I mean, it's the original Dinosaur BBQ. The food is fantastic. The sauces are awesome. What's not to like? The only potential downsides are the fact that it's almost always crazy busy, so getting a seat can be somewhat difficult.... And then there's the parking, which is nonexistent. The parking issue seems to plague every location I've been to though. At least the parking in Syracuse is better than it is at the Rochester location.
Great BBQ and the service is unique - in a good way. Always busy.. a must go.. parking can be tough
90 percent of the time they do me great but tonight I was very disappointed, ribs were skinny and overdone, chicken was over seasoned, (way heavy on dry rub) and the greens tasted like feet. Maybe I got leftovers from the weekend because this is the first time I be gone on a Monday in a while, ....
These Texas boys approve. Very good BBQ. The habinero sauce could use a bit more spunk but, all in all, it was very tasty.
This place is as legendary around New York as it is around the country. Their BBQ is amazing it falls from the bone and is guaranteed to delight the taste buds. You'll find a even mix of people here from all walks of life and it's not unusual to see a celebrity talking shop with a biker or politician swapping cooking recipes with a PTA Mom. Every one is accepted and respected. The bar is always hopping and when they have live music it tends to spill alittle out the door and infecting the world with positive energy. If you are visiting this is a MUST if you are looking for a taste of the 'Cuse.
Consistently good food with the occasional life changing experience. I ve been here many times. The food is always good and sometimes exceptional. My first visit made me like brisket forever! My most recent visit had the best ribs in a long time. The dino-poutine is a standard favorite. The drink menu is great. I appreciate that they have ciders along with the large beer selection and always have Saranac root beer!
The most recent visit was on a Monday night. While not completely packed, it was noticeably busy (as usual). It took a few minutes to get a table for a large group. Hostess was as friendly as ever and came over to get us when the table was ready. I ve been there on crazy days when it s really packed and staff are just as helpful and friendly, which says a lot!
Flavorful and interesting food combinations, awesome cornbread. Inviting comfortable atmosphere.
Unbelievable food and place. A must for bbq lovers.
Celebrated their 30th Anniversary bash great food & outstanding music.
So I am veggie and to give this place 5 stars seems odd but wow the portobello sandwich is well marinated and had just the right amount of smoke. The fried green tomatoes are the best since I lived in ATL. Great beer choices and a nice vibe. I would presume the meat is just as good if not better!
This is the original location. Nice staff, great food. I felt safe here with all the bikers!!
Some of the best food in town! Great atmosphere and helpful staff.
Come with an appetite! The portions on the meals are enormous. Excellent brisket, fall off the bone ribs. Staff was great, friendly and fast. Live music later in the evening.
The first dinosaur bbq I've tried was at Buffalo so I had to try their original restaurant. I've already been here few times. Everytime I come here, the servers have been nice and the food was great. I'd probably visit again if I find myself near by and get hungry. Liked it.
Always very tasty. Always very satisfying. Went for lunch and had a great experience. The wait can often be awful but surprisingly today wasn't too bad. Maybe five minutes. Can be as awful as two hours.
Generally the highlights are the meats. They have several sampler options to try different ones. I got the ribs, pulled pork, and brisket. Ribs probably took the crown for best today. The pulled pork was on point as well. They have several barbecue sauce options to try with it. I got Mac & cheese and chili as sides. Both good but side acts to the meat. It's a bit expensive but worth it. Fully recommend this Syracuse staple.
I'm from Atlanta, my father-in-law does a secret ingredient BBQ pig all day on the Fourth for longer than the 24 years I've been married to his daughter. I know what I'm talking about. This place rivals Community Q. If you are in SYR- go there.
I would easily murder my brother for this food. I dont really like my brother, but still, the bar b que is phenomenal. I lived in Memphis for four years and this would hands down, no question, be one of go tos. 5/5 recommend.
Nikki and allison who work at the bar are great. They are funny, helpful and make the experience even better.
It's a tasty little BBQ place with delicious selections to satisfy everyone
Some of the best bbq there is. Wings are particularly good.
Very good ribs. Worth the wait. You can make reservations but not need. You'll want a rack to go..
Best ribs and brisket around! Staff has some serious character...
Amazing BBQ. Few days later I was in Memphis. But dinosaur was the very best!! Unfortunately it takes a wail to get a table. It took us ca. 2h. Therefor minus one star. But the food was amazing!!! The ribs are the best I ever ate and I tried them all around the world dinosaur is definitely worth to wait!
The food was excellent! The ribs were very flavorful and fell off of the bones!
But, it's an extremely loud, annoying crowed and the lights were so dim you can barely see the menu.
The 1st floor is a bar/restaurant and the 2nd floor was rented out for an event the night I came. I was part of the event and they had a standard menu of smoked tenderloin, pulled chicken sandwich, Cole slaw, Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and vegetables. The smoked tenderloin is a must have... It melts in the mouth!
Always a 5 star.. but is corn bread supposed to be that dry? Maybe it's a southern thang? Haha
If you like BBQ well is for you. It is just too congested.
Good food for locals and visitors. This is a piece of Syracuse, and you have to at least try it. The atmosphere can appear pretty rough on the outside, but the food is pretty good. Just some down to earth casual food, nothing fancy here. Sandwiches and casual grub.
Very casual atmosphere. There was a ton going on. Has a authentic feel to it. Seems to be very popular with the locals.
The wait staff was extremely helpful and attentative.
The food is great. Brisket and pulled pork were good by any standard, but the standouts are the ribs and wings. The former are tender and juicy, the later very flavorful.
Try their BBQ sauces!
The peanut butter pie is gluttony in a triangle.
Went there two days in a row. I highly recommend this place.
Superb BBQ. Everything I ordered was just fantastic. Pulled pork, brisket, and spicy sausage. All had a strong and flavorful smoky taste.
Definitely a tourist attraction worth a visit. I had the Blues Burger with mash potatoes and gravy and also the Cuban with pasta salad. My friend had the Combo plate ST Louis ribs with chicken, mashed potatos and corn bread. All of our food was prepared to perfection and very delicious. Our server "Reannon" was very friendly, pleasant, attentive and made sure our visit was a good one. I will absolutely visit this location again and will tell others to add it to their bucket list. :)
Good 1st experience, steady stream of people since the doors opened. 1 down side is there is NO parking around the store. During peak hours this will be an extreme hardship and for some (depending on the size of your party) Or it will be no issue at all if you don't mind walking a block or 2 for pay parking.
I m from GA/NC. This is a hard no from me on the bbq! Poutine was great. Mojito was made perfect, which never happens anywhere. Expensive!! Wasn t fond of the sides, corn bread, nachos, blackberry cocktail, or bbq. Waiting forever for service at the table on a slow Tuesday night was kinda wild. This place is certified overhyped, but not bad for bar food and drinks if you don t mind spending a ton of money.
The meats are crazy good, but everyone knows that. What took me by surprise was the mac n cheese. The best I've ever had. A table full of my friends googling frantically trying to find the recipe for it. Cant wait to go again.
Best BBQ is Syracuse! Wonderful service and impressive draft list!
I have been coming here all my life and they have yet to disappoint me. The food is excellent and the staff are super friendly. The only downside is you'll probably have to wait 20ish minutes to get seated but it is totally worth the wait.
Dinosaur BBQ is known around the entire Syracuse area. Everyone knows it's delicious bbq food, large portions, and a fun environment. If you're passing through I'd definitely recommend stopping for a meal, as anyone who lives nearby is already aware of how good it is. The only downside is that due to their popularity it's not uncommon to see a line outside the building.
Absolutely classic Syracuse NY, outstanding atmosphere,and great menu! Food was top shelf and the drinks were strong! staff friendly must eat if you are in town!
Came back after more than 20 years, and even having expanded their operations into NYC, the Dinosaur remains a must for Syracuse, same as it s ever been. Wango Tango sauce for life, and difficult as it may be with all that great food, save room for dessert. (Tip: Go with a big group, order all different stuff, and either pass it around or play a game of musical chairs with forks and the right number of seats, nobody loses!)
The sweet potato pecan pie tasted awesome! Similar to a pumpkin pie :)
Foods good, but always a wait to get a table for dinner
Every time we drive near Syracuse (doesn't matter where we are going) we stop at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Why? Because no matter what we order our first words are (chomp) "Oh my Lord is this good!"
It's easy to get to from the major highways, has a huge selection of meats and BBQ styles, and has big portions. Can't say enough good things about this place.
I have had a lot of great barbecue around the country and found this to be good, but not as great as had been billed. First the positive, I usually skip chicken at barbecue places to focus on beef and pork, but their dark meat chicken quarter though small was the best meat on the plate. The mango based barbeque sauce was well balanced, not overly sweet. Cornbread was the best I've had at a barbeque place; moist and cakey. I am a big fan of greens and these were excellent. A little sweet on their own but with a little pepper vinegar they were as close to perfect as you can get.
The bad; the brisket was dry and I didn't like that it came pre-sauced, brisket needs to stand on it's own. The ribs were good, but just good, well smoked, you could bite through the bone, and maybe it was because I got an end cut, but they were definitely dry.
Great waitstaff and bartenders, decent tap list and cocktails, long waits for dinner (an hour for a table of 3 for a 615 arrival on a Sunday, ordered right away and another 40 min for food) though it is to be expected at a place with this notoriety. All in all a good experience, but nothing I would feel compelled to come back for.
Really cool all American barbecue experience. Great selection of beers. Very good prices.
A local favorite! It's almost always busy but it's absolutely always worth the wait.
The best food. Next time I would stay with the tree nenos and get double mashed potatoes with no gravy. But glad it's a little ways away. It is wayyyyy to tempting if it were closer.
So here's the truth as I know it. It's a bar, and a live music joint. It's rustic. It's a little old timey. All that in a pretty superlative way. The food. . . We had catfish and ribeye. Picked four different sides, mashed and gravy, mac&cheese, greens and baked beans ( there are more) nothing . . NOTHING wasn't fantastic. Dinners come with a piece of cornbread too. Basil mojito . . Well. I'd drink several had I known! Ya, go here . . Have Kristy wait on ya! Listen to the band!
I got the ribs baked beans and french fries they were excellent I traveled 2 hours to get home reheated the food lightly and it was really good
Delicious BBQ, very reasonably priced. Sauces were amazing. Tried a sharing platter of different meats and were all exceptional. Lots of options for sides (loved the beans) and cornbread!
I end up in Syracuse every 6 months for business and this is always the first stop for food. Usually 5 stars, but yesterday they served ribs that had obviously been sitting for awhile, not fresh off a smoker. The outside was tough/chewy like leather, not fall off the bone like they should be. Fortunately the other 2 meats on my plate and sides were good.
Great brisket and pulled pork.
Very good Ribs and Hot links.
Awesome waitress and a very cool atmosphere.
Yummy yummy yummy. They're mac n cheese is superb. I know its a bbq place. All the meat stuff was great but the mac n cheese is something.
Perfect food and ambiance for me
Worth a short wait to be seated
Dinosaur bbq is the quintessential bbq restaurant of Syracuse, always serving amazing bbq, such as :ribs, chicken, brisket, pulled pork and other traditional foods. Thier restaurant is an experience in itself and a must if you love crowded bar type atmosphere with live music. But you can also catch them at the ny state fair in a giant tent near the free music stage.
Pro tip: you can find thier sauces for sale in most grocery stores (see bbq sauce) to make your favorite bbq meal at home.
Amazing BBQ. The brisket was world class. Very cool place. If in Syracuse, this is a must!
The place has no parking, so it's all on-street parking. It was hard to find a space on the street during the day. Carry coins because the card readers weren't working the day we were there.
It is a dive, in a good way. Place is decorated in kitsch. The men's room has covers of pre-Playboy lad magazines on the walls. It is also dark inside. The ribs were good, but they didn't fall off the bone like they do other places. If I was in Syracuse, I would probably try it again.
I love their brisket, tinder and juice, and mush potatoes!!!shrimp is not bad but cold, pork ribs is okay, brisket is the best, willing to come again when I have chance to come to USA.
Excellent food! The ribs are our favorite, but everything has been good.
Nice place. Very busy. This is probably the most popular place in town. I guess for Upstate NY bbq this is good. This is the original location. They have one in Harlem NY and this one is better. Good BBQ for the area but definitely not the best or nor close to the best I ever had. Pecan Pie was pretty damn good
I had the brisket, side salad and beans and it was the bomb.
Amazing BBQ ribs and side. A must try in Syracuse. Get there with lots of time to spare as there will be a line up, but it's worth the wait. And the home made cheese cake is a perfect way to end the meal.
Huge portions on the children's menu and a great atmosphere for a toddler who can never decide how they want to act in public. I was also pleased with the drink selection.
Just a unique place to go.not a complaint but you better like crowds,because this place is always busy!!! Why?? The food is great...the barbecue flavor is not overbearing and portions are good.the staff seemed to b friendly but maybe a bit frazzled ,but I'm sure you too could get a bit tired with the amount of people to take care of.the line went outside and there was also some tables out there .we we there @7 on a Friday so that may be 1 reason. Good beer selection.prices seemed to b on par w most other bar/ pub menus .a great mix of different cultures all together for a v good barbecue!!!!
Very friendly and helpful service. Food was fantastic and worth every penny. We live nearly four hours away and always try to get one meal at the Dinosaur when we visit relatives or have a reason to be in Syracuse. We always recommend to family and friends, if they re in town town, to stop and have some scrumptious ribs or tasty brisket on their visit to the city!
Busy restaurant. Real American feel. Stopped off here on our way to jfk from Toronto. Good food and big portions.
This was my first time in Syracuse and Dinosaur BBQ was recommended to us in the past. I remembered the unique name so we went. Hands down best BBQ I've ever had. Friendly waitress, fun bar atmosphere with natural wood floors, and the bathrooms are for 'kings' and 'queens'. That is all.
Who needs google reviews when the parking lot says it all? All kidding aside, it was tough getting in but certainly worth the hassles. Anyone can smoke some meat and splash some sauce on it... hotter the better to hide imperfections in the taste. Not these guys... I actually had a mild sauce and could taste the flavors in the meat. Prepare to wait a bit when it's busy...
I was in town for one night and wanted a nice place to go, Dinosaur BBQ was exactly what I was looking for! It was super crowded but I managed to find a seat at the bar, the bartenders were all nice and attentive. The food was amazing and they had such a variety of locally brewed beers. If you're coming with a large party I'd definitely call ahead or plan for a 45min wait or longer.
What a great place, plus a very helpful and friendly staff. Highly recommended.
Brisket plate is YUM!!
Excellent service! They seated 16 of us with minimal wait. We split our check, no questions asked, no hassle. Food was perfect for everyone at the table. Excellent beer selection. Would absolutely go again.
Not a long wait and delicious food!! Great atmosphere and live music. Definitely would recommend.
This place is WELL WORTH the hype! We were astounded at the speed/efficiency of service, and the excellent food (my FAVOURITE was the Brisket Sandwich). We even saw Stephen Baldwin eating, too! If it's good enough for a Baldwin, IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR US!
It's good BBQ, not great. However, it's probably the best BBQ in most of the upstate because great BBQ is non-existent. It was slow when we went for a early dinner which was great, but I've been told its a packed house with a long wait when busy. If that's the case, find an alternative. Wouldn't say it's worth waiting an hour.
The original! We have gone her 2 years in a row when our daughter has a gymnastics meet near Syracuse. We live by the other one near Troy but we always lime to go to the original too.
The food is amazing! There is usually a wait during the weekend hours but it is well worth the wait. We had the combination plate and everything was amazing. Follow it down with a pint of local beer and enjoy your time :-)
Food was hot, even though I got it to go, seasoned, service was timely, although it was very busy. Serving size was plentiful.
It is just okay. Portions are small for side dishes. Not a ton of spots to sit. Staff is friendly .
dinosaurbarbque.com