A-C         D-K         L-N         O-P         R-S          T-Z

This list is in alphabetical order.

AB Chinese

AB is a little Chinese place that delivers! The food is middle of the road. Nothing to rave about, but it makes us happy to have food delivered right to our house. Reasonably priced and recommended. B

Recently, while recovering from surgery, we ordered from AB Chinese and were pleasantly surprised. We wished that there was some way for us to see a menu, but since we could not we had to ask several questions on the telephone. A lady patiently answered all of the questions and offered additional suggestions for our home delivery. The young man who delivered the food was courteous and friendly. From there we were amazed at the generous and tasty servings. There was so much food, we had enough for a second meal the next day. We would recommend their fine food and home delivery. ++

• Tel: 928.6688
• Addr: 1121 Pacific Boulevard SE

Albany Brew Company

Albany Brew Company (ABC) sadly closed in 1999. The space that Albany Brew Company was in is now occupied by Toki Teriyaki. Sure Fire Design and a yogurt shop were the occupants in the interim.

Angelica's

Is now Rosie's. See that listing for more info.

• 926-1943
• 1727 Hill St SE

Bailey's Sports Bar and Grill

This establishment has opened at the location of the former Cafe Cristo. The name says it all: It's a sports bar. Nothing more, nothing less. The atmosphere with more than 3 TVs blaring in the restaurant area is as expected:annoying (and, not one patron was observed actually watching the TVs when we were there). Service is quite friendly, if not a bit slow in getting food to the customers. The food is mediocre at best. Sure, the food is OK, but if you want pub/bar food there are better options nearby (Calapooia, perhaps?). The steak I had was OK and was cooked as I had ordered (medium rare). I can't quite put my finger on why it was not good, it might have to do with the cut. My steak came with mashed potatoes and gravy (as in biscuits and gravy type, with sausage) on top. That was new to me, and not a bad idea in principal. Problem was that the gravy tasted like it came out of a can. The fries and onion rings were fine, but again, not great. The cole slaw was obviously out of a can/bag/etc. There are currently no real dessert options on the menu. To sum up the review, there is nothing bad about Bailey's, but on the other hand there is nothing good or great. I just didn't feel comfortable there, and it might be my well-known bias against annoying not-watched TVs, but it could also be other aspects of the atmosphere. Of course, when the weather is nice, you can avoid the TVs [Ooops, you can't anymore. For reasons I'll never understand they put a TV *outside*] by sitting outside. It just didn't fit with the warm, comfortable neighborhood restaurant idea. They do get big bonus points because they do allow, and even encourage (it seems) children before 9PM. Also, it's a moot point in coming in after 9 early in the week, since they shut down the grill at 9 (even though they stay open till 10). Since the food is entirely mediocre, and they insist on inflicting un-watched TVs on all partons (indoor and out), they get a well-deserved NOT recommended. C-

5/29/09 SJ: Wife and I met some friends at Bailey's after returning from a trip to Bend. They called, said to come on down, and we went. I wasn't expecting much, based on the earlier review, but was pleasantly surprised. To be sure, we weren't there for a full dinner. But I hadn't had steak fingers in a long time and was pleased with (both quality and quantity) what I was served. My wife had chicken fingers, also good. We dined and enjoyed a few beers on the patio. All in all a pleasant visit. We'll be back for similar occasions. Moderately recommended = B+.

• Tel: 926-7583
• Addr: 831 Elm St. SW

Bamboo Diner

Recently opened, and operated by the same folks that do Sybaris, Clemenzas, and Boccherinis. The food is well prepared, and interesting. A favorite is the crispy chicken. The restaurant can be a bit noisy, but the good food makes up for that. B+

12/19/09 SC: I had a couple appetizers from Bamboo Diner last week. The one I am most devastated about is the Vegetarian Salad Roll. It was pitiful to say the least. I opened the box to a couple limp, loosely wrapped, (one was torn) sorry excuses for salad rolls. The rice paper contained mainly rice noodles, a few shreds of carrot, and something green, which was so finely chopped I couldn't taste it to tell what it was. Not much flavor at all. The sauce tasted like sugar syrup with chili peppers. The other appetizer that I tried was their Exploded Spring Roll. The flavor was OK, but if I hadn't known there was "peanut sauce" I would have thought it was a bbq type sauce. The tofu IS a big step, Bamboo Diner is probably the 2nd place in town that even knows what tofu is. I suppose I was expecting more, knowing that the owners' other restaurants are the best around. I also know folks who have eaten at Bamboo Diner and Loved it.....

9/24/09 DL: Bamboo DinerFantastic!  So glad there is, finally, a quality Asian restaurant in Albany!  The food is delicious and the service is excellent.  The Thai chicken soup is a must get...SO good!  We're going back very soon!

• Tel:
• Addr: 210 1st Ave. Albany, OR

The Beanery

A locally-owned mini-chain of coffee houses. They have light food available, and it is quite good. Recommended. A

• Tel: 812.8000
• Addr: 1852 Fescue St SE
• www.allannbroscoffee.com

Boccherini's Coffee and Tea House

Boccherini's reopened in early July. The new operators are the Sybaris/Bamboo Diner/Clemenza's folks.

7/7/09 DA: It has lots more space and a great little menu. They're still getting set-up, so there's an empty spot up front and no real dishes yet (everything seems to be in compostable containers right now). The baked goods are awesome because they make them on site, or down at Sybaris. Yummy little donuts, good Alann Bro coffee, fast internet, and the same great vibe that we all missed from the original Boccherini's.

• Tel: 926.6703
• Addr: 208 First Avenue
• www.boccherinis.com

Bo-Mack's BBQ

Bo Macks has recently opened. It is owned by the Knebel family out of Lebanon, who have been running a well-liked catering business ("Gotcha Covered Catering"). We're happy to have a dedicated BBQ place in town. However, Bo-Macks looks to be marginally OK, but hopefully will improve with time and experience. The prices are quite a bit high for Albany. (We compared Bo-Mack's prices with several downtown New York BBQ joints, and Bo-Mack's was higher. You'd expect little old Albany, Oregon restaurants to cost less than the big city!) Please note that they are only open Wednesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. It appears that they do not yet sell alcohol, but it's in the works. No beer with that BBQ! I ate lunch their recently (2/12/09) and as much as I want to like the place, I'm just not their yet. The family that runs the place is very nice and sincere. But, the sreivce was not fact, even though there were only four or five other tables (two were singles) in the place. I had a beef brisket sandwich, and it was quite mediocre. The brisket was mushy and fatty. The consistancy of the white bread and the meat was the same. Not good. The cole-slaw was fine, but it had no flavor. I'd guess that if the cabbage had more of the dressing, it would be good. The fried are the same disappointing shoestring greasy things that you would get a McMenamins. And, finally, the potato salad was bland. Just a little more salt and pepper would make it decent. The menu report "large sides". They are not. The potato salad was the size of a single small ice-cream scoop, and it was $2.00. On the good side, the cornbread and sweet butter is quite good. So, I had the sandwich, coleslaw, potato salad, and fries for lunch, and it set me back $12.50, not including beverage or tip. Ouch. Oh, I can't forget the BBQ sauces. They are fine. Nothing exciting. They have three different varities: normal, spicy, and extreme. Don't be afraid to try the extreme, it's not very hot. I don't want to be mean, but I've bought better (and cheaper) sauce at the grocery store. So, to sum the experience up: Bo-Macks is not bad. They're just not great, and not worth the prices they charge. Unless I hear reports of huge improvements, I'll not be a regular customer. Because they are genuinely nice folks, I wish them well. C+.

12/4/09 MM: Okay. I was desperate for dinner last night, and craving ribs, so I phoned in an order to B- Macks for just meat alone (I had a green salad waiting at home). I asked them to please PLEASE not put any BBQ sauce on the ribs (a full rack). We like our BBQ more as southern original: smoked all day, tender meat, and crisp on the outside. The girl who took my phone order was not sure what I meant when I said no sauce, but I explained that I have a wheat allergy, and just wanted ribs plain. We discussed for a moment, and she said there would be residual of sauce on the grill, but that no added sauce would be on the ribs. I agreed to this, and told her what time I would pick them up. I arrived at the agreed upon time, only to wait for a full ten minutes, standing at the register while they prepared the "to-go" order. I overheard the young lady in the kitchen tell someone "No sauce on the ribs," so I was hopeful that everything would be OK. She rang up my order: Full rack, no sides: $28.00! Seemed high, but if it's good and my husband likes it, this could be a once month deal. Long story, short version: I get the ribs home, dish up our green salad, and take the ribs out of the foil: They are DRENCHED in BBQ sauce. Even after wiping down copiously with paper towels, there was red spicy peppery sauce soaked into the meat. Although I give Bo-Macks an A for politeness and smiles, I will not be returning again. I also thought the meat to be very mushy and fatty ( I admit we are talking pork here!). I'm not sure why most "Northeners" think of BBQ as something reddened with tomatoey sludge. For real BBQ, I think I'll have to visit a Chinese specialty store where they smoke duck, or better yet, Sybaris, when wild boar ribs are in season!!! (Yum-yum instead of ho-hum). My grade for Bo-Macks: C-

8/17/09 SD: Albany is fortunate BO MACKS BBQ chose to open their business downtown. It's so good our family makes the journey from Salem to enjoy a platter of their BBQ meat. I hosted a thank you party for my family at Bo Macks. It was worth the trip. Everyone enjoyed the food, the atmosphere, the family and THE MUSIC. Beautiful voices - acapella. Would like to return some evening when they have a piano player and the younger children sing. The sides we have tried - cole slaw, potato salad, hush pupies, corn bread, mashed potatoes and gravy and baked beans and green beans ALL ARE GOOD! My son and I have decided chicken is our favorite meat. I dine out once a day so I know when restaurant food is good. I hope you add my comments to your review of BO MACKS BBQ. They don't deserve a negative review.

2/4/09 MA: I had a business lunch today with several people at Bo-Mack's BBQ. I had the ribs with their own special BBQ sauce. It was great. The flavor of all the food was exceptional. Before we were done eating we were already discussing what we were going to order next time we eat there. I would definately recommend Bo-Mack's BBQ! +++

SJ 1/1/08: My wife and I stopped by [Bo-Macks] on New Year's day for an early diner / late lunch. We arrived about 3:30 on Bo-Mack's second day in business. They're in the old Shawn's on First location, which now seems a bit cavernous. But perhaps that's due to the odd time of day, where I think we were the only diners. The place gives the impression of being a family operation. The wait staff was friendly and accommodating. My wife had a pulled pork sandwich and I ordered the half rack. The fryer was down, so my choice of sides was a little constrained. I went with the cole slaw (partly so the wife could put some on her sandwich) and the garlic mashed spuds. They open up with some little cornbread loaves, which were okay but should have been warm. The quality of the pulled park was good. The sauce was great, definitely not from a supermarket bottle. I tried both the original and the zesty. The ribs were tender and meaty. Now here comes the critical part ... both orders could have been hotter when served, and the bun on the sandwich would have been better toasted, or at least heated. I think the ribs are a little pricey, both compared to the competition and in relation to the other meat plates. I'd knock a couple of bucks off of the price, even if they have to take away one of the two sides that come with it. No complaints about the rest of it. I assume the minor issues will work out after they've been open awhile. I'll be back to sample the brisket and the chicken. For now, suggested +

• Addr: 119 SE First Avenue, Albany
• Tel: 791-7058
• www.bo-mack.com

Bogey's

Bogeys is the old First Round, under new ownership. No review, please submit.

• Tel:
• Addr: First Avenue

The Buzz Saw

The Buzz Saw closed circa 2003. It was purchased and operated as Takena Pointe for a short time. Since then, it has been shuttered, caught in a legal battle. Some one in Corvallis purchased the building, tore it down, and is building a new office/restaurant space.

Cafe Cristo

The former Cafe Cristo has closed (Spring, 2008), is now Bailey's Sports Bar. See their listing, above.

Cascade Grill

Cascade Grill opened in Dec. 2008. It is owned by the same person that operated the Big-O in Corvallis for many years. They are located at the north end of the Albany airport, next to the convention center. A recent dinner there changed my dim view of Cascade. The Ahi appetizer was cooked to perfection (lightly seared), my Cascade Chicken quite tasty, and my partner's salad was good as well. Service was friendly and fast. So, I'm upgrading the rating from C- to a good solid B. I hope it stays that way: we'll be back soon.

3/1/09 DJ: Ate at Cascade Grill on 3-1-09. Service was good. Food was mediocre and overpriced. Will I go back? Probably not, I certainly won't make a special trip. There are so many other better places to have a much better meal at a much more economical price. The bread was good though, but not good enough to outweigh the overpriced mediocrity of it all. There was a group of five of us and we all agreed that we would give it a grade of "C".

1/17/09 SK: My 16 year old daughter and I ate at the Cascade Grill on 12/23/08. We went with high hopes as we had been awaiting the opening for months. When we arrived (6:30 p.m.) the dining room was less than half full, with many open tables. We asked for a booth so we could spread out after a long day of shopping. The hostess said "fine" although from the tone I could tell it was not fine. Our waitress was fairly prompt in arriving at our table, we did not order drinks, just water. She did come to take our order fairly quickly, which we took as a good sign. My daughter ordered fish and chips, with a salad, I ordered the small sirloin steak medium well, with a side order of grilled shrimp, a baked potato and a salad. Salads arrived promptly, however, my daughter received what I am guessing was the bottom of the crouton barrel, so many crumbs, she found most of it inedible. We received some cold bread, which looked like the wheat bread the COSTCO bakery sells. Our meal arrived at the appropriate time, delivered by another server. My steak was closer to rare or medium rare, all I know is it was luke warm and bloody, my daughter's fish was watery (how that is when the fish is deep fried I'll never know). I ate the shrimp, potato and vegetable, my daughter pulled the breading from her fish and ate the meat. No one ever checked back on us until we were done. We had been out of water, since before our meal was served, although we had requested it both with the presentation of our salads and with the meal. When the server showed back up, 25 minutes after the meal was served (I timed it) we were pretty much done, very disappointed and ready to go. She appologized for the steak, offered to have it cooked more and boxed up for me. At this point we were done with our meal, it was too late for the steak so I gave her my card and asked her to bring the check. When it arrived nothing had been taken off, I would have at least thought they might have only charged for a shrimp dinner. When I mentioned it, she appeared flustered, repeated the offer of a box. I asked about a manager, however she did not seem to think one was there. I paid the $35 bill, and left. I probably should have gone back and talked with the manager when they re-opened after Christmas, but got busy and never followed through. What I can say is I will never eat there again and have told anyone who asks about my experience. All in all we were extremely disappointed.

1/4/2009 F&S: My wife and I stopped for a late Sunday lunch at Cascade Grill. We had watched through its construction and wanted to see what it offered. The parking lot was busy and many tables inside were filled. The greeter took our name and invited us to sit and wait for a table. We were told it should be a short wait. It was a fairly short wait of about five minutes, but we were confused when we were seated because there were four empty booths around us, cleaned and set for guests. They had been that way since we arrived. So we commented to one another wondering why we weren't immediately seated. The decor was pleasant but it was somewhat cold inside. Later my wife went to the restroom and she said it was quite cold. She asked about it and was told that there was some problem and the heat was going to the kitchen. It's a new building so maybe that will be worked out, but it was odd. The menu was extensive with many chicken, pasta, fish and beef dishes. Prices seemed reasonable. There was a lunch insert and the lunch prices were about $3 less than what appeared to be the same dinner item, but it wasn't clear if there was a difference between the portions. Neither was it clear when the lunch menu ended. I should remark that we find their website humorous since it says, "We are known for our mouth-watering steaks." They had only been open a week, but confidently make that claim. In fact they aren't really known yet for anything and really need to prove themselves before making that kind of claim. But we recognize that it's all about marketing. My wife ordered a chicken breast with madeira sauce with green beans and had several side dish choices and selected the french fries and a green salad. I ordered an orange ginger chicken breast with green beans and selected the garlic mashed potatoes and a cup of potato and primerib soup. In awhile the server brought an ample basket of warm herb bread with butter and the salad and soup. The bread was quite good. The green salad appeared fresh as the different greens and vegetables were separated in the bowl and it didn't appear to come from a bag. My soup was good and hot and probably homemade as there was a small chunk of gristle with the bits of prime beef. About 15 minutes passed and the server returned to say, "I know you overheard me talking to the next table and heard that there are no more mashed potatoes." Well, I hadn't heard and didn't know. I was offered a substitute and I chose the rice pilaf. Either the garlic mashed potatoes are a popular item or they weren't adequately prepared to serve them. But, I expect some of those kinds of problems in a newly opened establishment. Our entrees then arrived almost immediately. My wife thought the chicken madeira was too strong with madeira and I tasted it and had to agree. It was somewhat overpowering. Her french fries were crunchy, hot and good. My chicken was satisfactory, but nothing to write home about. The orange ginger sauce was also a little too strong in taste. Both chicken breasts were not overcooked which is a common problem. They were though a little on the thin side and I expected them to be more plump. I questioned their freshness. The rice pilaf was clearly much too spiced. The pepper was overpowering. I ate it, but it isn't something that I would ever order again. Our green beans weren't overcooked as they so often are and the bits of real bacon made for an excellent side dish. Overall we thought the service was a little slow and somewhat detached. We will go back and try something else on the menu.

12/31/08 FJ: My wife and I just had our first and last meal at the Cascade Grill. We walked in just behind a couple at 7:50 pm and saw three other couples already waiting. When we placed our name on the list we were told it was about a 15 minute wait. So we took a seat at one of the four small wooden benches. At 8:00 pm five people walked in and told the hostess they were late for their 7:30 reservation. Five minutes later they were seated. For most of the next fifteen minutes my wife and I were treated to the non-work related musings of the three young ladies at the hostess station. Also, during that time I did ask for a menu so my wife and I could speed things along when it came time to order. After a 30 minute wait we were finally seated. From where I was seated I could see the group of five that was seated 20 minutes before us. They were having a nice conversation over an empty table. I watched them until our waitress introduced herself ten minutes after we were seated. The group of five was just then getting their drinks. Since we had already decided what we were going to order I let my wife go first. She ordered the Petite Sirloin with a baked potato and salad with ranch dressing. Then I had to remind the waitress to ask how the steak was to be cooked, medium well. I, also, ordered the Petite Sirloin, medium, mashed potatoes and salad with blue cheese dressing. Drinks for both of us were also ordered, diet soda for me and coffee for my wife. Five minutes later our drinks showed up. During the next ten minutes we had a chance to finish our drinks and watch other customers, who were also receiving the less than inspiring service we were getting. This was about the time when our salads arrived. Once the waiter was out of ear shot my wife leans over to me reminding me how she had forgotten to order her dressing on the side. That is when I noticed both our salads swimming in dressing. It was also the time my wife pointed out to me that the clear glass plates, the salads were served on, were covered in finger prints and what I hoped were just water spots. The bright side was we had our salads, while the group of five was still waiting on theirs. Halfway through our salads we noticed that we had not gotten any bread. A couple of minutes later I caught the attention of our waitress and asked if the bread came with the main course or was it supposed to come with the salad. She took that moment to let us know the bread would be coming as soon as it was finished baking. I do have to say; when the bread did get to us it was great, warm and tasty. A time check shows it had been 30 minutes waiting on our meal and 30 minutes waiting to be seated. Then, it arrived, our main course. The first thing we do is cut the steaks to see if it is cooked to order. Wow, no surprise, both were well done. Since it had been just over an hour since we walked in, we decided not to send the steaks back for ones actually cooked to order. About four bites into my steak it was getting miserable. So I flipped over my cut to get a better look. Two thirds of it was burnt charcoal black. It was so burned I could not even stick my fork into it. That is when I gave up. Five minutes later when the waitress stopped by she asked how everything was. I showed her the steak and told her I could not eat it. I think I shocked her when I said "the cook should have never let this steak get out of the kitchen". So to make amends she offered me a free desert, I declined. As we left I looked over to see the group of five had only finished half of their meal. I can only recommend the Cascade Grill if you are just out for a nice warm herb bread and some green beans with bacon.

12/29/08 PN: I had dinner at the new Cascade Grill in Albany - Everything was really good from the salad and bread to dessert. My sirloin steak was perfectly cooked, and its flavor was great. My friend had the Cascade chicken and she really liked it as well. W[e] would highly recommend Cascade Grill.

• Tel: 497.7802
• Addr: Knox Butte Rd.
• Web: http://cascadegrillalbany.com/

Calapooia Brewing Co.

This is the former Oregon Trader, with different owners/brewers. All reports are great about Calapooia Brewing. The main attraction is some of the best micro-brewed beers in the Valley. Their new kitchen is up and running. They have a great reproduction of the "Squirrel's Burger" there, as well as other good food. One customer told us "The new owners put the spirit back into the place". Calapooia Brewing is open 7 days a week. Highly Recommended. See below for some good news and updates....and happy 3rd anniversary! Rating: A.

12/08/08 Calapooia Brewing: Hello. I thought I'd send you a quick note to update you on a few things concerning Calapooia Brewing in this, our 3rd year of operation. Kids are now welcome until 6pm. We recently purchased a P.O.S.[Ed note: POS = Point of Sale] system which will allow us greater efficiency in getting food orders to the kitchen and food out to the customers. This will also allow us to once again take credit/debit cards (After a dispute with our merchant sevice provider, we chose to temporarily go cash only with an ATM). We hope to have the POS installed and our staff trained by January 2009. We also recently aquired Siletz Brewing and are in the process of moving that larger equipment from Siletz over to Albany in order to significantly increase our beer production. This will allow us wider distribution of our kegged product and also allow us to start bottling. And yes, we will also be brewing Siltez beer. This means we will be producing two brands under one roof. Exciting times for us and Albany!

10/23/08 KD: I go there when I'm in the mood for some really good beer. Their beer selection is extensive and covers nearly the full spectrum of beer choices. My preference is an IPA or any really "hoppy" beer which they normally have. I lived in Bend for a number of years and Calapooia, in my estimation, rivals the beers put out by Deschutes, Cascade Lakes, and Bend Brewing Co. The food is palatable especially after a few pints and the presentation is average at best. The service could use some work but I love going there for the beer.

8/21/08 MM: Food is good somewhat gourmet pub food. The beer is pretty good. It's a little irritating that this is a cash only place. They offer an atm on-site but it charges you $2, plus the hit from your own bank. Their prices aren't cheap so they should be able to afford the fees the credit card companies are charging. Tater tots...yum!

05/15/08 VL: Calapooia rocks! Awesome burgers!!! Tasted other items off of everyone's plate at our table and were outstanding as well. Great beers, too! We were there on a Saturday night and a band was playing which was very good. Definitely going back!

And: The new owners are first rate folks. Food is great. Be sure to try the Reuben, and, of course, the tator tots.

• Tel: 928.1931
• Addr: 140 Hill St NE
• Web: www.calapooiabrewing.com
• On-site micro-brewery
• Heated Outside Seating
• Children are permitted everyday of the week until 4PM. Adults (over 21) all other times.
• Darts
• Live Music

Cappriccio

Closed in 2001. See the listing for Sybaris.

Charms Of Tea

I wanted to let you know about Charms of Tea. It is downtown Albany on First Avenue. The food is really good and fresh. They have really good chicken Mulligatawny soup, great tea sandwiches, and the turkey panini is to die for! I work by this little tea shop, and I eat there all the time. And now my clients do too.

SJ 2/24/09: I can't say enough good about The Charms of Tea tea room. I love this quaint little shop and the women that run it! My best friend and I have been celebrating our birthdays (February & October) every year w/ their Regal tea, since we met. The Regal Tea is absolutely spectacular. Two hours of delicious food, incredible service and comfortable, charming surroundings. The selection of teas - especially black teas - is just amazing. Do make a point of trying their Irish Breakfast and, my personal favorite, Russian Caravan. And then there is the food... amazing sorbets, rich and delicious chicken mulligatawny, a varied selection of finger sandwiches and their scones are to die for. Moist and delicious on their own, they SHINE when you top them w/ the housemade clotted cream and lemon curd. Oh my! Boy am I glad my b-day party is this Saturday (Feb 28, 2009)! Do yourself a favor and spend some time at Aromatique/Charms of Tea. You will be so glad that you did.

BM 9/2/07: They share the space with Aromatique and they use Amromatique's phone number - not very handy, but their portobello panini is so good it makes it a great find.

• Addr: 1st Ave.

Charlie's Rhythm and Brews - Live Coffee and Music

This establishment has cropped up on 3rd st. We stopped in there on a recent Saturday morning, and we're quite happy with the place. They have light breakfast items, like biscuits and gravy, bagels, and muffins. Of course, there is coffee. The atmosphere is comfortable and inviting. Prices are right where they should be. Serive was reasonably fast and polite. Quite recommended. A.

6/14/09 SJ: Wife and I rode our scooters downtown this morning and stopped at Charlie's Rhythm & Brews for a morning bite and coffee. It's been there since last October, but this is the first time we've dropped in. Just driving by, the store front looks a little dive-y, but stop in - you'll be surprised. Inside it's a nice, comfortable coffee house. There's a little stage area in one corner for the Rhythm part. Sofa and chairs ala Central Perk, bunch of tables. Framed covers of Rolling Stone adorn the walls. The proprietor is Charlie Busch, late of KLOO-FM (from which we miss him). I had one of the breakfast burritos, toasted on the Panini grill - adds a nice crispiness. The Mrs. had one of the ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls, which was nice and fresh (although I like mine heavier on the goo). We'll definitely be back, either for breakfast or coffee drinks. Looking forward to coming by sometime in the evening for the live music. Recommended = A.

China #1 Buffet

My wife and I visited the China #1 Buffet recently and I have to say that we were disappointed. Unfortunately, the Albany China Buffet was a disappointment in all these areas. My freshly washed (and still wet) plate had food particles on it. The sushi selection was very limited and the pieces were mostly rice. I tried two of the soups. The seafood soup had no seafood flavor and the egg flower tasted like chicken stock with a little egg thrown in. The other items I tried were notable for their blandness. They had a large selection of hard ice cream (yay) but the freezer was dirty and most of the tubs of ice cream were nearly empty. Those tubs showed signs that the product had melted and refrozen. I would suggest this restaurant if you're particularly hungry and not particularly fussy about cleanliness or tasteliness. Otherwise I would suggest that you take your $10 elsewhere. Not recommended.
• Addr: 2732 Pacific Blvd SE

Chinese Kitchen

1/27/10 SS: I have to tell you, Chinese Kitchen is a humble, but clean establishment, but it's a real sleeper: they have been serving some of Albany's BEST chinese food for decades. Quantity, quality, service and price are all excellent. We go there as often as we can, and have been doing so for the best part of 25 years. Well worth knowing about.

• Tel: 928-2197
• Addr: 1644 Pacific Blvd

Cooper's

No review, please submit. They recently (Sept. 2008) opened.

• Addr:

County Courthouse Diner

No review, please submit.

• Tel: 967-3877
• Addr: Fourth St SW

The Depot Restaurant

This is a fried seafood joint. Smallish, cozy, with an interesting decor. Very well known in the local area. As one customer said, "You can have anything you want, as long as it's fried." Which is basically true, but most fried fish plates come with a salad. Sometimes a bit on the greasy side, and not-so-fresh tasting, but usually better than chain restaurant seafood. Rating: C-

FE 1/8/10: I've been to this restaurant several times. The last time I was there, we were seated in the back near the aquarium because we had trouble fitting into one of their other booths. There was a horrible odor! At first I thought it was a smell coming from the bathrooms, like a toilet cake smell. But later I went in the bathroom and that was not it. Anyway, the smell was so bad we had to relocate to the counter. It was nauseating. The food was pretty decent. We both ordered a bowl of chowder and split an order of fries. The fries were hand-cut and very fresh, right out of the fryer. Very good. The chowder was tasty as well. But due to the smell, I will never return. No one wants to eat in a place that smells bad.

[Ed note: The below review comes from a river guide from Mill City. The owner of The Depot is also a river guide.] 10/16/09 SB: Last Wednesday afternoon, I had dinner at the Depot before a meeting, and thoroughly enjoyed the upscale fish and chips dinner.  Actually, I had a deluxe combination seafood dinner with scallops, deep fried fish, shrimp, and a shrimp salad served with excellent French fries.  The place is a little hard to find, but it is certainly worth the effort.  It is obvious that the owner really cares about attention to details, and the café uses the best products available.  The place is small, but the high quality deserves our support in terms of repeat business. People who enjoy good food will be appreciative of the menu items here.  The proprietor has an extensive history with sport fishing and river running, so discussions of recreational events are as much appreciated as the good food.

5/30/09 The owner replies: I am the owner of the depot restaurant and have been for over 22 years. I have 17 employees right now ranging anywhere from just hired to several that have been there over 10 years and a couple over 20 years. Why are we still in business? Because we simply use the best quality products we can buy which sometimes means paying more for them. We have ALWAYS scored high on health inspections and just because it is an old building, yes, sometimes you have ants, who doesn't when food is involved. We continually receive comments from people all over the world that the fish and chips and clam chowder are the best they have had! I strive for perfection from all my employees and they treat me like I am one of them, which I am. You will see me there washing dishes, wiping tables, cleaning toilets, taking out the trash, whatever needs to be done. What I don't appreciate is some 6 month employee(there must be a reason they were only there 6 months) saying untruths and trying to bring me down because they are disgruntled. The food is wonderful, the atmosphere unique and quaint and I am very proud to have my name on it. Show your face and call me direct. You are not a food critic, you are just trying to slander someone elses success. Rick Campbell

5/23/09 [Ed note: for obvious reasons, initials deleted]: Speaking as a former employee of the Depot, I quickly learned the workings of the restaurant. If you want cleanliness, this is not the place to eat. Within the six months I worked at the restaurant we had numerous ant problems that the owner never bothered to solve. Food is overly greasy and not quality product by any means. If you had the opportunity to step into the walk in freezer you would have been greeted with moldy shelves and rotting food. The cleanest the restaurant would get was when the owner anticipated an inspection. Its a wonder I didn't get sick from working there. I still shudder at the thought of the slugs that got in one of the nights. There are much better locations to eat in Albany.

• Tel: 926.7326
• Addr: 822 Lyon St S
• Interesting Decor

Clemenza's American Italian Cafe

Clemenzas opened on June 1, 2008. They offer lunch and dinner 6 days a week (Tues through Sun). Lunch is from 11 to 2, and dinner is from 5 to 8 (Of course, this schedule is subject to change, so please give them a call to verify). Clemenza's is owned by the same good folks that own Sybaris. Be advised that they do not currently take reservations for groups under 5 persons, but you can get items to go. Rating: B.

8/29/09 TV: My first meals at Clemenza's, in the months after they opened, were each outstanding, and I began singing the praises of this restaurant to anyone I thought didn't know about it. Sadly, my last three experiences over the course of a month have all been disappointing in one way or another. Yesterday's was the poorest meal I've had there, and did not even come up to the standards of chain Italian restaurants in the mid-valley. The three-cheese and spinach ravioli may not have come from Costco, but they sure looked and tasted like the ones I've bought there. To find them, I had to scrape off the heavy dollop of too-salty marina topped by a thick rubbery mound of melted cheese that completely hid the ravioli on the plate. My companion's pasta dish was generous but similarly heavy-handed on the sauce and salt. The service continues to be attentive without being intrusive, and the bread is excellent. We were there during what should have been the lunch rush and the place wasn't half full. I have to wonder if the quality of the food isn't responsible for the low turnout I've observed recently. I hope this is a momentary blip in their excellence, and not the beginning of a steady decline in quality. C+ [Ed Note: Here is the owner reply]: We were sorry to read this lastest review. We are not really sure what went wrong for the reviewer, the recipes have not changed since we opened. The ravioli are made for us in Portland with Northwest products to our specifications. The other pastas are imported from Italy and are the highest quality available. Salt is such a tricky thing as it is so subjective. The amount of sauce can be reducesd if a guest wishes, we tend to give what most (not the impossible "all") like. We would be happy to correct your meal to your taste if you let us know while you are dining with us. Thank you. Sincerely, Matt and Janel, owners

1/21/09 MM: My wife and I finally made it in to Clemenza's, for our anniversary. We loved the quiet atmosphere, simple and elegant decor, and friendly, prompt service. The food was very good and right on with the price. The simple wine choice of only House Red or House White was a refreshing departure from oversized and overpriced wine lists. The red was very good by the way. We are looking forward to eating at Clemenza's again. Highly Recommended.

1/11/08 MS: We dined at Clemenza's for the first time and my girlfriend and I were very pleasantly surprised. We shared a Caesar salad that was really good. It was not over or under dressed and the croutons were also great. We both ordered the smaller portions of our main entrees and had plenty of food with enough leftovers for another meal. I had spaghetti with meat sauce and meat balls. The sauce was chunky and spiced well. The meat balls were great too. I am really picky about meat balls so I rarely order them at restaurants because I am almost always disappointed. These were some of the best I have had on the west coast. The spicing was again well balanced, as were all the things we tried, and the texture was perfect. They did not appear to be simmered in red gravy (the way I make them) but were still very good. The meat balls are small, about 1.5" around, but they give you a lot of them. I checked the bill when it came because I was sure they must have given me the larger portion because the small was huge. Nope, it was the smaller portion. My girlfriend ordered veal scaloppini and raved about it. The veal was very tender. It was served with roasted vegetables and garlic dressed rigatoni. We both tried both dishes. Delicious. We split a half liter carafe of the house red that was excellent. It did not have the strong tannic flavor that some reds have. The only two criticisms we had were that the tiramisu did not have a very noticeable coffee flavor or taste of any liquor. The other thing was it would have been nice if the bread was warm. The service was great and we had no wait, but we went at 5:30 to beat the rush. We will definitely be back to what is now our favorite Italian restaurant this side of Portland.

12/20/08 SJ: Finally made it into Clemenza's for dinner.  My wife, one our friends and I arrived a little after seven to a full house (okay admittedly a full small house).  I like the look of the place and the wait staff is friendly if not particularly fast with the service.  We ordered the house red.  I had the house salad and the rigatoni Clemenza.  My wife had the cannelloni and our friend had the chicken fettuccini.   We shared portions and discussed the entrées, finding ourselves largely in agreement about the food.  The fettuccini was a little on the bland side, but otherwise okay.  The salad was a little overdressed for my taste.  The rigatoni was a little hard to describe.  It was okay, but didn't impress me as tasting very "fresh".  I was expecting a little more tomato-y zest, particularly based on some of the earlier reviews.  On the other hand, we all agreed that the cannelloni was fabulous.  I heartily recommend it.  As to the portions, we each ordered the smaller of the two available sizes and it was plenty.  I don't understand the previous review that suggested they were too small.  We shared a tiramisu for dessert and found it to be creamy, but a bit bland and lackluster.  It also seemed to contain a solid layer of some kind of bread or cake, rather than a layer of individual Savoiardi.  So a mixed review.  I was intrigued enough that I will return and sample some of the other items on the menu.  Recommended++.

8/26/08 [Owner's Response]: I was disappointed to read the unhappy reviews about Clemenza's on your site. It is our goal to make every guest happy, every time. We do offer two sizes of most of the main courses for both lunch and dinner, so that guests can have either a smaller or larger portion, as they choose. Our take-out boxes are made of biodegradable sugar cane (which costs twice as much as styrofoam), and we have started lining them with foil to make sure that they do not get soggy. We appreciate all feedback, both good and bad, but please let us know immediately if there is anything wrong with your meal, so we can correct the problem right away. Thank you for your patience and support as we strive to make Clemenza's a great neighborhood restaurant. Matt & Janel Bennett, Owners

8/22/08 MM: Eaten their food twice, once we sat inside and once we got it to-go. Be prepared for a wait but the food was pretty good and the prices were reasonable. Their tiramisu is delicious but for the price I'd like a bigger slice. My husband ordered one of their manicotti type dishes and should've gotten the large because the medium just wasn't enough food (thin noodle wrapped in lots of veggies and chicken, not enough chicken though). The Clemenza's salad is delicious. I ordered the baked spaghetti to go one night when we didn't want to wait for a table and it ended up being horrible. They're trying to be environmentally conscious so they use paper to-go boxes. Only problem is the box soaks up all the delicious sauce so I was left with a sauce that appeared to have been strained and a soggy box. So sad because it ruined it. [Ed note: they now line the boxes with foil to prevent this]

8/21/08 KM: I cannot recommend this restaurant. The servings are small and the sauces rather plain. Dishes that would work well as sides are served as main courses and main courses come with rather dismal sides. Ragu has more spices in its sauce and I do not consider five plain rigatoni noodles a side dish to a roasted garlic chicken breast. A recent visit was welcomed with a 45 minute wait. We did indeed go to Riley's for drinks and entertainment while we waited. Had we known we would be leaving Clemenza's hungry, we would have just stayed at Riley's. Save the wait and go to Valentino's or plan to eat at Wyatt's [ed note: not recommended] or Riley's [ed note: recommended], since you will be hanging out there anyway.

7/1/08 TS: I have eaten there twice with four different people and had a very good experience. Each time I had a different pasta and they were excellent. The wait for a table was rather long but we went to Riley's to play pool untill they called us. Unfortunately a 40 seat restaurant can't work with reservations.

6/18/08 BA: Clemenza's is a delightful addition to downtown Albany! We thoroughly enjoyed a delicious dinner and dessert during their opening weekend. The manager was wel coming and competent. We happened to have the owner as our server and she was a ttentive, efficient and very friendly. I found the restaurant to be classy and c omfortable. My meal was outstanding. I look forward to trying many of the optio ns on their complete menu. This restaurant seems to have all the pieces for suc cess in a competitive industry. With the numerous offerings on the menu, great food, beautiful interior, and friendly staff and owners, Clemenza's exceeded my high expectations!

6/15/08 GJ: My family has eaten at Clemenza twice now - once on their opening night, and again a week or so later. We are overjoyed that there is now a good, family-friendly restaurant in Albany that is more interesting than pub food, but reasonably priced. The staff is very friendly; the restaurant itself is small but warm and inviting. They were absolutely packed the second time we went, and while we got lucky and got a table for four fairly quickly, folks who came in after us had to wait a bit. We tried several different appetizers, and several different entrees, as well as the family supper menu, and were very pleased with everything, especially for the price range! Our toddler even loved the salad we got with the family supper, and I've never gotten her to eat salad before. We also tried several different desserts, and all were wonderful (the tiramisu was my favorite - creamy and just enough of a kick!). This was a niche that desperately needed filling in Albany, and we will be eating at Clemenza quite regularly in the future.

6/14/08 RT: We were excited to hear of this new Italian restaurant opening, so we tried it. First of all they would only take reservations if you are a party of 5 or more. Otherwise you take you chances. We had to hang around outside for half an hour until they called us on our cellphone. Fortunately it was nice outside. I guess if there aren't enough of you, your time doesn't matter. We finally got a table. The place is noisy with no ambience and rather austere in its decor. The menu seemed adequate and we ordered. The bread is some Costco type and you do not get butter, just a bowl of some buttery garlicy juice to dip in. The minestrone had such an overpowering tomato flavor, you can't taste anything else. The spaghetti and meatballs was the worst we had ever tasted. The sauce was mostly juice with no flavor and the meatballs were nasty bland fine textured things. Preggo Sauce would have been a blessing! The help mostly acted like it was just a job with little more enthusiasm than that for making customers feel "at home". Was offered a free dessert, but that was declined so was only charged half for the spaghetti (which was still to much in my opinion). Other dishes at our table were better, so would rate this place as Suggested with wishes for good luck. That said, we will not be back and will continue waiting for a decent Italian dining experience in this area *sigh*.

• Tel: 9263353
• Addr: 236 1st St. SW Albany, Oregon

EL Dorado

Mexican -- No review, please submit.

• Tel: 791-3198
• Addr: 1720 Pacific Blvd SW

El Toro Mexican

Has Closed.

First Care Cafe

Located inside Albany General Hospital.

BM 9/2/07: Better then you would guess and half the price you would guess. They get extra credit for serving kozy shack puddings.

First Round Tavern and Grill

The First Round is under new ownership, and the name is now "Bogey's".Rating: C

• Tel: 926.8900
• Addr: 129 First Ave W

Game Time Sports Bar

Looks to be ok. C+.

For such a seemingly generic sports bar they have surprisingly good pizza, although the wait staff and bartenders seem new and inexperienced. After only getting half of our party's orders, we had to ask if the rest had been placed (which it hadn't). One of the orders was a plate of appetizers which they also got wrong. On the plus side, they have local beers, including Calapooia's Boxcar Brown. Overall I would say this is a safe bet as far as sports bars go in Albany.

•Addr: 2211 Waverly Dr SE
•Tel: 541.981.2376
•Web: www.gtsportsbar.com

Geary Street Cafe

Closed circa 2006.

Ginza

This is an acceptable Japanese sushi restaurant. The sushi is fresh, the other Japanese dishes are quite good, and the portions are large. Sometimes the service is great, other times it is very slow to practically non-existent. I think the key is to be there when it is not busy (after the dinner hour). Try the green tea ice cream. Recommended. Prices are reasonable. If service was consistently good and somewhat fast, Ginza would be highly recommended! Rating: B.

8/21/08 MM: Delicious but I've only eaten there for lunch where you order at the counter so service isn't an issue. Lines aren't too bad if you get there early and the plates are large. The owners are friendly as well.

BM 9/2/07: I agree the service is sporadic, but the chef is way better than "acceptable". This guy's rice is the best in the valley; his knife technique is textbook and his presentation is in the the Japanese tradition. We just order everything "to go" over the phone and pick it up (thus avoiding service issues and screaming kids [ours, not the restaurant])

• Tel: 917.9999
• Addr: 2218 Santiam Hwy SE
• Fresh Food

Hasty Freeze

I don't know how/why we forgot to post this treasure of a local establishment on the page until now. (Thanks LD!) It's a good old fashioned walk/drive-up ice cream, shake, and burger joint. It's been around for more than a million years, and is a fixture in downtown Albany. It's certainly not gourmet, but nothing beats an ice cream and some greasy fries from Hasty on a hot summer night. Sure, they might be slow. But, enjoy every minute of standing in line. Recommended. A.

LD 1/9/10: Hey what about our local Hasty Freeze downtown? They have ice cream that rival anything that Baskin-Robbins can produce, and the burgers are to die for. Try the Tim burger or the King with fries and you won't be too upset waiting in line for 15 minutes. With a very courteous staff and a very small locale they make food you can't get for the great quality in town. I would compare the burgers to the Calapooia Brewing Co. and although smaller, they taste great!!! I don't usually comment on sites but I think Hasty Freeze deserves at least a B+ for their food only lacking an A with the wait they have to get your food. You might be reviewing only sit down restaurants but this one should be at least noted compared to the national chains we have in town. Thanks for your time!!

• Tel: 541.926.2144
• Addr: 655 Lyon St. Albany, Oregon

Henry's at Hickory (Or is it Henry's on Hickory)

Henrys opened on 1/6/10. For their first night, the service and food was OK. Once they've been open for awhile, we'll do a full review on the service and food. The building looks great from the outside. It's not so great on the inside. It's basically a big open room. Reminds me of a cafeteria. It's loud, and not "warm" feeling. You could hear many noises from the bar and kitchen reverberating off the ceiling. It's even carpeted, and still too loud. Then, of course, there are the annoying big screen TVs that nobody watches. My recommendation would be to LEAVE THEM OFF unless there is an "important" sports game on. TVs in restaurants are yucky. So, it's too bad they obivously spent large sums of money on this building that has this great exterior and horrid interior. It really reminds me of the cafeteria at the dormitory when I was in college. Ok, here's what I'd do to fix this inside: 1) Install some sort of acoustic tiles on the ceiling to cut the noise. 2) Make the center divider higher and better looking. That would help with the cafeteria feel, and probably the noise as well. 3) Get some plants on the re-done divider and other places. 4) Some nice dark wood accents would be nice. When I look at the building from the outside, I'm expecting it to be lodge-like (warm, inviting) on the inside. It's not. So, we'll have a rating once we get to try the food and service again in a couple of weeks. They have a pretty abitious business hours: 11AM to 2:30AM, 7 Days a week. Henry's does have a full bar, and at least one local brew (Calapooia IPA) on tap. They do take reservations.

1/16/10 Comment from our Blog:Evidently this place was designed for noise, with pitched ceiling and low divider in single dining area the noise from others can be distracting if you are trying to visit. Decor is big screen. [On] My first visit the burger I had wasn't bad, the second trip I planned on having grilled pork dinner but left after hostess came to tell me that they had given [the] table away she had been saving for me and a friend (they move us down the list when they sent us to the bar?), anyway we were getting hungry and felt snubbed so we left. Hostess was apologetic, they are new and still getting organized but where was manager?

• Tel: 541.926.3672

• Web: http://henrysalbany.com/
• Addr: 640 NW Hickory St across from Ray's Grocery

The Hickory Pit

This place is good for BBQ/smoked meats. Oddly enough, Hickory Pit offers Thai food (Well, it's not odd, considering it's been owned by a Thai couple for the past two years). And, the Thai food is good, so it's worth a take-out try. Take-out might be slow, so be forewarned. Prices are quite reasonable. Suggested. Rating: B-

• Tel: 924.9667
• Addr: 2200 Pacific Blvd SE

Jacopetti's Deli

Jacopetti's has closed the cafe, but they still offer catering services. I understand they might reopen the cafe if/when the ecnonmy improves.

• Tel: 928.6943
• Addr: 288 Hickory Rd NW

King Kone

I used to love the place as a kid!

6/4/08 MT: My favorite meal from King Kone is their Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwich. It's not what you'd call 'diet friendly', but it is sooo good. It's a chicken breast (I believe it's breaded and fried) with a slice of ham, cheese (it's a mild white cheese), lettuce, tomato and a special sauce (I think it's ranch dressing) on a sesame seed bun. It comes with really yummy krinkle fries and is only $4.50 or, if you prefer it without fries it's $4. They also have the best soft-serve ice cream and their large ice cream portion sizes are what they are known for - hence the name. My youngest really loves their strawberry cheesecake ice cream (not soft serve). The dining atmosphere isn't that great, but I would recommend ordering your food to go and taking it to one of the nearby parks.

• Tel: 926.5668
• Addr: 1515 Salem Ave

Lee's Wok

Has closed. Lucky Garden (see review below) has opened in it's place.

• Tel: 928-9908
• Addr: 2845 Santiam Hwy SE

Linn-Benton Community College Culinary School, The Santiam Restaurant

LBCC operates several restaurants as training outlets for their culinary program. All reports come back good. One review said, "You get a great meal for a great price." Recommended. Give LBCC a ring for more details. Rating: A.

• Tel: 917-4392
• Addr: 6500 SW Pacific
• http://www.linnbenton.edu/go/culinary-arts/events
• Local Educational Institution

Little Bangkok

Has closed. So has it's replacement: Thai Tip. Bamboo Diner is in that space.

Loafers Bistro (aka Loafer's After Dark)

Loafers has been sold to Szabos. Szabo's has closed the Loafer's Deli section. Szabo's remains open.

Los Dos Amigos

Los Dos Amigos is very much not recommended. The food and service are sub par. There are many other good alternatives in this area. Not Recommended. Potential diners should be aware of this incident that happened several years ago. Does not bode well for Los Dos Amigos! Again, not recommended. Rating: D.

BS 9/20/08: I use to love going to Los Dos Amigos. It was my favorite Mexican Restaurant in Albany. My friends and I loved to meet there for margaritas and dinner. The last year I have been very disappointed and then my last visit has put me in the spot that I will not return to this restaurant. The staff is very rude, the food was mediocre, and it is still over priced. Let me explain: My mother and I had put together a party with some woman friends to meet at Los Dos. When I arrived and asked where the party was set up the Hostess pointed and said over there. When I reached the table my mom told me they did not have our reservation she had called in a month before. They did put some tables together and we were fine with that. Then they wanted to take the tables and kept asking us the whole night if we could move down so they could have the table for a party that was coming in (that never came). We said no because we still were expecting people, they were very put off by this. It took us 45 minutes to get menus, I finally flagged someone down to get a menu and they still took another 10 minutes. I understood that they were waiting for people to come in our party, but they never even checked if we wanted water or something to drink! When we finally did order and they brought the food back, 8 out of the 10 woman's plates were wrong. Five of the woman had ordered single items, not combo plates. When the combo plates were brought and the waiter was told this was not what they ordered, he told them sorry that is what you ordered and there was nothing he was going to do about it.My dinner was completely wrong. I had asked for a beef chimechanga and a chicken enchilada , I received a beef enchilada and a chicken chimechanga . One of the ladies had asked for Tapito, she never received it, the waitress had told her she would be right back with it, but we saw her moving tables instead. One of the ladies never received her drink either, that she waited for patiently. When I spoke with the manager, he never did apologize. He did give two of the ladies half off their plates. That does not make up for the other orders that were wrong or for the very, very rude service. I will not be returning to Los Dos Amigos and I will never recommend it again.

10/20/07 ZM: We moved to the Albany area in 1996. The first restaurant we went to was Los Dos Amigos. This quickly became our favorite restaurant. After the new Restuarant was built, we ate their frequently, sometimes 2 times a week! We noticed a few months ago the quality of the food started to go downhill. I had ordered a carne asada burritto that was 95% beans and rice. When I told the waitress, she quickly had them make me another. The next time I ordered the burrito, I experienced the same problem. When I went to the manager to complain, I explained to him that we had eaten at Los Dos for 11 years and that this was only the second time that I had any type of complaint. I also told him if I wanted a bean and rice burrito I would have ordered one. He didn't apologize, or even try to offer to rectify the problem. He told me he had just gotten back from Mexico, and he'd check with his staff, and then laughed at me. I walked out of that restaurant and told the waitress I wouldn't be back. We have not.

• Tel: 928-4820
• Addr: 2133 Santiam Hwy SE

Los Tequilas Mexican Restaurant

Los Tequilas is a generally good restaurant. Usually the service is great, but we were there on one occasion where it was horrible. But, that was unusual, so we still recommend this joint. Probably the best "Mexican food" in Albany. Rating: B-.

FE 1/8/10: I love this restaurant. I've eaten here at least a half-dozen times. The food has always been excellent and the service has been good. Very polite wait staff. As a nice touch they not only serve salsa with the pre-meal tortilla chips, they throw in a small plate of refried beans for dipping. And the salsa isn't half bad either.

BJ 10/28/07: We finally tried Los Tequilas mexican restaurant and are so happy that we did. They have all of the usual restaurant offering but so much more. We tried a combination (usual dishes) and it was excellent. The star of the show was the Chicken Pipian- chunks of chicken breast served in a unique pumpkin seed sauce. Amazing. The service was quick and very friendly. They kept up on refills of drinks and asked if we needed more chips and salsa. We finished the meal by sharing the flan, which was flavored with cinnamon. It was all a great deal- the prices were remarkably low. It is now our favorite Mexican restaurant in Albany. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED +++

JS 7/13/07: We eat at Los Tequilas from time to time, but I never seem to remember to write a review. This is our family's current favorite Mexican place. I too, appreciate the bean dip that accompanies the tasty salsa with the complementary chips. I measure south of the boarder cuisine based on the quality of my two favorites: chiles rellenos and chile verde (or some variant thereof). Both are pretty decent. We've enjoyed many meals here with friends and keep coming back to this friendly place. Recommended.

• Tel: 791.3966
• Addr: 2525 Santiam Hwy

Love Love Teriyaki

My 14-year-old daughter loves it! Her favorite are the salads. b-

5/10/09: HB: The comment about the staff in the previous post prompted me to post myself. Ou r family eats at Love Love quite regularly - if asked, this is where my 12-yr ol d son always wants to go. When eating there just the other day I was thinking h ow much I enjoyed the place and I decided it was not only because I enjoyed the food so much , but also because of how friendly and courteous the staff always w as - so I'm not sure why somenone else thinks they have zero personality! I rec ommend Love Love.

1/15/07 BJ: I want to say that I Love, Love Love Teriyaki! I have eaten there for a few years, and I can't get enough of it. My favorite item to get is the Love salad. The dressing on it is so addictive! Sometimes I will go there three times a week, I just call in my order and I take it to go. But the truth is, I could eat there seven days a week! The restaurant is quick, convenient, the staff is always nice, and one of my favorites places.

And: I really enjoy the food at Love Love, the spicy pork is great. But I will not go anymore. The employees are horrible. They have zero personality and lack and sort of customer service. It shouldn't be that hard to find someone that can great your customers with a smile.++

• Tel: 926.4442
• Addr: 1941 14th Ave SE

Lucky Garden Chinese

1/17/10 GJ: This is the new Chinese restaurant that is at the old Lee's Wok address. My friends and I had high hopes that Albany would finally get a great Chinese restaurant. We will be continuing to wait. We will be going back to AB Chinese or Lum Yuen since they are a steady average. Also: spelling errors on the take-out menu (Carb should be Crab.) Grade: D- Good: Friendly and knowledgable staff. Nice Decor. No MSG. Will have an internet menu. Portions generous. Bad: The food. Pork Fried Rice and Vegetable Fried Rice: too salty and heavy on the oil. Pineapple Chicken: great combo of flavors, but frozen mixed veggies and gristle chicken. Almond Fried Chicken: heavy gravy, this was all that you can taste. The foods that let you know that it is a "great" Chinese restaurant: Crab Puffs and Fried Shrimp: not light and tender, but heavy on the grease and fried crisp/hard. We purchased appx $30 worth of food, and threw out near half of it out. It was not deemed worth eating again.

Lum Yuen Restaurant

A pilot friend, who likes to fly into the Lum Yuen and eat, tells us their Chinese-style food is decent, and the portions large. There is ample parking for both planes and cars. Lum Yuen is located at the south end of the Albany Airport runway. The airport code is S12, for you pilots. Suggested.

FE 1/8/10: This is a great chinese place. They have a wonderful lunch buffet with quality food and a great price. The variety of food in the lunch buffet may not be as wide as some, but the quality and freshness of the food is much better than your average chinese lunch buffet. For $5.95 all you can eat, it's a great lunch choice if you're hungry. Dinner here is excellent as well. My first time there for dinner I ordered the Kung Pao chicken. It was served in a large pyrex pie plate. It was a heaping pile of food. Huge portions! More than I could eat (which is rare). Unlike some chinese places, this Kung Pao chicken was primarily chicken. The next time I went for dinner I tried a combination dinner. The fried shrimp was extremely fresh, right out of the fryer. And the sweet and sour pork was also very hot and crispy fresh. I've been to several chinese places in Albany, this is by far and away my favorite.

• Tel: 928-8866
• Addr: 1236 Price Rd SE
• Parking for Small Planes

Mexico Lindo

This is a new Mexican joint that opened up in the North Albany Shopping Center. Service is fast and friendly, but the food is a bit bland. They are good for take-out, but we'd recommend Los Tequilas for sit down meals. Mexico Lindo is marginal. Rating: C+.

8/11/09 WM: My fiance and I use to enjoy this place fairly regularly for its quick service, the food was never outstanding just typical Mexican fare. Unfortunately, our opinion had to change after our last visit. As with most people, we don't have a ton of money to spare and since we weren't especially hungry, splitting a plate of fajitas made the most sense/cents. The hostess was pleasant enough until the moment we asked to split our dinner, from there on out her demeanor had switched completely. While she completely was ignoring us and chitchatting with the tables around us, we were forced to grab the guy cleaning tables for everything she neglected, such as our salsa, guacamole and sour cream along with refills on our drinks. We rarely judge a place solely by one poor experience, but that evening left such a sore taste in our mouths, it's hard to give them a second chance. Perhaps we will try this place again, but first we are in serious need of some mouthwash.

6/6/09 SJ: I've dined at the Corvallis location for years, mostly due to the close proximity to my office and their lightning fast service. My wife and I visited the North Albany location for an early dinner on a Saturday. The food is quick and reliable, but fairly bland. That suits my wife fine, she doesn't care for spicy food. However I like it zesty, so the cuisine leaves me fairly nonplused. Merely okay = B.

Novak's Hungarian Paprikas Restaurant

Novaks Paprikas is a wonderful, locally-owned Hungarian establishment. Food is good, and service friendly. You might even have an accordion player roaming around serenading you. The atmosphere/decor is uninteresting, but on many nights the owners, Joe and "Mama" Novak, will personally greet you as they circulate through the dining room. Novaks is Recommended. Average price $18.00. Rating: A-

VL 5/15/08: Food at Novak's is delicious. Being of Eastern European descent, the food reminded me of my family's. Prices are very reasonable and service was wonderful. Definitely going back.

• Tel: 967.9488
• Addr: 2306 Heritage Way SE
• Next door to GI Joe's
• novaks-hungarianrestaurant.com

Olde Towne Cafe

Is closed. Clemenza's is roughly in the same location.

• Addr: 236 1st Ave W

One Wine Bar

One Wine Bar closed in June 2006, Wilhelm's Spirits and Eatery has opened in this location.

Orchard Cafe

Has closed.

Oregon Trader Brewery

Oregon Trader has changed hands. See the Calapooia Brewing Co. listing.

The Original Breakfast

A recent breakfast (July 10, 2009) was not enjoyable. Sure, the food was ok (and a bit over priced). My eggs benedict was mediocre, and my partner's pancakes were dry. We can make both items much better at home. Service was quite good, though. But, it was very very hot and loud. The restaurant was a bit more than half full, so who knows how bad the atmosphere would be if it was full. I can see no reason to go back. Not recommended. C-.

8/08: "This place is all about breakfast and only breakfast. They serve nothing else. However, what they do serve they do very, very well. Your breakfast with beverage will run anywhere from $6-10 and you will receive PLENTY ... no make that HEAPS of really good food! If you order the biscuits and gravy (I guess I'm a southern boy at heart) you'll probably want to stick to just one. Yes, I said one. These are as enormous as they are delicious. Have you ever been disappointed with an omelet because it tasted a little scorched? Do MOST breakfast houses seem to serve them that way? This one doesn't. This is the only place where I've had a perfectly cooked omelet every time, and I've sampled several of the varieties. Like hash browns? Do you like them undercooked? Do you like them crisp on the outside but mushy like mashed on the inside? Me neither! But the ones they serve here aren't like that, they're GREAT! Recommended if you're hungry."

11/24/07 TD: The wife and I visited The Original Breakfast on black Friday and we were disappointed. The portions were sufficient but not what they used to be and the prices were definitely up (nearly all items are now $9.95 and coffee is $2.00). My Belgian Waffle was cold and came with a very small cup of syrup. The "butter" was whipped margarine (the waitress assumed it was butter but the cook verified that it was margarine). My wife's omelet was good size and nicely cooked. Service is still fast and courteous.

And: This is by far the best breakfast restaurant in town. The quality of the food and the ingredients used is unmatched. They really pay attention to what they are buying and serving. They make as much of their food as they can in house. The peanut butter french toast is a thing of beauty. The corned beef hash is another highlight. Next time we are getting the biscuits and gravy- they looked awesome (and HUGE) We have never had a bad meal there. They are serving gourmet burgers now from 11-2; haven't had these yet. Ed's (the owner) enthusiasm for what they are serving is contagious. We love this place. Highly recommended.

• Tel: 928.7841
• Addr: 3225 Santiam Hwy

Ping's Garden

Pings is a below average "Chinese" restaurant. Food is not interesting and not fresh, but the service is decent. The restaurant decor is worn, and marginally clean. Menu is overpriced. Not recommended: there are better, cheaper choices, like AB Chinese. Rating: C-.

5/15/08 VL: We were very disappointed with Ping's. The food looked and tasted like it was prepared frozen foods. It also wasn't seasoned at all....very bland. Even after adding soy and chili sauce it was all still VERY bland. The service was good and restaurant appeared clean. However, the food left very much to be desired.

"Formerly on Pacific, now on 9th. This was about the third Chinese place we tried when we moved to Albany ten years ago, and now we always return. I can't say the food is "Gourmet," you'll find pretty much the expected fare on the menu. But I must say that it has always been very well prepared and very consistent. Hot, fresh, not burned-tasting, not greasy. An extremely good value. If you order family-style you'll wind up taking home leftovers (not that there's anything wrong with that ... I love leftover Chinese). Don't be bashful about asking for more rice (either fried or steamed, comes with every entrée), they'll be happy to refill your bowl. Nicer than average atmosphere for a sit-down casual place. Recommended." ++

5/29/08 FF: I found the atmosphere pleasant, the service friendly, and the prices reasonable, but the food was pretty bland. Not really any better than AB Chinese, unless you want to sit down and be served instead of getting delivery. Suggested. +

• Tel: 967.7367
• Addr: 1206 9th Ave SE
• www.pingsgarden.com

Pizza Amore

This place is another good pizza joint in Albany. The calzone is good, as well as the pizza. The wait might be long if you go in, but the secret is to call ahead. We are lucky in having yet another good pizza joint in Albany. The crust can sometimes be a bit greasy, but still good. Recommended, and not too expensive, either. Rating: B+

8/21/08 MM: Great pizza, salads and sandwiches. The pasta dinners aren't anything amazing but the best deal on the menu for sure since they include a salad with their awesome homemade dressings and garlic knots! You do have to warn them you want your grinder cold because otherwise it's going to be served hot. The garlic knots are awesome. The servers are friendly and even when crowded they seem to get the food out pretty quickly. I've also used them for catering and gotten great reviews.

And: "Okay, don't tell Tim (see Ciddicci's), but sometimes I sneak over here. The pies here are really good, maybe even better than Ciddicci's, but it's farther away and there aren't very many tables. The atmosphere is kind of marginal. It's located in the strip mall storefront that used to be El Commodore (a terrible place that I used to refer to as 'El Cuspidor'). But go there for the food! Seems like a family-run outfit, and the help is friendly. Also Highly Recommended." +++

And: We love the food here. It is one of the only Italian restaurants in town. Not only do they serve great pizza, but you can also order spaghetti, fetticine, and regular or caesar salads. They are good about calling for take-out if you want to dine at home.

And: Pizza Amore Is the best pizza house since Pachino^Òs in the mid to late seventies was here, in fact Pizza Amore is much better. We love it. Great price and fantastic food. We usually call in our order and by the time we arrive less than 15 minutes later it is fresh out of the oven and ready to go. The service is excellent and the people are great.

• Tel: 917.9000
• Addr: 2200-block of SE Santiam Hwy (next to Ginza, see above)

Pop's Branding Iron

This is a 24-hour, cowboy-themed, family-style restaurant. I used to come here with my friends when we'd get off work late. They have good burgers and the food is well priced. Don't come here expecting a formal place by any means. I don't really want to call it this, but the only other description I can think of is "greasy spoon." Suggested. Rating: B-.

• Tel: 926.5755
• Addr: 901 Pacific Blvd SE

Riverview Mongolian Grill

A less-than-average, unexciting Mongolian grill. Not Recommended. Rating: D+.

7/13/08 GJ: Not recommended! I have NEVER been as disappointed as I was here. The price of the meal was a SHOCK! I was expecting what I pay in Portland and Gresham at the Mongolian Grills, and the cost was 40% higher than what I pay there. Not clean. I had to ask twice for the table to be wiped down. Food under the serving area, and spills along the dishes. I had to ask for rice, never was given the crepes. I was given water, but never tea. I had gone to celebrate an occasion and was ready to spend money, but I didn't even leave a tip, since I had almost no service. And the waitress only had one other table besides mine. I will not be giving ANY recommendations to any friends, and will not ever go back.

6/27/08 JT: We aren't from Albany, but stopped in at the Riverview Mongollian Grill and I was surprised at the total of my bill for my 3 kids and I. I asked the waitress about the cost of each meal because I hadn't see any prices posted and she said the menus were on the table. Except when she looked to her right, only one table of the four had a menu. I told her she should tell people how much the meals are and the additional costs to go back and she said they had been there 10 years and can't tell everyone. No apologies, nothing. It wasn't so much about the money, but the service that was upsetting.

• Tel: 791.4784
• Addr: 2125 Pacific Blvd SW

Roger's Restaurant

We have been checking out local greasy spoons, looking for Albany's best comfort food. Unfortunately Rogers wasn't it, not even close. I had the pot roast special with a baked potato (because the mashed, my favorite, was instant). The potato appeared to have been in the warmer for 6 hours so it was pretty solid and the gravy was definitely out of a can, no doubt a very large can. The commercial roll came with whipped margarine (Illegal in NY). The canned corn was okay and the bean soup was quite tasty. My partner's 1/2 chef salad was nearly all iceberg lettuce. The cheese was pasteurized something. The total of the toppings made up about 10% of the salad. Definitely not a place we'd return to. (So far, the Branding Iron is our favorite in this category.)

2/24/08 PM: Oh, and to add a comment to your review of Roger's, I've only ever eaten breakfast foods there, and their breakfasts are greasy but pretty good. I've never tried it for lunch or dinner and I'm in no hurry to, but I'd recommend the breakfasts.

• Tel: 926-6717
• Addr: 2165 Pacific Blvd SE

Rosie's

This was formely called "Angelica's"

HB 11/22/09: Angelica's in now called Rosie's.  It does not appear to be the same owners...the interior and menu have all changed.  After returning from Texas after 3 years my wife and I wanted to hit Angelica's for lunch and found it changed to Rosie's, but decided to give it a try.  This is the worst excuse for Mexican food I have had in my life!  Lunch was one small entée (I had a cheese enchilada, my wife had a chicken enchilada) with rice and beans.  The portions were ridiculously small  The cheese turned to oil, and the sauce is some strange, orange stuff that obviously comes from a can.  Who ever took over this restaurant just plain isn't trying! Not recommended!

Sam City

Sam City is, in a word OK. The service is friendly, if not fast. Prices are fine. Food is really so-so. It's not bad, but it's not amazing, either. It's a funky (or as they call "fusion") menu, that ranges from Pho to Gyoza to Fish and Chips. We were there for dinner, but I hear it's better for lunch. Again, Sam City gets a so-so rating. Rating: C.

SJ 6/24/09: I finally persuaded my wife to try Sam City. I've been curious about it since they opened. Have to agree that the service is friendly. You'll notice two things right away. 1) The seats are uncomfortably close to the table and 2) the menu looks like it was made by someone with 101 fonts on their computer and an ambition to use each and every one. I had the spicy pork - it was so-so. My wife had the teriyaki chicken but didn't care for it at all. She much prefers Toki Teriyaki. I hate it when my wife is right. Can't really recommend them. = C

10/18/08 RK: Have eaten at Sam City a couple of times now, and it's very good with nicely varied menu. The Pho is excellent and the other dishes we've tried have also been delicious. We'll definitely go back, and often. I only wish I could get a Vietnamese lemonade somewhere around here. Recommended!

• Tel: 928-6180
• Addr: 2180 Pacific Blvd SE

Shawn's on first

Shawn's has closed their doors permanently circa Labor Day weekend 2008. Bo Mack's BBQ has opened in that location. See their listing for more information.

• Tel: 928.2829
• Addr: 119 First St.

Sidekick's

"We go here semi-frequently for cake and coffee. It's really the only good cake place in town. (Apologies to Boccherini's, who usually have a couple of cakes in the front case, too.) They have a good variety, and they are usually fresh and delicious. They have a variety of other baked goods, as well. Coffee and espresso drinks, nice big cinnamon rolls, scones, other morning goodies. They have some outside seating, and we avail ourselves of it when the weather is nice. Located near the Amtrak depot and adjacent to the Depot Restaurant. Recommended."Rating: B.

"Sidekicks also has great lunches! They have salads, sandwiches, and wraps. I love Tami's chicken Caesar salad! I hear their soups are good too."

• Tel: 967.7558
• Addr: 832 Lyon St

Shirley May's

Rumor has it they have great, affordable burgers. Not really in Albany; it is in Cottonwoods.

• Tel: 928.9662
• Addr: 36065 Highway 20

Smokehouse Cafe

The Izzy's owned Smokehouse Cafe has closed (Sept 2008).

Spice & Ice Asian Grill & Gelato

Given the mixed reviews, we'd say maybe recommended. S&I is improving. B-.

The flavors and freshness of their dishes are quite good. I've eaten there over a dozen times and have yet to find one of their selections I didn't like.  The quality, flavor and portions are consistent. My personal favorite is their Beef Curry. The gelato is awesome, and the service has always been good and friendly. I consider this good quality asian fusion restaurant food served in a casual format. A- or B+ at least.

4/22/09 LN: I recently went to the Restaurant in North Albany, Spice and Ice. I had seen the advertisement for the steamed burgers, which I had also seen on the Food or Travel Channel so was intrigued. Myself and a friend placed our order and were not given a number or told how we would receive our food, so we filled our drinks and went and sat down expecting our order to be brought to us. We then heard the server call out "cheeseburger, no onions" several times, which was what I had ordered. It was very fast, but we thought ok... food is ready. My friend went to the counter and there were two burgers. A cheeseburger without onions, which is exactly how I had ordered it and a plain hamburger.. which was not what my friend ordered. He ordered the Hawaiian burger, but he is not one to complain so he took it, figuring that they had just forgotten the slice of pineapple. We got ready to eat, but there was no ketchup to be found. We had to go back up and ask and one of the servers took it from someone else's table. Apparently they only have one bottle of ketchup for the entire restaurant as 1/2 way through our meal that same server asked us if he could have the ketchup back and then handed it to another table. Further into our meal with our burgers 3/4 finished we heard our names being called. We were obviously confused as #1. no one ever asked us for our names or told us they would call our names when the food was ready. #2. we were already eating what we thought was our order. My friend went up to the counter and a female in a white chef's coat (owner, cook, manager? who knows as she was not wearing a name tag and did not introduce herself) said that our order was ready. My friend explained that we had already picked up a previous order, thinking that it was ours and that we were almost finished with the meal. The female then became quite upset, pointing at another table and loudly exclaimed, "that was their order... the burgers take at least 10 minutes to cook and you took their order". Of course now I was utterly embarassed and the people at the other table were glaring at us. My friend tried to apologize and explain that we did not know they were going to call our names (which were apparently read off of the debit card receipts) and that we didn't hear anyone else's names, just "cheeseburger no onions" several times, so we thought it was our order. This female then argued that she HAD called the other people's names, but the funny thing is they didn't hear their names either as they never got up when we accidentally took their order. If all 4 of us had gotten up at the same time perhaps the mistake would have been caught immediately. At this point there was not much we could do so my friend sat back down and we finished our burgers in shame. It was a very uncomfortable situation. The other people took the new cheeseburger without onions (which apparently we had ordered the same thing) but the other person did not want the hawaiian burger (which was supposed to be my friend's) and had to wait while they prepared another one. Before we left, that same female in the white chef's jacket came up to us again, at our table this time, and rehashed the whole uncomfortable experience. She never apologized, but really just kept blaming us for taking the wrong order and reiterating that she had called the other table's names and that we had taken their food. I found that very unprofessional and embarassing. I didn't bother to ask for a manager, as she was acting like a person in authority, so if she was the manager obviously she was not going to care about my feelings or the poor customer service we were receiving at that moment. I almost apologized to the other table as we left, but I think this cook/manager/server/whomever she was had incensed the other people so much they wouldn^Òt even look in our direction. As for the food..... The burger was moist and tasty, but the bun was hard and dry and much too large for the burger as there was at least 1 inch of bun more around the burger. There was a very thick slice of unripened tomato which I had to remove and very thick/coarse cut pale, iceberg lettuce which I took most of off also. There was just a smear of some sort of sauce or mayo in the center of the bun, but not enough to even truly taste. The cheese was nice and thick and melty, but did not have a lot of flavor. The fries were bland and tasteless (probably the typical frozen variety) and I didn't eat very many of them. McDonalds makes much better fries. I probably would have went back a second time to give the cheesburger another chance, perhaps without the tomato... but due to the extremely embarassing situation that my friend and I experience I doubt that either one of us will set foot in Spice and Ice again.

Food is good and definitely fresh. Would like to have larger servings though. The gelato is good but they often seem to be out of a choc. flavor which I would guess is because it's popular but I don't usually find something else I'm interested in.

And: Spice and Ice is a great addition to Albany. The Mandarin Chicken is amazing. The employees are great and are very helpful. I had something I didn't like, and they were great about making the situation better. The Gelato was great too.

And: I've eaten there 3 times. Each time has been very good and timely. Could be more spicey and this coming from someone who does not like hot food.

• Tel:
• Addr: Next to Ray's Food Place in North Albany

Sweet Waters Family Restaurant

7/22/09 AR: Albany, Oregon. My boyfriend and I were looking for a new, quiet place to eat in Albany. The atmosphere was clean and quiet because of the three parties in the restaurant, we were the only one under the age of 50. But that does not matter. Sweet Waters is billed as home cooking, and if they were aiming to cook like my mother they were right on par. I ordered top sirloin and teriyaki chicken for $13.50. I chose a trip through the salad bar, which I would recommend as part of a meal, but come no where near the stand alone price of $8.50 for one trip through. When my meal arrived I had a cup of canned green beans with bacon, which tasted, as well as looked to be fresh out of a can. The mashed potatoes and gravy were of the instant, just add water variety. The steak was tendered and cooked just as ordered and can easily be duplicated at home by first stopping by your favorite Costco frozen meat department. The chicken breast wore the scars of being defrosted in the microwave and probably shared shelf space at Costco with the steak. My partners mushroom Swiss burger was excellent and he states it is better than the Red Robin equivalent. Overall, if your level of home style cooking is canned, instant or cheap bulk meat product and you like overpaying for the privilege, Sweet Waters is the place for you. We, on the other hand, will continue to drive past Sweet Waters.

7/22/07 KS: Sweetwaters is a quiet atmosphere--traditional type restaurant. Breakfast- lunch -dinner. We have always had great service. A large menu. What I like best is the salad bar. The salad bar has a variety of salads to choose from. My favorite is the broccoli salad. Salad bar comes with your dinner. The usual customers in the evening is seniors because of the quiet atmosphere. Their pies are homemade. Prices are real reasonable.

• Tel: 812.9222
• Addr: 2830 Santiam Hwy

Szabo's Steakhouse and Seafood

This restaurant opened on June 1st 4th 9th, 2008 in the former location of Loafer's After Dark. Szabo's also has a location in Newport, OR. Their menu is large, and quite pub-like. It's a shame that they tout their "5 big screen TVs". Yuck. Albany *does not need* another sports bar or more eating establishments with annoying TVs! (Note: we have not seen anyone actually watching these TVs) The food is OK at best. The deserts were better than normal, with the key lime pie being good. The prices seemed to be quite a bit higher than the local norm. This may be due to the fact that the first Szabo's is in Newport, where most of the business is probably tourist trade. The Albany market is quite different, so I'd expect Szabo's prices to go down a bit if they are to survive. It's also important to point out that they have different lunch and dinner menus. We did meet the owner, and he's a nice guy. We've had the fish and chips at lunch, and it was marginally OK. But, we had the same thing on special for dinner (which they tried to overcharge us on), and it was horrible (chewy, oily, etc). It took over an hour to receive and eat lunch at several visits. That's not good for working folks! Updates: The service as Szabo continues to stink. They are habitually understaffed (maybe sell a couple of those big-screen TVs and hire more staff??). It took almost 10 minutes after being seated to get a menu and place a drink order. There were only 5 tables in the place. It appeared that there was only one waitstaff, and one kitchen staff. Our lunch came out without the fries and chowder we ordered. It took another several minutes to get those. So, again, the service stinks, and the food is mediocre. I'd recommend avoiding this place at lunch. The service gives much more attention to tables with more people (more people generally means more tip). Rating: C+.

10/7/08: We decided to give Szabo's a second try. It happened that we stopped in on the 16oz steak special night, so it was fairly busy. We were greeted immediately when we walked in by the owner, and were seated. After then, the waitress tended to ingore us...however, she did get drinks in our hands quickly. Since I am very wary of 16oz steaks for $10, I almost didn't get the special. It was not as bad as you would expect. They had all the annoying TVs tuned to something different. What gave me a chuckle is that one was turned to an infomercial. Come on, if you have to show that, just turn it off!! And, it's awful loud in there, with "stone" floors, and no acoustic dampening materials in the ceiling. So, another agreed ho-hum rating.

9/8/08 KJ: We ate at Szabo's tonight. The food was ok. Like above, the unwatched TVs were quite annoying. Please turn them off when no one is watching, and we might be back. Not really recommended.

8/21/08 MM: Loafer's Deli: So sad, this was my favorite sandwich shop in Albany. We went there for lunch today. The new owners decided to keep the deli but they aren't making their own bread. So basically you pay the same amount for a much smaller sandwich on regular store bought bread...I could do that at home. I won't be going back. At the very least with the smaller sandwiches they should be including some chips or pretzels on the side or lowering the price.

Taqueria Alonzo

"My husband hates this place, but I think it's okay. A little bland, but convenient, friendly, and reasonably-priced." No Longer Suggested, see below. Rating: D+

8/22/08 MM: We love their burrito's. I have noticed they put a larger hold on your card then the bill but waiting a few days has always made it go to the correct amount. The burritos are large and filling and their salsas are delicious!

3/1/07: Taqueria Alonzo is in downtown Albany, Oregon. We loved the food, which is fair-priced Tex/Mex style, and the service would be perfect except for one BIG flaw: If you pay with a debit or credit card, it appears they are tacking on a little extra to the tip line or the total line. Their credit card machine is one that prints TWO copies (not carbon copies), where you fill out one for them, then you have to refill out another for your own records. We started noticing when we'd go to balance our checkbooks that the amount we paid for them was a few bucks higher. At first we thought, our bad, we must have tipped more than we remembered. Then we started paying attention to it and found that it was $3 bucks here, $5 bucks there...no matter how blatantly clear we were in writing out the numbers on the ticket. I talked to the manager who pretended not to understand me, but then he offered to refund my money. I tried explaining that this was a matter of ETHICS, not a few dollars; I do not take kindly to this. He was blasé about the whole thing. We tried not eating there for a few months, then going back and only using cash. Then I decided to give them another chance. Guess what? Same thing happened. It looked like my total line had been doctored to give somebody there a little extra. It looks like they do it by either punching in the upped numbers into the computer or by changing a 2 into a 3, etc. (reminds me of what some kids with bad grades used to try doing to report cards). What's really insulting to me is that I used to waitress and I believe in always tipping well. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me... We've stopped eating there altogether.

6/21/07: I have loved Taqueria Alonzo for years. The food is amazing and wonderful...very authentic, real Mexican food, not greasy stuff like most Mexican Restaurants. I have always had good service. Highly recommended. It will become a favorite of yours if you go. The salsa is freshly made, chunky, not liquidy mix, and is amazing. Check it out!

9/16/07 LM: Decent burritos and chips, I would recommend, good prices. I have had the issue the previous poster mentions with regards to credit card usage but it seems to relate more to their machine putting a 'hold' on more money than the bill is for tips. Each time I have waited a few more days before saying anything then it shows up properly on my bank account. Keep in mind the first number could be an authorization. [Ed note: this was not the case in the above incident, TA did charge them more than they signed for.]

I've only eaten there once but the taco's al pastor were the best I've ever had. Mostly meat, and lots of it. 2 tacos with chips and salsa were $4.40, and I was really full. The chips were deep fried tortillas and were good. They had 3 salsas and I tried 2 of them. They were just ok.

• Tel: 812.1311
• Addr: 250 Broadalbin SW

Tarasco's

Now doing business as Angelica's. Tarasco's was excellent, if a bit spendy for a Mexican restaurant. We're not sure if the name change reflects a change in management or not.

• Tel: 926-1943
• Addr: 1727 Hill St SE

Thai Tip

Thai Tip was destroyed in a 2006 fire.

• Addr: 222 1st Ave West

Toki Teriyaki

Just what you would expect from a lunch-oriented teriyaki place. The flavors are good, the portions are plentiful, and the prices are reasonable. A decent place for a fast lunch. Marginally Recommended. Rating: B-

7/21/09 WM: My fiance and I absolutely love this place, the family that owns this restaurant are some of the nicest people we have met in Albany.  The Korean Miso and Veggie Ramen are delicious, spicy and large portions, although the miso is only available on the weekends.  The lunch specials are generous and consistently good, nothing fancy just filling and cheap.  Neither of us can stand Love Love (the quality of meat, service and time it takes to make the food are all equally horrible), so we were more then happy to discover this lunchtime gem Two Rivers Mall.  I recommend this place to everyone hungry for quick, cheap and tasty.

I have been going to Toki Teriyaki for over a year along with my two co-workers. We always get our soda from there because they allow a free refill. Today when I went there I was approached by the female owner and asked what I was doing getting a refill because I didn't ask her personally, this being said through her daughter who was translating. I asked why this was an issue now because I have been coming here for a year her daughter said nothing. I told them that my co-workers and I would be taking our business elsewhere and she just shrugged her shoulders. I was so shocked that our business meant nothing. My co-worker orders lunch there every day and I order lunch once a week or more and get soda every day. That's a good chunk of money to loose, but to treat your customers that way is ridiculous. I would never go there again and say to anyone else to stay away. Mad in albany

• Tel: 926.5138
• Addr: 300 2nd Ave SW

Tom Tom Restaurant and Lounge

Tom Tom has closed.

• 320 Airport Road SE

Venetian Cafe (in the Venetian Theatre)

NOTE: As of 7/7/09, there is a sign on the cafe that states the Cafe will be closed for the next couple of weeks. The Venetian Cafe is an OK breakfast/lunch cafe. The grinder is good. Their half portion sandwiches are a bit small for the price, tasty. At the VC, the atmospere is great. The Cafe is operated by the Mennonite Church, which owns the building. Rating: C.

6/18/09 RD: We ate lunch at the newly opened Venetian Cafe. It was a disappointing experience. The floor needed to be swept. We ordered two different kinds of pannini sandwiches. We got our sandwiches and a bag of chips, but a slice of tomato, an orange slice, or something with a little color would have been nice. The TV was blaring obnoxiously with a children's program on. There were no children except for the little girl who worked at the till. It is a wonderful location but if I were rating this cafe, which isn't on your list, I would have to give it a "D" , although nothing which couldn't be fixed with a slight amount of effort

•1st and Broadalbin Aves. in Albany
• Open 7AM to 2PM

Wilhelm's Spirits and Eatery

Wilhelms restaurant opened on 2/6/07. Please keep in mind that Wilhelm's DOES NOT ALLOW CHILDREN. We don't want any families to be disappointed. They are open from 11 AM to 2 PM every day. Marginally suggested. Rating: C+

And: I have been going to Wilhelms and it is great!! The food is very good and great portions. Decent pricing and super service!! I don't enjoy the smoking but it seems well ventilated and I don't go out smelling like an ash tray. Try it, I think you will be pleased.

9/16/07 LM: I've only been there for dinner. As long as the people aren't smoking it's decent. Typical pub food, huge plates of crinkle fries. Drinks weren't bad. Prices were reasonable.

• Tel: 926-7001
• Addr: Next to Wendy's on Pacific

The Wine Depot

The Wine Depot is a great place to go grab a sandwich, salad, and a glass of wine. In other words, a great place to find an excellent lunch. They are also open for dinner. The main focus is the moderate selection of wines (bottled) for purchase. They also have wine (and beer) available by the glass. The Wine Depot will also cater lunches and other events. We have had them cater an event for the past two years, and have been very pleased. Matt and Marsha, The Wine Depot's current owners, used to operate the Capriccio Restaurant. Recommended. Rating: B+

8/21/08 MM: Wine Depot: Used to be my second favorite sandwich spot but it's moved to the top of the list! They're always busy and the sandwiches seem a little pricey for their size but they're good. We often use them for catering at work...not nearly as good (the sandwich catering is good...their hot meals...not so much).

This is one of my favorite places to meet friends for lunch. The soup, sandwiches, and salads are topnotch. They also have a huge wine selection there that you can buy as a gift or drink there. I haven't been there in the evenings, but I understand they have live music there. I also heard they have wine tastings sometimes, which I would love to go to sometime.

9/16/07 LM: Also good sandwiches but much smaller than Loafers for the same, or more. Plus I don't believe they make their own bread. Recommended

• Tel: 967.9499
• Addr: 300 2nd Ave SW
• Located in Two Rivers Market
• www.winedepotdeli.com
• Moderate wine selection

Valentino's Pizzeria

Atmosphere is nice. You can avoid the annoying TVs by sitting on the South end of the restaurant. I still don't understand why many restaurants insist on having unwatched TVs turned on. Their Calzone is good, the only suggestion we have is to cook it a bit more: the thicker portions of the crust were not quite done. The salads are good, and so are the baked pastas. Service is attentive, but it take s along time for the food to come out. Rating: B-.

12/27/08 SJ: We visited Valentino's on Saturday (12/27) following their re-opening. Nice to have them back to normal - they're one of our "neighborhood" spots. We tried the Greek pizza this time - really good, with chicken, artichokes, kalamata olives, and feta on their signature herbed crust. Still recommended ++

Valentinos Owners: As the owners of Valentino's, we would like to let you know why we are closed temporarily. In early November, we had a water line break during the night, causing extensive water damage to the walls in the main part of the restaurant, the lottery room, and the kitchen. The re-construction is underway and we hope to be open mid-December. We will extend the November 30th expiration date for coupons to December 31st. The new Great Values coupon book went to print before we realized the extent of the damages. Please post the above on your website to let our customers know what happened. Thank you. [Ed note: we are always happy to post news from restaurant owners/managers]

5/12/08 OC: I have eaten at Valentino's on several occasions now. I love the atmosphere, it is very cozy. The service is spotty in my opinion. I had a drink that needed a refill, I placed it at the edge of my table and when they delivered my food they never refilled my drink. I had to go up to the counter to get a refill. Not a make or break situation that would keep me from coming back but I assume they are still figuring it all out. The food is good especially the pizza. The crust is chewy and kind of dense and has basil and oregano baked in. It is not like any other kind of crust I have seen and it is great. I would highly recommend getting the pesto sauce, roasted garlic, grilled chicken, onions and mushrooms if you like that, it was absolutely delicious. I would only say they need to add some salt to the pizza crust or somewhere. It lacks just that little extra bit of taste that comes from salt for me anyway. Their salads are also tasty. They use mixed greens tossed with black olives, parmesan and tomatoes. I also have tried the lasagna which was very well made using high quality ingredients. There is a lot of ricotta cheese in the lasagna vs. stringy mozarella so it would depend on your taste whether you would like the lasagna. The food is higher priced than other pizza/Italian restaurants in Albany but the quality is very good and the food very fresh. I would definitely recommend Valentino's and I have done so on many occasions.

4/20/08 CM: We recently went to Valentino's Pizza. The ambiance was very nice. It is definitely not a place for little kids, but if they are gone, a great place for conversation. The pizza was good, but my complaint was what I paid for what I received. The medium siza is comperable to a frozen pizza, but will run you upwards of $14.00. Again, the taste was good, but just not sure the $14 was worth it. I was suggest it, but PizzAmore and Ciddicis are still top dogs in Albany.

3/14/08 SJ: The wife and I made our second visit to Valentino's. The first time was on their second day in business, which was a little disorganized, so we wanted to return after a reasonable settling-in time. The atmosphere is somewhat bistro-like and subdued. It's the antethesis of someplace like Papa's or Pizza King (both noisy and full of kids). We ordered the Valentino, which was great. For my taste, the crust could have used a little salt - I have the same slight criticism of American Dream, which I also otherwise love. This being local to North Albany, we unsurprisningly ran into a couple of our neighbors and dined with them. They were similarly impressed. I should add that Valentino's also has pastas and calzone on their menu, and a selection of wines. Recommended ++

• Tel: 541.928.6229
• Addr: 641 NW Hickory #160 (North Albany Shopping Center)
• Web: None

Vault 244

Vault 244 Bistro | Lounge opened on 9/15/09. Tapas and Dinner on their opening night were good. We'd suggest giving them a try. The decor is well done, and the atmosphere is loud, but not annoyingly so. Of course, there were the usual first-night glitches, but still good. We'll come back after they've been open awhile, and do an "official" review. A very, very good selling point that 244 has is there are *no* TVs. We are quite happy to have another TV-free venue. Thank you to Vault 244!

At another visit, we made these observations: We ate at Vault 244 tonight, and had a great experience overall. We got the impression that the kitchen might have been a bit understaffed, as food was a bit slow, but the service otherwise was good, and the food was excellent when it arrived. They probably could have used a second bartender, as well. My husband had a martini that was a bit sweet for his taste, but I had the Rosemary Lime Cooler, which was absolutely delicious. The Martini could also have been shaken with more vigor. I observaed the bartender shaking drinks rather slowly compared to other people I've observed. The cheese fondue was very tasty, although the sausage served with it was a bit too bologna-like (reminded me of some Oscar Meyer packaged product) and the bread, although very good, was in large chunks that required several bites -- hard to do with a fondue fork. I'd recommend cubing the bread instead of slicing it. The pulled pork sliders were excellent, but again I'd recommend cutting the cole slaw smaller so it's easier to eat. We also had the spinach artichoke dip, which was terrific -- very spinachy and not too mayonnaisey. We split an Asian chicken salad, which was also good, and had the chocolate fondue for dessert. Delicious! Once hitch on desert drinks: they don't have any "adult" coffee, like BFK or Spanish coffee. They *do* have coffee, so it wouldn't be a big deal for the bartenders to do that. I asked if they could make me a spanish coffee, and the answer was "no", even though they had everything to make it. We also appreciated the fact that, although there was an upbeat buzz throughout the restaurant, having a conversation in a normal tone of voice was no problem at all. We definitely recommend Vault 244 -- it's great to have something a little trendy in Albany! If they can get the kinks ironed out, this place would be fantastic. Update (Jan, 2010): Vault has added coffee drinks to the menu. They are good, thank you. It seems that the kitchen still has problems keeping up. We overhead the table next to us complaining about the speed of their food. So, there still are some kinks, but progress is being made! Rating: B.

My girlfriend and I visited the Vault on a Thursday night around 7 and we both were amazed at how beautifully decorated the restaurant was as soon as we stepped in the doors. We were seated immediately and our waiter just as quickly came over and greeted us. We ordered drinks which we received promptly in about five to ten minutes. Our server did a very good job and made sure we were well taken care of. Our entrees took a little long to get but it was well worth the wait. The Filet Mignon was deliscious! Overall our experience was great and we'll definitely be back. Albany needs more restaurants with this kind of quality and service. Thank you so much Vault 244.

10/22/09 GD: We arrived at The Vault right at 5:00 pm yesterday and we very pleased with the atmosphere and décor. Everything went down hill fast from there! We waited for over 20 minutes for our first round of drinks! When they did finally arrive, they were awful! Getting everyone at our table a round of shots even seemed to challenged the staff. How it could take 23 minutes to pour 7 shots I'll never understand. The appetizers we ordered took close to an hour to make it to our table. The waiter brought plates and napkins only after we had to request them. By the time he brought them we had finished the food. The cheese fondue was COLD! I don't know how this place is going to stay in business with such poor service.

9/24/09 DL: Interior has been done very nicely.  The service is excellent.  The drink menu is extensive.  Though we only had drinks I did look over the food menu.  They have a very nice selection of tapas and entrees.  There's something for every taste.  I will definitely be going back for dinner.  It's nice to finally have a higher-end place to meet for drinks without having to go to Corvallis.

9/21/09 FA: My friend and I went to Vault 244 Saturday night for drinks and appetizers. I'm always a bit wary of attending a restaurant on opening weekend on the off chance that they haven't worked out the "kinks." Definitely NOT the case here. We arrived about 9 and the place was busy. We had a very short wait and were seated on the couch seats in front of the fireplace. It wasn't on (not cold enough) but still a comfortable seat. The decoration and environment are pleasant. Feels like a trendy restaurant while not coming off as stuffy. It got a bit noisy, but it wasn't intolerable. More like nice buzz of conversation and people having a good time. Our waitress was on the ball with drinks and food. I had a vodka gimlet. The second one was a bit different than the first, which the waitress explained was due to the fact that they had two bartenders. She then offered to make me a new one which I declined. We tried the salad and the hummus plate. The salad was very fresh, excellent dressing. The hummus was creamy and delicious. The plate came with pickled onions and a spicy red sauce on the side...an unexpected and enjoyeable addition. The dinner menu looks tantalizing and I look forward to trying more of the items offered. We will definitely be going back! One small aside...if you are not accustomed to having 2 or 3 martinis, try to use the upstairs bathroom. The stairs to the downstairs bathroom are quite steep, especially on high heels. :-)

• Tel: 541.791-9511
• Addr: 244 1st Ave W, Albany, OR 97321
• Web: None, they are only (annoyingly so) on Facebook for the moment.
• Chowgeeks Bonus Point: No TVs. We congratulate Vault 244.

Wyatt's

Wyatts has closed (Late June, 2009).

• Tel: 917.3727
• Addr: 211 1st Ave W

Yaquina Bay

"I ate lunch at Yaquina Bay a couple of times with colleagues. We all had lunch salads, which were large and fresh. Service was ok, and prices were reasonable. Atmosphere and menu choices are aged and not creative. Smoke from the bar might be an issue. Not recommended." Rating: D-

6/23/08 HD: My husband & I went to Yaquina Bay Friday evening (6/20/08). We were seated in the garden room with one other table. Our waitress must have been working lots of tables that couldn't see that evening, as she was not very attentive to anything. I had to ask for more water....twice. Mid meal my husband asked for a second beer. At the end of the meal, he still did not have it; she came over and apologized and said she would go get it (even though it is obvious that we are done eating; my purse is out, my wallet is out, I'm waiting for the check). We told her not to bother, we are ready to go. I ordered a crab melt. I have NEVER had a crab melt like that; it said cheddar cheese melted on top. The menu didn't say a word about cheese sauce. It came covered in a velveeta like cheese substance that was rubbery and lousy. The crab came out of a can. My husband had a captain's plate, for the price, he was disappointed. I won't be eating there again.

2/2/2008 SJ: Visited Yaquina Bay for dinner on 2/2/08 with my wife and daughter.  Remember the 80's, mauve on everything, bentwood chairs, indoor awnings?  It's a flashback!  Contrary to the name of the place, think family restaurant.  You'll be closer.  While there are certainly some seafood features to be had, it's really a pretty typical American middle of the road menu.  I had the House Special Sauté', featuring fish, prawns, crab, and scallops.  It was ... okay.  It comes in one of those oblong casserole dishes on a plate next to some zucchini, green beans, and onion.  There was, to be fair, a reasonable amount of seafood on the plate.  But on the whole, it was fairly unremarkable.  It all tasted kind of the same, the way it tends to in a cioppino or other type of seafood stew.  But it was decent tasting.  The salad was what I describe as "salad bar" style - a little of everything in the garden (and some from the canned food aisle).  My wife had the teriyaki sampler, which was a skewer each of shrimp, chicken, and beef.  It looked a little over-sauced to me, but she said it was good.  Her rice came in one of those little round bowls like you see in diners and buffets.  Service was slow.  Our table was near the entrance and close enough to the bar that we were able to appreciate the associated cigarette fumes throughout the meal.  But I'm picky and it wasn't all that bad overall.  I won't be hurrying back, but on the whole I could still give it at least one star so - suggested +.

• Tel: 967.8420
• Tel: 926.8528
• Addr: 325 Airport Rd SE