Meat & Company — Niskayuna, NY
Built on fire, smoke, and knowing when to wait.
Meat & Company is a local family-owned and operated restaurant. We serve slow meats–a wide variety of roasted, brined, grilled and smoked meats–that are turned into some wild sandwich combinations. We serve our full menu, our BBQ and changing specials Monday–Saturday. Don’t miss our Pastrami–it’s becoming an out-of-this-world favorite.
We can’t wait to serve you.
Owner & Executive Chef
The Beginning
Ben Albright started in food the way most great chefs do — not in a kitchen, but at home. He began baking bread with his mother, walking it around their neighborhood in a red wagon to drop off at neighbors’ homes. His mother also decorated wedding cakes, making him likely the only 5th grader who could pipe rosettes.
As a youth, Ben was part of a missionary-based church, where he experienced food brought and cooked by missionaries from all over the world. That early exposure to different flavors, traditions, and cooking styles planted something that never left him.
Training & Career
Ben trained as a classical French chef at culinary school in New England, where he also learned to love chowders. His career began with an internship at what is now a Michelin-starred restaurant — Soby’s New South Cuisine in Greenville, SC.
From there, he built one of the most well-rounded culinary careers in the Capital Region.
Internship at what is now a Michelin-starred restaurant
Mastered banquet service for high-volume events
Corporate restaurant trainer — opened new Smokey Bones locations
Executive Kitchen Manager — operated high-volume scratch kitchens
Grew catering sales by 400% in a single year by combining banquet expertise with high-volume kitchen management
Opened the Saratoga Springs location during track season to great success
Founded 2024. The vision that started in 2016 — finally open.
Why We’re Here
Meat & Company started with a simple idea: serve high-quality meats in an open kitchen, hand-carved to order right in front of guests. But for Ben, it was always about more than the food.
He wanted to build a true family restaurant in his hometown — a place his kids could walk to after school, and one he could walk to for their games. Being closed on Sundays was just as important — giving his family and his entire staff a guaranteed day off together every week.
More than just doing business in the community, Ben wanted to genuinely be part of it — feeding into it, not just consuming from it. The idea took root in 2016. It finally became a reality when the doors opened in 2024.
Every cook starts with fire — the foundation of everything that comes out of our kitchen. Controlled, intentional, never rushed.
Brisket softens. Pastrami deepens. Pork waits until it is ready. The smoke does what it needs to do — on its own time.
Slow meats. Intentional process. Results that speak for themselves. This is where the reputation is built — and kept.
Made slow, served swift
01
Every meat is hand-carved to order right in front of you. No mystery — just craft.
02
A guaranteed day off for our family and every member of our staff. Every week, without exception.
03
A place for the neighborhood — not just a business in it. Feeding into the community, not just consuming from it.
Monday through Saturday, 11am to 8pm at 2321 Nott St E, Niskayuna, NY. Walk in, order online, or bring the whole crew.