Before your eyes can adjust to the soft interior lighting of the Butcher Block Restaurant on Central Avenue in Colonie, a smiling staff member greets you and begins to make you feel welcome.

The interior, designed in natural wood, with high ceilings, archways, and the most unique chandeliers in the Capital Region (they look like crisscrossed deer antlers), is reminiscent of an Adirondack Great House. Two plant-filled solaria, one running nearly the length of the building adjacent to the very cozy, dimly lit bar and lounge area, the other to the rear of the main dining room, fill those dining areas with bright sunshine and views of beautifully manicured minigardens and walkways. There’s even the 30-seat Board Room, which can be booked from breakfast to bedtime, for parties and meetings. Take your pick. Each of the rooms has its own special feel, and each has smiling, courteous, competent waitstaff to serve you.

Since opening in 1982, the Butcher Block has become a mainstay of the restaurant trade in the Capital Region. With its large customer base, the Block (as it is affectionately called by locals) does some 800 lunches and 1,800 dinners a week. The menu is eclectic and unpretentious, but done with flair. Appetizers are $3.95 to $7.95, while entrees are between $7.95 and $18.85. Daily Featured Entrees are written on a board in the lobby and repeated at the table by th waitstaff. Two large soup-and-salad bars, featuring a delicious assortment of breads from Bountiful Bread, allow patrons to get started while their entrees or sandwiches are being prepared. While the menu includes scrumptious chicken, pasta and other quality delights, seafood and beef still grab most of the headlines. You’ll find such examples as prime rib, steaks, a variety of fresh seafood, filet mignon, the biggest baked potatoes this side of the Hudson, seafood linguine (with shrimp, scallops, crab, and mussels), and bacon-wrapped shrimp served with a unique, tangy horseradish dip among the treasures here. There’s something for everyone! On a special diet? Just mention your need to your server. No problem! The staff at the Block will do anything it can to help you stay on track.

As you begin to settle in, you realize that the place is really humming. The bar and tables are filled, orders are being taken and delivered with dispatch, patrons are moving to and from the salad bar. A convivial atmosphere permeates the whole establishment. “Smooth” is the word to describe this operation, and that quality is achieved by team effort.