In a town of about 57,997 people, Albany has a variety of activities and hang-out spots. From a downtown thrift store like Connie’s Antiques to the LakeShore Lanes bowling alley on Pacific Blvd., you can find a bit of everything in Albany. Staples like Pix, a local family-owned theater, has been around for over 53 years. In that time, they have improved with a remodel, a switch in ownership in 2006, and growth in all areas. Though Albany has an abundance of hang-out destinations, new hidden gems are constantly opening around town. Recent examples are an adult arcade spin-off for all ages, a humble family-owned Indian restaurant, and an expansion of a local ice cream shop from Corvallis. The A&E Editors went on a day out around town, hitting these new spots and reviewing them.
Coin Jam JR opened its doors on Sept. 12. It’s a sister location to the original Coin Jam in Salem, an adult-only arcade. Coin Jam JR, however, is open for all ages until 8 p.m.
Walking through the doors, guests are surrounded by an abundance of colorful lights, which add to the fun and bright atmosphere of the arcade. To the right, there is a small bar selling bottled drinks, a few canned beers for those of drinking age, and bagged snacks. The arcade full of games is well-spaced and leaves plenty of room to sit and talk or to roam about the building.
Gamers have several games to choose from, like Pokemon Nab, a claw game to get an egg with a Pokemon figure inside, Halo: Fireteam Raven, a first-person shooter game, and Super Bikes 3, a motorcycle racing game, along with many more. They also have some of the classics, such as the original Mario Brothers game, Pac-man, and Space Invaders, the game where you control a spaceship and shoot at aliens.
The prices for each game vary. The claw machines, which are more expensive, are 5-8 credits. The shooting games are around 5-6 credits, fighting games 3-6, and racing games around 5-6. Most classics are 2-3 credits, and some miscellaneous games range between 2-6 credits.
Overall, with how new this sister location is, it has a good variety of games to choose from, differentiating in genre, number of players, and age of the game itself. It is on the smaller side of an arcade, but it is still very spacious and can hold many people. They also have rooms you can call and rent out that can hold up to 20 people! It’s a great place to take your friends, and the arcade is easy to lose track of time in.
A pop-up restaurant called the Indian Family Kitchen is the newest addition to the North Albany outlet mall. It opened on Sept. 5, 2024, at 642 NW Hickory St. Upon entering the restaurant, smells of spices and friendly faces fill the space. Red booths and tables line the walls in both directions as Indian pop hits fill the room.
The menu has a diverse selection, with everything from curries to samosas. The appetizers run from $6 – $9, with options like samosas, onion bhaji, and mixed vegetable pakora. For your main course, you have six different categories of meals: Vegetarian, Lamb/Goat, Tandoori Oven/Rica, Chicken, From the Sea, and Byrianis. For the Vegetarian, Lamb/Goat chicken, and From the Sea dishes, there are curries, vindaloos, masalas, and kormas. Vegetarian dishes are $17, Lamb is $20, Chicken is $19, and From the Sea is $20. For biryani, a seasoned rice dish, they go from $15 – $19, as well as the tandoori dishes. With your meal, you can order Indian bread like chapatis for your meals for an extra $3-$7.
The business’s quick and compassionate service left the biggest impression of all. The Indian Family Kitchen is a small family-owned business that creates a homey environment.
Overall, I would rate the Indian Kitchen Restaurant a 7.5/10. Their service was extremely considerate, and I felt cared for the whole time. Their food is not the best quality in town, but other factors make up for it. I would recommend this place to anyone who is looking for something new and wants to expand their food pallet.
An expansion of the neighboring location in Corvallis, the Albany Sugar J’s opened on August 23, 2024. It’s a humble little ice cream place in downtown Albany at 226 2nd Ave. It is decorated with neon lights, pop art murals, and a blue color scheme. With indoor seating, it is the perfect place to order a cone and talk with friends.
The flavor options at Sugar Js are unique and absolutely delicious. With options like Madagascar Vanilla and Honey Passionfruit, Sugar Js has a little something for everyone. They have sweeter flavors like Smores, Cotton Candy, and Cookie Dough. If you are interested in fruitier flavors, something like Orange Strawberry Jam and Lemon Poppyseed may be the flavors for you. They also have a vegan selection of flavors: Dark Chocolate, Pistachio Latte, Raspberry, and Cookies and Cream. Sugar Js also offers milkshakes for any of the flavors for $10 and Spiced Chai. They also offer ice cream floats with any ice cream flavor of your choice and soda choices like cherry cola, rootbeer, and orange creamsicle. Their scoop sizes are extra small for $4.50, Single for $6, double for $7.50, and affogato (espresso and ice cream) for $7. Waffle cones are available for an additional $1.50, and toppings like whipped cream and crushed peanuts for an additional $.50, while chocolate and rainbow sprinkles are free! They also offer pints of any flavor of ice cream to go for $9.50.
The employees at this location are extremely sweet, letting you try a plethora of free samples and giving personal feedback to help make sure you make the right flavor choice for your experience.
Overall, I would rate Sugar Js a solid 9/10. The ice cream selection was unique, and the take on different flavors was very nice. My favorite overall was the Honey Passionfruit. The balance between the sweetness of the honey and the fruitiness of the passionfruit was a pleasant combo. Also, the vegan options were a very nice edition and helped make sure everyone was included. I would recommend this to anyone who loves ice cream and is interested in trying a new take on some traditional ice cream flavors.
