Crave Burgers + Frozen Yogurt

Don’t leave this place just to the college kids, because it is truly for all discerning palates who appreciate a creative approach to the art of making burgers.
But I have to say, the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich is the best chicken sandwich I’ve had. That’s saying something. I take pictures of it before I eat it to Memorialize the occasion. Crisp, succulent, perfect.
Truffle fries yes – split them with your friends.
It’s fantastic to have a place this good near the park and downtown.

I had the truffle burger and it was delicious; the best burger I’ve had in a long time. The burgers don’t come with fries so if you want some make sure to include that in your order (the gentleman who took our order didn’t ask if we wanted «fries with that»).
The yogurt is soft self-​served and was good; the same as any of the self-​serve yogurt places you find.

I’m feeling very conflicted as I write this review.
It’s not that I didn’t like the Sorta Torta burger I had at Crave. In fact, I thought the flavors were great. But here’s my analogy: Imagine you go to a modern Italian restaurant and order the spaghetti and meatballs. Your plate arrives, and it sort of resembles spaghetti and meatballs… but it’s served in a bowl, bathed in broth, and with some unexpected ingredients; a handful of sprouts and green onions. You dig in and taste the distinct flavors of ginger, cinnamon, cilantro, and lime. And it’s delicious, but you realize it doesn’t taste like spaghetti and meatballs at all; in fact, it tastes like… Phở. It includes noodles and beef like you hoped, but the added ingredients come in such large quantities that they overwhelm the dish and completely change its identity. Weird, right?
So, although I left Crave feeling like I hadn’t really eaten a burger, maybe I need to reframe my thoughts about what a hamburger should be. I had a decent experience and would be happy to go back to try some other items on the menu. I may not go when I’m Craving a burger, though.

I visited Crave on the recommendation of NUMEROUS other people. I may have had my expectations set too high– because Crave left me feeling meh.
Burgers are this joint’s thing. I think its relatively easy to make a good burger but really hard to make a great burger. I am a bit of a purist, but I almost always try to order off the menu because someone has put together the menu items and they are supposed to represent what sets a restaurant apart or makes its’ name.
I ordered Craves’ bacon cheeseburger. Had I not seen it and held it my taste buds might have failed to determine definitively that I was, in fact, eating a burger. There is something about the sauce that overpowered the burger and took much of the essence of burger away from my meal. I know what a burger tastes like, or in this case, is supposed to taste like. I was very disappointed. It was, however, cooked to my liking, which is more than I can say for a lot of other places
On a positive note, I also ordered a side of Oaxacan wings. These were the saving grace of my meal. In fact, these were good enough to make me give this place a second try some day. Had I only ordered the burger and stole some of my wife’s truffle fries (I only ate three — by choice rather than force) there would be zero chance of me returning.
Overall, if you want to have a burger and have absolutely no desire for it to taste like a burger this may be the place for you.

Contrary to some reviews, this place has a stool seating as well as seating tables in a room to the left of the counter, cooler temperature that can seat groups, looks cozy and divey at the same time. They have a restroom that clean, and table service (after you place your order at the counter)
1^st attempt, their Crave Burger (basic) and their Truffle Fries. My impression was the food is mediocre. However the menu is big and this was the first attempt. So I had my burger patty not a skillet temperature but rather near room temperature. I believe they made my burger (medium rare) and let it sit until the fries got ready! I can’t explain it another way! The next time I visited I asked them to serve whatever is ready first, guess what? I got the burger and 3 – 5 mins later I got the fries.
Either way, the crave burger had their signature sauce on it which tasted more sour/​acidic (different) rather than a wow sauce, it was not generous either. The presentation was much better than the quality of the burger. There was no «unique» flavor that will call me to crave more or visit again. The pattie had no special flavor to it! I can only think shake shack and their tasty burgers. Also the fries were salty (I had the Truffle Fries), and abit oily. I needed ketchup to go through half of them, which isn’t a good sign. The portion was alright for 5.95 fries.
The 2^nd attempt, also had their buttermilk fried chicken sandwich. The chicken was cooked perfection, it comes with homemade chips. The problem again the saltiness persisted even this time and their sauce that was on the meat was a disqualifier! They have potential but they mix acid/​chicken, with acid sauce, you need to reevaluate the menu yourself reading the ingridents and select a safe choice!
3^rd attempt, I had the blue and crispy burger with mozzarella cheesy fries (upon request), the was impressive, yummy and worth trying. I was not disappointed like the previous few times.
Overall, there are good and not so good choices in the menu, which is not supposed to be the case in any burger joint. Will visit again and try other items.

First time at Crave because my wife was CRAVING a burger and it certainly won’t be our last. I was going to get the crave burger until I realized the cheeseburger was the same thing with cheese added. We each had a cheeseburger and shared crave fries. We asked for our burgers medium and they came out perfectly cooked. The crave fries had bacon, avocado, melted cheese, crave sauce and a few banana peppers. Delicious!
The price was reasonable. Between the two burgers, fries and a Coke we spent $ 26 and change.
Wait… I just looked up the menu online. The burgers were $ 7.25 each x2 = $ 14.50. The fries were $ 5.50. Total is $ 20 + tax at 8% = $ 1.60
So $ 21.60 for the food. That means our 12 or 16oz bottle of Coke was $ 5. Ok $ 4 something + tax.
Love the food but skipping a drink next time. Haha. Just changed my rating from 5 stars to 4.
I’ll still return and I’m going with the Black and Blue burger.

Best quick burger in Albany! I suggest this place over five guys, pepper jacks and other burger joints! They have a variety of meats to choose from (beef, lamb, sausage, veggie, shrimp). Each burger is made to order so it comes out nice and fresh! Not only are the burgers flavorful but also GIGANTIC! Definitely worth coming to over and over… and over again. They also have a gluten free bun! Yum! #whatdoyoucrave

Very impressed. Being somewhat of a local and a UAlbany Alumni I’ve seen this exact location change quiet a few times. From pizza, to chicken to nothing and now Crave. My first impression when I saw them building it was «ohh what are they going to put in there now that’ll last 6 months to a year?»
But after seeing reviews and finally going in to try there food. I can happily say that crave is here to stay and if they don’t they’ll be moving to a larger location.
I was very impressed by the food. I ordered the Bacon Cheese Burger — no onions add avocado and a side of fries (total $ 14)
Wow! Just delicious — this is the kind of burger place I’ve been looking for, especially for this area. I would have taken a picture to go along with this write up but I literally couldn’t put it down once I took my first bite and ended up devouring it in about 3 min. The fries that came along with it, although not a large amount (compared to Five Guys) were cooked perfectly and also very good. The crave sauce was excellent.
As far as the place itself. It holds host to a large selection of burgers, but they also have sandwiches, salads and a wide variety of yogurts. Seems like a good location, seeing as the Saint Rose and UAlbany downtown campuses are within walking distance.
I’d highly recommend checking this place out. Best burgers I’ve had in Albany thus far. So if you like burgers, you’ll like crave.

Very impressed! I definitely think this is a top contender for best new burger joint in the area, considering they’ve been popping up all over the place and seem to be a dime a dozen as of late.
Met my sister and fellow Unilocal Elite for lunch this afternoon, and we both enjoyed what we selected. We both opted for different burger variations, since «Burger» is in their name, they should at least get those right, and they definitely did. My sister got a regular cheeseburger, and I opted for the southerner burger, which was topped with bacon, scallions, fried green tomato, pimento cheese, and buttermilk ranch. I have actually never eaten pimento (gasp!), so I played it safe and swapped it for cheddar instead.
The burgers were delivered to our table, and we were both shocked at how big they were. Most of the newer burger joints (who will not be named!) provide you with a smaller «gourmet» burger that leaves a little something to be desired, aka needing more food after you’re done eating. Not at Crave. The burgers were so filling. And flavorful. And juicy. I could go on… I initially wished we had gotten an order of fries to split, but I was already satisfied enough after the burger.
The restaurant wasn’t overly packed, which was nice. The service was pleasant, and efficient, we were in and out in maybe 20 minutes. While these burgers are on the pricier side, I don’t mind paying a little bit more to truly be satisfied with a meal, and I was!
I can’t wait to go back and try some of their other offerings. I actually just stalked their website and saw that they have online ordering and delivery, so there’s that too…

Upgrading Crave to 5 stars after eating what was truly a mind blowing burger! I ventured out of my comfort zone and ordered the Curry Burger, made with a lamb patty and topped with cucumber, bean sprouts, cilantro, toasted coconut, and a red curry/​lime mayo. It was seasoned perfectly and was wonderfully flavorful — a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy. The ingredients really worked well together. My favorite part was that the cucumber/​sprouts gave each bite a satisfying crunch. Oh, did I gobble it up. I split a basket of regular fries with my husband and left perfectly stuffed. I was happy to pay $ 12 for such a well made, unique burger. I’m crazy for Crave!

Crave’s location has been inhabited by many businesses throughout the years. The past has seen restaurants of all kinds set up shop at the corner of Western and Quail, but none seemed to posses the staying power to be successful. The businesses that came before Crave never seemed to capture the interest of the immediate neighborhood and certainly not the greater Capital Region. Frequently thought of as a student neighborhood and mostly forgotten by those that do not fall in that category, whatever sits at this particular corner needs to have the drawing power necessary to bring in customers from all corners of our city.
The first major points awarded to Crave are based on the fact that they deliver and they are on Grubhub. You will no longer be imprisoned by the classic pizza vs Chinese take-​out debate. Having the option to branch-​out into another culinary direction in the take-​out/​delivery game is a truly welcomed change. It took roughly 50-​minutes for our food to arrive after ordering at about 5:45pm. I found this to be fair, considering the preparation of our food would logically take longer than a pizza or noodles.
For our meal, we ordered a few things. I ordered the BBQ burger. The medium-​cooked patty came sitting on nice, soft bun and topped with pulled pork, onion rings, bread and butter pickles, cheddar cheese, and a chipotle bbq sauce. I found this burger to be delicious, although really heavy. But, what did I expect when I knowingly topped my burger with pulled pork? Despite this, I found the burger to be cooked well and had a nice, peppery char to it. My wife had the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, which came with homemade chips. This sandwich was delicious on every level. The chicken was seasoned and fried to perfection. It wasn’t greasy and had an excellent crunch to it. We rounded out our order with loaded crave fries — french fries topped with avocado, tomato, banana peppers, scallion, bacon, cheese sauce, and crave sauce. I really enjoyed the signature Crave Sauce. It’s very similar to a thousand-​island dressing, but much thinner. It’s a classic taste and pairs well with all manner of burgers and fries.
If you’re looking to make a New Year’s Resolution in a couple weeks, you probably want to stop at Crave soon. This is not the kind of place that will promote a beach-​ready appearance next summer. This is a burger shop in all of it’s indulgent glory. Sometimes, all you need is an order of burger and fries. Nothing else will do. When that time comes, be sure to make Crave your destination.

Ate here for the first time. Tried the buttermilk chicken sandwich and French fries with garlic dipping sauce and sriracha dipping sauce. The place is quite nice inside. It has a long window bar with stools for eating in or to sit while while you wait to take out. It seemed to take longer than it should have to get our to go order especially considering it wasn’t very busy at the time of our visit so we used those stools while we waited.
The chicken was crispy and seemed hand battered. The bun was nice and soft. The fries were pretty normal. I was really excited about the dipping sauces for the fries but they did not impress. The garlic one was super strong and the sriracha sauce was very weak not spicy at all. I would try Crave again to see how the burgers and frozen yogurt are but if I am in the mood for fries with awesome sauces for dipping I would go to the merry monk. I think they do the dips best.
**UPDATED REVIEW ON 12/​12/​15**
After a heated debate over who has the best burgers bun and bean or crave with a friend group squarely divided I promised a friend I would visit Crave again. This visit we dined in and although it’s stools at a bar I think it’s really comfortable and a nice place to dine in.
My husband and I shared the sorta torta and loaded crave fry. The burger was great. I’ve had fried jalapeños before but these were super crunchy and were liberally seasoned. Quite excellent. The black bean spread gave the burger a unique flavor twist I really enjoyed. The frys were truly loaded with avocado, tomato, scallions, real bacon, crave sauce and cheese. They were heart attack good :) but seems like for so many fresh ingredients they could upgrade the cheese sauce to real melted cheese verses the traditional yellow cheese sauce. That would take these over the top.
My previous visit felt «three star» but this visit was a solid «four star.» We really enjoyed the food. The menu has so many unique burger and fry options its just very creative. I’ll be back to try some other items sometime soon. Good job Crave!

Wow!!! In the Albany area this burger place rocks. The best around I’ve tried.
I started with the Truffle Burger (picture enclosed), medium that was cooked to perfection, had a great flavor, and was flowing with juice, it was sure like a 5 napkin burger. A little messy but sure worth the great taste.
My son had the breakfast burger (pix attached), cooked medium and enjoyed it just as much as I enjoyed mine and he said «How Do They Do It!!!»
With our delicious burgers we enjoyed the delicious loaded sweet potato fries.
Good thing I don’t live in Albany anymore or I would be at this place on the daily. I was thinking about ordering from work (Albany) but I think their burgers should or have to be eaten right away when it’s done being cooked to get the most from the experience.

Came here with a couple of friends for lunch.
Order at the counter, a waitress brings it. Can’t remember if she brought drinks too…
The wait is just long enough to have you start to wonder, but that’s how long it takes to get a burger this good! I had the French Onion, which was stuffed with provolone, had a parm crisp and caramelized onions and an au jus … read the menu… there’s lots of tasty bits here & I’ll defenitely be back.
Parking was a hastle, due to roadwork, I hope.
1 star missing due to price. There are definitely more options here than at my favorite burger place (Juicy Burgers & more)… their ‘burger for the price’ ratio is hard to beat.

It’s a wet wipe kind of burger. Our burgers were cooked a ideal «medium». The meat was juicy and flavorful. The bun was toasted well and the toppings tasted fresh.
The burgers are good, possibly great.
So why a «3»?
1. The crave sauce isn’t necessary. The base most likely comes from one of those creamy peachy-​orange salad dressings (Russian and/​or Thousand Island) with some «secret» spices, ketchup, sauces and etc. The sauce doesn’t add another depth to the already delicious burger. For a signature sauce, it’s irrelevant.
2. The first time I went to Crave, my order of fries were cold. This time, the fries this time were hotter and tasted better. The truffle fries were sauced appropriately and the cheese added a touch more salt to the fries.
However, the portion of the fries seems on the smaller side of what a majority of the niche burger places offer (Smashburger, Burger Fi, Burger 21 and etc.) which can be an issue depending on how many fries you want to eat. If It’s going to be smaller, every fry should be hot, delicious and crispy.
How to get the «4» + experience here:
–If doing the crave burger/​cheeseburger, ask for the crave sauce on the side to control how much you would like on your burger.
–Eat in. All of the food would be better directly from kitchen to mouth.
Crave is so close to a 4. The other protein burger offerings will bring me back to try Crave again. Maybe next time I’ll have enough room for frozen yogurt!

A burger place that does froyo too? What? It’s a 5 min walk from my place, so why not?
I only had the chance to try a breakfast burger, so I cannot comment on the yogurt (yet). My burger came out on a metal tray with red paper underneath and no extra garnishing or decoration. It’s how I like my burgers — unpretentious and accessible. I took a look at the thing and appreciated the fried over easy egg that was about to burst forth yolky goodness, and then I popped it before taking a bite. It was a messy lunch and many napkins sacrificed their lives for the cause. The burger also had bacon cooked crispy, a McDonalds-​style hash brown, and a nicely sized beef patty. This burger is definitely a recommended item! That said, I wouldn’t call this place cheap, as my burger came out to over $ 10 with tax, but the quality of the food more than makes up for the cost.
As for the service, the staff were friendly and food came out in a decent amount of time. I didn’t have trouble with understanding the menu or deciding on just one burger, but it felt like they would have been patient with me. The inside is nice and looks out onto Quail St. At this moment there is a bunch of street construction, so when you get here, watch your step! I would definitely come back here to check out the Upstate burger and perhaps splurge on the truffle fries and yogurt.

Where do I start? Let me start by simply saying both my wife and I were more than pleased with our choice of burgers that we ordered.
Crave has only been open for about a week as of this point, but I’m sure it’s going to be quite popular, not just with the local collage kids, but with anyone who appreciates a tasty and juicy burger. In addition to the «build your own burger» with either beef, or lamb, or turkey, or sausage, or veggie, there are 21 different gourmet variations that the kitchen has already designed to please your taste buds.
Just for example, there’s the Sorta Torta ($ 9.75) — cumin seed crusted, avocado, cotija cheese, fried jalapeño, pickled onion, cilantro, and black bean spread. And who would want to pass up having a Breakfast Burger ($ 9.95) knowing that the beef patty is coffee rubbed and it comes with a fried egg, maple glazed bacon, American cheese, and hash browns on an English muffin. Of course, let’s not overlook the Kung Pao Shrimp burger ($ 10.50) where the shrimp patty is made with scallions and edamame, topped with a carrot peanut and celery slaw, and further topped with a ginger chili glaze.
My wife’s attention was drawn to The Upstate ($ 8.95), a fennel sausage patty with Utica greens, prosciutto crisp, banana peppers, provolone, and a cherry pepper aioli. The sausage was nice and juicy and the flavors all melded beautifully.
I had my heart set on one of the lamb burgers so I went with the Curry ($ 11.95) — the patty is topped with cucumber, bean sprouts, cilantro, toasted coconut, and red curry lime mayo. Man, that was good. Even juicier than my wife’s burger, less salty without her prosciutto, and with the added texture of the sprouts and toasted coconut, it was a textured treat. When I say our burgers were juicy, I mean deliciously dripping onto the paper liner of the serving tray. My wife does not care for the flavor of lamb but when she tasted my burger she agreed that the curry lime mayo and the coconut blended well with the lamb and made it palatable for her.
The menu indicates that a regular order of French Fries can be added to any burger order for $ 2.50. Otherwise, a side order of fries would be $ 3.50. Crave also offers a variety of French Fry specialties. Loaded Fries ($ 5.50) come with tomato, scallion, banana pepper, bacon, avocado, cheese sauce, and Crave sauce. As if that wasn’t enough, you can also choose such specialties as Buffalo Fries ($ 4.50), Chili Cheese Fries ($ 4.95), Fiesta Fries ($ 5.50), and Loaded Sweet Potato Fries ($ 5.75).
We had decided to share an order of Truffle Fries ($ 5.50), and believe me, a basket of their fries should be more than enough to serve two people if you’re also having burgers. Our Truffle fries were sprinkled with truffle oil, rosemary, Parmesan, and truffle aioli. They were nice and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, just like properly cooked fries should be.
Crave is not just about burgers and fries. They also have a variety of dressed Hot Dogs, Sandwiches, Salads, Snacks, Wings, and Frozen Yogurt with 8 rotating flavors and 42 toppings. Orders are placed at the counter and your order is brought to your table. Typical to a fast food establishment, there is no wait staff service. But this is far from fast food burger fare!

Thanks to my fellow Unilocaler Steve N. for tipping me off about this place. Another burger establishment to add to the growing list of better, burger places in the capital region. This place will not disappoint.
Gourmet burger for the hipster millennial would be my tag line for this place.
Their menu includes beef, sausage, pork, turkey, and veggie to accommodate just about anyone’s dietary preferences.
I ordered the sausage, fennel and broccoli rabe burger which may be the best burger I’ve had in the Capital Region to date (sorry Cheese Traveler, a close second). It is full of flavor, savory, and moist. My husband got the Sorta Torta that was also very good but couldn’t live up to my sausage and fennel burger.
As if we weren’t already inhaling enough calories, we also ordered the fiesta fries which boasted avocado, pickled onion, cilantro, tomato, and black bean. Really phenomenal and the pickled onion tasted sweet which balanced the flavors beautifully. The fries themselves were crispy, not soggy, and were flavorful.
I couldn’t come to a burger and fro-​yo place without trying the fro-​yo. It was solid. What will have you coming back here will be the burgers… amazing.

This burger/​fro-​yo hybrid is so new I wasn’t even sure it was open as we walked up. Maybe it was because there was a huge ditch in the sidewalk in front of it– all part of the deconstructed, not trying too hard, pseudo-​slummin’ it hipster-​chic look. Regardless, I’m very psyched to add this to my options for a good turkey burger, actually a great turkey burger!
This place gives me the vibe that my turkey was massaged, named and went through rigorous cross fit training in order to make the cut. And let’s face it, in this day and age if that weren’t the case you’d have to question whether they were well adjusted enough for consumption. (I’m sure the same goes for the cows.)
Most importantly, the food was delicious. My turkey burger had an incredibly flavorful patty and I was able to get their Truffle burger with a turkey patty– always a win in my book. The truffle sauce and mushrooms were delicately balanced by a touch of the sweet red wine truffle glaze and bun. We came with a party of 7 and everyone’s food looked delicious. The hubster had the breakfast burger– ambitious to say the least. Just read the description and you’ll see how this can tide you over for like 3 days and buy you a significant bump in your cholesterol. The cheese fries were simple, but good.
Others in our party tried the Sicilian (lamb), the black and blue and the fiesta fries. All were satisfied with their meals and their food looked delicious.
I didn’t fully partake in the fro-​yo experience but they were kind with their samples and while it won’t be my go-​to fro-​yo, it was fine. It’s nice that they offer it at least for convenience. I don’t think this is «just another burger joint” — it’s a great addition to the hip burger options in Albany. Because let’s face it, if your consuming ~1,000 cals in one sitting, you might as well do it in style.

Another day, another new burger shop. Crave joins a growing list of better burger joints in the greater Albany area.
And it’s a good one.
Crave sells much more than burgers. They have frozen yogurt, wings, sandwiches, hot dogs, and salads as well as some interesting sides like fried green tomatoes. Burgers take top billing in their name, and on the menu though, and they have just short of two dozen different house burgers, which includes veggie, turkey and lamb burgers. You can also build a custom burger from a copious amount of topping choices and have it your way (to borrow a phrase).
I ordered the Cheeseburger and added banana peppers with a side of fries.
The burger I had was very solid. All the toppings were fresh and of high quality, and the beef patty itself is just the right size. It was juicy and tender, and had a fair amount of char, which I could taste – I liked that. The sandwich as a whole was delicious. I have no complaints.
My guess is the toppings is where Crave is going to shine. The beef patty, as I said was solid, and tasty, but pretty standard in relation to other ‘better burger’ joints. Some of those nearly two dozen burger combinations look very creative, and on my next visit I’ll skip the basic cheeseburger and go for something more interesting.
My fries also were very good. They looked frozen to me and I was disappointed they weren’t fresh cut, but I liked them. They were very crispy and they stayed crispy right up until the last bite. They were salted just right too.
There’s so much here to try, you could come back once a week for months, and not eat it all. If the rest of the food is as good as my burger and fries, Crave is going to do a killer business. The college crowd especially is going to love it. But you don’t have to be a college kid to appreciate Crave. I’m well past my college years and I can see myself stopping in from time to time to satisfy a craving for a meaty treat.