The Best Burger Joint in Every P5 College Town

[LeMoyneCuse]

Central Square is not a bad place

It produced me, so take that as you will.

 

[Nahson]

Nailed this one. Blarney burger every time I’m back in town. Living in Buff now, Allen Town Burger Venture, for our neighbors in Cuse, who find themselve west.

 

[Day2]

I went to Booche’s before the Cuse/Mizzou football game in 2012.

 

[kingtidge]

Marko's Golden Spike in East Syr used to sling a good burger... think it's just Golden Spike Pub now - not sure about quality - don't live in cuse anymore.

Blarney Burger was always solid - is the mean worman still the short order window cook?? We used to call her the burger nazi... get your order in fast and correct or get the stick...

 

[RandomGuy]

This has to be a troll. Definitely some bad pizza in parts of the country, but im not buying that folks that can BBQ will settle for a bad burger.

 

[IthacaMatt]

What the hell is wrong with Alabama? First Chuck E Cheese for pizza and now Hardee’s for burgers?

Sounds like the author is trolling Alabama.

 

[OttoMets]

Marko's Golden Spike in East Syr used to sling a good burger... think it's just Golden Spike Pub now - not sure about quality - don't live in cuse anymore.

Blarney Burger was always solid - is the mean worman still the short order window cook?? We used to call her the burger nazi... get your order in fast and correct or get the stick...

Yes!

Comparable to Shifty's, I'd say. It's a solid 90th-percentile pub burger.

 

[TexanMark]

Zebb's at Northern Lights had a solid burger in Cuse. Top 20% IMHO. Usually I could find a coupon too to save a few bucks. I'd like stopping there cuz it is right next to I-81.

Are the restaurants in CNY having a hard time finding help?

 

[sutomcat]

Yes!

Comparable to Shifty's, I'd say. It's a solid 90th-percentile pub burger.

Another very good burger is served at the original Trappers on Butternut. I would put it in this same class as Shifty’s and the Golden Spike.

The Blarney burger is $5.75, which is really low for a top quality burger.

The standard Ale N Angus burger is $11.50.

The standard Golden Spike burger is $9.75.

The standard burger at Shifty’s is $6.75.

The standard burger at Trappers is $10.

But the burgers at the Spike and Trappers come with a side (like fries). I think the others do not.

So in terms of value, the Blarney appears to be the best deal. Fries are an extra $1.75. Ale N Angus is probably the worst.

 

[sutomcat]

Zebb's at Northern Lights had a solid burger in Cuse. Top 20% IMHO. Usually I could find a coupon too to save a few bucks. I'd like stopping there cuz it is right next to I-81.

Are the restaurants in CNY having a hard time finding help?

Yes, I know personally of a number of restaurants desperate for more staffing. Management keeps saying people are making more money staying home, collecting unemployment, then performing real work, It is a bad situation.

 

[OttoMets]

Another very good burger is served at the original Trappers on Butternut. I would put it in this same class as Shifty’s and the Golden Spike.

The Blarney burger is $5.75, which is really low for a top quality burger.

The standard Ale N Angus burger is $11.50.

The standard Golden Spike burger is $9.75.

The standard burger at Shifty’s is $6.75.

The standard burger at Trappers is $10.

But the burgers at the Spike and Trappers come with a side (like fries). I think the others do not.

So in terms of value, the Blarney appears to be the best deal. Fries are an extra $1.75. Ale N Angus is probably the worst.

I think Ale N Angus comes with their house made chips, upcharge for fries or rings? Could be getting my burger joints mixed up.

I'm not a big potato guy, so that's not exactly added value for me, but I know there's a lot of potato partisans out there who really prefer one option over another.

 

[OttoMets]

Another very good burger is served at the original Trappers on Butternut. I would put it in this same class as Shifty’s and the Golden Spike.
...

Speaking of this, while I've never been to Trappers, the new delicatessen across the street from there has a surprisingly good burger. It's got nothing on their pastrami and especially the brisket though.

 

[690West]

According to the NY Beef Council. CNY has 7 of the 10 top burgers in the state.

7 of the top 10 burgers in NY from Central New York region

WESTMORELAND, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — New York burger lovers have submitted their nominations for the New York Beef Council’s Best NY Burger Contest with 7 out of the top 10 restaurants from r…

www.localsyr.com

I recommend Ale n Angus or the Blarney Stone. Both are excellent.

Strange that 3 of the top 10 are within a few miles of each other near Central Square. Central Square is not a bad place but I don’t consider it the center of the burger universe in the state.

The burger “Sanford style” at the new Peachtree sandwich company in Dewitt is incredible. Order it with comeback sauce or the Alabama white sauce

 

[Chip]

The burger “Sanford style” at the new Peachtree sandwich company in Dewitt is incredible. Order it with comeback sauce or the Alabama white sauce
View attachment 200968

Why not just put that thing between a couple of glazed donuts instead of a bun, and then immediately check yourself into a hospital.

 

[690West]

Why not just put that thing on a couple of glazed donuts instead of a bun, and then immediately check yourself into a hospital.

YOLO!!

 

[Cusefan69]

Kevin used to serve up the double gut buster over at JPs in Fayetteville. Was a damn good burger. Also had pretty good wings there.

 

[Scooch]

Hot take: the delta between mediocre burger and great burger is far narrower than it is for foods like pizza, hot dogs, BBQ, tacos, pancakes, etc.

Usually burgers are great because of what’s on them, not the burger itself.

Hot take!

 

[Bayside44]

Best Italian restaurant: Olive Garden

Best steakhouse: Outback

Best deli: Subway

Best sports bar: Buffalo Wild Wings

Best butcher shop: Walmart

Best hardware store: Home Depot

Yeah but the co-eds cancel all that out. Not that you care.

 

[sutomcat]

The burger “Sanford style” at the new Peachtree sandwich company in Dewitt is incredible. Order it with comeback sauce or the Alabama white sauce
View attachment 200968

I gotta check this place out.

Another more high end place that recently opened that does burgers is Loded. I haven't checked it out but if you are a foodie, it sounds like a place you might like. Especially if you like the 1990s.

Loded - Menu

www.lodedsyr.com

First Look: A trendy Syracuse diner transitions from colorful breakfasts to exotic burgers and fries

From the folks who brought you Rise N Shine diner comes an eccentric lunch and dinner spot.

www.syracuse.com

 

[OttoMets]

The burger “Sanford style” at the new Peachtree sandwich company in Dewitt is incredible. Order it with comeback sauce or the Alabama white sauce
View attachment 200968

YES. You just set me up with dinner one night this week.

 

[OttoMets]

Hot take: the delta between mediocre burger and great burger is far narrower than it is for foods like pizza, hot dogs, BBQ, tacos, pancakes, etc.

Usually burgers are great because of what’s on them, not the burger itself.

Hot take!

First sentence, yes!

Second, no!

My hot take: 75% of burger toppings are crap. It's all about the burger, and the best bacon/brisket/foie in the world can't rescue crappy beef.

But yeah, even a mediocre burger is a pretty good burger. Can't say that about pizza.

 

[OttoMets]

I gotta check this place out.

Another more high end place that recently opened that does burgers is Loded. I haven't checked it out but if you are a foodie, it sounds like a place you might like. Especially if you like the 1990s.

Loded - Menu

www.lodedsyr.com

First Look: A trendy Syracuse diner transitions from colorful breakfasts to exotic burgers and fries

From the folks who brought you Rise N Shine diner comes an eccentric lunch and dinner spot.

www.syracuse.com

If it's anything like their previous menu as the diner, they'll have good burgers. They had one that was coated in ground coffee that was excellent.

 

[TexanMark]

Chicken Wings: H0T Takes

1. Any breading on them...GTFOH with those.
2. Boneless: Ain't Wings
3. Wet>Dry Rub
4. If you lips aren't burning at least a little after eating you either ordered wrong or find a new place.
5. I hate Blue Cheese but Ranch is ok.
6. Drums>Flats (But any Hot Wing is great)

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Chicken Wings: H0T Takes

5. I hate Blue Cheese but Ranch is ok.

Unforgivable.

 

[SUforme]

Chicken Wings: H0T Takes

1. Any breading on them...GTFOH with those.
2. Boneless: Ain't Wings
3. Wet>Dry Rub
4. If you lips aren't burning at least a little after eating you either ordered wrong or find a new place.
5. I hate Blue Cheese but Ranch is ok.
6. Drums>Flats (But any Hot Wing is great)

5. I hate Blue Cheese but Ranch is ok.

That is just plain doing it wrong.