On a recent trip to the Albany area, I found myself on back-to-back work calls in my hotel room and…read morein need of lunch. In searching for a healthy lunch option that has delivery options on Yelp, I came upon Bowled. I ordered one of their signature açai bowls. It came with an açai base, peanut butter, berries, granola, banana, and chia seeds. The ingredients were all fresh, it tasted delicious and was incredibly satisfying. It filled me up and got me through my workday. Their bowls deliver well so no worries there. My bowl arrived at my door perfect and ready to eat. Not sure what their in house experience is like but as for delivery--get to it!

Service was good, but there was a very strong odor in the restaurant. Some kind of air freshener or…read moresomething. I took my bowl to go and ate it about 10 minutes later. When I started eating it I could taste the air freshener. Determined that it was the croutons. They tasted and smelled just like the odor I smelled in the restaurant. I decided to eat the rest of my bowl and just took out the croutons, but won't be going back. Yuk

A welcoming little cafe located in the Glenmont Plaza. This place is a treat. Or at least it seems…read morelike it is. I should be eating like this all the time. Everything I have gotten is delicious. Fresh fruit, granola,, you can add all kinds of stuff. You can build your own, you can get their craft specials. I am definitely eyeballing that pineapple coconut concoction available for the summer. I'm still learning about all the combinations but this place is so good. I could eat here every day. The staff is always friendly and willing to help with the abundance of delicious choices. I got a smoothie last week. I got a smoothie bowl this week. It had fresh strawberries fresh pineapple, walnuts, little dark chocolate drops, chocolate protein with almond milk. The base tastes like ice cream. I feel like I'm being bad but I'm not. Healthy eating is fun. I order on their app. It's easy and you earn points. They also have healthy treats for dogs that you can purchase.

Was in the mood for a fresh smoothie so I decided to try Bare. Unfortunately the parking lot is a…read morecluster due to construction but that's no fault of Bare. I was greeted warmly and ordered the fall seasonal Toasted Hazelnut Crunch with peanut butter subbed for almond butter. It was sooooooo yummy! Cost about $9 and was well worth it imo. Not a place I persona frequent but definitely looking forward to the next time I can make it back.

When a friend and I were going to have breakfast in Albany, she told me that I had to try the…read moreSkinny Pancake. Didn't need to convince me! Admittedly I'm a bit delayed in writing this review so some of what I tried was seasonal dependent as I got a hot apple cider for a drink. To eat, I got a crepe and side of sausage! Just a few short minutes later, the food was ready to go. Everything was really delicious. The sausage provided a perfect savory balance for the sweet crepe that I got. The restaurant was really spacious and had lots of natural light which provided a lovely ambiance. Despite growing up in upstate NY, getting to sit at Skinny Pancake felt like a nice, peaceful perspective I hadn't received before. The food being delicious was the cherry on top. I highly recommend!

First time, got a savory crepe the cheesy chicken pesto. Was pretty good! Crepe had a great…read moretexture. Probably a 8/10. The Johnny crepe was also very good, would want to get that again next time. Service was quick and friendly. You order your meal and there is self service coffee and water which is great. Second visit, came with a group of 7. And one party of 3 before us. We all were standing around for 5-10minutes before anyone greeted us. Unfortunately they were short staffed, and many people were sat at tables and still waiting for food. We were told it was going to be a 10-15minute wait and that we cannot be seated (although it is a self order type of thing?) We were not allowed to sit at the table just to sit. We were offered the couch until they were ready. However as we were waiting, other parties came in and directly walked up to the register? And so we were kind of turned off by that...There has to be a better system :/. Was super excited to eat here again. Hopefully they will improve

Absolutely loved the ambience! Stopped in after work multiple times for a wonderful oat brew that I…read morenow prefer over Guinness! Kid-friendly, above all! Top-notch service, and sauces as well! My favorite thing to order is the 'Super Todd' burger! 10/10 burger! Definitely a must for travel or family time alike! They also have multiple locations that I look forward to exploring!

Druthers is a reliable brewery/pub/restaurant. They can accommodate anything from small parties to…read morelarge work gatherings. They have warehouse, dark wood decor. I am not normally a beer drinker but will drink one when I'm at a brewery. The oatmeal stout was delicious with notes of chocolate. I ordered the chicken pot pie. It was a deconstructed version with no crust served in a cast iron skillet. More like a thick soup with bread crumbs on top. The flavor was very good. The Mac and Cheese is rich, flavorful and delicious also in a skillet. Others had tacos, salad and Gobbler sandwiches. All were praised as being filling and tasty. I'm eying the Gobbler for next time. Regular beer drinkers can comment more on the different types that they have.

I feel ashamed…read more They've been open for five years - and maybe it's my fault for not noticing earlier, or that the construction project at the station has revealed this small gem of a dive bar. Here's my normal process when I'm waiting for a delayed train, or I show up at the station way too early. Go to the cafe, buy a beer while other people are all buying soup or coffees, sit at the coffee bar and drink that beer while reading a book. Feeling slightly awkward to be in a coffee shop/cafe environment with my beer. Now that I know about June's, everything is about to change. They have local beers. It's a pretty open space that opens up to the outside which is perfect on good weather days. They have a small dive bar menu with fries and other quick snacks. Ordered some fries with our beers - they're basic but good. Came out hot and fresh. What a perfect little snack before trekking to another location. And something to help pair with my beer. This will now be my go-to waiting place before a train ride whenever I have time.

Great location just outside of the Amtrak station, whether it be for a quick snack, drink, or…read moredarts. If passing by on the lakeshore limited you will have an hour break and I highly recommend walking across the parking lot and saying hi to June. Fun and relaxed atompshere makes a great break in the middle of your journey. Don't forget some dog treats for the very sweet JJ. Skittish but loves a scratch when in the mood.

Made a reservation for 5pm dinner a week before and after we were seated the bar tender notified us…read morethat the cook had just gotten there and we wouldn't be able to get food until 7pm?? We had tickets for a show @7:30 so that definitely wasn't gonna work. Why would you accept reservations if you don't have a cook on staff? I don't recommend this restaurant. They should get zero stars in my book!!!

Formerly Parish Public House, Ophelia's on Broadway opened recently at the corner of Broadway and…read moreHudson Ave in Downtown Albany. This casual bar, restaurant and night club was originally going to be named Nanola South, a sister restaurant to Nanola in Malta, but the place was named Ophelia's instead. The owners wanted a different vibe at this location. The place has a full service bar with stools, flatscreen TVs, and tables and booths and a small spot in the front window for band/musicians to perform in the front section and the dance floor/entertainment area is in the back room. They have live bands, DJs, and karaoke here. I stopped by Ophelia's for a bite to eat after a long day. I took a seat up at the bar as there was a band already here doing soundcheck. The food menu has been simplified offering burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, salads, wings, mac & cheese, quesadillas, loaded nachos, chips & queso, loaded fries, and fried pickles. There was no cajun/creole dishes and no po boys on this menu (in April 2024), which is offered at Nanola in Malta. The bar had 14 beers on tap, cocktails, and mixed drinks. I ordered the Ophelia's Burger ($14) which took about 25 minutes to to come out. This thick burger had a grilled beef burger patty topped with lettuce, tomato, onions, and melted cheese (pepperjack) on a toasted artisan egg bun from Rock Hill Bakehouse. The burger could've been a bit hotter. The side of golden fries (not salted) were firm and not greasy. The side of Homemade pickle chips was a nice touch.  After I was done with my food, the bartender refilled my water and brought out the check. Overall, I enjoyed my food and was able to watch the NFL Draft on TV (muted) because of the live music getting underway in the front window. The service was laid back here. Took note: the customers next to me enjoyed a few drinks, but their quesadilla never arrived, so they eventually headed out. Not sure if they were understaffed in the kitchen, but other than the temperature of my food, I enjoyed the burger. I will hopefully get to try the msc & cheese next time.

Healthy Lunch Find in Downtown Albany! During my lunch…read morestroll through downtown Albany looking for something healthy, a coworker and I stumbled across Blend and Brew on State Street. To my surprise, both the Energizer and Lunch smoothies were delicious! They had the perfect creamy consistency--not too thick and not watery--and were packed with flavor. I ordered the Energizer in a medium and could really taste the mango, apple, and lime. It was so good that I immediately wished I had ordered a large! They also offer pre-made sandwiches, fruit bowls, and wraps, making it a great grab-and-go lunch option. Since it's a little off the main path, the line was short and service was quick, even during the busy lunch rush. If you're looking for a fresh, healthy lunch option downtown, this spot is definitely worth checking out! Yelp Rating: 4.5/5 Would I return? Absolutely--for a large Energizer next time!

I had a really good smoothie here. Lots of healthy items to choose from, salads, sandwiches and…read moresmoothies mostly. Lots of fresh pressed juice too. Small, only counter service. Clean and bright location downtown, service was quick and helpful.

If you want instant warm from frozen quick don't come here. If you want fresh made to order…read moreexceptional authentic Burmese this is a must find restaurant. The service and food is exceptional and the wait for fresh worth ever second.

The couple running this nice, small Burmese place were nice and hospitable…read more We got the Tai leaf salad, being the Burmese national dish. My wife got a Chicken That syle dish, which had cauliflower in it, which is unusual and quite good. I got the fish ball soup which had some unique crackers on them. We went to the USS Slater and saw a man with his family who also came there and he said "If you are new to the area, you will like it". Like we did.

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

Tucked away on Ferry St. in Rensselaer is Illusive Restaurant. I remember liking this place. It's…read morebeen a few years since I last visited. A friend and I showed up for Sunday brunch. It's a nice restaurant. If anything, it's even nicer than before. I like the addition of neon lighting at the bar. It's fun. When we arrived, there weren't a lot of people dining. In the interest of efficiency we asked to sit at the bar since both servers were also tending bar. There were a number of people working in the kitchen. It took a while before our food orders were filled but the wait wasn't excessively long. Perhaps 20 minutes. We ordered The Home Wrecker brisket sandwich and a Dragon Breath crispy chicken sandwich. I liked the combination of cheeses, caramelized onions, relishes and seasonings. However, compared to similar restaurant-bars, I found that the sandwiches at Illusive were remarkably thin. For the first time ever, I actually wondered, where's the meat? While some rivals might overstuff their pulled pork or roast beef sandwiches, I found myself actually peering into my Home Wrecker sandwich to find a thin slice of brisket, caramelized onions and some cheese. Since I sometimes suffer from low iron I would have liked more protein for my $17 sandwich which instead came with many potato chips. I don't know where the sandwich got its name from but not getting adequate protein does "wreck" with my dietary needs.The chicken sandwich was tastier and a bit thicker, but again the kitchen was stingy where it mattered. That's why this Yelper is giving Illusive a 4 instead of a 5. As for the two servers/ bartenders they were very nice and they did their best to keep customers happy even as the restaurant grew busier.

First time going to this place and I hope I'm in the area again cause it won't be my last! I…read moreordered a rice bowl with brown rice, chicken, corn, peas and carrots, broccoli, onions and green peppers in teriyaki sauce. Love how they collect and cook all the ingredients right in front of you. It's kinda fun to watch. lol! My food was done in about 10 minutes and cost me around $10. The price differs depending on what you get. And the portion......took me two days to eat my bowl but I'm not complaining cause it was delicious so I'm happy I got to enjoy it twice. Next time I definitely wanna try another sauce cause I feel like it'll be a completely different experience. Yum!

This is a cool place where we can pick the noodles we pick and they make it right in front of you…read morein their cool cooking gadgets. The young people at the counter patiently explained how they started and I wish them well. This idea of Chipotle-for-Chinese noodles is a novel one and can be very useful for people like me who love Chinese food and look for some healthy options.