Trying to get a review done this week was an ordeal, to say the least. I had four different places picked out and was ready to roll. When I got to the first place, I found that it had been bought out and turned into a pub. My second choice is closed on Monday, so I was out of luck there. My third selection was originally a seafood restaurant, but apparently someone turned it into a café. So I was down to my last choice, which was a place called Terminal Tavern. In retrospect, I think I would have had a better time reviewing the café—which I may do next week.
Terminal Tavern is located on Pawling Avenue here in Troy. I got a bad feeling when we pulled into the parking lot behind the building; I knew this was going to be an experience. When we walked in, I knew my sense was right, and I’m sure that the sign that read “Watch NASCAR Here” helped prove the point. When entering through the “Dining Room Entrance,” we basically walked into a dark room filled with folding tables and chairs. Yeah, that’s classy. At one end, there was light from where the bar was, so we sat ourselves at a table in the light. The bartender (and waitress) then asked us if we wanted menus and took our drink orders. We all started off with water, and as she walked away we began reading the menu. When she returned, I had to fight my hardest to not break out laughing. She brought our waters out in three red party cups. I looked at my buddies when she left, and we all cracked up. On top of that, the water tasted terrible. I wonder if they just siphon it straight from the Hudson.
The next disappointment came when we tried to order our dinners. Now, we tried to order around 7:45 pm, and the waitress said they were no longer serving dinner since they close at 9 pm. I almost stood up and said, “What kind of a retarded place is this?” but I held my tongue. In light of their stupidity, we decided to order sandwiches; apparently, an hour and 15 minutes is not enough time to cook a few dinners. When we received our appetizers, we were treated to another first. She brought out the appetizer sampler and placed it in the middle of the table. It comprised of three mozzarella sticks, three potato skins, and three chicken tenders—and three paper plates to eat off. That’s right, paper plates. I was amazed when we actually got real silverware rather than plastic-ware.
We snacked while waiting for our sandwiches and watching “Deal or No Deal” on the one TV that had the sound on. I must say the appetizers were pretty good. The chicken tenders tasted great and so did the potato skins, even though they neglected to put bacon on them like the description stated. The sandwiches, on the other hand, were lacking. Big time. I got the buffalo chicken sandwich, which was basically just a grilled chicken breast dipped quickly into buffalo sauce. My roommate got the French dip. The sandwiches both came with fries and we both agreed that while the fries were great; the sandwiches weren’t anywhere near as good. Mine was decent but apparently the French dip was terrible. At least they were served on real plates, which surprised us immensely.
Overall, the Terminal Tavern experience was pretty terrible. The appetizers were good, but everything else was pretty terrible. I have to say the best part was joking with good company over the appetizers while watching “Deal or No Deal.” I would not suggest going there for dinner, since the lazy staff will probably tell you they don’t feel like making it for you. I was going to take a picture of the Tavern to accompany this article, but I decided that I wanted to spare The Poly from wasting any more space than necessary. I give the Terminal Tavern a 2 out of 10.
