We ate at Perreca's last night. Firstly, none of these items shown on yelp are offered, no pizza, no Marsala. Etc. I don't think the "cook" can handle a diverse menu. The food is like eating low quality cafeteria food. The eggplant is premise and cut from a soggy, mushy tray of eggplant made to stretch a budget. There was so much mauve colored sauce it was like soup. The spaghetti was the only pasta choice and that was premade as well, mushy and sitting in a pot off I'll made mauve colored sauce. It was just like Ragu from a can. And you got maybe 1/5 lb., isn't pasta cheap? The people next to use, 3 young women hated their meal, bought desert and skipped eating. The cook cane out to pitch his private catering business to a customer and told them he thinks he's "fucking awesome." It was hands down the worst place I've been to in ages. I gave 1 stars because the wait staff managed all the restaurant complaints well, there was a lot of commotion! Boooo. Go to Homestyle nearby. $60 without drinks. read more

I met my parents here for breakfast this past Saturday morning, not really knowing what to expect. All I really knew about Perreca's was it's reputation for phenomenal bread. I was pleasantly surprised on entering, as they've done a very nice job decorating the place, the bench upholstery appears to be a dark leather, nice lighting, and a good looking patio off the back. The breakfast menu had some nice options, including eggs in purgatory, frittatas with various additions, and standard fair like pancakes and french toast. I had bananas foster stuffed french toast with bacon and an egg on the side - the stuffed french toast was very good, and my meal came with home fries that had a nice touch, having both regular and sweet potatoes in the mix. The wife ordered the eggs in purgatory (which I've never seen on a menu before, I've only had this previously as cooked by my mother in law) and it looked great. Parents ordered frittatas and didn't have any complaints. Service was quick and attentive, lots of coffee refills which of course is essential for a breakfast out. Overall it is a nice alternative to the diner circuit, which I also enjoy, but the food was a cut above diner food both on creativity of options and execution. I'll have to make a point to come back sometime soon to try out their dinner service. read more

Probably my favorite Italian restaurants. The eggs in purgatory are amazing (but wouldn't recommend if you don't like spicy food). The service is great and I love when they have live music. Try their delicious bread! read more

Ate here last night, for Restaurant Week in Schenectady, before we went to Proctors to see Rain, a fabulous Beatles tribute band, perform Sgt Peppers, and many more from the catalog, live. On a snowy evening, we appreciated their parking lot. This place is wonderful- think classic, family-owned Italian. The meal started with the home made bread, crusty outside and dense and a bit chewy inside, which is to say"perfect!" My wife and I both ordered off the 6 course Restaurant Week dinner menu, and everything was delicious. The red sauce was very, very fresh and tasty. We appreciated the home made sorbet served as an intermezzo. My wife started with the salted code and panzella with bitter greens. I opted for the rice ball, and fragrant minestrone with bacon, served piping hot. She had the very tender porchetta, while I opted for the vegetarian main with spaghetti squash, both excellent, and they did not skimp on the garlic! Dessert was tiramisu for her, and homemade mango gelato with a bit of heat from some chilies- amazingly good. Our hosted and our server were friendly, gracious and efficient. My wife was thrilled to meet prima fie Maria Papa, who she knew from her appearances on TV with Dan Bazile. As a special treat, our hostess, Dorrie Phillips invited us to tour where the bread is baked - see attached photos. I can't wait until we can return to this gem again! read more

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I was in town for a wedding and decided too look for some local good eats. Thanks yelpers, you never fail me! More Perreca's was AMAZING!!! Came here with a couple of friends and got to try a couple of things. The eggs in purgatory were delicious (for those of you who are curious about this dish, it's bread and poached eggs covered in a marinara sauce) and I got the mortadella and genoa salami grilled tomato pie panini. All I can say is YUM! It was basically a panini made with a pizza. Great for indecisive people who want a pizza and a panini. So delicious! I wish we had Perreca's in LA! It's always hard to find good Italian food on the west coast =( read more

Had lunch today with my spouse at "More Perreca's." Had been mentioned by an acquaintance who was familiar with the bakery side of things. What a profound disappointment. We ordered the "Tuscan" chicken salad for me and a personal pizza for my spouse. 25 minutes after ordering, the waitress appeared with the chicken salad and said "here's the salad to start you all off with; the pizza will be a few minutes more." Huh? Who brings out one diner's entree but not the other's? The chicken salad was pretty bleh. Not a bad flavor, I suppose. But it had the consistency of finely ground mush. No discernible pieces of chicken. Had a few cranberries mixed in -- I guess that made it "Tuscan"? Served with Italian dressing that tasted like it came out of a bottle -- like a really cheap, tasteless brand. Why? It's so easy to make rocking homemade Italian dressing. Anyhow, overall the chicken salad was not satisfying. Avoid. Back to the timeline. 10 minutes after the chicken salad arrived, the pizza was finally brought to the table. It wasn't close to being cooked through. Raw dough in the middle. The cheese on top wasn't even melted. Wtf. It's so fricking easy to cook a pizza. How could they screw it up like this, especially after they had 35 minutes to make it? The excuses from the waitress were legion. "The kitchen's been really backed up." Uh, no. Everyone else in the restaurant when we walked in was already eating before we ordered. "It's pre-made dough and every batch is different." Huh? Didn't even make sense. Plus, they're also a bakery, so don't they make their own pizza dough? Shame on them if they don't. "There's a problem with the pizza oven." What? Like it doesn't get hot enough? If that's the case, stop taking pizza orders. So, we asked to have the pizza cooked for a few minutes more. 10 more minutes later, still no pizza. So, at this point, it's been 45 minutes since we ordered. We asked for the check, minus the cost of the pizza, paid, and left. All my spouse had to eat while we were there was the piece of bread that came with my chicken salad. And the bread? Stale. Figures. As I was paying, a guy came in to order a cappuccino at the counter. "Sorry, but the machine's broken and is out getting fixed." Really? Yet on every table, there's a prominently displayed list of espresso drinks being offered. Oy. What a waste of time. Not well conceived or managed. Won't ever consider returning. read more

This review is not indicative of how much I used to love More Perreca's. It was my favorite Italian spot in Schenectady. Great service and delicious food have been replaced with mediocre food and slow service. When we came on a Thursday at lunch we were one of two tables in the restaurant. Both orders of french toast were burnt but the worse part was the burnt pieces were hidden under the top decent piece. My son's sandwich was missing two key ingredients and my husbands mac & cheese was oily. My eggs in purgatory were way spicier than usual. It was just a sloppy, badly executed meal. The chef apologized (through the waitress) admitted he was rushed. RUSHED?! No one was there. My advice is for More Perreca's to slow down, stick to what they do well and hire more experienced staff. I get it, your star chef left you. That's no excuse for the issues we are noticing in other reviews, and our last experience, when you were great before he came. I expect better - we'll be back but it might take me a while to get over this experience. A note about oily Mac & Cheese from my experience - it was reheated leftovers. When you reheat that original yummy cheese, the oils fill your bowl.... read more

My family frequents More Perreca's for dine in and take out and we've enjoyed every single meal. What makes Perfeca's stand apart is the sense of nostalgia you feel for grandmas cooking. read more

Just has dinner at More Perreca's-and it was terrific. The appetizer special was a clam dish with pancetta, shallots and white wine that was out of this world. I hope they put in on the menu as a regular item. One dinner was a scallop special with pea puree and pumpkin cream pappardelle--creative and delecious.The other dinner was a shrimp scampi with white wine and roasted tomato--a little lighter than some versions and also very good. Try it out!!! read more

Lunch: I feel like they've changed their pizza recipe. I liked it, but not as much as before. Something about the crust being thicker and not cooked crispy enough. Their sandwiches look amazing though. Still a favorite of mine for when I'm back in town. Breakfast: Several people recommended that I go for breakfast. I found it a little disappointing. The Italian toast was cut too thin and the home fries are the little tiny chopped kind that were cold and greasy. The sausage was good. The cappuccino was too wet and they only have whole milk, so it was too rich for me. I ordered a side of olive tapenade that was really really good. It was a large portion too, enough to take home, for $3. read more

Need to update the menu prices and Perreca's will be back to a 5 star experience, the cost wasn't horribly higher, but it's the principle behind it that matters. read more

Met a couple of friends out for a bite to eat. I've been following these two friends of mine around to a lot of different places on Monday nights in the Schenectady/Niskayuna area, and none of them we've visited more than twice, if you can believe that. I thought we ran out of options until I stepped foot into More Perreca's Cafe; adjacent to Perreca's Bakery, which is an old-school italian bakery in Schenectady's Little Italy neighborhood that's been open since 1913 and ran by the same family ever since!. The prices are more than reasonable and the portion sizes are just right and worth the price! The high-ceilings coupled with the ceiling fans complimented the exposed kitchen to help fill the air with the aroma of home cooked italian food . The floor-to-ceiling windows with 3 or so tables are for those who want to catch a view of Jay St. I believe they also have a patio in back. The room was sparkling clean, there's about 4-5 booths and 8-9 tables. As soon as I sat down, I was greeted by a super friendly server named Catina with a GREAT sense of humor! Catina seems to know everyone who walks through the door and if she doesn't, she makes it her business to make you feel as comfortable as if you were sitting at your Mother's dining room table for Sunday dinner. Great service coupled with excellent food is the recipe for a memorable evening with friends. I can't get the great taste and smell of the home cooked italian dishes out of my olfactory (the nerve for the sense of smell, for those who don't know). This place is worth being revisited on Monday's at least twice a month. I am planning on stopping by with my husband to have him try out this goldmine of a cafe! read more

Another wonderful Sunday brunch. I had the pepper and egg sandwich of course I added mozzarella cheese and the in house smoked bacon! The bacon is so delicious, perfectly cooked and just the right amount of smoke. Normally I stick to the eggs in purgatory but they have such an awesome looking menu I felt the need to branch out . While I missed my eggs in purgatory I didn't regret my choice. I will be back next week, wonder what I will try next! read more

Good tastes, great individual pizza, terrible organization and management. I've eaten here twice, once was for lunch and very good, once was for dinner and I was alone in the restaurant and almost didn't get served. Years ago I would say you can't get bad service in an empty restaurant. That's not true; that's the most likely time to get bad service and true to form, I did at More Perreca's. The owner thought waiting twenty minutes to be served and finding that their waitress had left and not ordered the food was unfortunate. She was right, I never went back and never will. read more

Best Italian restaurant in capital region. Their marinara is just always surprisingly delicious. Waitresses are friendly, prices are reasonable. read more

Great food, we especially enjoyed the "eggs in purgatory" with sausage and fontanelle cheese. Capachino & fresh squeezed oj. Our waitress Carol H. was fun, efficient & knowledgeable. So many great options with house smoked meats and homemade breads. Get ready to have the best brunch in the area. read more

Really nice place to go with your family or a friend to catch up, cute atmosphere, friendly staff, a staple to Schenectady. Very nice little menu with decent food. Look forward to going back again soon. read more

This probably was single handedly the worst dining out experience of my life. Before I describe the experience we realize today is a holiday and we have gone to this place several times on a none holiday and received this same level of service and food since the change over in chefs. Tonight was the feast of the seven fishes I honestly felt like I would have gotten a more authentic experience at a chain restaurant. The food was just thrown at you, we received our appetizers, salads and entrees out of order and the food presentation was deplorable. We had a 4 pm reservation and we were rushed through the service in under 20 mins. The dining room was chaos, from untrained food runners to a massive accident of wait staff dropping an entire tray of wine glasses next to our table. For $115 for two people I would hope to have a more pleasurable experience by instead I left grumbling how I could Have spent $115 differently. As mentioned before we were just there this Saturday for breakfast service and it was a mirror image of chaos described this evening. read more

This was the first time I have gone to this place and will say I will come back again. The staff is incredibly friendly from Jeremy my waiter, to the owner and the chef. The food is just as great as the staff. I had the eggplant rollatine for the appetizer and then had their special for that day which was pesto ravioli. One side note, if you don't know where this place is don't trust your waze as it will take you about 3 blocks from where the place actually is. read more

Recommend passing this one by, they have very little to offer. Four of us went to dinner at More Perreca's tonight and none of us will be returning. The food was not awful; but both Chicken Marsala and Chicken Picatta suffered from tough, dry, flavorless chicken. Veal Sorrento was mediocre, they did hit a high note with the side order Escarole - outstanding. Desserts were ordinary neither bad nor memorable. I've left the worst for last, the service was awful! We visited on a Monday night where one server, a runner, and what I took to be the manager were faced with only 3 or 4 occupied tables at a time yet service was S-l-o-w and inattentive - I am not sure what was going on in the back but judging by server staff absence it must have been far more interesting than out by the tables where the diners were. Avoid read more

Favorite Italian restaurant in the capital district! The food is always amazing, bread is fresh, and the desert is delicious. The staff is wonderful, friendly and kind. My husband and I have had Jeremy as our waiter on multiple occasions and he is always ready to make recommendations based off our personal preferences. The lasagna and tiramisu is to die for! read more

Saturday night special - Veal Osso Buco - you gotta make it for that. The pizza was good too. Any/all of the toppings and personal size pie - $10. Donna, our waitress was awesome. read more

This place is a must go to. Seriously anytime I'm in town this is where I go. Amazing environment and the food is to die for. They have mastered the coconut latte as well. Seriously. Must. Go. read more

My friend and I went there for dinner without a reservation. Although they are in Schenectsdy, I had never been there before. The hostess was friendly, but our waiter was inattentive. It took about 15 minutes to get 2 iced teas that we ordered before he came to take our dinner order. I had chicken marsala and my friend had chicken francaise. Well, when our dinners came out on commercial corell plates. I was aghast to find peppers in chicken marsala. You don't put peppers in chicken marsala. However, my friends dinner had capers in it and you don't put capers in chicken francaise. We each looked at our plates and sampled what was brought to the table. Horrible. It looked and tasted like it was nuked in a microwave. We called the server over and explained that the meals were terrible, he apologized, asked if we wanted anything else and we said no. Just the check. When we received the check our dinners were on it. We asked why the dinners weren't on it and were told our dishes were prepared correctly. We gave him 6.50 ,for our beverages and left. Never again. read more

This review is for More Perreca's, not the bakery. We had a wonderful late afternoon dinner here on a sunny, pleasant day - a Saturday - around 4 in the afternoon. We ate out on the back deck which was charming. My only complaint about the deck area was the motorcycle noise from the bar down the street. The sawmill was having some kind of outdoor party and motorcycles were very loudly going up the street. But not the restaurants fault. 2 of us enjoyed eggplant parm and the 3rd in our party ordered the brocolli rabe special. We all thought the food was very tasty, but sadly the pasta accompanying the dishes was overdone. Way overcooked. When the waitress asked how our food was we told her delicious, but that the pasta was overcooked. She said she could get us a new order, but we had already eaten half and it was a tasty sauce so we just told her to let the cook know so that next time it would be corrected. We also thought that maybe perhaps the pasta was precooked and just warmed up in water before serving - it was that overdone. Despite this everything else was very good. We had desert and espresso and a bottle of wine to share. The total bill came to $113 without tip. I'll go back again - hopefully the bar down the street will not be having a party, and I'll ask for the pasta to be al dente - the way it should be without asking. By the way - the service was top notch. read more

The breakfast here is excellent and very reasonably priced. You certainly can't say that they don't give you enough to eat. If you're still hungry after eating breakfast here, see a doctor because there's something wrong with you. I started going here shortly after they opened, and they definitely had a bit of a rough start, but it's a great little place and they've gotten the kinks pretty much all worked out. I'm a fan. read more

2.5 Stars! Thought it was going to be a lot better..... The stuffed shells lunch special verdict is although the filling was decent they were drowned it way too much bland red sauce and the shells edges were hard and not like crisp from being baked in the oven but from being in the uncovered steam table too long. Potato salad was like tasteless mashed potatoes with uncooked potatoes mixed in here and there. Pizza I do have to say was pretty good though! Maybe I will go back for that....... read more

We saw the ad in the Gazette and decided to give the New York strip dinner for four a try, even though it was just the two of us. Turns out it was a great choice. Since the pandemic we have been doing a lot of curbside from local restaurants. We will probably have three separate meals from this choice and look forward to trying their other selections. The packaging was great and food was on time. We highly recommend this restaurant read more

So I've been back a few times since the charred french toast and pancakes order. Until tonight, I'd only had the breakfast items (and the eggs in spicy tomato sauce is by far their best item). Tonight, we ordered take-out dinner for the first time: pasta w/veggies, fried artichoke hearts, side salad, eggplant stack and broccoli with garlic. Unfortunately, everything was under seasoned- across the board. The broccoli was mushy (like maybe it was frozen at some point) and the garlic was burned and bitter. The pasta w/ veg was also overcooked and just tasted of nothing. Side salad was good and fresh, though. The biggest let down were the fried artichoke hearts. The exterior breading was beautiful and golden so I had high hopes. The artichokes however were waterlogged inside and the liquid spilled everywhere after the first bite. Maybe they too were frozen and that's why they had so much water? Further, the ranch dipping sauce just wasn't a great combination with the flavor of the artichoke. So, for me, I'm still a fan of the eggs and the bread here, but I really don't think I'll ever try anything else again. Just feel like I keep getting disappointed. read more

Olivia and I came by for Sunday Lunch. Parking lot was full out back although we got lucky with a spot out front. Place was filled when we came by although just a short wait. Minutes later, there was plenty of people waiting. The waiter was quick to get to us with drinks. I had checked the menu on Yelp before arriving so I was ready to order. I ordered the Tuna salad on greens. It said the tuna was made with Olive oil, onions, and celery. It was outstanding. Probably the best tuna I have ever had! I will be back to have that salad again. Wow! Liv had the kids spaghetti and meatballs. She thoroughly enjoyed it. We asked for a couple pieces of Italian bread. And that was really good as well. We enjoyed this as a nice lunch. Next time maybe dinner or breakfast. My only little issue is the size. It's very small and cramped inside. I'm sure there isn't much they can do about that. They use the space to the best of their ability. I would say 4 2/3 stars for a great meal! We will be back! read more

Authentic Italian food!! We recently visited More Perreca's for weekend in Schenectady.There were three battered eggplant rolled and stuffed with ricotta, goat cheese topped with marinara and melted mozzarella and served with a side of ziti.I had the Chicken Marsala.The linguini and clams in lemon sauce was the best I have ever had by far.My husband loved the alternate choice of spaghetti squash.Great food and service. read more

Been wanting to go here since they opened. It was a huge disappointment. We went for a 80th birthday celebration There were only two other tables seated My son ordered glass of wine the glass came with lipstick all over the glass We ordered the Heavenly Trio it came with 5 small zappolas for $11 My son had the Carbonara it was very good pasta was over cooked thou I ordered the Shrimp Perrerca it was Luke warm pasta over cooked and hardly any sauce Birthday girl had chicken Parmesan came hot and she liked it We ordered a piece of cake for the birthday girl no candle no song very disappointing we were sorry we didn't go next door read more

Went there tonight (1/20), with a group. Had chicken marsala. To die for? No. Good? Yes. But my wife had seafood purgatory, and gave me a taste. THAT'S to die for! And the place is otherwise delightfu. read more

We came here on a weekday for dinner. We ordered a salad, pizza, and two pasta dishes. Everything was excellent, including the service. We even had an older relative with a walker and two kids, and the waiter went out of his way to accommodate us and make us feel welcome. Beware that they close at 8pm and the portions are huge. My only regret was not saving room for dessert (and the fact that they were out of the homemade pappardelle.) And there is an excellent bakery next door. We will be back, and hopefully have the homemade pasta next time. read more

One of the best breakfast spots in Schenectady- the staff is always friendly and provides great service. The Eggs in Purgatory is a must - one of the most unique breakfast dishes you'll ever have. It's eggs served in a marinara sauce with lots of their amazing toast. Highly recommend! read more

We love dining at More Perecca's. It's a great choice for a family dinner or a date night. It's our five year old daughter's establishment of choice (especially on the patio when the weather is nice). Particularly due to the extra special service that our favorite server Jeremy provides. He is always able to accomodate any special requests, even if it's not on the menu. Catering is also a great option, especially the eggplant parm which always recieves rave reviews from family & friends. We highly recommend dining at More Perreca's. read more

I can't believe it's ou 4 stars tbosnwas an exceptional place. We went for brunch and found both great food and some unique twists - check out the Red Velvet Pancakes and Reason to Live. I had the Asparagus goat cheese Frittata which was an great open face dish. Desert from the bakery was over the top. Even the ordinary cupcake was one of the best we'd ever had. Loved this place. read more

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When we're on the thruway between Albany and Rochester we love to stop here. It's a bit off the route but totally worth it. They are open all day. Breakfast, lunch are amazing. They serve Italian food that's hearty, filling and delicious. Eggs in Purgatory is a favorite dish and the paninis are excellent too. Be sure to bring home a loaf of bread from their bakery next door! read more

We ordered the chicken parm family takeout dinner. The portion was generous, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the bread is second to none. However, the amount of garlic in our meal was disturbing. I could tell by the overwhelming smell in my car on the drive home that it wasn't going to go well. If you are one of those cooks that reads a recipe calling for one clove of garlic but you add thirty-six, then this is the place for you. If not you may want to try somewhere else. read more

We've been in search of good, basic, fresh Italian food since we left Brooklyn 40 years ago. We knew that there was a Little Italy in Schenectady, but hadn't been able to eat there since we had been told years ago that none of the restaurants are open on Sundays. Well, thankfully we have a dog and were looking for a place there to eat where we could bring him. WOW! the food is just as described...not heavy with sauces, but really good food. My husband had a fresh Bass, which he was in heaven with; I had a breaded chicken cutlet, which wasn't greasy; our son had the BEST EVER, fried calamari...it was soft, not chewy, flavorful and fresh. We were too full to go for a dessert...And we had a fabulous waitress...ask for Roubina, she's a pleasure. read more