Reviews for Iron Gate Cafe in Albany, NY
Great little brunch spot. Super cute inside and outside atmosphere. The bartender/barista (pony tail, musician) was super... friendly and attentive. The hostess and servers were obviously hard workers and had great attitudes. They were full and stilltaking great care of everyone. I had the raspberry Brie French toast and a cider mimosa. So good! Read more
Good for brunch & breakfast. Plenty of outdoor dining area. Decent menu. Dog-freindly place (outdoor). Be prepared to line up... on the weekends. Best option is to add your name to the waiting list online (Yelp) Read more
It?s a truth universally acknowledged that road-trips require restroom breaks, the occasional gas tank fill-up, and pit stops... for lunch. Perhaps not universally acknowledged, but none the less true, is that there are better alternatives than the usualsuspects of fast food that litter our highways. On a road-trip from West Connecticut to Lake Champlain, I decided to stop intoAlbany to quest for some ?real food? - and on the recommendation of my brother-in-law, I took my family to the Iron Gate Cafe.He claimed that it was the number one lunch spot in the city, and on that promise I tolerated the 45 minute wait for a tablethat would inevitably eat away at the arrival time of my final destination. Bobbing and weaving through the outdoor seatingarea at the front of the building, and through several inside dining rooms, we were seated in an outside dining space thatseemed to have once been a rear garden. I ordered a BLT, a simplified version of what was offered on the menu, and an icedcoffee. Other members of my family ordered similar items, variations of BLTs and sandwiches, indulging in sourdough breads andmulti-grains, except for my father-in-law who had ordered a slice of cornbread with eggs. Upon arrival, I had the rare andpleasantly embarrassing sensation of a mouth watering. Everything had arrived perfectly for all of us, except for a small mix-upof bread types on one sandwich. The flavors were perfectly simple, balanced, and complementary. The finish was light on thestomach, energizing rather than making me feel sluggish and sleepy. The homefries were a highlight of the dish for me, havingthe perfect saltiness, a crispy texture of the outside, and the much-coveted softness of the inside. The servers were fast,despite being clearly faced with the logistical challenge of navigating the layout of what appeared to be an old home with analmost Victorian layout. One of the only downsides to the restaurant is that there are fewer, and smaller, restroom Read more
Delicious food; lots of variety on their menu whether you're looking for breakfast or lunch, and with high-quality ingredients... you can't really go wrong no matter what you pick. The bacon on the sandwiches was crispy. Real maple syrup was served with thefrench toast. Service was good and organized even though it was busy, but I wouldn't eat here if I was short on time. Wouldvisit again. Read more
This ia very popular brunch place. We called 2 hours before we arrived for reservation and still wait for 30 minutes to be sit... in. The waiters are all very friendly and helpful. The services were also prompt... Food portion was also generous anddelicious.... If you are willing to wait, this is definitely a good choice for breakfast, lunch, and brunch.... Read more
Great Atmosphere and Awesome Food I first visited the Iron Gate Cafe in October with my realtor so I was quick to suggest it to... my husband as we were considering a local restaurant for lunch. The Iron Gate offers quality food and great service in a uniqueand comfortable setting. They still had covid safety measures in place as staff, for the most part, wore masks over their nosesand offered a scannable QR code menu; physical menus available upon request. For this visit, we ordered the Kickin' Chicken andChicken Club sandwiches which both came with fries. Our server suggested subbing fried chicken on the Club which was a goodsuggestion. You'll see in the pictures, the chicken breasts had a beautiful brown, crispy crust and were still tender andjuicy. Their fries, while light on seasoning, appear to be double fried them giving them a wonderfully crisp crunch and softcenter. Our server was helpful in answering our questions and providing suggestions. She was extremely pleasant and helpful,checking in on us a couple of times during the course of our meal. The restaurant itself has a wonderful atmosphere about it asthe majority of the indoor dining spaces are in various rooms on the first floor of an old brownstone home. There is a smalldining room in the back which isn't quite as impressive so try to get seated in the house. The outdoor dining spaces lookinviting as well so I'm looking forward to warmer weather. They have a nice selection of vegan and vegetarian options as wellas a nice looking breakfast/brunch menu. ATMOSPHERE - 5 (3 if in the backroom) FOOD - 5 SERVICE - 5 VALUE - 5 Read more
Why did it take me so long to come here!?! in search of meatless breakfast options I came across Iron Gates menu, and the amount... of options to pick from is very impressive! For my first order I got the Ultimate Vegan Sandwich that came with homefries, cornbread for later, and their iced coffee. The coffee is flavorful and smooth - definitely a nice pick-me-up for the morning. Now,that sandwich....It's going to be difficult for me to try out the rest of their menu because I want to keep ordering it!! Fromthe first bite all the components came together in a way that told me that I was going to enjoy my meal, and since it's a prettyhefty portion I knew I'd be satisfied by the end of it - which was true to the last bite. I'm very happy that I'm exploring thefood around me because it brings instant favorites to my attention, like Iron Gates Cafe has just become! I know I'll be backsoon!! Read more
Neat little spot but overrated. Food looked great but lacked in flavor. The eggs for the Eggs Benedict we very runny. Home fries... needed seasoning. Staff were very nice. Parking is a nightmare! The outdoor seating is the biggest plus. Had to check it out tosee what all the hype was but I don?t see us running back. Read more