I was on the hunt for a Garbage Plate in my new home of the Capital Region; this is the only place I could find one on the menu...and I looked all over. I spent way too much time toiling with the prospect of not being impressed by a plate 200+ miles from Rochester. In my head, I said to myself, there are plates in Rochester that don't even impress; why should I give the time of day to someone so far removed? It took me over two years to finally pull trig. In retrospect, I am kicking myself. Portions aside, the plate here is absolutely fantastic, like wtf. The meat sauce seems to keep the obligatory warmth of nutmeg and cinnamon, but has a delicate spice that absolutely delights in its own way. The mac salad lights up my tongue with the zest of celery and the home fries give me the crunch that I deserve. The burgers are the greasy vessel that I have come to expect, but offer much more cohesion than a typical plate. I am barely exaggerating when I say this might be Top 2 plates of my lifetime. Couple that with an awesome atmosphere and an amazing happy hour and you've got gold. Thank you guys for scratching my itch. read more

We stayed one night in the Hilton and found this place on Yelp, read the menu, saw some photos. Looked fun with the NY state inspired items and they had pinball machines my kids could play. We walked over there, went inside and was greeted right away by a very welcoming young lady. The place was empty. Monday at 4:30 of course. We sat near the pinball machines and she gave us menus. The smell of urine was so strong that my 14 yr old said "we are not eating here." Clearly we left. read more

Loved this spot. I can't lie they didn't pay as much attention to us cause we weren't like regulars when we went on a weekday but the staff is incredible so kind and amazing but def wish we felt more welcome hahah. i loved how they theme the menu different foods from spots around NY. we had the rochester garbage plate and the mozz sticks with raspberry melba sauce. loved it! drinks were interesting my whisky sour was pink?? read more

The Excelsior Pub - mozz sticks with raspberry melba sauce - Pubs Near Me - Albany, New York

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The food was excellent! I tried the chicken riggies, pizza logs, garbage plate, and buffalo wings! They were all amazing. Loved playing the pinball machines too read more

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I've been meaning to come here for years. One menu item, Beef on a Weck (Kummelweck Roll), brought my husband to the pub. The dish which was created in Buffalo brought back fond memories for him. I tagged along and had my own nostalgia trip with an order of Chicken Speedes with chips. I spent a lot of time in the Binghamton area. It was very flavorful. Just a tad dry because they used marinated chicken breast. The roll was super fresh. I like the menu. It features regional New York dishes. A man sitting near me at the bar was eating what looked like a giant mound of hamburger known as a "Garbage Plate." It originated in Rochester. He explained he attended college there and became quite an expert on Garbage Plates. The bar isn't very big but it's comfortable with a bit of a dive bar feel. Our bartender/ server, Becca, was great. Very attentive. We watched Mets Wild Card series reruns on one tv monitor and Suicide Squad on another. A group of patrons at the bar got into an enthusiastic debate comparing Julie Andrews to Carrie Underwood which was quite funny. I also enjoyed the beer selection especially the Saranac 1911 Strawberry Snakebite. This was fun. I look forward to doing it again. read more

I'm a dedicated Yelper when it comes to dining. I went to this place because it had a high rating of 4.3 out of 5. This is the first time of a place with a rating this high that I discovered it was far from it. I mistakenly ordered the Garbage Plate and didn't know it literally lived up to its name. The mac n cheese part of the plate was cold and tasteless with no flavor of cheese at all. The hamburger patties tasted like they were boiled. The home fries were actually tater tots worse than what you get at a supermarket. And lastly the meat sauce was indescribably bad. The service was practically non attentive and the place smelled like they still allow smokers. The only thing that was good was the beer. read more

First time going to Excelsior Pub. The food was excellent. However, the place was freezing. we had to keep our coats on. We sat at a table and there wasn't a waitress. it appeared there was one person working who covered the bar and cooked the food. Not sure if this is common or someone called in sick. The woman working there was very nice. read more

I loved the concept of their menu, featuring different delicacies from across New York State. Chicken wings and beef on weck for Buffalo, garbage plate for Rochester, etc. Being a Simpsons fan I had to try one of Albany's delicious steamed hams (hamburgers). It was quite tasty and I washed it down with a Utica Club. The bar itself is a bit of a dive. read more

Slowly slid into this this bar.First impression: friendly, clean. Kind of a unique place, As they serve items from around New York State. Me & my boyz Grabbed a couple beers & shot some darts in the back. Laughing joking having a good time. Talk to some people that were there, they were friendly. Little while later a couple hot babes arrived. That's when we decided to get some food and chill for a little longer. Ordered wings and a garbage plate. Yummmy. Very pleased with the Delectable delights we were given. After a few more refreshing brews, some more conversations We finished up our dart game and headed out to the big hogs parked by the road. With a loud Screech we full throttled out of there, knowing we will probably stop in again soon. read more

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I love New York. I love playing pinball. I love The Excelsior Pub. It's as simple as that. The Excelsior Pub is Jason's love letter to all things New York. Thankfully, New York is more than just Manhattan and the remaining boroughs that make up New York City. New York is a vast state, filled with culinary oddities. It's also chock full of breweries, wineries, distilleries, and cideries. This place features them all. Maybe not all at the same time, but it's fantastic. All New York, all the time. Just recently I tried Excelsior's take on the classic Nick Tahou Hots Garbage Plate, and even though I thought it sounded disgusting on paper, I actually loved it. Now, was this the best version of this dish you can find? It's unlikely. But what makes Excelsior special isn't its flawless execution, but rather the totality of its offerings. As cool as the food and beverage program may be, the thing that keeps on bringing me back to The Excelsior Pub is the pinball. I mean, Jay is a pretty cool guy, but it's hard to find a bar with a well maintained pinball machine these days. Right now, The Excelsior Pub has three of them: Twilight Zone, The Simpsons, and a new machine called Dialed In! Yes, there is the pinball league on Sunday. But I find myself popping in occasionally mid-week at the end of the night just to play a few balls, while mellowing out with a New York brewed beer. If you happen to see Tim there, you may want to buy him a beer. Unless your name happens to be Lauren D, he's the tall friendly guy who is kicking your ass at pinball. Tim is also the fellow who has taught himself how to keep these machines in good repair, and he's a freakin' saint. Seriously. He's usually there on days that end with the letter Y. And did I mention the outlets? Because at the end of the night your phone might also need a charge to call that Uber to take you home. The Excelsior has got your back. Plenty of plugs are available against the far wall. If you're a New Yorker, come and make yourself at home. If you're just visiting, come and learn what makes this state special. But whatever you do, come. Just don't forget to bring plenty of quarters. read more

Came for a Saturday brunch on an icy snowy day. The egg sandwich was amazing- perfectly done on a bun with real flavor and texture. The specialty pancakes were devoured. I was impressed by the high quality food coming out of a bar's small kitchen. read more

I used to live in Albany and this place opened right before I moved. I remember it being a good place to hang out and get some bar food but nothing too great. I recently went to visit Albany after years of being away and I don't know what happened but this place is on another level now. The food is unbelievably good and the owner might be the best bartender ever. read more

Great little local spot! Love the theme of New York foods and New York beers and drinks! We chose a couple things to share... the classic mozzarella sticks with Melba - oh so capital district! And beef on weck which was a it salty for me... but ample amounts to share. The bartender was so knowledgeable and friendly and we nada great time playing pinball on some beautifully maintained machines! Fun place that I will definitely come back to again. read more

Damn, am I glad we choose this spot. This was such a good pub, honestly the best I've ever been to. I got their Buffalo wings (medium) and my boyfriend got their garbage pile (best when loaded) ans we bothtoo many beers to count but they were so good. It's also so dope because eveything is New York like all the beer and a good majority of the spirits. My boyfriend and I went there since we were waiting for our plane the next day to Albany and I'm so glad we went. There were a ton of locals there who were super kind as well and really just overall such a good vibe. The owner was literally the nicest person I've ever met. I'm kinda still drunk as I'm writing this but seriously if you'e able to go to this place...please do it's literally so great read more

I was told by a friend that Excelsior Pub would have a large selection of New York State whiskeys and bourbons. I don't know if it's the absolute best in the state, as I still want to visit more in NYC, Buffalo, Rochester, etc., but as far as I'm concerned it's the place to go for them in the Capital District. And the pours are very reasonably priced too for both 1oz. and 2 oz. pours. The pinball machines in the back are a nice touch. Would you like some New York State foods to go with your drinks? They've got those too, though I was expecting Utica Greens to be on their menu (maybe it's a higher maintenance item because of the produce??). In nicer weather, consider the seats outside as well. Excelsior! read more

The Excelsior Pub - A 2oz. pour of bourbon from Black Dirt Distillery out of Warwick, NY. - Pubs Near Me - Albany, New York

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sketchy part of town ... Good food. waitress was great. Good weck sandwich French fries were good. local establishment

On the corner in a residential neighborhood is the Excelsior Put which if you were driving past you might not even notice. There is nothing special about if from the outside, but that is its disguise, for this is a special place. The inside is that of a simple neighborhood bar, a bar with seats, some tables and 3 TVs. But then you nice, the 2 monitors showing what beers they have, and the row of taps, and you know as a beer lover, you are in the right place. The curation of the beer list here is by someone who knows beer, there is beer from all over New York, from some of the best breweries around and beers carefully chosen (well almost, they do have Bud and Bud Light but I will forgive them for that). The bartender was friendly and knew his beers and recommended 3 beers in a row that were either excellent or very good. The list has everything from Pilsners to Stouts along with ciders and seltzers, plus a full bar so there is something for everyone. The food is equally good. I started with a plate of hot wings. Normally hot doesn't make my cry, but whoever does their wing sauce knows what they are doing. Their hot sauce is excellent. The wings were perfecty cooked, and instead of the 6 pieces that most bars give you, this was a full plate of wings. I didn;t count but there were plenty. The menu also includes a Rueben, Beef Weck, chicken sandwitch, a vegaterian plate and a number of noshers. But the killer stroke was that they have hot dogs. Not just a hot dog, but your choice of a a Sabarett, Glazies or Hoffman. And they know how to properly cook it (I can count the number of poorly cooked disappointed hot dogs I have had). All in between the beer, the excellent bartender (although he is sadly leaving from what I heard) and the food, the Excelsior Pub is a gem. read more

this little dive bar is all things NYS! fantastic beer selection, good wings, a great bartender. what more could you want? They have the rochester garbage plate, mozz and melba, spedies, beef on weck, of course wings, all NYS specialties. The entire party i was with ordered garbage plate. everyone noted that they were pretty authentic. I lived in ROC for a few years so i skipped the garbage plate and wanted to try their buffalo wings. i also tried the mozz and melba, cuz fried cheese. The wings were super crispy and the sauce was traditional. Blue cheese was not homemade. they were surprisingly good though. the mozz stocks were nothing special, skip them. The beer list is all NYS brewery's, and great craft choices. This place is tiny, and fills up quickly. but it's great beer and pretty good eats. read more

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Oh what memories returned upon entering the Excelsior Pub. It was over 40 years ago that we first entered the establishment (on separate visits with our respective fellow workers, never as a couple) officially known as The Calumet Restaurant, but popularly called Beansie's, in recognition of the owner. Lunch then consisted of a sandwich (or even a half of a sandwich) and a quart-bottle of beer. Now, on a late Saturday afternoon, there were no State workers crowding the place, no quart bottles on the bar or on the half-dozen of high-top tables, and only three patrons at the bar enjoying the seventeen taps of craft beers brewed exclusively within the boundaries of New York State. Add two dart boards, gender neutral restrooms (because Yelp now asks), and one pinball machine and you've got the makings for the perfect neighborhood watering hole. Starting with pints of Crossroads' Lane 4 Session IPA ($7/ 4.2% ABV/ Athens) and Flagship's Oyster Stout ($8/ 5.4% ABV/ Staten Island) we learn that our bartender Sarah is also the cook. Which is only appropriate since the kitchen behind the bar barely has room for another worker. (And according to Facebook, as of this writing, she also holds the record for high score on their Road Show pinball at 351,741,710.) The food menu also leans toward NYS native dishes. And it is with that in mind that my wife ordered a Beef on Weck (Buffalo, $10.99) and I had my first ever Garbage Plate (Rochester, $9.99). The roast beef is thinly sliced and piled high on a Kummelweck roll and ramekins of Aus Jus and horseradish sauce help to make it a pretty authentic Beef on Weck. However, truth be known, neither of us has ever had a Beef on Weck while in Buffalo, so it might be unfair to say we've had better elsewhere in NYS. With that said, we'd definitely return here to enjoy one again along with their great selection of beers. I also don't want to overlook the excellent chips that accompanied the sandwich. If you don't know what a Garbage Plate is, it traditionally consists of two of the following, home fries, beans, and macaroni salad, along with anything from burgers or hot dogs or sausage, or steak, to chicken, or fish or even eggs, and finally topped with mustard, onions and a hot sauce. Excelsior offers a choice of a variety of items to let you "make it your own." Since I didn't specify what I wanted included, I was provided a plate (actually a Styrofoam carryout) consisting of sweet potato fries, macaroni salad and two hamburger patties all covered in a meat sauce. Bottom line... it was pretty good. It was also a lot of food! (I should also mention that there is a vegetarian version of this dish called the Compost Pile.) Even though it may never make it on to Guy's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, we need to return now and try their Wings, Spiedies, and Mozzarella Sticks with Melba sauce. read more

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I was here recently with a group of Yelpers to try their "Garbage Plate" ("GP"). As a Rochester native, I have had my share. But, even at Nick Tahou's (the originator) there are choices over which meats (hot dogs, burgers, steak, chicken, ...) and sides (home fries, mac salad, baked beans) and toppings (meat sauce, raw onions, mustard, hot sauce) which makes it impossible to say exactly what it should be. After discussing it with other Rochester people, we think that the majority order with two cheeseburgers, mac salad, home fries, raw onions, meat sauce, and mustard. Should that fact matter to you? It probably shouldn't. You can order it however you prefer, though there aren't as many options here. I wouldn't say that the Excelsior's GP tasted a lot like a Tahou's plate, but, it wasn't bad. Here, the meat options were limited to burgers and dogs (red and white!), though not the Rochester brand Zwiegles. And yes, they do taste different... and better, but the hot dogs served here (Hoffmans) are decent. I could see from those who ordered cheese burgers that the patties are much thicker here, and their cook time varied: some were medium rare, and some were over-cooked. The home fries here are deep fried instead of left on a griddle for hours to either get "crispy, over cooked and dried out, or burned" as you might get at Tahou's. The deep fried ones were perfect, especially when doused in ketchup. The mac salad was a different animal. I don't like mac salad at all, but Nick Tahou's mac salad is so bland with little mayo or vegetables that it essentially just pasta there to absorb grease in your stomach. If someone called it "gross" I could see their point. Here, they make a decent mac salad and it was seasoned well (some thought too aggressively with vinegar) so if I were a mac salad guy, I would probably like their's. One guy's foam container was filled with enough water from the salad that a lifeguard should have been on duty, but everyone else's was fine. I didn't try their meat sauce or raw onions (not listed on the menu, so you must ask for them) so I cannot comment on that. We noticed the amount of sauce varied on the plates, and I suspect that the Excelsior didn't expect to get hit with 9 orders for GP in one evening and was starting to run out. So, what is the final verdict? What can you glean from this tome? They don't make a GP identical to Nick Tahou's, but it certainly is similar in spirit. Some of the (dare I say it) "faults" that people might find in a Tahou's GP were corrected here, like consistent potatoes and flavorful mac salad. And if you don't know what a Zweigles hot dog tastes like (poor soul) you wouldn't miss it here. So, my take is that if you want a fun way to eat a bunch of food mingled together on a plate their version is fine. But, if you want to experience was a GP really is (for better or worse), you gotta hop on the Thruway. read more

Your basic little dive bar, located in Albany, NY. Small, with about 10 seats at the bar, about 4 little tables, and three pinball machines. But it's all about the food, and today I had the Garbage Plate. Home fries, mac salad, two cheeseburgers, two hot dogs, covered in a house meat sauce, mustard, and onions. It was good, nothing stood out, but everything was good. It would definitely be good hangover food. Friendly bar tender, it's worth a visit. read more

The Excelsior Pub - Garbage Plate - Pubs Near Me - Albany, New York

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Great ambiance, super service, delicious beer and tasty food! A fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon! read more

The Excelsior Pub - Amazing beer! - Pubs Near Me - Albany, New York

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Beer prices are high, not a place I can sit and hang out without breaking the bank. Narrow bar near the entrance with additional tables in the back. Ordered a garbage plate. My husband ordered a spiedie sandwich. It seems like the bartenders cook in a makeshift kitchen behind the bar. Unfortunately my cheeseburgers on my garbage plate were burnt to a crisp and well done through and through. Also, the meat sauce had way too much cinnamon. It was all I could taste. I wouldn't order it again. It also came in a Styrofoam container instead of on a plate, which is odd. My husband got his spiedes in a basket. The homemade kettle chips in the basket were good and plentiful. I really like the concept of food offerings resprenting New York State's various regions, however the execution was not ideal. One final nugget for you: the only had three wine choices, one of which was a sherry wine? Some people just don't like beer or sometimes want a glass of vino right? read more

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I came for the pinball, stayed for the beer, and fell in love...with the garbage plate. Subjective review criteria. My favorite kind of bar/dive is the small kind, generally tucked into an old city neighborhood, but one friendly and open to the younger crowd as well as amenable to regulars. This one reminds me of Annabel's, the bar of my youth, minus the punk crowd and plus a few state workers. Even more to my taste - the decor, a beautiful montage of maps of New York. Pretty much exactly what I'd do if I had a pub named after the state motto. The selection of beers is excellent - lots of things I hadn't tried -- and to be friendly I decided to order the garbage plate. Now, I'm no aficionado of this particular upstate delicacy, so maybe it's just that every one I've ever had before has been meh. But this one - FANTASTIC. Nice spiced potatoes, something in the meat/hamburger combination (cardamom? who knows) that really zinged it up, served hot and with the macaroni salad bleeding nicely underneath it all. Honestly, I never thought much about garbage plates but now I have a jones for the Excelsior's. Now throw in super friendly staff/owner in Jay, and a single pinball machine as an oasis for us pinheads, you have my definition of hangout spot heaven. I'm in. read more

The Excelsior Pub is a low key, cozy pub with a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. Lots of beers on tap, which change regularly. They offer lots of ways to have fun: darts, trivia night, pinball machines etc. The staff is very welcoming. The head bar tender when I was there was full of personality and truly aimed to please! While there I tried the garbage plate which is a Rochester, NY classic. I give these guys HUGE bonus points for their approach to the menu. Highlighting NY State and its regional dishes is a very cool idea. I also must admit it takes guts to attempt to create a regional dish which people cherish from their prospective hometown. As a Rochester native I have eaten somewhere around 200 garbage plates from the original establishment.... Nick Tahou's. The Excelsior version didn't come with raw onions on top and you had to ask for it. This is a garbage plate necessity. Mustard, Ketchup and Frank's Red Hot sauce were all available on the side (another necessity) The macaroni salad they used was very vinegar heavy which is not even close to the original. For me it was a bit off putting. The burgers were a bit on the chewy side and thicker than the original as well. The things that were very impressive.... the home fries and the meat sauce were spot on. The meat sauce was a tad more spicy than the Ra Cha Cha version but really, really tasty. Later in the evening I tried some wings (I can't believe I ate both things in the same evening!) and the sauce was outstanding. The wings were a bit overcooked but they were crispy. In summary: an awesome place to hang out, great staff and a chance to experience New York. New York isn't just NYC.... it has a lot more to offer. Excelsior is awesome for offering a chance to experience it! read more

Garbage Plate. This is the local source, and while it isn't entirely what I recall from Rochester, it was tasty. Home fries and white hots cooked to perfection, and the meat sauce was fine. The macaroni salad, well, it's just a support. GO FOR IT! read more

The Excelsior Pub - Garbage Plate, with Hoffman Snappy white hots. - Pubs Near Me - Albany, New York

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Hedonic tonic -- natural tonic nothing taste better! Order a bootlegger go with hedonic tonic and a splash of soda water with an order of wings and a side of speedies and you will love New York! read more

Nice little hole-in-the-wall, has a dive atmosphere but is clean, and well maintained. I stayed in Albany while visiting upstate New York last summer, and this place was happily right down the block from my airbnb. The staff was friendly, and the bar has pinball machines too. All of the booze they sell is from New York, which is kind of cool. Drinks were well made, and the prices are reasonable. Overall, if you are looking for a place to go to have a drink or two, I would recommend The Excelsior. read more

The Excelsior Pub - The Exelsior is on the corner, under the blue awning. Nondescript, looks like a dive from the outside, but inside is neat and friendly. - Pubs Near Me - Albany, New York

A great "dive bar" I love the Signature NY menu items and drinks. Best garbage plate in the city

I love this place, and I am sad it came into my neighborhood just as I moved out. It's such a fun, laid back atmosphere and the owner is incredibly friendly, nice, and open. He has the perfect personality to run a bar. The beer list is great, the wings are good, and the last time I was there, they had live music that was just the right type of live music - it didn't drown out conversations, but was a fun backdrop. Any time I am over this way, I will be going to the Excelsior. read more

The Excelsior Pub - Some nice outdoor seating and flowers - Pubs Near Me - Albany, New York

The food was mediocre-specially the garbage plate. Staff was not particularly attentive, despite lack of crowd. Ambiance is low key down to earth and relaxed. Too bad about food and curt waitstaff read more

Beer? Wine? My sister and I (she from Milwaukee, WI and I from Pasadena,CA) know our beers and wines!!! We had no idea that the New York beers and wines would be soooo good! The Excelsior Pub was one of the highlights of our Hudson River Valley vacation. Serendipity brought us there for an afternoon of fine drinks and great conversation! WE enjoyed getting to know the owner (Jay Bowers) and his other guests. Our significant others were also as happy as we were! A very special memory! read more

I really enjoy it here. It started off innocently enough. Showing up before an event a year or two ago at the Times Union Center, finding out that there are special happy hour prices for any ticket holder both before and after any shows or events. We immediately came back after the event to this cozy little bar to enjoy more NY State specialty beers and liquors. And then they got a pinball machine. One that actually works really well. Then they started a pinball league. And then a pinball tournament. And then I was there more than once a week. And then I tried their wings. And their potato chips. And an occasional hot dog. Now I just can't stop going. I wish they didn't have such crispy chicken wings that were so deliciously spiced in a hot sauce. I'm ashamed of just how many times I end up consuming these every month. And often it can be multiple times a week. I wish they didn't have an EPC beer club I'm now proud to be part of. This isn't the fanciest of places - so don't go in expecting fine dining and perfectly clean spaces. But for what it is - a cute little pub around the corner that I wish I lived closer to - it's perfect. read more

Great pub, great drinks, big variety. Always something fresh on tap and lots of events like trivia to pick from.

This is such a rad place. First of all, they have Binghamton beers like Galaxy Brewing, which I have never seen anywhere else other than Binghamton (and oh my do I miss their food) - Binghamton University alum here if that's not obvious. Secondly, all of their beers/ciders/etc are local from New York... and might I say we make some fine brews. Their bar staff is kind and attentive. The place is a bit small, but it's clean, decently quiet (not too quiet and not too loud), and tastefully decorated. It did not seem crowded despite the size of the space and there is ample street parking. No need to worry about that... however if you can't find parking, there's a *usually* free parking garage a bit up the street. This is definitely within walking distance from the Albany Capital Center. We came here after a roller derby game and I actually drove down from there while other people walked. It took the same amount of time. It's good to note that Excelsior has a good selection of board games. I love a bar with good board games. They also have arcade games! How awesome. The lighting is just right and as long as you're with good people, you'll be alright. Great spot for an after-work meetup with a friend or if you want to be able to have an actual conversation with someone while having a drink. I'll be back! read more

Great concept...they even have the suspicious looking red dyed weenies from the North Country (Glaziers). It's definitely an idea that should really be done around NY...most of the foods are upstate NY staples...lots of folks from Scarsdale and Massapequa wont know what a spiedie is or even the Garbage Plate. A coney...I even doubt most people in parochial Albany have heard of it..it has nothing to do with Brooklyn. I had the classic Rochester dish (aka Rotfester)...the gift from Nick Tahous delightful sh%&show eatery..was good with some suggestions: The garbage plate is missing some key things at excelsior...chopped onions, hot sauce on top, and two slices of Italian bread. Also, there are no potato chips on a garbage plate...they dont do that in Rochester period. Other than that the sauce was spicy and very good. We should all keep promoting this place... I even got a nice can of icy cold Genny Creme Ale there... read more

Stopped in for some NY beers and was not disappointed. This a cool little dive bar with great happy hour prices. Had hot wings and mozz sticks and both were off the charts. Both bartenders were quite attentive and knowledgeable about the menu, beverages and neighborhood. Heck even the locals were friendly and down to earth.... if your in the area... I recommend dropping in to the Excelsior- you'll be glad you did.... read more

Great addition to the Mansion neighborhood bar scene. This place serves brews and eats from across NY state. The food menu is small right now, but we were told it would expand in the future. When you order a beer, there are a variety of sizes to choose from. If you order a "fist full of beers", you get a discount. In addition to beer and cider, there is also a wide variety of NY state liquor. There is seating at the bar, a few TVs and darts in the back. Come down and give this place a try. It is worth the visit. read more

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Was in Albany for work and spent a great evening here: super friendly vibe and everything they serve is from New York state! They have a large selection of ny craft brews on tap, ny wine, ny spirits, and a small menu of ny snacks. The owner was awesome and we were able to sit outdoors in their sidewalk cafe. Will definitely come back when in town again. read more

The Excelsior Pub - The largest existing collection of New York-made liquor, according to the owner. I believe it! - Pubs Near Me - Albany, New York

The best wings ever, Made perfectly to perfection with a light perfect crunchiness, The menu is made up of signature dishes of restaurants around New York,The mixologist made the perfect drink, The owner and the staff are awesome, parking it's super easy, just park in the state employee parking garage walk out the door And you're right there, (after 5 of course and anytime on weekends).I will never go anywhere else for Wings again !!!! read more