After three visits to the Electric Grinch, I know this for sure:…read more1. a nice selection of brews in draft, can and bottle form. All the bartenders have been super friendly and have given great service during my exchanges. 2. the craft cocktail menu seems to be a hit! The bar has been filled with fancy looking drinks the first two times I visited, leading me to choose my own fancy cocktail during visit #3 - the Jumanji, a rum based fruity drink that hit the spot. 3. I love, love, LOVE that we have found a new music venue for local tunes several nights of the week. I've seen one new-to-me artist and came back another night when a band I've seen before was visiting. Both nights had good sound, great lighting, and people dancing in the building. My kinda night! 4. the vibes are chill enough to not feel stuffy and updated enough to feel like you are in a trendy spot with the cool kids 5. haven't visited when it isn't chilly, yet, but I am STOKED to spend time on the outdoor back patio, after taking a look during my last visit. So much seating and space for porch beers. 6. the Simone's connection make the food avaialble a YES, PLEASE

I stop in here at least once a week and truly love the food, drink and atmosphere....yet I'm still…read moresurprised as I'm open to try new things. I just tried the following: 1) Simone's Award Winning Sticky Sumac & Pomegranate BBQ wings. There is hint of BBQ...but the seasoning (including the sumac & pomegranate) truly set it apart! Extremely tasty....and surrounded w/ great garnishes as well! 2) Electric Grinch "mule". The E.G. "take" on the craft cocktail Mule is the perfect blend of mint and ...even kicks like a....well....a mule! :) Service is always top-notch (even when busy)! Love the lighting of the establishment...and Mitch ensures the bands sound their best as he provides the PA system! Come see for yourself!

Great drinks and a wonderful atmosphere while visiting nationally touring expos and events like…read morelocal minor league basketball.

The Armory definitely gets a thumbs up for ambiance, as it's a pretty unique location -- a set of…read morerooms upstairs in the old Armory. There's a variety of seating (including some cool very tall-backed chairs), which is a nice change of pace. There's a small menu, drinks, and coffee/sweets. The service is super cheery and prompt. The food is a bit middle of the road and humdrum, and our "hot" beverages were tepid at best. I recommend getting a drink over getting coffee, all things being equal. We'll see if it survives the closing of the Van Gogh Experience, but it's easy to see how with the right management, and maybe a slightly gussied up menu, this could become a destination and not just a stop-off.

The wings are so delicious and I love that Wednesday night they have bingo and it so much fun.read more

I'm new to the area. My friends invited me. We loved it. Highly recommend. Great atmosphere. There…read morewere many of us and they treated us all courteous. The food was great!

The space is stunning, the vibes are high, the service is top-tier, the cocktails are creative and…read moredelicious, and the food was outstanding. I may be biased, Mediterranean is my favorite but the flavors and presentation were truly beyond compare. I only wish I had room to try more! There were so many dishes on the menu I wanted to order, but sadly, there's only so much room. We shared the grilled halloumi and charred carrots. My husband had the Branzino special, and I had the lamb gyro. Every dish was absolutely delicious. But the only thing I managed to photograph was THE most creative cocktail special I've ever had the privilege of trying, thanks to Colin. I absolutely love sitting at the bar with a knowledgeable, creative mixologist who is genuinely passionate about their craft. That kind of experience makes a night feel extra special. 10/10 experience. I think we just found our new special place.

Came on a busy Saturday dinner party of 5 without a reservation. The hostess was so kind. They were…read moreable to find us a table, only caveat is that it was in the vault room. And quite frankly, that was a cool area. You could snap a photo inside the giant safe. The restaurant used to be a bank. So think high windows, high ceilings, open space with beautiful tile flooring. The food did not disappoint. We had a mix of their lamb and seafood dishes. They gave a great twist to the predominantly Mediterranean menu. The cocktails were crafted wonderfully. Im very taken back on this gem of a restaurant in Schenectady NY. Great place for a date night, celebrate a special occasion, or just to have good drinks and food.

Service is lovely!…read more Calamari and fig pizza very good! Menu and atmosphere are worth the trip and you won't find a better sauce - check it out!

The atmosphere was quite nice. Love the decor. I ordered a speciality cocktail, my friend ordered a…read moremimosa. I thought charging her 15.00 for a mimosa was a bit much. We both had appetizers, I had the wedge salad and she had the burrata and beets. Both were delicious. For entrees I ordered the small portion of the baked ziti. The server seemed confused and said it only came in one size. She did charge me the less expensive price. It was good but pasta was over cooked a tad bit. Also no bread on table or served with it. My friend had the mussels which were to be served with a crostini. They said they were being baked and would take ten minutes. It never came. The meal was average and I always give places more than one chance, so I will go back. I think it is worth trying. Maybe ask a few questions about the menu.

This spot is straight outta my Pinterest board: specialty cocktails, fire pits, couches, dim…read morelighting, charcuterie, s'mores dip, a novelty wine wall experience. Fair warning, everything was good, but for the price tag it's really the experience you are paying for. Attended a party in one of their private rooms. Furniture is a little too big for the room, making it a little tight. Also wished they had a server solely dedicated to us because I didn't feel like our server came around enough. Overall, worth the trip at least once!

Wow! Decor and night life, chic #af. This place is a night on the town with the possibility of…read morepopping over to the casino or being the all night spot. They have a large seating area with a variety of table tops. It's intimate and trendy. There's also a huge outside area (heated), that people were thriving in even though it was only 10 degrees out. The menu is broad and not your usual chain supply. If you are a picky eater you might have a hard time. Most of the food is in large enough portions you can split and trade with friends or just make it a charcuterie feast for all. Drinks were mint and I mean that in the old cool sense of the word not actually mint, although you could ask for some and they would accommodate. The self poor wine station is a bonus, adding to the uniqueness of this establishment. Reservations highly recommended! 21+ only AMAZING

Last night we had an absolutely wonderful dining experience at Vice and Virtue…read more From the moment we arrived, it was clear that this restaurant takes pride in what they do. The owners were there the entire evening, personally overseeing everything and checking on our table several times to make sure we were enjoying ourselves. That level of care and attention is something you don't find everywhere. The menu is incredible, with so many tempting options that I already know I'll have to come back multiple times to work my way through it! Everything is made fresh from scratch, and you can truly taste the difference. I ordered the Buffalo Chicken Salad, and it was so good that I completely forgot to take a picture before digging in! To drink, I had not one, but TWO Razzleberry Sparkling Lemonades, made with Tito's Handmade Vodka, lemonade, muddled blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries, topped with Prosecco. They were absolutely delicious and dangerously easy to drink! Two of my friends ordered Mojitos, and they were beautiful, refreshing, and looked absolutely delicious. My husband ordered the Shrimp Ravioli, and in his words, it was "excellent" and trust me, he's not easy to impress when it comes to food! He finished his meal with the tiramisu, which was fresh, flavorful, and the perfect ending to the evening. Two of our friends enjoyed the Shepherd's Pie. It was originally intended as a St. Patrick's Day special, but it became so popular that they've added it to the regular menu permanently. After hearing the rave reviews at our table, I can see why! Another friend ordered the Slammin' Piggy Tacos and couldn't stop talking about how good they were. Our other friend had the Jerk Shrimp Tacos and loved those as well. For dessert, I chose the Chocolate Pie, which was absolutely delightful and the perfect sweet ending to a fantastic meal. One thing I especially appreciated was how accessible the restaurant is. It is completely handicapped accessible, which can sometimes be difficult to find, and there is a convenient parking lot right next door that makes getting in and out easy. If you're looking for fresh, homemade food prepared by local owners who genuinely care about the quality of every dish they serve, you need to check this place out. We left happy, full, and already talking about what we'll order on our next visit. We'll definitely be back soon because there are still so many items on the menu I can't wait to try!

A wonderful bar and grill in Downtown Schenectady full of fun and great food. A nice place to enjoy…read morea family dinner or a party with friends

Good little local bar serving up a nice mix of beers on tap, plus a simple bar food menu w really…read moregreat wings. Nice staff. All around great joint.

Newly opened by new owner!!…read more great ambience Food is 3 stars Wine & Beer good I would describe this place as the neighborhood corner bar decorated with nostalgic pictures of the city of Schenectady. Food was average the fried broccoli and cheese $10 was frozen and mushy after frying just ok I didn't eat much... The boneless chicken wings $15. were good. Greek salad $13 was good with fresh cut up vegetables and of course the drinks were good A full glass of Riesling $9 and Sam Seasonal $14. Hopefully the menu will increase to maybe some sandwiches in the future. The best part was the happy go lucky server Lynne very pleasant to talk to and johnny on the spot when you needed something.

Fabulous visit to Ember & Cork. It was a group of 4, 3 of whom had never been before including…read moremyself. The Espresso Martini was not on the menu but they were able to make it. For appetizers, we ordered the oysters and burrata and prosciutto toast. I did not try the oysters but the others said they were good. I would order the toast again. For my entree I ordered the steak frites. One of the best steaks I've ever had. Perfectly cooked to medium rare. Had a lovely crust on it. For dessert, we shared the bread pudding with salted caramel gelato, burnt basque cheesecake and pear fritters. All three were delicious but the bread pudding was the standout. I highly recommend ordering it. Also have to mention our server Frank who was lovely and very attentive. We had a lot of questions, if there was something he didn't know he was very quick to find out the answer and was very thorough.

I was really excited about Ember and Cork. I really Love the…read morenew revitalized downtown State Street and I visit frequently. There is a parking lot behind the restaurant with free parking after 5. The menu reads exciting and includes a lot of fun and modern ingredients, the space is bright and inviting and we had great service. The cocktail menu was small and uninspired, but we enjoyed a few cocktails. My favorite of the night was a dirty martini with house stuffed blue cheese olives. Their aviation inspired cocktail called Flight 99 was okay, but left me wanting an aviation. We decided to get a few appetizers the share over some cocktails and didn't order any entrees. We started with the Shrimp Ceviche and the Foie Gras Torchon. Both plates arrived and the presentation left a lot to be desired. The shrimp ceviche was good but the baby corn and sweet potato were weird. It didn't belong at all. I don't know if it is traditional or what but it just took up space, made the presentation uninviting and added nothing to the dish. The chips were great though and the shrimp were large and of great quality. The Foie gras torchon was like a chilled pate, it was alright. 4 tiny slices of toast was not enough for the plate, the green strawberry compote was a good pairing, the dressed greens were fine but again, didn't add much to the dish. We heard the special of soft shell crab and wanted to order it. For the second round, we ordered the bone marrow and soft shell crab. The bone marrow was maybe 3 bites, the bones were very dry and didn't have much marrow to scrape so that was disappointing. The soft shell crab was a large portion and was very good and treat to have during the season. However, it was $65. Maybe our fault for not asking but that price is obscene for that dish. It was soft shell crab over spinach. We were pretty full and ended the meal with bread pudding which was fine. Our bill before tip was $280 for 4 appetizers, 6 cocktails and a dessert. I was sticker shocked. I really regret not asking the price on the soft shell crab. The food did not live up to the hype at all and I don't think I would return based on the quality and prices.

I was invited to come here for a trivia night, and spoiler alert, we won! We had a great evening of…read moremargaritas, Mexican and trivia. We had a group of 6 and we were seated at a long table right by the bar. We enjoyed some chips and queso before ordering dinner. Service was extremely slow this night, it was busy for trivia, but it almost felt like the guy was avoiding us. We eventually got drinks, I had the skinny margarita and it was standard. We did get our dinners before trivia started, and we all enjoyed it. I got the fajitas but the pan was way too hot, I think it kept sizzling for like 5 minutes and everything was kinda burning to the pan. Luckily I don't mind a bit of char. Everyone ordered something different and everything looked good, my friend seemed to really enjoy the molcajete dish. The food was overall not bad, the drinks were good, but service was an issue. The trivia host was great and we were on fire! We won a gift card for the restaurant so who knows, we might be back for trivia again.

Me and my wife tried this place on a whim and left completely satisfied. The decor, ambiance and…read moreservice was great; but more importantly the food was fantastic. The chicken tortilla soup was mind blowing and me and my wife were both impressed with the size and quality of the portions for the entrees. This is one of are new favorite places, and we are looking forward to returning!