Bugaboo Creek: Still One Of Upstate New York’s Most-Missed Restaurants

This week, we learned that one of the last remaining Buca di Beppa's in the northeast closed suddenly.  While no one likes to see a Capital Region establishment go out of business, it got us thinking about some of our favorite throwback chain restaurants in the area that no longer exist.

Places like Ponderosa, Friendly's, Ruby Tuesday's, and the Ground Round seemed to be at or near the top of everyone's list.

But we also learned this week that an old favorite still resonates with many in our area. Even though it's been gone since 2007, people still miss the tacky decor and mediocre food at Bugaboo Creek.

Want to Feel Old: Crossgates Mall is 40!

It opened on March 4th, 1984, when I was 11 years old, but I remember it fondly.

Some of my favorite stores back in the day were Teams 'n Tee's, Heaven (a candy store), Sound Traxx, Merry Go Round, Pizzeria Uno, Caldor, JC Penny (which is still there), the Garden Food Court, and of course, Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse.

Who Remembers Bugaboo Creek Steak House?

I'm not sure how many times I ate at Bugaboo Creek; it may have only been 3 or 4 times, but with its rustic lodge, warm fireplace, and talking moose head, how could you ever forget it?

I had a friend who worked as a waiter at Bugaboo in the mid-nineties. His real name was "Scott," but the staff made him change it to something more like a mountaineer so that summer, while he was working there, he was known as "Dirk."

We never let him live that down.

Bugaboo Creek opened in 1992 in Rhode Island and came to Crossgates in 1995. There, it began a relatively impressive 12-year run before finally shutting down in 2007. While it wasn't one of the "original" Crossgates Mall restaurants, it holds a special place in our nostalgic hearts.

Who Cared About the Food?

One would hardly notice that their steak was overcooked or that their smashed potatoes weren't hot when a stuffed wild critter came to life near a tree, or a fish started flapping on the wall.

And let's not forget about the talking moose head on the wall that greeted customers.

The animatronics were a bit glitchy and known to scare small children, but none of that mattered when the warm bread came out.  Some of you might remember being told to "kiss" the moose for good luck on your birthday.

If that happened to you, I apologize for bringing back a memory you may have suppressed for two and a half decades.

It was the kind of gimmicky restaurant in Disneyworld, where the decor was exemplary and the food mediocre. Still, the memories are forever, and to this day, people cite Bugaboo as one of the most missed restaurants in the Capital Region.