Lanie’s Cafe

Reviews

• Tim F.

  star star star star star 31 May 2026

  I have 2 really great experiences with Lanie's Cafe.
  
  The first: 12/6/2018
  We used them last December to cater for a large company party (200) people. We had all sorts of different foods and everything was perfect and hot. They party went well and everyone loved the food.
  
  The second: 8/13/2019
  The Vice President of my company came to town and we went there for dinner and drinks. On a Tuesday night they were packed but able to accommodate 8 of us with no issues.
  The service was on point. We were well taken care of and never saw the bottom of our drinks. Unlike some other restaurants, they did a great job of clearing empty plates, glasses and bottles from the table in a swift manner.
  The food was delicious and everyone really enjoyed themselves. The waitress in training (Melody) was friendly and did a great job with taking care of us.
  Needless to say, I'd highly recommend this place and we left a big tip for the server.

• Steve N.

  star star star star star_border 31 May 2026

  ​After reading a few negative reviews, I'm going to beat a drum. And I'll beat it over and over​ because there's something that's poorly understood by far too many restaurant-goers​; it matters what you order. And if you order wrong, you'll likely be disappointed.
  
  That's especially important for a jack-of-all-trades like Lanie's. Lanie's menu is enormous. It helps to either do a little homework first or, go a few times and triangulate your way around the menu to figure out what it is they do best. No place does everything 'best'.
  
  Lanie's has a four star average on Yelp for a reason, and that reason is they do several things well. Not all mind you, but enough that people leave happy and want to return.
  
  Based on an outing with a group of five intrepid eaters, Lanie's​ does appetizers and pizza well. And the beer list while not outstanding is good enough​ to please most beer drinkers.
  
  Lanie's house-made mozzarella​ moons are fantastic. If you're a person that loves cheese-heavy pizza, these are right up your alley. They're thick and gooey​ served with a light, bright, garlic studded marinara, and the ​breading is thin​, crispy, and flavorful. Gobble them quickly, they did turn a bit rubbery as they cooled. We tried the melba sauce, and it wasn't that good. Skip it in favor of the excellent marinara.
  
  Lanie's wings are good too. They're small, but arrived crispy and the buffalo garlic sauce was a winner. The medium sauce lacks enough heat for my taste, but it's tasty.
  
  Lastly, Lanie's Sicilian style pan pizza is quite good. Ours was served well cooked, with a crispy bottom crust. The dough wasn't too thick, and the toppings generous, but not overly so. The crust was also pleasantly chewy, with a well burnished and crunchy end crust.
  
  Lanie's is known for its​ giant (and pricey) Italian-American dishes. And I'm sure there are several on the menu that are very good. But, Lanie's is also a great place to share a beer, some apps, and pizza with friends.
  
  I'll keep​ Lanie's in mind next time I hanging with friends and want to share good food and good times. Remember, "sharing is caring."

• Rick B.

  star star star star star_border 24 May 2026

  Very nice place! Food was excellent! Service was prompt and really friendly (thanks Mo). We had mozzarella moons with both marinara and raspberry sauce (new for all of us), very good. Everyone raved about the stuffed portobello mushroom. I hate mushrooms but tried it and liked it. I had the Reuben which was very good and recommended. My only qualm was the cheap bucket pickle, it really didn't meet up to the overall excellent quality of all of the food.  My wife had the Prime rib, also quite good.
  My wife who's area of expertise includes bathrooms rates the bathrooms very high.
  Lanie's Cafe is my new favorite spot in the Latham area.

• joan n.

  star star star star star 18 May 2026

  After reading the consistent good reviews,I'm so glad I decided to go to Lanie's to celebrate my birthday.  It was a nice day and we saw that the parking lot is getting full, we were worried about the wait time but surprisingly, we were seated rather quickly at the patio. They have a band playing inside. Me and hubby ordered prime rib and Lanie's stuffed steak! Both were phenomenal and yes, they were not kidding when the other reviewer said that the portions are HUGE!!!  I love the ambiance of the place,its more relax, unlike other places where the crowd seems stuck-up/snotty... The salad bar is included with the house entree. The receptionist, the server are all very friendly and efficient. Overall,a nice experience. I can't wait to come back!!!

• Corie Y.

  star star star star star_border 17 May 2026

  This Colonie staple somehow missed me all these years. This was my first time here for dinner. I had the salad bar a very long time ago and can't speak on that experience. This location is right in the middle of Colonie and happens to be really close to my house. It is also very close to The Crossings, where it is nice to take a walk before having a meal of epic portions from this place.
  
  At 6pm on a Wednesday the place seemed pretty lively. The bar looked packed and there was live music by "Just Nate". We sat in the dining area and it was a nice set up. This place is a cross between finer dining and a great bar scene. I know they have a fantastic patio and i will be sure to check it out this summer.
  
  The drink menu was pretty good. They had mostly domestics on tap, but they did have 3 crafts and I went with the tried and true Druthers All In. This might be a place were wine is more popular (looking at the demographic) and also cocktails. The wine list seemed decent and the specialty cocktails also sounded good.
  
  The menu is very large, as are their portions. I think that's just their thing there. All of the entrees were pretty pricey, pricey like Fine Dining Italian in downtown. After looking through the menu, we started with the Spinach Artichoke Dip. The menu had said it was served with homemade tortillas, but they are not homemade. The were actually kind of stale. But, they were simply vehicles for the dip - which was amazing. Really creamy and a lot of flavor.
  
  I opted for a salad (Bruschetta Steak) after our walk, and my friend got a wrap (Veggie). Both came out within a reasonable amount of time, the service was good. When the waitress started approaching with my salad, i was caught off guard, startled, amazed. all i could say was "Holy sh*t". The thing was mammoth. It was spinach, probably an entire cucumber, an entire pint of grape tomatoes, a lot of blue cheese, a steak, and an entire onion worth of fried bits. I ate maybe a quarter of it before having it wrapped. It was delicious though. Steak was perfectly rare as ordered. The blue cheese dressing was great and all the veggies were fresh. I don't like small tomatoes but they went great with the salad so zero complaints. Also for $16 - that is a salad.
  
  My friend enjoyed her wrap - the size was incomparable to the giant salad, but she couldn't finish it. She raved about their ranch dressing. the dressings must be made in house, they were very good.
  
  The place seems popular for the red sauce italian dishes. the dishes around looked good, but I can't really justify those prices at a place that has 100 different dishes. I would return to try more salads/sandwiches/wraps and apps.
  
  Food, Service and atmosphere was really good here. Our bill was $57 for everything which was reasonable and consistent to other outings.
  
  I would recommended coming here, HUNGRY.