The good old places like 76, Denny’s and TGIF are getting old, and our region is rich with different restaurants and diners.
So let’s hear about some places you’ve been to, how was the food, the price, the service, and see what we come up with
Ftw :1
76 diner sucks. Expensive for average food at best. I love TGIF and can’t believe you lumped it into the same group as 76 and Denny’s.
Koto’s habachi dinner… awesome. A little pricey ($30 a person), but it was great. Can’t wait to do it again.
Old Chicago on Wolf Road- not too pricey, but really good food esp. the pasta and pizza
TGIF :banana and Red Robin…Koto is also really good, kinda pricey but good
677 Prime :bowdown, pretty expensive, but very good
Subway in the Mobile station
Corner of Wolf and Sand Creek!
I work there!
We even have personal pan pizzas. they fuckin ROCK!
Lombardo’s down in Albany is good eats no matter what you order, 677 Prime in Albany is also really good too, Carmine’s is good too. All alittle pricey but definitely worth it.
Koto is good too, I go there alot.
Hiro’s on Central Ave in Colonie is another Japanese restaraunt and is pretty decent.
You can almost never go wrong at Delmonico’s and for the price, it’s great food.
Mangia in Stuyvesant Plaza.
And there’s a place in Schenectady on Union St. right next to Patrick’s Barber Shop called Scotti’s. Little Italian restaraunt and their penne with vodka sauce is probably the best around here!
How about some good expensive restaurants?
I need to go celebrate some stuff tomorrow night but I never went to any good restaurants in the capital region, so if you know of one please post.
Oh, and TGIF, Olives, Macaroni and Grill is not what I am looking for, I want something more classy.
Thanks
I dunno how you people can say 677 prime is “pretty expensive” or a “little pricey”. That place is probably the best restaurant in the area and you do pay for it. It’s very expensive. But def the place to go if you are celebrating something.
McGuire’s in albany is very nice too. A smaller place, but high class food for a little cheaper than 677.
See above, all the one’s I posted above are on the expensive end except for Delmonico’s
If you go to 677 be sure to get there dessert pie that says it serves 2-4 people. My girlfriend and I got the coconut cream pie and we ate it for 4 days thats how big it was. Overall 677 is really good, be prepared to make reservations and wear something a little nicer than t-shirt and jeans. Lombardi’s in Wynantskill is a pretty good place as well, everything I get there is really good. The stuffed pork chops rock, as well as the pasta verde or I think thats what it was called.
If your looking for something on the cheap there is a place pepper jacks in albany kitty corner to the tramp post. For two people it’s around $20 or less depending on what you get. I usually get the cajun chicken wrap and a side of cheese fries. Or theres a place here by me that Timmay has me addicted to Zenbu, and that make some awesome sushi rolls. I tend to stick to the salmon rolls. 8 rolls and it’s about $7. If thats all you plan on getting make sure you bring cash because they have a $10 minimum on credit/debit orders.
Formal: 677 Prime, La Familigia/Malozzi’s(they only do a Wednesday buffet now, but its still kick ass and cheap for what it is,) Wheatfields in Saratoga is also good(the woman who owns that also owns JT’s Shrimp shack,) The Real Seafood company has never let me down, but a lot of people don’t like it, I am a huge seafood junky fwiw, Verdiles in Troy(very italian, they are consistant to a fault, I’ve never had a bad meal and have gone there for the last 20+ years, not too pricey either), Cafe italia can be good, but its a little too italian for me, I’m always affraid someone in a corner table is going to be whacked Tony Soprano style, I’ve only been there a few times and I know its a chain, but Carraba’s(sp?) always suprises me with how good it is. My favorite is The Fort Orange club, its a private social club and there food is continental, which is my preference, so some may find it bland, but the ambiance is very old school, the service is fantastic and they have the best almond macaroons I’ve ever had. The problem is that its a private club, reservations are a must for the formal dining room and if your looking for something a little outside of normal your not going to find it there.
Semi formal: The boat house in coeymans, great ambiance in a relaxed sort of way, middle of the road pricing, in late spring dining on the deck over looking the Hudson is a very enjoyable way to eat a meal. Mercato’s, there are two of them one in Delmar the other in Schodack, this possibly could have been lumped into formal, but its not quite as nice, service not quite as good, but the food may be better. Smokey Bones, as good as bbq gets in this area. The Ripe Tomato in Saratoga, I don’t like this place much, but people I have brought there rave about it, again this could be lumped into formal, but since I don’t care for it, its semi. The Weathervane in saratoga, this is childhood favorite that I just had to include, basic seafood dishes that are great. Grandma’s on central ave, good old fashioned food, but be sure to save room for dessert, their pies and cakes are all homemade and delicious, Four Brothers in Valatie, they are a privately owned chain and do italian with a greek twist, they have I believe 9 Four brothers locations and 4 additional places that are exactly the same under a different name.
Pub style: By far the number one stunna in this arena for me is Beff’s, two locations, one in Delmar the other in Colonie on Everet Road, great pub food, good beer selection, good service you just can’t lose. The Sports Bar and Grill on rt 4 in East Greenbush has been pretty good, they opened just a few months ago in the old Benegans location and I’ve been there 5 or so times with only one less then good experience. The Towne Tavern in Averill Park, corner of 43 and 66, good pub food with a bbq twist, their food tends to be a little smokey, and service can be hit or miss, but the bar is finished very nice and they have a good selection of beer; they also have pizza but its not very good. Lake View in West Sand Lake is pretty good, they have pub food, pizza which is good and full dinners, one of the cooks drives a ITR(or at least used to,) Holmes and Watson in Troy is a very nice pub to eat at, great beer selection, very affordable prices and a unique ambience. The Ruck in troy is a crappy bar with great food, most of the night club places in downtown Albany are good for lunch.
I’m sure more will come to mind, and I’ll update. I have a lot of meetings over breakfast/lunch/dinner so I eat out way more then I’d like to. I’m not even going to get into take out, pizza, chinese or sushi or I will be here all night replying!
Quite a damn list you put down there I think you just covered the capital regions top restaurants
My family is all good friends with the owner there, he’s a really good guy.
Italian -> Villa Valenti in Averill Park (AMAZING)
Classy -> Wheatfields in Saratoga
Pizza -> Marino’s in Schenectady
Chinese -> Good Friends II in Schenectady
Steak -> Barnsider
Cheap -> Gus’s. If you don’t know, then you’re a newb; Bomber’s Burrito Bar
Best kept secret -> De John’s on Lark
So lets say I want to spend $60+tips on a meal for 2 but want it to be classy and formal, and it would be nice not to drive 40min to get there from Schenectady. Can someone recommend something like that for me 
Honestly, Wheat Fields is about that (I think they have a coupon in the clipper and/or Entertainment Book) and near 40 minutes. It’s a really nice place.
Classy in Schenectady? Malozzi’s isn’t bad at all.
you could do that at the barnsider. They have a badass salad bar that comes with all the dinners as well. If you get a drink each and an app then you will go over your $60+tips, but you get the idea.
bar/pub: Malt River Brewery and Brown’s Tap room - You cannot beat either of these places and if you have gone to either and still prefer another place then you are a fool. Malt has 28 beers on draft. And I’m not talking pussy beer like bud and coors. 90% of the beers on draft are microbrews or rarely seen imports. They also have a large selection of out of the norm bottles… and the food is kick ass. Brown’s tap room makes their own beer and it is quality stuff. Food is god damn good too. Can’t go wrong. I’d put Brown’s slightly above Malt, but since I live a half mile away from Malt I go there way more often.
browns for the win man.
their steak tips are to die for.
and the hefeweizen. MAN its amazing (it’s a lighter wheat beer they brew)
Scotti’s on Union St. in Schenectady might be a good one for you. It’s good Italian food.
No mention of Albany Pump Station? Yea, a bit pricey but good.
nope, not nearly as good as the two I mentioned, IMO.