Where to go for Pitt, Cuse road trips | Page 2 | Syracusefan.com

Where to go for Pitt, Cuse road trips

OttoMets said:
Wow; I'm surprised. What'd you have, Tom? (The ribs were overpriced and mediocre.)

I had a nice talk with Bob Barker one day shortly after Hammi's opened. He seemed enthusiastic about taking a break from the brick and mortar operation and focusing on his food truck. Glad to see he's giving it another go.
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I had the ribs...I guess that explains it.
 
sutomcat said:
I had the ribs...I guess that explains it.
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The one time I had them, they tasted parboiled. I didn't spring for the full rack (which was over $20); they actually cut me a deal - since I was getting a sandwich, they let me add on 4 ribs for something like $5 extra. Nice of them, but it was the first and last time I wanted to try their ribs.
 
AirForceOrange said:
Heids is a definite. Also was going to go to Coleman's. Graduated from high school with Pat Coleman. I will be staying on the west side, Westvale/Onondaga Hill area...
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I am on that side of town, there are a ton of options.

Twin Trees is an absolute must, go to the original on Avery Avenue, it can get crowded but the Pizza is outstanding and the rest of the food is good. The immediate Area surrounding the place is a bit seedy but I have never had an issue.

Also if you like Mexican try Azteca Grill, its located in a small plaza in Camillus across from the large Home Depot Plaza. Good prices and a large menu selection. Get the Nachos with cheese, they use this mexican cheese that is out of sight. Also have good frozen Margaritas.

As mentioned earlier, Limp Lizard is right across from Western Lights Plaza and is a great place. Oddly I have never been a huge fan of there BBQ, though I recommend there pulled pork nachos. I haven't had there ribs in sometime and for a pulled pork sandwich Dino to me is still king. To be honest I haven't had great ribs in Syracuse in a long time, be it local joints or chains its been difficult to get a real nice rack of ribs. Amazingly Kirbys in Westvale plaza was probably the last place I had good ribs, I would recommend them to. A little bit more upscale, not fine dining but not Tullys either. Back to Limp Lizard I highly recommend any of there sandwiches, burgers and especially the BBQ chicken. My fiance gets the chicken every time, the last time it was the best either of us had ever had. If you go there get there cornbread as a side, very good.

With kids you cant go wrong with Tullys, I am assuming you have been there before, if not I would recommend it. There Tenders are like crack and they do good burgers and sandwiches. They have a place in Fairmount but watch what time you go, place is always jammed.

Couple of other thoughts: If your looking for something quick Fish Cove in Westvale Plaza is a nice option, there fish sandwiches are crazy good and they have pretty much any side or other seafood (shrimp, clams, smelt, oysters) available by the pound. I would have recommended a burger joint Cheeburger Cheeburger as a great family place (awesome burgers to) but they were just seized for failure to pay taxes, sorry to see the place go. You might want to consider a jump over to Carousel (Destiny USA) mall as well. Its mostly chain places but they have a ton of options now from Gordon Biersch to Toby Keiths to TGI Fridays, Melting Pot, PF Changs etc. Dont forget about Erie Blvd, you could cruise up and down each side and have your choice of different places ie Texas Roadhouse, Koto, Secret Garden, (several Thai/Korean Restaurants), Delmonicos, etc.

If you guys like Thai there is a place called Bangok Thai on Old Liverpool road that has good food and its not far from Heids at all. There is also a new BBQ place in Camillus down the road from Azteca Grill called Moes. I did try it and thought it was OK, the fiance wasn't impressed but we didnt try the ribs or brisket just the chicken and pulled pork. There is another BBQ joint in the village of camillus Krabby Kirks good food and they have a nice sized deck outback, though there is not much view if you know what I mean. I would also recommend the Waterfront out in Brewerton, short drive and having lunch or dinner out on there Patio with a summer cocktail is a great time. Good food to.
 
I just went to Cheeburger Cheeburger down here in Jersey a couple of weeks ago and really liked it. Sorry to hear it leaving the 315. Another chain that's up in Syracuse that I liked was Quaker Steak and Lube. If you're in search of a very large beer, they've got you covered. I also had a really good quesadilla there. My Mom's favorite place is the Retreat in Liverpool. Take that for what it's worth. I've never been there myself.
 
JeremyCuse said:
I am on that side of town, there are a ton of options.

Twin Trees is an absolute must, go to the original on Avery Avenue, it can get crowded but the Pizza is outstanding and the rest of the food is good. The immediate Area surrounding the place is a bit seedy but I have never had an issue. ...
Couple of other thoughts: If your looking for something quick Fish Cove in Westvale Plaza is a nice option, there fish sandwiches are crazy good and they have pretty much any side or other seafood (shrimp, clams, smelt, oysters) available by the pound. I would have recommended a burger joint Cheeburger Cheeburger as a great family place (awesome burgers to) but they were just seized for failure to pay taxes, sorry to see the place go. You might want to consider a jump over to Carousel (Destiny USA) mall as well. Its mostly chain places but they have a ton of options now from Gordon Biersch to Toby Keiths to TGI Fridays, Melting Pot, PF Changs etc. Dont forget about Erie Blvd, you could cruise up and down each side and have your choice of different places ie Texas Roadhouse, Koto, Secret Garden, (several Thai/Korean Restaurants), Delmonicos, etc.

If you guys like Thai there is a place called Bangok Thai on Old Liverpool road that has good food and its not far from Heids at all. There is also a new BBQ place in Camillus down the road from Azteca Grill called Moes. I did try it and thought it was OK, the fiance wasn't impressed but we didnt try the ribs or brisket just the chicken and pulled pork. There is another BBQ joint in the village of camillus Krabby Kirks good food and they have a nice sized deck outback, though there is not much view if you know what I mean. I would also recommend the Waterfront out in Brewerton, short drive and having lunch or dinner out on there Patio with a summer cocktail is a great time. Good food to.
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Twin Trees is good - strangely polarizing, but I love the style of pie. Awesome wings, too. I did get the ribs (theme of the day, it seems) after a football game last fall and that was my mistake. Wouldn't recommend those.

A couple other places out your way, Jeremy: Westvale has a dim sum joint that is well-regarded. China Pavilion, I think? And I'm a huge fan of Sam's Chicken Land at Charles and Genesee. Great name, great people, great chicken.

Need to try that Moe's. With Hammi's out of the picture and Dino inconsistent, the search for good CNY brisket marches on...

Kirk's was not the place to find good brisket (dry, not a lot of flavor, too saucy), but they have this homemade jalapeno popper sort of dish - jalapenos wrapped in thick-cut bacon and stuffed with pulled pork and cheddar. Those were solid. And friends tell me that their pastrami is excellent, so I'm going to go back and give that a try pretty soon.

I like Secret Garden a lot; was just there over the weekend. I don't know how the Korean is in most ACC towns, but I'd wager that this is as good or better than in all but the big cities.
 
OttoMets said:
Twin Trees is good - strangely polarizing, but I love the style of pie. Awesome wings, too. I did get the ribs (theme of the day, it seems) after a football game last fall and that was my mistake. Wouldn't recommend those.

A couple other places out your way, Jeremy: Westvale has a dim sum joint that is well-regarded. China Pavilion, I think? And I'm a huge fan of Sam's Chicken Land at Charles and Genesee. Great name, great people, great chicken.

Need to try that Moe's. With Hammi's out of the picture and Dino inconsistent, the search for good CNY brisket marches on...

Kirk's was not the place to find good brisket (dry, not a lot of flavor, too saucy), but they have this homemade jalapeno popper sort of dish - jalapenos wrapped in thick-cut bacon and stuffed with pulled pork and cheddar. Those were solid. And friends tell me that their pastrami is excellent, so I'm going to go back and give that a try pretty soon.

I like Secret Garden a lot; was just there over the weekend. I don't know how the Korean is in most ACC towns, but I'd wager that this is as good or better than in all but the big cities.
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Agree on Twin Tree the pizza and wings are outstanding. I had the ribs there years ago and they were pretty good but that was probably at least 5-10 years ago so I will go with your more up to date recommendation on that.

China Pavilion is a nice place, been in business a long time so I know they have a good following. I havent had there dim sum but I would recommend it because I have heard good reviews like your's before. A good chinese place to try is China House (I think thats the name) its on W.Genesse St next to what is now the closed IHOP (old Fresnos) and a pizza place. Its across the street from Fairmout Animal Hospital (cue the cat jokes). Anyway there sesame chicken is the best I have ever had, really good. They also have outstanding Crab Rangoons, I highly recommend it.

Heard great things about Sams but when me and the Fiance tried we were both extremely underwhelmed. Portions were way to small and it took forever to get the food. I should probably give it another shot. I would recommend you try Moes, its near Pine Grove, the portions were big if nothing else but if I had to guess I dont think your search for great BBQ will end there but hey you never know.

Also dont forget Evas in Solvay, great polish food, hidden gem type of place. Secret Garden was just reviewed somewhere recently and the place got rave reviews, so I think your right on with that.
 
Orangeyes said:
In the Fairmont area on Milton Ave is the Cooper Top Rest.

It's owned by Tully's and is a step up.
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Great call Dan, was going to mention that in my original post. Good beer selection and good food including pizzas and pasta dishes. Highly recommend.
 
JeremyCuse said:
Agree on Twin Tree the pizza and wings are outstanding. I had the ribs there years ago and they were pretty good but that was probably at least 5-10 years ago so I will go with your more up to date recommendation on that.

China Pavilion is a nice place, been in business a long time so I know they have a good following. I havent had there dim sum but I would recommend it because I have heard good reviews like your's before. A good chinese place to try is China House (I think thats the name) its on W.Genesse St next to what is now the closed IHOP (old Fresnos) and a pizza place. Its across the street from Fairmout Animal Hospital (cue the cat jokes). Anyway there sesame chicken is the best I have ever had, really good. They also have outstanding Crab Rangoons, I highly recommend it.

Heard great things about Sams but when me and the Fiance tried we were both extremely underwhelmed. Portions were way to small and it took forever to get the food. I should probably give it another shot. I would recommend you try Moes, its near Pine Grove, the portions were big if nothing else but if I had to guess I dont think your search for great BBQ will end there but hey you never know.

Also dont forget Evas in Solvay, great polish food, hidden gem type of place. Secret Garden was just reviewed somewhere recently and the place got rave reviews, so I think your right on with that.
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Oh, yeah, word of warning for Sam's - it's takeout, but it's sloooooooow.

Eva's is bangin. Now THAT is a must-stop for any ACC visitors. They also just opened a spin-off bakery in Westcott a couple days ago. Planning on trying it this weekend, since the pies and cakes in the restaurant are incredible.
 
OttoMets said:
Oh, yeah, word of warning for Sam's - it's takeout, but it's sloooooooow.

Eva's is bangin. Now THAT is a must-stop for any ACC visitors. They also just opened a spin-off bakery in Westcott a couple days ago. Planning on trying it this weekend, since the pies and cakes in the restaurant are incredible.
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LOL your not joking on the slow part. I hadn't heard about the new bakery, that is great news, do you know the name? A new bakery would do wonders for the Syracuse area as the options are limited. I still love Harrison Bakery but everytime I walk in there I get a flashback to the early 90's. Good bread though and there pastries/deserts are usually pretty good.

As Eyes noted above Copper top is a great place and for another pizza place I highly recommend Gianni's which I believe is on Burnet near the Italian place with the big portions but not so great reputation.
 
JeremyCuse said:
LOL your not joking on the slow part. I hadn't heard about the new bakery, that is great news, do you know the name? A new bakery would do wonders for the Syracuse area as the options are limited. I still love Harrison Bakery but everytime I walk in there I get a flashback to the early 90's. Good bread though and there pastries/deserts are usually pretty good.

As Eyes noted above Copper top is a great place and for another pizza place I highly recommend Gianni's which I believe is on Burnet near the Italian place with the big portions but not so great reputation.
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I think it's Picasso's Pastries? But they have non-pastry stuff too. It's right at the corner of Dell and Westcott. Harrison's great; Pastry Palace in Jamesville is another good one, though the hours are pretty bad.
 
I have always had good luck at Munjed's which serves Middle Eastern food. The cook is Turkish and when he's in the kitchen everything is on point.

Munjed's located on Wescott St. right in the middle of the business district.

Stop there when you take in the sight's and smells of the Westcott Street Cultural Fair which takes place on Sunday of the Wagner weekend (September 15).

There is always a great mix of music, dance, arts, crafts and culture.
 
A Clockwork Orange said:
I'm surprised that the Dinosaur has fallen off. I haven't been in probably five years, so I just assume it's still great. Down here in Virginia there are surprisingly few great BBQ joints. The BBQ Exchange north of Charlottesville has great sides, but the meat is often dry. Talked to the owner of the place last time I was there, and when I told him I was from CNY he lit up and said "you live close to the best BBQ place in the country." Apparently the head chef for the Dino was down in his neck of the woods cooking at some fancy hotel for a weekend. Like a visiting chef I guess. Not sure about the details, but that guy definitely held them in high regard.
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ever since they've gone corporate with big shot investors taking them nationwide I'd imagine is the goal, since this recently it seems to have dropped a notch in exactly the ways mentioned in this thread.

Three constants in life fellas (and ladies) not two: death, taxes AND change. All too often the changes aren't good ones like with dino.
 
Cusester said:
Surprised that nobody mentioned the Blue Tusk on Walton street. Great beer selection and good sandwiches.
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Agreed on the sandwiches. They used to have a fantastic roast beef & lobster sandwich that I devoured as often as possible, but it disappeared from the menu. Guessing not many wanted to pay the menu price for it. They still have an affordable lobster BLT on the menu (at least they did last time I was in town). More affordable, but also nowhere near as filling. Best value is actually the giant plate of stuffed grape leaves. Great portion for your money.

Where Blue Tusk really loses me is the liquor selection. Great place for beer (and to be fair, that's how they market themselves), but it's astounding how many standard brands of of liquor they fail to stock. It also doesn't help that it always seems to be 10 degrees hotter than every other place in Armory Square!
 
SUFaninNJ said:
I'll be there too, AFO. Personally, I love Kitty Hoynes. I love it both with and without my kids. My boys (10, 6, &4) like the food, and I like the fact that it's a fairly authentic Irish pub/restaurant, only with better food. Plus David and Cindy, the owners, are wonderful extremely hardworking people.

Heids, of course, is great with a kid. Depending on what part of town you'll be in, my boys love Sno Top in Manlius!
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The food is good at Kitty's but the beer prices are nuts. I paid $6 for a pint of PBR down there a couple months ago after work. Surprised, I asked, "How much do you charge for GOOD beer?"
 
JeremyCuse said:
Great call Dan, was going to mention that in my original post. Good beer selection and good food including pizzas and pasta dishes. Highly recommend.
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They discontinued their best pizza (shrimp scampi pizza), and the wait staff is not pleased about it. The quality of the protein is not that great, other than their burgers, which are very tasty (try the Pittsburgher). The salads are big enough that they should come with a shovel, and the atmosphere is very good.
 
IthacaMatt said:
The food is good at Kitty's but the beer prices are nuts. I paid $6 for a pint of PBR down there a couple months ago after work. Surprised, I asked, "How much do you charge for GOOD beer?"
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I've never had a problem with their beer prices, but then again, I'm coming in from Jersey where everything is overpriced. I didn't even realize that they served PBR. They usually have some sort of beer special or beer of the month as well which is usually discounted.
 
SUFaninNJ said:
I've never had a problem with their beer prices, but then again, I'm coming in from Jersey where everything is overpriced. I didn't even realize that they served PBR. They usually have some sort of beer special or beer of the month as well which is usually discounted.
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You have to keep an eye on the board and order the special. Otherwise, they gouge the hell out of you by Syracuse standards for beers. This is not the place to have more than a couple at the bar. Gets too expensive.
 
Hey, how about Empire Brewing Co. right across the street from the Blue Tusk? Great in-house brewed beers and great food. Love their chilli! And they serve their beers at the right temp--the Tusk's always seem w-a-y too cold for craft beers.
 
IthacaMatt said:
You have to keep an eye on the board and order the special. Otherwise, they gouge the hell out of you by Syracuse standards for beers. This is not the place to have more than a couple at the bar. Gets too expensive.
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Personally, I've never felt gouged there at all, so we'll have to agree to disagree. If they charge a bit more but offer free live music, I'm fine with it. There are plenty of places within walking distance for people who don't like the prices.
 
The Syracuse area also has multiple Denny's incase any out of towner wants a little taste of home ;)
 
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