Saratoga Springs Dining Guide

Saratoga has a wealth of quality restaurants. If you're only in town for a short while, choosing a right one can make or break your stay. Use this guide to get you to a restaurant that fits your situation:

Help! I'm a Foodie!

If you have to stay in town, Chez Sophie at the newly remodeled Saratoga Hotel on North Broadway is a great choice. Chez Sophie and chef Paul Parker deliver top quality French cuisine built on local ingredients and classic preparation. Chez Sophie has been rated the top restaurant in the Capital District on multiple occasions. Even if that's like being voted MVP of the NY-Penn league, that's where you're playing, so take note. Chef Paul has new digs, a beautiful new kitchen, and continues to deliver creative and thoroughly enjoyable meals paired with an extensive wine and beer collection. You can't go wrong at this Saratoga treasure.

If you can drive 20 minutes out of town, the absolute, most mind-blowing foods in the Saratoga area are to be found at J.T. Baker's New Cuisine in Greenwich, NY. (That's not Connecticut!). An easy drive out Lake Avenue/Route 29 through Schuylerville, across the Hudson (no toll!), and into Greenwich you'll find J.T. Baker's. Chef Jason Baker returned to his native home in 2006 to open his restaurant, and it is thoroughly his. He offers a changing menu of unique artistic creations from the mind of a true food genius.

Much like Paul Parker at Chez Sophie (for whom Jason once worked as Sous Chef), Chef Baker uses many local ingredients in season, as well as top ingredients from around the world, in daring, unique, and dazzling presentations. From a mouche bouche of Prosciutto consomme to a chilled Blueberry-Truffle soup to Loin of Sika Venison with a coffee-coconut crust, to eye-dropper cranberry palette cleansers, every dish includes flourishes to delight the eye and palette, combining ingredients in novel ways and unexpected preparations that will leave you astonished.

J.T. Baker's does not currently offer mixed drinks but does have wine and beer. The menu of 6-8 entrees and appetizers covers a range of tastes from vegetarian to steak and fish, to exotic (bar-b-q squab?). While there are entrees that build on classic dishes, this is not your best choice if you are not prepared to move beyond the familiar. But, if you are willing to put your trust in a culinary genius in the throes of expression, J.T. Baker's delivers a food experience you will treasure.

Fill me up!

If a little mound surrounded by a squiggly drizzle leaves you feeling, um, empty, then Saratoga has excellent restaurants featuring classic dishes served as full meals that will have you pushing the plate away so you can loosen that belt.

In the heart of Saratoga there are two fine choices for quality traditional meals: Hattie's Chicken Shack and The Olde Bryan Inn.

Hattie's is a Saratoga institution from before the second World War. Now a second generation establishment, the simple downtown restaurant has an extended menu of classic comfort foods (Fried Chicken, Ribs, Mac and Cheese) as well as Louisiana favorites such as Jambalaya and spicy Red Beans and Rice. All of the dishes are plentiful and delicious. Hattie's also offers outdoor dining under the tent on the patio. In the warm summer months you can sit and stare at the stars painted on the canvas above, surrounded by chili pepper lights. Hattie's menu is dedicated to authentic dishes, and Hattie's bar offers authentic cocktails, made the right way, including Mojito's (so good there should be a law), Sazeracs, Mint Juleps, and Planter's Punch. If you've never had your cocktail muddled, Hattie's is the place to go.

The Olde Bryan Inn is an even older institution, dating back to the time of Washington. Located on the North side of the Civic Center parking lot a short walk from downtown, the OBI is a local favorite for good, traditional meals with all the trimmings. The menu covers classics such as Turkey dinner with stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberries to Tuna, Sirloins, and Filets. Lighter offerings include many good pasta dishes, sandwiches, and burgers. The ambience takes you back to the revolutionary era, with rough hewn beams, creaky floors, tiny doors, and wooden benches. The food is thoroughly modern, though, and you will surely have an excellent, and filling meal.

A few minutes South of town (on the way to Albany and points beyond) is The Ripe Tomato, one of the best and most enjoyable family restaurants you will visit. At the Ripe Tomato:

  • The portions are ginormous
  • The regular menu is excellent
  • You don't need the regular menu because the specials board is beyond excellent
  • The staff are friendly, attentive, experienced, and knowledgable
  • If there's ever problem, they will fix it, no questions asked
  • The portions are ginormous (did I mention that?)

If you are the kind of person or group that wants food that ranges from familiar (steaks, ribs, chicken) to intriguing interpretations of the familiar (steak with gorgonzola and caramelized onions), the Ripe Tomato has you covered. The atmosphere is bustling, and on weekends expect to wait at the bar (call ahead for reservations), but rest assured, Mike the bartender is quick with a bar call and happy to see your glass remains full. They can accommodate large parties (in the 10 area) easily, and since the menu is varied, you'll definitely be able to please all palettes.

Mood Food

1 Catherine St.

In the heart of Saratoga Springs you'll find 1 Catherine Street, an urbane restaurant and jazz club serving top shelf fare in a bustling atmosphere. From the entrance on Catherine Street (opposite the venerable landmark dive The Tin & Lint) you'll step down into the intimate den of 1 Catherine Street. Piano music and light singing often greet you, as does a menu of shellfish, steaks and seafood, and sumptuous desserts.

You'll leave in the mood because 1 Catherine Street caters to couples with close seating, great service, great cocktails, and fantastic music. You'll spend your time so close, but yet so far, that you'll both be yearning to come together.

I just want a good meal with the kids, please?

If you jumped here, you know what a tough call it is to dine with kids. The basic advice still holds:

  • Dine early
  • Get in and out, fast
  • Keep the meal moving
  • Hope the chef can deliver "pasta, no sauce", without sabotaging your meal out of spite

Fortunately, Saratoga has good options for families, though maybe not where you would expect.

The Parting Glass is best known as an Irish Pub and the top seller of Guinness outside of Boston and NYC. It's also a restaurant where you can get decent pub grub and a pint while the kids play with toys or color. One nice thing about a pub is that they're used to people being loud, so your brood doesn't stick out the way they would at a finer establishment. The menu is pub: burgers, fries, a mean monte cristo, chicken fingers, and some specials. The beer list is extensive, with 20-30 on tap, and many more in bottles. The Guinness is always perfect. You are eating with kids; the Parting Glass at least let's you trade some anonymity for a beer and burger, while you save the gourmet for another day. Top your meal off with one last Guiness and The Parting Glass in the heart of downtown can help take the edge off of the rest of your family outing.

PJs Bar-B-Que on Route 9 South across from the Saratoga Spa Park (and SPAC) offers excellent, flavorful BBQ in an outdoor, drive in, 50's setting. Open only during the warm months, PJs dining is on picnic tables in the yard beside the restaurant. Order at the counter and pick up shortly thereafter (keep your receipt with the number: they will ask), some of the best smoked meats you'll find. All of the cooking goes on in big pit Bar-B-Que's behind the restaurant, ensuring a unique and flavorful meal. For the kids, eating outside is always fun, and the stage beside the dining area is a great place to make believe a rock song, or work on the hula-hoops that are always there. Wine and beer are served, but the selection is limited and the message is clear that this is not a place to get hammered. Try any of the meats, or the sandwiches (the Pickwick is excellent), and don't pass up the sinful Saratoga Chips (homemade, with cheese and sour cream). Wash it all down with their signature Loganberry soda. After your meal, visit the "50's House" for a trip back in time (should you care, we never have). For the family with kids, the outdoor dining, stage area, chance to move around, and laid back atmosphere make PJs a favored spot for food that pleases the whole family.