This place is culinary masterpiece the chicken waffle is like no other. But everything on the menu is fantastic with awsome flavor to please any pallet read more

This is an easy review...10 stars across the board! Dee was knowledgeable , charming, and fun. She made you want to stay. The food? Smoked pork chop and halibut entrees. Delicious! Come on, candied black olives! Who would have thunk?!?! Bourbon, chocolate pecan pie to split. Not too sweet but the chocolate is so rich. Absolutely go here. read more

Food is good. Lunch time gets really busy, so service is not always the best. If you sit inside, it is pretty noisy, not a place for chitchat. read more

Excellent service and food. We had shrimp and grits and fried chicken. Will definitely return.

I visited the Nest for lunch with girlfriends on a weekday afternoon. It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed the outdoor patio space. I am a sun-lover, so was able to position myself in the sun, while my companions were pleasantly shielded by the umbrella. We ordered the biscuits with honey butter for the table to start and they are TO DIE FOR. The biscuits arrived warm, and the butter melted into the flaky dough - yum. One of my girlfriends got an order to take home. The special of the day was a grilled chicken caesar sandwich. One of my friends and I both ordered that and were delighted. There is a perfect amount of caesar dressing on the sandwich, and the parmesan crisp added nice crunch. My second companion order a caesar salad and an order of french fries (hey, it's about balance). She loved the fries, and said the salad was the perfect portion. The patio does face State Street, and can be a little noisy for those that prefer quiet dining. The noise did not bother use though! We will be back for lunch again soon. read more

I'm obsessed with this place! I go probably once a month for happy hour and dinner. First, the food is to die for - you literally cannot go wrong with anything on the menu. For happy hour, they even offer a limited bar menu with deep discounts ($1 for a giant biscuit and honey butter?! seriously??). Their cocktails are amongst the best I've ever had. Each one is unique and gorgeous, served in the most beautiful different glassware and garnish for each type. Their bartenders are charismatic and seem extremely experienced. And finally, the atmosphere! It is so elegant, inviting, open, and just really beautiful. It gives me an excuse to dress up a little, it really is so lovely in there. Can't wait to try their brunch! read more

Delicious cocktails and dinner menu - it was hard to pick one thing because every dish had some unique and interesting about it. We enjoyed the charred asparagus appetizer and the shrimp and grits. Great for date night. read more

I can not say enough good things about this place... if you're ever in the vicinity and you're looking for a place to eat.... This is it. We drove 20 minutes out of our way, and it was worth it. Excellent drinks, food and service!!! read more

The nest is great. Can never go wrong with their Nashville hot fried chicken sandwich. Delicious everytime. Other favorites are their fried green tomatoes, and apple smoked grilled pork chops. Also brunch is always a blast here! read more

We went to the nest fully expecting some bumps and hiccups as it was only their second weekend open. We had exceptional service, our water was always full, and our food came out quick even though they were very busy. One of the owners of the restaurant stopped to check on us as she was running food to another table, which really personalized our experience. I already have a reservation made for a girls brunch in November. read more

The Nest - Southern Bell - Southern Near Me - Schenectady, New York

One of the best comfort food places in the 518. Friendly service. Great food. Pleasant atmosphere. Overall a 5+ star

I like The Nest, but it became way too overrun at one point, where reservations were almost always necessary or the wait was long. I love a good brunch but I can't think of the last time I thought to call ahead. When you are hankering for quasi-Southern food (won't go as far as the call it soul food) and then get turned away its pretty disappointing as there aren't many similar brunch options in the area. Also, the outdoor patio had a TON of bees when we were there during warmer weather. For that reason I think the staff could've been more attentive and cleared plates, glasses sooner as that's what kept drawing them. It is a great people-watching spot though at the top of lower State Street in Downtown Schenectady. Chicken and waffles were good, biscuits with honey butter yummy, mimosas made right and I think I had friend green tomatoes and hush puppies, all good. If you can get in on a weekend for brunch its worth it for the area. Parking is downtown parking, be prepared and prices are as expected. read more

It's a major bummer I have to write this review. FYI-This a customer service review, not a food review. I came to this establishment on my birthday for brunch. I will own I did not have a reservation, but it was close to closing, so figured I might have a chance at getting seated. I had read such fabulous things about the owners and was eager to try their latest venture. How VERY disappointing. I was greeted, rather judged by the primary hostess on a Sunday afternoon. She asked if I had a reservation, then lectured me she recommends them. Well...too late now, so how about offering me a simple "there is a wait" or "we have no seating." She stared at me for solid 20 second and begrudgingly said there was a wait, while staring down at my boyfriend and I for our "what deemed to be inappropriate fashion" for the establishment. Sorry, I didn't put my runway outfit on before brunch. Perception is reality. I sent a quick note to the restaurant of my experience. I saw your food...you fancy on your plating and optics mean everything to you. I waited 3 weeks before I wrote this review. Get your staff some PD on "how not to have the first impression greeter to have a sanctimonious attitude." read more

We went here once for lunch and then again yesterday for the 2023 Soup Stroll. They have been excellent both times!! The first time, I got a great chicken parmesan sandwich. It had a unique crispy shredded parmesan layer. Yesterday, for the soup stroll, they had a great setup for their soup - it was outside in a tent with easy access and exit, plus some tables and chairs. The line was long but went quickly and their SmokedChicken Sweet Potato Chowder was very good and I loved the "crouton" in it! And they had no problem with me using their bathroom why there (THANK YOU!). We will be in again soon! read more

4 of us went for the Sunday Brunch and the food and drinks were amazing! The service was top notch and the interior and exterior of the restaurant are VERY NICE. Now the unfortunate part, Music Bingo, entirely too loud. It either needs to be turned down or lose it entirely. Made it very difficult to converse with others. That aside, I suggest you give The Nest a try . read more

Excellent service with outdoor seating. We had the fried chicken sandwich with Parmesan encrusted with truffle oil. Very juicy and crispy on a brioche roll. Make sure to try the fried green tomatoes. They had the perfect sauce with arugula. Will definitely go back if I haveI the chance. read more

The Nest - Chicken truffle oil sandwich and fried green tomatoes - Southern Near Me - Schenectady, New York

I was so excited a new place was opening in Schenectady. Schenectady is our go to dinner destination. So many restaurants to choose from. I knew parking here was going to be a bit of a problem because of the location, we were so lucky and got a spot right on the street In front of the restaurant thanks to someone pulling out when we drove up. I made reservations on line because I knew without one we would probably not get in. I specifically made reservations for up stairs. Just because from the pictures it looked cozy. We walked in and we were seated in the downstairs dining room. I did not ask why, we just sat down because we were interested in the whole place. It is loud in here. It was about half full and it was loud. The stools at the bar do not have backs on them. I thought this was odd. Where do you hang your jacket if you are sitting at the bar. Our waitress came over right away and our drinks came quick. Lots of interesting drinks to choose from. The menu is small, but it has a lot of great choices. So many great choices I didn't know what to get. We both started with a salad and got the crab dip appetizer. The salad was good size. I got the caesar and rick got the house salad. The house salad dressing was very light in taste. My Caesar dressing was a little salty. The crab dip came out in a cute little cast iron pan with about 8 crackers. Not nearly enough crackers for the amount of dip you get. Also the saltine crackers didn't really hold up for dipping. The dip was very creamy and had a nice flavor but it was also very salty. Dinner came out a short time later. The timing was good, we didn't feel rushed. Rick got the jambalaya. It had a smokey flavor. It was not super spicey. He liked the dish. He only wished he had a biscuit or a piece of bread to soak up the jambalaya sauce. Even if it was an up charge for a side biscuit he would of went for it. I got the scallops. This dish was delicious. The scallops were a little crunchy, like they had sand inside them. This did not take away of the flavor of the whole dish. So many layers of flavor. It was fantastic. If you like scallops I recommend this dinner. We will go back. I would like to try different dishes. Next time I would like to sit upstairs and when will get there I will let them know I made the reservations for up stairs. We also want to try their other restaurant. read more

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Called and made reservations for dinner of 4 on a Thursday night. Was pretty hyped, with high expectations from all the other reviews and what people say online. New to the area so didn't have any experience with their other restaurant. We sat upstairs on their cute little loft. Man was I impressed. Great cocktails, large portion sizes, and probably the best fried chicken I've ever had. Wonderful service as well. Sounds like hyperbole but it's not. Come here if you're on the fence. read more

The Nest - Chicken and waffles, jambalaya, fried chicken dinner, braised short ribs. - Southern Near Me - Schenectady, New York

We came to the nest for brunch for my birthday. We are from Albany and drove out to Schenectady as all the reviews I read were making me so excited to try it! We came early and explored the farmers market around the block and then arrived at brunch and were immediately sat. We ordered 2 drinks and our waitress Sam was very attentive to our table. I ordered the Chicken and Waffles and received 5 pieces of fried chicken which were crisp and juicy and a waffle which was super fluffy and delicious. We also got the order of biscuits and the blackberry jam was to die for! The restaurant is beautiful and. A great spot to go to! We can't wait to come back! read more

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Service was promptly , the ambiance is nice love the setup, I like the crab cakes .I also got shrimp & grits not really the best thing was really disappointed but overall service was good I'll return for Happy Hour . read more

This restaurant is a diamond in the rough! On State St. in Schenectady, who knew how fantastic the food and service would be! Reservations are highly recommended. When you enter you are immediately created by host staff who come around, with their iPad to personally greet you to be seated immediately! Our table was upstairs, in the balcony seating, at the rail! The main floor is more casual seating and bar service. Once upstairs, there is a hidden gem, a dining room in an enclosed room behind a curtain drape. The outer balcony seating has a little more formal, padded chair seating and behind the curtain, a little more formal seating with tall back wooden chairs. I highly recommend the balcony seating!! Now let's talk staff, our waitress Marnie, was amazing, friendly, patient, and helpful offering recommendations and kindly answered all my questions. We laughed and she was proud of our accolades of her service and the food. We couldn't ask for more (and she even wrote a personal note at the top of our receipt). We were treated so well, it made you feel very special! The other wait and bus staff also took time to bring things to us and even offered to take our picture. Now, it's food time! First, the table setting is elegant and unique. Each setting has your silverware wrapped in a black linen napkin placed perfectly on a fine China side plate. Each plate was a different pattern and or shape allowing a piece of classic, nostalgic dining experience (and yet the dress code ranged from very casual through professionally casual at brunch). Each server wore black with the long gray tied apron from the waist down and the tri-fold white linen towel hanging and available at the waist. Again, everything you'd expect of a classic fine dining atmosphere and experience. We ordered mimosas (made perfectly) and later a copper lantern (the favorite drink of the day!) and a blueberry sangria special. If you hear anyone tell you their known for their biscuits, THAT is an understatement! I have never had a better buttermilk biscuit in my life! Flakey and amazingly delicious! Now imagine that with sausage gravy, yup that's what we had and I again say, hands down, it was the best sausage gravy I have ever tasted! It wasn't greasy it wasn't heavy it was perfect sausage Heaven in your mouth! My son, loves deviled eggs, and that with the sausage gravy were part of the small plates they had to offer. The deviled eggs, outstanding! And you got a whole egg cut in half in a beautiful presentation for $3.50! You can't make them yourself for that little. For our entrée we tried chicken and waffles and a lobster Benny. The chicken and waffles, absolutely amazing! The chicken was cooked perfectly the outside was breaded but it was crispy, tasty, flavorful, again not greasy, and when you broke through, the chicken was moist and juicy. When you used the accompanying honey hot sauce and amazing maple syrup on the fantastic waffles with a fork full of that combination, there are no words that can describe the happy marriage of flavors in your mouth! I never thought that combination sounded or would be very appealing but once I tried it I can understand why people love it. I'd never be able to eat an order of it by myself because it's served on a platter and it's a 1/2 of chicken and a huge Belgian-style waffle (already divided into quarters). I ordered the lobster Benny. First, I was impressed that it was on one of their epic biscuits (and not an English muffin)! Then they had a thin slice of fried green tomato (again not greasy and super flavorful) with a perfectly poached egg (not too hard, not too runny, it was really "just right") with chunks of fresh, real (no imitation here!) lobster and topped with the absolute best Hollandaise sauce that I've ever tasted. It was definitely scratch! You could even taste the hint of fresh lemon in every morsel. The Benny was served with fried potatoes (seemed more baked because again - not greasy) that were seasoned phenomenally with a hint of garlic, onion and Cayenne. I can't wait to go back because I know of at least 3 other things from the Brunch menu that I want to try! The most amazing part, was the price. Our 4 drinks were more than our food (two small plates and 2 entree's) and with tax it was still under $100! It was easy for us to leave more than 20% gratuity because it was an epic experience that had left me begging to go back for more. It has become my most favorite southern-style local semi-formal/professionally casual, local restaurant in the Capital Region. Kudos to the owners for making a statement and doing it right! To the cook and kitchen staff for a clean, delightful, and deliciously decadent culinary experience and presentation. And to the waist, serving, and hosting staff for making dining there a very enjoyable, relaxing and fulfilling experience. I am truly looking forward to going there again! read more

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Amazing. First time today for brunch. I recommend a reservation! We are at the bar cause they were booked at 1030 am! Staff was friendly and quick. Food was out of this world and I want to go back and try like everything else!! read more

The Nest - Peach Bellini - Southern Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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This place is amazing! At first we went for the great food every week, then while meeting the owners they gave us a quick tour of the rooms! So beautiful! Each with a theme of its own! Can't wait to come this track season with the family and enjoy the food, rooms and staff! Thank you Michelle and Rich for the best few years!! See you soon! read more

Delicious! Great ambiance and service. We were able to get a reservation relatively quickly, it's a busy restaurant but social distancing guidelines were met, servers and staff were wearing masks and guests until seated. Very cute spot. read more

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Some of the best Mac n cheese I've ever had! Thank you to the establishment for the wonderful service, y'all are great!

First time going here...it was fantastic!!! The fried chicken n waffles and the country fried steak and grits were out of this world! A must try is the grit tots. Bring your appetite as portions are generous. A must try!! We loved it read more

Mixed review...but won't be back. Location is horrible. Downstairs couch/table was a joke. So uncomfortable, leaning back, can barely reach your food without trying to sit up and lean forward. Gross that they even think this is acceptable. Apps: all were really good except the wedge lettuce salad. The lettuce was a brown on the inside and the texture was horrible. Crab cake was good. Fried tomato good as well. Specialty drinks tasted like there was no alcohol in them at all. That was 3 different people all saying the same thing. Very week for the extremely high cost. Fried chicken meal is a horrible. It's $26 for several small pieces of deep fried chicken with little meat. It's more like a hen, tiny chicken. The leg was the size of those in an order of wings and the breast was no bigger than 2" x 2". I can't believe a restaurant would even serve this...and for $26 bucks! An order of boneless wings/chicken fingers from anyplace is half the price and 3 times the chicken. I got the Mac/cheese and whipped sweet potato as the sides. Cold sweet potato, and Mac/cheese was like a brick and dry as hell. It was not edible. I recommend this place if perhaps just for an app, but the dinner was over priced and a total rip off. Also, the decor downstairs is BAD. Not just the gross couch, but the chairs at some of the tables sit way too low, making the table chest high and hard to eat. Also, that weird green neon sign on the wall has got to go! Our entire table, food, everything was GREEN! It reflected off of everything. SO BAD! Another restaurant that will eventually close in this crappy city is all this is. We did like our server though. I still can't get over the chicken. I have never had such a crappy thing served to me...us, there were two of us who ordered this and felt this way. They try to make it sound good calling it "half a chicken", lol. They should be ashamed of this meal. Talentless and a total ripoff. But wait, let's not forget the dry/stale strawberry cobbler for desert. The cobbler was obviously cut well in advance so all of the outside edges had become stale...and the thing was beyond dry. Flavorless vanilla ice cream on top didn't help. read more

Tonight we had an amazing dinner! From cocktails, apps, dinner and dessert we have zero complaints! We nearly crawled out of there. Barbara was our server and she was incredible. She helped us decide the best cocktails! We can't wait to come back! read more

The Nest - Fried green tomatoes, Mac and cheese with no meat! - Southern Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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Worse over breaded chicken I've ever had ... collard greens too sweet... this place is extremely overrated read more

I absolutely love The Nest! Great service, great drinks, ABOVE THE TOP food, what more can you ask for?!

Great chicken sandwich. Crispy and not greasy. Best I have ever had and reasonable price

Fabulous dinner last night at The Nest. Great food selection. Everything was delicious. The service couldn't haven't been better. We didn't feel rushed at all. Highly recommend. read more

Delicious!! Started with a Tennessee mimosa and a Kismet I believe it was called. Both were amazing, with the latter being multiple depths of flavor. The mimosa was simple but generous. I had the chicken benedict with ham, Avocado, poached egg, etc over a yummy biscuit and hubby got a dad. Delicious, substantial portions, plated beautifully. The service here was also great and very pleasant. We definitely had a great time for brunch and I highly recommend you check it out. Only small caveat isn't any fault of theirs, but parking in the area isn't free and is something of a pain. But it's worth the hassle! read more

Food outrageously great. Loved the atmosphere and service. Arrived and told hour wait but within 10 minutes they found a place for us, that is true service read more

The service was quick and food was tasty. We were a big group with kids. We were seated quickly.

Weekend brunch is a treat - we had reservations. Very busy - we and everyone else in the place had tickets to see HAMILTON at Proctors. The food was great - we ordered the very BEST biscuits to nibble on with a cocktail while we waited for our delicious food to be served. read more

The staff is stellar, super friendly, offer suggestions if u sure, they kept the table clean and drinks full. Our waitress even left us a note on the receipt. The food is so good. I started with the nest fries, think poutine with bacon and a fried egg so tasty. Add a biscuit and this easily could be a brunch item. Dinner I had the pork chop. Nice smoke flavor with corn purée and croquet of rice. The pork was juicy not dry and went well with the accompaniment. For dessert a peanut butter pie with vanilla ice cream. Honestly it didn't need the ice cream. So tasty. read more

We came in for an impromptu dinner and decided to eat at the bar. No one else was seated there so we figured we would be in an out in a decent time frame. The bartender came over after a few minutes to see if she could get us anything. It seemed that we were interrupting her bottle and counter wiping, but she got us menus none the less. After about 15 minutes we said that we would like to order and she said she would be right with us , and she continued to wipe down the counters and bottles. Strange but ok - she did say she would be right with us so I figured she would be ..... right with us. I was wrong. To wrap this up , after what was about another 15 min of being ignored, we left without ordering - so I can't tell you about the food. We won't be going back to find out either. read more

We went here for Brunch. The waitstaff and atmosphere have a full five stars in my opinion. But the food and cocktails need some attention. I respect all restaurants that are staying in business and working through inflation costs. In my opinion a restaurant should be all about the food quality. I got a lemonade and vodka, the drink tasted like powder. No sugar, no fresh lemons, just powder and a tablespoon of vodka. My friend ordered an espresso martini. She didn't like it either. For food, my friend ordered the special which was a crab cake Benny. She liked it. I got eggs with spare ribs on top of hash browns. There was hardly any spare ribs in the dish and no flavor to the eggs. Also the spare ribs tasted like they were close to the expiration date. The hash browns were sad oily potato chunks. I love breakfast and don't think it's too hard to make. I paid in total $40 for a drink & plate of crap. Tipped our waitress because it's not her fault. She was so nice and attentive. I won't go back, not worth $40. read more

Off the bat, this spot has a very nice atmosphere. I ordered the chicken and waffles and it was amazing. The chicken's supple skin was quite luxurious and crispy with only the most fine spices. The insides were very juicy; a great comfort food. The rich waffles melted in my mouth perfectly and exquisitely. The lattes were so good too :) Customer service was on point. Please make Sara the DJ. Love u Sara. 10 out of 5 stars. Exquisite. read more