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Brown Derby
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
22 Clinton AveAlbany, NY 12207
(518) 463-1945
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Fri-Sat 5 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Valet
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
17 reviews for Brown Derby
17 reviews in English
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Review from Lauren H.
5/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
So I just have to get this out first. Everything food wise at Brown Derby was amazing, but our meal took 3+ hours which was REDICULOUS. Granted we had a table of 7, but they were not busy at all. It was painful at the end even to get the checks processed. 3 hours! There were only a few other tables! Craziness & nonsense.
Whining aside, the food we had there was quite fabulous. We started with the crab cake and the goat cheese fondue with homemade chips. Both were very good, however I preferred the blue cheese. I think it could have had a little stronger goat cheese flavor, but it was really awesome nonetheless.
For dinner I had the blue cheese crusted filet mingnon sans the potatoes with extra veggies. The filet was cooked perfectly to my liking and had a light blue cheese crust on the top. The sides were a variety of fresh veggies (cooked cherry tomatoes, green beans, etc) that were cooked perfectly as well.
For dessert some of my co-workers got the lava cake and the tiramisu. Both looked great, but after wine, appetizers and dinner I was done for the night!
The atmosphere here is very old school Hollywood and was very charming and classy. I would definitely recommended it for a special night or for entertaining guests! -
Review from Carrie S.
Schenectady, NY
5/8/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Everything was fantastic at the Brown Derby. The atmosphere was both elegant and fun. We all loved the caricatures and the old Hollywood feel. I brought my daughters 16 and 10 for dinner before a show at the Palace Theater. The location couldn't be better for that! We were seated promptly and the service was superb. We had a goat cheese fondue appetizer that was just delicious. For dinner, I had the ribs and my vegetarian teenager enjoyed the risotto while my ten year old enjoyed a very elegant grilled chicken from the children's menu. I appreciated how they catered to my girls with virgin cocktails and the vegetarian dish. I had 2 wonderful glasses of an Argentinian Malbec. Chocolate lava cake and espresso for dessert! Everything was great and I and my girls enjoyed a very relaxing and grown up "girls night out". The only complaint I could make would be that the ladies room is in the basement but my aching runners knee appreciated that there was an elevator. I am looking forward to coming back for "date night" with my husband!
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Review from stacie n.
New York, NY
12/30/2010
So I'm not really sure how to rate this one- on a true "universal" scale, or on the Albany-calibrated scale. In real life I think I would probably give it 3-3 1/2 stars since it's fairly unremarkable as far as this type of place goes, but since it's the first truly decent meal we've had in Albany, I'll stick with 4 stars.
The room is very attractive- pretty standard steakhouse/supper club decor, but very attractive and well thought-out. In particular, the bar was a nice cozy spot to have a drink before sitting down for our meal. I'm looking forward to coming back to have a glass of wine on a chilly afternoon sometime soon.
Our server was very friendly and efficient- not highly polished, and not super-sophisticated, but that's fine with me. She was prompt and knowledgeable about the food and wine she was serving, and most importantly, she was incredibly PATIENT with our table. One of our dining companions was a friend of a friend we'd never met, and he'd spent the afternoon at his firm's Christmas party. You know how that goes.....he really should have been home in bed instead of pounding martinis and red wine- which she gently suggested to him later in the meal. She handled it very gracefully and I give her kudos for that.
The menu is very simple and straight-forward- steaks, fish, pastas. I had the mozz salad to start and an ahi entree, and really enjoyed both of them. The salad was fresh and very tasty, and the ahi was perfectly prepared. One small complaint would be the veggies were oversalted. It happens. Overall I enjoyed everything from the bread to our cheese plate after dinner.
One place where they really shined (and I'm not sure if it was because the restaurant was busy and we just got lucky, or if it was intentional on the part of the restaurant, but I truly hope it's the latter) was in the pacing of the meal. It was one of the most leisurely meals I've enjoyed in recent memory. I grew up working in the restaurant biz, and fully understand the "turn and burn" mentality, but I hated when I was asked to do it to my tables, and I hate it even more as a patron. For once I was actually able to finish a glass of wine and contemplate having a second. I can't recall the last time that happened, and my GOD did I appreciate it!
Someone mentioned the prices being too high in an earlier review, and I think they may have adjusted those a smidge- at any rate, even though I've found most Albany restaurants to be bizarrely overpriced, I think their prices are fair given the location and the quality, but that's JMO.
Anyway, I can see that this place has gotten some Yelp hate, and I don't know if we just hit it on good night or what, but given our first experience, I'd really enjoy a second trip. -
Review from Susan F.
Albany, NY
2/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I agree with another reviewer who said that the $5 charge for valet parking is annoying.
The clam tower appetizer was pretty good. The price was very reasonable. The only funny thing was that one of our clam shells was filled with only breading, and the missing clam meat appeared in another shell. Good for the person who gets the twofer not so good for the person who's left with a mouthful of breadcrumbs.
The parmesan truffle fries were delicious. I would definitely come in for a drink at the bar and some truffle fries before a show at the Palace.
I had the osso bucco for my entree and it was very good. The risotto that went with it was also very good.
The desserts that we had were delicious. I can't remember what they were called, but basically it was chocolate cake. The funny thing was that we ordered 2 different things that ended up being essentially the same.
My favorite thing about the Brown Derby is that they have the Dyson hand dryer in the bathroom. It makes me feel like I washed my hands in the future. -
Review from Mike M.
New York, NY
3/12/2011
If you haven't been or its been a while, treat yourself. I went for dinner with my wife and another couple and we had a great time and even better food. And the service was friendly, helpful, and patient with us. You can feel the old Hollywood (but with a modern twist), energetic buzz in the atmosphere (Palace Theater is directly across the street) as every table and the bar was occupied. And rumor has it they are going to revamp their menu to let the new chef give it some personality.
We ordered 4 appetizers to split with each other. The General Tso's Veal Sweetbread and calamari were delicious. Compliments of the chef, we had this cream cheese based dip with spinach, a touch of garlic, and green onions that came with slices of the most ridiculously good bread to dip. (If I could eat this dip on a bagel every morning, maybe I'd like my cubical-, soul-draining job a little bit more.)
For dinner I had a Derby Classic - Slow Braised Prime Beef Short Ribs. There's no need for a knife when eating this, because the meet is so tender and moist that it falls apart at the pull of your fork. Take a bite with some mashed potatoes on top of the beef and your in heaven.
One of our friends got the Pork Osso Bucco (braised pork shank) and this thing looked so freakin good (and massive). I'm hands down getting this next time.
Enough said? -
Review from Sun L.
Astoria, NY
8/14/2009
I went here for a business lunch. I got the jerk chicken sandwich with fries and the person I went with got the cobb salad.
The meal started with bread and sweet butter. I love sweet butter! The bread tasted fine, nothing spectacular.
My sandwich was good. The chicken wasn't too spicy that it knocked out the flavor. The fries were standard but good.
The cobb salad was HUGE with plenty of toppings. From what I heard it was good.
The atmosphere is nice and the service was good. This place is great for people working downtown and want to splurge on lunch.
Everything about this place is good, nothing spectacular just a regular good place to go to lunch. Like the other reviewers said, parking is pretty horrible so that should be taken into consideration.
I would want to go back to this place for dinner before making a final call.
Note: the trip to the bathroom was a journey! haha. I went through the door I thought the bathroom was and I saw an elevator and stairs leading down. I thought I would just take the stairs...wow it's like 3 flights! Just something to note for those that might have trouble getting down stairs, take the elevator! -
Review from Emily D.
Pawtucket, RI
9/5/2011
Stayed in Albany for 2 nights on a work trip recently and went to Brown Derby on night #2. First impression was excellent - I love the layout and decor of the room... the high ceilings give it a very nice feeling.
We started with an order of calamari that was cooked perfectly and had just enough hot peppers to keep it interesting. Both my friend and I needed help deciding on our entres and our waitress was wonderful in advising us - I went with the pan seared scallops served on a delicious bed of fresh vegetable risotto and garnished with the perfect amount of crispy bacon pieces... it was a masterpiece.
My friend got the duck and was very pleased with his selection as well. I will be taking many more work trips to Albany in the future and hope to include a meal at the Brown Derby on all of them! The menu has so many more fantastic choices, and I didn't even make it to the desserts... I must go back! -
Review from ThinkAnd D.
Albany, NY
10/10/2009
A genuinely lovely and gracious place despite the cognitive dissonance encountered in this simulacrum of a fabled Los Angeles restaurant housed in a former Salvation Army.
The interior is spacious and well designed for customers and staff. Service is unobtrusively fantastic. Three of us had rib eye, filet mignon, and an inventively presented sea bass (what *is* "sea bass" these days?) from the dinner menu. Each was prepared perfectly. The meal was no dining epiphany, although the cumulative experience was great.
But Brown Derby, please make a less lame Flash-dependent website for yourselves. Understatement works. -
Review from Neil V.
Hicksville, NY
1/1/2011
Brown Derby presents a few challenges when reviewing. First off the restaurant has gone through some recent changes, making many old reviews out of date. There is a new chef, new menu, and new reduced prices. Quite the changes huh? Second any time there is a high end really good restaurant in Albany most question if it should be compared to and evaluated based on the finest restaurants in NY City or to the Albany restaurant scene. I think for most people's purposes it makes much more sense to compare it to Albany restaurants. Without further delay the actual review:
First what's the deal with charging $5 for valet parking? I don't know if I stand alone on this one but I have always found it tacky when fine restaurants charge for valet parking.
Seeing as this place will need to do quite a bit of bar business to stay profitable it's pretty important that they get this part right but unfortunately I was not impressed. It never fails to amaze me when a restaurant of this caliber doesn't absolutely nail the classic cocktails. When I order a Manhattan (pretty much the only cocktail I would ever order) I want it to be flawless; with 3 or 4 ingredients I don't think this is a crazy request. Along with the substandard cocktail I had a very stale beer.
So what about the food? If you have gotten this far you might be wondering why I gave this restaurant 4 stars. Luckily the food was excellent, in all honesty the entrées and the appetizer were flawless ( not often that I can say this). I have had the short ribs, scallops and seafood Bianca and I can say that all three were executed to perfection. My only complaint would be the lackluster bread, but I got over this as soon as the appetizers came, which were outstanding. And don't forget about the soup! I had their seafood chowder and I can say with confidence that it was the best chowder I have ever had. Yeah, that good: don't leave this place without trying it. Now a little bit about the menu; from my understanding they recently reduced the prices significantly (on order of 40%). This puts most entrées in the mid $20 range, and with food of this quality I have no problem paying. Don't expect to find to many cuts of steak in the new menu.
The décor was very nice and no complaints here, I personally wouldn't have changed much.
Service was lackluster and I'm being generous. We had forgotten orders and a waiter that didn't seem comfortable with the menu.
In summery the food really carries this place, the service and bar are holding it back from a 5th star. If they can increase the quality of the service and bar I would have no problem giving this place a 5th star. Don't be too scared of the prices as they are pretty reasonable on the new menu. -
Review from Marissa C.
Philadelphia, PA
5/4/2010
Alright, yum. But let me explain the missing 5th star. I went with some girlfriends for restaurant week, not because I'm cheap but because Albany restaurant week is fun, I wanted to try a place I had never been, and their menu looked delicious!
I know upscale restaurants probably get more riffraff than usual during this week, and they also are likely to be under-tipped. I however, am not one of those under-tipping riffraff...so I'd appreciate not being treated like one. That being said - if it wasn't for the disinterest of the host and my waitress, and having to ask for a wine list, the experience would have been amazing.
First they provide you with bread, and three kinds of spreads and four kinds of salts. It seemed like a little overkill (on the salt especially) but it was certainly fun to look at and play around with. For my first course I had the lobster bisque which was deliciously thick and rich, everything lobster bisque should be. It did not have lobster chunks, and I do like my chunks, but I can still appreciate the smooth variety.
For my second course I had the beef bourguignon. The gravy was perfect, with bits of mushrooms, and onions, and the beef was very tender. The highlight on the plate was the garlic mashed potatoes. They went perfectly with the beef. My friends had the crab encrusted salmon with clementine sauce lentils. The clementine flavoring of the sauce was a little overpowering for the fish so I think they could have done with a little less.
For dessert we all decided to go for the chocolate bread pudding, which was moist and the chocolate flavoring was very delicate, if almost undetectable. The meal was delicious and I'll definitely be back for a nice dinner even when it's not restaurant week.
Looking at the regular menu the entrees are quite expensive (most between $25-40). The restaurant is nicely decorated, would be perfect for a romantic or business dinner. -
Review from Jaybird N.
Brooklyn, NY
9/4/2010
Oh, Brown Derby - how I wanted to enjoy thee. We came up to Albany this weekend to enjoy the horse races at Saratoga, and our original intention was to go to Jack's Oyster House. Alas, they were closed and Brown Derby was open, so there we went. I have been to Brown Derby a few times previously and have always had a decent meal. This time, however, was quite a disappointment. We arrived at 10 on a Friday night and the place was a ghost town. Their door and their listings all state they stay open until 11, so we expected a full service dinner. Our waiter, Matthew, tried waaaay to hard. Once he found out we were from Brooklyn he took pains to talk about NYC and fancy restaurants at every chance. He was like a kid at a frat party trying to impress the girls. He was obnoxious and insulting. After I ordered my entrée he asked me what salad I would like and I told him a house. He then asked my partner what she would like and when she asked what were her choices, he informed her, anything on the menu. He had essentially tricked me into ordering additional food. (Are they doing that poorly that they have to trick the customers into ordering more food?) Not cool, not cool at all. We ordered prosecco and when he brought it to our table he popped the bottle and then told us this ridiculous story about how he had been at Blue Water Grill in the city and watched as a waiter popped a bottle and the cork flew across the room and landed in a soup of a guest. Yeh, OK. Then, as he poured, he dribbled the prosecco everywhere - for my glass and then my partners. He seemed to have the inability to twist the bottle when he pulled it away. He did this repeatedly. And then he hovered. He hovered and would continue to refill our glasses, spilling each time and at one point, reaching across my body to do so. I became so annoyed that whenever he approached the table I would pick up my glass, so he wouldn't fill it. Otherwise, my partner and I were having a nice date, so I didn't complain to the management. About 10 minutes after taking our order, the waiter returned to tell me they didn't have the prime rib with shrimp I had ordered, at $32, but they did have other steak, including a ribeye which was not listed on the menu. I ordered the ribeye - he asked if I wanted the scampi as well - after his little trick with the salad we were on to him, so I refused, but I guess knew deep down he was up to something. And he was. When we got the bill, it was a $49 steak. HOLY CRAP! I have had $50 steaks before, and this was NOT a $50 steak, by any stretch of the imagination. When he brought us the dessert menu I resisted laughing in his face. NO WAY.
Overall, I left the restaurant feeling totally taken advantage of and dissatisfied. I felt as if I had been cheated, which is precisely WHY you like to get out of NYC sometimes! It seems that the waiter thought that we were out of towners and deserved to scammed. Not cool. We were sure to leave him a precisely 15% tip, however, neither I, nor anyone from my family will be returning to Brown Derby any time soon.
Beware, or you may be scammed too. -
Review from M R.
Gansevoort, NY
1/8/2011
I expect a lot when I go out for dinner. I'm a pretty good cook - so for me, the food and the service must be impeccable. Otherwise, why bother.
Inspired by a food review in the Times Union (Jan 2, 2010), my husband and I headed down to Albany, through a snow storm, to have dinner at the Brown Derby with some good friends on Jan 7, 2010. From the moment we were greeted at valet parking to the surprise candle in my dessert (it was my birthday) we were treated as honored guests.
THE DRINKS
Dominique, our server, was well versed in all drink offerings, especially the wine list.
THE FOOD
Stuffed clam tower - inventive presentation, absolutely delicious. Well worth the extra mile I'll have to run.
Everyone in our party was excited to try the award wining seafood chowder - and we were not disappointed. Loaded with seafood and an extra clam for garnish, this creamy dream of a soup somehow remains light and full of flavor.
Our entrees included Chicken Adricato (I'm spelling that wrong), Seafood Bianco, Prime Rib and Lobster and the Chicken and Sausage Rigatoni. Everyone loved their entrees - the taste, presentation and temperature were all perfect! And due to the generous portions, our experience with the cuisine extended into the next day.
THE SERVICE
Would we drive through another snow storm to eat dinner at the Brown Derby? Absolutely. -
Review from Casey S.
Charlotte, NC
9/1/2010
I fell in love the first time I went here over the winter, so much so I went back the next weekend. Would of given it 5 stars after that they switched to there spring/summer menu and I wasn't a fan the last time I went here. Food was just ok. I do love the 3 choices of butter they give you and the 5 different salts to go with your steak. Also I hot towel after your meal is a very nice touch. This place really has true potential and I think it will rise again.
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Review from Alexander B.
Albany, NY
1/14/2011
I finally made it to the Brown Derby after hearing that they revamped the menu and came down on prices. Overall I had a very pleasant experience. I parked on the street with no problems, although there is valet if you want to spend 5$. For an appetizer I had the gnocchi and a bowl of the seafood chowder. The seafood chowder was definitely good but not the best I have ever had. The gnocchi was a tasty appetizer but definitely could have been bigger - only 4 gnocchi. I had the seafood bianco for dinner. It was a seafood pasta dish served in a chardonnay lobster light cream sauce. It was a really good dish. The shrimp and scallops were very large. There was also a partial lobster tail, clams, and sword fish in the dish. All of the seafood in it was cooked perfectly. My wife had a seafood risotto that was equally good. I tasted the prime rib and have to say it was some of the best I have had. The deserts were nothing special but I never eat desserts anyway ( don't leave room). Service was good. All of the dishes I mentioned were in the mid twenty dollar range which I feel is reasonable for the quality, quantity, and skill level needed to execute these dishes. The interior is classy and I like how tables are not crowded together. Brown Derby is a nice place that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others.
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Review from SUSAN R.
Arlington, VT
Updated - 6/10/2010
Shepici is gone - new chef now.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/27/2008 First to Review
The new Hollywood Brown Derby is swank and a great date place. Service is excellent, but there are… Read more »
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Review from Brian S.
Albany, NY
5/2/2010
The Brown Derby is one of my favorite upscale dinner places. Everything I have had there is cooked perfectly, and full of flavor. Eating their food made me realize I liked foods I had never liked before.
I like the environment a lot, nice spacious tables, caractures on the wall, and sinatra type music playing.
I did feel really rushed the last time I was there. Appetizers came out before the rolls were done, and the bill was on the table before dessert was served.
Still, one of my favorites. -
Review from Mike L.
11/20/2009 1 Check-in Here
Since they are owned by the Mallozzi group I really wanted to like this place but nothing really set them apart from all the other overpriced downtown swanky restaurants. Very convenient location if you are going to a show at the palace. We parked on the street near the palace and since the show wasn't going to start for another 2 hrs parking was no problem. They have valet also, which costs $5. If do plan on going here before a show i highly recommend getting there at least 2 hrs before showtime because service is inordinately slow. When we sat down around 6 not too many people were there yet but that quickly changed as the entire restaurant filled up. The waitstaff were not extraordinarily friendly and when they weren't busy the just seemed to stand there in the corner and stare, which was a little uncomfortable. The portions were very small for the high prices but the food was excellent. My only problem was either they forgot some of the ingredients listed on the dish or it was described wrong. I got the Seafood imperial which featured jumbo shrimp, scallops, and mussels sauteed with spinach, garlic, and tomato concasse tossed with papardelle in a sherry wine butter sauce. There were no mussels and i didn't notice any tomato concasse, but it tasted good so i didn't bother saying anything and it was loaded with shrimp and scallops. For dessert i got the apple caramel cheesecake which consisted of an ice cream scoop of cheesecake filling thrown on a pile of graham cracker crumbs with caramel drizzled across. At first i thought they had given me the wrong dish because nothing resembled typical cheesecake about it. and there were no apples at all! At this point I just wanted to get our check and get out because it had taken literally 30 mins to get our dessert after we ordered it and now I was worried how long it would take to get our check and pay, so we didn't miss the show. This place has the potential to be great but it needs alot of work. The staff seemed too busy to be friendly and the kitchen too rushed to complete the meals accurately. There are plenty of other places downtown with better service for the money, I recommend trying elsewhere.
