The Ritz on Union

Reviews

• DM

  Dominic Martin

  Sep 27, 2026
  1.0
  The food tasted ok, and the portion sizes were pretty good, but it didn't feel worth the money spent...much less the time spent waiting! Should preface this was a party for after a wedding rehearsal. We got out of rehearsal early, but waited a half hour so we didn't arrive early to our reservation here, knowing that it was busy. They put the entire wedding party at two insanely long tables with very little space to move, and virtually no ability to interact with anyone non-adjacent. (The noise level before we got there was already very bad) They gave us a small slip of paper with 5 entree items to choose from, no menus or anything (I can actually understand that with such a large group though). We also had to flag down waiters to refill water pitchers on our table several times, they never offered to refill or checked on it. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. A FULL HOUR after our reservation had begun, they finally brought out appetizer bread and butter. No apologies or explanations about delays, nothing about being short-staffed or anything. ANOTHER HALF HOUR AFTER THAT, they finally started to bring out our orders. Not all at once like you might expect to be causing some of the delay, but one or two at a time, with tons of uncertainty who they were supposed to be giving the orders to. Then, once everyone else had received their orders, I was still missing mine and had to flag down a waiter. ANOTHER 10 - 15 minutes later, they finally brought out my order (chicken Parmesan, which several others in the party had ordered and received ok). The main thing I'll say at this point in their favor is that their portion size was halfway decent. The chicken Parmesan was about twice as large as the lasagna entree, for a similar price. One of the waiters, Trey, was also fairly helpful. THEN, after all these delays, they showed up super fast to try to take AWAY our dishes so they could close. I'm sorry but you don't delay food by an hour and a half and then try to rush the conclusion of the reservation within a half hour of receiving food. They brought out a to-go box for my order without me asking for one. I have worked in fast food for three years. In that industry, managers are required to be able to perform all tasks so that if they're short-staffed, it's not so catastrophic (it also cuts down on labor costs). I don't know to what extent finer restaurants do this. However, I could see one or two managers in casual conversation at the bar for most of the time we were there. They weren't doing quick check-ins with the customers to make sure everything was satisfactory, they weren't going back and forth to the kitchen to make sure everything was running smoothly there, and they sure weren't going back to the kitchens to help out. I am extremely frustrated that this happened. My friend was getting married, he arranged a two hour reservation and covered the cost for the whole group. He/we received a horrifically-delayed, never-once-apologized, meal, followed by an attempt to rush us out the door. I don't even live in the area and didn't spend any money there personally, so complimentary food or whatnot wouldn't be practicable. All in all this is not a restaurant I will be returning to.
• AK

  Anyssa Kenney

  Sep 15, 2026
  5.0
  Lisa was amazing, thorough and made me and my mom feel so comfortable. She really made the night extra special. My mom got the Salmon Risotto and I got the Linguine with Clam Sauce and a side of Mushroom Risotto. We also got the Ricotta Zeppoli that was just perfect and not too much. My mom also got their specialty drink of the day, which was an Apple Cider Prosecco cocktail (more of a dessert cocktail but amazing) 100% Recommended this restaurant if you’re looking for high-quality food and amazing service.🫶🫶
• DD

  Darcy

  Sep 13, 2026
  1.0
  If I could give 0 stars, I would. Just don't even bother eating here. The food is bland, flavorless and NOT worth what they are charging. The tomato sauce tastes like it came from a can, not housemade and for a dish that costs $30. The atmosphere is... odd. There's no originality in the decor and the tables and chairs are cheaply made. Hotel looking art on the walls, Christmas ornaments hanging from string lights above the dining room. It's schizophrenic in its "theme". Definitely nothing to denote "ritz" -- there's nothing special or well put together in its appearance. Our server was nice, but... not really *present* in the interactions. IKYK. We couldn't even eat the food, it was so unappetizing. Drinks were *ok* but again, not worth the prices they're charging in quality nor in size. Went for a special night and even when we had doubts about it based off the vibes of the decor, we continued to give it the benefit of the doubt, hoping that maybe the food would be good at least. It WASN'T. Our first and last time trying this place. Very disappointed and would not recommend. The owner/manager seems to take these kinds of reviews personally, so I fully expect a defensive response to this from him. Whatever he tries to justify about the place or my experience, just... don't. It's bad. Not sure how there's so many positive 5 star reviews, unless they are friends of or fake accounts. Don't waste time or money here.
• SS

  Sonya Smith

  Sep 5, 2026
  5.0
  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had such a great first experience at The Ritz on Union in Schenectady! From the beautiful décor to the food, drinks, and service, everything made for a wonderful evening. I started with the calamari, which was delicious. I especially loved the nice touch of the balsamic drizzle with marinara on the side. For my entrée, I had the pappardelle pasta with short rib ragù definitely a dish I would order again. And, of course, the zeppolis for dessert! The cocktails were also a highlight. If you enjoy prosecco, definitely try the Blossom Prosecco cocktail. 🥂🌸 What really stood out was the hospitality. Anthony, the owner, personally came over to every table and made sure we were enjoying ourselves. Since it was our first visit, that extra effort made us feel especially welcomed. Diana was our server and, although she was new, she was attentive, sweet, and took great care of us throughout the evening. I also appreciated seeing so many gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options on the menu, making it a great choice for groups with different dietary preferences. Great food, beautiful atmosphere, excellent drinks, and genuinely welcoming service. We will definitely be back! 🫶🏾
• JB

  J B

  Sep 2, 2026
  1.0
  Never have I ever felt the need to walk out of a restaurant before tonight. Nice enough to not try to charge for a meal that nobody liked, though we should have walked before we ordered, as there were plenty of red flags. No direction with the menu or the aesthetic, chintzy decor/furniture, a near empty restaurant (admittedly it was a Wednesday night), and a weird "bar special" where you apparently had to sit at the bar exclusively, to get some kind of deal on drinks, which I've never heard of before at any other establishment. The Food: COLD cheese on a hot pasta dish, which was at a premium, on sugary sweet pasta, bone-dry chicken, canned ingredients, and not a spice to be had. Somehow they even managed to mess up mashed potatoes? Had zero flavor. Even the crushed red pepper was bland. Not one item on either of our dishes has an ounce of flavor to it. Everything was bland and disappointing. Even our drinks were less than stellar. The best thing was the butter that was served with the SINGLE complimentary roll we received. Yes, they actually only gave us ONE. Our server was nice, and we felt terrible about the entire experience, but at $30 and $37, those dishes definitely did not reflect the value. We also felt it was weird that the manager did not come out to the table to address any of it and instead let our server -- who was obviously still new -- handle the entire situation. She was apologetic and sincere, but it's very unprofessional on the manager's part to *not* address a customer complaint directly. After seeing other reviews on here stating similiar issues, I would venture to say that this is the norm and not just an off night. Extremely disappointed, as we were there for a special occasion and really wanted to like it. Will not be returning, nor will we recommend this place to anyone.

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