Whether you are a new student looking for a bit of fun, or a senior looking for a new place to hang out, these Syracuse University area bars will provide you with a great time.
1. Faegan’s Cafe & Pub: This restaurant/bar combination is located at 734 South Crouse Avenue, only a short drive or walk from campus in the Marshall Street district. If you are looking for food or a place to hang out before a game, check out their lunch and dinner menus. The food is basic but tasty and plentiful. The wait staff is excellent! Waiters and waitresses are attentive and prompt even at the busiest of times.
There is a plethora of unusual beers on tap, something to meet everyone’s taste, and generous flavor samples are available for free to the undecided. After 9:00, the atmosphere becomes a bit more rowdy, but this bar still has a more grown up feel than some of the other college bars. The bartenders are well trained, and there are popular drink specials on Wednesday and Thursday nights. If you are looking for a place with a fun, busy feel, that still has a bit of maturity to it, Faegan’s is the place to go.
2. Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar: For a tropical feel in the harsh Central New York winter, check out Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar at 721 South Crouse Avenue. The bar, also in the Marshall Street district, provides a taste of the tropics in décor and drinks. There are drink specials every night of the week, and a VIP room for those who want a more relaxed feel and waitress service. The music is loud and top 40, and the bar is sure to be crowded on Friday and Saturday nights. If you are looking for a crowd and want to be part of something big, check out Lucy’s Retired Surfer Bar.
3. Harry’s Bar & Grille: This bar, also in the Marshall Street district, is located at 700 South Crouse Avenue, in the basement of CVS drugstore. This bar has been around a long time, over 25 years. It has a history of both serving the college crowd and providing the unexpected while still retaining an unassuming atmosphere. Although Harry’s has the usual college crowds on weekend evenings, it has a quieter feel than other Marshall Street district establishments. You can actually have a conversation here. This doesn’t mean that it is a sluggish place though. Their contests and special events have a history of being the best in the area. In the summer of 2007, several bands that were in town for the New York State Fair stopped here to party a bit on their evening off. If you want to go someplace where you and your friends can sit down and talk in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere, check out Harry’s Bar & Grille.
4. Chuck’s Café: Twenty years ago there was a popular bar on the Syracuse University Hill called Hungry Charley’s. Many current and former students mourned its closing in the early 1990’s. Therefore, it was wonderful news to bar crawlers when the original owners of Hungry Charley’s decided to reopen with the revised name Chuck’s Café. Chuck’s Café is located at 727 South Crouse Avenue directly above the basement location of the original bar. Much of the original artwork and other décor has been recreated or restored in the new location. In addition to cheap beer and sangria, you can find typical pub food and a full line of upscale coffee shop type beverages at Chuck’s Café. Food is served until 1:00 a.m. making this the perfect stop for a late night snack. Any past students wanting to experience a bit of nostalgia or new students wanting to create memories they won’t forget should check out Chuck’s Café.
5. Maggie’s Sports Bar: Maggie’s could be considered the roaming bar of the Syracuse University crowd. Over the last 25 years, it has appeared and disappeared in nearly every location available in the Marshall Street district. It is currently located in the Crouse Alleyway off of South Crouse Avenue. It is equipped with high definition televisions for watching your favorite sporting events and has a full service restaurant offering the usual selection of tavern favorites as well as some unique items. Any place with the perseverance of Maggie’s is worth checking out! If you are looking for something a little different in the way of dinner, in a place where you can watch the game with other fans, give Maggie’s Sports Bar a try!
