Park Side Eatery

Hands down the best breakfast joint in the area. That is a bold statement that I don’t easily give out. Next to its fancier competitors, such as Max London’s or Scallions, Parkside Eatery demonstrates that phenomenal food doesn’t necessarily come at a high price. The quality of food is easily superior than its competitors and the staff are very helpful. I highly recommend it.

The entire place looks delicious as soon as you walk in. I went there and tried the Pork, Mac & Cheese Griddle Sandwich and It was one of the best eating experiences I’ve had in a long time. The perfect sandwich for a Sunday afternoon, was also complemented by a wondeful gourmet soup and a delicious craft soft drink completing the experience.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I usually give an establishment three strikes before writing it off. My second trip was for a breakfast sandwich. It was large and tasty. What more could you ask for? I also picked up three of their donuts that I had heard a lot about from friends. They were essentially glazed donuts with different toppings on them. I sampled the bacon, peanut butter and regular glazed. Unfortunately, like most donut makers in this area, they suffer from the hard water blahs that make them dry and dense. I also thought that they could have put a thicker glaze on them than was offered. I will be back for more breakfast sandwiches though and one day will give the pulled pork a second try, asking for extra sauce, just in case.

What a great find in Saratoga springs. We were actually on the way to another eatery when we stumbled on this. There were so many choices we had to stay. Everything from sandwiches (lower east side mile highs) to salads to soup to home made hot and cold items available by weight. Don’t forget all of the homemade donuts, cookies and howlers and growlers of beer. There are honestly too many choices. If it didn’t rain we would have taken our large sandwiches to the park.
Had the smoky tuna, Tuna melted with smoked Gouda on homemade bread. Leon had the pastrami Reuben. Although my sandwich was very good I was not a fan of all of the mayo. I never eat mayo so it was a bit much for me. They serve a mean pickle spear as well. Would certainly recommend and come back (except there are so may good places in SS). Seems like a great place to grab dinner ton bring home. Large selection of interesting hand crafted soda if you roll that way. Try the Brussels sprout slaw.

Yum! Friendly staff and wonderfully hearty local foods. I wanted to try everything in those glass cases. Went on a Sunday morning and they had this awesome bluegrass singer on guitar which was lovely. Had the brisket which was nice and tender, if not as juicy as I’d like, and fried eggs with fruit. I think I would have liked to try the soups if I’d seen them earlier; they have four huge culdrons with home made stews that looked and smelled delish! Yes, could be a bit pricey but I can appreciate the food is served with integrity and attention to quality.

I left Saratoga after the summer and really miss this place. They have amazing breakfast sandwiches on very soft challah bread (I particularly liked the feta with onions and red peppers). The owner and staff really put a lot of thought and time into the food. Everything from the smoked salmon frittata, carrot and scallion latkes, to their hotdogs and pulled pork sandwiches are top notch. Also a great selection of sodas and desserts. Don’t miss their donuts on Friday through Sunday. The maple bacon donut sells out quickly and is a must try but all of them are very well made. Definitely the best donuts I have ever had.

We have eaten lunch here a bunch of times as well as had Park Side cater a small-​family gathering. They have four soups daily as well as variety of craft beers on draft, variety of sandwiches/​salads and a bakery.
When we used Park Side for catering, they allowed us to order food by the pound and had it ready for us to pick up at our convince with instructions for heating, etc. We ordered pulled pork sandwiches, cole slaw, kale salad and a mixed-​berry pie. Our family loved the sandwiches (especially the rolls) as well as the pie. It was an inexpensive alternative to going out to dinner and was absolutely delicious.

A great experience! My wife and I shared a pulled pork sandwich and a pastrami and corned beef sandwich. The portions were spot on. The taste was amazing. Then we went for dessert. A store made bakery. Cream Puffs and Chocolate Moose pie. YUM! Will be back. $$ *****

Black Diamond Caterers catered my wedding 8 years ago and when Michael and Heidi Hoyt announced that they were opening Park Side Eatery a couple of years ago, I was thrilled. People still mention how good the food was at our wedding (how often does that happen??).
I stop in to Park Side Eatery at least a couple of times a week. I have to confess, I am a sucker for a good soup and their soups are delicious! There are always 5 soups each day and the best part is that everything is clearly homemade. I just stopped in a little while ago to get my Beef Vegetable Barley fix on this overcast and rainy day.
If they just made good soup, I would still stop in. However, there are a TON of other options. They have a cold case as well as a hot case filled with a wide variety of rotating food. Did I mention that everything is homemade in-​house? This includes their brined corned beef, pulled pork, brisket, etc. My 4 year old son is obsessed with their kale and lentil salad. It is really important to me to feed my son real food that isn’t processed and I don’t have to worry about what he eats from PSE. Again– just another reason to keep coming back.
But there is more… They also have a huge selection of homemade cookies, cupcakes, donuts, and PIE (their pie is delicious and I have tried many different kinds that they make). So, you can stop in and get a delicious and home-​cooked meal 7 days a week, have a ton of things to choose from, and you can either eat it there or take it to go. I am so glad that we have this place in Saratoga!
As some people have mentioned, the food isn’t cheap. But., I am 100% ok with this because the food is good, homemade, and is REAL FOOD — not some chemically-​laden junk. And, yes, it can sometimes take a long time to get your food. However, while their food is certainly convenient, it is not fast food. Quality takes time and it is obvious that the chef, employees, and owner take pride in what they do.

I had heard good things about Park Side Eatery’s baked goods, and when I realized they had food also, we decided to try that out too. Now mind you we got the food to go so we didn’t get to take advantage of the fact that they’ll let you sample pretty much any of the desserts and soups they have. Which is pretty cool so you hopefully don’t end up hating what you ordered. We ordered the beef brisket sandwich «naked» with the sauce on the side. The beef had no flavor. It was like they didn’t even season it before smoking it. On top of that for a $ 10 sandwich it was small in size and came with no sides. We also had the Double LES (pastrami and corned beef): this sandwich was tasty but I think maybe they mixed up the meats, it had what appeared do be beef brisket on this sandwich as well instead of pastrami. I had the cheddar beer soup. This soup was good except for the fact that not all of the cheese was melted out. Maybe that’s a personal preference but I don’t like getting chunks of shredded cheese in a soup like that. Now onto dessert. I was excited to taste what I thought would be delicious sweet treats. I was sadly disappointed. The caramel apple pie was not sweet and the crust was more bread like than a flaky crust. The cinnamon roll was average (I could go to Cinnabon and get better honestly). The blueberry lemon muffin was ok too. It had more of a cake texture than what you would expect from a muffin. It also didn’t have any lemon flavor at all, not even a mild flavor. The cheesecake was pretty terrible too. The consistency and flavor was off for a cheesecake.

Today was the first time my boyfriend and I went to the Park Side Eatery. We have been curious about the tucked away restaurant for a while now, and finally got a chance to enjoy some afternoon goodness.
We were really impressed by the overwhelming amount of variety that is offered. There were at least 5 different soups including NE Clam Chowder and Matzo Ball, as well as a make-​your-​own deli sandwich option, a hot lunch bar, and tons of cold food items. The baked goods looked absolutely amazing! The staff was very knowledgeable and helpful at showing us around this unique restaurant.
People have complained about the prices, however «you pay for what you get.» My boyfriend maintains the Paleo lifestyle, and both of us avoid all products containing dairy and gluten. Eating somewhere like this, where everything is done in house, is very reassuring to people like us who have any dietary concerns… or just care about where their food is coming from! There were numerous gluten free and dairy free options here. all nicely labeled.
My matzo ball soup was great. The matzo ball was HUGE and the broth was hearty with vegetables. My boyfriend enjoyed a variety of food from the hot bar including creole style sweet potatoes, pulled pork and cherry chicken. His plate was empty in less than 2 minutes.
If you are looking for your run of the mill sandwich shop with diner-​quality products-​this isn’t the place. If you are willing to spend a few more bucks for a great meal then I highly recommend giving Park Side Eatery a try!
We will be back in the morning to pick up some of their GIANT doughnuts for a family event… we just can’t resist!

My husband, 14 month old, and I tried park side today. I have mixed reviews. I’m giving 4 stars for the taste and presentation of food, and 2 – 3 stars for almost everything else.
first, 21 $ for two sandwiches is absolutely ridiculous. I almost fell over when the cashier said 21 $. If you are going to charge that much at least include a bag of chips and a drink! (Even with that it’s still expensive). Secondly, The place was quiet on a Saturday afternoon and we waited 25 minutes for our order! Come to find out they forgot about our order. To me this is lack of communication between employees. With a very active 14 month old this is not good news. I do have to say though they offered us free donuts (not a fan of donuts, but still a nice gesture).
The food was very good. I had the lemon chicken salad sandwich. Love that they use rock hill bread :)
I don’t want to say I won’t be back because I like to support local businesses, and the food was good, however this would not be my first choice solely based on the prices. I understand they use locally farm raised ingredients (which is great quality), but c’mon… Way too expensive! Putnams has just as good food/​choices and their sandwiches are $ 8.88 for a whole.
In addition, the computer room off to the side should not be in view from a customers perspective!
Overall-​this eatery is a good choice for lunch if you aren’t worried about your spending. They have plenty of options which is great. However, From a management perspective this place has some work to do.

6 dollars for Matzoh ball soup (a small one). Give me a bleeping break. That is thoroughly obnoxious in every which way. This is Saratoga Springs NY NOT Manhattan or Long Island or Jersey or Connecticut… or even bleeping Shaker Heights! They dont charge 6 bucks at Nate and Al’s (for a LARGE soup!!) in Beverly Hills! Are you pulling these prices out of your backside?

This place was awesome! I went after track season, so I can’t speak to how busy it is then, but I am assuming busy. When we went, however, it was not really that busy at all. We went around lunch time, and towards the end of our time eating there was a slight in rush of people.
The Food:
I had a hot pastrami sandwich, on rye with mustard, which was delicious. It wasn’t piled quite as high as say Katz’s Deli, but it was filling, none the less. The pastrami was very flavorful. The other two people with me got a turkey sandwich and a chicken salad sandwich. Both had great things to say, and each took half of it home. We also tried the clam chowder, which was nice and hot, and had a decent amount of clams in it. They have 6 different soups daily, with Chicken Noodle a mainstay. We tried a few others (they have little sample cups), and they were all good as well.
While we were here we were greeted with a large rack of donuts, and there’s a huge dessert cabinet as well. I tried one of the donuts. It was a chocolate coconut donut. It was as airy as a traditional donut, but seemed dense at the same time. I liked it. I would definitely try another one if I were to go back. I would also recommend them to anyone looking for an alternative to Dunkin!
The Service:
The lady that took our order was very helpful in explaining the offerings of the deli to us. We placed our order, and a little while later it was brought over to us. You can see the people making your food too (as the restaurant is very open concept), so you can see that everyone is working hard.
Overall:
Definitely check this place out if you need a quick lunch in Saratoga. I would definitely recommend it as it gets colder, since you can get a nice hot bowl of soup!

Ordered a corned beef sandwich. It was too salty to eat. Prices are really high. Won’t be going back

Being from southern New York, I appreciate great delis, and Park Side has impressed me each time. My favorite is the Double LES with mustard on rye. Have also tried the reubens with their homemade sauerkraut which is amazing. The split pea soup tastes just like my grandmas… huge chunks of ham. Next time I’ll need to try the bbq!

I was very excited to try this new restaurant after hearing so many good things. When I walked in I was so happy with what I saw and smelled! There were so many options, I didn’t know what to eat. I spoke to someone who works there and they told me it was kind of like a Jewish deli, so I had to try the matzo ball soup, but I must admit I was a bit disappointed with it…
The soup itself was alright, I really appreciate the fresh veggies (carrots, celery, onion), but the matzo ball was a different story. It was a bit too dense and… it was green! I understand that this greenness was because of the parsley, but I think that’s where it went all wrong. Of course parsley adds flavor, but this was too much parsley! It was overpowering, I ended up not eating it. The soup left a funny aftertaste in my mouth.
I don’t want to be such a downer because the soup certainly has a lot of potential (with a different matzo ball recipe). AND on a positive note, after I bought the soup I realized that there were small tasting cups to try the soups, so I decided to try the butternut squash and lavender bisque… Boy did I make a mistake (a mistake of not trying this sooner!!!) IT WAS FANTASTIC!
I’ve also tried some of their fresh challah! AMAZING!!!
So although I’ll be staying away from the matzo ball soup for quite a while, I will definitely be going back to try some of PSE’s other good-​looking dishes!

Automatic upgrade to five stars on the strength of their chopped liver, one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. Marinated in bourbon, mixed with onion, sour cream, chopped egg. Perfect texture and flavor balance.

When I first heard about PSE opening, I was psyched to try their donuts. For our first visit we planned on having something more healthy and not too filling so there would be room for a donut. PSE is more like a deli. There are display cases filled with cold side dishes, hot and precooked main dishes, refrigerated pastries, cookies and biscotti, at least a half-​dozen kettles of soup, a pickle bar, and beverage coolers filled with various sodas and flavored drinks. Much of this is sold by the pound.
I chose to have an Apple Smoked Pulled Pork sandwich ($ 8.50) served «naked» on a Rock Hill bakery brioche bun with a garlic pickle. The pork was flavorful and juicy with no noticeable smoked flavor. They also offer this sandwich with either their traditional beer based Red Sauce or a mustard and vinegar Carolina Sauce. The pickle was relatively standard and not very sour.
My wife had a bowl of the Black Bean soup ($ 5.50). Not the best she ever had, a bit heavy on cumin for her taste, but still acceptable.
I moseyed on offer to the dessert cases to see what would catch my eye. There, before my eyes, was one remaining Apple filled Bismark ($ 2.50). I also saw some Macaroons drizzled with chocolate ($ 2 ea.) which would give me a good comparison with the macarons that we had just bought at TC Paris Patisserie to take home for a later tasting. The Bismark was disappointing — the donut had been fried too long so that it was very brown on the outside with an almost burnt flavor, and it was a bit dry on the inside. Had it not been for the standard institutional, canned apple donut filling, I might not have finished it. As for the Macaroon, I’ve definitely had better ones that were more moist and chewy. Of course, a macaroon is NOT to be compared with a macaron and it is not my intention to attempt to do so here.
We’re likely to try PSE again in the future, maybe for more soup and possibly another sandwich. The house made corned beef or pastrami sound inviting, even some of the entrees in the cases looked good. I’m tossed between 2 ½ and 3 stars. Staff are nice and friendly so I’ll round up.
Just in case you are wondering how the restaurant got its name while having an address a full block away from Congress Park, if you stand in one of the booths on the south wall and look out the high windows, you can see the Park across the parking lot between PSE’s building and the Spring Street entrance to the Park and its Carousel. More seriously, you can also enter PSE from this parking lot.

I’ve recently started coming to Saratoga Springs for business and I’ve tried at least half a dozen restaurants, most of which were pretty good, but none of them blew me away. Until Park Side Eatery. I plan on getting around to more reviews eventually but this place prompted me to break my six plus month long review dry streak.
I had one of the best sandwiches of my life here. This place is a gem. The staff were super friendly and helpful. The prices are extremely reasonable and the atmosphere is unpretentious. There’s a nice looking deli which I didn’t pay much attention to.
They pickle their own pastrami, corned beef, and cucumber pickles here. I had the «double dipping» special where you get a half sandwich («Double LES» — basically a Reuben with both pastrami and corned beef) plus a cup of soup for $ 11.50. The soup was pretty good but the sandwich was AMAZING. Seriously one of my best sandwich experiences ever. The meat was unbelievably good.
They also have a spicy unfiltered ginger ale (I don’t remember the brand) that was super yummy.
Highly recommended. I will definitely be back.