The 8 Best Cheap Eats in Albany, Ranked
Plate of local food at an Albany restaurant
Eight places to eat well in Albany for under $15, ranked by what you actually get for the money.
The top four under $12
1. Hot dogs at Gus's Hot Dogs in Watervliet, roughly 10 minutes north. Two dogs with the works and a drink for under $8. 2. Fish fry Friday at any of the Polish or Italian clubs, or Off-Shore Pier on Delaware Avenue for the classic version. Under $14. 3. Lunch at Ala Shanghai in Colonie — soup dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, well under $12. 4. Chicken riggies at any Utica-style spot in the region, though Cardona's Market on Delaware makes an excellent version for take-out.
Five through eight
5. Bombers Burrito Bar on Lark Street. The Godfather Burrito is under $10 and enormous. 6. Ted's Fish Fry in multiple locations for haddock sandwiches under $10 — Watervliet original is the best. 7. Slice at DeFazio's in Troy (15 min away) is arguably worth the drive for the wood-fired margherita, around $4 a slice. 8. Miss Albany Diner on Broadway for breakfast — Reginald's French toast is a legitimate signature dish, under $15. What didn’t make it: national chains, and the mall food court.
Before you book
The questions people ask about Delaware Avenue, answered with this month’s numbers.
Fish fry, chicken riggies (though those are more Utica), and mini hot dogs. Nothing globally famous, but the fish fry tradition is real and worth trying on a Friday.
Bombers goes latest, often until 2am on weekends. Most of the others close by 9pm. Late-night dining in Albany is genuinely thin outside of Lark Street and downtown.
