The Brown Derby

Poughkeepsie, United States

3.6

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 845-452-3232
Website:
www.brownderbynewyork.com
Address:
96 Main St, Poughkeepsie, NY, 12601
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
60 ftMain Street & North Clover Street
460 ftDavies Place & Main Street
620 ftPoughkeepsie Train Station
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
Yes
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
No
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Good For Dancing
No
Alcohol
Full Bar
Happy Hour
Yes
Best Nights
Wed
Coat Check
No
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Drive-Thru
No
Caters
Yes
Has Pool Table
No

Today

Today 11:00 am – 3:00 am
Open now
Local time (Poughkeepsie) 20:35 Thursday, 12 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:00 am – 3:00 am
Tuesday 11:00 am – 3:00 am
Wednesday 11:00 am – 3:00 am
Thursday 11:00 am – 3:00 am
Friday 11:00 am – 3:00 am
Saturday 11:00 am – 3:00 am
Sunday 11:00 am – 3:00 am

Description

Specialties

The Brown Derby is the oldest restaurant and bar in the Poughkeepsie area. Live entertainment, affordable prices, great food & drink selection. For a great atmosphere with quality food and service, come in today!

History

Established in 2008.

The Derby was established in 2008 under owner Jon Memmoli. In 2012 two new partners, Anthony Jolly and Carmine Carolei came on board. The Brown Derby in Poughkeepsie dates back to the early 1930’s and is the oldest active restaurant and bar in Poughkeepsie NY. The restaurant has been a landmark in Poughkeepsie for years and has always been a great destination for visitors. The old pictures of the establishment tell a great story of The Derby’s history. We hope for many more years of success!

Meet the Business Owner

Jonathan M.

Business Owner

I have 13 years experience in the food and beverage business. It has been my dream for some time to open my own restaurant and with the help of my two partners Anthony Jolly and Carmine Carolei, and we have succeeded. The Derby is what I always dreamed of. The Derby is what I feel a restaurant should look like, with the classic look of dark wood paired with brass and brick. The bar is the original, built by Brunswick in the early 1930’s, and it really sets the stage as you walk into the restaurant. I have always wanted a warm inviting restaurant, and I believe after 5 full years of business that is exactly what we have here. We want to be your «go to» restaurant and bar. We want to get to know our customers and their families and appreciate the business. We know there are a lot of options in Poughkeepsie and are thankful to anyone who dines with us.

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20 reviews of The Brown Derby

No registration required
Place rating: 2
Marlboro, NY
came here specifically because they are the only ones i saw who had scallop risotto which i was craving. it was advertised under their gluten free menu on their website. sadly, they said theyre not serving it anymore. bummer. but why advertise it online? anyways, got the beef tip risotto which is pretty much one big gloober. forgettable and tastes monotonous. husband got the country fried chicken. chicken was crispy and ok. not the best. but the mashed potato tastes purely like butter. might as well just eat up straight butter. mozzarella sticks were crispy and gooey but wayyy to big. id rather have several tiny ones. the best part of the meal were the crab cakes. didnt taste mushy. just ok but no complaints. probably wont come back here. tons of bar regulars here though
Place rating: 5
Poughkeepsie, NY
I have lived in Poughkeepsie my entire life and drove past this place many times. Well when I finally stopped in I was surprised by the awesome beer selection and the food is great as well. Has started to be a go to spot for me for lunch or just a brew.
Place rating: 4
Yucaipa, CA
This is a bar, but that being said the food was actually good for a bar. The service was great, immediately helped and offered good suggestions. Was given a gift groupon and was happy with our evening!
Place rating: 3
Poughkeepsie, NY
Ok people, it’s a bar. I read the review of the guy that took his kids there after a visit to the Children’s Museum and was disappointed. YOU BROUGHT YOUR KIDS TO A BAR, BRO?! What did you expect? Idiot.
The food is pretty good. Better wings than Darby’s. Wish they would bring back the steak fries and $ 5 Derby Burgers on Sundays.
It’s does get kind of sketchy late night. Last time I was there past 9p, 2 guys started fighting, brought it into the street, while the crowd just watch and recorder it on their phones. None of the idiot monkeys watching or bar staff had the sense to call the cops.
Staff, it’s hit or miss. Sometimes the service is good, sometimes is really bad. But again, it’s a bar. A townie bar.
They do a nice job at supporting the community and decorate well for holidays.
Place rating: 3
Poughkeepsie, NY
I really enjoy the food here. Keep in mind, it’s bar food, so when I hear people complain about the food I tend to remind them of that. I would give at least four stars but the service is so inconsistent. I work in Midtown Manhattan and take the train so once in a while (it used to be once a week), I will call in an order from Beacon and pick it up on my walk home. The last few times I have tried calling, the phone is either not answered or I am told «one minute» and I hang up after 5 minutes of silence. The (bar) food is very good and the drinks are pretty solid as well. I recommend at least trying this place out.
Place rating: 4
Newburgh, NY
Been to the derby numerous times and this place hasn’t disappointed once. You may write the place off at first glance as the Derby is a well known bar in the city of Poughkeepsie but do not let your judgement get the best of you. The first time I went for dinner with friends, far exceeded any and all expectations I had. The chef is a culinary master and delivers a well constructed, consistent, and delicious meal every time. For the prices charged as well, you can’t go wrong. The beef tip risotto is amazing and one of the best I’ve ever had ($ 16) From the ribs to the filet ($ 24) and scallops ($ 18?) (all of which I sampled from my friends) were flavorful and cooked to perfection with their own unique flavor – nothing bland or overly salty. They do have a pub menu which I would stay away from – not because it’s bad, but because what the kitchen is offering you is much better. Service was attentive and friendly – not bad for someone managing a full bar as well. I highly recommend visiting at least once.
Place rating: 5
Hampton, VA
Great service, loved the French onion soup & caprese salad. We used the free appetizer check in from Unilocal.Delicious lobster mac n cheese & it was a large portion. Quiet & low key for a Saturday night which I prefer. The manager & waitress both duel served our table and didn’t have to because it wasn’t busy. They both were very accommodating. Interesting history on the building also. Ask when you visit! The dining was worth it!
Place rating: 5
Poughkeepsie, NY
Love the wings!!! 24k are the best, and the fries were good too. I myself haven’t tried the burgers or drinks yet, but in the future I might. So… I just tried the bacon burger, and I must say it was delicious! And the service was very quick!
Place rating: 3
Westtown, NY
Stopped in for lunch while in POK. Small menu but ok for a quick bite. Seated right away. Very clean. Original dining room is darker. Perimeter dining room is brighter. Ordered the Buffalo chicken wrap. Came with fries. THE PICKLE WAS BAD. .MUSHY. wished I’d never took a bite. Wrap was good. Pretty spicy. $ 9.00 I’D go back. Oh and it’s a an old bar. Very intricate and nostalgic.
Place rating: 5
Rhome, TX
The first time I came here I was less than impressed but I recently found out that the staff responsible for that situation has move on and so I came back to give the derby another shot. So glad I did. The burgers here are incredible. My wife loves the watermelon martini and the fried burrito is also amazing the brown derby earned 5 stars and then some. And live jazz?!! Life can’t get any better! We will most definitely be back.
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
As a hurried bride, I picked The Brown Derby from Unilocal reviews as one of our choices for our rehearsal dinner (6÷5÷15) based on their location and capability to host a crowd of about 40 people. However, when I met John to discuss plans, I was pleasantly surprised that I would not need to interview any other facility — he won me over on the spot. His professionalism and friendliness, not to mention his skills as a restaurateur, were evident right away.
He and the staff of the Derby made everything so EASY for me — I didn’t have to worry about anything — just showed up and had a great time. He was very thorough about going through our options for meal style (we chose family style) and the bar, which made it easy for us to choose food options and drink plan that worked for us. We were able to satisfy guests who were meat eaters and vegetarians, teetotalers and drinkers.
The comment I heard most often was, «There was so much food! And it was so good!» I enjoyed everything I ate, and there was so much food that I didn’t even get to try everything, being stuffed. The servers were so attentive and really fast and polite. The location is also really great — right by the train station and the river. I couldn’t be more happy with The Brown Derby, John and the staff. If you need to throw a party — this should definitely be a top choice for you.
Place rating: 4
Kingston, NY
Great place to eat. Good atmosphere, tv’s everywhere, located right on main street in Poughkeepsie. I had a fantastic burger. Server/​bartender was very nice.
Place rating: 1
Poughkeepsie, NY
Rude owner, run down, better bathrooms in an alleyway, pathetic parking. Beware, stay away.
Place rating: 5
Poughkeepsie, NY
Never disappointed when i come here! LOVE the mozzarella sticks– more like mozzarella LOGS really. So crispy and gooey. Nice selection of beers, enjoyed the Goose Island IPA with my TexMex burger with bacon and my girlfriend always loves the fish and chips! all around great meal! The place was empty when we arrived, for whatever reason but the guy behind the bar sat us And was very friendly and pretty hilarious. Definitely recommended
Place rating: 3
Pleasant Valley, NY
The wings were the only good thing to talk about after my dining experience. The derby offers a large menu with pub fare and dinner entrees. I took a long shot and decided to go with the Pan Seared Scallops. They were so fishy smelling and tasted like none I have ever had before. They were also undercooked and seared on only one side. I barely ate my meal.
My girlfriend ordered a grilled chicken Caesar wrap and it was not good at all, I don’t know how you can screw up a wrap. It tasted like cardboard and grass. We also ordered a white flat bread pizza for $ 5 during happy hour. Looks can be deceiving as it looked wonderful. The cheese was put on a frozen pre made flatbread and the water was stuck under the cheese as it cooked and it was not appealing at all. The water dripped off once you bit into it.
The waitress seemed like she did not want to be there at all so that didn’t help our experience either. I would DEFINITELY go back for wings and drinks ONLY but for nothing else.
Place rating: 1
Mohegan Lake, NY
After getting two hungry little kids out of the car to eat at this place following a day at the Children’s Museum, we walked in well after its posted 11:00 AM opening time. We were greeted by some bleary-​eyed scraggly-​lookin dude who seemed perplexed by our arrival and «wasn’t sure» if they were going to open. He disappeared into the kitchen and came back to say that some other unknown kitchen denizen «is on the phone» and hasn’t decided yet. We left. The Brown Dirty should get its act together or change its hours.
Place rating: 2
Brentwood, CA
I try not to write bad reviews, but in the case of The Brown Derby I had no choice. I visit the Hudson Valley multiple times a year to visit family. I have been to numerous, memorable restaurants and bars throughout the years. Until yesterday I have not had one bad experience.
When visiting the Hudson Valley I make sure to take advantage of the Walkway over the Hudson. I do the loop walking over the walkway to the Mid Hudson Bridge and through Main Street Pougkeepsie. For years I have walked passed The Brown Derby. Yesterday I decided to stop in and check it out.
I won’t go into great detail, but I will warn you to check your tab to make sure you are not being over charged. When my bill came I commented on the price and the bartender replied, «it’s expensive to drink now a days»
She is right, It is expensive when you overcharge the only customer in the bar. Thankfully, another employee had just sat down at the bar when I questioned the amount. He stated the correct amount for an item on my tab, and the bartender nervously corrected my tab.
I promptly paid and left. I will continue to walk past The Brown Derby in the future without thinking twice about stopping in for a bite or drink.
Place rating: 4
New Windsor, NY
Playing Pub Poker at the brown derby. It’s fun and free. The food is delicious. It’s a great atmosphere.
Place rating: 3
Hyde Park, NY
Good spot for wings and beer on Sunday. Not too over crowded and many tv’s around to catch every game.
Wings…they could be more saucy. I like to lick the sauce off my fingers after every bite of the wing. BUT… good flavors. Liked the 24k sauce (a mustard flavored sauce) and the mild.
Service pretty good and everyone is attentive.
Place rating: 5
Queens, NY
Beer. A good place for beer. Mostly when it’s freezing outside.
We came here as we followed the progression of the Poughkeepsie mini golf bar crawl tour.
This final course was fun to watch as the local college students got progressively worse at playing the green.