The City Beer Hall
The City Beer Hall things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Description
Festive beer garden & gastropub in a historic building, where drinks come with free pizza.
attractions: MVP Arena, New York State Museum, New York State Museum, Palace Theatre, Hilton Albany, The Egg, Empire State Plaza, New York State Capitol, Hampton Inn & Suites Albany-Downtown, Renaissance Albany Hotel, restaurants: Iron Gate Cafe, The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, McGeary's, The Olde English Pub and Pantry, 677 Prime, Ama Cocina, Café Capriccio, El Mariachi Restaurant, Hill Street Cafe, Stacks Espresso Bar
Ratings
Description
Festive beer garden & gastropub in a historic building, where drinks come with free pizza.
Posts
A new adventure in brunching!!! Me and the girls were a little hungry so this was our choice. Location is in a weird position so make sure u are a savvy parker if driving. Was not busy when we went which is always a plus for us. Decided to sit outside since it was warm but not blazing hot. Nice sized patio with gracious seating. There were large blocks to play with as well as corn hole making this family friendly as well as a have fun with ya friends place. With a brunch entree you receive a complimentary Bloody Mary or Mimosa. The Bloody was HOUSE MADE which I could tell based on the spice level (one can tell horseradish over hot sauce!) and it was GOOD. So good I had two!! My daughter ordered I believe a peach bellini or a mimosa with pineapple juice but did get her complimentary one as well. Grand Princess was graced with a kiddie version - the first one the OJ was not good however the wonderful waitress we had fixed it right up for her and she enjoyed it! For foods my daughter got the waffle breakfast sammy - BEC on a waffle drizzled (?) with some kind of syrup that was supposed to be a bit spicy I believe. She like it despite it being a little too sweet for her. I had an omelet that was very good. The bacon and sausage inside were tasty - was not a fan of these cheese. We ordered our meals as they were listed so we could try with no modifications. Grand Princess had a waffle with a side of bacon and was very happy. Service was great. Atmosphere was a vibe. A place that we will return to.
Bee BrownBee Brown
00
Located adjacent to the MVP Arena and behind the Albany Capital Center, The City Beer Hall has all the trappings of a classic brasserie. The building looks like old law offices and is extremely attractive edifice. The interior has a classic bar room feel, dark, wooden and a long bar but also has a expansive rear patio (which is were we sat). The menu options provide typical upscale bar-bistro food like burgers, fries but also cauliflower steak and a hummus board...easy-to-eat casual food options. Obviously for a "beer hall" they have an extensive beer menu as well as some eclectic cocktail options. For our meal we had the Smash Burger (excellent...one of my favorite burgers and was extremely popular...I spotted 4 other services on other tables in sight) and the Beer Hall Salad (good, as you'd expect but nothing over the top). The dessert option was disappointingly only a single ice cream option so we passed. Service was friendly and attentive which can be hard in such a large restaurant. Overall a good place to good if you are a large group looking to have fun and a lot of beer with some friends. Enjoy!
Craig BrombergCraig Bromberg
20
5 stars. This place is awesome. I was visiting Albany for 2 days for work, and heard about this place from my driver on the way into the city. I am so glad I stopped in. Friendly staff, cool building. I ordered a draft beer and received a ticket to get a "free pizza". The bartender told me I could take it to the kitchen to redeem it for a personal pizza. So, I walk around the corner at her direction into the actual kitchen, and the kitchen staff greets me welcomely as I enter into their doors thinking I am walking somewhere I shouldn't be as a customer. They took my ticket and told me to come back in a few minutes to pick up my pizza. Kitchen staff was all very nice as well. Came back a few minutes later, and picked it up. The pizza was thin crust, just cheese (made on a tortilla? I think) and absolutely amazing. The perfect delicious tiny pizza, and free with a $7 draft beer. Does life actually get any better than this? I think not. Can't wait to come back here!
Carolyn Ramirez-TaylorCarolyn Ramirez-Taylor
30
Excellent mussels, mediocre beef satay. Great atmosphere where a bar meshed with a beer garden. Let me elaborate. The mussels with chorizo plate was superb. Lots of food (but not overly filling) with amazing layers of flavors - spicy chorizo; big, meaty mussels and excellent sauce that begs for a lot more bread. I did ask for more to dip in the remaining sauce. The satay was so-so. The peanut sauce saved it, but it was way too chewy and over-salted. And the ends were burnt. I wish I had said I want it medium-rare. As expected, the beer selection is huge and my wheat ale was excellent. Service was spot on - not too pushy, yet attentive, and the food came out fast and hot. This was a Wednesday - trivia night, and while I didn't play, I noticed that the questions were good and quirky. I'd definitely come back, but no satay for me next time. Good thing there are other great-sounding items on the menu.
Peter BabelPeter Babel
10
We stood outside a little past 11 am which annoyed me because it was cold. Once we got in the wait wasn't too long. About 20-30 min before we were seated, had mimosas to pass the time. The Dj was trash. So much more to Biggie than 4-5 songs. It was an era for Bad Boy records, so many other songs couildve been played. Once seated they could've had bread or something while we waited on our food. The shrimp and grits portion was small for my taste. The grits were thicker than I'd like as well. It came with sunny side up eggs but I had nothing to sop up the egg once I broke the yolks. Some potatoes or toast would've done the trick though. My friend had the steak and eggs and the steak was HUGE! The waitress was really sweet and attentive. Unfortunately, I left still hungry. Hopefully they can fine tune these few things and it would be great!
Akira MarshallAkira Marshall
00
Nice casual eatery. It’s a decent restaurant with a good (but small) menu. They have a very nice draft list. I had their brisket sandwich and it was pretty awesome. My wife had their burger and she really liked it. We also shared their poutine as an appetizer. Our sever was attentive and the service was really good. The one thing I didn’t care for was that they have large tables and although we were there when it wasn’t crowded, I got the impression that if there’s a crowd - you’d have to sit with strangers. Maybe that’s not true, but it was definitely the vibe. Another thing we really liked was their Thursday special. If you buy a sandwich, you get a feee draft beer. I very much liked it and will come back next time I’m in Albany.
Patrick DeBonoPatrick DeBono
00
Nearby Attractions Of The City Beer Hall
MVP Arena
New York State Museum
New York State Museum
Palace Theatre
Hilton Albany
The Egg
Empire State Plaza
New York State Capitol
Hampton Inn & Suites Albany-Downtown
Renaissance Albany Hotel

MVP Arena
4.3
(1.8K)Click for details

New York State Museum
4.7
(1.6K)Click for details

New York State Museum
4.7
(1.5K)Click for details

Palace Theatre
4.7
(1.1K)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of The City Beer Hall
Iron Gate Cafe
The Hollow Bar + Kitchen
McGeary's
The Olde English Pub and Pantry
677 Prime
Ama Cocina
Café Capriccio
El Mariachi Restaurant
Hill Street Cafe
Stacks Espresso Bar

Iron Gate Cafe
4.7
(994)$$
Click for details

The Hollow Bar + Kitchen
4.4
(645)$$
Click for details

McGeary's
4.5
(655)$$
Click for details

The Olde English Pub and Pantry
4.3
(644)$$
Click for details