My wife and I visited the Ritz in Niskayuna recently and were very pleasantly surprised by not only the amazing food and atmosphere, but also the warm and friendly service. Our server was Ananiah. He greeted us with a warm smile, remembered our orders, frequently checked in to make sure we were comfortable and still gave us space. Even one of the owners, Anthony, took the time to greet us, spend a bit of time and laughs and made us feel like family. GREAT PLACE! WILL RETURN. read more

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

The service team and kitchen team are not in sync. Slow , slow...... We sat with our appetizer plates for over 1/2 hour with numerous servers and the hostess walked by. Hostess can clean tables but not assist servers with clean up. Had a 5:45 reservation, at 7:09, we asked for our dinners to be served or have them boxed, as we theatre tickets. 3 meals were lukewarm warm and the pizza was hot, it would be appear that the table that was seated after us got our pizza. No check ins, no customer service, no apologies....will not return. read more

My wife and I took our daughter and her friend here while visiting her at college. The food was mid. Not bad, but not great considering the prices. That said, if the rest of the experience was positive then I'd either leave a positive review or no review. Unfortunately that was NOT the case. First impression... the restaurant is priced like a fairly high end establishment, not like a 5-Star Michelin establishment... but certainly more than a chain. The food however is just good, not great. The decor and vibe also doesn't live up to that billing. The tables are cramped, leaving little room for walking or privacy; the table we had also wobbled which was annoying but not the end of the world. Initially these flaws were easy to overlook, I was looking forward to a nice meal and a good time with my daughter and her friend. Once seated and settled however things SLOWLY changed and not for the better. We were seated and sat there for 20 minutes (NO EXAGGERATION) before the waitress came to our table. The hostess noticed us looking around after 15-20minutes and flagged down the waitress. Our drink order took over 10 minutes, that's not great but it felt worse after waiting 20 already. So from sitting to first drinks and water we were already 30 minutes in. We ordered calamari at the same time we ordered drinks. The calamari arrived about 40minutes later... this is no exaggeration, we sat down at 6:30 and the calamari wasn't delivered till just about 7:30. This was all made worse by the fact that a couple seated just next to us (but served by a different waitress) were seated maybe 15 minutes after us, but they had drinks and appetizer well before us. This is just horrible. Anyway... I was prepared to assume we just got a bad waitress or our waitress was having an off-day... so I didn't immediately write a negative review. Instead I sent the restaurant an email. I waited several days for a response. NOTHING. Not looking for free food... I only go to Schenectady a few times a year to visit my kid. I'm not going to risk ruining one of my few nights with her by heading here again... but had they responded it would at least indicate that they care about customer feedback. Their lack of response indicates they don't... and so now I'm writing this. I'd suggest avoiding. read more

The atmosphere was quite nice. Love the decor. I ordered a speciality cocktail, my friend ordered a mimosa. 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. read more

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My fiancé and I stopped in last night for a quick bite before we left town. We wanted to share a pizza and pasta dish, as we did. It was very slow, but made for a nice quiet dinner. It was very pretty inside and clean. The pizza was very good and the pasta was amazing! It was perfect for what we needed! read more

The Ritz on Union - Margarita pizza - Pizza Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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I met my friend here for lunch today and the Service was awful. I arrived first, and the waiter never came over to take my drink order until my friend arrived. He never even brought water to the table. Then I ordered an unsweetened Iced tea and the server never brought my Iced Tea until my friend flagged over the chef who happened the be on the dining room floor, 10 minutes later. They were not slammed busy, they weren't busy at all. Then... we ordered The Fig Jam Pizza and Strawberry Spinach salad to share. The server brought them out at the same time instead of the salad first. Okay - not a big deal right! But the Pizza did not have arugula on it, as described. When we asked about the arugula, the server said; they usually sprinkle it on the top and I guess he forgot. Talk about blowing us off! The menu describes the Pizza " topped with a balsamic reduction- not topped with Arugula. Service was slow and he couldn't care less about our table. We'll never go back there again! read more

The Ritz on Union - Lunch menu description of Fig Jam pizza. - Pizza Near Me - Schenectady, New York

We've tried this place a few times now and it just seems to be poorly managed with subpar quality of food. I think if they focused more on boosting the flavor of the food, and less on aesthetics, this place could really be a hot spot for Union street. With all respect. read more

Ritz/Homestyle did chicken parm, penne, meatballs/sausage for 10 - it was awesome. Had a chocolate cake with strawberry & whipped cream frosting from the new in house bakery. It was killer. read more

Great all around experience. We came into town for an event. Searched best restaurants in Schenectady and we were not disappointed. Anthony and staff were fantastic and the food was even better. It is our new restaurant of choice in the Capital region and we look forward to returning soon! read more

Ehhh. Flavors there but a rare steak coming out well done 2 hours after ordering and having a slice of steak on top of yours that isn't even the same cut cooked correctly was just wrong... especially after $39 maybe busy, maybe cooked called out, sometimes your the bug sometimes your the windshield. read more

This is an extension of I love New York pizza on the Union st strip. It's a biz casual dine in restaurant with authentic Italian food. It's on a pricier side for the quality and ambiance of the restaurant. The service was excellent, our waitress was attentive to our needs and checked on us a few times WHAT WE ORDERED Carbonara it was on the saltier side, it was very greasy I wouldn't order again. Lemon herb panko baked haddock 10/10 Spaghetti squash 10/10 Arancini they made it very authentically like they do in Italy. My aunt kept praising on this dish that it tastes so similar to the arancini she had in Sicily. Only improvement would be to serve it with a spoon so customers can use it for the sauce. Creme brulee This creme brulee was not too sweet and perfectly made. Typically it's very sweet when used order at French bakeries. Ricotta zeppoli Interesting fried donut dish, it reminds me of Dunkin's munchkins. It came with caramel and chocolate sauces for dipping. It was very filling I don't think I'd order again. Highly recommend if you're craving Italian food on Union st. read more

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The service and food were amazing! Nicole was our server and she was super friendly. Jared is the Executive Chef and makes fantastic food!! We ordered the Caesar salad, lasagna, short rib ragout, and creme brûlée for dessert. Everything was a 10/10. Highly recommend!! read more

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Went last night on a belated holiday gathering with some friends. Missed the happy hour deals on drinks because we didn't sit at the bar. The Blood Orange Cosmo does not currently have blood orange juice in it based on the color. The rolls came out so hot we couldn't touch them. The pasta fazioli has no meat (which is not always common), the side of risotto was EXCELLENT. As were the brussel sprouts. The penne ala vodka was fine, but I would try something else next time (I'm looking at you salmon topped risotto), and my husband had the strawberry salad and the short rib sliders. Which he gave okay reviews for. I don't think he'd order them again either. read more

Great braised sliders! Drinks were phenomenal. I opted for an old fashioned & it's one of the capital regions finest. This is a no rush kind of spot. Relax & enjoy. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Friendly staff with decent prices & quality ingredients. We'll be back for sure! read more

The Ritz on Union - Braised sliders - Pizza Near Me - Schenectady, New York

The food here is really good, there just seems to be a disconnect between the (wonderful) server and kitchen. I've been here twice. Both times, my salad did not come with carrots as described in the menu. Both separate times, we were charged for items that never arrived to our table (side of vegetables and a drink). I ordered a dessert specifically with a flavor of ice cream that they had ran out of, but I was not informed and simply given another flavor instead that I did not want. What food did arrive was genuinely delicious, so I'm not complaining about the quality. read more

My husband and I stopped in for lunch on Sunday afternoon while we were in Schenectady for the day after reading the great reviews. The restaurant was decorated beautifully for Valentine's Day. Very clean and welcoming. We started out with hot soft dinner rolls with garlic butter. Fresh and delicious. We had meatballs, wedge salad and beet and burrata salad for appetizers. I'm extremely picky about meatballs and these were amazing! Flavorful and just the right amount of sauce and cheese. I had the eggplant parm and husband had the lasagna. Definitely one of the best eggplant dishes I've had at a restaurant. The owner. Anthony, stopped by our table and we had some nice conversation. Wait staff was attentive and personable. Topped off our meal with a delicious light strawberry cake topped with fresh strawberries. We look forward to our next trip to the area so we can have another great meal. 10 out of 10! read more

Ate lunch with work colleagues. Unfortunately, none of us were impressed with the food. Two of us had eggplant Parmesan. We ordered subs but got a platter and didn't have time to change it. It was very mushy. One had a bowl of pasta fagioli. Was mostly broth. Another had an antipasti salad which was just ok. We had wings with Thai chili sauce that were good. Waitress was nice except for taking our order wrong. They have simple tasteful design of the room. It had a nice feel when we entered. The menu is ok but if they are going for fancy (which the prices imply) get couple of veal dishes. Not terrible but not great. I don't feel an urge to return soon. read more

We checked out The Ritz during restaurant week. We liked what they did with the place, the decorations on the ceiling was a nice touch. Our server was very friendly. They had a decent drink list. My husband had two of their old fashioned (maple and a pear one). He really enjoyed the Pear one. I had a strawberry margarita, it was tasty! For appetizers we had the Arancini and the pulled pork sliders. The Arancini was a good size, if it was a normal week I'd share with my husband. He had the meatball Parm for dinner and I had the Chicken Penne Ala Vodka. His meatballs were delicious! Mine was very good but the sauce temperature was inconsistent throughout the dish. The desert was my favorite part, I had the strawberry shortcake, which was delicious. The whipped cream was homemade and a nice touch. read more

The Ritz on Union - The Arancini - Pizza Near Me - Schenectady, New York

We really enjoyed our food - it was generous and nicely seasoned and the service was perfect! The reason I didn't give 5 stars is that the restaurant is a large open room with nothing to cushion the noise! There was a couple with a baby sitting near the door, and we could barely talk over the babies noise, not to speak of a group of six diners at the other end of the dining room, who were laughing and talking very loudly. It was impossible to carry on any conversations without raising our voices, and even then, difficult to be heard. The waitress even had trouble hearing us over those two tables. Yes, just two tables besides ours, and the noise level was so high that it made the meal unpleasant. It's a shame. Everything about the place otherwise was excellent. We may return, but only for take out. read more

We had the garlic knots and clams as appetizers. Both had tremendous taste as well as elegance in their appearance. For my main dish I had the Chicken, Bacon, Ranch 4 cut pizza. This isn't gas station pizza, it's authentic New York brick oven pizza! All of it was delicious. Our waitress never missed a low glass of water and gave us refills in a timely manner. Check out the bathrooms while you're there as they have a ring light and built in Bluetooth speaker. Overall satisfied. read more

The Ritz on Union - Chicken Bacon Ranch 4 cut - Pizza Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Fantastic food and excellent service. This is the second time I ate at The Ritz and I was equally impressed with both lunch and dinner.

I've gotta say I thought the Ritz on Union was pretty good after we went there for restaurant week on Monday night, but after seeing pictures other people have posted of the EXACT same dishes (the carbonara and broccoli rabe) that had way more garnishes and looked like completely different and much yummier dishes, I am sad We had the blood orange cosmo and pear old-fashioned which were both good! Then the clams and the shrimp and calamari - which were great, but I saw a pic of someone else's clams without the big bowl of sauce, which was why we loved them so much. Not sure why the other patrons would not have gotten the star of the dish... I will say the desserts pictured were awesome! The flourless chocolate cake and ricotta zeppoli went perfectly together as we used the sauces from the zeppoli on the cake too We also had the same issue some others have mentioned of not having our server come around often enough and constantly being out of water. I know this place is new and do think it has strong potential! I am just not sure why it seems that the same dishes are not always presented the same way or even garnished at all. I also think that water pitchers/larger water glasses/more frequent refills should be standard practice at all restaurants, but maybe I drink way more water than others ‍ read more

The Ritz on Union - Carbonara (back) and Broccoli Rabe (front) - Pizza Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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We enjoyed every dish - started with clams in garlic and white wine, spicy wings, and garlic knots with marinara. Then sausage and broccoli rabe pizza, burgers with HOT (vs cold) fries and solid cheesesteak. Signature old fashioned was amazing and Rosè a delight. We'll be back! read more

Just no. We were 1 of maybe 4 tables of patrons. The server was not attentive at all, to the point that we almost just walked out. The pizza was extremely greasy. The wings were so fried that they were hard as a rock and inedible. Nothing could be said to the server bc they barely acknowledged we we were even there. Everything is overpriced....EVERYTHING!!! They want to call it fine dining when they have people from the pizzeria side making a lot of noise and the door opening / closing every other minute. There are some really good Italian restaurants in the area, but this is NOT one of them. Truly disappointed read more

Tried the Ritz for the first time the other night. Always been a huge fan of the original business for takeout and catering (Homestyle) so I was excited to try it. Well it didn't disappoint!!!! The new dining room area and bar are absolutely amazing and modern!!!! We started with the arancini and pasta Fagioli soup for appetizers. Both were amazing! Then my wife and I had chicken parm and it was also fantastic. The portion sizes were good as well as the prices for the quality of the food you get. Our friends got the carbonara and the haddock (sorry no pic, it came out blurry) which was also amazing. Now for the thing that you MUST get here! The Zeppoli for desert, all I can say is OMG!!!! It's heaven in a plate. read more

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-Food was good -Staff was friendly -Type of restaurant where I leave and then say "I want to come back to this place" read more

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Amazing food and remarkably even better service. Stopped in here last week with my partner for the first time, Anthony the owner as well as employees were welcoming and pay great attention to detail. They know how to create an experience, well done! read more

On November 30th I had a Celebration of Life lunch at The Ritz on Union. The staff went above and beyond to make the day special. I was able to plug in a flash drive into their tv to play a slideshow of pictures. The ambiance was just perfect! They provided appetizers that I wasn't aware of but everyone enjoyed them. We got chicken parm with ziti for lunch and the portions were generous and delicious, most took some home. Very happy with the whole event! Thank you so much!! read more

My wife and I ate at the Ritz last even informed for the first time. We both had specialty crafted cocktails that were delish. The arancini is just like my sister makes and the dinners we exceptional. When I lived in Niskayuna years ago Homestyle was know for their pizza. I love the growth of the business under the next generation, keep up the great work. When in Niskayuna, when rolling by the ritz, make sure you stop for a great meal! read more

One of the best italian restaurants in the area that we've gone to. My wife had the best eggplant she's ever had. I got to sample the awesome gluten free baked ziti. Fantastic sauces and great service. We met the owner and were so disappointed that someone had reviewed the place as a expanded pizza experience. We were there for lunch, but also got a look at the extensive dinner menu. We would highly recommend this for anyone in the Schenectady/Albany area. Great experience overall. We'll definitely be back. read more

I've been here a number of times...date night, extended family gatherings, out with friend, or take out. The food (apps, entrees) has consistently been very, very good, and the service has been friendly and timely. I like the decor...lights, contemporary wreaths...it makes meals out feel a little extra special, even if we're not fancy. :-) read more

This place is very lovely inside. The decor brings about a very nice feel. We tried this place for the first time during restaurant week. We went for a lunch service and I booked the reservation immediately after seeing the menu they were offering! The food was great. Had the chicken soup and lobster chowder. Both absolutely delicious. The main course was a Philly cheesesteak and my partner had the pizza. My sandwich was great! This is where things start to change when it comes to our overall opinion on the restaurant. My partner found a hair in the pizza located under some cheese. She saw it just in time as she was about to bite in to it. It was only visible as that's where the pizza was sliced. She did not want to continue eating (who would blame her) and so I got the attention of our server and let her know quietly as I did not want others to overhear. Her response shocked us. She looked at it and then back to us and said something along the lines of, oh looks like an eyelash. Do you want to keep eating it or...we could make a new one. Clearly we did not want to keep eating food that had someone else's hair in it. So we requested to have it taken away. The overall response wasn't appropriate in my eyes and then nothing was done to make up for this horrible experience. So overall it would take a lot for us to return. Had this place not made us feel this way about an issue that was their fault, our view and option on the place would be completely different. read more

My family of four visited the Ritz and they could not get us out fast enough. They were clearing off our table as we were still eating. The place was not even a quarter full. My wife ordered a martini and the glass was barely half full. Paying $15 for a martini the least you can do it fill the glass. Then they tried to take the glass away before she even finished it. She actually had to tell them 'No I'm not finished yet.' Then came the bill. I handed my credit card and when the receipt came back my wife was about to add the tip and sign when I saw that they automatically charged a 20% gratuity. Now this is what I typically give but the fact they automatically added the gratuity and charged the card, and that the receipt still had a line for tip makes me wonder how many unknowing guests end up tipping twice because of it. read more

The Ritz on Union - a receipt for a trip - Pizza Near Me - Schenectady, New York

Went to the Ritz on Union Mother's day. We didn't have a reservation but they were very accommodating. The food was excellent, My son had been there before and enjoyed it and on his suggestion we went. They had a special Mother's Day menu. All of us were very pleased with the food.The Arancini were outstanding and the sauce was light and flavorful. Lamb chops were well prepared and the spaghetti squash entree was done perfectly. Didn't get any bread and saw it getting served to other tables of course I could have asked. But I won't minus a star for that. Considering the crowd the serving staff did a good job.Nice looking bar area and noise level was good. Will definitely go again. read more

I went there with my girlfriend and the food was amazing and our waitress nicole was a sweetheart

We went for dinner during Restaurant Week in Schenectady. We have never been before and we gave to say it's a lovely place, nice decor and great staff. Our waitress, Selena, was very pleasant and a great waitress as we came by to check on us more than once and even was happy to take our picture. The food was great and we will definitely be coming back. Even the Host came to check on us during this very busy evening. The food was served in a timely manner. Glad they have their own parking lot. Overall we give The Ritz 5 stars! read more

The Ritz on Union - Flourless chocolate cake and strawberry shortcake. Delicious! - Pizza Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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Service was responsive & kind. The food was fresh tasting & exceeded my expectations. The drink specials were both entertaining & delicious. I highly recommend this place. read more

Great pizza, and stuffed peppers were great. Excellent services. Great ambiance. Guests felt welcome. read more

The Ritz on Union - Pizza Near Me - Schenectady, New York

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The staff was super kind and made every attempted to make sure our experience was great. Syleena was our server and she was amazing. The actual food on the other hand was good just nothing spectacular. So if you want great service and good ambiance this is your place. If you are looking for the greatest flavor of your life this may not be it. read more

The Ritz on Union - Margarita pizza - Pizza Near Me - Schenectady, New York