A Tale Of Two Uncommon Grounds

Finding kid-friendly restaurants is not so difficult, but discovering ones where both kids and adults like the menu can be a challenge, especially if you’re trying to avoid the “usual suspects” of fried chicken fingers and such. Uncommon Grounds appeals to all age levels, and its casual atmosphere is a welcome boon even with the youngest kids in tow.

When my children were in the baby and toddler stage, the Albany location was my daily lifeline, if only for the java jolt.  Then, life and bills intruded, and I began brewing my own espresso.  We still dropped by regularly to pick up the super-fresh coffee beans, but when Starbucks opened up a shop right around the corner the drive to Albany just didn’t seem worth the effort.

Recently, I had occasion to take my son out for lunch while in Albany, and I rediscovered why I used to love Uncommon Grounds.  We liked the experience so much, that we decided to try out the Uncommon Grounds in Saratoga Springs the following week.

Similarities - Both locations share similar menus of bagel sandwiches, salads, and soups, although the soup of day differs by site.  I don’t know if Manhattan bagel connoisseurs would agree, but to me, these bagels rival the holy grail of bagels, the famed NYC H&H Bagels.  I also like the option to customize sandwiches or salads to taste.

Differences – The original Saratoga restaurant is markedly larger than the Albany location, but there were only two significant differences as far as we were concerned:

1. People-Watching – The Albany clientele was a quiet bunch, intent upon their own table conversations or laptops.  Perhaps it was the timing, but at the Saratoga location there was a lot of hugging going on as the Skidmore students returned for the spring semester.  How did I know that these were Skidmore students?  The Skidmore Equine Team logo on one young hugger’s jacket gave that away.
2. Sweet Array – My son promptly noticed another critical difference.  The Saratoga location has a much more extensive dessert menu that includes a full gelato station.  We didn’t have time to sample the sugar bombs this time, but my son insists that we return.

Albany Foods

Mom’s Menu – Albany: Latte and Create a Salad (choose the ingredients); Saratoga: Latte and Roast Beef Bagel Sandwich (w/ Russian Dressing and lots of veggies)

Kid’s Menu – Albany: Water and PBJ on plain bagel; Saratoga: Water and plain bagel with cream cheese

What are your Albany Kids eating?

Are they fans of Uncommon Grounds, or do they prefer another bagel sandwich restaurant in the Capital Region?  Tell us!

Tagged as: Albany foods that kids like, Uncommon Grounds