Latham's Best Restaurant

I walked into BARE Blends expecting a smoothie, and I walked out having experienced a religious conversion via cashew cream. Look, Latham isn’t exactly a culinary mecca, so finding a place that nails gluten-free bowls next to a hibachi theater that costs $140 is frankly confusing.

This list swings from the dive-bar charm of Smith’s burnt pizza to the refined tartare at The Parc, and yes, I checked the fire hazard myself. Go for the buffalo mac at Tipsy Moose, stay for the pork buns at Tanpopo.

Just do yourself a favor and skip the toasts.

BARE Blends

Highlights
Smoothie bowls are the stars
Cashew cream is unforgettable
Gluten-free everything, done right
Patient staff, great recommendations
Skip the overpriced toasts

I walked into BARE Blends with the smug confidence of someone who has eaten a smoothie bowl before, and I left humbled, scraping the last smear of cashew cream from the cup with my finger. That cashew cream is not a topping; it is a religious experience, and I am now a believer. The smoothie bowls are the undisputed stars here, each spoonful a cold, sweet slap of flavor that makes you forget the outside world exists. Everything is gluten-free, and for once, that feels like a feature, not a punishment. The staff are patient, offering recommendations with the calm of people who have seen it all. Skip the toasts, though. Overpriced is an understatement. They are fine. Just fine. But the bowls? Unforgettable.

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Sake Japanese Steakhouse

Highlights
Hibachi without the table
Sells fantastic mustard sauce
Allergy-friendly, accommodating staff
Birthday cake welcome, photo help
Unbelievable value at $140

Sake Japanese Steakhouse gave me hibachi theater without the communal table anxiety, and honestly, I am never going back to the other way. You get all the sizzle, the flying onion volcano, and the chef's showmanship, but you also get to keep your personal space and your dignity. The mustard sauce they sell in jars is dangerously good; I have used it on eggs, sandwiches, and possibly a few things I should not admit to in print. The staff are allergy-friendly to a fault, double-checking everything with a seriousness that made me feel like a VIP with dietary drama. At $140 for the whole experience, including a birthday cake welcome and photo help, the value is almost embarrassing. It is unbelievable value. Unbelievable.

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The Parc at Trilogy

Highlights
Impeccable service, tasty cocktails
Fresh, plump, flavorful shrimp
Life-changing tuna tartar
Tender, balanced teriyaki skewers
Trendy spot for grown-ups

The Parc at Trilogy is the kind of place where you suddenly realize you have been holding your fork wrong your entire adult life, and you do not care. The service is impeccable, the cocktails are tasty enough to make you forget your own name, and the shrimp arrive fresh, plump, and so flavorful they practically apologize for every sad, rubbery shrimp you have ever forced down. The tuna tartar is life-changing. I am not being dramatic, or maybe I am, but that tartar rearranged my priorities. The teriyaki skewers are tender, balanced, and disappear faster than my paycheck. This is a trendy spot for grown-ups, which means no sticky floors, no screaming children, just sophisticated vibes and a bill that makes you grimace slightly. Worth it.

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Lost & Found Bar & Kitchen

Highlights
Fun bar near Nipper
Friendly staff, fair prices
Great for live music
Recommended for drinks

Lost & Found Bar & Kitchen is the kind of place you stumble into after a long day, get lost for a few hours, and find yourself again over a decent drink near that giant Nipper statue. The staff are friendly in a way that feels genuine, like they actually enjoy their jobs, which is suspicious but welcome. Prices are fair, which in this economy feels like finding a unicorn. If you catch live music night, you are in for a treat; the sound bounces off the walls in a way that makes you want to be a worse singer than you already are. Honestly, this is a drinks place. The food is fine, I guess. But the drinks? The drinks are the point. Go for the music and the mood. Bring a friend.

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Smith's Public House

Highlights
Burnt pizza, angry wallet

I want to write something kind about Smith's Public House, but my memory is a burnt crust and an angry wallet, and those two things do not a glowing review make. We ordered a pizza, and what arrived was not pizza so much as a charcoal briquette with tomato sauce aspirations. My wallet filed a formal complaint. The staff apologized and offered a replacement, but by that point, the damage was done, both to my appetite and my faith. Honestly, the drinks were passable, and the atmosphere had a certain neighborhood dive charm, but I cannot recommend a place where the main event is a fire hazard. Maybe I caught them on a bad night, but my wallet is still holding a grudge, and I tend to trust my wallet.

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dp An American Brasserie

Highlights
Amazing food and drinks
Handles food allergies well
Attentive, knowledgeable staff
Great for date nights
Delicious, well-prepared dishes

dp An American Brasserie is the date night destination that makes you look like a genius without having to do any of the actual work. The food is amazing, each dish arriving with the quiet confidence of something that knows it is delicious. Drinks followed suit, inventive and strong, the kind that make you lean in closer across the table. But the real hero here is how they handle food allergies. The staff dove into every question with the precision of a surgeon and the patience of a saint, marking everything, double-checking everything, making me feel safe and seen. Allergies are exhausting, and dp made them feel like a minor footnote. The dishes were delicious, well-prepared, and the service was attentive and knowledgeable. This is a place that gets it right. Go there.

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Signal 30

Highlights
Best BBQ in upstate
Affordable prices, huge portions
Tender brisket, moist pulled pork
Wings worth returning for
Classic atmosphere, stellar service

Signal 30 has no business being this good at barbecue in upstate New York, and yet here we are, me holding a plate of the best BBQ I have found in this entire region. The brisket is so tender it collapses under its own weight, and the pulled pork is moist, flavorful, and everything you have ever wanted. The wings are worth returning for alone; I have already planned my next three visits. Portions are huge, prices are affordable, which is a combination that feels almost illegal. The atmosphere is classic, all worn wood and good vibes, and the service is stellar, the kind that remembers your face and your order. I walked in expecting decent barbecue. I left needing a nap and a second stomach. Go hungry.

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Umana Yana

Highlights
Attentive staff, super chill vibe
Hot, fresh, perfectly spiced goat
Dedicated plant-based menu impresses vegans
Separate options wow non-vegans too
Worth the 5pm weekday wait

Umana Yana made me wait forty-five minutes at 5pm on a weekday, and I did not even care, because the goat curry that eventually arrived was hot, fresh, and perfectly spiced, the kind of heat that creeps up on you like a friendly warning. The staff are attentive without hovering, and the vibe is super chill, like eating in a friend's living room if your friend happened to be a phenomenal chef. I brought a vegan friend who was skeptical, but the dedicated plant-based menu impressed them so much they stopped talking about kale and started talking about flavor. Even the non-vegans, like me, were stealing bites of their food. That is how you know it is good. Worth the wait, every single minute.

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Tanpopo Ramen and Sake Bar

Highlights
Pork buns worth the drive
Tonkotsu ramen always delivers
Ramen egg is non-negotiable
Waitstaff genuinely cares
Cozy, quirky dollar-bill walls

Tanpopo Ramen and Sake Bar is the reason I now measure distances in pork buns. Those buns alone are worth the drive, a pillowy, savory hug that made me close my eyes and make sounds I am not proud of in public. The tonkotsu ramen always delivers, rich and creamy, the kind of broth that makes you wonder why you ever eat anything else. And the ramen egg? Non-negotiable. It is jammy, seasoned perfectly, and I would fight someone for the last one. The waitstaff genuinely care, checking in with the kind of earnestness that feels rare. The dollar-bill walls are quirky and covered in signatures, adding a chaotic charm to the cozy space. I have eaten here three times this month. I am not sorry.

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Savoy Taproom

Highlights
Excellent safety protocols
Inventive, delicious cocktails
Unique, flavorful appetizers
Well-executed crispy chicken sandwich
Exceptional, friendly service

Savoy Taproom is the responsible adult of bars, and I mean that as the highest compliment. The safety protocols were excellent, which sounds boring until you realize it means you can relax and enjoy your cocktail without worrying about catching something worse than a hangover. And those cocktails are inventive, delicious, the kind of drinks that make you reconsider everything you thought you knew about gin or mezcal or whatever magical thing they are using. The appetizers are unique and flavorful, not the same sad nachos you find everywhere, and the crispy chicken sandwich is executed with the kind of precision that makes you want to applaud. The service is exceptional and friendly, the kind that makes you want to stay for another round. I stayed. Twice.

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The City Beer Hall

Highlights
Exceptional bartender, Carrie's craft
Crispiest fries, unforgettable crunch
Delicious chicken sandwich, full flavor
Fun Family Feud, interactive entertainment
Cozy fireplace, warm gathering spot

I walked into The City Beer Hall expecting a standard pub, and then I met Carrie, the exceptional bartender who treated my taste buds with more care than I treat my own savings account. Her craft is real craft; every cocktail arrived with a flourish and a flavor that made me want to tip her my entire paycheck. The fries are the crispiest I have encountered in Latham, with an unforgettable crunch that echoes in your memory, and the chicken sandwich is delicious, full of flavor, not some sad, dry bird. They have a Family Feud game that is hilariously interactive, perfect for dragging your friends into competitive chaos. The fireplace makes the whole place feel like a warm, welcoming den. I went for one drink and stayed for four. No regrets.

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Tipsy Moose Tap & Tavern

Highlights
Buffalo mac & cheese glory
Moose burger, huge portions
Local beer tap selection
Laid-back lodge atmosphere
Outdoor seating worth trying

Tipsy Moose Tap & Tavern is the kind of place where you walk in, smell the buffalo sauce, and immediately know you are in trouble. The buffalo mac & cheese is pure glory, a creamy, spicy, cheesy mess that I would commit minor crimes for. The moose burger is enormous, a towering beast of a sandwich that requires serious jaw commitment, and the portions are so huge I almost felt guilty, but then I took another bite and the guilt evaporated. The local beer tap selection is fantastic, always something new to try, and the laid-back lodge atmosphere makes you want to stay all night. Outdoor seating is worth trying when the weather cooperates, but honestly, the magic is inside, near the food and the beer. I left full, happy, and already planning my return.

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