Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

Dinosaur Bar-B-QueDinosaur Bar-B-Que
Dinosaur Bar-B-QueDinosaur Bar-B-Que
Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

377 River St
Troy, New York, 12180-3220
United States

(518) 308-0400 | map
dinosaurbarbque.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.98
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
22
pDev:
8.04%
View: Place Reviews
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Photo of edthehead
Reviewed by edthehead from Maryland

3.65/5  rDev -8.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Large spacious dining areas and bar with a smokehouse type of charm. The food is fantastic and the portions are large. Beer selection is limited with a few micro brews and a handful of macros. Similar to other Dinosaur BBQ’s, however this location has the advantage of outdoor riverside water seating.
Mar 27, 2023
 
Rated: 4 by dbrauneis from North Carolina

Aug 17, 2019
 
Rated: 3.23 by justingermain10 from New York

Nov 27, 2018
 
Rated: 3.76 by brentblack1 from New York

Jul 08, 2017
 
Rated: 3.79 by broadway848 from New York

Mar 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4.45 by JLK7299 from North Carolina

Dec 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4.05 by thoglund from New York

Jun 30, 2016
 
Rated: 3.94 by hockeypuck from Maine

Jun 27, 2015
 
Rated: 4.35 by MikeDL from New York

Apr 07, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by abrodsky from Massachusetts

Dec 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4.12 by beerthirty30 from New York

Nov 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by squack from Virginia

Sep 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by PaleAleWalt from New York

Sep 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by wisegreensoul from Idaho

Jun 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by vonnegut21 from New York

Feb 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Resuin from Massachusetts

Nov 24, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by GeoffreyM from Pennsylvania

Oct 21, 2013
Photo of LittleDon
Reviewed by LittleDon from Texas

4.28/5  rDev +7.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Quite possibly the best thing Troy, NY has to offer.

OK, so that's a bit of an exaggeration. Although if you were to focus strictly on restaurants with a decent beer selection, I find it hard to believe that a city that saw its best days in the late 90s (that would be 1890s) would have anything better to offer.

This is the second Dinosaur I've visited (Rochester). Both have the same vibe: upscale barbeque dive. Seats in the back sit along the Hudson. A great place to sit outside during the summer month. Service was excellent. The waitperson knew the offerings and was quick with bringing samples. Thirty or so taps, I'd suspect, all of which, except one or two, were crafts. Discussion with the waitperson lead me to believe that the beer rotates regularly. Food was tasty, and a big portion for the money. I was with four other, so we shared a Swag sampler (interesting combo of items). I had the Churrasco chicken, a bit salty, otherwise good.

All in all, the Troy location was as good as the one in Rochester. Not sure why the owners decided on putting a location in Troy, but it seems to have worked well. The place was fairly busy on a Wednesday night. God forbid I ever find myself in Troy again, I'll definitely return.

Visited on 2/8/12 for dinner
Feb 12, 2012
Photo of slander
Reviewed by slander from New York

3.35/5  rDev -15.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Bar.
Buh.
Cue.
18

Caught en route to Cooperstown; this lunch stop off deviating from the usual Pump Station, which we may very well see on the return flight Sunday. Or maybe directly from here for growlers. Probably the latter. Have seen the other location so I kind of know what I’m in for, but I’ve got a hankering for smoked meat about now...

Long low space; just over the Green Island Bridge, a stone’s throw with a great arm from Brown’s. Parked and leaving Phil outside to smoke, I head in, through and down. It’s a long narrow room, the backside of whatever’s frontside (kitchenings and banquet seating). Panel wood walls with pieces BBQ, blues, rock art, license plates, B movie prints, and vibrant movie paintings. Angled slat wood ceiling with a fatty duct, drop suction cup lamps over the bar, filament bulb lighting down center,and fans a-spinny.

Long straight wood bar with pig & booze & salty drawings atop; lady folk and the like. Wood plank base except for in the center of the bar, where there’s a rounded brick base piece (as such, the bar kind of juts out there a bit), a foot rail, and seating for 18 on backed chairs. The taps run above that rounded brick piece in a semicircle config on a stainless steel piece, and then cut straight from both ends when it hits the bar itself (yes, like an omega). The barback is a large ornate wood unit seemingly vintage or made to look so. Arched wide in the middle with a mirrored backing, and smaller ones to both sides. Glassware stacked below on center and booze on each side and on the end. Shelving tiered units on the ends with wines, bourbon, Tequilas, Belgian bottled & various canned selections, and Dinosaur growlers. Cooler space below for things in need of a cooling. Vintage beer trays displayed above the unit, and flatscreens mounted in both corners.

A pair of long shared hightops off the bar, 6 picnic tables behind them along the windows over the Hudson, and 3 tables in a step up on the end. Down the other end, 12 tables, 7 shorty booths on 1 side and 5 tables alternating on the other side. Past there, a room with 3 dozen tables & booths of all sizes and shapes, and a small banquet room on the end. Back deck space for dirty smokers, and boats docked below. Outside area below an awning, open & airy, with a shiny stainless steel bar seating a dozen, 3 hightops off of there and 8 picnic tables along the perimeter.

25 taps, more than 1/3 of which are NY state offerings (Brown’s Cherry Raspberry Ale, Davidson Brothers IPA, Ellicottville Nut Brown, Saranac Black Forest, Ommegang Rare Vos, Ithaca Cascazilla, Lake Placid UBU Ale, Middle Ages Dino Ape Hanger, Brooklyn Summer Ale), another 1/3 regional (Harpoon Summer Ale, Magic Hat Wacko, Long Trail Ale, Switchback Ale, Sam Adams Summer Ale, Shipyard Summer Ale, Erie Railbender Scotch Ale, Lionhead Pils, Yuengling), and the remainder a mix of craft afar (Abita Purple Haze, Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat, Sierra Nevada Summer), macro this (Blue Moon, Coors Light), a single import (Guinness), and a wildcard draft.

I drank the Ellicottville Nut Brown, which was in good shape. Phil had the Davidson Brothers IPA, which was a full on butter bomb. And I laughed at him in a “what were you thinking?” kind of way, because it was funny, right up until my Brown’s Cherry Raspberry Ale came the same way. Thankfully, the keg having kicked while they were pouring it resulted in this being an “on the house” shorty, there was just that much less pain to endure, or rather walk away from. Fuckers! I should have had another Ellicottville Brown Ale.

They’ve also got a sizable bottle list of about 4 dozen offerings. 2 dozen+ American goods and bads; everything from a few craft offerings to various macros, gluten frees, ciders & N/A’s. And the rest of it a mix of 7 cans of mostly retro play (PBR, Schaefer, Schlitz, Utica Club, Genny Cream Ale, Rolling Rock, Magic Hat #9), and a dozen imports of ½ meh and ½ Belgian, strangely out of place in a BBQ joint (Chimay Red, Duvel, Leffe Blonde, Hoegaarden, and an always welcome $8 Orval).

For food, I will have the ‘tres ninos’, a less spirited serving of the ‘tres hombres’. A sufficient pile of BBQ pulled pork, some beef brisket, and 2 fall off the bone ribs, sided with beans & a mayo based slaw, which was quite good. Came with a baby corn bread cup, too. Sadly, there were no Syracuse style salt potatoes to be had, ‘cause they’re the best side anywhere, ever. Tried the sauces, for sport; Original Sensuous Slathering bbq sauce (smoky), Wango Tango Habanero hot sauce (yes, it was), and Garlic Chipotle pepper sauce (I think the one that’s making my head sweat, unpleasantly). Phil had some chicken & rib combo. He woofed it down and went for a smoke.

Food was solid, for chain bbq anyway, and I liked the portion size. But they need some help on the beer front. There, I said it. Server was a bit much; pushy & passive aggressive helpful. I need a nap, not a drive out to Cooperstown.
Jan 30, 2012
Photo of rlee1390
Reviewed by rlee1390 from Indiana

4.38/5  rDev +10.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 5
Have been looking forward to going for a while, but the long wait has turned me off and sent me over to Brown's the last two times.

This is one of the best BBQ joints there is. Although a but pricey. Food is wonderful, I urge everyone to try it, regardless of their beer taste.

The had ~10 beers on tap, Southern Tier, Brooklyn, Sierra Nevada, Troegs, Blue Point, Brown's and Goose Island that I remember. In bottles they had Chimay, Abita and Ommegang plus a few others. And of course the standard BMC offerings.

Great good and good beer.
Apr 28, 2011
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.15/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5
Great location , on the river, just north of Albany...typical Dinosaur road house athmosphere, this place also has larger outside area for times of warmer weather. Extensive quality selections, dont expect rarities, but do expect multiple solid choices with a concentration on local NY state options. What can be said about the food? Love the wings, ribs, brisket, pulled pork, it is all very good...real BBQ, hey everybody know NY state is the real BBQ capital of the nation....put it all together, the very pleasant room, scenic location, plenty of quality taps and world class chow...makes this a must hit spot if in the Albany area. Been to the Dino in Syracuse and Harlem, and this one by far the nicest room/location
Apr 18, 2011
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 5
Located overlooking the Hudson River near the Green Island Bridge, it is reusing a location that was previously several different restaurants in the past. The interior of the building as a sorta rustic vibe with exposed wood beams and no ceilings. There is a waiting area in side the door, and a ramp down to the bar area and tables in the back. Only complaint was our table was a bit dark.

The place was mobbed on a Friday night, so it's clearly a popular place. Our group of 6 had to wait 45 minutes for a table for dinner, but that wasn't a big issue since the bar had a pretty good selection of craft beer, especially for a restaurant. good selection both on-tap and bottle selections, and the bartender gave us a current paper list for reference. Even though it was crowded, the service was quick as the bartenders seeked out those without beverages, over the heads of those standing against the bar. beer prices were maybe a bit high, but certainly not unreasonable.

The food of course is the main attraction of the place, and everyone in my party was impressed. I had a mixed platter of ribs, pulled pork, brisket, and sides, which were all excellent. I would definitely recommend, but maybe on an off night if you don't want to kill time at the bar.
Feb 23, 2011
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Troy, NY
Place rating: 3.98 out of 5 with 22 ratings