The 10 best restaurants in Malta, NY

Most of the places to eat in Malta line Route 9, from the roundabout at Northway Exit 12 north through Malta Ridge, with a few more on Ellsworth Boulevard and in the Village of Round Lake. This list is for Malta and Round Lake residents, for people who work at the Luther Forest Technology Campus, and for Saratoga diners heading south for a change.

Addresses can mislead here. Many Malta restaurants use Ballston Spa, Round Lake or Mechanicville mailing addresses, but state boundary data puts all ten of these inside the Town of Malta, and two of them are in the Village of Round Lake. The list runs from a breakfast cafe at the roundabout to a fireplace dinner room, with Vietnamese, Thai and a brewery kitchen in between. Malta’s sushi bars are on our sushi list.

How we chose

We looked for independent restaurants with a steady local reputation, local press coverage and some staying power, and we checked every address against New York State civil boundary data to confirm the restaurant sits in the Town of Malta. Each one was confirmed open as of mid-October 2026 from the restaurant’s own website or ordering page and a 2026 source where one exists, and prices and hours come from those pages. Chains were left off. The list is unranked and in alphabetical order, and no restaurant paid to be included.

Hours, prices and dates below come from each business or official source and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.

Active Ingredient Brewing Company

Founder Brian Fox, a pharmacist by trade, built Active Ingredient Brewing Company around a science theme, from the “science by the pint” slogan to Chaos, an experimental New England IPA series with recipe notes linked from each can. The Sitwell Plaza taproom runs a full kitchen next to a spacious patio. Remember the Tuesday closing.

Hours: Mon, Wed and Thu 3–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat noon–10 p.m.; Sun noon–8 p.m.; closed Tue (food service ends 30 minutes before close)

Address: 2443 Route 9, Suite 301, Malta, NY 12020

Why they made the list

• Saratoga Living reported in 2021 that Fox and fellow pharmacist Nathan Rogers met at a pharmacy in Amsterdam.
• Each Chaos release rotates yeast and hop combinations, and a QR code on the can leads to the ingredients used in that batch.
• Food service ends 30 minutes before the taproom closes.
• Active Ingredient supplied the beer for the Saratoga County History Center‘s American history trivia night on Sept. 1, 2026, Saratoga TODAY reported.

More details are in our directory listing.

Andy’s Adirondack Grille

Adirondack place names run all over the menu at Andy’s Adirondack Grille in Malta Ridge, from Long Lake Lasagna ($23.95) to Caldwell Clams ($17.95) simmered in white wine and garlic. Owner Andy Bentley renamed the restaurant, once called Bentley’s, because he didn’t want the place known only as a pizza joint. Families with kids fit right in. Lunch is served only on Fridays and Saturdays; Tuesday through Thursday, the doors open at 3 p.m.

Hours: Tue–Thu 3–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; closed Sun–Mon

Address: 2872 Route 9, Malta Ridge, NY 12020

Why they made the list

• Bentley told Saratoga TODAY in 2020 that the new name suits a restaurant in the southern Adirondacks with a view north from the parking lot.
• Gourmet pizzas include the Godfather, with grilled chicken, prosciutto and balsamic glaze on a white crust.
• Gluten-free penne, pizza crust and rolls are available for $2.50 extra.
• The website says Andy’s has served the area for more than 28 years.

More details are in our directory listing.

Bua Thai Sushi

Thai curries and sushi rolls share one menu at Bua Thai Sushi, near Mama’s Pho House on Ellsworth Boulevard. The house specials go past pad Thai to crispy duck with spicy tamarind sauce ($29.95), laab gai ($14.95) and papaya salad with Thai chili and lime ($12.95). Office workers can pick up a lunch box between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m., starting at $14.95. Add a Thai iced tea for $3.95.

Hours: Mon–Thu 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Fri 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; closed Sun. Saturday hours are not posted, so call ahead.

Address: 1103 Ellsworth Blvd., Malta, NY 12020

Why they made the list

• The kitchen makes each dish to order from the executive chef’s recipes, according to the restaurant’s website.
• Curries come in red, green and massaman versions in coconut milk, and pad see-eew and drunken noodles cost $17.95.
• Lunch boxes pair sushi or sashimi with miso soup or a house salad.

More details are in our directory listing.

Harvest Grain Pizza

Harvest Grain Pizza opened on May 4, 2026 inside the Fodero Dining Car diner on Route 9 that started out as the Malta Ridge Diner in the early 1950s and was most recently Dunning Street Station. The Malta shop is the second for the Clifton Park pizzeria. Order a square pan pie, a Sicilian deep dish or the white “Saratoga” pizza. Families can eat in, carry out or order delivery through the shop’s app. The Harvest Grain Pizza listing has the address and website.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: 2853 State Route 9, Malta, NY 12020

Why they made the list

• In the 1970s the diner was a filming location for “My Old Man,” a made-for-TV drama based on an Ernest Hemingway story about a horse trainer, Saratoga TODAY reported.
• Dunning Street Station closed in June 2025 and the building was sold; Harvest Grain hung a banner that August and opened the following May.
• The pizza lineup covers whole wheat, square pan, Sicilian deep dish, gluten-free and white “Saratoga” pies.

More details are in our directory listing.

Lake Ridge Restaurant

Chef Scott Ringwood and Bob McKenna opened Lake Ridge in September 2001, after seven months of renovating a building on Burlington Avenue in the village of Round Lake. The New American menu runs from Bostonian Shrimp wrapped in bacon ($19.95, called the house favorite) to an 8-ounce filet at $49.95. Couples marking an anniversary will feel at home by the two fireplaces. Reserve ahead, because the kitchen serves dinner Tuesday through Saturday only.

Hours: Dinner Tue–Sat 4–8:30 p.m.; closed Sun–Mon

Address: 35 Burlington Ave., Round Lake, NY 12151

Why they made the list

• Saratoga TODAY reported in August 2026 that Lake Ridge is marking 25 years; the owners got approval to open on Sept. 26, 2001.
• The restaurant has three dining rooms and a mahogany bar stocked with more than 30 scotches and 20 bourbons.
• Lake Ridge took part in the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Restaurant Week.
• The kitchen hosted a Hess Persson wine dinner on Sept. 17, 2026, and takeout and gift certificates are available.

More details are in our directory listing.

Mama’s Pho House

Nga “Cindy” Nguyen, who tells customers to call her Mama, sold bún riêu on the streets of Saigon as a teenager and opened Mama’s Pho House on Ellsworth Boulevard in fall 2024. The house special pho, sold in XL only, packs rare steak, brisket, flank, tripe and meatballs into one $19.95 bowl. The fast-casual room suits a quick weekday lunch. Plan around Monday, when the kitchen is closed.

Hours: Sun–Thu 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; closed Mon

Address: 1106 Ellsworth Blvd., Malta, NY 12020

Why they made the list

• Nguyen came to the United States from Saigon in 1989, the Daily Gazette reported in February 2025.
• Regular pho runs $15.95 to $18.95 by size, and bún bò Huế and bò kho beef stew cost $19.95 each.
• Nguyen worked in the kitchen with her husband and son, the Daily Gazette reported in February 2025.
• Spring rolls come with a house-made peanut sauce that the menu marks as containing gluten.

More details are in our directory listing.

The Mill on Round Lake

Inside the village of Round Lake on Route 9, The Mill is an Adirondack-themed tavern with a fireplace, an outdoor patio and a fire pit that stretches patio season into spring and fall. Burgers lead the menu, including the Figgy Piggy with smoked gouda, bacon and fig spread. Sports fans and big groups have room, with a pavilion and private bar for parties of up to 100. The kitchen opens at 11:30 a.m. weekdays.

Hours: Mon–Fri 11:30 a.m.–midnight; Sat–Sun 11 a.m.–midnight

Address: 2121 Route 9, Round Lake, NY 12151

Why they made the list

• The Mill belongs to a small local group that also runs taverns in Malta and Clifton Park.
• Hours run to midnight seven days a week.
• An upstairs private room seats 30, and the back dining room seats 35.
• Flatbreads can be made on a cauliflower crust for $3 more, though the menu warns that all food is prepared in a shared gluten environment.

More details are in our directory listing.

The Publik House

Pizza dough made fresh every day is the backbone of The Publik House, a Route 9 pub serving Italian favorites and pub food since 1981. The menu lists 25 specialty pies, from Kay’s Original EBA with sausage, mushroom, onion, green pepper and pepperoni to Joe Squater’s VIP with cappi, provolone and roasted red peppers. Bring a group that wants pizza, wings and a cold beer. Gluten-free diners can build a pizza on a cauliflower crust.

Hours: Tue 3–9 p.m.; Wed–Sun noon–9 p.m.; closed Mon

Address: 2729 US Route 9, Malta, NY 12020

Why they made the list

• The pub’s website calls The Publik House a landmark for the Malta and Ballston Spa area for more than 40 years.
• A 4-cut cheese pizza costs $12.99, and an 8-cut cheese pizza is $20.99.
• Hot open-faced turkey and roast beef sandwiches with gravy and fries cost $18.99 each.
• Pickup and delivery orders run through the pub’s own online ordering site.

More details are in our directory listing.

The Ripe Tomato

Built in 1934, the building at the corner of Route 9 and Route 9P served as an inn and a roadhouse before becoming The Ripe Tomato, a family-run American grill with Italian roots. The marinara is an old family recipe made fresh daily, and Haddock Almondine with amaretto butter sauce costs $22.95. Families and big groups fit well. On Fridays and Saturdays through October, order the $29.95 Victory Dinner.

Hours: Tue–Thu 11:30 a.m.–8 p.m.; Fri–Sat 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; closed Mon

Address: 2721 State Route 9, Ballston Spa, NY 12020

Why they made the list

• Joe Gleason bought The Elms and renamed the restaurant The Elm Tree Tavern, and Mrs. Gleason later suggested The Ripe Tomato, according to the restaurant’s history page.
• The Victory Dinner recreates the meal believed to have followed the American win at the Battle of Saratoga.
• Yankee Pot Roast is $21.95, and gluten-free pasta is available on request.

More details are in our directory listing.

The Ugly Rooster Cafe – Malta

Breakfast at the Exit 12 roundabout means The Ugly Rooster, which moved into the old Malta Diner in July 2021 as the second cafe for Ariel and Maggie Pagan. Saratoga Living described the original Mechanicville menu in 2021 as Mexican-inspired, with eggs Benedict, burritos and “pannycakes,” and Zoey 103.9 reported that the Malta menu is similar. Northway commuters can eat before work, since the doors open at 7 a.m. every day. Lunch runs until the 2 p.m. close.

Hours: Daily 7 a.m.–2 p.m.

Address: 2476 US Route 9, Malta, NY 12020

Why they made the list

• The Pagans opened the first Ugly Rooster in Mechanicville in 2009, after Ariel Pagan worked as a pastry chef for local catering companies, according to the cafe’s website.
• The cafe serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week, so the doors are open on Mondays, when several Malta dinner spots close.
• In 2024 the family opened Ugly Ice Cream at Browns Beach on Saratoga Lake with partners Joe and John Starr.

More details are in our directory listing.

Also worth knowing

For pizza, pasta and subs to go, Jimmy’s Pizza & Pasta is a family-owned pizzeria at 31 Kendall Way with dine-in, pickup and delivery.

Frequently asked questions

Why do restaurants in Malta, NY have Ballston Spa or Round Lake addresses?

Many Malta businesses use the Ballston Spa 12020, Round Lake 12151 or Mechanicville 12118 post office addresses, though they sit inside the Town of Malta. The Village of Round Lake is part of the town, and New York State civil boundary data places every restaurant on this list in Malta, including The Ripe Tomato, which prints a Ballston Spa address.

Which Malta restaurants are open on Mondays?

The Ugly Rooster Cafe serves daily from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Mill on Round Lake opens at 11:30 a.m. on weekdays, and Active Ingredient Brewing Company opens at 3 p.m. on Mondays but closes Tuesdays. Lake Ridge, The Ripe Tomato, The Publik House, Mama’s Pho House and Andy’s Adirondack Grille are closed on Mondays.

Where can I eat gluten-free in Malta, NY?

The Publik House makes gluten-free pizza on a cauliflower crust, Andy’s Adirondack Grille has gluten-free penne, pizza crust and rolls for $2.50 extra, and The Ripe Tomato has gluten-free pasta on request. Harvest Grain Pizza makes a gluten-free pie, and The Mill has a cauliflower flatbread crust but warns that the kitchen is a shared gluten environment.

Last checked October 19, 2026. See a place we missed or a detail that has changed? Send us a correction.