Green Iguana Bistro

We were passing through Schoharie County and stopped by on a recommendation from a friend, and we are glad we did!
The portions were excellent, almost too much, and everyone really enjoyed their meal. My husband and his brother got burgers, which they enjoyed. My sister in law got a great looking turkey club and I had the four cheese grilled cheese. The onion rings were fantastic, and I was sad that I left behind what I couldn’t finish.
What a great find!
Someone mentioned parking was an issue, and we were also confused, so my only advice is to add signage that directs customers to the lot.

Just moved to the area from Buffalo, NY, so my expectations are pretty high as my husband and I haven’t found any restaurant we really like in the Schoharie/​Albany area. We visited the Green Iguana this past week and were very impressed. The restaurant has a really great atmosphere and I liked how bright and open it felt. The menu had a great selection and the staff was really friendly and attentive. My husband ordered the green iguana burger and I ordered the quesadilla burger, which was the special for that evening, and we also ordered the loaded onion rings. Everything tasted great, but I think the onion rings were left in the fryer a bit long and came out a bit more greasy than they should have and I wish my burger had more avocado on it. Other than that everything was delicious and we’ll be back again!

I wanted to update my review of the Green Iguana Bistro. Still love the place. Food is consistently good. But it’s wise to make a reservation on weekends, as it gets very busy. We were walk-​ins a few weeks ago and got seated in an alcove just outside the kitchen door. Wasn’t much of an issue for us though. Our server was super pleasant. However, she got our orders wrong. My husband got Tomato Basil Soup instead of the Cheese and Bacon Soup. This turned out to be a good thing, as the Tomato Basil Soup was outstanding! I ordered my Eggplant Burger over salad greens instead of a bun, but I got the bun. Not a big deal for me, just didn’t eat the bun.
This update is just meant to alert you to the fact that things can go awry when it’s super busy. Thank goodness the quality of the food is never affected.

Best lunch I’ve had in a while. The Boston burger was to die for I had lemonade that was home made an perfectly sweetened

Having witnessed the Middleburgh scene over the past 4 decades (you should have seen it in the 70s), it’s really is great to have a place like the Green Iguana. Great burgers, my brother and I had the «Brooklyn», and onion rings. The staff is on their game, very attentive and helpful.

I’ve been here a few times. The atmosphere of the restaurant is cute but a little incongruous with the menu. The food is surprisingly good; I’ve ordered the burgers, for the most part. The Salmon burger FAR exceeded my expectations. It’s a solid piece of salmon (not ground up), with this amazing horseradish miso dressing, greens, and soft toasted bread. It’s become my go-​to… I order it every time. The one tip I have to offer is to sub out the fries for a salad — the fries leave much to be desired. They’re soggy and flavorless. The other burgers were good but the salmon burger is the way to go. It’s a caliber of food that I didn’t expect to find in Middleburgh, and rivals food at places I’ve been in NYC.

We have had both great meals and eh meals. We have learned not to go when they have just opened for the day as they are still working out the kinks and very slow. Later in the day we have had great experiences. They do have very unique burgers and the veggie options are great and homemade. The fish and chips is also very good.

Very delicious! Love the décor! Wait staff very lovely! We each had a different dish everything tasty. The burger of the month was a Booger Burger which had a crushed jalapeño sauce on it my dad cleaned his plate so I think it was a winner. We tried the pierogi appetizer they were great. I had a Ruben it was good but they were out of rye, but a huge sandwich, I chose coleslaw as a side. My mom had the Iguana burger it was fantastic. My cousin said her quesadilla was very good. She also tried the squash soup and liked it very much. They also have a nice selection of beer. Highly recommend this place!

Hamburger lunch there. A very long time befoe it arrived, though restaurant practically empty. Food greasy. Amateur night! Never again.

We stopped here in need of a good burger and this place gave us just that! We had the green iguana burger, one order of regular fries and one sweet potato fries. Both burgers and fries were absolutely delicious. Clean place, friendly people working there. Definitely recommend this place.

Our visit Began with ‘no parking’ signs out front… and no sign to suggest where to park. Locals would know that there is a lot «up the street» — essentially in the back of this building. We had no idea.
We Asked to be seated outside… ended up next to a table obviously used by staff/​owners on break… ashtrays filled with cigarettes that they quickly cleaned up. Sat down, waitress said she would be back with water. Traffic noise at lunch hour was very loud. Seemed that we were forgotten … So we went inside to ask for indoor seating.
Décor is fresh, clean and new. Music was a bit loud and music would be appropriate for a younger crowd happy hour. Not sure what the owners are communicating through the music selection and volume at lunch time. How many folks of that level of musical hipness are out eating lunch in this town is a question… are they heaping to attract that crowd?
Ordered beers– Stella’s. The glasses were less than full. These were, I think bottled beers, but the bottle was not served with the glass (if I order a bottle of wine in a restaurant, I get the bottle, and I cannot recall a time where I did not have a beer bottle served to me)… If they were draft, then they need to review how to pour a beer. Half a glass?
Husband Ordered a beef burger and I ordered the sweet potato burger. Husband enjoyed the burger. The sweet potato burger was heavy on the cinnamon and tasted way too dessert-​like. It was not hot. The bun was (reportedly a brioche bun on the menu) just plain, plain. No taste, no texture, did not contribute to the meal in a positive way.
Food was delivered to our table by a man from the kitchen, I think, who may have been the owner. Dressed in a printed t-​shirt, shorts and flip flops it was hard to tell… and less than impressive. Thought for a moment that Jimmy Buffet was in town. In this business, presentation is everything, which the owners seem to be aware of in the décor of the place. Attire counts, too.
Our wait person was sweet, but completely overwhelmed. The only wait person we saw, handling more than one dining room and the outdoor space as well. She was even bussing the tables… just too much for one person to handle.
I am sad to write this, I do not want people to turn away from this new restaurant, but there is much work to be done for it to run smoothly and satisfy the palate and appetite. Did I mention the wait time being very long?

The Green Iguana Bistro is a great addition to Middleburgh’s restaurant scene. The interior is well decorated with bright colors (orange and green against black and white) and modern scroll wallpaper, and there are fresh flowers at each table. For a small town bistro they have a good sized wine list, and the prices are reasonable. They also had a decent variety of beers, although my husband noted that they only have bottled beer. I don’t think that mattered too much, however.
We started with the black and blue sliders (you get 3), which were phenomenal. The burgers were well seasoned and the blue cheese sauce was hot and savory. And the pretzel buns! Love those pretzel buns. The cook on the burgers was well done, however, and we would have preferred them to be medium, which the menu states is the temperature they cook the meat to unless otherwise specified. But we gobbled them up just the same.
For my meal I ordered the salmon burger, which was excellent. It had a tasty teriyaki/​wasabi-​ginger sauce, although I didn’t taste any wasabi. It was really good, though, and the brioche bun was soft and light. The hand cut fries were great, too. My husband ordered the pulled pork sandwich, which he enjoyed. I tried his coleslaw and had to restrain myself from eating it all.
For 2 rounds of drinks, 1 app, 2 meals, and tax our check came to ~$ 60, which I think was fair considering how full we were, and how much we enjoyed everything we were served. And speaking of service — our waiter was excellent. He was very prompt and polite. I will definitely be back!

The hype behind Green Iguana in Middleburgh made my dinner more disappointing than I think it really was. I’ve been wanting to try this little place, and was interested to see how they turned what used to be my favorite old library into a bistro.
Right away the décor was unappetizing and the menu was overwhelming. I think there are too many choices, and they should narrow it down a bit to the ones that sell.
First, the service. It’s a small town, so if you’re from here, everybody knows everybody. That’s fine at most restaurants, but here it was an issue. We were trying to enjoy our meal but then one person, not sure if she’s the manager but she was wearing short shorts and a t-​shirt, came over and started talking to us. At first it was friendly, then it just became a nuisance as she stood around with awkward silences. She was there to talk, and we were there to eat. we couldn’t do both comfortably! I’ve been a waitress in this small town before, and it is possible to serve people you know while being both friendly and professional. Our waitress was running around crazy although it wasn’t very busy, which was off-​putting but she said all the right things seemingly from a practiced script. She was attentive, so we’ll give her points for that.
Now on to the important part, the food. There were three people in my party, and we all got burgers. I got the classic and added American cheese and bacon. In short, it was absolutely delicious and perfectly grilled. My boyfriend got the «Ship to Shore» which was huge and I’m not sure how he managed to eat it all, but he said it was really good. It came with pulled pork, grilled chicken, ham, bacon, and a couple shrimp, all on top of an 8 oz. burger. The other person in our party got the Green Iguana burger. I’m not sure of everything on it but I think the main thing was avocado, which he said he couldn’t really tell was on there but overall it was really good.
Now the reason for 3 stars isn’t just the service, but the French fries that come on the side. I know it might not be a big deal to some people, but having good crispy fries in between bites of burgers just completes my experience anywhere. I’m not sure if they had been sitting out of the fryer for awhile, but whatever they’re doing to them is BAD, they were so soggy no one really ate theirs. Time it better, make ‘em crispier, and add a little seasoning on top. Fries go with pretty much everything on the menu, I think it’d be worth their while to perfect that staple item.
Overall if you’re wanting a basic burger and fries, I’d go down Route 30 to Middleburgers. If you want a loaded burger with different combinations, head here. Not sure about the other things on the menu, but for a special night out (eating messy burgers?) Green Iguana is a good mix up of the Italian food available in Middleburgh.

So glad we finally made it here for dinner. The place is a real standout. The building has been restored and is just lovely with a great vibe… A fantastic addition to Schoharie county. We were welcomed warmly and promptly seated. (In addition to the dining areas, there is a small bar with a few stools.) We sat in a room with 4 other tables. The menu is more extensive than I expected — had hard time deciding what to order. Burgers (beef, salmon, veggie), salads, sandwiches, fish, crab, some tex-​mex options, etc., some appetizers and sides as well. We had a salmon burger, beef burger and pulled pork tacos, fries and onion rings. Everything was delicious. Our fries were crispy and very good. The beer battered onion rings were delicious. For dessert we ordered an apple crisp with ice cream and cheesecake with raspberry topping, both served in mason jars and were very good. And they have beer and wine — we had a glass of Malbec and Shiraz, both excellent. Highly recommend — looking forward to going back.

At the advice of a local, my wife and I went here for a light meal before our visit to Green Wolf Brewery, and we are so glad we did. We sat at the bar and our bartender, Carter, opened us each a local beer. We split the pretzel bites and ahi tuna salad. Each was excellent. The salad was a huge plate and we were glad we split it. The entire staff was excellent and very nice. Both an waitress and a manager took a few minutes to chat and tell us about the restaurant and its history. The interior was beautifully done, all the colors and accessories were spot on.

What a nice surprise in Middleburgh. Lovely décor, well deaigned by someone with a strong eye for design. The wait staff was super friendly and helpful. We both had the sweet potato burger. It was superb. Our new favorite in the area.

This new place, which the locals have been waiting for, finally had its soft opening not long ago as of this writing. We waited a few weeks before swinging by to try the fare. New eateries need to have the kinks smoothed out… as a number of issues can reveal themselves and take a bit of ingenuity, thinking, and execution to work out as the place begins to get its legs.
There are a few here at the Iguana that could use some attention, but also a number of good things.
Upon entering… the place is inviting and cozy, with a comfortable sitting area for guests to wait for a table. Dimly lit, there was an air of classic charm and old world ambiance. Loved it, that’s for sure. We were greeted immediately and shown to a four top in a separate room, chicly decorated with lime green wainscoting, black and white damask wallpaper, and black glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Urban chic here… not shabby chic. The room had an interesting odor, not food-​like to be sure, but maybe paint or wallpaper paste. It permeated our nostrils when we sat down, but as our noses got used to it, was less noticeable.
The menus were a single page, white type on a black background which, on each of our copies the ink was smeared. There was a faint logo on one side, kind of like a watermark, which was, I assume, the company who helped design the actual menu.
It took a while to get a server, almost 10 minutes. Fortunately that gave us time to study the menu and decide what we were ordering. She poured us some faintly cloudy tap water and took our order. Strangely, there was no upsell or offering of a beverage. Just take the order and run.
Almost 10 minutes more passes and our fried calamari appetizer came out. The squid was perfectly cooked, crispy but not chewy at all. A little salt was needed as there wasn’t any indication of it in the breading. The wasabi aioli was an afterthought that simply tasted like mayo with some wasabi mixed in. A little sesame oil and rice vinegar blended in would have brought the party to this dish!
We tried each of the vegan burgers, and both were underwhelming with seasoning and texture. The sweet potato burger had so many ingredients with bold flavors that the subtlety of the burger was completely lost. Again, no suggestion of salt to be tasted here. The flavors of cumin and cilantro dominated and overshadowed the apple onion chutney, too. With a mushy texture, I’d say the best part was the bun.
The eggplant burger didn’t fare any better in all of its blandness. Another mushy attempt as it was seemingly babaganouj scooped onto a flat top, flipped, and shimmied onto a bun. There were some other things on it, yes… but it was just bland. Salt, where were ye?
Onward with the texture misses, we now move on to the fresh cut fries. The flavor was that of a fresh potato, something that you just can’t get out of a bag of frozen fries… but they were just too soft on both of our plates. Making a good crispy fresh french fry can be a challenge. Trial and error. If these will be on most every plate leaving your kitchen under the watchful eye of your chef and staff… they should be up to par. These are not.
Service was slow at 7pm on a Saturday night, and not very attentive. Food leaving the kitchen was lagging a bit, as we waited for 30 minutes after our appetizer was cleared for our mains.
The price point is up there for what I described above, and is definitely on par with down state offerings.
Remember those Kinks? No, not the band… the kinks that I was talking about in the beginning of this review. They simply need to be worked out.
The Green Iguana could be great, and I think it will.

Excellent dining experience. Beautiful ambience, delicious food, accommodations for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten free eaters as well as a wide variety of burger choices sourced from antibiotic free meat! My burger, for example, was gluten free and vegan –a sweet potato and black bean burger with caramelized onions and special greens. It was delicious! My mom had a meat burger with sweet potato fries and my husband the pulled pork. Everyone was thoroughly satisfied with their meal. The onion rings were heavenly, maybe the best onion rings I’ve ever tasted. All in a truly beautiful setting– chandeliers and fresh flowers on the table. The space is funky and elegant, extremely well put together inside and out. Highly recommended.