REVIEW: Saxbys Cafe
by Loucia Janvier | September 28, 2026
A new coffee shop—called Saxbys, located in the Massry Building—has made its way to the University at Albany campus, giving students another option to stop by and get a drink in between classes.
Saxbys, a student-run cafe known for its coffees, matchas, smoothies and food opened
on Sept. 3, and the campus has been eager to try it.
To get a better idea of what new customers should try, the CEO of Saxbys, Theo Rhynie,
provided some of his personal recommendations that he would give to the first-time customers coming to try the cafe out.
“If you like matcha, our iced ube matcha latte is really good, everyone's loving that, but if you don't like ube, the iced vanilla bean matcha latte is really good, our cold brew is really good too. We have milk and honey, and those drinks would be good to start it off," Rhynie said.
Some students gave high ratings to the drinks they tried at Saxbys.
"I got the iced matcha latte, I think it's really good it's really smooth and creamy, it's a solid iced matcha," said student Caitlyn Maury. "It doesn't disappoint compared to a Dunkin and Starbucks matcha, where you can taste the green, but this is smooth."
Another student, Ella Ross, ordered a sweet raspberry tea with a southwest grilled cheese,
and she rated it an 8 out of 10.
Ross also expressed how she was interested in the grilled cheese after seeing the
picture on GrubHub, and also liked the fact that it came with avocado ranch that she was excited to try.
If students do not want to wait in person, GrubHub is a way to view menu items before they order without also having to worry about waiting in line.
One student expressed disappointment with the matcha latte.
“I’m kinda biased, because I don't really like matcha, but I wasn't really feeling mine and it messed with my stomach, I’d give it a 4 out of 10," said student Mariah James after she ordered an iced vanilla bean matcha latte.
The drink I got the opportunity to try was the ube matcha latte, with one added pump of vanilla, which I believe had the perfect balance of sweet and a rich savory flavor within the matcha. I would rate this drink an 8 out of 10, and I believe this is a perfect drink to get as a first-time customer.
Overall, I believe Saxbys is a great addition to the community of UAlbany, with a variety of different foods and drinks that this campus would find interesting to explore.
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