The Iron Gate Cafe - Durant

This ia very popular Brunchplatz. We called 2 hours before we arrived to the reservation and wait until 30 minutes to sit. The waiters are all very friendly and helpful. The services were also prompt... Eating portion was also generous and delicious.... If you are ready to wait, this is definitely a good choice for breakfast, lunch and brunch....

It is a truth generally acknowledged that road trips require breaks, fill out the occasional gas tank and pit stops for lunch. Perhaps not generally recognized, but not less true, is that there are better alternatives than the usual suspects of fast food that weaken our highways. On a trip from West Connecticut to Champlainsee, I decided to stop to Albany to look for “real food” and on my brother’s recommendation in the law, I took my family to the Iron Gate Cafe. He claimed it was the number one in the city, and on this promise I tolerated the 45 minutes waiting for a table that would inevitably eat away to the arrival time of my final destination. Through the outdoor seating area on the front of the building and through several indoor dining rooms we sat in an outdoor dining area, which once was a garden. I ordered a BLT, a simplified version of what was offered on the menu, and an ice cream coffee. Other members of my family ordered similar articles, variations of BLTs and sandwiches pampered in sourdough breads and multicorns, with the exception of my father in the law that had ordered a piece of maize bread with eggs. Upon arrival I had the rare and pleasant embarrassing feeling of a mouthwater. Everything was perfect for all of us except a small mixture of breads on a sandwich. The flavors were perfectly simple, balanced and complementary. The finish was easy on the stomach, energy-reducing instead of making me feel sleepy and sleepy. The Homefries were a highlight of the plate for me, with the perfect saltiness, a crispy texture from the outside, and the much sought-after softness from the inside. The servers were fast, although obviously faced with the logistic challenge of navigating the layout of what seemed to be an old home with an almost Victorian layout. One of the only drawbacks of the restaurant is that there are fewer and smaller toilets than being appropriate for the number of guests and the apparent popularity of the Iron Gate Cafe. Of course, this is a limitation of the layout of the structure and also part of the charming character of the place. It seems that the rotation of customers seems to help prevent lines (that would interfere with the other dining areas), but if several people in my party tried to use the rest space as we went, it was easily blocked. Overall, the Iron Gate Cafe has made for me a perfect stay in the state capital and deserves to eat the number one for places in Albany.

Great atmosphere and enjoyable food I first visited the Iron Gate Cafe in October with my realtor, so I was quick to suggest it to my husband when we consider a local restaurant for lunch. The Iron Gate offers high-quality food and a great service in a unique and comfortable environment. They still had coded security measures as personnel, mostly, wore masks over their noses and offered a scanable QR code menu; physical menus on request. For this visit we ordered the Kickin' Chicken and Chicken Club Sandwiches that both came with Fritten. Our server suggested chewing fried chicken on the club, which was a good suggestion. You will see in the pictures, the chicken breast had a beautiful brown, crispy crust and were still tender and juicy. Their frits, while the light on seasoning, seem double fried they give them a wonderfully crisp and soft center. Our server was helpful to answer our questions and give suggestions. She was very pleasant and helpful and has been able to check us in a few times during our meal. The restaurant itself has a wonderful atmosphere over it, as most indoor dining places are in different rooms on the first floor of an old Braunstein house. There is a small dining room on the back that is not so impressive, so try to sit in the house. Outdoor dining areas also look inviting, so I look forward to a warmer weather. You have a nice selection of vegan and vegetarian options as well as a beautiful looking breakfast / brunch menu. ATMOSPHERE 5 (3 if in the backroom) FOOD 5 SERVICE 5 VALUE 5

Why did it take me so long to come here?! looking for meatless breakfast options I came across Iron Gates menu, and the amount of options to choose is very impressive! For my first order I got the Ultimate Vegan Sandwich that came with Homefries, Maisbrot for later and their icy coffee. The coffee is tasteful and smooth definitely a nice pick me for the morning. The sandwich... It will be difficult for me to try out the rest of their menu because I want to continue ordering it! From the first bite all the components came together in a way that told me that I would enjoy my meal, and since it is a pretty hefty part, I knew that I would end up being satisfied with what the last bite was true. I'm very happy that I'm exploring the food around me, because it brings me favorite lovers, like Iron Gates Cafe has just become! I know I'll be back soon!!

As much as I 'd like to believe all the 5 star hype, I 'm glad to say I am in good company with other Yelp Elites. I 've heard about this place for a while. Shamed to admit it is my first time eating here, since I moved to Albany, especially when it is just a few minutes walk from my home. Well, after being away from Albany for almost two months indulging in all the great grub in Austin, TX, I had a hankering for some decent breakfast on a Sunday morning coming down. Now, in my defense, I 've driven by many mornings and saw the line out the door. That always deters me, since I have no patience for waiting, at least for breakfast. Today, though, I figured why not, especially since it was 8:40am and the place doesn 't open until 9am. Got there around 8:50am, gate was closed, and the lady getting ready for the Sunday morning breakfast stampede was nice enough to yell, We open in 10 minutes! Cool, I thought as I just stood there wondering what to do for 10 minutes, without taking my phone out and sending useless texts to others, just because. Well, I did anyways. Guess where I am going? I said to one friend. Where? my friend promptly replied on Sunday morning. That seemed odd. I 'm getting ready to have some breakfast at Iron Gate, I replied. Silence for a little bit, and then I was immediately un friended, to only be re friended minutes later just so he could complain about not being invited and then rant and rave about how it is the most awesome breakfast place in the world. We shall see, I thought. Well, I have to admit the hash browns and my eggs were great. I got the Elvis special only because I remember reading about it on guess where? YELP! It was all that it was cracked up to be and I got a side of their famous Hollandaise sauce, which I recommend doing, if it doesn 't come with your order. It is that good. On to the disappointment, the corn bread. What can I say other than dry, tasteless and not corny at all. Tasted almost like something you make from instant corn bread mix you buy at the grocery store, but I could be wrong. To be fair, I did just come from months in the south, where corn bread is king, and tastes oh so good. Soft, moist, buttery, with a nice crust, and sometimes jalapenos to boot. So, this stuff just didn 't cut it for me. Same goes with the pancake side that I ordered. I mean it was tasty and good, but not five star good. You want to know what 5 star pancake good is? Look up Kirby Lane Austin, TX. I have to agree with one other Yelper elite. Maybe I just ordered wrong. I will go back and try some other dishes. Some of the dishes looked much yummier than mine, especially the toast. Either way, it was still enjoyable and I look forward to trying it again, maybe without my Austin TX, food vibe goggles on.