You know the kind of place where the people make it the kind of place that you love at first visit? That's the Derby. We've heard from various sources that this is the best bar for neighborhood vibes. I don't always love that because it can cause this exclusionary type of situation and also, I won't name names but there's a so-called "bar where the locals go" in Fishkill that attracts folks I personally wouldn't want to rub elbows with because let's just say their values don't align with my own. But here, it's different! The bartender and manager were both SO welcoming and sweet and all around lovely that we were compelled to stay for several rounds. And the DJ was so cool. He played hip hop and R&B with some really killer mixes. At one point he even came over to me to say, "bet you never thought you'd hear me play Bjork!" It wasn't packed but it was bustling with a friendly and diverse group of Poughkeepsians (is that a word? Hudson Valleyites?). My husband made the brilliant observation that this bar would be the perfect bar to go to on Xmas night. IYKYK. So although there isn't a single thing I'd be able to eat from the menu and probably only one thing I'd drink (a really good Pinot Noir), I want to always come back here after dinner at Hudson & Packard and hell, I wouldn't even mind if everybody knew my name either. read more

Pros- Nice neon sign. Cons- -Medium rare burger was cooked to well done; spouse's medium burger was rare. Amazing. -Freezing cold in dining area- we needed to keep our coats on, c'mon! -Three burgers ordered yet it took exactly 30 minutes for them to come out. -No soap in the men's room, not even a dispenser that would have held soap. -Waitress didn't write anything down, and needed to come back and ask one of us what we ordered (probably why the burger doneness got mixed up). Overall, the place is a dump. We will not be back...ever. read more

The derby has become my new go to place when visiting Poughkeepsie. Its only a short walk away from the train station so its a good place to hangout for me while visiting relatives upstate. This is a fairly hip restaurant/bar with a large bar area. They offer a good variety of beers and interesting food options. The beers they have here range from seasonals, to typical largers to nice chocolatey porters. Foowdwise you can burgers, soups but most interesting are the brick oven pizzas they serve here. Last I tried one of them they had a special "taco pizza" with taco meat, lettuce, tomato and other things you find in tacos. The restaurant area is nice with some large t.v's to watch football games and long mirrors. All the seating is old wood fashioned. When its around lunch time the restaurant area is fairly empty, which to me is a nice thing. One of the best impressions I have gotten from this place is the warm service I got here. Each time I have been here the waiter was super kind and attentive. They always gave us good advice for what to get and helped us out when we had personal requests for the food. Overall I really like Derby and its a great alternative for lunch when getting off the train. The service is good and quick around this time. For dinner I haven't been here though so I can't comment further. read more

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This is my to-go bar in the area. The wings in this establishment are the best around. I loved 14K wings, now my new favorite is cherry bbq wings! They are absolutely delicious! I keep coming back for more!! Other food on their menu are good such as the Brussels sprout salad or flatbread. The staff (bartender and waiting staff) is nice and friendly. The bar also organizes event like Jazz night and live music on Friday nights. It is a very chill bar for locals. I wish they had a better cider selection. I am big cider fan, and I wish I could find more to drink than Stella (yes, I love Stella cidre, but l also appreciate a variety of other ciders). read more

The Brown Derby - bbq wings and 14 karat wings - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

My wife and I went to the Derby on the fourth . The bartender Jackie was awesome the other one was rude and disrespectful to everyone even there own employees . As the night went there was a weird guy with glasses kept hitting on my wife he began to get aggressive without saying a word the tall bouncer was there to get him away from us I forget what Jackie said his name is but he's there everyday it's seems and I'd like to say thank you . My wife and I had a great time and we will be back . The improvement in the last month with there security and the food is top notch . The one bartender can you a class on manners and respect . Good job guys !! Thank you we will be back !!! read more

Pizza was nasty. The 24kt wings were delicious. Customer service was meh. No reason to return! read more

The Brown Derby - BBQ chicken pizza. Left more to be desired.24 kt wings are delicious. - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

Beer. A good place for beer. Mostly when it's freezing outside. We came here as we followed the progression of the Poughkeepsie mini golf bar crawl tour. This final course was fun to watch as the local college students got progressively worse at playing the green. read more

The Brown Derby, Poughkeepsie has no whimsical architecture; not shaped like a piece of head gear the building is historic and website is good including some Sinatra "New York, New York" background music (stand by for the RIAA bust). This place is legit. CIA graduate chef and full of character. The original bar is from 1902 (prohibition was repealed in 1933, you do the math) and is a beaut. This is Poughkeepsie's oldest operating bar and grill. The present restaurant is described as a "posh casual" dining and drinking establishment. Service is great, the menu is diverse and everything appears high quality and reasonable. I just had a burger which was very good. Taps change often and include some great seasonal brews by Saranac, Brooklyn among others. Didn't try the pizza but it looks good as well. I'll be back. read more

The Brown Derby - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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I pop in here all the time for a few brews when I'm with the guys and in the area. They have a nice bar set up and I like the dark wood, plus its close to the civic center and the train station. Friendly ppl inside and good beer prices read more

I was hired as a contractor to do some work the derby's kitchen and it is disgusting. Thats not to say the food doesnt taste good but after seeing how they kept their kitchen and kept food, utensils, cookware etc clean and sanitized.. i will never eat here. I cant understand how the city hasnt shut them down yet they are in violation of many health codes. I witnessed a cook drop a steak on the floor and put it right back in the pan. Dosguesti read more

Very over priced food... 12 dollars for 4 pieces of shrimp.... are you serious? And they were the worst fried shrimp I've ever had. They are supposed to be butterflied not flattened. And they didn't even had fries... definitely not going back there, at least for food... drinks weren't too bad; but you can't really mess up those read more

We had the Derby cater our Graduation party on Saturday. The food arrived right on time. One of the owners delivered it himself because they were so busy with catering that day! We ordered Chicken Francese, Sausage and Peppers, Stemmed Veggies and Penne ala Vodka and a Chartreuse platter. Everything was great but the real winner was the Sausage and Peppers!!! Food and Service is highly recommended. Thank you Peter and Joe! read more

I don't know if the Derby has a new chef, but the food the last couple of visits has been REALLY improved. Super happy with the flank steak & SO with his salmon, as well as amazingly attentive service in the jazz 'pit'. Love having such an amazing venue/ night in our backyard! read more

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Great service and amazing kind people and fun environment. Good food and drinks as well and a fun dance floor at night

The staple watering hole. A good rotation of drafts, a menu that has variety and if that isn't enough, everything on it is good. Their wings are the best, number one in my books (that's right, I have more than one book). Very fun bar trivia night, I've been a few times. Open late, and a must on your Poughkeepsie bar crawl. Sit down space, or well sized bar to accommodate any. read more

Good spot for wings and beer on Sunday. Not too over crowded and many tv's around to catch every game. Wings...they could be more saucy. I like to lick the sauce off my fingers after every bite of the wing. BUT...good flavors. Liked the 24k sauce (a mustard flavored sauce) and the mild. Service pretty good and everyone is attentive. read more

The Brown Derby - Menu and derby history - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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Great food stopped there before a concert at the Chance Theater ..Looked like a basic bar no frills , beer was good great service bartender waited on use . I Ordered some wings I couldn't believe what a seen they where big and they gave you a plate full they where great . The burger came out it was big deffinitly a place you would want too go for Pub food .... Two Thumbs Up read more

My friend suggested this place, and I was not that impressed with the looks of it at first, but the food came and it was uniformly excellent. The waiter was friendly and quite chatty. Had to ask a few times for refills on water and drinks, but that's the only minor thing I can think of. The prices, given the quality of the food, are on the low end. Definitely worth a return visit! read more

I came here for a luncheon with 6 other co-workers on a recent workday. The place was kind of dead, though. Despite our relatively large table size, all of our dishes came out at the same time, and all were still hot/warm. The jalapeno poppers were very unusual and I was stoked! "Poppers" tend to be rather ordinary, popular appetizers, but I am still crazy about them. However, when I get them served to me by someone that has made them fresh from scratch, it is a REAL treat for sure!! I was just so excited, as finding home-made poppers is indeed unusual. Anyway, enough about those wonderful, huge Brown Derby poppers! I was also very happy with my main dish, a specialty, large green and bleu gourmet salad with moist, freshly grilled chicken breast heaped on top. I also sampled the Crab and Jalapeno bisque which was fantastic- super creamy and thick with just enough spicy kick, and generous portions of crab throughout! Yum! A couple of my co-workers expressed some dissatisfaction with their dishes on various levels, but I was really pleased with all that I had, as were most in our party of seven. Service was prompt in this historic, sort of cater-cornered building and I would love to come back here for dinner soon with some more good company! read more

The Derby has the best happy hour in town, in my opinion. You can get your choice of beer on tap for $4 or well-drinks for $5. They also have great food options on their happy hour menu, including personal pizzas for $5! We stop by at least once a week to take advantage of the amazing deals. Be sure to stop by on Wednesday night around 8:30 for trivia night, where you play for the chance to win a giftcard to the Derby. Lots of fun and a great way to spend a dreary night. I highly recommend coming for the evening bar crowd, but it does tend to get rowdy later at night on the weekends, so if that's not your crowd then I'd avoid it at those times. Definitely worth stopping by! read more

I try not to write bad reviews, but in the case of The Brown Derby I had no choice. I visit the Hudson Valley multiple times a year to visit family. I have been to numerous, memorable restaurants and bars throughout the years. Until yesterday I have not had one bad experience. When visiting the Hudson Valley I make sure to take advantage of the Walkway over the Hudson. I do the loop walking over the walkway to the Mid Hudson Bridge and through Main Street Pougkeepsie. For years I have walked passed The Brown Derby. Yesterday I decided to stop in and check it out. I won't go into great detail, but I will warn you to check your tab to make sure you are not being over charged. When my bill came I commented on the price and the bartender replied, "it's expensive to drink now a days" She is right, It is expensive when you overcharge the only customer in the bar. Thankfully, another employee had just sat down at the bar when I questioned the amount. He stated the correct amount for an item on my tab, and the bartender nervously corrected my tab. I promptly paid and left. I will continue to walk past The Brown Derby in the future without thinking twice about stopping in for a bite or drink. read more

As a hurried bride, I picked The Brown Derby from Yelp reviews as one of our choices for our rehearsal dinner (6/5/15) based on their location and capability to host a crowd of about 40 people. However, when I met John to discuss plans, I was pleasantly surprised that I would not need to interview any other facility - he won me over on the spot. His professionalism and friendliness, not to mention his skills as a restaurateur, were evident right away. He and the staff of the Derby made everything so EASY for me - I didn't have to worry about anything - just showed up and had a great time. He was very thorough about going through our options for meal style (we chose family style) and the bar, which made it easy for us to choose food options and drink plan that worked for us. We were able to satisfy guests who were meat eaters and vegetarians, teetotalers and drinkers. The comment I heard most often was, "There was so much food! And it was so good!" I enjoyed everything I ate, and there was so much food that I didn't even get to try everything, being stuffed. The servers were so attentive and really fast and polite. The location is also really great - right by the train station and the river. I couldn't be more happy with The Brown Derby, John and the staff. If you need to throw a party - this should definitely be a top choice for you. read more

What can I say? I love the Derby! Went back here for dinner last week, once again impressed, not that its surprising. This place churns out awesome food! Had the Asiago Spinach and Artichoke dip, I don't think I've ever had this dip with HUGE chunks of artichoke anywhere else, SOO good! And dinner, Chicken breast with spinach, tomato and mozz melted on top. Delicious! And the risotto, can't get enough of that! BF had the filet again, said it was great! Service was awesome! I only wish I had more $$ so I could come here every week for dinner! read more

The wife and I planned a visit to Poughkeepsie as a half way point for meeting friends and having lunch. We found the perfect place to go, with lots of gluten free options and amazing reviews. For weeks we were looking forward to our afternoon. When we got there we realized that someone should have called the place if we were going to drive over an hour to have some hot dogs. Scrambling, I turned to Yelp to find somewhere to go and salvage some of my pride. As luck would have it, I saw a review from Steffanie C. who commented on the GF options at the Derby and where I was parked I was staring right at the front entrance. I figured we would give the place a try... The Derby has a definite bar feel, which isn't really a bad thing. Everything in the place involves stairs, so someone with ambulatory concerns would be better off passing by. Rest rooms are down a flight of stairs, each of the dining areas has at least 4 steps to get to from the main floor. We met our friends and ordered, the meals were fine. The gluten free menu is no longer, but the waitress sat with my wife going over the options on the menu while I was in the rest room. Very nice of her to do so, but I wonder if this is something she would have been able to do if the place was busier than it was when we arrived. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the prices were a little higher than what I was expecting for the type of restaurant we were in, but nothing too crazy. The Derby had a feel of an old bar, the kind that we have a lot of in Albany. In all, I was happy we salvaged our afternoon and really appreciated our server, but it wasn't the type of place I would ever plan to drive more than an hour to visit again. But who knows, if we found ourselves in Poughkeepsie, we might stop in again. read more

Never disappointed when i come here!! LOVE the mozzarella sticks- more like mozzarella LOGS really. So crispy and gooey.. Nice selection of beers, enjoyed the Goose Island IPA with my TexMex burger with bacon and my girlfriend always loves the fish and chips!! all around great meal! The place was empty when we arrived, for whatever reason but the guy behind the bar sat us And was very friendly and pretty hilarious. Definitely recommended read more

The Brown Derby - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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I have been coming here for a while and love the place. Trivia night is a lot of fun and it's normally a great crowd. The bartenders are all attentive and very personable. But I decided to finally write a review because there was a mistake with my bill the other night and they handled it in a fantastically professional manner. I had worked in the industry for over a decade and know the importance of responding to mistakes and customer complaints correctly and they did just that. They responded right away and were very gracious. The owners went above and beyond even giving me a gift certificate even though I assured them it was not necessary. I always liked going to the Derby but I felt it was my duty to write this review to reward their professionalism. I have had many places give me the run around or a ton of attitude so when a place does it right, it's worth telling your friends about. Thank you to Jon and the Derby staff. You guys are great. read more

When I first walked in I thought the place looked pretty cool. The bar was very nice and even the restaurant portion was pretty nice. Service was great. However, the paella was probably the worst i've ever had. There was absolutely no flavor to the rice or the seafood. I was disappointed, especially at $21 a dish. The appetizer (scallops in bacon w/ hollandaise sauce) was decent. I guess if you go for a drink they have a decent draft selection.. but otherwise.. I wouldn't go again. read more

Another place that is more than A-OK but I will leave it at three stars. Been here a few times to have their Burger special ($5 special) but I think the price has been raised. Tried their fried chicken which was pretty good with veggies and mashed potatoes. Their portions are generous too. Last time I went for dinner and we sat in the "fancy" back room that was little TOO dimly lit for me. C'mon Derby, no need for all the ambiance, there's a guy in the next table wearing a baseball cap. The service has always been cool and available when needed. It's a nice option to have if you wish to avoid the college crowd. read more

Ok people, it's a bar. I read the review of the guy that took his kids there after a visit to the Children's Museum and was disappointed. YOU BROUGHT YOUR KIDS TO A BAR, BRO?! What did you expect? Idiot. The food is pretty good. Better wings than Darby's. Wish they would bring back the steak fries and $5 Derby Burgers on Sundays. It's does get kind of sketchy late night. Last time I was there past 9p, 2 guys started fighting, brought it into the street, while the crowd just watch and recorder it on their phones. None of the idiot monkeys watching or bar staff had the sense to call the cops. Staff, it's hit or miss. Sometimes the service is good, sometimes is really bad. But again, it's a bar. A townie bar. They do a nice job at supporting the community and decorate well for holidays. read more

The wings were the only good thing to talk about after my dining experience. The derby offers a large menu with pub fare and dinner entrees. I took a long shot and decided to go with the Pan Seared Scallops. They were so fishy smelling and tasted like none I have ever had before. They were also undercooked and seared on only one side. I barely ate my meal. My girlfriend ordered a grilled chicken Caesar wrap and it was not good at all, I don't know how you can screw up a wrap. It tasted like cardboard and grass. We also ordered a white flat bread pizza for $5 during happy hour. Looks can be deceiving as it looked wonderful. The cheese was put on a frozen pre made flatbread and the water was stuck under the cheese as it cooked and it was not appealing at all. The water dripped off once you bit into it. The waitress seemed like she did not want to be there at all so that didn't help our experience either. I would DEFINITELY go back for wings and drinks ONLY but for nothing else. read more

The Derby bar is a pretty good place to relax and defrag after a tough work day/week. Good beer on tap (love the Smithwicks), a friendly but unobtrusive bartender, and a reasonably mellow crowd (at 6pm) makes this an ideal place if you just want to have some food and drink, read a magazine, and not talk to anyone. :-) All I've ever had to eat are the pizzas, but they are decent - thin crust, tangy sauce, but a little skimpy on the toppings. That and two Smithwicks will set you back $15. read more

I'll be frank: I went to the Derby regularly b/c of their Weds trivia night. However, I rarely ate the food from the unimaginative menu. They do, however, have the usual lineup of beers on tap & their drinks are decently mixed. A/C never seemed to work well in hot weather, the ceiling fans always seemed to be off so the place was uncomfy for hours. Also, I could never get a fizzy enough soda water there - I think they skimped quite a bit on the CO2 cartridge or whatever. In the end, not enough value for the price & the food is rather boring. read more

Maybe as a Poughkeepsie native I'm biased. But I love this place- and use it as my go-to bar every time I'm visiting! Friendly staff, good prices. I've never had their actual dinner menu- but their bar food menu is great. Their mac-and cheese is AMAZING! (thanks to the CIA graduate chef!) I've gone it with people eating and just ordered wine and mac-and-cheese and been completely full and satisfied! Low-key, casual bar - where mostly Poughkeepsie locals go. Also- great location if you are bar hopping and want to stop into Mahoneys (walking distance) or Shadows- (short drive). read more

Stopped in for a quick bite while watching Sunday football. $6 tailgate time and happy hour specials were a great surprise. burger, prosciutto and pear flatbread, chicken wings and bacon cheeseburger mac and cheese were all tasty. Burger had a great sauce on it, very juicy, no extra condiments needed. Food came out quickly once ordered. We waited a while after seating to order but waitress gave us one appetizer complimentary and made up for it. Didn't order any drinks but would come back again if we are in the area. read more

Good atmosphere. Friendly staff. Tuesday night jazz is great. They have a special additional menu too for jazz night where everything is 12$. Great group of musicians. Lots of talent and good times. The wings are my favorite. Super big and crispy Jus right. The honey bbq is so sticky sweet! And the hot wings have the right amount of heat. Try the wings. You won't be let down. read more

Playing Pub Poker at the brown derby. It's fun and free. The food is delicious. It's a great atmosphere. read more

The Brown Derby - Pub poker every Monday. Its fun and its free. - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

can show up at 11am and have a quiet intimate time, show up at 5pm and have a happy (2) hour or late night for some dancing and friendship. the staff are friendly and the chefs food is delicious and fresh. Great place, great atmosphere. The Brown Derby also takes care of their community and does fundraisers such as trivia for a local organization such as Domestic Violence services of dutchess county or sponsors 5k's like the Wa Wa Wally Waddle, just this past mothers day. Located on Main St of the city poughkeepsie, easy to get to from the train station and Historic District. read more

The Brown Derby - summer summer summer time - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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Very nice neighborhood bar and restaurant. They carry a decent line of vodkas tequila rum and whiskeys. The food is amazing. Authentic home cooked meals. From lasagna to seafood linguine. The burgers there are very very good. From great flavor and juiciness even the burgers buns are toasted pretty much to perfection. Bar tenders are great and attentive. Thursday's and Saturday nights are a time to check out the nightlife portion where They have a DJ that plays the latest and greatest hits. English and some Spanish. Check it out you won't be disappointed. read more

Was up from LI for a wedding this past weekend which was catered by The Derby. Amazing. For the cocktail hour food we had the pulled pork topped w pickled cabbage, it was perfect. Also, the steak skewers couldn't have been better. Very rarely do you see them prepared so well when so much of it is being made. The service was very pleasant and professional. Also, the food was brought out intermittently, not altogether in waves. This allowed us to take time to enjoy the food and get some of everything. As for the dinner, that too was excellent. Smoked trout, ribs, and steak. A nice helping of each, but not overwhelming. The most impressive thing is how everything was cooked correctly, something you rarely see. At most weddings, the sit-down dinner portion is overcooked due to the conveyer belt nature of service. I greatly look forward to actually visiting The Derby the next time I am in the area. read more

NOTE: my review is solely based on the restaurant portion of The Derby (as in most of my reviews- I do not drink, so I cannot fairly rate the bar, but I'm sure it's fine). Anyway...... This is another place that I've driven past for quite a while now, and only recently tried out due to a sandwich board outside advertising "Derby Burger, $5, 11-7". Well, a $5 burger? The price is right, lemme try it out. I have to say this is one of the best burgers I've ever had!!! It was the right size, cooked just as ordered, light, juicy, with a soft and tasty bun, crispy bacon and cheese melted to the perfect consistency. The accompanying fries were near-perfect, too(and I know my fries, take my word for it). I would've gladly paid TWICE AS MUCH for this burger!! They also make some delicious wings that have a nice crunchy outside, yet still allow the chicken to be juicy inside. I recommend the Chipotle BBQ sauce on them. The rest of the lunch and dinner menus looked great, and I definitely plan on going back to try out some more options, but the Derby Burger is always very tempting. Service here is great, very friendly and quick. The restaurant is spotlessly clean, and very comfortable. They also get some thumbs up for their music choices, a good mix of classic rock. The Derby is a new favorite that I'll be dining in again and again. read more