Loved this Irish pub down the street from our hotel. There was live music on Friday night outside…read moreand the patio was packed! We were exhausted from the drive up and just wanted good food. The owner sat our large party very quickly and we were warned the kitchen was backed up but happy to wait. Our server was kind and apologetic about the wait, but we knew what to expect. When our food came out I was so happy - delicious Irish pub food. You can tell it's not pulled from a freezer and freshly prepared. Shoot us Californians find ourselves back in Albany, we will definitely return.

McGeary's is a very lived in pub that can get pretty loud. (I had finished my meal before the band…read morestarted, which would have really cranked up the noise level.) The server asked me several questions about my gin martini to make certain the bartender got it right (just a dry martini with a twist). It ended up being very, very wrong. The best part were the fries that accompanied my Turkey Rachel. Otherwise, the sandwich was thin and greasy and lackluster.

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'm conflicted about this review but, here goes: upon entering the restaurant it smelled "dirty"…read moreand it was, in fact, pretty dirty. There was dust collected around on windowsills and walls throughout the restaurant. The while building was run-down. The employees were mostly indifferent except the food runner-he was pleasant. The food, however, was fabulous! The meatball sub had delicious bread. The wings were crispy and flavorful. The veggie burger and hot honey pizza were also very tasty. I had to overlook the cleanliness and hope the kitchen had higher standards!

The Yard is a perfect place for a first date, for a rendezvous with friends for a night on the…read moretown, or to get together with coworkers and blow off some steam at happy hour. There's not really any place like it, in Albany or elsewhere, for that matter. The vibe is what the name suggests, an open-air play space with plants, swings, a cool bar and indoor-outdoor seating. The bar list is creative and fun, and the cocktails are as tasty as they are pretty to look at. If the mood suits you, there's dedicated spaces where you can play a wide variety of lawn games or engage in some recreational axe throwing. And then there's the ice cream. BoozyMoo! is the in-house brand of craft, alcohol-infused ice cream. There are over a dozen flavors--I'm partial to the Mint Chip Julep churned with a bit of Jefferson's Ocean bourbon--and they're all epic. The Yard isn't a restaurant and isn't trying to be. They let you order in and can offer you a basket of their yummy dough bombs to snack on, but people are mostly there for the drinks, the ice cream and to have fun in a cool atmosphere.

The Ax thrower instructor I was excellent. Fun time. Order the pretzel bites. Easy parking. Great…read morelocation.

This is a relaxed, welcoming spot for a cocktail and good conversation. I've been here a few times…read moreand enjoyed discovering New York State spirits, well-made and satisfyingly substantial cocktails, and live music that adds to the atmosphere. What stands out most, though, is the sense of community. I've seen strangers come together to support someone who wasn't feeling well, and that moment really reflected the kindness and positive energy of the people who gather here. So stop on by, grab a drink, and enjoy the day.

This place is very nice -- welcoming, artsy, comfortable, small but personable. We live across the…read morestreet, and my husband and I wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately, it was not a great experience. The bartender served our drinks with no napkins and no lime. Details are key in a place like this. It was also loud, and it looked like a birthday party was happening. If that was the case, maybe the place should have closed to the public to accommodate that celebration. People were loud and drunk, and the birthday boy was saying vulgar things. We will not be coming back.

Amazing chips and waiters with amazing smiles to match! Great for business or casual settings…read morealike! Great place to book for events as well! Has an amazing old-fashioned atmosphere that you can really relax and enjoy food and conversation.

The place has a great, olde feel to it but the contrasting 70's American rock stripped that…read moresensation away as I dined before a print of Churchill. (When I walked by the establishment in the evening, they played cheesy American pop.) Their online drink menu did not match their current menu. In lieu of a much desired vesper (I was told they couldn't make it because they no longer have Lillet), I went with their Indigo 75 of Empress Gin, lemon juice, and Prosecco. Instead of refreshing, the lemon juice overwhelmed the entire drink. The BLTEA with bacon, lettuce, tomato, egg, avocado, and mayo was wonderful. The side salad only came with a sweet balsamic vinaigrette. With a bit more attention to detail, this place could be amazing.

After seeing this place in a Reddit thread "Romantic Places to Eat In The Capital Region". My…read morehusband and I decided to try it out. Oliver was our server, he was super attentive, very informative about the menu/drink items and he played a large role into why we will be coming back to The War Room. As for the food, the sushi was some of the freshest I've had in the capital region, it was a beautiful presentation. I had the lobster mac & cheese and my partner had the chicken parm for dinner. We both almost finished the plate it was so delicious. For dessert we got two espresso martinis and a sticky toffey cake. So GOOD. The only downside was how expensive the cocktails were ($19 for Tito's espresso martini & $18 for another specialty cocktail) The table of 8 next two us also had a similar experience about how good the food and ambiance was. Will be going back to try some more sushi and the grilled cheese sometime soon.

Went downstairs just to get a drink. Looks like they have an upstairs as well for food. The service…read morewas friendly and we had a good time. It's cool speakeasy vibe.

I was on the hunt for a Garbage Plate in my new home of the Capital Region; this is the only place…read moreI could find one on the menu...and I looked all over. I spent way too much time toiling with the prospect of not being impressed by a plate 200+ miles from Rochester. In my head, I said to myself, there are plates in Rochester that don't even impress; why should I give the time of day to someone so far removed? It took me over two years to finally pull trig. In retrospect, I am kicking myself. Portions aside, the plate here is absolutely fantastic, like wtf. The meat sauce seems to keep the obligatory warmth of nutmeg and cinnamon, but has a delicate spice that absolutely delights in its own way. The mac salad lights up my tongue with the zest of celery and the home fries give me the crunch that I deserve. The burgers are the greasy vessel that I have come to expect, but offer much more cohesion than a typical plate. I am barely exaggerating when I say this might be Top 2 plates of my lifetime. Couple that with an awesome atmosphere and an amazing happy hour and you've got gold. Thank you guys for scratching my itch.

Comfortably neighborhood bar serving my regional food and local spirits…read more Staff are nice and attentive. The garbage plate was delicious. Pinball machines abound in the back are.

Blue82 is definitely NOT the place to go if you do not like expensive martinis, crowds and loud…read moremusic and people on the weekends. It's packed with the college and 'senior' college crowd of those who wish we never left. During the week it is more chill and you can actually have a conversation and not have your eardrums blasted with bass. The decor is pretty cool and when its not packed you can enjoy yourself and friends. Drinks are a bit pricey but they are really good and not just your average screwdrivers and appletini's. They make some other unique flavor infusions too; just ask for something different, or let them make you a surprise drink catered around your 'likes.' Small but trendy, and not just a sports bar. Def date worthy place, although parking is street or paid lot around the corner. Watch your step on the cobblestones outside when in heels

I removed my last review. The things I didn't like about it during that period of time have since…read morechanged. The wait staff is more ample and helpful. The drinks have gotten much better. It's a nice place to go and spend some time, cocktails are quite good and seating is usually available. They also seem to have a variety of things for everyone depending on what day of the week it is. I think Monday's they have the football game(s) on and video game tourny's. I went tonight(Thurs) and they had live music. I'm not big on acoustic guitar sing song shows, but the guy was friendly and everyone who was there seemed to be having a good time. The place has been open for at least a few years now and in such a heavy turnover of a business that must mean something good.

Family Danz had a retirement party for my husband. The food…read morewas great. Nice outdoor setting. Waitstaff was efficient and friendly. Will definitely be returning.

This was such a great experience. We wanted to stop in and grab a beverage, enjoy the outdoor…read moreseating and just relax. We did that well. Service was great. While we didn't enjoy any food here, the drink selection was amazing and enough. I will definitely go back when visiting.

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.