Home of the famous Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Syracuse, New York is a city that loves to eat.

When I traveled to the Syracuse with Visit Syracuse, I discovered that the city had a wide and diverse range of food options from Slovakian to Irish to Asian. It is a city where many restaurants create unique food offerings such as Duck Bacon Flatbread Pizza at Pastabilities to Sweet Potato-Chorizo Hash at The Mission. It is also a city where a lot of restaurants are adamant about keeping their products local by sourcing their food from farmers around the Central New York region.

Two and a half days in the city did not allow me to eat at nearly all of the places that I wanted to, but I got a pretty good taste of the variety that Syracuse had to offer during my trip.

Central New York Regional Market

If you are looking for fresh fruit and produce in Syracuse, one of the best places to go in the city is the Central New York Regional Market.

The market, which is the largest in all of the Central New York region, allows you to buy fresh seasonal food directly from local farmers. It also has several vendors that provide prepared foods such as Mexican burritos, fried dough, and pad thai.

Address: 2100 Park Street, Syracuse

Coleman’s Authentic Irish Pub

Located in Syracuse’s Irish-American neighborhood called ‘Tipperary Hill’, Coleman’s Authentic Irish Pub is a full-service Irish bar and restaurant.

Established in 1933, Coleman’s celebrates its strong Celtic heritage and has reminders of Ireland everywhere, from the extensive Irish food menu to the special front door for leprechauns, to the live bands that stop through the restaurant to play traditional Celtic music.

If you happen to be in Syracuse around St. Patrick’s Day, make sure to stop by Coleman’s to enjoy their special Green Beer Sunday, which pays tribute to the St. Patrick’s Day season by providing over 7,000 gallons of green-tinted ale to patrons.

Address: 100 S. Lowell Avenue, Syracuse

Empire Brewing Company

Syracuse

Empire Brewing Company is an award-winning brewpub and restaurant that specializes in craft ales and lagers.

Through their motto ‘Eat Where You Live’, Empire Brewing Company strives to keep all of their products local and their food menu reflects that by providing customers with fresh and all-natural ingredients obtained from over 60 local farmers in the Central New York region.

During my visit to Empire Brewing Company, I had a delicious Elk Burger made from farm-raised & grass-fed elk served on a bed of lettuce and tomato ($14). In addition to serving lunch and dinner, EBC also serves Sunday Brunch and has various food options for diners including vegetarian and gluten-free dishes.

Address: 120 Walton Street, Syracuse

Funk ‘N Waffles

Syracuse

Funk ‘N Waffles is a local Syracuse waffle restaurant created for students by Syracuse University students (although you do not have to be a student to enjoy their funky deliciousness).

The concept of Funk ‘N Waffles was to create a space where both food and music intersect. In addition to offering a wide variety of both original and out-of-the-ordinary waffles (including their signature Chicken & Waffles seen on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives),  Funk ‘N Waffles also has live music at both their Downtown and University locations.

Address: (Downtown) 307-313 S Clinton St., Syracuse

1911 Tasting Room / Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards

 

Beak & Skiff Apple Orchard is a great place to spend your late summer and fall months enjoying ‘tree to bottle’ products.

Located around 25 minutes outside of the city of Syracuse, Beak & Skiff is a family owned and operated apple orchard created by the Beak and Skiff families. On the orchard property, you can do seasonal apple picking, drink fresh delicious homemade apple cider, eat some of the most delicious apple cider donuts in Upstate New York, and have a drink in the 1911 Tasting Room.

The onsite 1911 Tasting Room created by the Beaks and Skiffs produces gluten-free vodka, gin, and hard ciders from the apple trees on the property. Thinking outside of the box by producing 1911 spirits with their apple products has helped the company to stay in operation year round.

Address: 2708 Lords Hill Road, LaFayette

Anyela’s Vineyards

Syracuse

Located in the Finger Lakes region about 40 minutes outside of the city of Syracuse,  Anyela’s Vineyards is a family-run winery overlooking the stunning Skaneateles Lake.

Anyela’s uses vinifera grape varieties, which are known to be some of the best grapes for winemaking. These particular types of grapes thrive in this region and are suited to the region’s soil, high elevation, and cool climate.

After cultivating the grapes, Anyela’s produces a number of unique wine blends, such as the Overlay, which is a red wine comprised of Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon. My favorite wine at Anyela’s is their Avail, which is a sweet white wine comprised of Riesling, Chardonnay, and Cayuga White.

 

Address: 2433 West Lake Road, Skaneateles

FTC Disclosure: Visit Syracuse hosted me during my trip to the Syracuse, New York area. I was not financially compensated for this post and all opinions expressed in this article are my own.

Have you ever eaten in Syracuse before? Share your experience below!