This restaurant is everything I don't really like, but I still had a good time. We arrived after…read moremaking reservations the day of on a Saturday evening at 7:45PM. It was darkly lit inside (with pinkish/red lights no less); it was extremely loud to the point that I had trouble understanding what my wife was saying (which might not be the background music!); and the prices were expensive. The entire night they played 1980s New-wave British music which I don't mind, but had it been something I detest I would have lost my mind. We were seated at a tiny table with a small candle which provided some actual heat on the cold winter night. Our server was extremely helpful and though he didn't have all the answers he did offer to go and find out. They have a long menu but it doesn't have a lot of food options on it, with most of the pages devoted to alcohol. They had only one dessert option when we were there. My wife and I both ordered the Hanger Steak with fries, mushroom sauce, and green salad (about $40 each). Hanger steak is my favorite cut and hard to find so I jumped on it. Food came out in about 25 minutes, which is amazing considering how small their kitchen is. The steak was cooked perfectly (they didn't ask how we wanted it), smothered in a lovely mushroom sauce, and covered an ample portion of crispy homemade fries which were so good I would have thought them bagged frozen items. Even the basic salad which was just various types of lettuce was great. They aren't cheap, but they are focusing on "farm to table" and that means quality food at commensurate (fair?) prices. Burgers and chicken sandwiches are $15, so if you want something lighter but still tasty you can go that route. Speaking of light, if you go into the bathroom on the right you will find a cold, dark, tiny room lit solely by a PINK bulb. It feels like being on a spaceship (as if I know what that is like), and after when you leave seeing the main light in the restaurant is very jarring. It was a fun experience but not inexpensive and not one that checks the boxes that I look for in a restaurant. Dark, loud, and cramped might be hip for the young or "save the earth" crowd, but I am too old to give up creature comforts for such things. The food, though expensive, was absolutely outstanding in every way though and I won't forget that steak for a long time.

We stopped in to celebrate a new graduate in the family. The drinks were so-so. Just not boozy…read moreenough. If I'm going to pay about $15-$18 a cocktail--it better be good! The food here is delicious, three of us ordered the burger and fries and one of us ordered the fettuccine with crab meat. The fries really stood out. My daughter was afraid to order the fettuccine but she was so glad she did. The waitress was super nice and it is cozy inside.

WHAT BROUGHT ME HERE Located in the heart of downtown Troy,…read moreEmry's Garden stood out to me as it sits on the corner of an intersection in direct view of cars passing over the bridge into the city. I decided to eat here in celebration of getting a new job in the city. THE ATMOSPHERE Arriving at 8pm on a Friday night, the whole restaurant was packed. I made reservations so we were seated immediately. There was almost no overhead lighting- instead, most of the restaurant was lit by downward-lighting lamps at each table. Each table had a jar of flowers which added nice color to the environment; it was woodsy, but not in the polished, laminated sense. It felt more natural, cabin-like, combining well with the shrubbery, paintings with big frames, natural lighting from windows, and giant mirrors. The place was small, packed, and loud with people and background music. That's my only minor complaint; it was quite loud from all the people and everything was tight together, and I think the music was good, but would be even better with some more abstract, atmospheric score. This isn't the place to watch the game; there's no TV's. But it is the place to order a fancy cocktail or a Banana Bread Old Fashioned. And there is a bar. THE SERVICE I happened to know our waitress from high school on accident and she was wonderful. We were checked up on frequently, our food arrived fast, and the conversation was enjoyable. THE FOOD I ordered the Mickey's Riggies, a Rigatoni dish in marinara sauce mixed with peppers, chicken, mushroom, and Parmesan cheese. Flawless. My friend & I also got Bavarian Pretzel sticks as our starter and man, that buffalo sauce was good. Costed $60 without tip. THE BATHROOM My design professor once said if you want to understand the personality of a restaurant, check out its bathroom. Well, that didn't really apply to this place. The men's bathroom was a little jank, unlike the great atmosphere of the restaurant itself. It wasn't disgusting, just a little jank. BONUS: THE SPEAKEASY Yes, there's a speakeasy, but you're not going to learn about it on this Yelp review. You should visit it yourself if you get the chance. Dress up.

They are normally closed on Sunday, but opened for a Mother's Day Brunch. They should have stayed…read moreclosed. The service was terrible and the kitchen was a disaster. We waited almost 2 hours for our food and when it came out it was not worthy of the wait. The staff and management had no idea what to tell us and kept saying that the food was almost ready. After waiting 1 and a half hours they just threw up their hands and said there was nothing they could do about it. They took money off the bill, but the experience was a big zero!

Overall a good experience! The Ruck has a great beer selection and a convenient beer menu that also…read moregives untapped ratings which was a helpful addition. The drinks came out quickly after we ordered them. The food took a decent amount longer. While we did wait 30 minutes for our food when it wasn't very busy , when it did come out it was hot and delicious. Flavorful wings, yummy disco fries/tots and some of the most well seasoned onion rings I've ever had. The atmosphere of the restaurant is classic pub food bar place but was well cleaned. Other than having to wait a little longer than usual for our food it was a great experience. We were so excited to eat by the time it came I did forget to take a photo of the food but it was all portioned well and well seasoned.

My first visit to The Ruck was enjoyable. I went by myself. I was actually trying to find the…read moreRensselaer County Clerk's Office. People kept telling me, " It's across the street from The Ruck. You know, The Ruck?" That was no help to me. I was unfamiliar with this tavern. To think that it's more famous than the county offices sparked my curiosity. So after I took care of my paperwork with the county I stopped in at The Ruck. I would describe it as a business and dive bar that makes craft beers. I made it in for lunch on a weekday. I took a seat at the bar. I was surprised to see the menu was quite extensive. There was a nice selection of soups. I ordered a cup of Greens and Beans along with 5 oz. of Fat Orange Cat Brew Chonky . I liked the beer. The soup was quite good, too. The man seated next to me was eating wings. He was raving about them. He said they were the best in town. I'll have to try them next time. Service is very good. The bartender was a good guy. Very nice and helpful. He said that on football game nights the bar is packed with Bills fans. Sounds like a lot of fun.

This place has the reliable small cozy dive bar feel that you want. Great spot to catch a game with…read moresome drinks and classic pub food, plus poutine! Food was great, service was great, everything was great. Not too long of a wait for the food, presentation was nice, I did not manage to capture our hefty cast iron of poutine in time before we finished off the order. Looking forward to my next stop in, hopefully soon!

Tipsy Moose is a small and cozy tavern serving up comfort foods and drinks to go with it. Sit at…read morethe bar with all the barrels or the dining area with sports playing on TV, or out on their patio. There is limited parking on the premises but always parking on the street if you don't mind some walking. The slightly rustic, lodge type of interior matches the friendly vibes as well as the interesting drink selections, including a side menu filled with signature coffee whiskey cocktails! Their tipsy cocktails and beer menu is also quite attractive. My group and I were able to walk in on a weekend evening for dinner with no wait and while it was packed inside, it still felt roomy enough. However, the surrounding tables were rowdy and the noise was reverberating. Our server was attentive though she did admit it was busy and the wait time for orders would take a bit longer than usual. The menu has plenty of starters that are highly shareable, poutine, salads, soups, mac and cheese, burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, wraps, and quesadillas. Haven't had real poutine in ages so I decided to try their gravy fries with smoked cheese curds and added bacon. It was a good portion for the price ($15+) and came out hot on a cast iron skillet. The cheese curds weren't the type I expected and melted down too much, and did not have that squeaky cheese bite one would want in poutine. The gravy and the bacon worked well with the fries though! The smoked brisket French onion soup ($8+) was extremely hot when it first came out and I had to let it cool down before taking a spoonful. The cheese was so bubbly and delicious and the soup itself was flavorful (maybe a tad too salty), and had a balanced amount of onions and brisket. I would definitely get the soup again. Their barbecue pulled pork quesadilla ($15+) was also a bit too salty and meat was more tough than preferred. We also tried two of their mac and cheese selections, which came in a small cast iron pot each ($17+). The bacon chicken ranch mac and cheese was good but the jerk chicken mac and cheese was not as memorable (not much jerk flavor). Kudos for having a build-your-own mac and cheese option as well as a mac and cheese flight if you want to try more than one flavor. I'm glad to return to try other menu items at this tap and tavern and see what else catches my eye. While this visit wasn't spectacular, it also wasn't bad. The French onion soup is one thing I know I'd get over and over again. Oh, they also have a credit card transaction fee that you will see once you get the bill. Pay in cash if you mind said fee.

Best halal food in Albany! They are great, fast efficient and real ingredients. Extremely nice…read moreemployees.

We popped in to Ya Hala randomly after having to run a few errands in the area. There was ample…read morestreet parking so we were in no rush. The owner, Sal, came over to our table while we scanned the menus and introduced himself. He gave us a complimentary taco each and said "these are the best tacos you've ever had." I loved the confidence and I loved that he was right. It was love at first bite. We ordered a quesadilla, a chicken salad, a plate of fries, more tacos and a gyro (assuming we would be taking most of it home and eating it for dinner over the week) The quesadilla & gyro were delicious and fresh. They were still tasty as leftovers 2 days later. I wasn't crazy about the salad but that's probably my fault. Ya Hala does comfort junk food - this is not the time to be calorie-conscious. Sal checked in on us a number of times while we were eating. The restaurant is a small hole-in-the-wall with a few booths and a bathroom. I assume most of their business comes from people doing take out at the end of their work day. If I lived or worked closer, I would be a regular customer here. In the end, Sal packed our food in to-go boxes and gave us a free gyro as a surprise. At some point during dinner, my husband mentioned I was Yelp Elite. In the interest of full disclosure, at no point did Sal ask me to leave a favorable review or use his free food as a bargaining chip. This review is done without taking the free gyro into consideration.

Pretty much the most amazing waffle I have ever had. Want this place at my house on command, just a…read moreridiculously tasty waffle. These are special waffles, liege, see here for more detail- http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2011/09/08/pikas-liege-waffles-at-the-troy-farmers-market They are so worth it, get one of the $1 mini's if you just need a snack!

Best Belgian waffle I've had outside of Europe. I've been craving them for months, and my patience…read morewas rewarded tenfold when I stumbled across Pika's Farm Table at Troy Farmer's Market. The Farmer's Market is great, and this, in my opinion, is the crown jewel among other truly fabulous vendors. 11/10 recommend

When we went on yelp to look for a place to go and have a relaxing glass of wine, we saw that…read morespindles is a "wine" bar. Far from being a wine bar. It's probably one of the most fun "Dive" bars I have been to in years. If I was a local in the Albany area, Spindles "Wine" bar would be my go to place.

Haven't been there for years, but enjoyed it then. Good food, wonderful wine, nice atmosphere.read more

I hadn't been here in years but I owed a friend some wings and he suggested this place. Knowing how…read morebusy it can get, we come on a Tuesday night and despite a storm outside we made it. In fact, the weather might have kept some people away... though we still had trouble finding parking and had to leave our cars at the Taco Bell next door. We sat at the bar even though about half of the tables were open, and we were able to watch the crowd. Having had a bad day at work, I felt like this was as close to being Norm at Cheers as I will ever get. We ordered boneless barbeque wings and a Cheeseburger mac-and-cheese. The food came out about 20 minutes later and was pretty good. The wings, of which there were probably 25-30 pieces, were small (golf ball sized) and hard fried. Really hard... my friend repeatedly had trouble stabbing them with his fork... but I enjoyed the very crunchy exterior that lasted all night. A few pieces of carrots and celery were along for the ride, but I wish they had more. The mac and cheese was good, with large portions of ground beef chunks mixed in with red onion, white onion, and lets of cheese. I enjoyed this more than the last order of m.a.c. I had at one of their restaurants, but again next time I try a different flavor. Of note, we noticed some large bottles behind the bar with the Tipsy Moose sticker on them and asked what they were. Whisky... flavored with coffee; or peppermint; or cookie dough; or pumpkin spices; or I think cinnamon. None of those flavors sounded at all appetizing so we passed. I imagine cookie dough will be there for years! When we left it was mostly full and somewhat loud but the crowd was a mix of people of all ages, including young kids. I still continue to wish they would add a dessert menu to their offerings. All in all, we had a good time, and I will probably be back sooner rather than later.

I had an overall ok experience here. It's a fun scene with plenty of TVs for sport viewing and…read moreseems like an enjoyable place for young and old alike. The service was also really pleasant. The waitstaff was quick, friendly, and professional. My biggest gripe was the food itself. My mother ordered the onion soup and it was...made wrong. It tasted alright but not like you would expect. It was wrong color, even, almost like they used chicken broth instead of beef. It lacked the depth that you expect with this dish. I ordered the Adirondack dip sandwich and this was also made wrong. The beef was under seasoned and over cooked. The sandwich was also missing the onions and the horseradish sauce they said it was served with so it was just meat and cheese. Overall the experience really wasn't awful, but I wouldn't choose this place myself.

After finally trying the Beef on Weck sandwich from the recommendation from a friend I was really…read moreglad I had. I ordered this as takeout and just had to take a couple of bites in the car before going home to try it nice and warm. This kind of sandwich is hard to find. A special roll needs to be used for this called a kimmelweck roll. A kimmelweck (or kummelweck) roll is a crunchy, Kaiser-type bread roll topped with coarse salt and aromatic caraway seeds, primarily known for defining the Buffalo, New York, "beef on weck" sandwich. Originating from 19th-century German immigrant traditions, they are usually filled with roast beef and soaked in au jus. The sandwich was loaded with juicy flavorful roast beef. The bun had caraway seeds and coarse salt all over the top of it which complimented the beef deliciously. It also had a horseradish sauce on the sandwich, so good. It was served with tasty fries and two little cups of au jus. I would definitely order this again.

Awesome local tavern with friendly staff and delicious eats!…read more I stopped in on a weekday for lunch and was immediately greeted by the bartender who was also the waitress for the whole place. Despite her being the only person up front, she warmly welcomed everyone and the service was great. I met a friend of mine who was craving wings so she ordered some hot wings and I got the Turkey Brie sandwich, which had turkey, brie cheese, apples and cranberry mayo on ciabatta bread with a side salad. The sandwich was delicious and piled high with turkey. My friend loved her wings too. Overall, the food was great as was the service. Definitely recommend!

Drinks and food are great and love the outdoor patio ambiance, service has always been goodread more

We loved the look of this place. It has this really cool garden vibe. The inside was really nice…read moreas well. The staff was so great. The bartender gave great suggestions. I had a black currant margarita and it was great. We also mixed a lambic beer and another honey beer on the bar tenders suggestion and it was great. The food was a little lack luster. We had the pretzel bites , chicken schnitzel, and pierogis. I think if they had a little more flavor they'd be better. I would definitely come here again but probably just for a drink. Come for the super friendly staff and the cool vibes!