Courtesy Saratoga.com
By Erin Nudi
Gaffney’s has reopened on Caroline Street with new leadership, renovated spaces and a second concept, The Parlor, designed as a 1920s-inspired lounge.
The restaurant reopened May 1, 2026, after about two years of closure. Co-owners Mike Morgan and Mike Malone led extensive renovations, structural reinforcements and aesthetic updates to preserve the building’s historic character while creating two distinct experiences.
Downstairs, Gaffney’s remains a social hub for casual gatherings, sports viewing, live music and pub fare. Upstairs, The Parlor offers a casual fine-dining environment with a chef-driven menu, specialty cocktails and mocktails, and a quieter entertainment lineup.
“I’ve seen it sit empty for a couple of years. I grew up in this town and it’s a staple here, it’s an iconic space,” Morgan said. “I wasn’t really looking to get back into the bar business per se, but I knew it was a good opportunity.”
Chef Patrick Curley said The Parlor was developed as a welcoming, approachable dining space rather than an ultra-fine-dining concept.
“The Parlor from its inception was always going to be a casual fine dining space,” Curley said. “Gaffney’s, when it first started, always had food up there. It was always a gastropub of sorts, with a little bit of a bar atmosphere, and it was just always cozy and comfortable. When they brought me on, their vision was to have a 1920s speakeasy vibe, with chef-driven comfort food. And that’s pretty much what we’ve accomplished.”
Curley’s menu draws on his culinary roots in North Carolina and South Carolina, with coastal and Southern influences. He said the menu will change seasonally and feature as many locally sourced ingredients as possible. Signature dishes include jumbo lump crab cakes, shrimp and grits, halibut, watermelon salad and brunch items such as Carolina Crab Cake Benedict, chicken waffles, biscuits and gravy and the Dough-Nutty, a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a yeast-risen doughnut.
The Parlor has specialty cocktails created for the upstairs bar, with some drinks designed to pair with brunch and dinner items. Mocktails also are available.
Entertainment in The Parlor is intended to support dinner and conversation, with acoustic acts, two-piece sets and jazz nights. Larger party bands are scheduled for the patio rather than the lounge.
The downstairs bar and patio serve scratch-made pub fare, including a crispy chicken thigh sandwich, Gaffney’s burger, wings, chicken tenders, grilled cheese, house chips, shrimp cocktail, lobster roll and salads.
Sunday brunch is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Parlor serves dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. and remains open as a lounge until 2 a.m. The bar and patio serve lunch Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., with lighter dinner fare available afterward.
Editor’s Note: This article has been edited for length and style. The complete article is available at https://www.saratoga.com/guides/food-and-drink/the-parlor-at-gaffneys
Provided by Saratoga.com; edited for style and length.