Restaurants in Albany

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

DD is going to school in Troy, NY, across the river from Albany. Every time we go to visit her, I want to take her out for steak. Albany is the state capital, so I know there must be a couple of great steakhouses up there, but the reviews I've found on the Internet are always a few people giving the place a rave and a few people panning it completely. Unfortunately the pans always sound more "real" than the raves.

So...can anyone recommend a steakhouse or any other good restaurant up in that area? We have tried the Pump Station, to give one example of a place we like a lot and find very reasonable, but the steak wasn't good.

[Sance Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sance]

Envy Lounge

When I am in Albany I have enjoyed the food at The Envy Lounge on Pine Street.

Bob

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Can not tell you about a Steak house there but we had a great lunch in the Pizzeria across from RPI, Nice and large NYC style with many different toppings. Pizza was all fresh since the place is so busy.

[GeoPatSK Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close GeoPatSK]

Here are 2 suggestions.

If you like the “national brands”, try:

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE
145 Wolf Rd
Albany, NY 12205
518-482-4863

Otherwise try

TEAGAN'S STEAK & SEAFOOD
360 Columbia Turnpike
Rensselaer, NY 12144
518-477-9909

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Can not tell you about a Steak house there but we had a great lunch in the Pizzeria across from RPI, Nice and large NYC style with many different toppings. Pizza was all fresh since the place is so busy.

Hmmmm. Pizzeria across from RPI? Do you remember which side of the campus you were on? Near the Student Union? Nothing much on that side....hmmm.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Here are 2 suggestions.

If you like the “national brands”, try:

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE
145 Wolf Rd
Albany, NY 12205
518-482-4863

Otherwise try

TEAGAN'S STEAK & SEAFOOD
360 Columbia Turnpike
Rensselaer, NY 12144
518-477-9909

It's funny, Outback is the one "better" chain we're not crazy about. Maybe our local one isn't that great and that's sort of tinted our opinion of it....

We did go to a Smokey Bones on Central Avenue in Colonie, and that was fine as far as chains go. But again, it was a pretty poor excuse for a steak. I'll look into Teagan's though, thanks!

The Envy Lounge looks like it's very romantic, but the reviews I'm seeing are again, some five-stars (mostly for the atmosphere) and some one-stars (mostly for the food). What did you have there, Sance?

[gophish Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close gophish]

The best "steakhouse" in albany is the "Angelo's 677 Prime" located at 677 Broadway. It is a high end steakhouse tho and on the expensive side.
There is also Jack's in downtown Albany. Jack's is a kinda old style very nice restaurant. It is where most of the Albany politicians end up at one time or another. It isn't strictly a steakhouse but has some pretty good steaks.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I don't really know what I'm looking for. There's just an incredible range of reviews for all of these places, and while I'm willing to drop $$$ on dinner if I'm sure it will be fantastic, a lot of the reviews are of the "way too expensive for the quality!" type. Angelo's 677 has a reasonable lunch menu, but they don't serve lunch on the weekends, only on weekdays. Jack's looks promising....

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I don't really know what I'm looking for. There's just an incredible range of reviews for all of these places, and while I'm willing to drop $$$ on dinner if I'm sure it will be fantastic, a lot of the reviews are of the "way too expensive for the quality!" type. Angelo's 677 has a reasonable lunch menu, but they don't serve lunch on the weekends, only on weekdays. Jack's looks promising....

Wackster - price is relative - see if u can check out their menu online to see if it falls into your idea of reasonable.

And stop spoiling that kid with steak dinners - I take it college is working out okay as she is still there

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

Wackster - price is relative - see if u can check out their menu online to see if it falls into your idea of reasonable.

I did look at the menu for Angelo's 677. I'm the one who's saying lunch is reasonable and dinner is pricey. Lunch entrees are in the $20-$30 range; dinner starts at about $40 and goes up from there. If it were really fantastic, I would be pained by the price, but I might take her in the interest of getting some protein into her.

[GrayFal Silver Contributor and supermoderator Find all posts View Profile Close GrayFal]

I did look at the menu for Angelo's 677. I'm the one who's saying lunch is reasonable and dinner is pricey. Lunch entrées are in the $20-$30 range; dinner starts at about $40 and goes up from there. If it were really fantastic, I would be pained by the price, but I might take her in the interest of getting some protein into her.

Buy her Fage Yogurt for protein
About $1.99 for 15 grams - much cheaper then steak!

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Hmmmm. Pizzeria across from RPI? Do you remember which side of the campus you were on? Near the Student Union? Nothing much on that side....hmmm.

It was on the main street on your right side just before you turned in to go to the School. There were a few shops next to it , Place did not look like much but there Pizza was as good as any in City.

[gophish Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close gophish]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I don't really know what I'm looking for. There's just an incredible range of reviews for all of these places, and while I'm willing to drop $$$ on dinner if I'm sure it will be fantastic, a lot of the reviews are of the "way too expensive for the quality!" type. Angelo's 677 has a reasonable lunch menu, but they don't serve lunch on the weekends, only on weekdays. Jack's looks promising....

I can't tell you personally about the quality of 677, never been there, my wife has gone for lunch with some folks from work and she said it was very good but more pricy than it should be.
Jacks, I have been to several times and the food there is always good.
If you are looking for something like pizza, the best pizza in albany is Jonathans on N. Pearl Street. It's just a small pizza joint/bar but great pizza.
Sorry I don't know much about restaurants right in Troy as we don't get venture over there too often. My wife works in albany and we live north of there.
I'll have to get over to that pizza place that Frank talked about, if he says it is good pizza then I'll need to give it a try.

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

It was on the main street on your right side just before you turned in to go to the School. There were a few shops next to it , Place did not look like much but there Pizza was as good as any in City.

Okay, I'll go looking for it. The students must know about it.

Ken, we went to a good Indian restaurant in downtown Troy, and I can tell you to avoid the fish fry place on Hoosick Street. There's also a Chinese place called Plum Blossom on Hoosick that's pretty good--but we have spectacular Chinese where we live, so it suffers by comparison.

Also we went to the Dragon Buffet and Motel (no kidding) on Central Ave. in Albany, which was okayish (the Mongolian barbecue is good). Then I saw that TripAdvisor ranks it No. 32 of 455 restaurants in Albany!!! That's pretty high for a Chinese buffet (and motel).

[wackymother Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wackymother]

If you are looking for something like pizza, the best pizza in albany is Jonathans on N. Pearl Street. It's just a small pizza joint/bar but great pizza.

Thanks! This is in downtown Albany, right? Sometimes we stay at the Crowne Plaza there--I think that backs onto Pearl St. or is somewhere near it.