I've been to Susie's a few times now. Â Usually, it's a relatively quiet bar, but I've also been there when the bar is quite a bit busier as well. Â Susie's is a basement bar within shouting distance of the Lark Street scene, and the atmosphere is dark, yet relaxed. Â The beer selection is decent, plus they have a full bar as well.
Review Source:If you want to take over a bar with a mere 1/2 dozen of your friends, this is the place to go. There are usually not many people in there, which is good. The place is not large. One little sitting area, then bar space and seats against the wall. That's basically it. There is a deck out back, but it totally lacks a Susie's feel to it. You know, because sunlight exists outside. I guess I didn't yet mention that the place is in a basement.
When it gets even slightly crowded, a bartender will collect empty glasses rather frequently. (I assume that's because they have a limited supply of glasses. How cool is that? A bar with a glassware supply sufficient to handle only an intimate crowd. If it gets too popular, people don't get drinks. Ok, that's purely a fantasy I created in my head. Could be true though.)
The prices aren't bad and Cafe 217 is in one direction while Dino's Pizza is in the other. What about food at Susie's? Well, um. I really, uh, don't even know if they serve any. I've only gone there to drink. With the other two places so close on either side of Susie's, I didn't even think to eat there. Well, I wouldn't really want to eat there either.
But back to the drinks. The bartenders tend to be cool and you can get the person's attention because there are usually so few people in the place. Yes, I really am saying that a nearly empty bar is my preferred bar in Albany. It lacks college student bozos and attracts a more punk crowd. Punk might be too intense of a word. People who might chill in black attire and adorn themselves with body art. That's better.
If you're sitting right under a speaker, I hope your friends with similar musical taste are the ones messing with the jukebox. If not, you might have to endure an extremely loud set of songs you're not into.
Parking can be an issue. I don't really have a good solution for that. Also, if you're drinking, you might wish not to drive.
See you at Susie's!
So, after seeing that this is the top-rated bar in the Albany area with a 4.5 average, I had pretty high expectations coming here. Â I only stayed for about a half hour and one beer, but I'm confused why all the extremely high ratings. Â The bartender was okay, the beer selection adequate, etc. Â Don't get me wrong, I have no complaints, I just didn't think it was anything special. Â I guess I'll have to come back again and give it another shot.
Review Source:The best no-frills bar in Albany. Â There's no theme, no kitsch, and no food - just good beers and good times. Â The brew selection is average in terms of sheer volume, but the 16 beers on tap are always well-selected. Â Patrons are generally laid-back and unpretentious and the jukebox has a decent music selection for one of the generic digital TouchTunes-style players. Â I'm usually on the homey, picket-fenced patio out back, but the couches in the front corner also offer a loungey alternative to the lively bar seating. Â I'm long since burned out on the typical Lark Street party bars. Â Thank you, Susie's, for offering a chill alternative just a few blocks from my Center Square home.
Review Source:I love Susie's. It's dark, mysterious, small, has sparkly floors, great bartenders, a solid beer selection and great happy hour pricing. I also like the little outdoor patio in the back. This is an easy going place, with a good jukebox, a great owner and a cool crowd. You can't go wrong. You should also check out Susie's other venture, Cafe 217 right down the street when you get hungry.
Review Source:"It's Dark Down There"
by Josh K.
Am I imagining things or Is that "Civil War" by Guns N' Roses echoing out of the juke box down there?
On the more "edgier" end of the Lark Street/Madison area, down the stairs, sandwiched between a fried chicken joint and a hair salon is Susie's, the definition of the "dive".
This is a very small place that can get crowded late night/last call time. But often there is only a handful of folk hanging around.
Like Madison Grille and Palais Royale, Susie's has a cult-like following among "hipsters" in the Albany area. Â And by hipsters I mean people that like to drink, smoke, listen to good music, probably have tattooes, and avoid the weekend nonsense of the Lark and Pearl Street scenes.
But I like it because they have a second-wind happy hour. Â After the Lionheart's deal is over at 7 and the riff raff college kids start shuffling in and blasting terrible pop music, we make our way over to Susie's to continue to drink 3 dollar drafts and not be hassled.
There is good beer on tap, a few selections of scotch if you want to make it that kind of night, always interesting music on the Juke, darts, trivia nights, and a patio out back.
It's dark down here, real dark. Â
Why does that make everyone at the bar look more attractive?
Susie's is all right in my book.
At 11, we peeked in and were alarmed to find the bar deserted. But to our relief, everyone was just hanging out in the nice little yard out back. It's smaller than the one at Cafe Hollywood, but really cute and intimate.
By the time we went inside later on in the night, the bar was entirely full of people. I liked that the crowd was kind of artsy and older. (I guess you could say this is as close to 'hipster' as you're going to get around here, but that's really not saying much.) Plus, less college kids.
In the end, it's just like any other bar with lots of people drinking and having fun. But I liked that the atmosphere wasn't all sports, beer and brawn.
Susie's is certainly one of the best bars in Albany. For the nerds, it's got a few obscure beers and an arcade game. For everyone else, it's got an extensive jukebox and a simple, relaxing, fun feeling. It's a nice compact size that seems to discourage it from getting TOO rowdy and packed (unlike the Lionheart, for instance, which, for some reason, seems to encourage people to treat it like a sardine can) yet also manages to never feel claustrophobic. I imagine that a feng shui expert would like it. (Sure, they'd ruin it with colored envelopes taped to the ceiling and polished rocks on the floor, but they'd certainly admire its excellent use of small space.) It's divey in all the good ways, and respectable in all the good ways, too.
Review Source:What amazes me about Susie's is, when I suggest it for happy hour, I get "But it's too EARLY to go to Susie's!" Â
However, it reminds me of my college days in Oswego, when we would go to happy hour at "The Shed" from 4-6, then down to "The Raven" from 6-9. Â This is what the grad school crew would do with Susie's - Lionheart first, then across the way. Â This in itself makes the happy hour filled with familiar faces - which, really, is what I love most about my favorite Lark/Madison haunts.
They have a great back patio as well, which also cannot be enjoyed by the after 1am crowd.
So. Â I am old, and don't get out to bars all that often. Â My bar for bars probably isn't the highest.
Here is what Susie's is (and I hope Susie would agree): a great neighborhood bar.
Maybe bars need to be defined by what they are not. Â It's not a college bar. Â It's not a sports bar. Â It's not a dive bar. Â It's not a see and be seen bar. Â It's not a new fangled fancy cocktail bar. Â It's not even a retro revive-the-classic-cocktail bar. Â There is no food at this bar.
But it does have a great cross section of people. Â Susie herself is a powerhouse, with the bar and the restaurant to tend. Â And she shakes your hand like she means it. Â I get the feeling that one would not want to make her cross.
And tonight, at Tuesday trivia, I saw the most fantastic showdown of rock, paper, scissors... EVER.
It would be nice if they had Drambuie. Â It goes so well with Scotch on a cold blustery day. Â But there is a warmth about Susie's even without it. Â Something like family. Maybe more specifically, the part of your family that you like.
This is probably the bar I go to most, even though I never like the way they mix my  vodka-cran with lime.
It's a good place to go when you just want a few drinks with friends. It's cheap and the juke box has a great selection. Most weekend nights, it's not as excessively crowded as all of the other bars, which is a good thing. Â And the sparkly red floor really is cool.
More importantly, they have my favorite video touch-screen game - the one my friends in college lovingly nicknamed "naked lady photo hunt."
This is the place to go if you feel like going out, but don't want to deal with the people.
When you first walk in, you'll be dazzled by the sparkling red floor. Really - it's got sparkles in it!
It's usually quiet for a bar. Sure there's a TV, but for the most part, people are talking amongst themselves, and not shouting either.
The back patio is also seems cozy and spacious at the same time. I don't know how they managed it, but it works.
Susie's is an old favorite for their brilliant Happy Hour prices and decent beer selection. The bar staff are friendly and attentive and the back patio makes this my favorite drinking locale in the summers. Â Add onto that the great jukebox and dartboard and you've got yourself a winner for a superb night out!
Review Source:
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