Novak's Hungarian And Bakery - Albany

Since I'm of Czech/German descent I used to get this food all the time at home and at my grandmother's house. What Novak's have done is extended something that's in Albany that I can go and have a very nice meal that reminds me of my grandmother's cooking. I have tried all of their dishes and all of them have been exquisite. I have found nothing wrong with any of their dishes, the service is fantastic and they bend over backwards to try to appease you. They have a vast selection of cakes and pies that are beyond belief. I highly recommend them if you have not ever tried the restaurant.

So authentic, and so good!! The cabbage rolls are my favorite. They’re full of flavor and are always cooked to perfection. Honestly though, everything here is good... from their kielbasa sausages, chicken paprikas, goulash soup, and beef porkolt. It’s always a win for me. Their desserts are to die for too, and their Malna raspberry soda is seriously so amazing, that I’ll order one to go when I’m done. The staff is very polite and sweet as well. Best Hungarian place I’ve ever been to.

Thanks to a recommendation by Lk2Dine, I decided to check this place out (we seem to have similar taste in restaurants). I 've been meaning to check out locations in Albany, as he is an 'expert ' in Albany. I am sure glad I did because he was spot on. Our first time there we made it for the dinner menu. <br/ <br/ First, I would like to comment on the service. I wish I would have gotten the lady 's name, middle aged, blonde hair, and sweet as can be. One could not ask for a better waitress. She was very attentive and patient. I tend to be that annoying customer asking questions about dishes and recommendations and she was all to happy to talk to me and even chatted with us for a bit. The girlfriend and I even returned a second time with her mother and she absolutely loved her. In addition, the owners, although I had difficulty understanding them (heavy accents) came to our table and spoke with us for a time and were incredibly loving and inviting people. This is the kind of service I look for in a restaurant I want to be a regular at.<br/ <br/ The food itself is hearty and earthy. It is not everyone 's cup o ' tea. It is a lot of strong flavors, which I love. The first time I had the Hunter 's Platter (see photo). It had three separate types of meat. Two were flattened, battered, and crisped, but without being oily. They were cooked wonderfully. One being a breaded beef and the other a pork tenderloin. The last being what they call Papa 's Kolbasz, which was had and explosion of flavor, especially when dipped in the the seeded mustard. It was also served with a red cabbage that was sweetened and I could not get enough of. Again, I love these flavors.<br/ <br/ The second visit, with the basically mother-in-law, we got the same waitress, who was the same perky self and landed herself another hefty tip for being awesome! I got myself the Kase Spaetzle, which is basically their version of mac and cheese. This had a wonderful gooeyness to it. The type, when you go to take a fork full, cheese is stringing along for the ride. Its made with cheddar, parmesan, and American cheese, but needed a bit more for flavor in my opinion. Still good, but a little bland. The ladies decided on the buffet, which they were entirely happy with. Most buffets I am disappointed with because it is food that has sat too long, but that does not appear to be a problem there. All I heard from the other side of the table were moans of satisfaction of the women who came from Pennsylvania Dutch area, who only missed the food from the area.<br/ <br/ All in all, a wonderful location and want to give another thanks to Lk2Dine for recommending a great joint. It was a great place to fill up. A bit of a drive for me, but well worth it.

Novak's is a good choice, filling, tasty, and not too expensive. Worth a visit if you want something a little different than standard American fare.

They are now in their new location in downtown Albany, the old building has been beautifully restored and decorated. The service and food was super as usual. We tried a dessert we hadn't had before, Honey Crème Cake, very good. We always enjoy Novak's.