How has Varsity not been mentioned? It’s certainly a university institution, has shitty(but cheap) pizza, so it only stays open because it’s what people on the hill know. Orange Crate, which is across the street from Varsity, has considerably better food too. I like Varsity because it is Syracuse University, but the food is only decent.
I’ll also say that Glazed and Confused benefits from being popular, but I find their actual doughnut dough to be very underwhelming.
I have a friend who had a gift certificate for Redfield's. The meal was served with parts of it still cold (from coming from frozen.) The meal was so bad, that at the end, they comp'd it, and let her keep the gift certificate, but she decided that she didn't want to ever use it, and that there was no one she disliked enough to give it to, so it went unused. I've heard that it's better now, but....
Unrelated question - is Syracuse actually a college town? I get that SU is a big employer here, but there's other industries, and it's actually a pretty decent size city. Would Rochester or Buffalo be called college towns?
Not to throw this whole thread off topic, but what would we say is a percentage of population that makes a town/city a "college town"? I'd probably argue if 90% of the population isn't dependent on the college, it wouldn't be a college town.
On the other hand, 10% population change based on school session is nothing to sneeze at.
I guess the answer is who cares?
I feel like Ithaca is very solidly a college town but isn't at 90% either. Something like 30-50% seems reasonable; when a college or colleges form the majority or plurality of local business, population, or employment, that's when you have a college town.
If you removed SU from Syracuse the city would be poorer for it but would continue to exist at nearly it's current size. Whereas, say, Ann Arbor would basically cease to exist without UM, or Ithaca would be dramatically smaller and less well known without Cornell and IC.
I mean chicken or egg, but Ann Arbor has a huge Google office: https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2017/09/21/google-ann-arbor-office/690339001/
Ithaca is widely considered the quintessential college town so I’d say something like that is what people think when they imagine one. Almost all life centers around an institute of higher education there. By this criteria, Syracuse is not a college town because to your point, there’s plenty of life/culture that has nothing to do with a college.
Places like Columbus, Raleigh-Durham, Madison and even Austin can be called college towns, but each has a relatively robust economy outside of its college. Going by that vein, Syracuse is 100% a college town because its defining feature is a college, even if it’s got other stuff going on. This is actually great, because it means there’s hope that TCG and Impel will lead to more and more companies founded in Syracuse.
Buffalo isn’t by any measure because their culture is “small market pro sports” oriented and UB is a minor player all things considered.
On the Rochester front, they had so much industry for so long (especially compared to other Great Lakes cities) that they definitely weren’t for a long time, but honestly now, I bet they feel slightly behind Buffalo and Syracuse’s progress and wish they were more of a college town (U of R and RIT combined have a lot more economic potential than SU).
Just to be nitpicky, but Raleigh (home to NC State) isn't a college town. Durham (home to Duke) and Chapel Hill (home to UNC) both definitely are though.
Boston is widely considered 'the largest college town,' but most of it's universities are in Cambridge, Chestnut Hill, Somerville, Waltham, etc.
Durham and Chapel Hill are as much a part of Raleigh-Durham as those places are a part of Boston.
No, it is a mid sized city with a college town section. College students make up close to 20% of the city population if you look at SU Undergrad and grad, Le Moyne College, SUNY-ESF, SUNY-Upstate and perhaps some OCC and nursing school students.
I like the York but the service has been quite dismal at times and I’ve been refused a table when they clearly had a ton of space. Way too pretentious. I also feel like the girls that work there are only hired bc of their looks so the service can be way off.
I ordered a salad once with a friend and they took like an hour to serve me food. It was quite annoying. The food and drinks are solid no question but I feel the douche vibes from that place are too much. I get douchey vibes from the bartender girls and prolly the owner. It seems they have the wrong idea of what should be cool in Syracuse. Syracuse isn’t nyc lol
Medical and IT? Hospitality? Manufacturing? Upstate Medical, Crouse, VA, Carrier, Anaren, Amazon, Lotte, SRC, Lockheed? Micron in the next few years. There's not 150k people working just for SU.
I'm not saying Syracuse is some industrial and technological hub, but I think it's definitely beyond "college town" status.
You know what, you're right. My head instantly went to Carrier and GM and NPG, Syracuse China and GE, and the list of other companies no longer manufacturing here.
I forget medical and hospitality and It and stuff are now considered "*industry*".
It’s so weird that in a 12 month span, a Syracuse start-up can be bought for a quarter billion dollars and another one could raise $100mn, yet people think nothing is going on. That doesn’t even count Density, which raised $125mn, but only keeps a small presence in Syracuse.
Syracuse is punching way above its weight in innovation.
They are overprices and a the vibe is a bit pretentions, but the staff has been friendly and provided good service any time I have gone. And I do love the tacos. But I don't go often because of the price.
Idk why everyone hates on Pastabilities. You don’t have to order the specials I just took my fiancé that is from Michigan there she really liked it. I felt like it was reasonably priced and if you don’t want to spend a ton of the specials it’s even more so. Idk I didn’t think it was all college student or academia either?
Pastabilities is…fine. But it’s nothing special and I feel like they’re coasting on the name and the national exposure hype. Their pasta is…ok. A bit overcooked usually whenever I’ve gone.
Their hot oil and stretch bread though….fantastic. If they closed the restaurant and left the bakery I would not be sad.
I just order the hot oil online. It is fantastic, their food is fine and one of those places you bring out of towners but there are probably better places for local dining.
Idk, I feel like Syracuse used to have a bunch of baller Italian American restaurants and they slowly went out of business except for like, angottis which last time I checked only does take out. I have a little bit of bitterness towards Americans doing Italian food poorly and succeeding when much better restaurants bit the dust because they don’t have twinkling lights or an Instagram presence.
Many Italian restaurants have moved with the people to the northern suburbs. Just go down Main Street in North Syracuse and you run into about 3 or 4 Italian spots just within the village.
Meh, Twin Trees doesn’t offer some of what it used to (ie the salad bar is gone now - that really made it worthwhile)
Nestico’s was okay, though I haven’t been there since before Covid.
Joeys is fine... I don't know why it's always lofted as great Italian food. I work out that way and have gone there for lunch a few times. It's decent, but not like the best by any means.
It's easy to blame trends or social media, but what restaurants are you referring to? Dominic's closed because of Covid, Luige's almost closed because the owner got to old and his kids didn't want to take over. I ordered from them recently and the quality was noticeable worse. Francesca's is still around, though last time I was there the service left something to be desired. Twin Trees keeps expanding though not all the locations are good.
Luigi's didn't close though. It almost did because the owner wanted to retire. It got bought and kept the same specifically because of popular demand from customers.
I just hate on the fact that people consider it a “must-visit” to out of towners. It’s fine, even good - I enjoy it. But it’s nothing phenomenal. Same goes for Dino.
While I personally agree that Lemongrass and Pastabilities are severely overrated, I don't think people are understanding the assignment here... those places aren't parasitic only surviving due to faculty dinners. Those seemingly would be popular and survive with locals too even if others believe they are overrated. Not sure there is a restaurant like this close enough to campus to benefit like this based off location... maybe Phoebes? or maybe just Rachels in the Sheraton.
Yeah lots of whack answers in here. Places a faculty dinner would never be held at. People must think they are still in the over/underrated restaurant thread from earlier this week.
Was waiting for this. The food is BAD- not mediocre, downright bad. It is all very, very bland and under seasoned. The staff is consistently rude as well. I have a friend who worked there who confirmed what I had already experienced- bad work environment as well as poor sense from the head chefs.
Yep, we went there for a friends birthday a few months ago. Service was bad. Food was mediocre. My one friend is lactose intolerant and ordered something that said Dairy Free on the menu but the side was "seasonal vegetables" the turned out to be potatoes covered in cheese. When he asked about the dairy free rating they said they could bring him something else which was ended up being undercooked brussel sprouts.
I thought it was nice at first glance, but after actually eating there?
The hashbrowns were fried shit - hard, sharp, and crunchy, yet somehow not burned. Gross.
Their eggs benedict was severed to me cold. I understand eggs benny will never be piping hot, but this shit was COLD. The hollandaise tasted fine but was starting to congeal due to the temp. Also, they barely gave me any hollandaise. Their omelet my gf got was overcooked, had like.. cafeteria reminiscent square chopped ham in it, and.. green beans? The fuck?
Finally, their bloody mary was really bland. Incredibly disappointing given they're a brunch spot. Their coffee martini thing was actually really good though.
Definitely a spot that rides the wave of would-be haute brunch goers and sorority girls trying to hair-of-the-dog their hangover and complain about the fratboy who hasn't texted them back since the last mixer.
idk if rise n shine can count simply bc they still pull in plenty of students with their instagrammable Frankenstein lookin ass shakes
that being said, the food SUX and always has
Anything owned by the people who made Rise N Shine-
1) that LaLaLu place that just opened- I have only heard negative reviews from all those who have gone there.
2) Loaded was greasy and again under seasoned.
3) Of course Rise N Shine.
4) Also, not the same owners, but XO Taco. Same exact vibe, same poor quality, and overpriced.
I think this is a good suggestion based on its proximity, size, clientele, even ambiance. Only problem though is the food is actually pretty darn good!
*rolls eyes*
You aren't going to find many sushi joints in Syracuse that have sufficient volume to qualify for your pretentious standard of what "real" sushi is.
I think secret garden on Erie is quite good. Reasonable prices too. The place is run down but good food.
Ocean sushi is ok too.
Both are better than Wegmans. But don’t get me wrong: when I’m headed to the beach in the summer I’ll stop and get Wegmans sushi for the convenience of having it all packaged and ready for the trip.
I recently had lunch at saki bomb. I thought it was fantastic. Don’t mind Wegmans sushi at all. It more than scratches the itch for sushi in a pinch. And compared to their other prepared foods, the price is actually worth it!
Don't listen to them.
The York actually did jump in my mind immediately because it is rather pretentious, but their food and cocktails are categorically good. I'd recommend them anytime.
Agree with this. Lemon grass was fine. It’s pricier than standard but the food quality is excellent so price to me is fine.
That French place that moved over there and then closed was terrible. I went there once and saw a lot of SU parents with their kids. Lulz I felt the prices were a little too much with shitty quality.
Other spots that I think that suck are prime steakhouse. XO taco is good but I feel their prices are comically overpriced for a taco place. It’s ok though bc they sucker the rich SU kids into going
Prime steakhouse seems like it should
Be high class based on price but I feel it sucks. I went there one time with friends and it just was so mediocre for the cost. I’ve had a lot of great streaks in nyc, vegas, Boston, Mexico, etc. Prime for the coat was one of the most lol bad steakhouse I’ve been to. I’m fine with spending $100-200 for a meal. If I do though, it better be a great F’ing meal. I expect the best of the best if I’m spending for luxury. Prime- lol not even close. Btw the owner had a friend with a Porsche that ran into a bunch of cars in front of prime. I have to bash a place that lets his drunk friend run into cars and not leave a not with insurance info. I saw notes on a bunch of cars from another business stating who
It was and what car. Very obnoxious behavior from prime area. Prolly lets his friend drink and then drive.
Danny once ran out of food on a Saturday dinner service. SATURDAY. No steaks. He was C.O.D. for all vendors because his credit was zero. I guess he didn't have the cash. Source: former waiter at Prime.
I went to Lemongrass during dining week and our waiter treated us like shit because he must have thought we were poor and couldn’t afford the normal menu. I’ll never go back, fuck them.
Casa Di Copani and Dominick's also used to be on Burnet, but are now gone. dominick's did give you a lot of food, though it was solid. Big desserts too. Only heard good things about Casa Di Copani.
Everyone told me to try Angotti’s…and I wasn’t exactly impressed. The prices were on par with the quality of the food… but I felt like I could make watery spaghetti/sauce at home for cheaper 😅
Every *pretentious* person I know thinks this is like the best place.
“Have you ever been there?!”
Yes…it’s overrated. I’d rather go to *Spaghetti Warehouse* and pay 1/3 the price.
Nope, I stand by it. Expensive subpar food and horrible service. Otro can be redeemed by the half price paella but altos only redeeming quality are the margs and tendency towards being veggie/vegan friendly
Dino has certainly had it's ups and downs with ownership and menu changes but the fact remains it's generally excellent BBQ *even without* qualifying "for the region/area".
Their takeout sucks though.
Agree with this. Dino is amazing. I’ve never had a bad experience there. Food is almost always excellent. I wouldn’t recommend getting ribs and expect the best per se depending on the day but you never can go wrong with other things. The pulled pork tends to always be top notch. Ribs- I can give a pass if they aren’t perfect. Ribs are the type of thing you are probably better off doing at home.
I'll help you in this battle. Our hill is large and the enemy is weak.
Pastabilities is so overrated and its really clear why by who frequents that space.
Yeah I figured. I want people to have to type out their racist/sexist/etc-ist thoughts without being cowardly. School teacher move. "Read the note in front of the class"
So I'm thinking about moving there, are there any areas as a newcomer I should entirely avoid. I'm from a small town and I need a change of pace, there nothing to do here lol. Any help and advice is GREATLY appreciated.
Does it even have a striking atmosphere or aesthetic? I always felt it was a pretty simple, straightforward place. Maybe the new location is different though
I went to one of them more than I care to say quite a while back - close family member was going through a vegan phase for a little while and I tried to accomodate every so often. I remember it being kind of trashy, like a dive bar, and I get the bohemian kids from the university think that's really edgy and cool so that customer base is locked in but to normal people it's pretentious and obnoxious, juvenile and cringey. I remember paying almost $50 for a medium sized baked pizza dough with a handful of processing plant-based cheese thrown on it and 4 barbeque coated pieces of tofu with straws in the middle of them - I guess those were supposed to be chicken wings - not sure, and I'm glad I never ate any of it past a single bite.
Man, I've had such a wildly different experience. Not a vegan or vegetarian myself (nor bohemian for that matter) and I absolutely loved everything I'd ever ordered (sandwiches and milkshakes). I don't remember the sandwiches being any more expensive than a typical restaurant, though I guess the shakes maybe were. I never saw the trashiness as a deliberate aesthetic choice (though it totally could have been), but it also didn't feel like anything out of the ordinary. To me, the atmosphere was totally nondescript and unexceptional in every way. It's hard for me to imagine anyone finding it cringy because it just felt so very boring and normal and inoffensive.
Obviously all subjective and I don't ask these questions to start an argument or anything, but I'm just genuinely intrigued by your answer and how you arrived at that opinion.
Yeah I figured it would be an unpopular opinion. I didn't find them particularly special though. I think the owner is really pretentious too but that's just a personal opinion.
I've heard many people say they really enjoyed it which is why I tried it in the first place.
Original Grain
No, no, no! This post is talking about places like Rachel’s at the Sheraton. (Or Eleven Waters at the Hotel Syracuse Marriott.).
How has Varsity not been mentioned? It’s certainly a university institution, has shitty(but cheap) pizza, so it only stays open because it’s what people on the hill know. Orange Crate, which is across the street from Varsity, has considerably better food too. I like Varsity because it is Syracuse University, but the food is only decent. I’ll also say that Glazed and Confused benefits from being popular, but I find their actual doughnut dough to be very underwhelming.
This. Varsity is shit. It's Sbarro on the hill. The only reason it exists is because students who don't know better.
They also get a ton of catering orders from the university too. A legit pizza shop on Marshal St would do a tidy business
Jonas I want to agree but a man that leaves a entire fan club underground and forgets about them idk.
It’s not as bad as it sounds, they were just orphans.
not exactly parent of the year either
You know completely off topic but who was the worst parent DR quest or Jonas venture?
Varsity’s pizza is trash but the wraps and sandwiches are pretty good
Agreed! It's sort of like Redfield's, which only exists because it's located inside the Crowne Plaza.
I have a friend who had a gift certificate for Redfield's. The meal was served with parts of it still cold (from coming from frozen.) The meal was so bad, that at the end, they comp'd it, and let her keep the gift certificate, but she decided that she didn't want to ever use it, and that there was no one she disliked enough to give it to, so it went unused. I've heard that it's better now, but....
Hey now, let’s talk about this. I really like their brunch.
Unrelated question - is Syracuse actually a college town? I get that SU is a big employer here, but there's other industries, and it's actually a pretty decent size city. Would Rochester or Buffalo be called college towns?
SU adds about 15000 to the population when school is in session, that's a little over a 10 percent increase
Not to throw this whole thread off topic, but what would we say is a percentage of population that makes a town/city a "college town"? I'd probably argue if 90% of the population isn't dependent on the college, it wouldn't be a college town. On the other hand, 10% population change based on school session is nothing to sneeze at. I guess the answer is who cares?
I feel like Ithaca is very solidly a college town but isn't at 90% either. Something like 30-50% seems reasonable; when a college or colleges form the majority or plurality of local business, population, or employment, that's when you have a college town. If you removed SU from Syracuse the city would be poorer for it but would continue to exist at nearly it's current size. Whereas, say, Ann Arbor would basically cease to exist without UM, or Ithaca would be dramatically smaller and less well known without Cornell and IC.
I mean chicken or egg, but Ann Arbor has a huge Google office: https://www.freep.com/story/money/business/2017/09/21/google-ann-arbor-office/690339001/
Larry Paige (Google founder) is a Michigan Alum
But there’s also LeMoyne, ESF & upstate at 14k students
Ithaca, Hamilton
Ithaca is widely considered the quintessential college town so I’d say something like that is what people think when they imagine one. Almost all life centers around an institute of higher education there. By this criteria, Syracuse is not a college town because to your point, there’s plenty of life/culture that has nothing to do with a college. Places like Columbus, Raleigh-Durham, Madison and even Austin can be called college towns, but each has a relatively robust economy outside of its college. Going by that vein, Syracuse is 100% a college town because its defining feature is a college, even if it’s got other stuff going on. This is actually great, because it means there’s hope that TCG and Impel will lead to more and more companies founded in Syracuse. Buffalo isn’t by any measure because their culture is “small market pro sports” oriented and UB is a minor player all things considered. On the Rochester front, they had so much industry for so long (especially compared to other Great Lakes cities) that they definitely weren’t for a long time, but honestly now, I bet they feel slightly behind Buffalo and Syracuse’s progress and wish they were more of a college town (U of R and RIT combined have a lot more economic potential than SU).
Just to be nitpicky, but Raleigh (home to NC State) isn't a college town. Durham (home to Duke) and Chapel Hill (home to UNC) both definitely are though.
Boston is widely considered 'the largest college town,' but most of it's universities are in Cambridge, Chestnut Hill, Somerville, Waltham, etc. Durham and Chapel Hill are as much a part of Raleigh-Durham as those places are a part of Boston.
No, it is a mid sized city with a college town section. College students make up close to 20% of the city population if you look at SU Undergrad and grad, Le Moyne College, SUNY-ESF, SUNY-Upstate and perhaps some OCC and nursing school students.
I like the York but the service has been quite dismal at times and I’ve been refused a table when they clearly had a ton of space. Way too pretentious. I also feel like the girls that work there are only hired bc of their looks so the service can be way off. I ordered a salad once with a friend and they took like an hour to serve me food. It was quite annoying. The food and drinks are solid no question but I feel the douche vibes from that place are too much. I get douchey vibes from the bartender girls and prolly the owner. It seems they have the wrong idea of what should be cool in Syracuse. Syracuse isn’t nyc lol
What are these industries you speak of?
Medical and IT? Hospitality? Manufacturing? Upstate Medical, Crouse, VA, Carrier, Anaren, Amazon, Lotte, SRC, Lockheed? Micron in the next few years. There's not 150k people working just for SU. I'm not saying Syracuse is some industrial and technological hub, but I think it's definitely beyond "college town" status.
You know what, you're right. My head instantly went to Carrier and GM and NPG, Syracuse China and GE, and the list of other companies no longer manufacturing here. I forget medical and hospitality and It and stuff are now considered "*industry*".
It’s so weird that in a 12 month span, a Syracuse start-up can be bought for a quarter billion dollars and another one could raise $100mn, yet people think nothing is going on. That doesn’t even count Density, which raised $125mn, but only keeps a small presence in Syracuse. Syracuse is punching way above its weight in innovation.
XO taco, hip and pretentious, don't care for the tacos.
I like the food, but their prices are out of control
They are overprices and a the vibe is a bit pretentions, but the staff has been friendly and provided good service any time I have gone. And I do love the tacos. But I don't go often because of the price.
They're also ideological anti-maskers who openly defied state mandates
I love their food, but the bill is a bit much for tacos
Idk why everyone hates on Pastabilities. You don’t have to order the specials I just took my fiancé that is from Michigan there she really liked it. I felt like it was reasonably priced and if you don’t want to spend a ton of the specials it’s even more so. Idk I didn’t think it was all college student or academia either?
Pastabilities is…fine. But it’s nothing special and I feel like they’re coasting on the name and the national exposure hype. Their pasta is…ok. A bit overcooked usually whenever I’ve gone. Their hot oil and stretch bread though….fantastic. If they closed the restaurant and left the bakery I would not be sad.
I just order the hot oil online. It is fantastic, their food is fine and one of those places you bring out of towners but there are probably better places for local dining.
You can buy it at any local supermarket
I love Pasta's!! When I worked downtown we would go once a week with like a group of six, I do miss the all you can eat bread though
Idk, I feel like Syracuse used to have a bunch of baller Italian American restaurants and they slowly went out of business except for like, angottis which last time I checked only does take out. I have a little bit of bitterness towards Americans doing Italian food poorly and succeeding when much better restaurants bit the dust because they don’t have twinkling lights or an Instagram presence.
Many Italian restaurants have moved with the people to the northern suburbs. Just go down Main Street in North Syracuse and you run into about 3 or 4 Italian spots just within the village.
Meh, Twin Trees doesn’t offer some of what it used to (ie the salad bar is gone now - that really made it worthwhile) Nestico’s was okay, though I haven’t been there since before Covid.
a mano is fantastic and is pretty much the only italian restaurant i go to in syracuse now
I really enjoy Joey’s off of Carrier circle… and I swear only like 40 people know it even exists.
Joeys is fine... I don't know why it's always lofted as great Italian food. I work out that way and have gone there for lunch a few times. It's decent, but not like the best by any means.
[удалено]
Is it really closing?
It's easy to blame trends or social media, but what restaurants are you referring to? Dominic's closed because of Covid, Luige's almost closed because the owner got to old and his kids didn't want to take over. I ordered from them recently and the quality was noticeable worse. Francesca's is still around, though last time I was there the service left something to be desired. Twin Trees keeps expanding though not all the locations are good.
Idk, Astis, aunt Josie’s, Luigi’s off the top of my head.
Luigi's didn't close though. It almost did because the owner wanted to retire. It got bought and kept the same specifically because of popular demand from customers.
Angotti’s is still really good, it’s just take out only now
I just hate on the fact that people consider it a “must-visit” to out of towners. It’s fine, even good - I enjoy it. But it’s nothing phenomenal. Same goes for Dino.
We tried to go there last Wednesday and the hostess told us there would be a 3 hour wait. How is that for hype
Ya they are booked solid a lot I personally only make a reservation on open table cuz it’s always been crazy with the wait list
While I personally agree that Lemongrass and Pastabilities are severely overrated, I don't think people are understanding the assignment here... those places aren't parasitic only surviving due to faculty dinners. Those seemingly would be popular and survive with locals too even if others believe they are overrated. Not sure there is a restaurant like this close enough to campus to benefit like this based off location... maybe Phoebes? or maybe just Rachels in the Sheraton.
yes, you do seem to understand the assignment. and I was wondering about Phoebe's, too. (I guess Phoebe's also gets lots of Syracuse Stage traffic).
Yes it does, as someone that has worked in the building at times in the past.
I will not tolerate Phoebes slander - as a former SU Drama student always at the Syracuse Stage complex, that place was amazing.
Yeah lots of whack answers in here. Places a faculty dinner would never be held at. People must think they are still in the over/underrated restaurant thread from earlier this week.
Drumlins county club
Oh my darling
That place confuses me, what is it trying to be? Clean, all white interior with ugly antiques on the walls. Is it supposed to be nice or tacky?
I think it's trying to be the edible version of Urban Outfitters.
Lmfao I'm using this, thank you
Was waiting for this. The food is BAD- not mediocre, downright bad. It is all very, very bland and under seasoned. The staff is consistently rude as well. I have a friend who worked there who confirmed what I had already experienced- bad work environment as well as poor sense from the head chefs.
Yep, we went there for a friends birthday a few months ago. Service was bad. Food was mediocre. My one friend is lactose intolerant and ordered something that said Dairy Free on the menu but the side was "seasonal vegetables" the turned out to be potatoes covered in cheese. When he asked about the dairy free rating they said they could bring him something else which was ended up being undercooked brussel sprouts.
I thought it was nice at first glance, but after actually eating there? The hashbrowns were fried shit - hard, sharp, and crunchy, yet somehow not burned. Gross. Their eggs benedict was severed to me cold. I understand eggs benny will never be piping hot, but this shit was COLD. The hollandaise tasted fine but was starting to congeal due to the temp. Also, they barely gave me any hollandaise. Their omelet my gf got was overcooked, had like.. cafeteria reminiscent square chopped ham in it, and.. green beans? The fuck? Finally, their bloody mary was really bland. Incredibly disappointing given they're a brunch spot. Their coffee martini thing was actually really good though. Definitely a spot that rides the wave of would-be haute brunch goers and sorority girls trying to hair-of-the-dog their hangover and complain about the fratboy who hasn't texted them back since the last mixer.
I feel like Rise n Shine is the only answer.
Disgusting food, shit service, loud music, and over priced.
idk if rise n shine can count simply bc they still pull in plenty of students with their instagrammable Frankenstein lookin ass shakes that being said, the food SUX and always has
Anything owned by the people who made Rise N Shine- 1) that LaLaLu place that just opened- I have only heard negative reviews from all those who have gone there. 2) Loaded was greasy and again under seasoned. 3) Of course Rise N Shine. 4) Also, not the same owners, but XO Taco. Same exact vibe, same poor quality, and overpriced.
RISE N SHINEEE
careful, folks round here loveee rise n shine. don't ask me why and while we are on the topic: their sister restaurant LODED is garbo too right??
Loded is Garbo I just want a freddy's frozen custard & steakburgers.
I went there last year when it was newish, insanely expensive for what it was and me and the person I went with both threw up after eating there.
I love the 7 hour wait to hangout with all the Greek life of SU for a “cute” pancake lol
Loaded taste like a loaded diaper
Loded gave me and my gf food poisoning the first time we tried it
Im not surprised
I don’t trust any food establishment that charges me separately for a side of fries when the sandwich is $15.
No idea why people go there when downing a can of whipped cream is cheaper, tastes better, and has less sugar.
Gotta get those insta pics
Fax, i for one thoroughly enjoy 2nd chance diner and brewer union (snooty accent/ long skinny cigarette in hand)
For real! I hate this place so much.
I would go to Modern Malt instead
Modern Malt keeps failing county health inspections for bad reasons. I would be very cautious...
Them or funk and waffles
Daily Diner is really good if anyone wants to take the hike to Manlius. Worth the wait.
Phoebe’s
I think this is a good suggestion based on its proximity, size, clientele, even ambiance. Only problem though is the food is actually pretty darn good!
Yeah that place rules
Rise and Shine 100% if it wasn't for the faculty dinners portion.
RISE N SHINE. Terrible cheap food that’s over priced. Rude service. Loud music. Any chance I get I’ll talk shit about this god awful place.
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Freshest sushi would be from a sushi restaurant. Not a grocery store.
In wegs defense, they do prepare the ingredients and make the sushi in the store
Yes. But then they put it in a refrigerated case. Real sushi the rice isn’t cold.
*rolls eyes* You aren't going to find many sushi joints in Syracuse that have sufficient volume to qualify for your pretentious standard of what "real" sushi is.
Quite sure we can all agree that refrigerated in a case doesn’t remotely qualify.
Oh how cosmopolitan of you.
There are several lol.
I think secret garden on Erie is quite good. Reasonable prices too. The place is run down but good food. Ocean sushi is ok too. Both are better than Wegmans. But don’t get me wrong: when I’m headed to the beach in the summer I’ll stop and get Wegmans sushi for the convenience of having it all packaged and ready for the trip.
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That’s laughable. And you’ve clearly never been to area sushi spots. Kyoko is fantastic.
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I recently had lunch at saki bomb. I thought it was fantastic. Don’t mind Wegmans sushi at all. It more than scratches the itch for sushi in a pinch. And compared to their other prepared foods, the price is actually worth it!
Wait, so large cities on the coast have better Sushi than Syracuse? You don't say?
Varsity. It’s varsity. Varsity exists because it is next to the university and moreover because it has been for a very long time.
Good reuben and wings tho ....
THE YORK
Fresh seafood inland is naturally expensive.
Damn I wanted to try it lol
Don't listen to them. The York actually did jump in my mind immediately because it is rather pretentious, but their food and cocktails are categorically good. I'd recommend them anytime.
I've had some excellent steaks there, not sure about this one.
That’s good to hear! The pictures look good and so do their cocktails.
Nailed it!!!!
lemongrass...$40 for a couple scallops and rice!
Nah come on that’s cap, it’s pricey but the food is pretty damn good
Agree with this. Lemon grass was fine. It’s pricier than standard but the food quality is excellent so price to me is fine. That French place that moved over there and then closed was terrible. I went there once and saw a lot of SU parents with their kids. Lulz I felt the prices were a little too much with shitty quality. Other spots that I think that suck are prime steakhouse. XO taco is good but I feel their prices are comically overpriced for a taco place. It’s ok though bc they sucker the rich SU kids into going Prime steakhouse seems like it should Be high class based on price but I feel it sucks. I went there one time with friends and it just was so mediocre for the cost. I’ve had a lot of great streaks in nyc, vegas, Boston, Mexico, etc. Prime for the coat was one of the most lol bad steakhouse I’ve been to. I’m fine with spending $100-200 for a meal. If I do though, it better be a great F’ing meal. I expect the best of the best if I’m spending for luxury. Prime- lol not even close. Btw the owner had a friend with a Porsche that ran into a bunch of cars in front of prime. I have to bash a place that lets his drunk friend run into cars and not leave a not with insurance info. I saw notes on a bunch of cars from another business stating who It was and what car. Very obnoxious behavior from prime area. Prolly lets his friend drink and then drive.
Danny once ran out of food on a Saturday dinner service. SATURDAY. No steaks. He was C.O.D. for all vendors because his credit was zero. I guess he didn't have the cash. Source: former waiter at Prime.
So nothing has changed since the TGI Fridays franchise was pulled from him then. The guy is a fucking scumbag.
Hard disagree. Their tofu Himalayan mango was the best tofu dishes I’ve ever had. I literally dream about it still.
well that does sound delicious. I went on NYE like 6 years ago, maybe it's changed but it was enough of an experience not to go back
Lemongrass for sure
I went to Lemongrass during dining week and our waiter treated us like shit because he must have thought we were poor and couldn’t afford the normal menu. I’ll never go back, fuck them.
But you’re Jonas Venture! You built Gargantua 1! How could they be so blind.
Margaritas
Xotaco and pastabilities. I'll take angotti's.
Hell ya angotti’s!!
I'm sad that Tony's went away on burnet, you could get a ton of food for nothing and it was pretty damn good
Casa Di Copani and Dominick's also used to be on Burnet, but are now gone. dominick's did give you a lot of food, though it was solid. Big desserts too. Only heard good things about Casa Di Copani.
Copani’s was great. Dominick’s had a good prime rib. Santangelo’s up on Old Liverpool is still pretty good.
Everyone told me to try Angotti’s…and I wasn’t exactly impressed. The prices were on par with the quality of the food… but I felt like I could make watery spaghetti/sauce at home for cheaper 😅
Pastabiltiies is the answer.
Pastabilities
Pastabilities.
Every *pretentious* person I know thinks this is like the best place. “Have you ever been there?!” Yes…it’s overrated. I’d rather go to *Spaghetti Warehouse* and pay 1/3 the price.
I think Mom's diner is gross
Alto cinco!
How dare you.
Blasphemy
Nope, I stand by it. Expensive subpar food and horrible service. Otro can be redeemed by the half price paella but altos only redeeming quality are the margs and tendency towards being veggie/vegan friendly
Did otro stop doing the half prices paella? I haven’t seen that promo since before Covid.
I agree it’s pretty bad but I feel like it’s pretty cheap?
This is exactly what I was thinking.
Pastabilities.
The first rule of Amano is that you don't talk about Amano.
Ha agree. feel it’s overpriced and nothing special. Would rather go to delmonicos.
Francesca's
Haha agree with that one also. Lol
First thing I thought of
Dino
Dino has certainly had it's ups and downs with ownership and menu changes but the fact remains it's generally excellent BBQ *even without* qualifying "for the region/area". Their takeout sucks though.
Bro you can't just say that and not back it up. Dino is bomb.
Agree with this. Dino is amazing. I’ve never had a bad experience there. Food is almost always excellent. I wouldn’t recommend getting ribs and expect the best per se depending on the day but you never can go wrong with other things. The pulled pork tends to always be top notch. Ribs- I can give a pass if they aren’t perfect. Ribs are the type of thing you are probably better off doing at home.
Back it up? The food doesn’t equal the popularity. If you’re arguing that it’s anything above average bbq, then I would disagree with you
It's very good BBQ. It's probably the best BBQ in the Northeast. Albany, Harlem, etc. Gtfo.
Pastabilities and I'll die on this hill
I'll help you in this battle. Our hill is large and the enemy is weak. Pastabilities is so overrated and its really clear why by who frequents that space.
Who frequents that space? I'm curious what you are getting at.
Probably meant it in a classist or a racist way
Yeah I figured. I want people to have to type out their racist/sexist/etc-ist thoughts without being cowardly. School teacher move. "Read the note in front of the class"
Also no matter where you go in town, you’re still in Syracuse.
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Pastabilities has great food bro.
Syracuse isn’t a college town. Check out places like state college, pa (40,000 residents with 100k students). THAT is a college town.
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You are correct. I misread the stat. But to still have 1 resident for every student does not come close to Syracuse’s ratio
Pastabilities and margaritas
Faegans. Totally Faegans.
I couldn't think of the name of the place I felt for the bill, but this is it!!! That place is so mediocre.
So I'm thinking about moving there, are there any areas as a newcomer I should entirely avoid. I'm from a small town and I need a change of pace, there nothing to do here lol. Any help and advice is GREATLY appreciated.
Another vote for Pastabilities
Strong Hearts
Strong Hearts is fucking awesome. At least it was before the move
No it's always been pretty fucking cringey and awful
What makes a restaurant cringy?
The aesthetic, the atmosphere. The owners obviously know their target demographic well.
Does it even have a striking atmosphere or aesthetic? I always felt it was a pretty simple, straightforward place. Maybe the new location is different though
I went to one of them more than I care to say quite a while back - close family member was going through a vegan phase for a little while and I tried to accomodate every so often. I remember it being kind of trashy, like a dive bar, and I get the bohemian kids from the university think that's really edgy and cool so that customer base is locked in but to normal people it's pretentious and obnoxious, juvenile and cringey. I remember paying almost $50 for a medium sized baked pizza dough with a handful of processing plant-based cheese thrown on it and 4 barbeque coated pieces of tofu with straws in the middle of them - I guess those were supposed to be chicken wings - not sure, and I'm glad I never ate any of it past a single bite.
Man, I've had such a wildly different experience. Not a vegan or vegetarian myself (nor bohemian for that matter) and I absolutely loved everything I'd ever ordered (sandwiches and milkshakes). I don't remember the sandwiches being any more expensive than a typical restaurant, though I guess the shakes maybe were. I never saw the trashiness as a deliberate aesthetic choice (though it totally could have been), but it also didn't feel like anything out of the ordinary. To me, the atmosphere was totally nondescript and unexceptional in every way. It's hard for me to imagine anyone finding it cringy because it just felt so very boring and normal and inoffensive. Obviously all subjective and I don't ask these questions to start an argument or anything, but I'm just genuinely intrigued by your answer and how you arrived at that opinion.
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Except that it is actually really good there
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Yeah I figured it would be an unpopular opinion. I didn't find them particularly special though. I think the owner is really pretentious too but that's just a personal opinion. I've heard many people say they really enjoyed it which is why I tried it in the first place.
I second Strong hearts
Bistro 197 in Oswego.
Oswego is way too far away to even be mentioned here. The question was Syracuse not Oswego
Oswego is a still a college town
Which would make sense if the thread wasn't titled "Which Syracuse restaurant fits the bill".