Cafe Lark

The pizza here is pretty good I usually get a sub there which is one of my favorites here. Some things are kind of dry such as bread which kind of disappoints me. Other food here is good so would go back

Located just down the street from my good friend Chris B, Café Lark is often my go-​to choice when I want a slice of pizza or breakfast sandwich, but don’t want to go very far. Pizza is naturally a delicious food and they do it well. Sure, I love a good wood-​fired pie, fancy margarita with fresh basil, or a nice deep dish from time to time, but, when you want a good variety of toppings to choose from and a hot, fresh slice, Café Lark will you do no wrong.
Even though it’s open late, Café Lark is also a good place for breakfast. During the warmer months, I’m especially a fan of the iced coffee, which they serve with ice cubes made from coffee, so your coffee doesn’t get watered down as it melts. Great idea, Café Lark! And that is why you’ll always have my business above that Gonuts place that’s supposed to have decent coffee down the street.

Let’s just say this is my first bad review since I don’t ever care to bash a local business. BUT do not order delivery from here, no matter how lazy you feel. I ordered too egg sandwiches and they came without eggs. No big deal right. I called and reordered… 2 hours (from the time I first placed an order) later, I get a to go box with two cold eggs (not even the way I ordered). I hate to sound like a snob but who’s idea was that? It was a little absurb. I called and they didn’t refund my order. Moral of the story– don’t waste your time and go somewhere else.

If I could give 3.5 stars I would. I tried a cheese slice, chicken and broccoli slice and garlic knots. Cheese slice tasted kind of weird, not like a normal cheese slice. The chicken and broccoli was pretty good, the chicken didn’t taste like cardboard like some other pizza shops. The garlic knots were nothing special, and they were served with cold marinara which I would’ve preferred warm/​hot. There seemed to be a good variety of slices, but the staff didn’t seem to be able to handle the large crowds coming in from Larkfest. The patio is nice outside, but I think if I’m in the area I will stick to SOHO.

Best slice in Center Square! Glad to have found pizza in Albany that tastes delicious when sober. Great breakfast sandwiches and coffee, why go to DD when this place is right across the street? Friendly staff. And their back patio is great in the summer!

While I haven’t tried everything, I can assure you that this is the best breakfast sandwhich on Lark Street. I live here and have pretty much sampled everywhere that looked clean. Their iced coffee has frozen coffee ice cubes in it and they have soy milk, which is great for me.
I’m actually completely shocked by the low reviews. My guess is that a lot of people stumble in here late at night from the bars and are mad that 2 am pizza isn’t fresh. Also, I’ve only had good service here and everyone is friendly.
I would suggest a visit during the day when EVERYTHING is fresh (like my made-​to-​order eggs) and then base an opinion on that. I’m a Long Island transplant and have searched vigorously for bagels that aren’t gross chunks of cardboard. The ones here are fresh and taste like the ones down the block in my hometown, which I have yet to find anywhere else. I’ll admit I haven’t sampled everything, but what I have tried during the day was amazing. All at the same price as plastic eggs across the street at Dunkin.

‘forgot’ the garlic knots :(but food that was delivered was fine

«Missing the Mark on Lark»
by Josh K.
I was next door having a happy hour pint at Lionheart a few Fridays ago; when suddenly, the hunger pang awoke with monstrous rigor. Needing something fast and filling, I decided to go next door to the newly opened Café Lark and check it out.
Walking in to the tiny café that used to occupy many a former tiny café, I can’t help but to think that this tiny café will soon become yet another tiny former café.
I glance down at the almost barren selection of stale, hours old slices; perhaps six slices in total — for a ridiculous three dollars a slice.
Me: Any fresh slices?
Server: None.
Me: Anything in the oven?
Server: Nope.
Me: Are you planning to make some more?
Server: No.
Me: I guess I will take a slice of cheese then.
Server: We don’t have any cheese slices.
Me: Okay then. I will take whatever is most fresh.
Server: I couldn’t tell you.
Me: You do know that this isn’t the way to keep customers?
Server: Probably not.
Needless to say, my stale «specialty» slice was not so special.

Guys. Try the iced coffee. You’ll never want to go anywhere else. It has coffee ice cubes!!!

Extremely convenient location but their food is subpar. My tomato soup is too chunky to be called soup and my sub is doused in dressing to the point I can’t even pick it up. Sloppy preparation, extremely convenient and fast though.

I’d heard mixed reviews about this place so I wasn’t in a rush to try it, despite the fact that it’s very convenient for me. I was treated to their pizza this week and it was terrible. The crust was probably the blandest I’ve ever tasted. A good flavorful crust is one of my favorite parts of a pizza, but this was limp and tasteless. The globs of sauce were also very flavorless. Bland, barely seasoned… at least the sauce wasn’t sickenly sweet. Cheese was mild, a bit too rubbery. The shreds of basil were the best part. I didn’t even bother with the second slice and those thick, dull sausage slices on it weren’t exactly inviting.

Large slices of pizza, decent little burger (like the kind you would get at a fair/​festival), and a spacious courtyard with seating in the back

I stopped in once and had an egg and cheese bagel from this place on another occasion. We tried a slice of the breakfast pizza (scrambled egg, cheese and bacon), which was surprisingly pretty solid. Definitely different, and I’d return for that alone. The egg and cheese bagel was good and fresh, and not microwaved, which seems to be the norm in this town, yuck. Otherwise their other breakfast options are the usual… bagel sandwiches, muffins, pastries, coffee. We chatted with the owner while he was preparing our food and he seems pretty friendly. This place definitely beats DD across the street, and they’re on the same price point. I hope they continue to expand. It would be nice to have another brunch place in the neighborhood. I think they’re working out the kinks of their new business, but I look forward to returning to see how they evolve.

Excellent breakfast sandwich and pizza.