Harvey's Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in City of Saratoga Springs

Harvey's Restaurant and Bar - A Pleasant Experience with a Heat Warning

Rating: 3.5/5

Harvey's Restaurant and Bar, located in Saratoga, offers a delightful dining experience that combines a welcoming atmosphere with a menu of delectable dishes. While the overall experience is positive, one aspect that could be improved upon is the temperature at which the food is served. Here's my comprehensive review of Harvey's Restaurant and Bar.

Upon entering Harvey's, you are greeted by a warm and inviting ambiance. The restaurant's cozy decor and friendly staff create a comfortable setting for enjoying a meal or gathering with friends. The attentive and accommodating service adds to the overall positive experience.

Now, let's discuss the food. Harvey's menu boasts a variety of enticing options, ranging from classic American fare to innovative culinary creations. The dishes are thoughtfully prepared, utilizing quality ingredients that result in flavorful and satisfying meals. Whether you're craving a juicy burger, a succulent steak, or a refreshing salad, there's something to suit every palate.

However, one area that could be improved upon is the temperature at which the food is served. While it's commendable that Harvey's strives to serve meals promptly, the scalding hot temperature at times can be off-putting. It is important for restaurants to find the right balance between serving food promptly and ensuring that it is at a comfortable eating temperature. Offering dishes that are too hot may hinder the immediate enjoyment of the meal and even pose a risk of burning.

On a positive note, Harvey's offers a well-stocked bar with a wide selection of beverages, including an array of craft cocktails, beers, and wines. The bartenders exhibit skill and knowledge in their craft, and they are often happy to provide recommendations or create custom drinks based on your preferences. This enhances the overall dining experience, especially for those looking to pair their meal with a carefully crafted libation.

Another noteworthy aspect of Harvey's is its cozy and inviting ambiance. The restaurant provides a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, perfect for enjoying a meal with friends or family. The dim lighting, comfortable seating, and pleasant background music contribute to a pleasant dining experience.

In summary, Harvey's Restaurant and Bar offers a positive dining experience with a few areas for improvement. While the overall quality of the food, attentive service, and inviting atmosphere contribute to a satisfying visit, the scalding hot temperature at which some dishes are served can be off-putting. Addressing this issue would enhance the enjoyment of the meals and ensure a more comfortable dining experience.

Overall...

Hands down one of four favorite places in Saratoga. Great food, great staff, fair pricing.

The atmosphere: Perfect for football if you’re a Bills fan. Every is hyped up. They’ll only put on other games if the Bills aren’t playing, though, so plan ahead. It’s an Irish bar so it looks as such, but still cute. There are additional rooms/upstairs/roof patio for events which are all gorgeous.

The staff: wonderful. We know most of them by name at this point and they make a point to remember their regulars. Everyone is friendly and attentive. The owner, Matt, is a gem. Great guy, great stories, and always helping his staff. He was our bartender the first time we went and big part of why we keep coming back.

The food: amazing! My favorite hot wings in the area by far and the bleu cheese dressing is unmatched. We’ve tried a few other wing flavors and the only one I didn’t like was the Harvey’s sauce which is a mix of others (but I don’t like bbq sauce so that’s a me problem). The burgers are great and the egg has always been perfect. We’ve also tried plenty of other food: tacos, Irish nachos, some sort of Irish beef stew during the winter, chicken sandwich, ruben, fish and chips. All great. The shepherds pie was divine and now I crave it on cold, gloomy days. Pretty much everything is under $20 (except for the steak/fish).

The drinks: they rotate out the beers on tap and my partner loves trying the new ones. They alap always have the standard beers on tap including Guinness. I stick with my Jameson but I’m never disappointed in the drinks.

It’s worth a visit!

(Photos are from various night when I remembered to...

We had a party of six in the evening and the restaurant was not busy whatsoever. Server greeted us and took our drink order. Twenty minutes went by and I had to go to the bar to see if we could get our drinks. Bartender had to locate our server and we eventually received our drinks. We ordered three appetizers, two of which came out early and the third came out with one’s dinner. Our server was completely not present. Don’t think we were squeaky wheels, we just require mediocre service which we could not get. Insult to injury, he charges us with the ole 20% gratuity charge which blows my mind. I tip very well for services rendered but to charge the 20% gratuity for literally having others do your job stings a bit. In that case, any server with a large party has no drive to provide any service because they will receive a guaranteed 20% tip. Oh, the food was also mediocre. Huge let down since I had high expectations for this place.

Matthew, I appreciate the quick response to my post. I was in Saratoga only for a union event and don’t anticipate coming back to Saratoga anytime soon. I honestly understand your description of the events and I accept all of them. All beside our host being completely irrelevant during our time there and deciding to make the most of it and charge the flat 20% gratuity as a grand gesture. If I do find myself back in Saratoga I will absolutely revisit Harvey’s as I truly want to enjoy this establishment. I look forward to one day giving you and your establishment a solid five stars as this incident may have been an...