Olde Bryan Inn — Restaurant in City of Saratoga Springs

The Olde Bryan Inn is teeming with history, great flavor, and a homey ambience. The French Onion Soup alone is worth the drive.

History: The Olde Bryan Inn is the 1832 reincarnation of the log cabin owned and operated by American scout, spy, and patriot Alexander Bryan. He was a discrete Inn Keeper widely respected by the Americans and British alike. His intel helped turn the tide in the favor of the American Revolutionaries.

The vibe at this restaurant is dark and intimate with beautiful artwork. While it is beautiful it isn’t pretentious - plastic seasonal decor hang along expensive red drapes. It feels like dining in a generational middle upper class home. This restaurant would be an ideal place to take family on special occasions. The candlelit dinner amongst the exposed brick and wonderful cocktails make this restaurant a perfect date night excursion as well.

What I ordered: -I put a spell on you poisoned apple cocktail $14 -Pumpkin-licious martini $14 -French Onion Soup $8 -Braised short rib poutine $22 -Fish and Chips $22 -Roasted Garlic Pork Chop with a Roasted Garlic Black Pepper Horseradish Demi-glacé $24 -Morgan’s Chocolate Chip Pie $9 Total: $145.91 (including taxes and tip)

The apple cocktail was a great balance between apple and vodka.

The pumpkin cocktail actually tasted like pumpkin as well.

The French onion soup was the star of the show. The cheese pull was long and meandering, the stock tasted as if it was made in house from a beef consommé. They used high quality baguettes in the center and the depth flavor was mesmerizing bite after bite.

The braised short rib poutine was generously seasoned but was a bit too sweet for my taste. The green onions, ribs, and cheese on top of crispy potato wedges had a mouthwatering synergy. With a bit more cheese and salt, and a little less sweetness, this would’ve been my new favorite poutine. Having said that, I do think $22 is too steep for a traditionally fastfood dish with moderately priced cheeses.

The bread crumbs of the fish were generously seasoned, which was surprising. Usually the breading is overlooked at other restaurants but not so here. The fries were great and had the right amount of salt. The fries are not made in house but they have a nice crunch and the breading is delicious.

The chop was a bit tough and it was a little difficult to cut. I loved the seasonings on top, the char, and the savory sauce. Overall, I highly recommend it for a hearty dinner.

The pie had lower quality chocolate, a store bought crust, and I couldn’t tell if the cookie dough is made in house. It was a bit sugar forward. The walnuts seem to tie together the mix of soft, crispy, and crunchy. Each bite is fun and interesting. It tastes like a pie an Auntie would bring by at Thanksgiving to try. A relative would go back for a second piece if she brought this one, I know I would. $9 is a fair price for both the experience and value. I would gladly pay it again.

Price vs Value: The cocktails are made with higher quality ingredients and I think a $14 price tag is justified. The French Onion soup tastes like a $20, high end French Onion soup and the price is a steal. The fish and chips is to be expected and the braised short rib is a bit overpriced for the value. The chop and pie slice were worth every cent. I think the value is certainly there. For two people, we could’ve easily eaten there for $70 if we had been frugal. Another part of this restaurant’s charm is the flexibility in its pricing and offerings. It is a place to splurge for special occasions and a haven in the winter for a simple cup of soup. I highly recommend The...

I’ve occasioned @ the Olde Bryan Inn once monthly, as I live an hour or so south of Saratoga Springs. Why? My med team is located here, & often, as I’m no longer in remission from a rare terminal disease, scleroderma, & hey, kick in cancer to boot—tho I digress, often I book a hotel, as from here on out, it’s more so, 2-3 days or more w/Dr appts/tests/labs/etc. I’ve consistently, like a pigeon, return to this restaurant solely. They never disappoint!! My fave end of day, go to place to relax, unwind, enjoy the culinary delights!

This evening, Larissa was the server for me & wow! Footnote: From the hostess, to the bartender, should u eat at the bar, all staff working here, are cheerful, kind, accommodating, pros, & the menu is fantastic!! Wow! I had the worst day imaginable, coming from an arduous Dr appt. Arrived @ 5pm, handicap parking in back of the Inn is a real plus, especially w/the snowstorm tonight. Street parking is easy as well.

So! Back to Larissa! Thank u so much, Larissa, although clearly u were very busy this evening, I applaud your ability to manage all tables so adeptly, even having the courtesy to ‘actively’ listen to my recap of ughhhhh’s. O dear. Thank you as well, for the great suggestions on menu that I’d b able to take back to the hotel I’m staying at.

Footnote 2: Double wow! The portions here, are so large, u’ll have plenty leftover to enjoy the best day, few days! Thank you Larissa, & a nod to the very lovely hostess who sat me in a perfect “for one only,” spot. I watched Larissa go above & beyond for all, not just myself. To reiterate: The food here is divine!! I begin w/ a cup of their amazing French onion soup, never had it so good, a cup is quite filling, & I love their bread, tastes as made there—in house—everything so delicious, it’s def farm to table cuisine!

Desserts equally fantastic! Omg, loving the apple crisp & have had the cremé bruleé, I’d say I or my mother have had most of their desserts.

Truly, anything on the menu is that satisfying! And the Soecials menu offers so many unique options too. Another great thing—their menu won’t crush your wallet. I even had two amazing cocktails, the French onion soup, main course, & dessert, around $50? Not bad @ all considering you’ll have certainly a couple of meals from what u take home. As I’d mentioned, the portions are a plenty, & so well worth it! No heavy sodium after taste, freshy fresh! I can’t wait to come Sunday! I’ll continue to solely come to the Olde Bryan Inn, it’s such an enjoyable experience. I’m incredibly grateful for kind people, u will not be rushed, the Inn offers lovely & comforting dining & the service is bar none! Brava Larissa! You won’t ever be disappointed, & for myself, triple wow, such a great way to decompress, unwind, from the...

Stopped here with my wife for a date night while in saratoga springs. The wait was about half an hour for a table for 2 ( we were estimated 20 mins and they texted right at 20 mins but we wanted to be seated indoors it was very humid out and we wanted to enjoy the air conditioning) after we were seated we were disheartened to find out both h The French onion prime rib sandwhich and the pumpkin ravioli were not avaliable (what my wife and I both wanted) my wife got a glass of house red and I got a cider drink. Drinks came out fast with rolls. And that's where the service seemed to take a slow down. We order the braised pork poutine to share. This was good bit not worth $19 on anyway. It was about 12 steak cut fries (wedges) cover in pork which was great and a few green onions and a quick sprinkle of cheese. Being a poutine I would have expected atleast a few curds but there was none at all. Just a quick pinch with or what looked like cheddar and mozzarella I honestly could not taste it over the saltiness of the gravy on the shredded pork. I settled on the gorgenolza crusted steak (way over priced) and my wife ended up getting one of the specials ( I cannot remember the name but it was a pasta and artichoke dish) it took I want to say a little over an hour from the time we ordered until our food came out. For a medium steak (that was more medium-rare which I didn't mind because that's how I like my steak anyways) and a pasta dish that was a bit of a wait. The place was packed but we got there at 5pm on a Thursday it appears there were busses from a hotel dropping off passengers to the restaurant but most tables were 2-4 people and we were not seeing food on many tables prior to getting served. There were 2 groups seated near us 6 guests but they were seated after we order but seemed to have gotten their meals at about the same time. The staff was friendly and attentive but service seemed slow for a Thursday. Maybe we hit an unusually busy and understaffed night but I was unhappy with spending 2 hours in a resturant and $100 to leave hungry still and not even truly enjoy the meals. I feel my money could have stretched much further elsewhere and atleast had a few drinks with dinner. I can take the kids and my wife out and spend under $80 most places and everyone leave full with leftovers and I have a few cocktails.

The other all look of the building was fantastic with a great history on the place but I will never return to eat a meal here. There are other historical areas to visit that easier...