Delaware Trolley House & Cafe

Albany has a lot of coffee shops, but not really any that make you want to sit down with a book and spend hours there. They are either too loud, too trying to be a restaurant or in a serious lack of carpet, low lighting and armchairs.
Delaware isn’t that place, but for me it comes closer than any other coffee shop in the area.
First, the coffee is really good. Nothing fancy, but there are always a couple of roasts, it’s warm and served in a real mug.
Second, there are a variety of seating options from tables, booths, stools, couches and chairs. Whether you’re reading or working, you can find a spot to fit your needs. Also, in all my visits, I’ve never had an issue with it being too loud.
Would love to see it made a little warmer with some floor lamps, rugs and curtains. I haven’t tried the food, but they offer bagels, pastries and sandwiches.

This coffee shop blends hipster cool with down-​to-​earth pragmatism. All of the baristas during my visit had the best 1890’s outfits, down to the handlebar mustache, suspenders, and fedora hats, even by the female barista. However, they were all courteous and busy, no slackers, holier-​than-​thou types. I was pleasantly surprised at the variety of cookies, scones, quick breads, muffins, and cinnamon rolls, as well as, the offering of milk alternatives of soy and almond milk. I chose a day-​old scone and mocha with almond milk.
My mocha was sweetened already by the smooth dutch chocolate used and had a pleasant amount of foam on top. My barista offered whip cream but turned out they were out… I appreciated the thought however. The mocha was very smooth, no bitter chocolate bite nor acrid coffee taste. I actually forget I’d ordered almond milk until I was ready to write this review. That speaks well of the creamy deliciousness of my beverage! Yum. My scone was good as well, despite coming from the day-​old pile.
The café is located next to the ever-​popular Spectrum Theater and the café itself is actually quite small with few chairs, tables, and stools. Since a movie had just concluded, there was no room when I was there to sit and quietly ponder life’s mysteries; although, if you had wished to stand and people watch there was plenty of people to watch. I noticed they had food and menu but I didn’t have a chance to study the offerings. On my way out, I did notice pleasant design touches of geometric orange coffee mugs and vintage metal footlockers.
I intend to visit this shop again in the morning sometime to see if the vibe is mellower and check out their tables and wi-​fi. Great place with lots of potential, and I am happy it is part of the Delaware neighborhood.

I like the interior more than tierra when it was there, although I still love tierra! The cappuccino was very good and well made, the guy serving me was friendly, and the shop was full of readers and people on dates (the usual for a coffee shop). I did not order any food but I’m looking forward to going back and trying a Greek egg and cheese breakfast sandwich

You know a place is great when they run out of bread before 1pm. The coffee here is fantastic as is the service! Walked in exhausted, walked out peppy with two coffees in my hands and a smile on my face.

I can already tell that I’m going to like Delaware Trolley House & Café more than Tierra Coffee Roasters. The interior is beautiful (love the reclaimed wood table and Victorian style chairs) and I find it to be a much more comfortable place to read a book or just sit and chill. The background music (jazz standards) was more appropriate for a coffee shop, too. The gentleman who served me was friendly and prepared my order quickly. I ordered a simple breakfast sandwich on a plain bagel, and it was excellent. The bagel was wonderfully tender but still had a crunch to it, and the ingredients worked well together (egg, feta, spinach, balsamic). Best of all, it was only $ 4 and change. My complaints are few, but worth mentioning nonetheless: the food menu does not include prices, and I had to ask what each sandwich cost, and what extra toppings would cost. Second, they were out of an ingredient that I sorely wanted on this Mediterranean sandwich: roasted red peppers. I opted for tomatoes instead. I wasn’t told the topping had been 86’d until after I’d paid, so I wasn’t able to get a refund (if I was even charged extra — I’m still not clear on that!) These are minor grievances, however, and I intend to return to try other food items, as well as their coffee. Welcome to the neighborhood, DTH&C!

Delaware Trolley House and Café:
Space: A–
Decent room, not terribly large but cozy and clean. Awkward ordering counter with no room for a line to form. Pleasant music and lots of natural light.
Food: B+
They did not have all of their options available when I went which seems unprofessional, but they were able to make what I ordered, though they only had one bagel left. The food was decent and I would certainly go back again for food, although it wasn’t made fresh it was just heated up (kind of like uncommon grounds). Not as good as uncommon grounds or tierra (which is always fresh) food.
Coffee: B–
The barista didn’t know where the beans came from or what roast level they were. Served from a pump carafe which I hate bc it means the coffee could have been made 3 hours ago. Taste is weaker than coffee I like, but not burnt, so that’s a plus. Only other option for coffee other than drip coffee is french press which costs $ 6. Coffee certainly isn’t the highlight of this place imo.
Staff: B–
The guy was friendly enough, but caught up in a conversation with another customer while taking my order. Didn’t take my entire order, just the sandwich and stepped away to make it, which left me waiting at the counter for an awkward amount of time. He should have taken my full order then given me my coffee and called me up when the sandwich was done. He also looked unkempt in general, which idk why but is a turnoff in terms of the feel of the place. Didn’t have any knowledge of the beans.
Overall: B.
I’ll go back. It’s conveniently located to my house and had decent hours. If it wasn’t close to where I live I would probably not go out of my way to go. Reminds me of a cleaner and brighter Daily Grind.