Totally blown away by this restaurant. The service was casual but attentive, the staff dressed…read morecasually and the vibe very laid back but everything was on point. The menu is varied and offers something for everyone. I absolutely loved our first meal here and it was just appetizers. I can't wait to come back and try the Ruben and lobster bisque. We are planning to return here several times during our next few weeks in Albany. The parking is challenging as the back lot shares with at least 3 other restaurants but it is well worth the effort

My partner treated me to lunch at Ale & Oyster. While I was excited to come, my expectations for…read morethe resto were not entirely met: -Our server ignored us for at least half an hour. We couldn't easily flag someone down to take our orders. -Our waters tasted like fish water :( -I ordered a house salad with added shrimp, but I only got 3 pieces of shrimp. It didn't feel like it was worth my money. Not sure if I would return again.

The Boulevard is a gem in Albany! Combines the best of two classics that once called Albany, NY…read morehome- Sam's Italian Restaurant and the Riverfront Bar & Grill on The Barge. Excellent food; great service. Friendly staff, chef, and owner

We visited The Boulevard Sat. 11/08/25 for dinner & drinks. This address was formerly Sam's…read moreItalian-American Restaurant. The new owners are from the River Front Bar & Grill aka The Barge on the Hudson River. Near capacity on this Sat. evening. First impression was how much brighter it is now. Bar & tables in the front (the wall was taken out) & the other dining area in the back. Also TVs were added & electronic dart game. More of a neighborhood pub feel, "An American Grille with a Taste of Italy". This is reflected in their Hours of Operation: Monday: CLOSED Tuesday: CLOSED Wednesday: 3pm - 10pm Thursday: 3pm - 10pm Friday: 3pm - 12am Saturday: 3pm - 12am Sunday: 12pm - 10pm The Barge & Sam's favorites are featured on the new menu. Dinners were a generous sliced sirloin sandwich w/ fries ($19) and Sam's linguine w/ white clam sauce-more than a dozen clams, garlic toast ($26/ app $16). Great choices at a good value. They're are 13 apps on the menu. Service was backed up a bit as we were here two weeks after their soft opening. But the owner, Cheri acknowledged to us the wait time. Thirty minutes was not a problem for us on this busy evening. The bartender, Dana M was very welcoming & professional. Great job Dana! Again very good first impression. We will definitely go back again. Thank you again to all the servers & kitchen staff. We wish you all success. Nick & Liz, Albany, NY, USA

Loved this spot. I can't lie they didn't pay as much attention to us cause we weren't like regulars…read morewhen 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??

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

My Partner and I go for karaoke. We love the food and the staff. The people who go there are great,…read moreperfect Atmosphere. Sliders are provided by Slidin Dirty and are always good. The wings are great, and I suggest the avocado fries. They host events in the back and don't discriminate

Made a reservation for 5pm dinner a week before and after we were seated the bar tender notified us…read morethat the cook had just gotten there and we wouldn't be able to get food until 7pm?? We had tickets for a show @7:30 so that definitely wasn't gonna work. Why would you accept reservations if you don't have a cook on staff? I don't recommend this restaurant. They should get zero stars in my book!!!

4th time there and every time the food was delicious. As they say you get what you pay for. The…read morequality is worth it. The staff is worth it.

It was our first time trying this restaurant to celebrate my wife's birthday. They added…read moredecorations on our table and also gave my wife a small cake and candle which was a nice gesture. Steak was great and service was excellent. Our server was very friendly and even the manager stopped at our table to greet us. We will definitely come back.

I love restaurants but what I dislike the most about them is the unneeded wastefulness. Why…read morerestaurants need to give plastic utensils with every takeout meal is beyond me. Which is why I'm always excited when a takeout place gives you the option to select "no utensils". Alas every single time I order takeout, juniors ignores the no utensils request and gives me more plastic waste I don't know what to do with. Food is good and fast, but every time I open the bag and see they provided a fork knife and spoon for me to eat a sandwich...I'm annoyed!

My friends and I came here to watch a game and this place is definitely fun for that! Theres plenty…read moreof screens and we were sat promptly. However, the food and service was lacking a bit. Our order of drinks and food was gotten wrong a handful of times and I found that the dessert pretzels tasted rather burnt. My friends found their meal alright. They do have a pretty large menu and have other bar food so there's other things to try but overall, this place is fun to watch games with friends and grab a drink but I'd probably choose elsewhere to grab a meal beforehand.

Not really used to leaving reviews but ever since this place got a new chef, the food has been…read morephenomenal. I got the fried catfish filet with rice and it was juicy and well seasoned. The rice came with a sauce so the flavor combo was immaculate. I hate Salad but this one actually complemented it cause it was refreshing Genuinely the best fried fish I've had in Albany so far. Below are the before and after pictures of that meal. There was no one out front but the chef came out himself and took my order. Jamaican accent, sealed the deal for me that the food was gonna be good before he went back inside. Pretty decor and they were playing some good music. Place is pretty empty but oh well... More table space for me

Nice place to stop and eat. Love the Steak and Meatball Sandwiches here. Food and drinks were…read moredelicious here. Again, another good family type of atmosphere to be with friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands and wives. Servers were cool here. Very professional, i love it.

What does "dive bar' really mean anyway? It's a terrible word, and furthermore I think it is been…read moreco-opted by the younger generation. There, I said it. Joe's Grill is not a place to go see and be seen. It's not where you go chasing the latest cult beer can release. One might look at it and think it's not a place to go for the food either. Those people would be wrong. Are there regulars in there, sucking down beers on a Saturday afternoon? You bet there are. If you get there early, you might even inadvertently sit in one of their seats. But don't worry about it. You're just visiting. They know you'll be gone before too long. Actually, if you order food, you might be at Joe's longer than you might suspect. The food is cooked to order, and it's worth the wait. The wings are seriously good. Now I want to go back and try the pizza. Actually, I want to try a lot of the things on the menu. I'm not entirely sure about the dining room. There's a pool table right in the middle. And while nobody was playing, I found sitting at the bar felt like a much more natural place to be. But this isn't the place to come with a group. They have beer on tap. But beer in bottles is probably a better option. Judging by the empties, It looks like they go through a lot of bottles, so I would expect product cycles through with some regularity. When drinking macro brews, I prefer them to be impossibly cold. But old refrigerators aren't quite up for the task. Still, that's okay. Because do you know what Joe's has that places with colder refrigerators don't? Character. And it's not a character that can be created or imitated. You can't artfully decorate your way to a soulful bar on a forgotten stretch of Central Avenue. But you should find a way to get yourself there. For fried fatty foods, beer in bottles, and some classic rock on the jukebox. It feels wrong to take an Uber or a Lyft. Maybe you can have the car pick you up or drop you off next door, and you can walk the 90 feet to Joe's. Then maybe you could feel like you're part of the neighborhood. More than anything else, this is a neighborhood tavern. And Albany's taverns are this region's diamonds in the rough. They may not look like much, but the culinary and cultural wealth they hold inside is staggering.

Very cool spot - definitely a dive bar atmosphere. Everyone was really nice, didn't feel…read moreuncomfortable at all. Drinks were good and affordable. Pool was great too! I'd definitely come here with friends again.

The food was delicious, the server Jeff was attentive and knowledgeable about the wine and menu…read more The building itself was rustic with exposed beams on the second floor. My only qualm was the lemon chicken wasn't very lemony but it was very good!

Neat wine and booze shop. Staff helps folks. Quite large bottle and mixers selection. Prices are…read morelittle bit steep and it needs new lights. Cute shop! Review: 5

My go to place when I need a bottle of wine! Great neighborhood business with Friday night wine…read moretastings. They always have a terrific selection of wine. Staff is very knowledgeable! The building is old and the shop is tiny, but packed with lots of options!