Nostalgia Ale House Wine - Malta

Great food and attentive service in a quaint setting, overlooking the South Shore Marina. Great lake views. Get the Tacos. Do it! Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $10–20 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 4

Great food and a nice view of Saratoga lake make this the perfect evening spot. Live music every Wednesday and Saturday makes it even better: We had the fish and onion petals, which was excellent! Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $10–20

Great location. Lots of parking. Funky rustic place near the lake. Food: 4 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

Beautiful views great food great service Service: Dine in Meal type: Dinner Price per person: $20–30 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

As we drove around the lake, we noticed a restaurant that seemed open, though the parking lot had only a handful of cars. From the road, it was clear that most of the tiny outdoor seating area was unoccupied. With no other local options, we decided to take a gamble. After all, discovering new and wonderful places often requires a little risk. Soon enough, we’d figure out why Nostalgia was so empty while every other restaurant along Saratoga Lake was packed. The first red flag was the drinks. I ordered a lemonade, and my companion opted for a martini. Both were absolutely terrible. How do you mess up lemonade? It might have even been spoiled. I didn’t take a sip. The martini left much to be desired as well, so my companion switched to a bottled cider, which was a small success. As for the appetizers, they fell flat. The frozen meatballs smothered in bottled sauce were unappetizing. The onion petals were slightly better, though the dipping sauce was not enjoyable. The salad was arguably the best part of the meal, but it came with Kraft dressing. Is it really that difficult to whip up a homemade vinaigrette? The beer-battered fish was decent and crispy, but the chef’s special—ribs that were supposedly “fall off the bone”—were a disgrace to whatever inexperienced cook thought they were exceptional. They had no flavor, seemed overcooked, and lacked sauce. The meat was tough and stringy, nearly impossible to cut with a steak knife. I’ve had better dishes while incarcerated. At least the fresh vegetables and sweet potato fries were satisfactory, although we didn’t bother to inquire about dessert. Service was alright until it came time for the bill. Why does this happen at so many restaurants? We were ready to leave, especially after such a disappointing meal. The view of the lake was pleasant, and the outdoor patio was nice enough. A little surprise at the end was the bill appearing tucked inside a book, which at least added a tiny glimmer of charm. However, I can’t envision returning to this place. Perhaps if they hired a professional chef, they could actually improve things.