34 Best Coffee Shops in Albany

“Local and welcoming. What more could we ask for?“

“While passing through for a short visit to the UAlbany campus, we researched some healthy and affordable lunch options nearby. We are so glad we found Simone's! This place is so cute on the outside, and fast, affordable, and delicious on the inside! The portions were huge, the food was fresh, and the prices were competitive with chains like Chipotle or Panera. 5/5!“

“Absolutely delicious. I've only had boba once before (at a different location) and it was so...bland? I didn't like it. I tried this place out on a whim with my friends and I was shocked! It knocked it out of the park in regards to taste. I got a milk tea with boba but it was so delicious that I'm still thinking about it! If you want boba go here. If you're nearby, get boba! I cannot hype this place up enough“

“Absolute delicious!!! We had Cider Belly be our wedding dessert and they were a hit!! Everyone loved all the delicious flavors and the beautiful display! Jen was amazing to work with from the beginning. They even put a special box aside for the newlyweds to ensure they also get so enjoy the yummy doughnuts!“

“My wife Barbara and I stopped in for a coffee after our Grandsons Flag Football game next door. My wife surprised me with a small order of Spaetzle Mac & Cheese. As a person raised on my German Grandmother's Spaetzle I can honestly say Amped's Spaetzle was unbelievably delicious! Anyone reading this should stop by, say hi to the owner Cindy and prepare to be dazzled! You'll be glad you did.“

“Best hidden treasure in the Captial region. The food was so good. Worth the small time to wait. It's hidden in an office building. It's middle eastern food. I had a beef Ruben and my wife a Gyro. Even the fries were fabulous.“

“If you are looking for interesting twist on coffee, matcha, and speciality lattes this is the place for you. Their lattes and Matcha is delicious. The matcha is high quality and they typically make them well. We tried the Matcha Paraside (Strawberry Matcha) and although strawberry matcha is common it was somehow still unique. It was delicious. We have tried a few other lattes that were not our favorites but it is worth experimenting with unfamiliar flavors you may find something you like with trail and error.

The noise level is typically moderate to easy to talk. They have a variety of seating arrangements from booths, tables, and sofas. The atmosphere is moody yet inviting. I highly recommend giving them a try!“

“I went to The Scene this morning with my daughter in law and two granddaughters It’s a very charming place with cute decor. The service was excellent. My DIL and one of my granddaughters ordered from the lunch menu — a delicious panino and a yummy wrap. My other granddaughter ordered the Nutella Waffle. It was amazing. Alas, I ordered the avocado toast and it was very disappointing. It was very skimpy — very little avocado on one slice of bread. No poached eggs or burratta on the side. No fresh fruit. Very boring. Just seemed like an afterthought. I’ll be returning but will never order the avocado toast again.“

“Love love love everything about this sweet little cafe! They have a perfectly small menu, milk alternatives, and the owner is a nice young woman, running the whole place with one other person! I love supporting small businesses like this, especially when the espresso is strong and delicious, the atmosphere is cozy, and the treats are unique.
I'll be stopping by again tomorrow and the next day before I go back home!“

“Best coffee around! Bakery items are fresh and delicious. Staff is friendly. Quick service helps in the morning. A must visit 😊☕️“

“the sandwiches are loaded high with fresh delicious meat and veggies. truly enjoyed my time there. excellent portions and very reasonable prices. quickly becoming an Albany icon“

“This is a really cool coffee shop, and their prices are great too!! I absolutely love their coffee and bagels, and I really love their soup. Their lattes are so amazing. And they get almond milk to foam a lot too. Most places can't do that. I try their special and seasonal lattes a lot, but lately I've been going a lot, so I got tired of the same amazing latte, so I tried the caramel latte, and Oh, THAT WAS GOOD. I've had a caramel latte before, but that one was SO good. I definitely recommend it. They do have a ton of options, I like to get the cinnamon raisin bagel with PB and J. It is really good. They have super good cream cheese here too. I definitely recommend that too. And the bagel sandwiches? 😋😋. I recommend getting the Mediterranean sandwich. I really love this place and hope you do too!!!“

“Tried some place new for my afternoon coffee. Got a mocha latte with cinnamon. Oh my goooooodness! It was so delicious, made perfectly! The barista was so sweet, really great people skills. An hour or so later I realized I was highly caffeinated too. So definitely strong, and definitely did the job! I'll be returning for sure! ☕️“

“Amazing place - LA coffee at upstate NY prices. Great selection of coffees, perfectly prepared. Loved it!“

“I have dined in Stacks on numerous occasions and I regularly get take out. This is one of my three go to coffee shops in Albany NY. I enjoy the Chai lattes, seasonal soups, sandwiches, and croissants. The only thing they need is Hazelnut syrup for the drinks!

Feb 2026 Update: Their Valentine's Day Kashmir Chai special is delicious. I added strawberry syrup which is also a limited time syrup. The strawberry syrup is mouth-watering. Highly recommend they add both to their regular menu! Always try their soups. They rotate and generally are a hit!

Apirl 2026 Update: The only drink I have tasted that I don't recommend is the matcha. It is not high quality and powdery. The double matcha was made incorrectly. As a regular matcha drinker the ratio was incorrect especially for double matcha. When I asked for extra syrup to try to save my drink the barista was incredibly sarcastic. Honestly if you know you made a drink incorrectly simply correct it before it gets into a customer's hands. That is literally the bare minimum. This was the first bad experience I had at Stacks after six years of continued patronage. This was the only barista I have encountered that generally seemed to have a bad attitude and appeared annoyed which is why I am dropping a star on both food & service.“

“Just had an Awesome specialty coffee and delicious cheesecake! Highly recommend this place. Very nice and friendly staff too!“

“I had a nice Hoilday Lattee coffee It was good The service was good“

“Smack freshly cooked great staff shrimp and grits to die for“

“Always friendly, great with order ahead. Food always good.“

“first time visiting. the food was outstanding. Had the Vermont turkey sandwich and the Rachel. Debby the cashier was great. So helpful and patience with us. she made us feel so welcome. we will be back. Not just because of the great food. But also because of Debby.“

“i am a customer at this location, and i came to see the reviews after there was a situation regarding cup writing (which is the new starbs policy) and another customer believed one of the workers wrote a rude message on the cup. due to the new policy, these workers have to work under pressure, which more or less will bring mistakes. they are rushing and messages tend to be misread. not only was the customer rude, but they didn't even want to hear an explanation! and may i also add that they were super busy? they are super nice, so for you to not understand that it was a mistake, you just wanted something to be mad at.“

“Small Cafe for breakfast and lunch with in-house seating.

I’ve had a few different sandwiches here, but their soups and baked goods are my favorites.

Located on Broadway in Menands, small parking lot on the side.“

“Ordered a Venti, less Ice, Non fat, 8 pump, Chai Tea Latte. It was made correctly by the male Barista. It was refreshing and satisfying. Thank you.“

“Caramel Macchiato! ❤️❤️❤️“

“Teas and shakes are soooo good!!! Highly recommend!“

“Grate spot to hang before and after shows at Lark Hall (~);}“

“Had the pleasure of running errands in this area and decided to check out this Stacks location. Their coffee never disappoints and their service is always great. Tried the Espresso Sunrise this morning- I love how creative they are with flavors!“

“Fast service, best bagels and coffee with affordable prices!“

“The service is always good at this location. I think the coffee drinks are great, but the teas are even better. America really does run on Dunkin!“

“Great products, and friendly staff. Awesome place !“

“First time here in a very cold evening, it’s like on the back of a building, there’s a park in front of the store, and across the street from it is a huge building with a clock on top that could be an old train terminal.
The chef was really friendly and the chicken sandwich meal was delicious, my daughter was a picky eater, and she just killed that sandwich, the chicken was crispy and tender inside, it was so food, since it’s a cold day we didn’t bother to order ice cream pops, we will definitely come back with friends and visit this eatery again.“

“I never had Starbucks coffee. I stopped and I had my daughter who loves acai strawberry ?. Theirs young lady name Sky, she made me Carmel crunch.. fell in love with it.. Sky n I had conversation about different types of drinks. My daughter loves everything that Sky makes for her. I've been ✋stopping in almost everyday on my way to work (CDTA) .( I picked one up for co worker he loved it wanted me bring him more) . I used to stop DD can't compare.. sorry!! Thank you SKY!!!!!? ♥️“

“Coffee was excellent! French toast was good, but I prefer Texas toast. I can’t hold that against them tho as that is a personal preference thing and varies person to person. The only knock I had against this place is the home fries. They’re like mashed potatoes, that are then grilled on a flat top grill. WEIRD and bland. Very under seasoned“

“The ambiance and food is awesome! I’m visiting from another country, and I came in here with a friend to get a coffee, but we ended up ordering much more than that. Definitely recommend to stop in and give it a try. If I lived here I’d be here everyday to work, or bring people/friends in.“