Cafe 217

Good food, nice seating, nice service. I will go again. I found parking across the street. My date was good. I had real corned beef, scrambled eggs, onion bagel, small chopped home fries, apple juice, and a tall glass of iced water.

Pretty good food but the staff always seems like they are seriously unorganized. For example: A couple of two was seated after me and a friend, ordered before us, and have left before us. Waited about 15 minutes after we ate for our check. Didnt see the waitress or any staff on the floor for about 5 minutes. I dont get it. Probably will choose somewhere else next time which is a shame bevause i live so close.

We had a very good brunch/​lunch here after church. Prices were very reasonable, service good, offerings for everyone. Also, the noise level was excellent– we could hear each other!

Café 217 is a bit cramped as you enter, but that feeling is quickly relieved once you get to the bar or proceed beyond to the 1^st and 2^nd floor terraces. The crowd here is pretty lively, which I feel is a plus as well — we were a large group, and folks here were immediately welcoming. We didn’t have enough time to sample the food here, so we got a few rounds of drinks. They were reasonable in terms of price and size. My favorite part is the upstairs terrace, and I’d say if you can get space there, grab it. I’d love to come back and try the food here paired with drinks.

Horrible breakfast experience, twice now. 1^st time they were so in the weeds, service was awful. Just left there and though we were one of only 4 tables, the wait was very long and they managed to get our order completely wrong. Additionally there were gnats everywhere forcing us to move to a table where there were, more gnats. Sorry, but never again.

Came in for sahour here at like 3am. the food was mediocre but the service was great! Highly recommend the corn muffin with some butter. Hit the spot!

I was pleasantly surprised by Café 217… the food was amazing… specifically, breakfast and lunch food that we had was fantastic. The fries were insanely good! I loved the eggs Benedict. And, they were willing to work with my requests regarding ingredients. Service was excellent… such a nice guy that served us –it was Kyle. The patio was a great surprise… quaint!
I will definitely be returning. My only regret is that I didn’t discover them long so.
LOVE Café 217!

I found this place on Unilocal after dropping off our son at the train station. Very nice place. Good food, relaxing atmosphere. I am happy that we stopped in for breakfast.

Always great craft beers on tap and a nice bar atmosphere. In the winter the fireplace is wonderful and you can almost always get a seat by it. And in the summer the newly renovated patio is in the running for best Albany patio. Mike the bartender always offers great conversation. Can’t go wrong with any of the food but I certainly have my favorites — Mozz sticks with melba, grilled cheese with chips and mac salad side, and the slidders special is always on-​point. Being open all hours on the weekend is great because the only other options are slices of mediocre pizza slices. And don’t forget about brunch. Kyle the waiter kills it at brunch. Brunch rules.

I’m glad there is a place that is open so late, but I’ve had completely hit or miss experiences here. French fries and French toast are good, but bestv to stick to dimple things. Don’t have the crepes, they are slimy, thick and awful. The peaches inside were even tasteless. The food service is slow and they don’t like to split checks.

Terrible coffee, service could be better, but the food is amazing. The homemade corned beef hash was perfection. I have been looking for a good corned-​beef hash for a long time and Café 217 just rocked my world. The toasts were delicious. The bread was toasted to perfection, the eggs were very yummy and looking at other table’s dishes I dare to say that the food here is worth the bad coffee and poor service (the upbeat personality of the waiter made up for it).

Love it here! The service is always great and I love their breakfast selection. We usually have the same server each time we go in and he is fantastic.

I have been living in Albany for two years now, have tried quite a few places that offer breakfast food, and to me this is my #1. For the many times I have been there, service has always been great and the food even better. I live near by too, which makes it very convenient. But the best part is that they are open 24hrs on the weekends! No matter where I go drinking, Café 217 is my last stop every weekend.

Suzie’s sister establishment, the hip Café 217, has some very awesome things going on.
Café 217 is a diner first serving classic diner fare. However, it is also a classic Albany pub complete with fireplace and an amazing happy hour that goes from 4 – 8 where appetizers (such as zucchini fries) are half-​priced, and pints are two dollars off. Although I am remiss to see the Excelsior Pub leave (which once operated in the bar section of Café 217), I can’t say that all is lost — as the décor, great barkeeps, and chill environment remain.
As a diner, breakfast fare is served twenty four hours alongside some well-​curated (and sometimes hard to find) craft beers and spirits.
I’m talking a delectable Monte Cristo (grilled challah topped with ham, turkey with melted Swiss on top) paired alongside a smooth farmhouse Saison from Great Divide brewing.
I am also talking chipotle seasoned, homemade sweet potato and corned beef hash topped with perfectly poached eggs pleasantly aided with an authentic, spicy Bloody Mary.
Or, if you want to remain Albanian, hand breaded mozzarella sticks and Melba sauce chased down with any of Rushing Duck’s outstanding brews.
On warmer days, check out their new outdoor patio — a perfect, intimate space to chat with good friends and enjoy a good drink. On colder days, feel free to warm up by the fire place.
It is why, despite there being a lot of options in the Lark Street vicinity, I keep coming back to Café 217 as it offers something for everybody for every season and for every hour.
And perhaps even better, you are only two doors down from the classic Albany after hours basement dive — Suzie’s.

This is a review of the Café 217 pub, not the restaurant (although the restaurant is quite nice). The former Excelsior Pub was previously located in this space, which is attached to Café 217 by way of a small hallway. You can, unsurprisingly, order food at the bar. While the previous incarnation of the pub featured only New York State beers, the current incarnation stocks beer from just about anywhere. The pub has a well-​curated selection of beers with an excellent bartender.
The atmosphere is casual and friendly, and you get the sense that most of the other patrons are locals. Beer recommendations are generally excellent, if the selection is small. The prices are about what you would expect of a small, craft pub. Outdoor seating is pleasant during the summer.
This is the kind of bar that you visit to spend some time with friends, and it’s a nice fixture in the neighborhood.

I went to Café 217 around 7 pm on a Wednesday. The place is little off the beaten path just Northeast Lark Street area. They recently opened an outdoor patio area which was quite nice. Parking is off street, but was not too bad to find a space. When we arrived there was only one couple eating in the restaurant, we got outdoor seating and found many more diners outside. The wait staff seemed a bit chaotic, but were friendly. They had an interesting selection of beers on tap, but a number of the items were not available. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich w/​fries and a beer. After ordering I found out you can order from the full menu at any time. I enjoyed everything very much and was very happy with my experience. If I lived in the area, I would likely make this a frequent stop.

The service is good and staff is friendly. The food is good … but nothing extra special. Would I go back? Yes … but really only if invited by a friend.

The Café 217 Pub, EXCELLENT. Extremely unique draft beers. I like different brews, the 217 Pub has a great selection. I went in Saturday afternoon to meet the kids (they swear they just got there, BS), first time in, great service with a beer sample every time we talked about a different beer or just looked at the beer menu trying to decide on the next one. Beer prices are spot on.
I left, came back later with wife, my brother and his wife, kids were still there (no surprise), only disappointment was that the great bartender was closing out her shift.
Oh, also had some plates of appetizers, good price and quality.
We will come back again next time in town.

Café 217 has been my saving grace for the long all nighters or late night weekends when I’m super hungry for good food and its late. Last time I came I went in at about 3am and it was empty and quiet. I ordered the pesto chicken wrap with sweet potato fries — it’s so good and tastes light and fresh. Absolutely love the pesto in the wrap and actually crave it from time to time. The menu is simple and filled with sandwiches and diner-​like food. Unfortunately by the time I come in, the dinner menu isn’t available so I haven’t gotten to try anything really extraordinary or special. But it is a good place for quick & satisfying eats when it’s late and the only other options are Denny’s or McDonalds ugh.

My boyfriend and I stopped here for lunch before heading to my brother’s house. When we walked in (around 1:30pm on a Saturday) there were just two tables of people there and they turned to stare at us. It was super weird and uncomfortable.
The waitress was nice enough. We each had a fountain drink and a sandwich with fries. My sandwich (the Saratoga) was seriously dry and didn’t taste like any of the flavors I was expecting from the description. The roast beef seemed like it was freeze dried first or something. It was a little creepy. The french fries were delicious (although very oily so it depends how you feel about grease) so that was my favorite part of the lunch. My boyfriend had the cheese steak and he didn’t love it but he did eat it.
There was a note on each table saying the restaurant was closing at 3pm for a private party. So if you are looking for a place to have a private party, I suppose you can consider this place. Just talk to them first about the freshness of the food!