Thirsty Owl Wine Bar and Bistro

Someone from this business manages this listing.

418 reviews

#13 of 178 Restaurants in Saratoga Springs$$ - $$$, American, Wine Bar, Vegetarian friendly

+1 518-587-9694+ Add website

Hours

Sun

11:30 am - 9:00 pm

Mon

11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Tue

11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Wed

11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Thu

11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Fri

11:30 am - 10:00 pm

Sat

11:30 am - 10:00 pm

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Ratings and reviews

4.0

418 reviews

#13 of 178 Restaurants in Saratoga Springs

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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CUISINES

American, Wine Bar

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks

features

Location and contact

184 S Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-4504

+1 518-587-9694

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Does this restaurant have private dining rooms?

Yes

Unsure

Details

Manage this business?

CUISINES

American, Wine Bar

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks

FEATURES

Reservations, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music

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4.0

418 reviews

Excellent

241

Very good

Average

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Terrible

Terri U

17 contributions

Wine & food were good... Service not so much

Sept 2021 • couples

Went for dinner and got filled up on bottle of wine and appetizer, once our waiter found out we weren't having a full dinner...our service ceased even though our bill was over $50. My husband's water glass on the edge of the table was empty the whole meal. The waiter walked by our table with the water pitcher to the table behind us and never even stopped at ours.

Written 7 September 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sarsprdoc

Saratoga Springs1257 contributions

‘Where’s the chicken?!?’

Jan 2021 • none

Supporting local business during COVID we get take out weekly. This restaurant is less than a mile from our house and my wife loves one of their wines so we ordered dinner Saturday. I had their burger which was cooked perfectly with cheddar substituted for blue cheese. Truffle fries ok but never as good brought home. My wife ordered chicken penne a la vodka which had 4 thin strips of chicken breast with a bucket of penne for $27. Good flavor but really??? Does the profit margin need that much cushion especially after purchasing a case of their wine? If there would have been chicken I’d give it 4 stars as their food is still overpriced.

Written 31 January 2021

momsjob

Nashua7 contributions

Not what it used to be

Aug 2021 • none

We've always enjoyed our dinners at the Thirsty Owl, but this week it wasn't the same. My husband's meal was cold and after sending it back it was still cold. Our friends had pasta in their dishes, and it had obviously been sitting (dry and hard) before being added to the meal. The wine tastings were good and the appetizers we had at the bar were tasty. Unfortunately we will not be going back for dinner next year.

Written 2 August 2021

Beth M

93 contributions

The Stinky Owl

Jun 2021 • none

Having read so many glowing reviews of this restaurant, we were truly disappointed in our experience. It's attractive inside and the porch and patio are lovely. The Thirsty Owl Wine has the usual pricing - $8-10 a glass and $28-53 per bottle. Not knowing the wine, we had several different ones by the glass and they were fine. Nothing special but drinkable. Reviews said that if you made a reservation for the outside space and the weather was bad, there was no alternative. If they were full, you were out of luck, so I made sure to reserve a table on the porch well in advance. It took a while to get someone's attention and when we were shown to a table, it was not on the porch but in the patio. The weather was nice so I didn't make a fuss about not getting the seating I had reserved (especially since there were no tables available on the porch). The tuna appetizer special over carrots got mixed reviews from us. The tuna, while slightly over cooked was tasty. The raw carrots were dry and woody tasting and doused in soy sauce. We each took one tiny bite of the carrots and ignored the rest. My husband had the sea food pasta special. None of the mussels were open but there were plenty of large scallops and shrimp that were cooked well. The pasta was originally al dente but quickly became flacid, so he chose not to eat most of the pasta. He said it tasted like everything had been cooked separately and then thrown together at the last minute. Just OK. Since I don't make duck at home I was eager to try their version, with a fruit sauce and creamy polenta on the side. Sounds delicious and at $32.00 should be great? Inedible; everything was beyond tasteless. My husband took a bite of the duck and declared that he couldn't tell what kind of meat it was. The polenta looked liked scrambled eggs but was very heavy and even the addition of salt and pepper (which I never do) could not make it taste like anything. They were clearly understaffed and were out of a number of items on the menu, so we decided not to send the meal back (another thing I never do, but was tempted ). The restaurant is very convenient to our go to hotel, The Inn at Sartoga, so we had high hopes for The Thirsty Owl but given the high prices and poor quality of the food, we will not be back

Written 14 June 2021

StevenBeller

Washington DC239 contributions

Surly staff deterred us from even dining here

Aug 2021 • none

Having just been at the Thirsty Owl winery on Lake Cayuga, which we loved, we were really looking forward to dining here during our stay in Saratoga Springs. We booked ahead of time, and I mentioned how we loved the winery and hoped to repeat the experience at the restaurant, to which I got a most friendly affirmative answer. When we arrived at the restaurant, on time, we first were left waiting for some minutes by one person, and then another employee came up to us and asked if we had a reservation, which we did, looked around, and saw a table for two free in the bar area and asked us to accompany us to that table. However, that was not the sort of table we really wanted, stuck in a corner next to the bar, and we asked if there were others available. At this point the employee got quite shirty and said we should have indicated the type of table we anted ahead of time if we wanted something else. Not having been there before, this was a little difficult for us to have done, and so I offered to look around the restaurant to see where we would be most comfortable dining. The employee then took offense at my looking around the restaurant and ordered me back to where we had waited at the bar. He then said he would go and see if there were other tables. We waited a few minutes, and saw the employee dealing with other customers. At this, we decided there was no point giving our custom to such a rude and incompetent establishment, and we left. I am sure the food and wine is as lovely as people say, but the service was downright appalling, so appalling we could not stay to sample the food and wine. I hope this is an exception, but the only way of making it so is for the owners to know what their terrible staff is doing.

Written 13 September 2021

Larry W

DeWitt4 contributions

Welcome Back!

Jul 2021 • none

We have dined here twice before and this time did not disappoint. The porch is a lovely setting even with some traffic noise. Service was excellent as before. Our waitress, Kathy, worked over time to provide excellent service even when staff was stretched to the limit. Although one doesn't expect great red wines from the Finger Lakes, she recommended the Meritage and it was perfect. The duck was just as tasty and tender as we remembered and the steak was cooked to order and flavorful. We are happy to be back at Saratoga and enjoying great dining at the Thirsty Owl!

Written 23 July 2021

alison

Plainview1 contribution

Dinner date with my husband and our two dachshunds

Jul 2021 • couples

My husband came here the first time 4 years ago and had a phenomenal experience. Unfortunately we cannot say the same this time. We called in advance to confirm their dog policy and were told that the patio and porch were pet friendly. However, on arrival, we walked onto the porch area and the waitstaff looked at us like we had 6 heads or as though we personally disrespected her for coming there with our two dachshunds and sent us to the back patio. Of the 5 tables only one was set and had a dirty glass. When our waitress (a different person than before) arrived, my husband told her the glass was dirty and she asked us if he wanted another one, rolled her eyes, and then proceeded to tell us it's hard with all the trees. My husband asked her about the menu because it had changed since his last time here and she said it has a front and back so it's a good selection. After these three lovely interactions we decided to have one glass and bring our business elsewhere. Prior to writing this review we sought out management to let them know of our experience so maybe they could handle things on their own without the social media backlash but we were told "Josh our GM is at a game and no management is available" Overall, With the vast selection of restaurants on the strip in Saratoga, there is absolutely no point in venturing the other way for The Thirsty Owl unless you enjoy dealing with condescending employees.

Written 6 July 2021

Sarsprdoc

Saratoga Springs1257 contributions

Not a good good experience this trip

Jun 2022 • friends

Noisy sitting on porch with roaring vehicles on street and mixed up order. They brought the wrong food out and both my wife and my meals had cold main elements. Our friends seafood Mac and cheese was delayed long after everyone else was served. Way out of proportion Mac with limited seafood and no crab at all? Very expensive for poor meal $160 no apps or dessert before tip. limited parking as people tend to hang at the wine bar on a Friday evening requiring parking down the street. Sorry we suggested our out of town friends to join us here.

Written 3 June 2022

Lorie D

Rochester19 contributions

Nothing like we expected, very disappointed

Oct 2021 • friends

We were looking forward to a relaxing atmosphere and great food. Unfortunately we were disappointed. Ordered the salmon with farrow and it was so bland I had to salt it and add a bit of the garlic olive oil from the bread to make it just okay. We felt rushed, the whole experience from being seated to finishing our meal was 35 minutes!

Written 25 October 2021

david B

Philadelphia56 contributions

Casual Elegant Dining at its Best

Jul 2022 • friends

Thirsty Owl hits high marks on the 3 ingredients of dining - Service, Food and Atmosphere. The Building is a Victorian Style Home that is light and airy Great Atmosphere. Restaurant has small plates including charcuterie type boards with meat, cheese, vegetables, smoked salmon and olive tapenade. Lunch includes burger, salmon, salads and excellent soup. Dinner has lamp lollipops chops, seared tuna etc. Thirsty Owl makes its own wine - the best in the region. Best Sangria we ever had. Service is professional and friendly with enthusiastic servers excited about their ambassador role. All in all - PERFECT DINING EXPERIENCE!!

Written 21 July 2022

Killingtime1

Sarasota221 contributions

Overall nice, but not a good value and food prep needs adjusted.

Jun 2022 • family

Very pleasant atmosphere, but keep in mind, outdoor seating is near a busy intersection and it’s a bit noisy. IMHO, a bit overpriced. The items we selected were overall good. However, they could have been better with some simple adjustments. The beet salad was drenched with too much dressing. Also, the added chicken was over cooked and too chewy and dry. Same for the snapper, too well-done and dry. Waitstaff was good and attentive. Overall, a pleasant experience that could have been better with a few tweaks.

Written 30 June 2022

Susan P

Putnam952 contributions

Impersonal, Uninviting - Too Bad - The Food Gets an A

Aug 2020 • none

Have you ever been to a restaurant that presented their service as a favor to you, the customer? That what I felt when I called to make reservations. I understand there is less seating and that their porch and patio were booked. What I didn't understand was being seated near a forever swinging kitchen door. This bistro is in a former house so staff running back a forth is loud and distracting. Every staff member we dealt with seemed cold and indifferent. Everything they said seemed rehearsed and robotic. We would have been better off sitting in the bar or going elsewhere. The food was delicious and the portions fairly large. I had the salmon which was cooked perfectly. Meals are served with a bread basket. We selected their cabernet franc and found it went well with our entrees. When we were asked then declined dessert our server couldn't bring the check fast enough. The prices are on the high side. It is handicap accessible. They is an adequate parking lot.

Written 28 August 2020

Hank Y

21 contributions

Good potential fair execution.

Aug 2021 • couples

Nice looking restaurant in converted Victorian building. Had great potential, but fair execution. Arrived for reservation and was directed to the bar area which was quite crowded but no hostess. After about 5 minutes someone showed up to seat us. Seated on a lovely porch and waitress came by. Ordered drinks which came promptly and were promised bread. After awhile, waitress came back without bread ( said the kitchen was behind). Ordered the strawberry, pistachio, feta salad which was one of the best salads we have ever had. Fresh interesting with a light vinegrett dressing. Waited quite awhile and was informed kitchen was having trouble getting out a party of 12's food. Our food arrived, my wife's seafood Mac and cheese was tasty but we couldn't find any crab meat in it, only a few shrimp. My duck was overcooked and cold and so was the sauteed spinach. The huge portion of polenta was warm but tasteless. Our waitress was friendly and informative, but she doesn't run the kitchen. It was Travers Saturday night and maybe the bigger crowds caused the issues. We did hear conversations stating they didn't have enough staff. Think the restaurant could be better, but was disappointed overall.

Written 29 August 2021

Tanya S

4 contributions

Fantastic!!!

Jul 2020 • none

My husband and I went for a wine tasting before dinner. The staff is extremely friendly and welcoming. The wine was really delicious and the gentleman who served us was so much fun and very knowledgeable. We were then seated and again greeted wonderfully by our waitress. The food was magnificent! My husband said they were the best crab cakes he has ever had. We actually came back for lunch two days later. I enjoyed the lobster roll and sangria. I would recommend this place to anyone going to Saratoga Springs!! I’ll be going back again!!

Written 9 July 2020

Jennie S

Washington DC42 contributions

Great wine

Jul 2022 • none

We went here because the Saratoga Winery was allegedly full (despite there being a whole yard full of empty tables) and we were really pleased that they blew us off - the Thirsty Owl was great. The atmosphere is lovely, we were in the tasting room the whole time. It was light and airy. We each did a tasting of 5 wines. The staff were fun, very friendly, helpful and knowledgable about the wines. The wines were delicious with quite a variety. After the tasting we had a glass of wine each and shared a charcuterie board and a smoked salmon board. Both were good sized portions and very delicious. A lovely way to spend a few hours one afternoon

Written 11 July 2022

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