Iron Gate Cafe

I come here almost every weekend and have always been able to get seated immediately. Friendly and prompt service. I love their vegan specials — Joey’s Seitan Sandwich is my go-​to! Great place for vegans and omnivores to eat together. There’s an outdoor patio for when the weather is nice. I need to come here during the week to try their other vegan options!

Great atmosphere and outstanding food! Visiting Albany for the first time and alway love finding local spots to eat. Unilocal once again didn’t disappoint!
No complaints at all and would definitely recommend it.

I am an out of town-​er. But almost every trip to Albany I find myself begging to go to the Iron Gate. I have had breakfast and lunch here and both were awesome. Some quirky ingredients added to old favorites make it my favorite. The salad was loaded to the brim. My most recent visit I had the Italian Sub. Bread was a little tough but the toppings were great. I will continue to ask to go there until I’ve tried everything on the menu. Then I’ll hope they have revamped the menu and I’ll start over from scratch.

This is a great place for breakfast. A lot choices between egg dishes and sweet dishes, pancakes and whatnot. I had the eggs Benedict and they were very good. They served it Virginia ham which I really liked. Many times the Meat included in a Benedict can be to fatty. This was very good lean ham. Very good Hollandaise sauce (pepper Hollandaise sauce). The Homefries: the best, crispy, meaty potato on the inside, nicely seasoned. I usually have a couple and let the rest go cold but I ate all of these.
Spouse had the ricotta lemon pancakes and said they were very good. Nice cup of coffee along the lines of «diner» coffee. Breakfast for two with coffee and one OJ FOR $ 39 with tip. Great location and great ambiance inside and outside.

What a strange, wonderful old house in which to eat a delicious brunch on a windy and cloudy Sunday.
Amazing, home-​made food, huge slabs of toast, corn meal pancakes and 100% real maple syrup.
The only downside is that Albany county blue laws do not allow the serving of alcohol until after 12 pm on Sunday. So we ate a leisurely meal and when noon came ordered some delicious peach sangrias.
We were up visiting
friends in the area and would make the trek from Brooklyn, NY to eat here again.
Plus the old Victorian brownstone and the open courtyard (open for warm weather eating) are simply beautiful and should be seen.

I wanted to deduct a star because of the service we received but the food was so great it would be injustice. We did go pretty late — around 2:30 and they close at 3 (I guess) but we were seated promptly. We ordered a garden salad and my wife ordered a Florentine Benedict. Both were tasty and very flavorful. But we never received our bread that we ordered. One thing I enjoy is a good cup of coffee after my meal. And the coffee I got was not hot, not warm, but cold. But it was just past their closing time, so I would like to give them benefit of doubt and will try again next time for better luck.

This place was incredible. We had the Memorial Day brunch. There was a small issue that we mentioned prior to leaving and the hostess quickly rectified the problem. She went above and beyond to make sure we were happy. I cannot thank her enough and would definitely go back if I were in the area again. So delicious!

Cute little area amongst all of the city places to eat. The outdoor area makes you feel like you’re not in the city at all. Came here on the way to Canada for lunch, second time in Albany! I got the pink lemonade drink which was made with raspberry cider, tasted like raspberry beer so good! As for the food, I got the curry chicken Salad sandwich. I wish it had a little bit more flavor but it was very different from a regular chicken salad sandwich. Also got the chicken and sausage gumbo, sooo flavorful! I tried my friends Bloody Mary with the basil bids, it was good and not too tomato-​y! Nice place if you wanna go for a relaxing brunch!

Amazingly wonderful and dog friendly courtyard dining and a gorgeous dining room. An awesome menu featuring creative takes on classic foods. Brunch is awesome.
I would have given a full five stars, but consistency is sometimes an issue.

Probably the best brunch I’ve ever had in my life! Amazing amazing. I ordered the black bean burger with poached eggs and it was quite filling. Also i got a Bloody Mary which was the best I’ve had in the area by far. The service was quick, atmosphere was great, and I think I will be going there again today.

I don’t always eat brunch, but when I do, it’s at Iron Gate.
Iron Gate holds a special place in my heart. How can you not fall a little bit in love with an old Victorian house, one with little rooms filled with Elvis kitsch, that still manages to retain its charm? The outdoor patio is a favorite in warm weather — a little lush oasis on busy Washington Avenue, that serves to be a lovely little «get-​away.» You won’t feel like you’re eating in the middle of Albany when you’re out here.
As one of the few brunch locales in the area open before 10 am (9am on Saturday and Sunday), Iron Gate is where we happily end up when we are too hangry to wait until 10 or 11am for other local brunch restaurants to open.
I have always enjoyed the grilled cheese special (grilled cheese with soup or salad, $ 8.50) or the buttermilk pancakes (3 for $ 9.99) which come with real maple syrup and your choice of breakfast meat (including vegan sausage or seitan), though they allow me to swap the meat for home fries. The home fries are super crispy — like those perfect little crispy French fries you search for at the bottom of your plate. Iron Gate makes a great grilled cheese. Really crispy bread and a good amount of cheese, always fully melted. A good grilled cheese shouldn’t be hard to find, but unfortunately few places actually care enough to use quality bread, and cook it sufficiently on the flattop to allow for the cheese to turn into melty, stringy decadence.
The menu is a little egg heavy, which is obviously common for breakfast joints, but as someone who does not eat eggs (on their own), I always long for a few more options beyond grilled cheese, buttermilk pancakes, or plain French toast. Occasionally you’ll find the blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes on the specials list. Get those. I don’t even like blueberries, but these pancakes are terrific.
Service has always been friendly, and even when it’s busy, there’s not too long of a wait. Iron gate offers a great brunch (or breakfast and lunch during the week — though no table service on weekdays) experience, and a true gem in Albany!

Such a great place and so cheap. I was here for New York bar admission and was rushing for the ceremony. The waitress was super fast knowing we were in a hurry. Service is great.
As for food — both of us had some eggs bacon and potatoes and it was delicious. 25 $ including tip for both — for someone living in NYC this is a miracle :)
Also — they have this cute yard and outside seating area. Should be nice in warmer weather.

I went here once because my usual Brunch spot was so busy i decided to give it a try.
The food is ok, they do not served alcohol until noon… Really brunch is all about the mimosas.
The worst part was the service the waitress was rude and did even came to me to ask me how my food was or if i needed a drink refill, i felt like i was treated so poorly maybe because she thought my skin color made me a bad tipper since a lot of servers do think hispanic people are back tippers i did left her 30%. Tip and a note that said people dont tip by skin color they tip well because you earn it, you didn’t but i still want to show you that if i didn’t have money to leave a tip i would not go out.
I would never go back there.

Great place for brunch, but I can’t give it 5 stars because we couldn’t get alcohol until noon! Maybe that’s a law here, I don’t know, I’m from out of town. Anyway, this place has excellent food, and the vegan options are legitimately wonderful (which can be very difficult at brunch sometimes). I had the seitan breakfast sandwich, and the daiya (vegan cheese) was melted perfectly. The tofu was marinated and was juicy with flavor. I added spinach and tomato and it was devine. I’ll definitely come back next time I’m in town.

I usually bring my lunch to work but on those rare occasions I don’t, Iron Gate is my first choice. They have great sandwiches, soups and salads. If you want to grab and go they’re quick and friendly. If you want to sit and be waited on there’s 2 dining rooms and pretty efficient wait staff.
The weekend brunch is pretty awesome, especially in the summer when you can sit in the courtyard. The John Denver is my favorite.

Came here twice with my girlfriend and her mother the first time, and the second time a larger group of friends and family (party of 8) both times were during the winter period.
The restaurant is located right on Washington Ave. Has a very unique look and interesting interior design. It looks like they have a nice out door set up but as mentioned, we came during the winter time so nothing was set up for this.
*The restaurant does not take reservations* and seems to be quiet popular so if you arrive at a peak hour you may find yourself waiting for a little time. (Far less than Madison café)
Ordered for the tables were an apple cobbler stuffed French toast (special not regularly served), sweet potato Benedict, and sausage and gravy (special not served regularly) with a side of French toast
The stuffed Apple French toast, was delicious — described as «best French toast I’ve ever had». Very enjoyable if you’re looking for something sweet.
Sweet potato Benedict (special) — was also very very good.
Sausage and gravy (special) — served on 2 biscuits, sausage gravy and a third biscuit on top. Was pretty good though I thought the portion sizes were kind of small.
— the following month we returned with a bigger party. This time around the wait staff wasn’t as attentive but no points were taken away for this. Some of the food ordered during this visit were the regular stuff French toast (always featured) on the menu and Elvis breakfast.
Some we disappointed that some specials were not on the menu and could not find another alternative.
– overall each visit the food that was ordered was prepared excellently, not mishaps or mistakes and was very delicious. To me personally for the money you the portion sizes were not comparable to what you would receive if you were to go to a «Madison café» or something as such. I often was satisfied by the taste of the food but still left hungry looking for more.

I am always satisfied when I stop in for brunch. Friendly staff, quick service, amazing specials, and a great atmosphere.
I LOVE their sweet potato hash. When I stopped in today, they didn’t have it on the menu (I was so sad!!!) but I couldn’t stay upset because our server was so sweet and nice and accommodating.
I uploaded some delicious pictures. Their specials are always different and ALWAYS a good pick.
My brother had the loaded French toast and WOW. It looked like it was worth every single calorie.
The only thing I don’t like is that their potato hash is fried. If they don’t have the sweet potato hash (grilled) then I am stuck without a side. I also think that coffee should be included with the breakfast ($ 2.50). But that’s just me!
Overall, I enjoy this place! One of the BEST brunch places in Albany. I will be back!!!

A charming spot for lunch. They have indoor seating and a great cobblestone patio if you’re here on a nice day. The menu offers your standard soups/​salads/​sandwiches, plus a few vegan items, daily specials, and some mildly unique options. You can add avocado, bacon, brie, or fresh mozzarella to any order for an additional cost. They have your standard fountain drinks, plus some bottled beverages like Nantucket Nectars and a bunch of Boylan root beer flavors.
Truth be told, I have been underwhelmed by a few things I’ve tried here. Everything seems to to be fresh and of good quality, but sometimes it lacks in flavor. The quesadillas come to mind — the chicken was bland, although the homemade salsa was pretty good.
That being said, Iron Gate’s charm and variety keep me coming back. Try the Vermonster sandwich: house roasted turkey, cheddar cheese, sliced apples, and homemade maple walnut spread.
Apparently they also serve breakfast and weekend brunch… Who knew? Iron Gate isn’t the cheapest lunch menu around, but you will spend under $ 15 for food and a drink.

I’ve been to Iron gate many times during my time living in Albany. It is always solid and so deserves at least 3 stars.
The food is good, they have some creative options although nothing significantly mind blowing. The key is the outdoor seating when the weather is nice.
Over the past few year this has been a reliable go to for brunch. I had never been here and actually ordered lunch but after a long meeting in a windowless room, we high-​tailed it the nearest decent brunch spot with outdoor seating. I got the pear and Gorgonzola salad and my coworker had the Turkey BLAT. The salad was run of the mill and I’ve definitely had much better pear/​Gorgonzola salad– it just seemed bland. However, my coworker did rave about his BLAT which stands for bacon, lettuce, avocado and Tomato which also had a Pesto mayo and looked delicious. Like I said, this was my first experience outside of the breakfast options… and maybe my personal last?
I’ve had the breakfast options here on more than 1 occasion including the stuffed French toast and the John Denver. The stuffed French Toast is solid and satisfies my insatiable sweet/​savory craving. It includes an egg (cooked to order) and meat which can be bacon, sausage or veg option.
Like I alluded to previously, the outdoor courtyard is a nice selling point when the weather is nice.

We’ve come here for breakfast on a couple of occasions now, and Iron Gate is a very solid breakfast/​brunch spot.
My wife likes their johnny cakes which are corn based. I don’t think they’re gluten free, I think there is some wheat flour in them, but nevertheless she prefers them over all flour pancakes. I had a couple of bites and they are tasty.
Our daughter devoured her chocolate chip pancakes. She loved them.
My veggie omelette was good, but the veggies lacked seasoning and I found myself shaking salt on them and adding a sprinkling of hot sauce for more flavor. I did like the smaller dice of the veggies which made the omelette easier to eat. The eggs weren’t overcooked and were light and fluffy.
I’ve had an egg sandwich on a previous visit and it was fine, but not memorable.
The patio in the warmer months is great, and it’s worth a visit just to enjoy breakfast or lunch in that space. It’s quite nice.
My wife and daughter will continue to bring me back so they can enjoy the johnny cakes and chocolate chip pancakes, and I’ll keep trying dishes until I find one that really rings my bell.