and were seated almost immediately. It took our server a few minutes to make it over to us, but the restaurant was hopping, so it was understandable. She asked if we were heading to a play afterward (smart question--I imagine they're great at getting theater-goers in and out on time). Since we had nowhere to be, we were happy to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. We started with the Crab Rangoon Dip... and WOW. Ridiculously good! If you're debating whether to order it, don't. Just do it. Our entrées were very good--maybe not the kind of meal I'll be dreaming about for weeks, but definitely well above average and full of flavor. Service was on the slower side, but honestly, it gave us more time to soak in the ambience and enjoy the evening. The menu is unique, and there were several other dishes that caught my eye, which gives us a great excuse to come back. Overall, a wonderful experience, and we're already looking forward to our next visit!

First night in Albany brought us to Albany Ale and Oyster…read more Great food and beer here! Whenever there is a Main Brewing Company beer on tap anywhere I am sure to get it. They are an elite beer company. The tuna tartar was delicious and fresh, I really enjoyed it. The oysters on the east coast are always amazing. My wife loved the clam chowder, I tasted it and it was very flavorful. The people with us got an amazing charcuterie board! It was very well put together. There is lots of conversation going on around us but not so loud you can't hear your own.

My partner treated me to lunch at Ale & Oyster. While I was excited to come, my expectations for…read morethe resto were not entirely met: -Our server ignored us for at least half an hour. We couldn't easily flag someone down to take our orders. -Our waters tasted like fish water :( -I ordered a house salad with added shrimp, but I only got 3 pieces of shrimp. It didn't feel like it was worth my money. Not sure if I would return again.

It was our first time at The Hollow and we had a great experience having dinner before the Zac…read moreBrown show at MVP. It was a gathering of old friends, some who eat super healthy and others who are more into burgers and fries. Everyone was thrilled with their food and the vibe! Our waiter, Curtis, was the kindest human and added to our joy of being together. He felt like an old friend. Thank you for a wonderful dinner! P.S. to be fair, the bathrooms needed attention. That should be easily fixable.

What a cool place…read more There's no pretense, just a rugged looking place with friendly and helpful staff and excellent bartenders. Xandra helped me pick the right meal: the scallops with a Thai chili sauce and rise. The five scallops were large, tender, perfectly cooked, and tasted amazing. Thankfully, the Thai chili sauce only had a bit of sweetness to it. Even the rice was fantastic. Xandra was attentive, a great listener, and a real help. My Hendrick's Gin martini was phenomenal. Exceptional actually! The vegan chocolate mousse was creamy and light but too sweet and loaded with cinnamon. So much so that I tasted nothing but cinnamon. I cannot recall ever having cinnamon in a chocolate mousse before. Even so, that didn't destroy the night and I look forward to trying the blackened Ahi Tuna next time as well as trying a different dessert.

I stayed one night at the Renaissance because I was overnighting in Albany and it looked close to…read moreCity Beer Hall which looked good on Yelp. Well that's a confusing sentence. I walked the half block from my hotel room and saw the lighted sign on the building drawing be to City Beer Hall. The bar is old school wood, long tables, and people generally having a good time. I was alone so chose the bar for sitting because that is more convenient for me and the wait staff. The beer menu was long with a few regionals new to me. Too many sours though for my taste, but those are popular now. I am not going to talk about the beers available because those will surely change by the time you read this. I ordered a beer and checked out the food menu. There were some good looking items on the menu, I really wanted a good pizza after my earlier airport pizza debacle, but a whole pizza was too much for one guy. I discussed the food choices with my friendly bartender and settled on the chicken nuggets and a side of fries. The nuggets are hard breaded from thighs and pretty good. The fries were crispy, well seasoned, and overly abundant. Overall the meal was great! It was Thursday night and they had a trivia-like game that was related to Family Feud so I played that. Might have stayed a little later than I should have but the beer was good. I was looking at the beer refrigerator and saw Fiddlehead IPA and asked my bartender about it. He was not really keen on it but that is the best beer they had there, but that is one really good beer. Later I notice that was the beer they were giving you if you ordered the $8 beer and a shot, which is an excellent value! There was some kind of drama this night. There was a lady who first tried to order Jager Bombs for her table and the bartender told her sorry we don't do those so she ordered Tito's shots instead. Well this ended about how you would expect with her losing a credit card and blaming everyone in sight for her problems. The bartender and manager were S-tier professionals managing her and keeping the food and beer flowing to the rest of us. Guys, thank you for your service! If you are in downtown Albany and you are hungry or thirsty hit up the City Beer Hall.

I was staying at the Renaissance down the street for a conference at the Albany Capital Center. I…read moreneeded a quick dinner before I went to do more work in my room. The City Beer Hall fits the bill. Located on Howard Street, the City Beer Hall has the local hangout vibe for professionals in town like me and locals wanting a beer and a pizza and fun times. The building at one point housed the city's old telephone company, and now is a cool pizza bar joint with a speakeasy that wasn't open when I went. The large room that houses the bar and long communal tables with high ceilings and large windows is like a Biergarten that is works great for happy hours and evening hangouts. Pizza wise, I was pleased with their Hot Honey Pizza that balances sweet, savory, and spicy flavors between its delicious crust, pepperoni, creamy ricotta, tomato sauce, mozzarella, fresh basil, and a lovely drizzle of hot honey. I enjoyed the pizza with a Ommegang Blueberry Falls that was a "Blueberry Kolsch" whose crisp and slightly sweet flavors balanced well against the spicy and savory I was noshing. The only downside was I found the service behind the bar to be a bit slow and distracting from conversations with other customers. I felt I was forgotten until I finally flagged for the check. But overall, the City Beer Hall was a solid experience highlighted by their hot honey pizza.

Service was amazing!!!! I had a burger and as anyone getting a burger is always on the scary side …read more I will say it was one of the best burgers I have had. Unfortunately we aren't from the area but when we drive through again it's definitely the place we will stop to eat .

Any time we visit our daughter at her nearby college is a great time, Illusive made it even…read moregreater! We ran an errand nearby and I found Illusive on Yelp. We approached just as they were opening for the day on a Saturday. (Slightly after noon) Not seeing many cars in the neighborhood and having the gps seem to "arrive" outside of an empty lot was an inauspicious start but when we pulled fully into the lot, we saw that they had put some work into the place and it had a nice modern look. Didn't get to take advantage of the nice outdoor seating area because the weather was rainy. We were greeted by friendly staff and seated at a comfortable table. Our timing was impeccable because the place was full within the next half hour. Our waitress deserves her own paragraph! She knew the menu inside and out and had tremendous pride in the food served and the awards they've won! Illusive is a "foodie" restaurant, every dish is elevated yet remains unfussy. For appetizers, we shared the street corn dip and tater tot poutine. The street corn dip was creamy and zesty. The tater tot poutine was revelatory, the cheese was melted perfectly, the gravy wasn't some jarred nonsense, and the tots themselves were crispy. I enjoyed the different textures of it, some more cheesy and some more gravy. My wife enjoyed a chicken Caesar salad and my daughter enjoyed a grilled chicken pesto sandwich. Her sandwich was a nice enough portion that she finished it leftover for dinner! I enjoyed the buffalo lemon pepper wings, the sauce was a nice blend of heat and zesty flavor. I appreciated the amount of wings they served, some restaurants are going for "shrinkflation" but Illusive provides a full portion! We received quality and personable service throughout a delicious meal, we will gladly return!

So so good! Savoy is such a great place whether you're coming for drinks or dinner for a date or…read morefor a group! They have 2 separate rooms both with great moody and fun ambiance that are more tailored to dining or just drinks. As a group of 6, we were easily sat for dinner. Our server was super nice and attentive and everything came out timely. The food was awesome! The Mississippi fried chicken sandwich was deliciously done! Our group also enjoyed the fried pickles, crispy chicken wrap, and grilled chicken sandwich. The portions were perfect. They also have great cocktails, the seasonal mule was amazing! Will definitely be back!

Pretty uncrowded before 7 PM. Definitely picks up the later you go in the evening. We were able to…read moreget a table easy. But the tables were practically all full when we left. Good menu with plenty of options. And the portions are large. Not incredible, not bad. Just some middle-of-the-road tasty food. The service is...not great. Unfortunately, I think they were understaffed? After we ordered, we didn't really see our server again until it was time to get the check and leave. Has a nice dive-y feel to it. Chill vibe. Definitely a decent spot to spend an evening.

4 stars, well, maybe 3.75ish, but ill round it up cause im a nice yelper…read more so, admittedly, this was a work dinner, aka, someone else picked up the check, so i was more than happy to join, well outside of my crayons on the placemat, kiosk on the table to order kinda joint ive been subjected too for the last 3 kids... very nice dining room, dark and cozy, i could see you wanting to take a date or for a special occasion type of thing. location wise, i wasnt a fan, but i get concerned when there isnt direct parking, just me, or maybe you too, your call. there is a pay lot across the street, 2$ an hour. menu wise, well balanced american classics, i opted for the steak frite. i liked the french fries, but they will get cold on you if you wait too long (theyre delicate, like me, lol) the steak however wasnt worth it, sorry to say, 44$ and it was kinda sinewy for me, i would hope for a tender melty steak for that price point. i have a brava at home, so i can whip up a fantastic steak for 1/3 that price, still, considering i wasnt paying, im not overly deducting. not my expense report, but i didnt get a libation (although extensive beer and spirit list) and the tender KNEW his stuff, but i wanted to stay sharp and all. the rest of the group had all the trimmings, so ask them, but dessert also looked fine. /fin

I am always on the hunt for a great local restaurant to support. Dominic is very vocal in the…read morecommunity and I am a fan of Yono's, so I always wanted to try DPs. I came on a very blustery Saturday night and it was quiet inside, and freezing. It was about 55° in the dining area and our server couldn't care less. Everyone was bundled up at their table. Honestly, we should have left. The server was very slow to welcome us at the table and take our drink orders, but when they arrived, they were great. The cocktails were large and strong, I loved my dirty martinis and the aviation. Excellent drinks. The appetizer round fell flat and felt so overpriced. The French onion soup was what I was most excited about, however it was not soup. It was soggy bread covered with cheese. I don't know what happened, but the crouton added to this must have been the size of the whole bowl. There was no soup. It was a good flavor but, not what I wanted or expected. The calamari looked like it could have came from any hotel restaurant, pass. The lobster fries, which I saw online, were sad with a tiny portion of over cooked lobster, they weren't even served with a sauce. On to the entrees, we ordered the clam sauce (fish special), a build your own burger, and the duck gnocchi. My sister enjoyed her clams, and the burger looked great. I ordered the duck gnocchi and I was just shocked at the tiny dish. It was not as described on the menu, it was 4 slices of duck, 10 fried gnocchi, spinach and few mushroom floating in an overly salty brown butter. I ate the duck off the dish and told the server that this was not what I thought I was ordering. If it tasted delicious I would of course look past other things, but it was inedible. There was nothing to balance from the heavy butter and salt on the dish. I am really sad to write this review. I can't even say it was an off night, because the owner was there. I don't know if I would ever return here, but the cocktails were amazing.