Walking into Albany Cafe felt like walking to my grandma’s church on any given Sunday afternoon. No, it wasn’t because it smelled like fried food and White Shoulders perfume. (Well maybe on a subconscious level). It was because I haven’t seen a restaurant like this in a long time.
I stumbled across a community, people eating together and socializing. Where I’m from, we try our best not to make eye contact with strangers whenever we go out to eat. It’s almost like an unspoken rule that we’re not allowed to socialize outside of our immediate party. But here at the cafe, everyone could have been mistaken for a family.
Albany Cafe prides itself on being “ Your Hometown Cafe Three Meals a Day” on its website.
The menu has everything from breakfast to pizza and quesadillas to burgers. I was blown away by the selection.
On top of all that food, you could get an order of Sweet Potato Waffle Fries with any meal. These little golden nuggets of joy are waffle fries dipped in waffle batter. The batch I tried was like biting into a crisp little pillow of sweet and salty waffle batter.
In the heart of Albany, Ohio, this hidden gem is set up in a repurposed middle school cafeteria. That’s right—Albany Cafe is set up in an old school’s cafeteria.
Memorabilia fills the restaurant from wall to wall. In the center of the restaurant, you can see children seats surrounding a load-bearing pillar.
My favorite quirk of this cafe would have to be the old, grooved board with the Pledge of Allegiance quoted on it. It’s hanging in the back of the cafe right next to the American flag.
Albany Cafe was one of the most wholesome restaurants I’ve been to in years. If you’re a fan of hospitality and good food go check them out!
Photo by Connor Young