OK, What are the Best Restaurants in Syracuse these Days?

[NYCSUGrad]

If you have any vegans in your party, send them to Strong Hearts Cafe. They serve a mean breakfast all day, plus interesting sandwiches and excellent baked goods (cupcakes!) Friday night is pizza night where you can get all kinds of meaty yet meat-free combos. They are good! Pricey but a big vegan treat. As are the 30 or so milkshake flavors, all named after famous people. There's now an outpost on the campus too. (Note: I am no longer a strict vegan but a vegetarian but I still love Strong Hearts.)

 

[Noexcuse]

If you have any vegans in your party, send them to Strong Hearts Cafe. They serve a mean breakfast all day, plus interesting sandwiches and excellent baked goods (cupcakes!) Friday night is pizza night where you can get all kinds of meaty yet meat-free combos. They are good! Pricey but a big vegan treat. As are the 30 or so milkshake flavors, all named after famous people. There's now an outpost on the campus too. (Note: I am no longer a strict vegan but a vegetarian but I still love Strong Hearts.)

. Good call. Also on that strip of E Genesee near Dolce Vita and Phoebes

 

[Trueblue25]

If you have any vegans in your party, send them to Strong Hearts Cafe. They serve a mean breakfast all day, plus interesting sandwiches and excellent baked goods (cupcakes!) Friday night is pizza night where you can get all kinds of meaty yet meat-free combos. They are good! Pricey but a big vegan treat. As are the 30 or so milkshake flavors, all named after famous people. There's now an outpost on the campus too. (Note: I am no longer a strict vegan but a vegetarian but I still love Strong Hearts.)

The ladies in my office order from their regularly

 

[690West]

I did. But half the responses were littered with pizza, diners, sub shops, fish and chip places, and regional chains. I value your opinion and know you love the area. Give me six good “restaurants.”

For reference, I think Grimaldi’s is a 7 out of 10, Scotch and Sirloin gets my business occasionally for the bourbon list and adequate steak, and I enjoy Santangelos. I won’t touch CNY seafood as I live 4 minutes from the ocean and am spoiled. As an aside, Dino bbq is the most overrated bbq joint in America. And whoever said twins trees has good pizza is correct.

I'll agree the list got a little away from all of us. We just love our food in CNY. Here are my current top 8 in no particular order in terms of restaurants that my wife and I frequent monthly. I'll admit a few are outside of Syracuse but count as CNY.

Francesca's
Arad Evans
Krebs
Rosalies
Strada Mia
Citronelle
Prime
Lemongrass

 

[FasterCuse]

Not sure if it's been mentioned already, but I have never had a bad meal at rise and shine diner over on Thompson road.

 

[ssbriefcase]

Dino bbq is the most overrated bbq joint in America

That's a giant leap from taking a step back or overrated.

 

[ssbriefcase]

And I’m 52...far from a hipster

If you rock a Rutherford and a flannel, you're in.

 

[maxxyz]

Not sure if it's been mentioned already, but I have never had a bad meal at rise and shine diner over on Thompson road.

Oh my god dude - the best diner in Syracuse! Slowly being discovered by more & more people. The only place that you have to drive behind an oil change garage to get something great to eat !

 

[Trueblue25]

Oh my god dude - the best diner in Syracuse! Slowly being discovered by more & more people. The only place that you have to drive behind an oil change garage to get something great to eat !

They’re great as well

 

[SUOrange44]

OK...
Great thread. Gotta throw my hat in the ring...

Riley’s- Big fan. Constantly changing specials/menu always has something really good.

Dark Horse Tavern- Consistently good and occasionally great

Darwin’s- Phenominal sandwiches. The Prince tribute sandwich was one of the best sandwiches I have ever had at a restaurant.

Modern Malt- A lot of great choices but the Lobster Benedict they have is one of the best dishes in Syracuse

Arad Evans Inn- Have not been there in some time but everything I ever had there was top notch.

The Mission- Phenominal Pan-American food in a really cool setting. Have taken many people from around the state there when they come in for business. Everyone loves it.

Lemongrass- Terrific food and really innovative deserts.

Glazed & Confused- Donut shop that has taken the area by storm. Lots of famous folk dropping by in the short time they have been open. Can’t go wrong with the Pardon My French Toast donut.

Dinosaur BBQ- Still a Syracuse tradition. I have personally never gotten anything there that I have been disappointed in.

Pastabilities- The chicken Reggies and the bread with hot oil.

Funk & Waffles- Just a fun place to go. Get any waffle made with their banana bread mix. Can’t go wrong.

Plenty of others with new places popping up frequently...

SUOrange44

 

[dlegend44]

The Clam Bar

 

[xc84]

Where in gods name is butte.

Have you met Ted’s hotdogs in Buffalo?

I should have used sarcasm font ... Butte is in Montana.

I have been to Ted's many times (multiple locations). My second favorite hot dog place. They use Sahlen's which are quality dogs and cook over charcoal which adds to their flavor. I lived in Bufflao for about 3 years.

 

[Stevenson]

If you rock a Rutherford and a flannel, you're in.

What’s a Rutherford?

 

[A Clockwork Orange]

I think the strip along E Genesee where Dolce Vita and Phoebes is located has potential to be a restaurant hot spot with the new apartment developments in that area. Also near by there is Melo Velo Cafe which is kinda funky and has good food.

I was always impressed with Phoebe's, but only ever ate lunch there. Never had dinner.

 

[ssbriefcase]

What’s a Rutherford?

https://syracusefan.com/threads/hot-takes.132820/page-13#post-2682786
Post #302
credit to Hoo's That

 

[690West]

I think that's what makes the Stoop's version unique. They have a really diverse brunch menu.

Changes at The Stoop: New chef, new menu and second bakery site

 

[OttoMets]

Changes at The Stoop: New chef, new menu and second bakery site

Damn. Much more generic menu with the new chef. Looks fine, but that's a big change.

 

[SU68]

How is Danzer's under the new management? I love German food!

 

[SaltnPeppa]

School & Vine in Jamesville
Scenic Root in Manlius

 

[IthacaMatt]

I'm glad you've had good experiences there, it gives me hope. Unfortunately, I have not. I've found the food bland with particularly poor attention paid to the quality of ingredients. And I would be more than willing to overlook a little sloppiness and say nothing but for the fact that the staff there has treated me rather poorly pretty much every time I've been in the place (maybe I'm an ahole?). Everyone sees the experience differently and each experience is different, the hardest thing in the business is to be consistent.

If you want really good Mexican downtown, go to Otro Cinco on Warren Street. It's got a cool NYC vibe and excellent food.

Google Maps: Report Inappropriate Image

 

[IthacaMatt]

How is Danzer's under the new management? I love German food!

Terrible. I loved Danzer's as a kid. I so wanted the new ownership to get it right, but alas, they did not. Still crap.

 

[IthacaMatt]

You're saying that's a bad thing?

Well, not all of them are any good anymore.
Francesca's, for instance, lost their terrific chef Chance Bear probably 6 to 8 years ago and isn't nearly as good. He's on his third or fourth restaurant since he cooked there in their heyday.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Scrolled through the thread waiting for Inn Between mention. One of my favorite restaurants in any state. Chris is a great chef, doesn't hurt that Randy Colman is a family friend. Apizza Regionale is top 5 in NY state.

Apizza Regionale is very good, but seating is limited.

The Inn Between strikes me as old and stale. The decor is awful, like a really old person's house.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The only time I go to Pastabilities now is for work events or Lunch. Their lunch is great. We never go for dinner.

It's good, but I'm not about to wait around with other places that are just as good or better.

Pastabilities is turning into a place that out of towners go to much like Dinosaur.

Instead of waiting at Dinosaur people need to walk across the street and go to Pizza Regionale.

I see we disagree on Santangelos, but overall I've had good dinners there.

Santangelo's is nothing special.
Pastabilities is best as a lunch place, you're right. For dinner, it's not all that.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Very comprehensive list there, an excellent job as always.

A few more to consider

Dosa Grill is a must if you like Indian Food. They have a few different iterations but the namesake and original in Dewitt is the place to go. They have a lunch buffet 7 days a week and every Monday night. Never had a bad meal. Highly recommend the lunch buffet.

Firudo in Dewitt is another great place - It's an Asian restaurant that also has an all you can eat option. You fill out your sheet and pick from a wide range of sushi, specialty rolls, hand rolls, negiri, noodle dishes and other japanese style appetizers. Price is very reasonable and its impossible not to leave full beyond belief.

CuseRegular mentioned it previously but Eva's is a must stop. The best polish food in town by far. A great restaurant in an old house in Solvay. Kinda weird hours though so look it up before venturing over. The perogies and the Glumpki things are amazing.

I think someone also mentioned Rosalies in Skaneateles, can't recommend this place enough. I am not a huge Italian food guy but this is place is a homerun. One of the best meals I have ever had.

Darwins - Great sandwich place, I think there still only open during the week but highly recommended. They have some stuff you don't normally see for there sandwiches and other offerings, and they use both pastas stretch bread and Dilaurios.

Cider Mill as OM noted is a great place. Summer menu wasn't as good as the fall/winter but food is outstanding and a great craft beer list.

Erawan Thai on Erie Blvd is a great under the radar place. It can be a little pricey but the food is great, my wife loves this place. Wide ranging menu as well, highly recomend.

Love Darwin's. If you like Erawan, try AppeTHAIzing in Liverpool. I like it better, especially the Panang curry.

If you want something really good and different, try New Century. It's a Vietnamese place on the Northside in the old Weber's location on Kirkpatrick St. Really, really good soups.

Also, if you want authentic Szechuan Chinese food, you have to go to Red Chile on Erie Blvd. For my money, the best Chinese food in town, although you won't find ribs on the menu, and their dumplings are a little heavy. But their wontons in thai chili sauce are amazing, as are most of the dishes. They have hot pot dishes and all sorts of authentic stuff.

Not a fan of Dosa Grill. I make better Indian food at home using Patak's sauces and authentic ingredients (including garlic naan bread) from Wegman's. If you've ever had Indian food in NYC, then you will be disappointed in Dosa Grill, in my opinion.