The 10 Best Local Restaurants In Albany, Oregon

Calapooia Brewing Co. is an award-winning brewery serving a variety of craft brews, such as Chili Beer and Devil’s Hole Stout, alongside tasty eats. Open daily and family-friendly until 8pm (no kids after this hour), this lively venue features a cozy interior plus a great outdoor space creating a laid-back atmosphere perfect for relaxing with family and friends. Must-try edibles found on the menu include Chili beer chili, made with the award-winning Chili Beer and topped with cheese plus onion accompanied by tortilla chips and a pickle and the Hawaii 5-Oh burger with jalapeños and secret spices mixed into the Oregon beef patty, grilled with spicy Tabasco and A1 sauce, and topped with cheddar and pepper jack cheeses plus pineapple.

Open Monday through to Saturday, First Burger is a friendly joint serving a variety of mouthwatering burgers. Wanting to create a top quality product, the kitchen team procures the freshest ingredients from local sources, grounds the Oregon-raised beef daily, makes their own veggie patties, and uses fresh potatoes. The hottie burger topped with pickled jalapeños, spicy BBQ sauce, pepper jack cheese, and house-made burger sauce; the whole farm burger with ham, bacon, fried egg, burger sauce, and choice of cheese; and the California burger with grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon, avocado, and ranch dressing; are a few of the great options. To complement the hamburgers, an array of side dishes is available, including deep fried pickles.

Ginza Japanese Restaurant attracts diners time and time again with its impressive selection of sushi plus other Japanese specialties. A very popular eatery in Albany, there is often a wait, especially during peak times, but it is a wait worthwhile. The menu is impressive with everything from appetizers to entrées to sushi in many varieties with something to suit any taste. Entrées to note are the spicy chicken, which is grilled chicken topped with a hot peppered spicy sauce, and the bul go gi, which is thinly sliced beef marinated in a sweet soy-garlic sauce then stir-fried. The sushi portion of the menu has highlights such as the Vegas crunch roll, which is a fried roll with eel and cream cheese.

Established in 1984 by Joseph and Matilda Novak, along with their daughters Karen and Matilda, Novak’s Hungarian Restaurant specializes in Hungarian and Eastern European delights. Procuring the best ingredients available from local sources, the culinary team creates a wonderful selection of made-from-scratch dishes, speciality breads, and pastries every day. Within a warm, inviting atmosphere, guests can feast upon savory highlights such as chicken paprikás, which pairs chicken with a creamy paprika sauce over homemade Hungarian pearl noodles, and spinach palacsinta or creamy spinach in a crepe with a choice of cheese accompanied by parsley-buttered red potatoes. For something sweet, try the makos torta, a poppy seed cake with a lemon cream cheese filling.

Opened in 1983, Pepper Tree Sausage House is known for their sausages with over 40 different varieties. A meat lover’s paradise, this cozy shop features everything from smoked to fresh to breakfast to poultry to beef to pork sausages. Open Tuesday through to Saturday, the menu also offers a variety of breakfast and lunch items with highlights being the breakfast burrito stuffed with a choice of sausage, scrambled eggs, potatoes, sour cream, and salsa; the andouille sausage sandwich with sauerkraut and onions; and the smoked cracked beer sausage sandwich also with sauerkraut and onions. Be sure to have cash in hand as this venue does not accept cards. Signature Pizza at PizzAmoré | Courtesy of PizzAmoré

PizzAmoré is a locally owned and operated restaurant serving many Italian dishes sure to sate anyone’s hunger. From pizza to calzones to pasta to salads and much more, the menu is varied, and with the fun, casual atmosphere, it is a place the entire family will enjoy. Open daily for lunch and dinner, the restaurant offers delightful choices such as the chicken bacon cheddar pizza served on a thin crust with alfredo sauce, the five-layer lasagna with ricotta, mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, sausage, plus ground beef, and the amoré grinder with Canadian bacon, salami, ham, mozzarella, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese, all on house-made bread.

Sam City is a friendly restaurant specializing in Vietnamese and Asian fusion delicacies. Serving lunch and dinner seven days a week, this grill uses only the highest-quality ingredients for its tasty cuisine, which includes pho that is simmered for over 12 hours. A casual, family-friendly environment, the menu will satisfy many cravings with highlights being the eponymous Sam City special pho with beef broth, rice noodles, eye round steak, flank, meatballs, tripe, tendon, and brisket; the grilled chicken breast with teriyaki glaze served with rice and salad; and Mongolian beef, which is sliced rib eye beef stir-fried with green and white onions and Sam’s teriyaki sauce.

Located in downtown Albany, Sweet Red is a charming, European-inspired bistro featuring New American cuisine complemented by an array of cocktails, wine, and beer. A warm environment, complete with exposed brick and rich woods, awaits guests who are looking to enjoy a relaxing lunch or dinner Tuesday through to Saturday. From tapas to soup and salads to entrées, the menu is packed full of great flavors that will suit a variety of tastes. Highlights include the fiery shrimp and bowtie pasta in a delicious sauce of cream, white wine, tomatoes, green onion, and cayenne; the wild sockeye salmon served with pesto quinoa and garlic spinach; and for something sweet, the flourless chocolate cake with chocolate wine.

Established in 2001, Sybaris Bistro features an eclectic menu brimming with Northwest flavors that will satisfy many tastes from meat and seafood lovers to vegetarians. Open for dinner Tuesday through to Saturday, the ambiance is a warm one enhanced by its setting inside a historical building with exposed brick walls. The culinary team focuses on the bounty of Oregon and procures the best seasonal ingredients from the area, changing the menu each month to reflect the freshest items. Recent highlights include the vegetarian quinoa enchilada with local Mexican cheese and pasilla de Oaxaca cream and the garlic-lemon butter halibut with hand rolled couscous and spring vegetable. Discerning diners will also find decadent desserts plus a wine list with an emphasis on Northwest varieties.

Vault 244 is a lovely, family-owned bistro and lounge serving delicious cuisine inspired by the bounty of the Pacific Northwest complemented by an eclectic cocktail menu. Nestled inside an 1895 building that once housed a bank, the interior features the original tin ceiling and vault doors plus an environment that is upscale yet relaxed, making it great for any occasion. From tapas to salads to entrées, the menu is brimming with flavor and includes highlights such as house-made fettuccini with acorn squash, yellow squash, zucchini, crispy butternut squash, parmesan carbonara sauce, hazelnut brown butter, fresh herbs, and garlic crostone; and the Maine lobster and prawn risotto with red pepper coulis, cauliflower florets, basil oil, and fried basil.