Food and beverage was really good and plentiful - I had the loaded mac and cheese. I also got the boozy cereal milkshake; could've been a bit boozier for my taste but for a work lunch it wasn't bad. They were both very filling, I took leftovers for each. I was surprised at how long it took to get seated and for our food to come out. We arrived about 10-15mins after it opened and there was already a 15min wait; then it took noticeably long for our food to come out. The host did explain the kitchen was already slammed and backed up considering it didn't appear busy. It was a beautiful day so a great day to eat outside which is definitely a nice vibe. Also the host and waitstaff we interacted with were nice and helpful. If your not in a rush, I would consider this place again. read more

We came here on 6/22 5pm and were sat at a table and were planning on ordering food and drinks and to play a board game The place was empty and we moved to a table that didn't have an umbrella to block our board game and a server came and told us we had to move back to the other smaller table. We mentioned how it was very empty and if they can accommodate us at the larger table because it was legit empty. But she very rudely said no. So we simply got up and left! The customer should always come first! We went and enjoyed our time at shaker & vine (much better service). read more

Druthers Brewing - Empty! On a Thursday - Brewpubs Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Druthers is one of my favorite local restaurants, a solid go-to. This is their third location and all of them are serving amazing food, beer and atmosphere. I absolutely love this location for the easy parking, patio views of the river and it's also right next to River's Casino. Combining dinner and drinks at Druthers, and a little gambling, you can have a fantastic night out! As a fellow Yelper said in another review, the current 3.5 star average for this place is deceptive, Druthers is in fact, fantastic. This visit I tried their newer beer, No Excuses IPA - very good! Its more fruity and hazy than the All In IPA, I loved it! You can't really go wrong with any of their beers. The food here is elevated pub grub and sinful comfort food. There is something for everyone on the menu. Burgers, pizza, wings, salad, mac and cheese, apps, vegetarian, etc! Best Food: BEER CHEESE PRETZELS. I really can't express my undying love for these freakin' pretzels. Here is from their website: "You can't go to Druthers without trying the Beer Cheese Dip. Featuring cheddar, gouda, gorgonzola dolce, cascade hop butter, Golden Rule Blonde, spicy cherry peppers, and deep fried Bavarian-style pretzels, this dip sets the tone" Those deep fried pretzels are special. Please eat this. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but Druthers is also known for their mac and cheese. House made pasta, super creamy, huge portions. I would suggest getting the small side order unless you are sharing. The small is still enough for plenty of left overs. If you want to go somewhere with a lot of good food options, and an amazing patio in Schenectady, Druthers is a great choice. *I will say the service on my last visit was mediocre, so maybe it is best to not be a rush read more

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My friend and I came here for dinner last night. The beer tasted delicious and the food was on point. This is an awesome location and a great spot to watch any type of game that is being shown. read more

Druthers Brewing - Pizza and loaded fries - Brewpubs Near Me - Schenectady, New York

I live in the building, and am so glad this place is right downstairs. Amazing bartenders, friendly waitstaff. Sitting at the bar with the windows open to the harbor is so nice. The bartender remembered me right away from my first visit, and there are so many patrons there who are friendly without being creepy. Just a fantastic, relaxed atmosphere. The beers are good, but the food is better ... and the staff is outstanding. It'll be difficult to not spend a lot of my nights there! read more

Druthers Brewing - a glass of beer - Brewpubs Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Well, everybody kept talking about them. Had to find out for myself. It was fabulous! I ordered the Mac and cheese. While they do offer a variety of different flavored Mac and cheeses, I prefer the common variety brand. It was so creamy and cheesy. The panko crumbs on the top were a great final touch. I complimented the Mac and cheese with an order of the crispy brussel sprouts! These are made with a hoisin glaze and sesame seeds, topped with crispy wontons. I could have eaten two bowls! Hurry over there! read more

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Ordered the fish & chips. DON'T, it was the worst fish & chips I ever had. It took 30 minutes to get the meal served. Fish was over cooked where the "breading" was dark chocolate brown and had to cut into the fish with a knife, and it oozed cooking oil. This $25 meal wasn't worth $5 or a single star. read more

We spent a few days in Schenectady last month. We stopped in 2 times; very nice staff. good food, and a really nice space. I'm looking forward to returning read more

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Where we sat the acoustics were horrible. We couldn't hear music but heard the two different conversations to the side and behind better than each other. The food: hubby got the ugly burger with salad instead of fries (great option ) I got the peanut butter burger with salad instead of fries (so we can save room for dessert ) We should've gotten doubles (we will next time) but OMG so delicious!! Mouth watering for sure!! The cheese on the ugly burger was incredible!! The spiciness & natural peanut butter with the jam Chocolate cakes was moist & tasted yummy! Our server Maggie was attentive & knowledgeable about our diet...she's a gem they should promote because she knows how to treat people and make them feel welcome Great date night, thank you my Love read more

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A member of our party was served very dry boneless chicken wings. At least half of the order was nothing more than fried bread crumbs An apology was offered by both the waitress and the manager and an offer of another entree was given (our group had shared parts of their meal with the one who had ordered the wings) but absolutely no compensation for the cost of the meal was ever offered. The manager assured us that they are changing food services for that particular item. read more

The beer was great and the service was very good! Food is all really heavy! Mac and cheese was good! Rodeo burger was ok! The roll was too much! Fries were ok! Aside from the cool vibe and the location (view), I'm not sure I'd hurry back for dinner, but definitely for drinks! read more

TL;DR - Come with at least six people so you can share a mac and cheese, calamari, and two custom-built pizzas (or maybe replace one pizza with a loaded monkey bread). - Three cheers for Druthers Brewing Company's third location. And hooray for a great outdoor space on the banks of Mohawk Harbor. One of the great joys of the original Saratoga location is its patio. Albany was deprived of al fresco dining. So it's fantastic to see it make a comeback in Schenectady. Oddly, to get a table outside, you have to check in with the hostess, then leave the restaurant through the doors you just entered to access the patio. It's one of those strange quirks a restaurant should have figured out by its third iteration. I came with a bunch of friends with the goal of trying as many things on the menu as we could. As usual, there were winners and losers. As much as I hate to love calamari, the breaded and fried thin slices of lemon included in the mix really made the dish. I haven't seen it before, and those crispy, salty, and tart bites made the entire plate compelling. "Monkey Bread" in my mind is a sweet dish, but at Druthers the Loaded Monkey Bread is entirely savory. It's like a deconstructed pizza of sorts, and with components like garlic butter, bacon, leeks, and mozzarella, it's hard to go wrong. I'd skip the wings and the mexican street corn dip in the future. The hot wings didn't have that classic buffalo flavor profile I look for, nor did they have the crispy skin I demand. And while the mexican street corn dip is fine, I agree with Melinda that it would be better if served hot. As it stands, it's fine but nothing special. The macaroni and cheese? That's special. Just do yourself a favor and don't even dream about tackling an order of that stuff on your own. I would say that each order is a full meal for two people, and most of a meal for four adults. We split one order nine ways, and it is such a rich and decadent dish that my generous scoop was all the macaroni and cheese I needed for the week. The wood fired pizza is also worth getting. Again, I would recommend sharing. Nobody needs to take down six slices of that pie, even though I'm sure one could. Especially because the crust was so light and tender. I loved that the kitchen wasn't afraid of letting crust bubbles form, and cooking the pie long enough to pick up some proper color on the edge and bottom crusts. What you might want to do is consider building your own pizza out of ingredients they have on hand, since three of the five pizzas are drizzled with something sweet. That said, I wouldn't hesitate to get the margherita again. After trying a couple different samples of beer, I went with an old standby to wash everything down. The Druthers' Fist of Karma brown ale is always enjoyable and food friendly. If I wasn't driving, I might try one of the higher ABV beers, but I'm a lightweight. One day Druthers. One day. read more

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Enjoyed a very nice lunch with nine ladies from my old neighborhood today! Wow! Not only does Druthers look great with its sophisticated, modern decor, the food and service are excellent. Since it was near 80 today, we ate on the large beautiful patio overlooking the river. I had the $12. Combo --Barley Salad and Smoked Chicken Salad Sandwich. Each one of us liked her delicious food choice! We shared a serving of the signature Mac and Cheese which was outstanding! Parking is free in the nearby garage. The Rivers Casino is in the distance but access to Druthers is from a different road. I have posted several photos to highlight the restaurant that is a PLUS for Schenectady . read more

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Lunch- Service was good but the Mac and Cheeses was out of this world. Served in a cast iron fry pan, too hot to touch, so much I could not eat it all and had enough left over for dinner. Great place to eat. read more

Underwhelming experience. Beer was okay enough, didn't stay for a second round. Chicken sandwich wasn't good. Server didn't introduce themselves which I know might be a little old school but I find it helpful. Obviously tipped 20% because Its not polite to do any less. Not a bad place to stop by, probably won't come again, though. read more

What makes this Druthers location more exciting than the other Druthers locations is the outdoor patio overlooking the Mohawk River, the harbor surrounded by apartments and condominiums, and the amphitheater - especially while a concert is in progress. We hit that holy trinity recently on a Saturday evening. We were told there was an hour and twenty minute wait for a table, possibly less time for a table on the patio. We were asked for a cell phone number and told that we would receive a text message when our table was ready. An initial text message that was sent to inform us that we were on a wait list also provided a link to an app that showed the constantly updated number of parties that were ahead of us on the list. That was cool. We squeezed up to the bar and ordered a couple pints of beer ($7 each). I managed to find two spare chairs off to the side where we could sit until the text message arrived. It came after about one hour and ten minutes and we were escorted to a table outside overlooking the amphitheater. There was a pleasant breeze coming off the river and we could hear the band playing Clapton covers. It doesn't get much better than this. With our pints of Dark Lager and Oatmeal Stout now on the table we ordered KFC Bao Buns ($11), the Prosciutto di Parma Pizza ($15), and a Veggie Burger ($13). The burger was tasty with its sweet potato - black bean patty, on a bed of guacamole, roasted corn, and topped with pepper jack cheese and tortillas. The brioche bun was fresh, soft, toasted, and spread with chipotle mayo. The wood-fired pizza had a really nicely flavored crust, and was quite attractive to the eye with its arugula, prosciutto, yellow cherry tomatoes, stracciatella cheese, and balsamic glaze. A wonderful blend of flavors. But the hands down winner was the Korean Fried Chicken Bao Buns. The three soft, steamed buns were filled with chicken pieces that had a super crispy coating without drying out the meat. There also were pickled cucumber slices, chopped peanuts, scallions, and a gochujang glaze. This was sooo good, we returned eight days later, when there wasn't a concert, and ordered it again. On the return visit just mentioned we also tried the Mexican Street Corn Dip ($10). I have to say this was the least pleasing dish we've ever had at any Druthers. It included wood-fired corn, jalapeño, sour cream, smoked paprika aioli, queso fresco, and a side of red corn chips. It sounded so promising. What I found most disappointing about this dish was its consistency. It was so runny that it didn't qualify as a "dip." Spoon the mixture on your chips and it all would run off when you raised it to your mouth. The mixture of ingredients also lacked any special flavor. Even a little salt didn't help much. Staff were friendly and running their butts off on a Saturday night. Kudos to the kitchen for keeping up with all the orders. read more

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Beer cheese and pretzels Beer cheese and pretzels BEER CHEESE AND PRETZELS oh, and the Mac and cheese is dank too read more

Always a reliable place to pop in for a quick meal. It's not going to win any awards but you get quality food and service for the money. Location 100% adds to its attraction. As the outside seating looks over the Schenectady marina. read more

Got the skillet chicken pot pie and it was like a hot pocket. Some of it was boiling hot, someone it was completely cold. It had to be stirred up and left for a bit for the temperature to equalize. In doing so, all of the maybe 1 broken up biscuit on top got mixed in and soggy. Super disappointing meal but the service and atmosphere were still top notch. read more

Druthers Brewing - Skillet chicken pot pie - Brewpubs Near Me - Schenectady, New York

this druthers really stuffers from being in a place there arent a lot of places to eat. The wait on Friday night is very long and the reservations aren't even just strongly recommended it's required even if you want space at the bar. But we waited and sat down, ordered beer and leveled the table so as not to spill our beer, and ordered. The chicken wings and a veggie burger. This veggie burger made in house can alsoo be replaced with an impossible burger but why would you? Here's the only reason to make that decision: my veggie burger was cold and the cheese wasnt melted. The burger itself was good, the toppings well balanced and didnt detract from the burger it was made of. read more

Druthers Brewing - The veggie burger - Brewpubs Near Me - Schenectady, New York

The patio is beautiful, the planters are great, the atmosphere the vibe all good! Also gluten-free buns excellent and options instead of french fries, also excellent. Only one slight drawback is no hard seltzer opportunities. For people who have food restrictions. I'm gluten-free and have allergies to beers. The Sauvignon Blanc was excellent as a substitute. Service was great beautiful scenery !! read more

The service was attentive! The hospitality was on point! The food was excellent! The Buffalo Macaroni was so amazing. The flavor profile and depth is something I will come back for.... Wait the portion size was so large I'm eating this dish twice. HIGHLY recommend! read more

Druthers Brewing - Buffalo Mac-n-Cheese - Brewpubs Near Me - Schenectady, New York

We arrived with a party of eight, and were told it would be an hour wait, so we asked for two tables of four and were sat right away. Within moments, our hostess came to one of the tables and said the table next to our other group became available and asked if we wanted to move. That was perfect! Our waitress was quick with our drinks and food, great service! The pretzel appetizer was huge! So yummy! Everyone enjoyed their meal. I had the chicken tacos, which were a little too saucy to hold and eat without a mess. I could only eat two (came with three). The rest of the group enjoyed their food. We sat in an alcove, which made it very cozy and quiet. The place has a cool vibe, but is also family friendly. Huge outdoor seating area, which was empty due to the chilly weather. The bar area was packed, as was the rest of the restaurant. Great spot! I didn't have a beer, but have had their bottled beer in the past and it's excellent! read more

I've been to the Druthers restaurant and I have also ordered take out and ordering at the restaurant location is the better option. I was not impressed with their take out quality or quantity. I had no issues at the restaurant though. The staff was efficient and friendly. We had no wait time and parking is free across the street. read more

Druthers Brewing - Brewpubs Near Me - Schenectady, New York

3.5/5...7/10 Average bar food. Overpriced in my opinion. Beer cheese...7/10 too much cheese compared to pretzels Greek salad with chicken....6/10 chicken was so over cooked ruined a good salad Kale caesar with salmon.....7/10 nothing special but good would get again. nice crispy salmon Chicken sandwich....8/10 pretty good would get again. Very very slow service outside but fine inside. read more

Good draft beer selection, tasty, if a little oily apps. Cheerful service, somewhat loud as there's a lot of wood and metal, but covid practices were excellent. We ordered all this stuff after bf and I ran a half marathon, and even still we couldn't finish all the food. Will definitely return. read more

Druthers Brewing - Monkey bread, pretzel bites, medium wings - Brewpubs Near Me - Schenectady, New York

First off you need a sign. A really big sign! It is very easy to miss this new spot. There is parking in the garage across the street. Inside the new location looks awesome. There is a huge bar area and the patio is amazing, over looking the mighty Mohawk. This will become the "spot" to hang in downtown Schenectady in the summer. During both of my visits the bar was packed. The evening I went for dinner there was a wait for a table on a Wednesday. I guess people really like Druthers! They have a very efficient system for check in and they text you when your table is ready. I have tried a variety of beers at Druther's from their extensive list. I didn't flip out over any of them but they have a great variety. The menu is fairly small and a bit pricey. My party ordered the pretzels with cheese. There was enough to serve an army. They were warm and tasty and the cheese was nice. We had a salad with goat cheese and a blood orange dressing. A nice combination of flavors, very fresh. not a lot of dressing, probably could have used more. We split a chicken burger. Guacamole on top, ground chicken patty, tasty sauce. This was the best item of the night! Would order again without a doubt. Blah fries. We also ordered the famous..... dunh dunh daaa, Loaded Mac and Cheese. If you finish this in one serving prepare to experience some serious discomfort! It was quite the dish. I get why people like it. To me it was like Grandma's crazy Sunday casserole. It is no longer really mac and cheese with everything going on. With that said the pasta they use is awesome and cooked perfectly. Next time I will order the straight up version. I would not order the loaded again. So yeah. A good spot to hang, drink, have a bite and enjoy life. I bet some killer concerts will make there way down here! read more

Druthers Brewing - Brewpubs Near Me - Schenectady, New York

We stopped here over the Labor Day weekend for lunch. We all ordered different salads with shrimp. You can see them on the menu's I posted. While the salads were delicious, the shrimp was terribly salty and a bit mushy. That was a big disappointment! Had different tastes of beers and they were quite delicious. Ask for a tester of the flavors. Thank you Chris M for commenting! We came here on a recommendation and they said the shrimp as always spot on perfect. SO, I trust that our visit & the tase of the shrimp was an anomaly. I am sure you will follow this up! What a great place you have!! read more

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The ambiance is cool with a cool logo and a water view. The restaurant was kinda hot and right off the road. The menu was cool and there's a bunch of beers. I had the calamari and chicken wing Mac n cheese. It was okay. There wasn't any chicken in my Mac but the pasta texture was good. My calamari had so many toppings to it that they all just fought each other and none were really poppin. The portion sizes were big but a little overpriced. I wish I tried the blacked shrimp but I think I'd be disappointed. The flight was yummy and I enjoyed the Strawberry Dare, Oatmeal Stout and Weizen. However, they rotate their beers each week. Okay I just got home and threw everything up. read more

Druthers Brewing - Brewpubs Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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Great ambience! Good service! Great food! And cold beer! Clean and with a great view of the river/sunset!

Place smells like actual shit, you know, sewage pipes or something. Place used to be amazing to come to. It's lost it's aura, the friendliness you used to receive when coming in is gone. Food has gotten a tad better in the last year or so, while everything else fell in the dump it seems. read more

I stopped here on business while I was staying at the Marriott in the same parking lot. The brew co. had a good crowd and I grabbed a seat at the bar. The beer was good, nothing extravagant but it hit the spot, and the food was exceptionally filling. I had the BBQ Mac and cheese, which lasted 2+ meals. Bartending service was so/so. They were very attentive when I first sat down, but then got caught up in conversations with friends/off the clock coworkers seated at the bar and my drink sat empty and it took longer than it should have to receive my bill. All in all 3.5/4 but rounded up bc of overall experience. read more

Druthers Brewing - BBQ Mac and Cheese - Brewpubs Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Taylor was our bartender she was terrific !!! She was friendly personable & efficient!! Our food was delicious !!!! Great place highly recommended! read more

I came here with a group recently and have been questioning my experience for the past few weeks, to the point of wondering whether I should post this at all. The overall consensus was that most people had a great time, but some dishes were better than others. We ordered I think 8 different things, though a couple I didn't try because I don't like onions. So, I skipped the Loaded Monkey Bread (which otherwise looked great), the Mexican Street Corn (which looked thin and runny as other reviews had noted), and their calamari (which had what I consider "filler" vegetables like squash, onions, lemon, and zucchini). My three-star rating doesn't take the above dishes into account, but I am sad that so much of their food has onions in one form or another. Their macaroni and cheese was amazing, and certainly over the top. A heart attack in a bowl, it would easily serve 2 people and was the highlight of the meal. I like the different shapes of pasta they used which led to different mouth feels and, thus, different experiences depending on the bit. Their wings were lame. Their "hot" wings reminded me of a thick tomato paste sauce which was neither hot nor vinegary. At least they don't call them "Buffalo" in the menu. The wings were limp and wet, but the flavor was lacking as was a crisp skin. We ordered several pizzas including the Margherita and the barbeque shrimp, the later of which had onions so again I passed on and didn't rate. However, the Margherita was the most disappointing thing I had that night. Not only did my slice not have any mozzarella cheese on it, but it also didn't have any basil. I don't know if everyone's slices were like that but I got the last slice and it was just red sauce and what looked like sprinkle parm. cheese. Our waitress was super friendly but disappeared for 15-20 minutes at a time. In sum: amazing macaroni and cheese + disappointing wings + disappointing pizza + and a server who was frequently MIA = three stars. read more

Last night DH and I decided to try this place that has been open quite some time. It is located next door to the Casino in downtown Schenectady. It looks like a young trendy place wooden high and low tables industrial style. We arrived early maybe 6 pm thinking we would get seated right away but no we gave them our cell number and they texted us about 20 minutes or so which was ok. Hm I wonder what we would do if we didn't have a cell phone? But anyway we got seated in just a short time. I always thought restaurants like to make you wait a short time so you will go to the bar and order a drink. Well my DH likes beer so he was set but not me just your basic wine so I had ice water. Looked at the menu which was on the table like a mat so needless to say it was short and to the point I would consider it pub food. We ordered to share mild confit wings served with celery, carrots and blue cheese dressing $12 and Druthers Mac $15 which was recommended by my daughter "you have to have the mac and cheese!" I would consider the wings seasoned hot not mild and the mac and cheese came cold in a wrought iron pan in which the waiter said "be careful of the pan as it was very hot!" The waiter said she would let the cook know that the food was cold and that was it! So needless to say I wasn't impressed with this place. The location is nice there is an outside theater with entertainment in the summer. Other then that I wouldn't return to this place. read more

Good food, decent beers. The Go-J was just far too tart for me, but really enjoyed the Pink Guava gose. Both meals were delicious, the Mac and cheese is a heavy portion! Side salad offered was tasty! read more

Druthers Brewing - Twice Baked Potato Mac and Cheese - Brewpubs Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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Decided to get to Druthers on opening day, and we did not have to wait at all for inside seating. I love the location. We used to commute from our house off Union to go to Albany or Saratoga Springs. We were so happy on the anticipation of Druthers opening like less than a mile from us! Congrats to the owners and franchise! We loved the food. Ordered the Loaded mac/smoked chicken with pesto pizza and beer cheese (wish it was hot) but the pretzels satisfy always always- being pregnant I always want pretzels and cheese. The food was plenty for a table of four and my toddler too! We did have slow service but we kind of expected that, and it was a hot day and no AC was working near our table inside. I'm Guessing that will be fixed in the Knick of time of not already. Druthers Schenectady will attract lots of Casino/Schenectady/latham/Niskayuna visitors and residents! read more

Prompt service with delicious beer offering. Had the pork sandwich which was huge! Actually too much to eat. The roll is delicious but too big. Doubled the filling on to one side which worked out perfectly read more

I LOVE Druthers! This is the first restaurant I have been to since Covid and I felt very safe. We went to the schenectady location, very beautiful view for outdoor seating! Would have even hit up the casino after if it wasn't for yakno...covid. Anyway, I have loved every beer that I have ever tried at Druthers, they have such original tasty flavors. Also OBSESSED with the mac and cheeses. My boyfriend got a pulled pork sandwich and thoroughly enjoyed that as well. Can not wait to re read more

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Today was a private soft opening for Druthers and it was amazing! A very small hiccup, which I quickly got over. Service: very friendly and FAST! As busy as it was the food came out quick and piping hot! FOOD: As an appetizer we had their famous beer cheese dip yummmmm. Also, smoked peach bbq wings AMAZING! "The Dare" beer on tap (sour beer!) Do i even need to speak about the entree?! Neo had the ragin' cajun Mac n cheese I had the sword fish tacos. I had NO complaints, everything was phenomenal. BRAVO Druthers!! Good luck on the grand opening. read more

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