37 Phila St., Saratoga Springs
Food 3.5 C’s (out of 5)
Service 3.5 C’s
Family friendliness 3.5 C’s
Nothing comes out of hibernation quite as dramatically as Saratoga in the summer, and the Family Chow loves to partake of the party atmosphere and fantastic food options during this time of year. On a recent sunny afternoon, we decided to check out Bailey’s Cafe, conveniently located on the corner of Phila and Putnam streets, just off the main drag of Broadway.
Bailey’s has been in business for a long time, undergoing a renovation in the late ’90s while preserving the building’s historical touches like the colorful stained glass windows and tin ceilings. We opted to sit inside near the bar to escape the heat, though on a cooler day we might have taken advantage of the nice outdoor dining patio.
We were seated right away and drink orders were placed within minutes as we perused the menu. It was clear from glancing around the space that there is a strong emphasis on libation at Bailey’s. There are more than two-dozen specialty cocktails listed on a giant chalkboard above the bar as well, as many great beers on tap. Mom chose a raspberry Mojito, while Dad and the kids stuck with sodas.
Although it wasn’t a quiet space, the music and nearby conversations mixed to create a pleasant din. The menu is straightforward, if not terribly innovative, including a few starters (quesadillas, wings, chips, fries), some salads (ceasar, chef, spinach), and entrees of mostly burgers and sandwiches. The kids’ menu listed several kinds of sandwiches, a hot dog and pasta, and all include chips, animal crackers and a drink (a good value at $4.95).
The drinks came quickly, and we asked our server for some suggestions regarding what to order. Unfortunately, she had not tried a number of the options we had in mind, so we went with the menu descriptions. Son surprised no one by ordering a cheeseburger, while Daughter branched out a bit with the salmon burger. Dad ordered The Royal Scarlet sandwich with roast beef and cheese and Mom picked the portobello mushroom sandwich .
Daughter enjoyed her Saranac root beer straight from the bottle, while Mom sipped her Mojito and appreciated the fresh mint, though she thought it could have used a bit more soda water to cut the overly sweet raspberry flavoring. We realized after ordering, that our side orders of Saratoga Chips would add $1.75 to each entree. In the future, we will opt for the starter order of chips, which were a delicious rendition of the “original” potato chip invented by George Crum in Saratoga in the 1850s.
We were happy to people- and TV-watch while we waited for our entrees to arrive, which didn’t take long. Son couldn’t wait to eat his burger, after removing all traces of the lettuce and tomato. He enjoyed the texture of the meat and the large, fresh roll. He wasn’t especially fond of the charbroiled flavor, but Mom and Dad liked the just-grilled taste. Daughter enjoyed her salmon burger and was a huge fan of the garlic aioli mayo dressing. Dad was not impressed with the small amount of roast beef on his sandwich or the lack of horseradish taste in the mayo, although he did like the fresh rye bread and bean sprouts. Mom regretted the choice not to go with the usual burger. The mushroom in her sandwich was seasoned with a one-note, harsh balsamic vinegar that overpowered what looked like a good quality portobello and the accompanying blue cheese. It also might have benefitted from a longer grilling.
Dad and Daughter opted out of dessert to save room for a trip to nearby Plum Dandy (fro-yo shop), but Mom and Son couldn’t resist ordering the s’mores for two. We had fun cooking the marshmallows over an adorable mini-hibachi grill. For $6.95, it came with enough graham crackers and chocolate to make five s’mores.
Overall, out of all of the wonderful options in Saratoga, Bailey’s Cafe would not make it into our top picks for the food, but we would happily return for drinks and dessert. We give Bailey’s 3.5 C’s for service, 3.5 C’s for family friendliness and 3.5 C’s for food.
The Family Chow hails from the Capital District and will be contributing regular reviews of area restaurants based on service, food and family friendliness.
