Iron Gate Cafe - Albany (NY)

5 /5 Bill Lozano: Visiting friends in Albany we went to Iron Gate Cafe to have lunch on a cold December day after taking a walk in Washington Park. We checked out the menu online so we already knew what we wanted to order for lunch. When we walked in we told the host that our two friends were about fifteen minutes away and she told us our table would be ready in about 15 minutes. We were seated before our friends showed up. We ordered an Ice Tea and a Chai Latte while waiting. Once our friends showed up we all ordered our meals. I ordered the Bean Berger (Homemade black bean burger, smashed avocado, lettuce, tomato, pickled red onion, and vegan ranch on a toasted hard roll, served with French fries $17.00 Add: Cheese +$1.00). My wife ordered the Thai Shrimp Bowl (Sweet Thai chili shrimp, cabbage, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, avocado, quinoa, and a lime $17.00). They both had Mimosas ($11.00). Our two friends shared the Gluten Free Pancakes (Triple stack with maple syrup and your choice of protein $16.00) and the breakfast burrito (Three scrambled eggs, sausage, crushed cherry peppers, potatoes, smashed avocado, and cheddar in a flour tortilla, served with a side of ranchero $17.00). My wife and I shared our meal and I got a taste of the pancakes. All of the food was delicious. It’s a cool place with lots of small and medium sized rooms with a rock and roll style and serves a variety of vegan and non-vegan options. Before going I read reviews of Iron Gate Cafe and a few low ratings were because of rude staff. I can say that everyone we dealt with was outstanding. Our server was friendly and came over to check on us a few times. I look forward to going back and trying the breakfast burrito.

5 /5 Tania Mo: Loved everything about it. My family ordered salads with all kinds of veggies, quinoa and chicken. Hearty, fresh, yum… menu is diverse with tons of great sounding options. Sammies, Benedict’s, bloodies, Prosecco…Lovely garden setting outside. Historical architecture and warm, ornate woodwork inside with chandeliers and stained glass inside. Nice staff.

4 /5 Joshua Dyer: Irongate Cafe in Albany is a solid breakfast and brunch spot. Started with a hot cider that was really good. The jerk chicken bean soup was delicious with great flavor, though the chicken didn’t really taste jerked. I also had the Raging Cajun scramble which was a big portion, very hearty, and seriously filling. Overall, a good stop for a satisfying meal.

5 /5 Daniel Shetler: We really enjoy visiting new cities and a big part of that is finding great dining experiences. The Iron Gate Cafe fit that requirement. As representative of the city and community, Albany should be proud of what The Iron Gate is providing. We stopped in for a late lunch after a short tour of the city. The staff were very welcoming and Sam was a great server, offering suggestions with a smile and very friendly personality. We chose a variety of menu items, to all share. From local brews and craft beverages to very unique twists on classic favorites. The Iron Gate Breakfast sandwich was on of those. The basic sausage-egg-cheese classic but kicked up with a perfectly toasted(not too toasted) bagel and a roasted pepper relish that was an incredible accompaniment. With a dish called The Southern Smother, how could you pass up homemade waffles, fried chicken and sausage gravy. A definite hit although I was a bit put off by the pepper sauce served for dipping. If it were a sweet based pepper sauce, it would have paired better with the waffles, but still a dish worth recommending. But the big standout was the Brie stuffed French toast! Perfectly cooked through to offer a nice crust with a wonderful custardy inside. Put that together with the Brie & berries and you have a really great balance. So GOOD!! Original we were only planning on one afternoon visit to see Albany, but the Iron Gate Cafe is reason enough to make a 2nd visit.