The atmosphere of the C.H. Evans Brewing Company’s Albany Pump Station is completely unique. It mixes components of a turn-of-the-century industrial warehouse with elements of contemporary dining. Giant chains and pulleys dangle from the ceiling over dining tables in the Tap Room while soft jazz plays. Two giant tanks lurk in the background and are presumably still in operation, since a control panel glows between the two. Upstairs is the more upscale dining area, but seeing as we were three college students used to a cramped kitchen table, we settled for the Tap Room.
A waitress came by promptly to take our drink and appetizer orders and returned quickly with our Coconut Shrimp and microbrews. The huge shrimp were dipped in batter and coconut, fried, and served with spicy peach chutney. They were both piping hot and tasty.
For dinner, I picked the Pump Station’s Gorgonzola Sirloin: a N.Y. strip steak smothered with bacon, spinach, caramelized scallions, and melted gorgonzola cheese—it was heavenly. It came with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and well-seasoned veggies—seasoned so well, in fact, that I happily ate the Brussels sprouts without being nagged by a parent to do so.
My roommate ordered the Pump Station Burger, which had ground beef marinated in spices and the restaurant’s Brown Ale, served with bacon and pepper jack cheese on top. He said that the burger was delicious, and very well seasoned, also noting that the fries were battered and were also incredibly delicious. He, too, was very happy with his selection.
My other roommate tried the Stuffed Shrimp Gruyère, which consisted of enormous shrimp stuffed with crabmeat, baked in a white wine and butter sauce, and finally topped with gruyère cheese. He said that it tasted phenomenal, and he also liked the sides—which included rice and the same veggie mix I had.
Although the food is good, you can’t go to a microbrewery without sampling their amazing homemade brews. C.H. Evans Brewing Company’s Albany Pump Station offers a large selection of homebrewed beers, including a Scottish Light, Hefeweizen, Quackenbush Blonde, Old Ale, Extra Stout, Pale Ale, Double Bock, and its award-winning Kick-Ass Brown Ale. I had the pleasure of trying the Extra Stout for the first time, and it was amazing. The Brown Ale was equally satisfying and very nicely complimented the steak I had ordered.
Finally, the Pump Station has excellent desserts. My roommate sampled the cheesecake and was not disappointed. I tried the tiramisu and couldn’t have been happier, either. It was small, yet very filling, and had just the right balance of coffee and cocoa flavors. It also had the perfect amount of custard and wasn’t overloaded with lady fingers, so it wasn’t too dry.
Overall, we were very happy with the Albany Pump Station. The dinner and desserts were amazing, the beer was tasty, and the atmosphere was perfect. Items were slightly pricy, with appetizers around $8, entrees ranging from $8-$25, and most desserts around $6 or $7. I highly recommend the Pump Station as an option for tasty homemade beer and for a nice lunch or dinner in downtown Albany.
C.H. Evans Brewing Company’s Albany Pump Station is located at 19 Quackenbush Square, across Broadway Ave. from the Palace Theater. The quickest way to get there is to take I-787 South towards Albany and get off at exit 4B. You’ll see the Pump Station when you’re coming down the off-ramp—it has huge neon letters on top of the building that you can’t miss. At the end of the off-ramp, take a right onto Broadway and then take another right at the Progressive Insurance sign, and take yet another right a block down from that. It’ll put you in the parking lot in front of the Pump House.
