Dove + Deer, Albany

They call themselves the “neighborhood pub” and the menu, drinks, and atmosphere are ready to welcome you to their neighborhood.

The building itself was built on the corner of Dove and State Street back in 1854, but it wasn’t called State Street back then, it was called Deer Street. Get the name, now? The restaurant as we know it now was restored, refreshed, and opened in 2018.

When we went, we didn’t have a reservation but don’t get confused when you walk in because there isn’t an official host stand. Eventually, a waitress came over, added our name to a list, and we hung out at the bar. To see the full food and drink menu, check out their website. They have gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options on the menu.

We waited a bit for a table but luckily a spot opened up at the bar that we took instead. For cocktails, I ordered the Sweater Weather which was whiskey, quince & thyme simple syrup, apple juice, lemon, cinnamon ($12) which was perfect for the colder weather, as named. Everything on the menu looked amazing (if I was by myself, I would’ve 100% ordered the Brussels Sprouts). We ended up getting the Toasted Ravioli with cheese ravioli, marinara, pecorino ($12) for an appetizer and I got the D + D Smash Burger with double patty, shrettuce, dill pickles, caramelized onions, American cheese, fancy sauce, potato roll, and added some avocado ($15 + $2 for avocado).

Overall, the food was delicious. Though I enjoyed the ravioli, I probably would’ve ordered something different. It was what you would have expected from toasted ravioli and most of the flavor came from the sauce. The burger, on the other hand, was great. A lot of flavors, everything paired well, and I really enjoyed it. There’s a lot of great things on the menu and I can’t wait to go back to try some more of it.