Places to eat off campus and away from Syracuse University’s center and Marshall Street area aren’t hard to come by. With restaurants scattered along Westcott Street or just a drive away in Armory Square, students have a wide selection for a special night out or a break from dining hall meals. Here’s a small sampling of off-campus eateries, in order of closest to furthest from campus.

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Strong Hearts Cafe

719 E. Genesee St.
Hours: Sunday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Monday to Thursday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. to midnight.

Strong Hearts Cafe is an environmentally-conscious vegan restaurant that aims to offer meals that are environmentally and health friendly by composting and avoiding plastic. The restaurant uses locally-sourced ingredients with no meat, dairy or high-fructose corn syrup in meals according to its Facebook page. The menu includes breakfast scrambles, waffles and french toast as well as sandwiches, salads and wraps for lunch. Their milkshakes come in a variety of flavors such as mint chocolate chip and peanut butter oreo.

Strong Hearts Cafe also has a location inside Marshall Square Mall – Strong Hearts on the Hill.

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Alto Cinco

526 Westcott St.
Hours: Breakfast Monday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.; brunch Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; lunch and dinner Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.; and Late Nite daily from 11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

Alto Cinco serves tapas and Mexican cuisine. The restaurant’s sister location, Otro Cinco, is located at 206 S. Warren St. in Syracuse. Both locations serve tostadas, nachos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas and many other Spanish dishes. Their bar is open until 2 a.m., and the restaurant offers takeout and delivery via online ordering as well.

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Funk ‘n Waffles

313 S. Clinton St.
Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to midnight; Friday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.

Featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives,” Funk ‘n Waffles is a quirky breakfast joint in Armory Square. Popular meals there include breakfast dishes with specialty waffles, as well as breakfast sandwiches and scrambles. In-house live performances are hosted a few nights a week with both local and touring artists and bands, making it a one-of-a-kind spot in the heart of Syracuse.

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Pastabilities

311 S. Franklin St.
Hours: Monday to Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; Monday to Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday to Sunday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

A staple of the Syracuse community, Pastabilities offers a selection of fresh, homemade bread as well as salads, pizzas, sandwiches and, popularly, pasta. Lunch is served cafeteria-style, but dinner is sit-down dining with freshly baked bread and Spicy Hot Tomato Oil served before the meal. They don’t allow reservations, so tables are seated on a first-come, first-serve basis. It’s best to get there early to secure a table, but expect a line.

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Modern Malt

325 S. Clinton St.
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to midnight; Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Modern Malt is a retro-style diner in Armory Square that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner consisting of scrambles, waffles, pancakes, poutine, sandwiches, burgers, fries and milkshakes along with house-made desserts, among other things. They offer gluten-free and vegetarian options as well.

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Dinosaur Bar-B-Que

246 W. Willow St.
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Once named the country’s “Number One BBQ” on “Good Morning America,” Dinosaur Bar-B-Que was founded in Syracuse and has since expanded across upstate New York. The restaurant serves nachos, chicken wings, burgers, pork ribs, sandwiches and a variety of fried foods, and they cater to gluten-free customers. Live music is also a signature at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, and most nights they have an artist performing in the restaurant.

Published on August 22, 2018 at 3:08 pm

Contact Brooke: bnkato@syr.edu