Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

Dinosaur Bar-B-QueDinosaur Bar-B-Que
Dinosaur Bar-B-QueDinosaur Bar-B-Que
Bar, Eatery

246 W Willow St
Syracuse, New York, 13202-1040
United States

(315) 476-4937 | map
dinosaurbarbque.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.18
Reviews:
30
Ratings:
61
pDev:
10.05%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.91 by eluvah from New York

Oct 09, 2022
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Reviewed by cratez from Canada (ON)

3.9/5  rDev -6.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
What I had: Founders All Day IPA, Middle Ages Dino Smoked Porter, and Southern Tier 2XIPA on tap, Swag Sampler Plate and Tres Hombres Combo to split, a few sauvignon blancs for my better half.
What I liked: Really fun atmosphere, equal parts biker bar, barbecue joint and beer pub, diverse crowd, friendly and efficient service, bartender made great food recommendations, BBQ is top-notch (delicious seasoning, beautiful smoke rings on the brisket and ribs, tasty sauces), was happy to try fried green tomatoes for the first time.
What I disliked: Draft list is decent but could definitely improve, bartender double-charged us for a wine.
Would I go back? Absolutely. Despite its flaws Dinosaur is a “must-visit” when in Syracuse.
Overall Rating: 78
Jan 30, 2020
 
Rated: 4.21 by digitalflood from New York

Jun 04, 2018
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Reviewed by Kemblain from New York

3.94/5  rDev -5.7%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3 | food: 5
It's a biker bar. The selection's limited, but the food is hot and plentiful, and the barbecue is slow cooked so there's a fast turnaround between ordering and eating. Bit on the pricey side. Don't expect a diminutive, polite, professional waitress here. They have free rein to banter with customers, and it fits the atmosphere. Definitely a place to visit, at least once, if you're in the area or passing through.
Jan 18, 2018
 
Rated: 4.23 by Ekish58 from New York

Nov 27, 2017
 
Rated: 4.45 by JLK7299 from North Carolina

Dec 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by thoglund from New York

Jun 30, 2016
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Reviewed by WillieThreebiers from Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev -5.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Biker bar vibe. The scent of barbeque permeates the places. A reasonably weak cross section of craft beers...heavy on locsl brewery Middle Ages. Food was excellent...a bit pricey. Great art work on the walls.
May 15, 2016
 
Rated: 4.18 by RUN-4-B33R from North Carolina

Dec 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.69 by entenduintransit from Tennessee

Aug 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.8 by crag from Pennsylvania

Jul 13, 2015
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Reviewed by steveheady from South Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.75
Ok, so not a typical bar/restaurant. Biker BBQ joint. Waitresses treat u like sh*t, but that's what they r going for here. Food is outstanding. Brew selection is limited. Go here for the food and u will leave happy
Mar 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.04 by Soloveitchik from New York

Jan 31, 2015
 
Rated: 4.43 by BvilleBrewGuy from New York

Jan 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.69 by Uniobrew31 from Pennsylvania

Jan 13, 2015
 
Rated: 4.45 by Wainzilla

Jan 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.83 by Martelljw2 from New York

Jan 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by DannyBoyDD from New York

Dec 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by abrodsky from Massachusetts

Dec 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by byronic from Canada (ON)

Sep 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by squack from Virginia

Sep 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by mklisz from New Hampshire

Aug 13, 2014
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Reviewed by ClavisAurea from New York

2.5/5  rDev -40.2%
I think the BBQ is ok, there are better places in the Syracuse area. The beer selection is also ok and features a lot of local, upstate NY breweries. The only problem with Dinosaur is the wait to get in. I have waited for over 2 hours once. Best way around this is to go there in the summer and get your food to-go and sit outside on their picnic benches in the alley. Virtually no wait and the food is the same. The wait staff is always trying to get people in and out as fast as possible.
Aug 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by boszormeny from Canada (ON)

Jul 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by irishpride from New York

Jul 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by dzlle25 from New York

Jun 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by DoubleMalt from New York

Apr 27, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by AMCimpi from New York

Apr 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by BillRoth from Maryland

Mar 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by drpaj from Ohio

Mar 22, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Stignacious from New York

Feb 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by JohneHoodlum from Pennsylvania

Jan 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by jasonmmccormick from Pennsylvania

Nov 23, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by T-34-85 from New York

Nov 10, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by hockeypuck from Maine

Oct 31, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by bsm80x from New York

Oct 24, 2013
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Reviewed by jaz58 from Canada (ON)

4.58/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.75
Dinosaur's was the first serious barbeque restaurant I had visited. I have returned on two occasions and they have yet to let me down.

Great beer selection to go through as you wait for your table. Fell in love with a california IPA whihc came home via growler.

The food is outstanding. Damn good ribs. Smoked chicken wings with a great slightly firey rub must be enjoyed. Pulled pork was divine. Sides were great. Do the fried green tomatoes

It's well worth the 30 to 75 minute wait to eat here.
Jun 06, 2013
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Reviewed by polloenfuego from Canada (NB)

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4.75
One of the reasons I make trips to Syracuse, Dinosaur never seems to disappoint me when I stop in.

I have never been when the place hasn't been hopping, and the crowd ranges from little old church ladies to hard looking bikers. Way too much fun!

Dinosaur has a decent beer selection. They have a couple of house brands in conjunction with Middle Ages Brewing Co.

They boast 22 taps and over 50 bottles available and some of their selections include Founders, Southern Tier and Lagunitas.

The prices for pints are reasonable, $4.50-$5.50 for 16 oz. The first time I went in I forgot I was in the US and the bartender gently reminded me I would get 4 oz less...but that I would save about $3.

Of course, one does not go to Dinosaur for the beer, it just happens to be a nice ride along. The food is the reason one goes, and it usually never disappoints. The ribs are delicious, the chicken is moist, and the brisket and pulled pork are amazing.

The sides...ah, the sides. Mac and Cheese that is fantastic, and BBQ beans with huge pieces of pulled pork!

There are always great specials available too.

The ambiance is well...sort of biker joint. It is in a rather blah part of town, and not exactly a tourist area. But, that doesn't matter once you have had the food.

Trust me...if you are in Syracuse, you should try Dinosaur.
May 08, 2013
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Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Finally made it over to the Dinosaur tonight after several business trips up here, it was worth the trip, didn't blow me away, but was worth the trip.

First off, if you're in town, it's worth checking out, not my first choice, but worth the stop. It reminds me of a Texas style BBQ pit on the inside, nothing fancy, very casual, laid back, and good rock-n-roll and blues piped in over the house system.

If you're going here, you are not there for the stellar beer selection, but for the food. That being said, I went in with no expectations and was stoked to find Southern Tier 2XIPA on tap, and finished with a bottle of Middle Ages Dragon Slayer and a snifter, I was happy. The rest of the tap selections weren't setting the world on fire, but again, we're there for the food, not the beer.

I had the Pork and Brisket plate, mashed "taters", and corn. I was actually a little disappointed with the meal, sorry to say. It came out super fast (less than five minutes after ordering), but it was "warm", and not hot. The brisket was tender enough to cut with a fork and the pork was pretty good, but dry. I sat at the bar and the bartenders were very attentive.
Sep 13, 2011
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Reviewed by Hojaminbag from Colorado

3.78/5  rDev -9.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 5
Dino bar-b-que is a little hole in the wall that is worth an hour drive from Ithaca to wait another hour to eat. It also has a ton of bikes parked outside, and normally the bouncers are bikers. The vibe is neat, but it is always too packed and hectic as a bar. Haven't made any friends there either.

This place is jam packed. Every day, no matter what time you go. It is an institution in New York, and for good reason. The BBQ is amazing. You can smell the smoker from down the street. The meat smells great, looks great, and is delicious. I like it more than the southern BBQ I've tried on trips down south. The sides are all great too.

The bar is fairly small, with standing room and maybe 20 stools. It is also packed with waiting customers. When it is warm outside (for 3 weeks a year) there are pic-nic tables to drink at. I've had great service from a waitress in the bar on a particularly long wait. She got my order without me having to go to the bar, and despite being slammed, she stopped and suggested and described a few beers to another member of my party.

The selection has some macros and then a bunch of local beers on tap. Lots of stuff from Middle ages, which is great, some stuff from Empire, and a few from other NY breweries. They even have some limited stuff from Middle ages when they can. The beer selection is solid, but not great. I would not go to Dino unless you want some BBQ with your beer. If you like BBQ at all though, this is well worth your time.
May 26, 2011
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse, NY
Place rating: 4.18 out of 5 with 61 ratings