Dove + Deer — Restaurant in City of Albany

A Great “Meet, Drinks & Bites” Bar

As their website proclaims, the Dove and Deer is a restored bar in downtown Albany. They offer a cozy atmosphere for friends to gather, enjoy a date night, or stop in for a drink. Our first visit was a date night – our anniversary – so our expectation wasn’t quite on the mark.

During our visit, the bar and restaurant were filled with a younger crowd meeting up for drinks and small bites creating an environment full of chatter and laughter after a day’s work. If that’s what you’ve got in mind, the Dove and Deer is the establishment to visit. They’ve got great cocktails, good service, and a lively atmosphere that is popping with energy.

ATMOSPHERE (4): Based on the website description, we were expecting a quieter, cozy space. They should invest in acoustic panels for the dining room.

DRINKS (5): We ordered The Grocer and Dewitt. Both were excellent cocktails and apparently quite popular as we saw others order them throughout the dining room.

FOOD (4): We ordered the Beet Hummus appetizer which was large enough for us to share. Four slices of grilled baguette were placed atop beet hummus alongside a salad of mixed greens, olives, roasted beets and topped with feta cheese. It has a great combination of flavors, and we thoroughly enjoyed the dish.

My partner ordered the Crispy Chicken sandwich which came with a heaping serving of fries. While the chicken was cooked well, there wasn’t anything that sets this chicken sandwich apart from others. They offer bacon with an upcharge but should consider adding it at no cost to kick it up a notch. The shoestring fries (my favorite kind) were perfectly crisp but had a heavy hand of salt – making them a good choice to pair with a draft beer. I ordered the Pork Osso Buco. My guess is the shanks were baked and then seared over a flame grill giving them a deliciously crisp exterior; the pork itself was moist and cooked to perfection. I found the demi-glaze added a nice depth of flavor to the cheesy grits. The kale was cooked well and had a tangy hint to it – perhaps some vinegar. All-in-all, it was a good, solid dish.

SERVICE (4): Our server was quick to greet us and guide us through drink and menu options. Our drinks came out quickly as did our appetizer. I was worried that our main courses might come out too early – given how quickly our drinks and appetizers came out – but the meals were timed perfectly. Our server checked on us midway through our meal to ensure all was going well.

QUANTITY (5): The serving sizes were plentiful; you won’t walk away hungry.

VALUE (4): We felt the craft cocktails and appetizers were well priced. We had mixed feelings about the cost of our entrees.

If you’re looking for a cozy, romantic date night, this probably isn’t the right place; for that, go across the street to their sister restaurant, Rosanna’s. That said, we will go to the Dove and Deer again, but with different expectations in mind: for cocktails and beers and to break some bread...

I just left what was possibly the comically worst dinner I’ve had in a long time. I want to preface that I have eaten here many times and had a good experience but after this evening’s dinner I don’t think I’ll be returning.

It was my birthday, and we wanted just a casual dinner. They were busy and gave us notice that food was taking about 30 minutes to leave the kitchen, that was no problem for us since we weren’t in a rush and wanted to chat and enjoy our meal. What we thought was going to be 30 minutes after ordering turned into an hour and a half. I ordered the kale ceasar with steak, which I usually get.

After waiting so long I was starving and unfortunately my steak was under cook but it had great flavor so I wasn’t going to say anything. The issue was that I almost ate a long hair and it was long enough where I had to pull it out of my throat. Pretty disgusting. Our waitress was a girl and she was very nice and apologetic about the situation. The manager was supposed to come by but he never came. We ended up just wanting a new salad to go because we had been there for almost 2 hours and just wanted to go home and celebrate. It took another 20 minutes for the to go order. Not the best way to spend your birthday lol!

We still paid for my husband’s entree which is fine because his was good but again no one other than our waitress came by to apologize after something that is honestly unsanitary and disgusting. I worked in the industry for a while and this isn’t something you just gloss over lightly because you’re busy. I won’t be returning or recommending this spot any...

The Dove and Deer experience begins outside with it's mysterious presence and twinkling string lights. Inside the ambiance is just as delicious as the food - low, soft lighting, a lively bar area, and a neat and uniform array of tables. Being the solitary soul I am, I sat in the row of quiet seats outlooking the street beyond. The setting is nice. I get a cool glass of water as I look over the drink menu. All the wines are dry so the helpful server helped me settle on the Love Maker. It's a subtly floral cocktail with hints of rose water, that made me think fairies might still live. She was a looker for sure and served as the perfect palate cleanser throughout my meal. I decided to skip appetizers and go straight into the main course. It's a frigid February evening in Albany, I needed something to warm my bones. The braised beef tips atop a creamy polenta, with grilled carrots and parsnips seemed like the perfect fair. The dish was beautifully arranged, and well, I'm a sucker for pretty food. It was tender, delectable... every bite seasoned well. It had soul; it lifted me from that evening's mid-winter funk. The beef was incredibly moist and tender. I dug into it, mixing each bite with all the plates' elements, and washing it down with the secret fairy juice. I couldn't finish it all and left only a few bites on the plate. Feeling satisfied with my life, I paid, checked out and walked to my car as a flurry of snow sprinkled over me. Some days...