Highest-rated restaurants in Syracuse by diners
Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans said they rarely, if ever, try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, and 5% say they never do, according to a survey of more than 2,600 diners from TouchBistro.
But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—56% of Gen Zers and 47% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on online reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google or from social media. The TouchBistro survey found that 71% of Gen Zers and 72% of millennials have opted to try a new restaurant solely because of favorable reviews online.
Some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established spots that customers have been visiting for decades, but some may be brand new. More than 10,000 new restaurants opened in 2023, up 5.7% from 2022, according to a report from BentoBox. The states that saw the most new restaurants open up in 2023 were Florida, Texas, California, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, but new locales are popping up all over the U.S.
To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Syracuse, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2024. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily reflect each restaurant listed.
#30. Salt City Market
- Rating: 4.5/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 484 South Salina St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Public Markets, Venues & Event Spaces, Food Court
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Grotto
- Rating: 4.5/5 (166 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 101 South Main St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Italian, American
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Three Lives
- Rating: 4.5/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 316 South Clinton St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Burgers, Arcades, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Boulangerie Ltd
- Rating: 4.5/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 526 Plum St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Di Lauro's Bakery & Pizza
- Rating: 4.5/5 (41 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 502 East Division St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Bakeries, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#25. The Cracked Bean Roastery
- Rating: 4.5/5 (22 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2384 James St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Coffee Roasteries, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Pita Dream
- Rating: 4.5/5 (92 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 214 Walton St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Halal, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Yamasho Sushi Steakhouse
- Rating: 4.5/5 (256 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4713 Onondaga Blvd. Ste 110 Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Saint Urban
- Rating: 4.5/5 (82 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 124 Dell St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Wine Bars, French, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Tangy Tomato Pizzeria
- Rating: 4.5/5 (39 reviews)
- Address: 1428 Burnet Ave. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Apizza Regionale
- Rating: 4.5/5 (373 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 260 West Genessee St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Water Street Bagel
- Rating: 4.5/5 (196 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 239 East Water St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Bagels, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Liehs & Steigerwald
- Rating: 4.5/5 (45 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1857 Grant Blvd. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Meat Shops, Butcher, Delis
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Thai Love NY
- Rating: 4.5/5 (255 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2822 Lemoyne Ave. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Thai
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Finally Ours
- Rating: 4.5/5 (194 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3788 West Seneca Turnpike Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Diners, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Yeti Frozen Yogurt & Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (46 reviews)
- Address: 558 Westcott St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Juice Bars & Smoothies, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Eden
- Rating: 4.5/5 (91 reviews)
- Address: 118 East Genesee St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: American, Wine Bars, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Joe's To Go
- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 415 West Onondaga St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Sandwiches, Seafood, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Darwin
- Rating: 4.5/5 (249 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 110 West Fayette St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Sandwiches, Soup, Salad
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Lobster Babe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (38 reviews)
- Address: 466 Westcott St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Seafood, Desserts, Salad
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Mr. Bigg's Restaurant
- Rating: 4.5/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 658 North Salina St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Caribbean
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Eva's European Sweets
- Rating: 4.5/5 (260 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1305 Milton Ave. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Polish, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Nice Biscuit
- Rating: 5.0/5 (33 reviews)
- Address: 2324 Court St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Vegan, Breakfast & Brunch, Southern
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Syracuse Halal Gyro
- Rating: 5.0/5 (55 reviews)
- Address: 477 Westcott St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Halal, Mediterranean, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Salt City Coffee
- Rating: 5.0/5 (68 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 509 West Onondaga St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Cafes, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Wolf's Den
- Rating: 5.0/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 617 Wolf St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Gay Bars, American, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Mamacitas
- Rating: 5.0/5 (26 reviews)
- Address: 6059 East Taft Road Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Puerto Rican, Tacos, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Soup R Salads
- Rating: 5.0/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 308 South Warren St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Soup, Sandwiches, Salad
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Thanos Import Market
- Rating: 5.0/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 105 Green St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Grocery, Delis
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Kofta Burger
- Rating: 5.0/5 (32 reviews)
- Address: 2802 James St. Syracuse, New York
- Categories: Burgers, Middle Eastern, Diners
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jaimie Etkin, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 331 metros.