19 Best Bars in Albany

“Lauren and Colin are beautiful people and run a truly special establishment. An amazingly curated tap list and bottle selection, as well as super tasty small bites make for a wonderful experience with each visit.“

“Fun night out….great staff and cool place with a good amount of different activities.“

“We hosted our wedding at Albany Distilling and I can not speak highly enough of our experience. Natalie was amazing to work with and the staff were wonderful day of. All of our guests could not stop talking about the drinks, staff, and atmosphere. I would highly recommend for any event!“

“Easily one of my favorite bars in Albany.

Trivia every Wednesday and karaoke on Friday are always a blast. All of the bartenders are friendly, helpful, and know their stuff. Great selection of all types of beer, with some canned cocktails, shots, and THC seltzers.

Very friendly atmosphere for hanging with friends, queer and POC friendly business. Music on karaoke nights gets pretty loud though.

Beer can run a bit pricey but they have delicious cheap options too.

They're dog friendly too so you can pet some cute dogs while you're drinking. And the patio is a big plus. Tables and chairs on the sidewalk are great for summer nights.“

“Just had date night and have absolutely nothing bad to say! Brian served us and he was knowledgeable and knew the menu well. The food was cooked professionally, there was no feeling of “another chain restaurant “ it was delicious! Cocktails were nice, presentation was good. It was everything we needed tonight!“

“great service, good food, friendly clientele“

“Searching for places to eat in the local area and this place popped up. I don’t normally leave reviews but I feel compelled as the food was absolutely exquisite. This place has good vegan options as well. The Dirty Little Birdy signature cocktail may be the best drink I’ve ever had! Just annoyed I had to share it. Coming back on Friday!“

“Believe the hype! Casey Finn’s delivers for service, the finest Miller High Life and Jameson whiskey, and I heard that the Ruebens on St Patrick’s Day are the jam.Was sincerely hoping for the rumored bartender vs customer fight (see review from a few years ago), but despite a brief genuine moment of concern (“are you ladies lost?”), we made friends and will be back.“

“Better than ever, great menu, excellent staff“

“I’ve found my “Cheers!”
Yes I’m showing my age with that reference - 80’s babyyyy - but this dive bar is IT!
This place has some of the best cocktails I’ve had, easily rivaling overpriced drinks in Manhattan - shout out to Tom!
If you have no idea what you want to drink, no worries, talk to the bartenders, they’ll help you, might even whip up something creative on the spot.
Monday nights belong to Brian the bacon guru, baby I eat pork again when I roll up here on a Monday (I pay for it later too, well worth it, lol).

The patrons are some of the most diverse and amazingly chill group of folks I’ve encountered since moving from the multicultural NYC life - Bx to be exact - to the parts up yonder.

The owner, Joe, is one of the kindest humans, and honey like attracts like, because his team definitely match his energy, they are hands down, some of my favorite people up here! Special shout out to Victoria & Corrine ❤️!

When you go, chill hard, enjoy big, and tip OD!“

“Great atmosphere great girls with great outfits! Accommodating owners“

“The Best Place I have ever worked for HANDS DOWN! Grateful for Management, they treat our team with respect, allow every team member to be themselves inside and out! Community, Neighbors, Local Small Business all supporting one another and coming together! Every Day Citizens, Everyone Pitching IN! 🇱🇷🦅😉 XXXOOO“

“Walking thru Larkin st and came across a bar full of records and wood paneling had to stop and go in. Whipped eggplant with pho cocktail was delicious. Bar tenders were attentive and seemed like they had regular coming and going. Good for tourists and seemed even better locals with the daily specials.“

“Out of town working, read the reviews, previous review guy walks out because Fox News was on. I was all in. I wish there was more of him around. makes my visit that much more enjoyable . if you are looking for food this is the wrong place. If you’re looking to drink and hang out and have a good time, this is it. Darts pool, Jamison and Guinness and other beers but no Bud Light. Locals are extremely friendly ,met several new friends on the first visit“

“Albany landmark one of the last black owned bars in Albany. Nice spot when you don't want to be around drama...most youngins don't want to go there because it's fairly low key which is why I rather go there. when I want to grab a drink in peace..go there grab a drink and show Phil love for keeping this establishment open!“

“Had a BLAST here this past wknd! I sang karaoke both Friday and Saturday night..I rocked and entertained the fun supportive crowd! Everyone that sang CAN sing!“

“Whenever I fly out of Albany Airport, I always stop by Hudson's for a pre-flight drink. I've consistently had positive experiences—friendly bartenders and quick service every time. It's also conveniently located near most of the airlines I fly with, which makes it an easy stop. I haven’t tried the food yet, so I can’t speak to that, but I definitely recommend grabbing a drink here if you’ve got a little time before your flight!“

“Nice neighborhood bar, sports on the many TVs, billiards, cold beer , good people.“

“The food was great. Juan Carlos was our waiter and was so amazing. He was bubbly, friendly and attentative to our needs. The food was amazing and I asked to speak to the Mgr to give my feedback on our server and he was just as amazing. I will def be back to support and bring my friends.“