Iron Gate Cafe

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that road-trips require restroom breaks, the occasional gas tank fill-up, and pit stops for lunch. Perhaps not universally acknowledged, but none the less true, is that there are better alternatives than the usual suspects of fast food that litter our highways.

On a road-trip from West Connecticut to Lake Champlain, I decided to stop into Albany to quest for some ‘real food’ - and on the recommendation of my brother-in-law, I took my family to the Iron Gate Cafe. He claimed that it was the number one lunch spot in the city, and on that promise I tolerated the 45 minute wait for a table that would inevitably eat away at the arrival time of my final destination.

Bobbing and weaving through the outdoor seating area at the front of the building, and through several inside dining rooms, we were seated in an outside dining space that seemed to have once been a rear garden. I ordered a BLT, a simplified version of what was offered on the menu, and an iced coffee. Other members of my family ordered similar items, variations of BLTs and sandwiches, indulging in sourdough breads and multi-grains, except for my father-in-law who had ordered a slice of cornbread with eggs.

Upon arrival, I had the rare and pleasantly embarrassing sensation of a mouth watering. Everything had arrived perfectly for all of us, except for a small mix-up of bread types on one sandwich. The flavors were perfectly simple, balanced, and complementary. The finish was light on the stomach, energizing rather than making me feel sluggish and sleepy. The homefries were a highlight of the dish for me, having the perfect saltiness, a crispy texture of the outside, and the much-coveted softness of the inside.

The servers were fast, despite being clearly faced with the logistical challenge of navigating the layout of what appeared to be an old home with an almost Victorian layout.

One of the only downsides to the restaurant is that there are fewer, and smaller, restrooms than seem to be appropriate for the number of guests and the apparent popularity of the Iron Gate Cafe. Naturally, this is a limitation of the layout of the structure and equally part of the charming character of the place. It seems that the rotation of customers seems to help prevent lines (that would encroach upon other’s dining areas), but when several people in my party tried to use the restroom as we were leaving, it became easily congested.

Overall, the Iron Gate Cafe made for a perfect sojourn into the state capital for me and well-deserves it’s number one spot for places to eat in Albany.