Wood panel corner pub on Madison Place. I ambled to this joint, to witness happenings! It's a neighborly kind of spot. Sticky bar, loud music, woman bar hand hangs with regulars. A couple came for coffee, got turned away. My Coors in a crisp chill glass; was avalanche smooth and squelched my thirst. They charge a % for any credit card use, which is bizarre: so bring cash. I'll be back to give the kitchen a try. It is not a dark pub; lots of side windows! Review: 4 read more

Something for everyone on the menu, solid food, friendly service. Bar was full, we just did take out.

Hill St., Café always an interesting time. They go to place for meeting people in Albany. The food is good. No matter what you get. It will probably be a good meal. Usually loud in there always fun. People sometimes gets a little crazy but definitely another one of my go to places. read more

See all

Best onion rings in town! I know I'm not suppose to be eating them since I'm on a diet. Blame it on my husband. He ordered them. If you're looking at them, you can't have just one. I had three or four. I also liked my salad topped with grilled chicken. The salad was very fresh. The chicken was still warm and grilled just right. I like the jalapeño poppers, too. Another thing I'm not suppose to eat, but they're hard to resist. Yes. Hill St. is a sports bar. I like the drinks, but I come for the food and to watch the games on tv. Our bartender/ server was Morgan. She didn't miss a thing. Superb at her job. She knew right away when we were ready to order and when the food was ready. She checked in on us at just the right time to make sure our orders were okay. They were! read more

See all

The beer list, well I did not see that coming. It is fantastic. It has a few beers you probably can't find in any other bars in Albany. We were impressed. They also have a lot of domestics. The place is very unassuming from the outside, but trust me, you should go on in. The place is kinda dark, old school, all dark wood paneling, but we were greeted by a super friendly bartender, nice cool AC, and a beer list worth talking about. The menu had much of your tavern fare, and pizza. We shared a small pizza since the group I was with was excited and raved about it. The pizza may even look unassuming, but it is awesome. Super cheesy, crispy bottom, flavorful crust, yum. It is a heavier pie, heavier than the NY style pizza, but not super thick and doughy. We had the plain cheese and I recommend it! For my first time trying this place out, I was impressed, and I can't wait to come back for more beer and pizza, soon! This place is so close by to all the happenings in Albany and it should not be missed! read more

Hill Street Cafe - small pizza - Pizza Near Me - Albany, New York

Rereading my last review from my first visit over ten years ago, I was compelled to come back and share how much this place has grown on me the more and more I visit. Despite how it may look from the outside, Hill Street is definitely in the top tier of local taverns. Part of what sets it apart is the amazing beer list. It's not unusual to see lines of Hill Farmstead on tap, and a little Edward goes incredibly well with some solid wings. The traditional Buffalo wings at Hill Street still aren't my favorite, but they're still probably better than anything you can get outside of New York State. The real winner there is the thick and hearty tavern style pizza. Damn that stuff is good. And the gravy fries are no joke either. Just don't go in expecting NY Style thin crust, because this pizza couldn't be more different than the large thin foldable slices one might enjoy while walking at a brisk pace up the avenues. But delicious stick to your ribs pizza, great hard to find beer nerd beer, and hot crisp fries with house made gravy, all served in a warm and friendly setting, go a long way in my book. And if you can make it past the bar, there is a clean and well lit dining room which is totally a welcoming place for kids of all ages. Heck, the dining room may even be a little bit too clean. But this is absolutely one of my top recos for families who may be visiting the State Museum up the road. If it looks a little rough from the outside, don't worry. Trust that the guy with over 900 reviews isn't going to steer you wrong. Enjoy! read more

Great staff good food awesome drinks! What more could you ask for? Try the wings! Perfect place to catch a game

Service was good, could have been better. I recently came here with some friends, we placed an order but it took a bit over a half hour. was kind of upset over that. Aside from that, the food's always been great here. Would recommend, just not on busy days read more

I called from out of town last month to say we were bringing a group of 30-50 people in during a conference for an informal meetup. Amy took the information we had an assured me she would work out a plan to get the group started, adjust the order as the evening went on, and be mindful of our budget. She made very good on this, demonstrating a solid understanding of the establishment's menu and a fantastic ability to read the room. We ended up with about 60 people coming throughout the evening with great things to say about what they ate and the service environment. read more

Food, service, and beer all 5 star. I'm glad we came here and certainly glad we got pizza. Cool, little joint! read more

Hill Street Cafe - Wife's Bday beer tour - Pizza Near Me - Albany, New York

Traveling through Albany during a roadtrip and wanted something quick and warm. We ordered their french onion soup and chili for pickup. Was super excited only to open up cold disappointing soup they could not even bother to microwave. For $20 for both soups, this was just an absolute waste of time and money. read more

Placed an order for wings for takeout and was told 20-25 minutes. I was close by so decided to stop in earlier, as I'm okay with waiting a bit. From when I called to when I got there was 15 minutes. Mid-day and there were exactly 7 people there, including me. Two people were waiting on their food order-dining in-and the others looked like they already ate and were drinking some beers. Waiting another 5 to 10 minutes, not a big deal. 19 minutes later I get my food. Irksome. Deep-frying wings is not hard nor take over half an hour to do. Worked in many pizza shops and restaurants to know that. The wings were supposed to be 'jumbo'; yea, no. Standard size wings you get from most everywhere. And the insulting thing? Included in the count of my wing order was one that you could hardly consider a wing. When they are charging over a dollar a wing, maybe give a little courtesy and not include a half-sized nugglet-like wing. You know what I'm talking about, everyone has seen it; the wing piece that looks like it got smashed by something and doesn't even show as a half-wing. Disappointing. If you happen to be at the bar and want food, I guess it's your only choice. If you're ordering out, there are many, many other places that do bigger, better wings and cheaper. read more

Hill Street Cafe - This small little third of a wing counted as one of my ten. - Pizza Near Me - Albany, New York

Great food and friendly service. Parking across the street was great. Welcoming environment.

Amy was adorable, great service, food was fresh and delicious; the onion soup probably the best ever! Margarita pizza very filling and tasty and of course a good variety of beers; I would definitely recommend it and go back read more

Friendly neighborhood dive bar. Great food and friendly staff I went here almost everyday while in Albany.

First I want to share a tip with you if you're not already familiar with Hill Street. They have their own parking lot, and it is quite large, across the street and just East of the Café/pub on Madison Ave. I've been there twice recently, both times for an event. The first was for a Yelp, Third Thursday Tavern Time event, and most recently for a Remembrance of a former bar owner, friend, fellow beer lover, and overall nice man. At both gatherings I got to sample a variety of different foods and beer from a good selection of craft brews. The pizza is a medium-thin variety with a good crust. Even a simple cheese slice however, does not have sufficient crispness on the bottom to prevent it from being limp when picked up. I don't say this as a criticism, only to describe the characteristics of the pizza. In any event, a single slice of pizza can be very filling. Add some toppings, like sausage and/or pepperoni, and/or mushrooms, and you will be stuffed after a couple of slices The wings are very good also. Their "Hill Street" version has like a garlic-cream sauce on them. The Medium wings are plenty hot enough. The meat is juicy and the wings are crispy if you eat them while they are hot. My recollection is that the Mozzarella Sticks were OK, but nothing outstanding, and the choice of raspberry sauce is a good one. The Jalapeno Poppers were also OK and pretty standard. Overall, this is a solid neighborhood bar. If I lived in the neighborhood, I'd be a regular. read more

Hill Street Cafe - Corner of Madison Avenue & Philip Street. - Pizza Near Me - Albany, New York

Bartender, I believe her name was Morgan, was super good. She was there by herself but we didn't have to wait long for our drinks and they were good. Greeted everyone that came in, said hello to the regulars and did a damn good job all around. Recommend this place for her alone!! read more

Don't really do five stars but have been going here for 20 years and it's consistent with steak fries the reason for returning. Solid pub fare including pizzas read more

They treated my youngest grandson with class. Now let's see if I can explain this like you were there. A large Root Beer made his night and the whole bar sang him Happy Birthday to him, I want to thank you for making it perfect. The whole Hill Street Cafe is awesome! If you're not there then you need to be! Food is Great! Won't let me give any I give them Five Stars. Yeah it works. read more

I would call this place more of a neighborhood pub than a cafe, though you could distinguish between and include both descriptions if you look at the bar area and the dining area behind and downstairs from that. I came here with a group for drinks, and several came earlier for dinner. There weren't a lot of beers on the list I regularly drink, but what they did have was okay at a very good price. I also heard good things about the wings here. I didn't get to sample any, but a few of my friends had them with dinner, and they approved. I did get to try some onion rings, and even cool, these were crisp and not greasy, which meant they were even better hot. They had a good music selection playing too. This is the type of place I'd want to meet local friends after work for food and drink. read more

I live in VT but I make this place a stop every time I come to Albany. The Pizza is very good and priced right (the large is 18"- that's big), the wings are even better, and the Beer is cold. We had some fried apps and they were good, not greasy. Food came fast, and I think they kept the kitchen open for us (we came in late after a concert at The Egg...) The Beer is cold and there's a good selection. Good mixed drinks too. We lucked out this Sunday because Morgan was working. She was a lot of fun, attentive, and fast. She introduced us to another patron so we had someone to chat with. Morgan made it a fun visit. Morgan is a Goddess. read more

Been coming here for a long time. On a good night, the wings are the best. Some days/nights better than others, depending on who's cooking. Many times you'll see Albany cops coming in for takeout. Yep, wings are slow out of the kitchen. Good house music or on the box. Nice dining area in the back. Good pool table. Great selection of drafts. I miss Lenny's place down street, though. Easy ride out of there to 787. The parking lot is a big plus. Go. read more

Great neighborhood place. Excellent chicken wings, nice selection of beer, and pub pizza that is worth making the trip to the Mansion Neighborhood. As it has changed over the years, and hopefully will continue to change over even more years, it still retains a homey atmosphere where everyone is welcome. read more

Hill Street Cafe - Pub style pizza. Tasty and fast. Really great and a great value too. - Pizza Near Me - Albany, New York

Hungry for great bar food and beer (not selling the wait staff short either- they were great). Came here on bit of a whim as they had Hill Farmstead Susan. If you know IPAs you know that it is next to impossible to find outside of the brewery. Having this beer told me a lot about the place. They had to work had to get it. Back to the food: Everything we had was great. I had the chicken parm sub. Typically I don't order chicken but I had a good feeling and it met my expectations. Lightly breaded chicken with the right amount of sauce and mozzarella. My son had the wings (Cajun spice) and a French onion dip sandwich. I had a couple of wings as they make ''em the way I like 'em - cooked crispy. My wife had the Reuben and she was very happy with it. All great bar food! Atmosphere is: local bar. Set your expectations there and you will be happy. We got there just before the game rush. The waitstaff did a great job attending to everyone on a personal basis. I don't live around here but if I did it would be a regular stop. read more

so every sunday a good buddy of mine blacks out at brunch, like fucking annihilated, EVERY SUNDAY. homie might have eaten like four french fries for the past three months of going to brunch. honestly, its dope. so from brunch, his main move is to order a large pizza and an entire chicken coops worth of hot wings from @hillstreetcafe and brings them back to the bar i work at. i love this kid. he cant even eat pizza. hes lactose intolerant! plus he usually only eats like half a drum and maybe a flat or two and then starts to yell at me to make him shots. 5 out of 5 stars for my friend. what a guy i tell ya read more

Great place to grab wings! I enjoyed the Cajun jumbo wings and they were delicious. I also had a good Caesar salad with a beer from their regional list. I would recommend this place to watch a game or grab a good bite to eat. There is a typical bar area and then a quieter space adjacent to it. read more

I've been going here for decades for the wings and pizza. It is a true neighborhood bar of that's what you're looking for. Staff is great, fast and friendly, and many of them have been there for years. The kitchen staff must be great too because I have never had anything bad there. Don't stop doing what you do guys! read more

*Disclaimer, this place is really a 3.5 star place, I was really on the fence. So I will admit that I verified my tetanus shot was up to date when we walked up and saw this place from the outside. But once inside it was like you were back in your favorite hometown bar. Was here with a large group so we got to try a lot of the apps on the menu. My personal fav were the onion rings which were crisp. The mozzarella sticks and jalapeño poppers were pretty standard though the blueberry dipping sauce was intriguing. I guess it's an upstate NY thing? The wings were, good and as requested extra crispy. The spicy flavor was my favorite, even spice to thrill you but not kill you. The pizza was a surprise. Crust crispy, though heavy and thick for my taste. It was really quite loaded with cheese and toppings making it dense and only allowing me to devour a slice and a half. The sausage pizza was my favorite. Atmosphere is very laid back, a grittier younger crowd than you'd find at Cheers. No Ted Danza here, but nonetheless worth stopping in if you're in the neighborhood. read more

See all

Update-with food review as promised! Went back for a buddy's birthday because, well, The Hill is down right the best birthday present for a craft beer lover. In a "town" that has endless options of birthday perks this bar is my winner. Still a great beer bar with knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating bartenders. BUT with decent food as well! With a huge back room with tables there's always a seat. Ordered a few selections of wings-cooked crispy. They came out quickly with the correct amount of sauce and crispy, as requested. Now, it's not that hard to cook wings but it's easy to screw them up and The Hill delivered on just what we needed- a light snack to share with the table while enjoying the vast selection of great beers. I'm disappointed hearing they had to remove the pool table, if this was still an option I would be here All The Time! read more

Great beer selection and good food. Great service as well. Popped in here on the way through Albany and was glad we did. Was an NFL Sunday so it was lively and they changed the games on the TV for everyone. Nice attention to service. read more

The Hill Street Cafe was the second stop of the second unofficial Albany wing crawl. I was here with a small group of Albany Yelpers. I really like the neighborhood feel of this pub and our group took a seat at a large table on the other side of the bar area. The food menu offers typical pub fare such as wings, appetizers, salads, soups, chili, pizza, sandwiches, burgers, subs, wraps, and ciabattas. The prices are reasonable with most items under $10. We were here for drinks and wings only. Our bartender/waitress was very cool and had some interesting tattoos and a cool Mohawk and helped us choose some wings. As Daniel B. mentioned, I'm not a big fan of hot wings. I like to enjoy the taste of my wings and prefer sweet and savory wings-on each stop of the crawl, we also ordered savory wings in addition to hot wings. We ordered Hot Wings and the Hill Street Style Wings (garlic), which included carrot & celery sticks and bleu cheese dip. The wings were crispy outside (as requested) and meaty & juicy inside. The Hot Wings were not bad, a bit dry on the outside. The Hill Street Style Wings were a big hit, which had nice flavors to complement the meaty wings. Overall IMHO, the Hill Street Cafe was the best stop on the wing crawl and I'd definitely return! PARKING: There's a free off street parking lot across the street for Hill Street Cafe customers. read more

The Hill Street Cafe is an Albany institution that sets the standard for what a neighborhood pub should be. At the risk of coming off as a bar snob, there is a difference between a new bar decorated to make it feel as welcoming as a classic pub and a true 'joint' that has come by its homey atmosphere honestly. The Hill Street is the latter. For decades, the Hill Street has offered great food, cold beers and solid service. You know exactly what you get at the Hill Street and know you can get it at all hours. The Hill Street deserves special props for its beer list. It will surely surprise any first time customer as it is well cultivated. And even in this the Hill Street is no trend follower. The Hill Street had ten taps back when everyone else had two and they have been on the cutting edge of craft beer since before craft beer was a thing. (I can remember calling my brother in his dorm at SUNY Albany from the pay phone in the bar to tell him that the HS had Buffalo Brewing's Blizzard Bock on tap - and that brother turned 50 this year). Next time you are in Albany for an event (once that's a thing again), stop by the Hill Street after for a cold beer and some cheese fries. Just like the Postal Service, the Hill Street Cafe is an institution vital to our quality of life, too often taken for granted and fully deserving of our support. read more

Hill Street Cafe - Cheese fries don't lie. - Pizza Near Me - Albany, New York

Out of all the bar/restaurants in the Capital Region, I keep coming back to Hill Street. From the food, to the bartenders (shout out to Austin, Amy and Courtney), even the owner (Hi Joe) the place has everything right. The bar fare food is great with selections to satisfy any palate, great beers on tap (plenty of IPAs to choose from) and a home bar atmosphere with a separate dining area for those that don't want to see the "bar" (think Cheers). If you're in the area, whether it's Happy Hour or a Company outing, stop by Hill Street. read more

Decent local bar in Albany! Been here twice in the last month or so - had a couple of hockey games at the Times Union Center and walked here for lunch in between. Lots of TVs - great for watching whatever game you happen to be into. The food is pretty good - I've had the sweet potato fries, the soup of the day (it was turkey soup last month) and the spicy (buffalo) chicken pizza. Pizza was really good - it's a thicker crust, so I could only finish half of it. Really good flavor with a nice kick of buffalo sauce. If I'm in the area and looking for a good beer and some decent food, I'll be back. They can accommodate large groups - both times I visited with several people. My friends really like the wings, sandwiches and salads. The regular fries look really good, too. (I have only tried the sweet potato fries). I'd say this is higher quality pub/bar food than your average place. The wait staff was great last month - this time was a bit unfriendly and terse (perhaps she was having a bad day). That said.....I've experienced much worse. read more

Great neighborhood bar to hang out at in Albany! They've got a good enough beer selection (and seem to feature Southern Tier, which means they're winners in my book!), some decent food, and a nice vibe. I hung out here with my sister and her friend while we were home for the Holidays on a Sunday night (needed to get out of the house for a bit...), and we had a great time while watching football. It wasn't too busy, and the bartender, Todd, did a great job taking care of us. I downed a lot of Southern Tier 2XMas (so glad that they had it!), and ordered the Cajun chicken sandwich to eat. The chicken tasted pretty good and the fries were good quality. The music was a little loud at first for it not being too crowded, but Todd helped out and turned it down for us. However, the autoplay on the Jukebox was doing a great mix of some indie and alternative (Metric, The Colourist, Grouplove, etc), which was an awesome change of pace from typical pop music or classic rock in bars. I'll definitely be back in the future when I'm visiting family again! read more

Hill Street Cafe - Pizza Near Me - Albany, New York

The waitress was very nice and polite. The pizza was really good and the fries came out nice and crispy. Next time I'm in NY definitely going back. read more

Had a very good white pizza. Fair price for a small ($9). It was done in under 20 minutes (nice). Hill street salad average. I like that you can get food close to midnight. read more

If we could get married here, I think my fiance would be all over that. This place is awesome. The atmosphere is your easy, comfortable dive bar and the bartenders have been and are still really nice. We used to go here pretty frequently when we lived in Albany and when we visit, we try to stop in for drinks and/or food. The food...yum...if you've never tried their pizza, you've gotta try it. It is sooo good. The sauce is magical...everything about the pizza is magical. Their wings are also pretty good and their wraps and sandwiches are also on point. Now, let's talk about their pasta salad. Sometimes, I daydream about their pasta salad. It's just right and year after year, the food is continuously good. Hill Street is near the Times Union Center and the Plaza. If you are ever around the area, you should check it out. read more

Okay so here's what happened. I recently moved to Queensbury from Pittsburgh so I don't really know this area. Saw a Game of Thrones brunch event on Facebook at City Beer Hall and thought "hell yes!" Hell no. Busy AF. Had a beer, left, looked on Yelp for a good low key local spot. Landed on Hill Street. YESSSSS. Bartender was a damn badass. Kind, adorable, accommodating, quick. Couldn't ask for more. Had my soccer game on TV. Had bomb beers on tap. And wait for it...the spicy chicken pizza was the best damn pizza I've had in upstate New York since I moved here. 5++++++ stars. Great dive bar vibe, great service, great beer, great food. Can't wait to come back. read more

Hill Street Cafe - Spicy chicken pizza with medium sauce. So darn good! - Pizza Near Me - Albany, New York

Hill Street is the go-to spot for those living in the Mansion neighborhood. The pizza is by far the best item on the menu. Thick crust with a lot of flavor. Trust me, when you reach the end of your slice, you'll actually want to eat the crust. I usually ask for a side of marinara and enjoy it like garlic bread. The pizza itself come with a generous amount of sauce and cheese. You can add toppings for an additional cost. If you're dining for one, the small can be ordered as a personal pie and you'll have some extra to take home for leftovers. In additon to the standard pie, the buffalo chicken pizza is excellent. There is also a pesto pizza and a margarita. The vibe in Hill Street is casual and really friendly. It is a great spot to stop by to have a drink, watch a sporting event or just talk with the bartenders and locals. read more

Hill Street Cafe - Hill Street -- a great neighborhood tavern - Pizza Near Me - Albany, New York

See all