I have lived in Poughkeepsie my entire life and drove past this place many times. Well when I finally stopped in I was surprised by the awesome beer selection and the food is great as well. Has started to be a go to spot for me for lunch or just a brew. read more

Fun concept but disappointing. Lunch here yesterday: Brussels sprouts were undercooked and tough, flatbread and crab chowder ok, steak sandwich soggy and flecked with jalapeños (what?). Caesar: big pieces of romaine cores, flavorless and hard to chew. Wines by the glass- decent options. It looks like a dive bar when you enter and we almost left- they need some indicator that it's supposed to be retro and isn't just sketchy. The parking lot is decorated with an open dumpster surrounded by brown dried out Christmas trees and debris. read more

The derby is a great place to hang out and enjoy the food. They recently updated their menu for the winter and it is F A B U L O U S!!!!! The beef wellington is spot on, the duck, fantastic, the prime rib is always my favorite!!!! read more

I make it appoint to come here at least once a week every time I walk in I'm greeted by friendly staff and owners the atmosphere is very very relaxing they have a great choice of liquor the menu has tons and tons of options and usually if you don't see something you like they're always opened to suggestions to fulfill my needs. the quality of the food is in the rise of taste and presentation! they offer lots of fun nights like poker night, jazz night, trivia and they also have a dj on the weekends for the college townies i attended wing wars 2015 and one of the owners, john, had made his special 24k yellow barbeque wing sauce wings that were to die for it was tangy with a hint of heat and extra delicious and at the end he was awarded with the peoples choice award! but don't just limit yourself to the wings ! I've come to the point where its so hard to decide what to order because i wish i could have it all ! i would highly suggest coming in and dining here its well worth it ! never disappointed !! read more

The food here is good, but the Tuesday night jazz jam is the real reason to go. Highly recommended. read more

I'll be honest, after years of reading yelp reviews, I finally singed up for yelp after our experience at the Derby and I'm sorry that my first review is negative, but I feel it needs to be done. After scrutinizing the menu and pictures, it was determined that the Derby looked like a slam dunk - a reasonable or high end seeming price point for many menu items including steamers, filet mignon, good looking fish and so on. On a busy Poughkeepsie saturday night the place, other than the bar area, was completely empty. This should have been our first tipoff. The place is quite comfortable looking and clean, the bar looks like an easy place to relax. We were seated in an empty dining area and promptly served good drinks. The bread basket was filled with was tasted like day-old stop-n-shop baguette, dense, hard and tasteless. Our server was quick and attentive, I think she was excited to get actual diners and throughout our meal she was excellent, not that she had a lot of other people to look after. The "home made" caesar salad was very large and sported parmesan from what looked like a grocery store shaker (not freshly grated), bland dressing and I think the croutons were made from last week's toasted bagel thins. Next came our steamers, probably $1.50 worth of tiny clams in a buttery, decent tasting broth, garnished with some pita triangles. Acceptable. For our entrees we had filet mignon, which was chewy but acceptable and prime rib. We feel absolutely robbed to have paid that sort of money for prime rib. I think back and still can't believe we paid for that piece of.. well, it was meat, but ... I'd be ashamed to serve that at my own dinner table to a forgiving family member, never mind a guest. The garlic mash was gluey and accompanying asparagus was simply limp and sad. I think my asparagus was crying, knowing what a travesty it was. Finally dessert. my goodness. We ordered a peanut butter chocolate calzone. First of all if your "hand made" (the server made a point to tell us this at least twice) dessert takes more than 25 minutes, you really need to TELL YOUR GUESTS this. How about a simple "I'll be delighted to put this order in, please note that because we make all our desserts on the premises, the wait time for your dessert will be about 20 minutes, could I offer you a coffee in the meantime?" because you know, 25 minutes for dessert is a spectacularly long time. After a monumentally long wait, the calzone appeared. I have to be honest, my husband and I simply stared and then laughed in disbelief. Well, it was as advertised - a calzone filled with probably half a jar of peanut butter and chocolate. A peanut butter chocolate BOMB. I mean, it was a mess. We took pictures because there was no way people would believe our description. At the end of the day, my husband and I are sad that the anticipated experience was so poor. The Derby has NO right to charge those prices, if anyone walks in there thinking they'll have a high quality meal, allow me to shatter your illusions. The location and atmosphere make it a prime candidate for some sort of Kitchen Nightmares show, there's no reason why such a lovely place should be so forlorn. But as it stands, we poured good money into a bad place. Never again. read more

Was seated we were the only ones in the area! Took drink orders, good! Took food . orders,good and then it went all down hill! We waited 45 minutes and the waitress came with one of the entrees and said the other two orders went to different table! UGH! waited another 45 minutes, food came out, My dish was cold as ice, sent it back! The other two entrees were okay, waited another half hour still no food! Went to find the manager, he asked what he could do and offered a gift certificate and assured me that my food would be right there! Waited another 45 minutes, waitress came up and asked me if I got my food! UGH! NO! Very very frustrated at this point! Gift certificate was brought to the table and I asked about my food was told she would check, ok! Another 20 minutes goes by, still no food. At this point, we took the gife certificate and gave it to the waitress and walked out! There was a band playing which was way too loud for dinner time. Not one time did you see the manager walking around checking and there was other tables having the same issues! Bad management! We were seated at 6:00 PM and left at 9:00 pm and still had no food! read more

Nice surprise! Was heading home late the other night and stopped in this place. It's an old style pub, the decor was cool, beer was cold, and the food looked good(I didn't try anything, but I will be back for dinner) overall a cool spot. read more

Somewhere we had heard that the food at The Brown Derby was quite good - unfortunately we were extremely disappointed when we went there this week. While the menu seemed impressive, one dish was undercooked, another dish was overcooked, and a New England Clam Chowder and a Winter Salad were totally tasteless. The waiter kindly gave us a discount on the inedible dishes, saying something about there being a new chef. We will be sure not to return to The Brown Derby as long as this particular chef is there! read more

Never have I had Fish and chips like that. I waited about 40 minutes for my meal but it was clearly made from scratch and absolutely DELICIOUS! The fries were homemade, and that fish was thick , flaky and crispy. Will return over and over! read more

So bad We had to run out of there. They gave us a seltzer that was supposed to be a sprite. Then served the watered down chowder in a glass mason jar. Which will not allow soup to cool off. This is not meant to be consumed in a jelly jar no matter how edgy one is attempting to be. If I wanted cup o' soup I would not have gone to dinner. The fish n chips came inedible in old oil. The batter separated from the fish in one charred piece. The vegetables were watered down and slimy, I don't exactly know what was going on there. Then we come to the steak. It tasted like nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was a cut of steak not fit for my dog. All of it unfit for my dog. I haven't been there in 6 yrs because I had a similar experience then. The waiter said we have the same chef back from 5 yrs ago after he recovered from something debilitating and now he's back working. This was the same charlatan that sent me running out of the place yrs ago. Where did the new chef go? Please bring them back....for the love of god. Poor poughkeepsie. Where have the brussell sprouts gone? Or the crab bisque? For shame. read more

Absolutely terrible. Just came from trying to have dinner at what used to be called "The Brown Derby" in Poughkeepsie. Now called "The Derby Bistro". This place should just close down. I am not sure why, but they completely changed their menu. There is no prime rib or steaks anymore, just bar food and sandwiches, with a few "special" entrees. We ordered the lobster mac and cheese and short ribs risotto from the specials menu. The mac and cheese tasted okay, but the one piece of lobster was about two inches long and certainly not worth the price. The risotto was also okay, but the short ribs that were chopped up and mixed in it were so tough and nothing but gristle. It was gross and I did not find one piece of edible meat. The best part of the meal was the wine (shiraz) and coffee. I would not recommend this place to anyone and will never go back. I have no complaints about the service, my waitress was very attentive and sweet and I didn't even tell her about the awful food. Like I said, this place should just close it's doors forever. I will never go there or even eat on Main Street again. It was that bad!!! read more

This was a mixed bag. The wings were superb as was the Brussel sprout and the artichoke dip appetizers. The poppers were bland with fake tasting cheese, the Cuban sandwich was old, cold, dried out and tasteless without a drop of sauce. The fish and chips was soggy and oily. We won't come back again for dinner but we might go back for the excellent wings. Overall it was hard to like read more

This is a bar, but that being said the food was actually good for a bar. The service was great, immediately helped and offered good suggestions. Was given a gift groupon and was happy with our evening! read more

My husband and I had dinner here one night back in November. The atmosphere was nice. It is on the dark side depending on where you sit. But hey it was a date and its suppose to be Dark and sexy for date night so no complaints there. Ok well the Food here is amazing. My husband had an appetizer (wings) he thought they were crisp with great taste. I had a bowl of cream soup i believe it was a chowder of sorts. It was yummy. I ordered the country fried chicken. With side of herb mashed potatoes and vegis. Everything was fresh and the country gravy had awesome flavor. The vegis were cooked perfect. Husband had a Huge burger. He loved it along with the herb fries. I tried the fries and was so jealous i did not have a huge pile of those yummy fries on my plate. The fries are crisp and soft inside with buttery herbs all over the fries. If you have never been to the Brown Derby. It is a MUST try. We had drinks that were awesome too. No skimping on the alcohol like some restaurants do. Waiters were very nice and the restaurant is very clean. Has its own parking lot which is awesome for the city of Poughkeepsie. Gooooo! read more

Went here a few weeks back for dinner on a Saturday evening and brought 2 other couples with us. BIG disappointment. Yes it had been over a year since we had been there but should of realized we were in trouble when we walk in and the bar had 5 people at it (2 of which were some of our friends waiting for us). Now mind you we had to squeeze thru people in the bar area in the past to get to the dinning area. When we got to our table which was not even in the far back dinning area we were basically given bar menus. I asked about the dinner menus and I was then told they don't have those anymore. They have a new owner and are trying something different. Was told of 5 different dinner options with the theme of risotto for 4 of the 5 options! The food was served hot and was ok but nothing like we had experienced in the past with the past owner in the way of choices and quality. We will not be going back and I was truly embarrassed that we pick this to goto with our friends. read more

My wife and I have eaten here numerous times and have yet to have a bad meal, in fact it is always excellent food and sevice. Tony usually assists us and he can't be more accomodating. Because of the great experiences we've had, we decided to host a rehearsal dinner for our son's wedding at this venue. Well if it is possiible to top our previous experiences, they did it! The food was perfect, the staff was amazing and we couldn't have been happier with everything. All of our guests couldn't stop complimenting everything. Many had never known about this place and now they are looking forward to coming back. One of our guests is a Chef/Restaraunt owner from out of state. He and his wife, who have traveled extensively both in the US and abroad, could not stop raving about the food and service here. I'm amazed by the less than excellent reviews the Derby has received. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this place to anyone ( and I do!) knowing that they would come away with an excellent culinary experience complimented by an attentive staff and a cozy historic atmosphere as well. Jon and Tony, thanks again for an always excellent time. read more

We had a large birthday celebration. The food was excellent. John and his staff took great care of us. Chicken lollipops and salad were particularly scrumptious. Highly recommend. read more

I recently had dinner with a friend here. We both cleaned our plates. Our meal was delicious, plentiful and served in a timely manner. The service was great. Our waitress, Amy, checked on us without being intrusive. Definitely a nice evening out. I will be going back. read more

Great chicken wings! The restaurant was ok but a little load and hot. The bar is right there. But the food was good.

My boyfriend and I have been searching for a regular hangout since moving to the area, and at first, we thought we'd found it. The Derby has been advertising a new chef, and great burgers, which we ordered. The burgers were really good, I admit, and we were impressed with how fresh the draft beer tasted--it's amazing what a difference clean taps make! But nothing ruins a good meal like some good old-fashioned gay-bashing, especially when it's coming from your server! Some of the staff there need to learn to watch their language, and not assume that because you're serving a straight couple, you can make nasty comments about the customers at the other end of the bar. read more

We held our September 4 rehearsal dinner here in their side room. We ended up with a few extra guests than expected and the staff here was great. Jon was very accommodating to work with, the food was good and abundant and we had a blast. The vibe was laid back and our guests enjoyed being able to walk a few steps to the bar for a few after party drinks. We'd highly recommend this place. read more

Growing up in Poughkeepsie, I never went to The Derby. Always just thought it was a bar - not a restaurant that served anything more than bar food. Had a Groupon coupon so I decided to treat the folks and me and give it a try. Delish! Great service. Ample servings. Ours favs of the night ... the brussel sprout and bacon appetizer, the pork chop with jalapeños, the fried chicken, the horseradish salmon ... and even their house Malbec, tasty (quite a compliment from my very wine-picky mother)! A nice surprise ... looking forward to going back. read more

Went for 1st but will be the last. It was 90 or so out and 100 inside. The AC broke wish I was told and given the choice wether to go or stay. Ordered dinner and my 24 dollar filet was raw inside and very tuff. Had to find waitress. They had to make me a new one and I sat there while my husband ate his dinner which was the stuffed pork with a teaspoon of stuffing in it btw. It is so hot in there i take my steak home. I had a drink while waiting and they couldn't even comp me my 7 dollar drink really??? I sat there waiting for my dinner to take home??? Then they had the audacity to add 18 % gratuity. That was also unbelievable bc the was not great service. read more

I had dinner at The Brown Derby last night with a date. The food was superb. We both had the stuffed pork medallions with the house risotto. This was also served with vegetables steamed with olive oil and seasonings. The vegetables were "al dente." The pork medallions were well cooked, but not overly done. The house risotto is also delicious. The service was prompt, friendly and most attentive. This was a most enjoyable experience for both of us! read more

Unfortunately, I didn't have a very good experience at the Derby. My friends and I were there on a Saturday night, out to have a fun/positive time. I'll keep it vague, but lets just say that the employees and some of the regulars weren't very welcoming. Maybe during the day it's a different type of experience, but at night was definitely a negative. read more

Went there with my family during the day, the place was reasonably empty, but nevertheless, the waitress served us very well. The drinks came in mason jars, and the wings were amazing. Best wings I've had in the Poughkeepsie area. The food was good too, good variety, decent scenery, nice dark brown wood and TVs. Very inviting. Good pricing. Would recommend for families and hang outs. read more

I hope this was not a typical experience for this place and we were just unlucky. Overall it was unpleasant. First time here, Saturday evening of July 4 weekend. The place was almost dead at 7:30, no one at the bar and only 1 other table of diners in the dining room. One of us ordered the advertised special of steamers and a beer after asking if it was available and being assured that it was, by both barkeep on the way in, and waitress. After a long wait the waitress brought a can of beer and plunked it down on the table and told us they were out of steamers. The waitress, who had some scary makeup, tattoos and piercings (that most teenagers into that fad would've been perfectly comfortable with) was sweet but didn't know anything about any items on the menu and it was a little difficult to understand what she was saying probably due to decorative hardware in her mouth. We had our orders placed by 8, but by 9 no food except that one can of beer. No waitress to be seen for a very long time. On inquiring of the barkeep if he could find out about our food, it all appeared suddenly, and it all was OUTSTANDING and amazing. Good thing, because we'd been wondering if we were the butt of some joke (like people off the street being asked to be the barkeep and waitress, for Candid Camera) and there was a comical aspect to it. It got noisy because of people arriving at the bar (but no other diners) and the place being very echoey. The people at the bar and the waitress all were surely over 21, but if so, just barely. My impression was, a townie beer drinking place. The chef's skills seem to be wasted on this restaurant. Also, I have to mention the lovely woodwork and general intended ambiance, which were very promising. read more

Been to the derby numerous times and this place hasn't disappointed once. You may write the place off at first glance as the Derby is a well known bar in the city of Poughkeepsie but do not let your judgement get the best of you. The first time I went for dinner with friends, far exceeded any and all expectations I had. The chef is a culinary master and delivers a well constructed, consistent, and delicious meal every time. For the prices charged as well, you can't go wrong. The beef tip risotto is amazing and one of the best I've ever had ($16) From the ribs to the filet ($24) and scallops ($18?) (all of which I sampled from my friends) were flavorful and cooked to perfection with their own unique flavor--nothing bland or overly salty. They do have a pub menu which I would stay away from--not because it's bad, but because what the kitchen is offering you is much better. Service was attentive and friendly--not bad for someone managing a full bar as well. I highly recommend visiting at least once. read more

I have been several times to the derby. I have enjoyed the amazing food. Lots of reviews indicate the bar. This place also has a dining room once you walk thru the lower area. The room was recently done over and is very nice and the bar noise does not go so much in that room. Sometimes you want to sit in the room closer to the bar and be more in that atmosphere, so the derby caters to both. the feel of a bar, and the feel of a restaurant. The food has always been outstanding. I must say recently I had the Asiago Spinach appy and I was besides myself with delight. I am hooked now on that and the house made chips with it. My favorite are the steaks. I have tried just about everyone offered and oh my, so goooood.The veggies are always good. and the meal is always creatively displayed. Plenty of food from dinner to take home with you too. Some complained about the price, but unless you eat like a trucker, you are always taking home a doggy bag. They do change the menu every so often, but I also have ordered off the menu. When the chef is in the house he will generally make you what you want if he has ingredients so do not be afraid to ask, like the reviewer with the gluten free diet. I have been to other places and ordered off the menu or wanted to use some of the ingredients from two different plates into one, and have been told no. We have always had good servers too. nice gruop of people. read more