Our Story
The original Fedora-styled diner that eventually became Quintessence was transported to Albany in the late 1930’s from New Jersey. It operated under several different names and owners until finally purchased by two gentlemen in 1982 who had a vision and called it Quintessence.
Quintessence not only made a name for itself for its “World Famous” Chicken Teriyaki, but also hosted some of the most talked about late-night techno dance parties Albany has ever seen. This created a pop-culture following that went on for decades. Then in 2004, Quintessence closed its doors and lay silent for 5 years, much to the dismay of its many fans. It was finally purchased and renovated in 2009 and re-opened with the same name and menu but new ownership..
Over the years, those who grew up with Quintessence have aged, started families and many have moved to the Northern Capital Region. With the ongoing success of the Albany location and the opportunity to acquire another Fedora diner in Malta, NY, a second location simply made sense.
The cuisine is simple, classic, unique and progressive. It’s simple and classic because the menu features hamburgers, pork chops with applesauce, club sandwiches, as well as your typical diner fare. The menu is unique in that we have taken a universally known dish – chicken teriyaki, and interpreted it in our own totally different way, becoming the restaurants “World Famous” signature dish. The progressive menu also offers vegetarian entrees and garden burgers. Most recently, Gourmet Pizzas were added to the Malta menu! International Theme Nights are also very popular to those who want to experience cuisine of various regions; Monday is Italian Night, Tuesday is Seafood Night (Albany Only), Wednesday is German Night and Sunday is Mexican Night.
At the end of the day, we just want to give people what they want; a nice, clean place to have good times with friends and family, a wonderfully diversified menu at a great value and a staff that is happy to serve you.
We thank you for Joining in this Capital Region tradition.
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