Albany War Room Tavern

The Albany War Room Tavern is a hidden gem in the heart of Albany that effortlessly combines historical charm with a modern, welcoming atmosphere. From the moment you walk in, you’re surrounded by unique decor that pays homage to the city’s political and cultural past—making it a destination as much as a dining experience. The food is outstanding, with a menu that feels thoughtfully curated. Every dish I’ve tried has been flavorful and well-executed, with fresh ingredients and great attention to detail. The cocktails are also worth mentioning—creative, balanced, and served with style by bartenders who clearly know their craft. What really sets the War Room apart is the service. The staff are warm, attentive, and genuinely passionate about making your visit special. Whether you’re stopping in for a casual drink or planning a night out, this spot delivers a memorable experience every time. Highly recommend for anyone visiting Albany or locals looking for a place with character, quality, and a story to tell.

It was a long day for my wife and I, so we were looking for some Sushi. We found this place on Google and are glad we went. Jimmy did a fantastic job as our Sushi chef. Presentation was terrific and food was very fresh. Our server was always there in case we needed something. The memorabilia throughout is quite astonishing. We even got a picture in front of Teddy Roosevelt's moose! Lisa showed us around and talked to us a little about the history and business. It is a really nice nook to dine at, and there is a nice bar downstairs that was packed with people on a Tuesday night. Todd really has something special happening here!

First time visit to the War Room Tavern. Atmosphere is fascinating if you're a history buff. We enjoyed trying to identify the public figures in the pictures on the wall. Menu had variety to satisfy all 3 in our party. None of us tried the sushi, but stuck with the traditional fare. Small beer selection but it had something for everyone. I ordered the Eric Adams Vegan Black Bean Tacos, and they were were very large, filling, and good. My BIL ordered a War Room Burger and he raved about how good it was. Wife had the grilled cheese and said it was over the top on cheese & taste. A gentleman appeared at our table and introduced himself as the owner but I was confused as I thought I had read on their website the executive chef was the owner - my bad. Owner was a very nice gentleman, who greeted other tables, too. I heard him give a family free desserts. I ordered the tiramisu, which was tasty but not as light as I like at other places. Prices are indeed on the expensive side, so I don't see us making this place a regular stop, but I'd gladly visit again. On the weird side, for some reason there was painting being done on the entrance and hallways, and despite my best efforts, I still got paint on my hand when opening the door to leave. I know I wasn't the only one to get paint on my hands.

The food here was absolutely amazing — fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. However, the service was disappointing. When we arrived, no one greeted us, but a kind sushi chef told us to sit wherever we liked. After we sat down, the server emerged from the back and immediately began interrogating us about whether we had a reservation — even though we were the only ones there. Strangely, she didn’t ask the same of other guests who arrived later. One of our sushi rolls came out incorrectly, and instead of calmly resolving the issue, the server argued with us about it, which was both uncomfortable and embarrassing in front of the other tables. I also had a 15% hotel guest discount, but I accidentally left my coupon in the room. My colleague had hers, and I showed my hotel room key to confirm I was also a guest. At first, the server said she wouldn’t honor the discount without the physical coupon, but then said she would just combine our checks and apply the discount to the total. The only reason I’m giving this place 4 stars is because the food truly was exceptional. I’d consider returning — but I’d definitely ask for a different server next time. Unfortunately I didn’t get her name.

A rare treat! Hands down best and freshest sushi in Albany/Capital District. We came in early on a Saturday, Todd greeted us and we had the place ourselves. The ambiance is amazing, classic photos of NY politics. We also sampled some of the pasta offerings, fantastic sauce, like Moms sunday gravy. Check it out!

Great food. The last time I was in that building was 1988 and it was a college dive bar named Slap Shots! A thousand times better!

Great food and strong drinks. Decor is interesting with many politicians on the walls and some interesting fun photos. Sushi and Sashimi was super fresh, Wagu Burger, was good, but temp was off (not medium rare as requested), Lobster Mac was good with large pieces of Lobster but lacked some flavor (Old Bay could help :)). Give it a try, you wont be disappointed.

Ok let's start with the good: Sushi is excellent. Fish is very fresh and I appreciate the Chef Saso's take on a rainbow roll (I forget, but it was either yellow tail or striped bass instead of crab stick.) Fried zucchini fritters were delicious and tasty. $18 - a little pricey but appropriate for the rest of the menu's pricing. That is where the good ended. The bad: We ordered the fried chicken poutine and lobster roll. The fried chicken poutine was good - the white gravy sauce is excellent. However, it was supposed to come with cheese curds, and it did not. It came with small chunked cheese instead. It also did not come with the "hindquarter" as described on the menu. For $30, we were served a very small amount of chicken breast (see photo.) For this price point, we expected to have a little bit more chicken, appropriately described cheese curds and chicken type, and not a plateful of (what seemed to be) frozen fries - not even fresh cut fries. Same with the lobster roll – as you can see in the picture, it was a very small amount of lobster that didn't even fill the small bun that it was in. For $34 this is overpriced and not worth ordering. The lobster meat was good and seemed fresh, but I mostly paid for frozen fries and a basic bun. I realize this isn't Maine, where lobster rolls are overflowing for $25, but I also expect that a restaurant charging $34 for a lobster roll would appropriately fill the bun they are using for their roll. And have fresh cut fries. Otherwise I would suggest to the restaurant to use a smaller bun that fills with the amount of lobster meat they are using, or fill the current bun with more lobster meat. Service was subpar. The waiter we had was kind and nice, but did not check on us at all between serving us food. He also kept forgetting things. I had to ask 3 times for a lemon for my green tea, and he forgot our containers for leftovers when he brought the bill. Then when he brought a container it was the wrong lid that didn't fit the base. Again - guy was nice. But just not a great waiter. A couple things I didn't bring to the restaurant or servers attention at the time: my napkin (cloth) has crusty food residue/stains on the backside after unrolling. And the soy sauce on the table was empty - we had to grab it off another table for our sushi; I would've told the waiter but he never came by the table again and/or I wasn't able to get his attention until our main meal came. All in all, If I was going to go back, I'd only go back for the sushi. And that's a maybe, because of the price point. I expect much better quality and accurate menu descriptions for the price point of this restaurant.

After seeing this place in a Reddit thread "Romantic Places to Eat In The Capital Region". My husband and I decided to try it out. Oliver was our server, he was super attentive, very informative about the menu/drink items and he played a large role into why we will be coming back to The War Room. As for the food, the sushi was some of the freshest I've had in the capital region, it was a beautiful presentation. I had the lobster mac & cheese and my partner had the chicken parm for dinner. We both almost finished the plate it was so delicious. For dessert we got two espresso martinis and a sticky toffey cake. So GOOD. The only downside was how expensive the cocktails were ($19 for Tito's espresso martini & $18 for another specialty cocktail) The table of 8 next two us also had a similar experience about how good the food and ambiance was. Will be going back to try some more sushi and the grilled cheese sometime soon.

Food and service was great. Stopped in for lunch. We sat at the bar. Had the lobster roll. It came out fast and was delicious.

Have you seen Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares? I'm surprised this restaurant is still open honestly. Terrible service, terrible food! Confused environment. We had bad cocktails and 2 bland appetizers while we waited 45 minutes for our sushi. Then the waitress comes and asks us if we'd like dessert? Well, we hadn't had our sushi yet. We could just tell she was confused and looking through slips at the register. My husband proceeded to tell her we did not want the entrees if they hadn't been started yet. She replied "ok".... Another 15 minutes just to get our check and be able to leave to go get dinner! We will never return. Do yourself a favor and skip this place.

Beautiful location in Albany's downtown BUT food was not the best, 42$ Swordfish came with raw zucchini fritter, $35 Lobster roll was minimal meat but many French fries. Service was not there, room was cold. Please be aware quality is not there.

Omakase: a Japanese phrase used when ordering in restaurants meaning, "I'll leave it up to you". - And when you come to Albany War Room, you should absolutely leave it up to Saso for your sushi. Reservations at 6pm on a Thursday, it wasn't too crowded. The space small and there's plenty to look at as far as decor. It's some how quirky but upscale and intimate. Service was consistent and very friendly. We were going to sit at the sushi bar but the seats were a little uncomfy so we opted for a table. Reviewing the menu, I wanted to try it all, so we splurged a little and went for the Omakase. This is a dining experience filled with small crafted plates and the quality of everything was otherworldly. Omakase menu on 3/2/2023: Edamame MISO Soup House Salad Striped Bass Tataki with Ponzu Grilled Black Cod with Miso Emiko roll-Yellowtail Tartar with Wasabi robiko 1 pc of each-Toro, Salmon, Mackerel, Masago with Quail Egg, Eel, Shrimp Plum Roll (4 pcs) Citrus Fruit Salad or Mochi Ice Cream To start, the Miso soup was the best I ever had. Such a simple soup with strong umami flavors, somehow elevated, a great start to the meal. Followed by edamame and a light house salad with an awesome house made ginger dressing that makes it stand out. Then came the good stuff. The Stripped Bass Tataki was so fresh, the ponzu, scallions and the sweet and tender fish was a flavor bomb. So balanced, nothing needed, a perfect plate. But, the plates kept getting better. The Black Cod with Miso was pretty much the star of the show. Borderline orgasmic flavors that you just had to shut your eyes and enjoy every bite. Buttery, melt in your mouth, delicious cod with an amazing miso glaze. This was the best thing I've eaten on a long time. This dish made the omakase experience a 10/10 for me, and we haven't even gotten to the sushi! The grand finale was a large array of sushi. Two rolls and 7 individual pieces. This was quite the tour of sushi and I loved every bit of it. The nigiri was traditionally prepared with a dot of wasabi between the fish and the rice - perfect. The fish quality was impeccable, just look at it! The star of the plate was that toro and I saved it for my last bite. We weren't really a huge fan of the sour plum roll, but it was nice to try something new. The War Room far exceeded my expectations. We finished the meal with the green tea mochi in a plum sauce, it was the perfect not-so-sweet treat for the end of this meal. After this amazing experience, many carafes of sakes and great service and ambiance, we left loving it! I would go back in a heartbeat and order this again. I really hope they run a rotating omakase that changes seasonally! So yeah, get your reservations in ASAP.

Thanks to Anthony from the Renaissance Hotel Albany, when sharing the negative experience, he immediately informed the Owner of War Room, Todd, and managers, Toni & Tina. They immediately spoke with me & my colleague, apologize for our negative experience elaborated that such behavior was unacceptable for their place of business and offered us a complimentary meal and drinks. This was unexpected and much appreciated of their gesture to make things right. We took up the offer and enjoyed a tasty meal, good service & pleasant social environment. Thanks again for caring to provide a solution, changing our views and adding a welcoming touch for a few out-of-towers.

Yasuo Saso has been a legend among foodies in Albany. He became famous for his sushi and noodle house, which he operated for many years. Unfortunately, I wasn't living in the area at the time. I moved here after he'd already closed up shop. So when the news broke that the sushi master was back and serving up his amazing dishes at the Albany War Room, I had to try some for myself. My husband and I sat at the sushi bar, where we were greeted by Saso. We got there at about 1:30pm on a weekday, which turned out to be just in time. We didn't realize that the tavern stops serving lunch at 2pm. We ordered sushi and sashimi. Saso's meals live up to the hype. The fish was so fresh. Saso was able to bring out the amazing flavors with simple ingredients. It was all great, but the Spanish mackerel sushi was a taste sensation that I'd never tried before. Our server was Jeff. He was efficient, friendly and very helpful. We wanted to share a lobster mac and cheese, which sounded positively decadent. It was great, too. Thanks to Saso, Jeff and the kitchen staff, we were served lunch, drinks and even a delicious cheesecake by 2pm. I like the themed decor. Since the tavern is just steps from the State Capitol, the photos and artwork on the walls celebrate American politics. It's impossible to miss the moosehead over the fireplace --a salute--to Theodore Roosevelt. Both Saso and Jeff took the time to speak with us. The atmosphere is laid back and we never felt rushed. Our meal was wonderful. We'll have to come back and do it again sometime. Next time, we'll arrive a little earlier out of consideration to the staff.

I've been to the War Room a few times. The place is intimate, clean, and well designed. I love all the photos. The sushi is fresh and expertly made. My fav is the Vegetarian Dinner. The restaurant was particularly packed today and I was alone, so I sat at the bar and enjoyed a great conversation with Saso. I will definitely be back!

Had a very pleasant experience this evening. Nice location and ambience with very good service. Menu has nice variety of traditional options and then lots of sushi. Both theor burger and the bison burger were great. Thanks

Great food and atmosphere! The sushi chefs know their stuff. Can't wait to go back for Omokase!

Fruit flies in the soy sauce. Server forgot to put one of our sushi orders in which essentially added 45 min onto our dinner which was already subpar. Didn't even offer to comp our meal or at least one of the dishes. Not going back

Cold fish...hot saki.... What could be better? I eat here often and always enjoy the food and ambience. Not really a place for tourists, they'd be more comfortable at a corporate chain restaurant. The War Room is for a far more seasoned traveler.

Waitress was incredible , one of the best I've ever had l. I had the aged ny strip with roasted potatoes and broccolini. For it not being a steak house one of the best steaks I've ever had. Vibes were cool and different, was extremely impressed with eveything.

Had a great experience here in the middle of November. The sushi was easily the best I have had in Albany over my 10 years in the area (ordered several more times after having my first order with the tartare), and my partner's filet was cooked perfectly. The staff was attentive and dining room warm and inviting. Will likely be making this a one monthly dining spot.

The good was excellent and the service was top notch and attentive. Lobster roll and brisket was excellent!

I should never visit a new restaurant in the first month after they have opened. And this is not really a sushi restaurant, either. It is a 3-floor political museum / cigar-and-cognac room / steakhouse / basement bar - with a cramped 4-seat sushi bar tucked in the corner of the 1st floor. But I have wanted good sushi here in Albany for a while. And I have enjoyed the personality and culinary skills Chef Yasuo Saso and his 40+ years with a sushi knife, ever since he ran his own sushi restaurant in Albany 15 years ago. So it goes without saying that the sushi is very good, and although there was a limited selection for my visit (menu is not fully complete yet), I was still very pleased. Unfortunately, some other fundamentals of this restaurant/bar seem to still need a bit of work. The server apologized for, "the machine adds a surcharge for using a credit card," which he could have mentioned before I asked for my check. Surprise hidden fees always annoy me, no matter how small. Also, there was no POS system working yet, so the check itself was hand-written. A bit of an oversight, if you are opening a business that you hope for a large percentage of political tax-write-off type of business. And perhaps they can add a few different selections of sake. I will return. And hope that the problems on the technical are cleared up. 2023 01 12.

Many may remember Saso's (Cathy in tow) on Central. After years working on another focus, Saso is back. The interior of the restaurant is high end casual and filled with historic politic centric photo and nostalgic items. Tablecloth and napkins and an led light I loved, instead of that stupid battery votive candle. The server were available to make the meal move along. Saso managed to show far and above all others in Albany what sushi can be. The ingredients all seemed super fresh. The rice isn't just an afterthought, adding delicious flavors to each item. I had melt in your mouth salmon sashimi. I save a piece to make sure to have it at the end. I'm not much of a drinker but I had a Saso's Revenge. It was fruity and packed a punch. Good things take time. This is well worth the wait for excellent sushi. My wife had a corned beef sandwich with fries. (Weirdly, it for into the meal). She could only eat half and loved the crispy salted fries. We all shared pork bao. We ate it so fast .... No picture. We peeked into the bar. It looked inviting for a drink before or after dinner. Maybe next time!!

One of my favorite places. Hey, you can get a corn beef sandwich anywhere but not one that looks like this. And the sushi by world famous Sasso is to die for. Also if you have the pleasure to be waited on by Toni, your meal will be a 10.

Giving 4 stars because of the service! The service was great, I can't say who my server was because everyone helped to make sure that I had good service and an exemplary experience. My meal wasn't anything special flavor-wise.. the salad dressing stood out to me the most, and the kindness everyone showed.

Bad service. Would rather hangout than take orders. Asked for menus they told us we had to wait to get them. Bartender took order and proceeded to make several other drinks before making ours.

We had dinner at the Albany War Room last night before a show at The Egg. First off, the restaurant is less than a 5 minute walk from The Egg, which makes it super convenient when downtown for a show! We were greeted, seated and served by Jeff, who was great to us all night. We got the zucchini fritters as an app which was awesome. I was picturing French fries type preparation, but what came out was light-as-air fried cream puff type dish with puréed zucchini on the inside, and a chili and pineapple sauce on the outside. Delicious! I had the sushi and sashimi dinner; super fresh and big, buttery smooth pieces of fish. Among the best I've ever had. My wife had the filet mignon: seasoned and cooked perfectly, with a baked potato and a broccoli rabe side. She said it was also among the best she's ever had. Oh yea, great cocktails too! We chatted a little bit with the manager, and told her what a great spot and great experience it was. All around awesome. Nice job to the staff! We will definitely be back!

Bad and over priced food. Many other places worth going to. Service was friendly but very slow. Yuck.

Good food. Good drinks. The owner Todd was super nice and our server, Olivie, was great. Super cool vibe. Definitely recommend.

Service. By all means, do NOT open a tab with your credit card then pay cash at the end of the night. The bar manager, who was very courteous and friendly earlier in the night, took and handed half of my payment to the other bartender and must have pocketed the other half, then still charging my entire bill to my credit card. I messaged through Facebook the next day and they ignore their messenger and create new posts, only allowing those they wish to comment on the posts to do so.

Ok this place amazed me. All my favorites in one place. Cigars,steaks,and sushi. Sasoo is the sushi chef and if you know anything about Albany, you would know he is the best in the city. The steak was cooked perfect paired with a great wine. Well done to the owner and med rare for my steak. I'm sitting next door with a cigar, and the world is right. Thank you GOD.

The most excellent place in Albany fantastic new spot in Albany. A block from the captital close to the egg. Fantastic great food really everything is excellent. Daniel was a fantastic host very hospitable. For everyone's knowledge there is a credit charge up charge so no surprises for a new place. But definitely please be good to be this place happy hour prices from 4-6. So feel free to stop by after work. Down stairs is a great bar. You can order food everywhere you sit so feel free to sit where you want to. Sushi chef is Sasso traveled all over great sushi. Rich is an excellent sous chef definitely fantastic food as well. Give these guys your time.

Lunch service was abysmal. Waiter was not presentable and unhelpful. Left mid conversation several times. Never cleared the table without being prompted. Never brought one of the appetizers. Food was subpar and sushi was dubious at best. The "manager" was inexperienced and unprofessional. They had only one waiter for the entire restaurant. There were only two lunch menus to be shared by every table. Several menu items were unavailable. Ambience was not tasteful. Unless you're a history buff who enjoys enormous black and white photos of dead presidents. Overpriced menu items ($30 for poutine?? $22 sliders??). No children's menu. Will not be returning.

An overall negative experience... was looking forward to going here for months and was so disappointed at the menu, atmosphere, service, food. Sadly will not be returning

I usually am not one to leave bad reviews but I feel that the experience we had warrants this. We waited for around 75 minutes to get our food after ordering. The food, when it finally arrive, was unimpressive - expensive though it was. I ordered the lobster roll ($34) and ended up finding a piece of the shell in my sandwich. The lobster itself was chewy and tasted as though it had been left sitting out for awhile. My MILs chicken parmesan was salty, and my husbands bison burger was meh. The blue cheese (though I will admit I'm not normally a fan) was particularly horrible. Overall, this place was very expensive, especially considering the quality of food, and to be honest is just not worth it. We actually watched a couple that had sat across from us leave the restaurant because their food was taking so long. Reading through the other reviews maybe this was an off night but who knows.

Went here for a business dinner with coworkers and management. Glad it was on the company card and not my own. The food was rather delayed which the owner apologized and compensated for. Very small eating area. I had an absolutely delicious swordfish, wasn't a fan of the polenta though. Interesting environment.

The cocktails we ordered were watered down and heavy-handed with the syrups. Took 30-45 minutes to get the starting appetizers of miso soup and a house salad. When I received the next appetizer, the miso marinated black cod, I noticed that it was encased in plastic. The dish was cooked in plastic... The waitress came back with what I assume was a redone dish and apologized saying "don't worry this is on us". The rest of the appetizers were okay at best. I gave the additional star for the nigiri and Chef Saso. The sushi was fresh and tasted very good, and the chef was very friendly and had great conversation. The night ended off with receiving the bill and seeing that the full amount was charged with nothing being "on them". We were not looking to ask for handouts, but definitely did not appreciate the poor service etiquette. If this is how they run the front, its not difficult to imagine how they handle the kitchen as well.

I just posted this in Google. Thought it needs to be said again. The worse place for family dinner. The place was less than busy. They were swatting flies when we showed up for dinner. The waiter greeted us with "do you have a reservation". The place was empty and they should be happy we showed up. Two other small groups showed up after us and they never asked the same question. Is it the way we look, dress, ...? We order from the menu. Nothing special. 1 grill cheese sandwich and 3 chopped salads and one appetizer. The appetizer came first as normal. Then we waited for about an hour and nothing. The next table walked in, order sushi and more expensive items on the menu. They wer served their order within minutes. I can attest that The sushi chef was very good at his craft and he made the order quickly. He is the featured chef and there was only one order. In comparison, what was the kitchen doin with our salad and grill cheese? The apparent owner explained that the salads were special order. The explanation is the bacon. The bacon was not hot when we ate the salad and there was nothing special about the salad, other than it makes me and my family sick at the feeling of disrespect in a state that is supposed to be tolerant. All the picture on the walls were political and does not really imply inclusiveness. All in all, when I got upset and ask for the check, that is when the food came out. What a coincidence! Never will I ever step foot in this place. The atmosphere and the people are reminiscence of other parts of this country. I am a native New Yorker! I have never been so disrespected in a NY restaurant. The name should have been a dead give away. Lesson learned.

Service and food was very good. Wine selection was also great. Easy to find location for a late Sunday dinner.

yay! real sushi in Albany. Once you get past the pictures of politicians, this is a lovely, cozy secret in otherwise sad downtown Albany

First and foremost the food was great. Several excellent vegan options too. Next best thing...the atmosphere is perfect for downtown Albany with an amazingly storied political history. Extremely interesting historical pictures of Albany and NYS political figures (both parties) everywhere. Very private and authentic feel. The service was also excellent and the pricing was right on. Our waitress Molly was terrific. And lastly, knucklehead me left my favorite pen at the table and the manager Mickey is sending it back to me. Need I go on about the service? Just go there folks...

Food was very good. We didn't order sushi but from the kitchen. However they are charging a service fee for using a credit card??? I believe it's against the law in NY

I made a reservation for 03/19/2023. Best restaurant experience I have EVER had in Albany! The service was excellent. I sat at the Sushi bar. The restaurant was very busy for a Sunday afternoon. My server, a young lady, was absolutely marvelous! The Sushi chef prepared my Philadelphia Roll and it was delicious, the best Sushi I've ever had. For my entree I chose a medium rare filet with a side of the pimiento macaroni and cheese, both of which were delicious! Tip generously because this IS the best restaurant in Albany. The decor is interesting. Mostly dated through the 1970's history of the New York political scene. A LARGE moosehead decorates the 2nd floor dining area across from the Sushi bar. Definitly a restaurant experience I will have again.

Literally don't go here. I walked out. Uncooked food. Wrong orders. Atrocious service....horrified.

I had high hopes for this restaurant. The food was good but the service was not. Very slow and they forgot about one of our appetizers. Restaurant atmosphere was clean and pleasant.

Albany spot where big wigs make deals......good bar and good food. From chicken parm and steaks to sushi......odd but good.

Very good food & service...I had the war room burger...I WILL go back and try other menu items