The Copper Crow — Restaurant in City of Albany

Good Food - Poor Service

(UPDATE 2/13 - Raising to 4 Stars due to restaurant's response)

I was eager to try the Copper Crow so I quickly said 'yes' when my neighbor suggested we go a few weeks back. Considering the restaurant did not appear to be busy, the poor service we received, and the amount it cost us, The Copper Crow (CC) offered an 'ok' dining experience.

Facebook presented an ad for the CC in my feed last week so I tried to provide feedback via FB messenger. I received an automated response and never heard back from them. With that, here is my review.

We entered the restaurant behind another party who told the host that they did not have a reservation. The host then asked us if we had a reservation - which we did - and seated us ahead of the party in front of us. If the restaurant was full, I would understand this. However, it was odd that she chose to seat us first and then immediately seat the other party indicating it was not due to a shortage of staff.

Our server wasn't bad but rather just seemed bored and lacked any enthusiasm. We ordered martinis on the rocks with olives. As soon as she walked away, we both noted how disappointed we were with her attitude and service.

Our server brought us our cocktails holding the glassware from the top which contaminated the rims. Thankfully, they had straws so we chose not to send them back. She failed to add olives and asked us again if we had wanted them. Yes, we did. She brought them on a saucer without toothpicks. A martini there is something like $15? Get it right.

We ordered smoke bluefish croquettes ($14), fried calamari ($15), Tom Yum shrimp spaetzle ($28), and risotto ai funghi ($27). The croquettes were the best dish. The calamari seems to have more garbanzo beans than anything else. The spaetzle was a ginger-forward dish which was odd since the ingredient was not listed in the description.

Overall, it would appear that they use quality ingredients. The food all seemed fresh and was cooked well. They have a creative menu mixing different flavors together but could balance them a bit more evenly.

I'd like to say I'll go back but considering they have a social presence that they do not monitor, I question how much they value customer input. In addition the service we received did not reflect a $70-per-person experience.

2 people, 2 cocktails, 2 appetizers, and 2 main dishes:...

From the moment we walked in we got such bad vibes. I went here today with my parents and my sister to celebrate Mother’s Day. My parents and I live about 5 hours away from each other. We both decided to drive towards each other to celebrate Mother’s Day together so we each drove about 2.5 hours and this was our meeting point. When we walked in we weren’t greeted. an employee finally came over to talk to us and as my sister began telling him we had a reservation he yelled in her face “WHATS THE NAME” super loud. We didn’t think much of it and laughed it off. Then when we were seated at our table, one of the tables they put together was extremely wobbly. I asked the same employee if we could fix it so it wasn’t shaking so much. He rolled his eyes and yelled at me “GIVE ME A SECOND”. We all got quiet and weren’t sure how to react. He came back and moved us to a much nicer table right next to us. At this point we ordered some drinks and began browsing the menu. After about 10 minutes with the menu the waitress comes over and informs us that they had a few things they were out of and proceeded to list off half the menu! I was shocked since it was Mother’s Day you’d think they would be ready for that or have some kind of fixed menu with what they did have available. We still wanted to give it a try and put our order in. About 3 minutes later the waitress comes back and tells us that 2 out of 5 of the dishes we ordered were also sold out. One of which was my dads. He’s a picky eater and was made to feel forced to order a burger he didn’t want. At this point we’re all having a horrible time. We ended up paying for our drinks and cancelling the food order. The waitress was very apologetic and sweet but the man who kept yelling at us and treating us like we were a burden put a very sour taste in our mouths. I’m sure the food was probably great but the service was horrible. As someone who has been in high end restaurants for over ten years I’ve never walked out from a place before because I always give it a chance. But not having more than half the menu available was the last straw. If you know your gonna be slammed for a national holiday maybe make a set menu for that day or don’t open at all. Ended up going to a chain restaurant and had the time...

Glad we had 7 pm reservations on the weekend because the place was hopping when we arrived. We kicked off our dining experience with the generously proportioned Wonton Rolls, though they left something to be desired. The rolls, unfortunately, were somewhat bland and lacked the anticipated crispiness. The accompanying sauce, rather than enhancing the dish as an adjunct, felt more like a necessity to elevate the overall flavor profile.

The main courses, The Dry Aged Pork and the Wandering Cowboy (ribeye steak) left much to be desired in terms of flavor. Despite their ample servings, both meats leaned towards blandness, missing the opportunity to captivate the palate with a more robust and savory profile.

Just as hope wavered, the dessert arrived, rescuing the meal from the abyss of mediocrity. The apple pie was more of a Apple fritter donut like dessert, but it was a delightful conclusion to an otherwise lackluster dinner.

In addition to the culinary lows, the service, although commendable, had its drawbacks. The waitress, though friendly, seemed overly eager and brought out the dishes with surprising promptness. While efficiency is appreciated, the rushed service detracted from the intended leisurely dining experience.

The overall impression was further dimmed by the underwhelming performance of the cocktails. Sadly, they failed to deliver on the establishment's promise of expert craftsmanship, tasting more like commonplace concoctions found in any bar.

In summary, The Copper Crow presents a tale of mixed experiences. The dessert stood out as a favorite, and we appreciated the nice food proportions. However, the lackluster performance of the appetizer, pork, steak, and uninspiring cocktails created a notable imbalance. Despite the friendly service, the overall taste of the food falls short of inspiring a return visit, compounded by the rushed manner in which the dishes...