you've gotta like this place. Â very good food and great prices. Â i had veal and peppers - excellent and huge portion! sauted broccoli and salad were good. My buddy had the veal parm and also enjoyed it very much. Â Service was very good and waitresses were very friendly. Â not much for atmosphere, but that's not why you go to Ralph's. Â My bud also loves their prime rib - I haven't tried it, but he's a good judge. Â Ver good pizza
Review Source:My family and I love Ralph's. Without fail, we always stop here on the way back from our place in upstate NY.
An Italian tavern. Does it make sense? No. Does the food taste good? Absolutely.
Huge portions, tiny price. LEGIT Italian food. After 5 hrs in the car, all four of us could care less that we all ordered the same thing: stuffed shells special. This is the comfort food your grandma makes and you pig out until your body is literally incapable of doing anything but falling asleep.
Whoever said the sauce tastes canned is a filthy liar, the sauce is phenomenal every time and definitely tastes homemade.
Skip the side salad. Obviously bagged and mine was brown. Gross. The ambiance is less than desirable...but on a long ride home, who cares? We love Ralph's.
My wife and I love Ralphs, it's a staple at our house!
The usual includes a basket of wings, a couple of beers and a pepperoni pizza, which is outstanding and never misses the mark. We've never been disappointed at Ralphs, whether we dine in or take out.
We don't dine often enough to be considered regulars, or know any of the staff by name, but that doesn't mean we get treated any differently than the true regulars. Staff is always friendly and fast!
I had the calamari today and it was great.  It was a Huge, tasty plate loaded with lightly breaded calamari with a side of their marinara.  it was a dish of perfectly cooked, lightly battered calamari  piled high in a generous portion.  My only suggestion is to slightly salt the batter or the calamari once it's done.  But I understand why they don't since the majority of their patrons are seniors on low sodium diets.  So, a squeeze of lemon and a few dashes from the salt shaker fixed the salt problem.  delicious fried calamari !
Review Source:Delicious italian-american food. Â The tomato sauce is delicious and does not have a from-a-can taste as someone else claimed. Â The veal cutlet was tender and scrumptious and I would get it again and again and again. Â The menu is extensive and I have yet to try anything else. Â Decent selection of bottled beers too.
The vibe is casual old school american family dining. Â This is not fine dining. Â Not all the chairs at your table are going to match. Â The bar is on the other side of a wall which is a nice partition and both sides work well to serve both casual and better-dressed patrons. Â
Highly recommended.
Wings are really good, they are cooked to crispy which is nice since its a pain to get that done sometimes
The Dinners are really good too. Its a great place to grab dinner with a bunch of friends then head to the bar afterwords
Only thing I wouldnt recommend is the Pizza. Its the only thing I can say I dont like on their menu. Plus I wish they delivered
Wings though, you must try, some of the best in the area
Nancy was are bartender. Extremely friendly and had perfect recommendations on the menu. We had medium hot wings and garlic parm wings. They were incredible and we also had open face meatball parm sandwich and the chicken parm torpedo. Everything was remarkable and I would make it a point to stop again if I was passing through again.
Review Source:well, this is no Italian restaurant. Â It is a bar that serves Italinan-american like dishes.
the portions are huge and they are cheap. Â I had wings, soup, entree and 3 beers for $30. Â Atmosphere is a basic NY state bar - not fancy but certainly clean and inviting. Â The menu is almost too large. Â They should probably cut down and do better with a more limited menu
wings are excellent. Â The entrees are good, considering the price. Â I actually dont think that they make most of the sauces - white and red. Â They taste and look canned
Ralph's is a great tradition. Â My family has been coming here for years, and I always enjoy a trip here when I'm visting for a weekend.
It's been around since the dawn of time, and has that Buffalo NY vibe, where everyone knows everyone, and there are many many regulars. Â We usually get a ten cut pizza and my mom & dad will share a basket of wings. Â I also grab a blue moon or a glass of red wine.
Around the holidays there are christmas decorations which gets you into the spirit of the whole thing. Â Good times!
Mixed feelings about this review...the wings were some of the best I have ever eaten (and I travel to Buffalo!) Â BUT...the cole slaw that came with my sandwich (meh) had a hair sticking out (good thing I don't eat cole slaw), and the plasticware looked like it had been used before. Â Granted it was a takeout order, and these things could have been corrected if I was eating there.
Review Source:Based on Yelp reviews, the title of "best wings in the capital district" (and the fact it was the nearest place to eat) I gave Ralph's a try.
It was full of people, many on a first name basis with the staff. I had to try the "Best Wings in the Capital District". They are very good! I ordered them Hot and spent the evening trying to hide my running nose and burning lips
Service was friendly, welcoming and fast. I approve.
This place is a dive, and I don't really mean that in a bad way. Â Although, if it weren't for the absolutely spectacular buffalo wings, I probably would not have appreciated the diveyness (yeah I know that's not a word) of this place. Â The stop at Ralph's was the beginning of a week long vacation in upstate New York. Â You see, I now live in New Hampshire, but grew up in upstate. Â My favorite food on the planet has to be Buffalo Wings. Â Unfortunately as any Buffalo Wing Connoisseur knows, not all Buffalo Wings are created equal. Â In fact, some supposed Buffalo Wings are downright disgusting! Â But, I will always try them, and usually eat them even if they aren't' that good.
Anyway, as we began our vacation my 8 year old son and I decided that we would get Buffalo Wings at every opportunity throughout the week. Â That meant that we would be getting wings nearly every single day and sometimes twice a day .... we never found a place that served them for breakfast, otherwise we probably would have gotten them.
In the end, the sloppy wings we had at Ralph's were the absolute best that we found on our entire week long journey. Â At each place we ate throughout the week, we had to compare the wings to Ralph's. Â None stood up to Ralph's. Â The food at the restaurant must be good too given how packed this small dive was the time we were there. Â We got lucky that 2 spots opened up at the bar when we walked in, or we never would have been able to find this little gem.
Went for lunch with Co-workers.
Food- 2.5 Stars.
We got wings and pizza. Wings were surprisingly good. Pizza was pretty meh, kinda tasteless flavorless crust, too much cheese. Not my kind of pizza.
Service- 5 Stars.
Very nice waitress.
Atmosphere- 2.5 Stars.
Very cozy in a old school kinda way.
Value- 2.5 Stars.
Decent value, nothing outrageous.
One of those (increasingly rare) affordable, family, non-chain, Italian restaurants that make Friday nights fun. Good red sauce. Great wings. Hearty portions. Reasonable prices. Super-friendly staff. Worn interior - but adds to 'local joint' feel. Beware: not free refills and waitress pushed them without warning us. That was weird. But otherwise great experience.
Review Source:Love this place. Haven't had a bad meal here. From dishes like Shrimp Scampi, Chicken Parm, Chicken Francaise (my personal fav) to pizza and wings (the best in the capital district) this local tavern makes everything perfectly. Service is always quick and friendly and portions are huge while the prices are low. You have to get the Mozz sticks with rasp sauce. They are homemade and the best you will ever taste. If you think ahead call for reservations because they are kinda small and there is usually a wait.
Review Source:"There is Something About Ralph's"
by Josh K.
The final minutes of an intense Elite 8 matchup between the number 2 seeded Florida Gators and the perennial Butler underdogs was winding down. Â However, I was tied up at Colonie Center Mall.
Nothing gets me more nauseous then spending a whole Saturday in a shopping mall. Â But like it or not, it was something that had to be done. Â There was nothing I would like more than to be at a bar watching some NCAA March Madness. Â Driving home, hungry we passed Ralph's Tavern - a local spot I had been meaning to go to for a long time. Â With the game almost halfway over, having a bar with a flat screen was compulsory. Â Ralph's Tavern is reputed to have good, cheap Italian food albeit long waits
.
It was about 6:00 PM, Â the start of the dinner rush. Pulling up to the crowded parking lot in its unassuming location on Central Ave, we found the only available spot. Â
There is nothing charming about the plain white, slightly weathered exterior, but upon walking in, I knew I had found a Capital Region gem. Â The restaurant is split in two parts: sports bar packed with loud and boisterous basketball fans on the right with all bar chairs taken and a modest family section with all seats filled (including a family of 9) to the left. The smells of wing sauce and marinara only intensified our hunger pangs
.
Despite the sheer chaos of the Saturday Evening dining and drinking scene amid college hoop gaiety, our friendly hostess informed us that it will be a half hour wait. I was hungry, but for good food I am very patient. We decided to wait it out at the bar as the final minutes of the game were on and a glass or two of some cheap house wine sounded ideal.
We were seated just as Butler pulled off a narrow and surprising victory over Florida. We had already looked over the extensive menu while we were waiting at the bar so we were all set to order. Â Our seasoned waitress who was surprised we had never eaten here before was happy to comply. We got an order of Buffalo wings - hot of course, to start.
As a former Buffalo resident, here is a quick side note on chicken wings: They have to be large, meaty and sinewy. Â If they aren't marinated in butter, fried till they have a delicious crispy outside, and covered with Frank's Red Hot sauce, then they aren't Buffalo wings. Â If you don't like them that way, then you don't like Buffalo wings (In Buffalo there aren't sauce flavors to choose, its just hot or extra hot).
Ralph's advertises that the Metroland voted them "best wings" in the Capital Region. Â Although my beloved local paper is often wrong when it comes to food, they got it right here. Â When ordering the wings, our waitress even asked if we want them dry or sloppy.
Let me just say that my preconvieved futile search for good "Buffalo" wings in Albany is finally over. Ralph's serves as proper Buffalo wings as can be served in Eastern New York (we say "Soda" after all and no "Pop" talking Western New Yorker would ever be satisfied). Â The wings were spicy, with a nice crispy outside that didn't become slimy whilst lying in a pool of Frank's.
For our main course, we ordered the Linguini with red marinara clam sauce ($12.95) as it was lauded from some trusted yelpers. Â We also ordered the open face hot meatball sandwich ($5.50). Â Both dishes were delicious and VERY affordable
.
The pasta was served with bread and a respectable side salad with a gamut of dressings to choose from. Â As for the dish itself, the marinara was everything I ask for in a red sauce - lots of garlic, black pepper, sweet tomato paste. Â The clam sauce was surprisingly fresh and succulent being that Albany is far from the ocean. Â To top it all off, Ralph's Tavern circles the plate with some proper steamed Rhode Island clams. Â This is a fine dining Italian food served with love and pride and reasonable prices for the everyday man.
The bigger bargain was the meatball sandwich. Â Four plump but light and airy, homemade Meatballs sat on top crispy garlic bread. Â The meatballs were smothered with gooey mozzarella and sprinkled with basil and oregano.
For $1.75 more, I was tempting the idea of a side of the large beer battered onion rings I saw patrons at the bar munching on earlier in the evening. Â Displaying my indecision, our waitress told me I would be foolish not to get them. Â She was correct; the rings were juicy and crisp, and expertly fried to perfection.
With our bellies about to burst, I solemnly had to deny the Peanut Butter pie for dessert. Â Ralph's Tavern is everything I could ask for in a local restaurant. Â Its long standing reputation for good food, service, and great value is well-earned and I can't wait to come back.
Good food. Try the torpedo subs, the wings, the Italian dishes - everything was good. Had a sausage and pepper soup that was also delicious. To top it off, this place is cheap. It was packed on a weekday night - always a good sign. The place is divided into a bar and sit-down restaurant. Bar side has some TVs and a couple tables for no-wait seating.
Check this place out. I'll be back.
I used to enjoy going to Ralph's on a semi-regular basis, but ever since "the soup incident", as we call it, the Husband is very resistant. Â
Rewind eight months or so. Â We were having dinner at Ralph's and had ordered soup with our meals, as we often do. Â The waitress brought us our Cream of Mushroom, and I could barely grasp what I saw on the table in front of me. Â It must have been the bottom of the batch, because the soup had a very, VERY thick layer of separated fat on the top of it. Â Really, it looked like someone poured 1/4 cup of olive oil in my bowl. Â Eck! Â I sat there and stirred it in disbelief.
So, of course we didn't eat the soup, and Husband explained our beef to the waitress. Â Yes, it actually needed explanation. Â She did not apologize but took it away, and seemed completely unfazed by the incident. Â I think her reaction annoyed me more than the soup itself. Â But I still really can't believe she even served it to us looking the way it did. Â We had sampled several very tasty soups at Ralph's prior to this, and we had even had this same type before. Â There had never been any problems with the food. Â
I needed a little space from Ralph's after this happened so that I could sort through my feelings and come to terms with it. Â I'm not the type of person who likes to let one bad experience spoil my favorite spots; however, the Husband is less forgiving than I. Â So, we haven't been back. Â
What do I miss about Ralph's?? Â It's sort of a local establishment in Albany. Â It's been around a long time and has an extensive menu. Â Large portions, a good value and good quality. Â I can't recall anything that stood out as blowing me away, Â but everything I tried was always very good. Â Downsides - the place is a tad cramped. Â You will be subjected to other people's conversations whether you like it or not, and you need to be careful backing your chair up into the table behind you. Â But this is part of the charm, I think. Â You feel like you're sitting with a bunch of extended family in somebody's dining room, which... well, you are. Â Staff is often very friendly; other times they are all business, but they are always attentive. Â
So, don't tell my husband, but I'm considering a secret rendezvous with Ralph. Â Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.
Ralph's is one of the best values in Albany. It won't be the best meal you have in the Capital Region, but it will be perfectly decent and you'll get way more food for your dollars than anywhere else. Seniors know this, which is why it is one of the few restaurants that is busier before 6:30 than after. Waits of a half hour or more are pretty standard, in my experience.
From the main entrance, entry is split between the restaurant side through the door on your left and the bar side through the door on the left. If you don't want to hang out at the bar while you're waiting for your table, there isn't much space where you're not in somebody's way.
Once seated, however, the rest of the experience has always been very solid. The wait staff is efficient and friendly, and as I mentioned the portions are huge. I don't think I've ever ordered off the menu, because one of the specials always seemed to catch my eye. My last visit I had bread, salad, I believe soup and the prime rib special for under $23 with tip. Was it the best prime rib I've ever had? No. It was just a bit overcooked and a little tough. But not only was it tasty enough, so was everything else, and the price was certainly right.
One of the best places in town for when you want a real meal out without hurting your wallet.
I have dined at Ralphs a number of times. They offer very generous portions of acceptable food. Its major appeal is that you don't have to cook it. While i have had decent meals there, i have had a few horrible meals there as well.
Once, I was served a soup with a quarter inch, I'm not exaggerating, of grease on the top. When I pointed this out to the waitress, she seemed disinterested but willing to take it away unapologetic.
Another instance I can recall involved getting what I can only hope was the last ladle of soup from the vat where everything had settled into an inedible muck. Â I believe it was supposed to be cream of mushroom, but it resembled a culinary students first attempt at mushroom gravy.
Staff can be friendly, or curt, but never rude. The place lacks any real ambiance if your into that kind of thing. If you don't want to cook, maybe want something to take to lunch tomorrow as well and don't feel like cooking - this place will probably do OK.
I was told that this is where all the local chefs hang out. I can see why. I love the late night dining vibe. It's a good excuse for not exclusively drinking, or if you don't drink you can still enjoy a good tavern. It's one of the few vintage Italian restaurants still standing. If they survived I hope it's a sign they'll be here forever. I've had the steak and spaghetti and meatballs. I'll be more adventurous someday.
Review Source:I am from Massachusetts, about 2 1/2 hours from Albany, and when I travel there, I make it a point to get in one visit to Ralph's...... FOR THE WINGS. Â I admit I've only ever had the wings, and some of the appetizers, but oh man, I'm in no hurry to deviate from this routine. Â Three of us usually sit down to eat, and we order 40 wings. 20 mild, 20 medium- extra crispy, meaning they let those suckers bathe about 5 minutes longer in the fryer, no breading! Â We have come to anticipate the look of surprise/disgust from whoever is serving us, especially when we order an extra 20 wings to go after devouring the first 40. I might mention the mozzarella bruschetta bread is worth ordering too.
Review Source:My husband & I love this place--great food for the price. Their chicken sorrento is his fave; I've had other dishes that are just as good--chicken francaise,fried clam platter & chicken parm. Pizza & wings are excellent; the balsamic vinaigrette dressing is wonderful. It's a favorite place for the railroaders from way back.
Review Source:+1 star for having the kitchen open til midnight. I like the separate dining room from the bar. I am always turned on to bar styling with a restaurant setting.
Huge menu. Great prices. Difficult to order yet easy to pay. Â Primo wings. Smart size, They even have my crave: garlic and parmesan
Eggplant parm was excessively great and I want more from Ralph's Tavern.
I finally got to eat at this place and I wasn't disappointed! Â I think I've been here at least 5 others times only to find that they had a very long wait for a table so we headed elsewhere. Â So on a Tuesday night in December, the stars aligned, the wait was less than 1/2 hour. Â My wife and I had an order of wings, an entree each (includes soup or salad), and 2 glasses of wine for under $40, a bargain. Â I wouldn't say the food is spectacular but when you put it together with the prices and service, I would say this place is hard to beat if you're looking for an Italian meal. Â Based on how busy this place always is, I think most people have figured that out, so be ready to wait.
Review Source:Another great neighborhood-y place in Albany. It's a small restaurant, cozy yet comfortable. Â
There was a bit of a wait for a table, so we hung out at the bar. Bartenders were very friendly and attentive. The hostess graciously found us at the bar and told us our table was ready instead of yelling our name in a crowded room.
The menu was extensive, from meatball sandwiches to pizza to prime rib. The typical pasta dishes were also on the menu, too. And the prices! This place is pretty cheap for the amount of food that they give you.
I opted for one of their dinner specials, mussels in marinara sauce over linguine pasta. Out comes a large plate filled with pasta buried under a mound of mussels and marinara sauce. Yummy!
If your looking for good, decent Italian food for cheap prices, Ralph's is the place.
We love Ralph's. Â We take everyone there. Â Sometimes, my son will say he likes Ralph's more than Friendly's. Â And that is just about the best compliment in the world.
So, I tried the eggplant parm sandwich and it is killer, on a nice torpedo bun. Â But my favorite has to be the Italian sausage torpedo. Â Sadly, now I order the eggplant parm with no cheese, extra sauce on the side. Â Dumb diet. Â
Also, I'm off of the wings. Â I realize that metroland knows nothing about food. Â Personally I would pass on the pizza too. Â My boy still gets the pasta, alfredo style, hold the parsley. Â
Is it the high temple of American Italian food? Â Probably not. Â Is it an incredible neighborhood place, high on value and low on pretense? Â Absolutely.
Went to Ralph's  Saturday Dinner was excellent accommodations were a little small we had a large party they got us in but it was very "cozy"  Excellent Margaritas,  excellent food things to try are Stuffed mushrooms,  clams casino,  wings are not on fire but yummy, Ribs were huge,  steak was cook to perfection,  mashed potatoes were real and very good, although veggies were frozen (disappointing) would I go there again?  you bet !
Review Source:Please don't hate me... I went to this place twice and I didn't like it either time. Â
They pour dressing on the salad like it's a soup, and the food (first time: linguini with white clam sauce, second time: fettucine alfredo) was bland. Â And I came hungry the second time too!!
But everybody loves this place... it's always packed and the line is always out the door on weekends. Â So it's probably just me. Â Please don't hate me.
It seems a little superfluous to review this institution. Â Everyone from Albany seems to know about this very family style, Italian home cookin' style place. Â I'd give it a 5, except I'm reserving the 5's for places where I yearn to go back to again and again.
The vibe of Ralph's answers the question, "What would happen if you crossed a family style Italian restaurant with an Irish pub?" Â The eggplant parm is killer, oh so crispy, light and tasty. Â The decor is like a neighborhood bar, and there is a general air of real friendliness. Â it's a total Albany experience.
The place is always crowded and there is usually a wait. On weekends there is a long wait. Â You can get either pizza or pasta with your choice of toppings and sauces. Â Everything is good, fresh, and dirt cheap because the portions are enormous. Â You can get half portions, which are just large, rather than enormous.
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