First review, but would guess at least 30 visits over the last 15 years! I have travelled to Syracuse many times and have always stopped at Dinosaur. I also stop whenever passing through Syracuse on the NYS thruway... Everything is great, tend to gravitate to the Cuban sandwich or Brisket but everything is exceptional. Favorite sides are the baked beans ( worthy of 6 stars) the greens and the Mac cheese. I have also eaten at the Harlem and Rochester locations and hope to visit Troy, but nothing beats the ambience of Syracuse! read more

Strongly recommended by a local Syracuse person. Fun atmosphere, great friendly service, good portions, flavorful food, lots of seating. Only thing lacking is easy access to parking but that's a city planning issue. Here's what we ordered: (every plate came with delicious cornbread) 1. Brisket plate with mashed potatoes and barbecue baked beans, Stella Artois 2. Garlic chipotle chicken wings with French fries, root beer on tap 3. Cajun blackened catfish with coleslaw and beans-and-rice, water. My catfish plate was so satisfying! Every bite packed with texture and flavor. Next time I'd like to try the fried green tomatoes! read more

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Iconic Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is one of my favorite stops with locations conveniently located in Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, Troy and the NYC area each place has its own charm but that wonderful smoke and sauce that is certainly their claim to fame. Even in the middle of the week the restaurant is booming which honestly I love. Music, laughter, and the sounds you know everyone is having a good time. Good BBQ is hard to find in NY and this is certainly always competing with one other location in NY that I love to frequent when I'm in town. read more

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Only street parking only. Got lucky on Memorial day to find a parking spot. Food was amazing!! Great place for a big party. We ordered fried green tomatoes as starters (highly recommend!). As main we ordered coleslaw n bbq beans w pork 1/2 fam stylin pork, power couple - mac n cheese, combo plates - shrimp & prime brisket. Service was great! Good portions and delicious bbq! Must visit again if ever in around the area :) read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Delicious meal! Generous portions and a great kids menu! Very cool atmosphere and super friendly service. read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Best kids menu! - Barbeque Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Food was absolutely delicious. Eggs had a unique spin to traditional deviled eggs. Wings were great. We had to wait, which was okay the time they gave us was pretty accurate. Only complaint... our service was a bit slow/didn't really checkup on the table. Otherwise great experience, will be back! read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Pulled Pork Slider (minus the bun) - Barbeque Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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It's very good bbq. It really might be the only place to eat in Syracuse. Food is quick. Service is on point. It's not like TX bbq or Carolina bbq, but that might be okay. The greens are on point. Rock on Dinosaur. Rock on. read more

Everytime we visit Syracuse we always have to make a stop at Dinosaur! Tonight we ordered family style meals and it was delicious. The brisket was by far my favorite as well as the wings! Mac and cheese 10/10! read more

Absolutely amazing time at the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que!!! Kadie was an outstanding server/bartender who represented your restaurant well! Friendly, fast with a beer and fun conversation, she rocks! The food was delicious and sides were filling and great! I love this place and am proud that Kadie and your chefs represented the Dinosaur Restaurant so well! read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Entertaining my brother from Rochester, Kadie was a great server with awesome service - Barbeque Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Pretty solid BBQ. Not Texas, but still very good. Staff is very friendly, and the Dinosaur theme is very welcome and fun. All of my foods were tasty and had little unique spin here and there. The pasta was pretty good, but I do appreciate collard greens as a choice. I'd be happy to go back her for some Dino-Dinner! read more

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The real deal. When we arrived the wait was 45 minutes, but we were able to order food to go and enjoy it outside. You can also order drinks from the bar to enjoy outside as well. Dinosaur was packed and for good reason. I went with one of their plates, with brisket and ribs, two sides. Everything was superb. The vibe was fun and I would most definitely return if I was back in the area. read more

A perfect day date with my husband at Dinosaur. It's one of our favorite places, we had our baby shower at their venue upstairs six years ago. We highly recommend it for any special occasion. They accommodated our vegetarian and vegan family members. On their regular menu they have items for them as well. I started off with their Donkey Punch after seeing it posted on their Instagram, it was delicious! I was eyeing their French Vanilla Espresso Martini since I've been trying them wherever I go but that'll wait for my next visit haha. My husband loves getting the poutine here, it has perfect amount of gravy, pulled pork and cheese ratio. They topped it with onions and jalapeños as well. I love getting their combo platter with three meats & two sides. I opted for brisket, spicy shrimp and 1/4 chicken(dark meat), simmered greens, bbq beans and of course my favorite of all things their pickles! Everything was delicious and filling I ended up taking some leftovers home. My husband wanted to try something new so he got the brisket cheesesteak with bacon. He said he enjoyed it, flavors were good but he probably would get their chicken cheesesteak(he had before) over the brisket one. Of course we looked at the dessert, I went with salty caramel cookie bar and he had peanut butter pie. Both were delicious, I saved some for my two littles. We haven't dined in a while, we always do takeout but the service has always been great, dine in or takeout. Our waitress today was great, efficient, and personable. We went during lunch time, and downtown lunch time gets busy(I used to work across from the restaurant). We only waited maybe 10 minutes not even. I also love their bowl options and chopped salad and house dressing . read more

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The best dinosaur BBQ and some of the best food I've ever had. We shared 2 appetizers, a brisket platter with 2 sides, and 1/2 family style BBQ ($47) which is actually a better deal than the full family style BBQ ($93) bc half comes with 2 sides and full comes with 3. The best was the ribs, which were extremely flavorful and coated in plenty of BBQ. They are completely solid while they also fall off the bone. Truly incredible. The mac and cheese is unbelievably flavorful and well seasoned. Some of the best mac and cheese I've had. The brisket was tender, juicy, and not very flavorful. Also the best brisket I've had at Dino. The chicken, pork, and steamed greens were good but that's not my favorite. We shared deviled eggs and poutine as appetizers which were both great. The prices are uniform across the chain, so they are high for the area and low for NYC. The chili was decent but thin, so I wasn't a fan. The coleslaw and cornbread are meh. This location has chili while the others don't, and this location doesn't have whipped sweet potatoes while the others do. The cornbread is actually better at the other locations. read more

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The service was amazing. They sat us quickly and our waitress checked up on us every so often. I loved the environment because it gives you the biker bar feeling, but is still a great place to take the family. We saw many families eating there during our visit, reaffirming parents felt the same I did. The food was unbelievably good. I have had my fair share of bbq and this stood out. We got a combo plate with the St. Louis Ribs, pulled pork, and prime brisket. Everything was very tender and seasoned amazingly. They also have extra bbq sauce at the table if you are like me and love adding more. Personally I loved all of the meats, although remeber the ribs have cartilage before devouring it, like my boyfriend who is was unpleasantly surprised. For our sides, we got the baked beans and mac & cheese, as well as an order of fries after seeing them at another table. The plate also came with cornbread, which is nice that we didn't have to pick that as a side and order extra to try other things. The sides were not a sideshow to the meat. The baked beans had a very different taste than I have ever had. I'm used to baked beans being very sweet, but these were smoky and had an interesting bite to them. I believe they had cut up jalepeño or some other peppers in them, which was unique to others I had. I believe they also had some pieces of meat as well. The mac and cheese also had very distinct flavors that I have never had. It could have possibly been mustard, as I know people use it in some recipes. It was absolutely amazing and I kept eating it trying to determine what was in it that kept making me want more. The cornbread was classic, not dry, perfectly simple. I also want to note that the portions of everything was amazing. I shared the combo plate with my boyfriend, but if you have a third person I think it is enough to fill everyone. I was surprised to see the sides were a shareable portion, rather than a small cup like I have had other places. The fries were a last minute order, as the table next to us said they were better than five guys, so I knew we had to try them. I am not one to eat a lot of fries, trying to watch my health, but I could not stop eating them. They were crispy on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside and seasoned perfectly with salt and pepper. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is a fan of bbq and trying something new. I anticipate trying the one in the city, as I'm curious if it retains the qualities of the one in Syracuse. read more

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Best BBQ within at least 400 miles. Amazing service and the food was delivered super fast. Well worth the drive no matter how far away you may live. read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Exterior building - Barbeque Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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The food was really good but we had for wait for 50 long minutes before getting a table. If they have such good business perhaps they should try to accommodate more people to reduce the waiting time read more

Seriously, it happened again - twice in the same day. I dined at the only bustling lunch spot in another town earlier and now I'm standing in the only PACKED restaurant in another town I'm stopping for the night (instead of hauling arse all the way home). I guess it's meant to be and I'm supposed to be here with my eyes wide open because I'm standing out like a really, really, really sore thumb waiting for a table around a whole bunch of hungry patrons with drinks in their hands blasting their vocal decibels off the roof having the time of their lives. I know I stood out...it's pretty obvious that I'm not blending in at the moment lol. But in that hesitance, I decided to migrate closer to the bar and try to grab a menu (since I can't read jack shiz on the TV screens; eyesight fail). One of the bartenders immediately noticed and came to assist. And shortly, a potion of immortality and youth was in my hand and I was ready to wait out (however the fart long it was going to be) to be seated. It actually wasn't that long before I had a table. It wasn't long after that before a menu was handed out and someone came flying right back with more drinks and took the order. It really wasn't that long before the food came. Holy crap, this place is as efficient as the boatload of oak (apple/cherry; don't care, didn't stop to scent check) smoke billowing in the background as I walked up to the restaurant. These guys meant business and they showed it in just about every way BUT kindly. So once again, it always boils down to the food for me. It's a BBQ spot so you already have certain preconceptions in mind when it comes to this particular cuisine. It often is accurate BUT when your first bite *IS* smoked chicken AND it's juicy and succulent AND not dried out...YOU TOTALLY WON ME OVER. I don't care after that what your collards (pickled; sweet and tangy) taste like...or your (watery) AK chili misdirects and confuses...or your ribs asking if they were pork or beef or...chicken in their identity crisis...it's because your chicken was fresh smoked and absolutely contrary to what we all know about smoked chicken. It is possible after all to have juicy and moist smoked chicken. It just has to be done around the clock like these guys (apparently have no choice due to popularity to) do. For that, thank you. I really had the time of my life stopping here for the night. Who knew...good food, good drinks, good service is the winning combination you always wanted to have *ALL* the time. See you soon! read more

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Still the best bbq. Always a wait but we'll worth it. Staff is on point with wait times. read more

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Great food. Great service. Portions are a bit smaller post pandemic. Igor the 3 meat platter with Brisket, ribs, and chicken. Tomato/cucumber salad and Cole slaw. Everything was excellent. read more

Random pit stop in Syracuse, NY to eat here on our way to Albany from Toronto. And as a crew of Texans, we have to say, honestly, not bad! This is some pretty good BBQ! We were all hangry by the time we arrived and thank goodness we arrived when we did because Dinosaur was bumping on a Monday night and a massive wait started forming right after we sat down. The margarita is disappointing because the glass was all ice and the drink was gone in like 3 sips (they do have some great beers on tap, though, so maybe stick with those). We started with the chicken wings--hot buffalo sauce--and love the fact that you can order just three! They were seriously amazing: tender and juicy chicken with a tangy and spicy sauce, and just...chef's kiss! The side salad is a bit meh, but we did appreciate the ranch BBQ dressing. Here's the breakdown of everything else we ate from our combo plate and beyond: --Ribs: delicious, falling off the bone, yes. --Pulled pork: juicy, flavorful, nicely shredded, yes --Brisket: we are snobs and this was not impressive. Tougher than it needed to be, so no. --Simmered greens: delicious, meaty, smoky, yes. --Cornbread: dry as hell, weird texture, not corn-forward. No. --Mac-n-cheese: she's a little spicy! Pretty good, yes. Overall, it was a really good meal. Unfortunately, the salted caramel cookie bar had very little caramel and didn't really impress, so wasn't the best note to end on. Also, our waitress was a little odd. Out of nowhere, while one of us was in the middle of an order, she would just leave the table and then come right back after a few minutes. It happened a couple times! But the vibe in there is so cool and it's just a hoppin' fun atmosphere where everyone seems to be in a good mood. So, overall, we're glad we came and we're giving it four happy stars. read more

The food speaks for itself this is the best BBQ the NorthEast has to offer. Parking can be tricky at prime time but we got a metered space. It's a 1hr wait at 5:30pm on a Saturday so pack your patience. The staff are so kind making it worth the wait! read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Syracuse, New York

This place is a heck of a lot of fun. Be prepared to wait. However, in the nice weather, and probably not even in the nice weather, you can wait out line outside and be able to have a cocktail while you're waiting in line. So that is a plus to stay warm and dry. We got seated after one hour on a Saturday night for two people in the front room. I'm suspecting that the original room of the restaurant. You could see the kitchen from where we were. I like that. I like to see the food coming out. Everything looked amazing. So many things we didn't order that I want to go back and try again. Definitely a blue-collar Vipere. I like that as well. We got the Sweetheart dinner for two. Ginormous portion of a full rack of ribs and four full sides. We brought a lot home too and he has a great appetite. I would go again in a heartbeat if it wasn't 300 miles from my house. Drinks are super cheap as well. Just go. read more

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When asking around for where to try when visiting Syracuse; there was one consistent answer -Dinosaur. I actually had to come twice in order to try everything that I wanted. The full menu is not available via takeout so some items (like poutiene) you'll have to dine in for. The staff rocks. Friendly and experienced. The vibes are great. Having a bar with bespoke drinks makes everything even more fun. I understand why everyone loves DInosaur. read more

This place wonderful. The atmosphere was fun and inviting. The walls are covered in tons of memorabilia. We got a table quickly and the food and drinks came quickly too. Everything tasted great. We highly recommend trying the sauces on the table. They rocked! read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Sweetheart Deal for 2 - Barbeque Near Me - Syracuse, New York

IYKYK Great food, great vibe! A must eat in Syracuse... or Buffalo... or Albany.... Deviled eggs are great app, all entrees are delicious

Needed a quick reliable bite for dinner after a work training. This location was near my hotel. As far as I can tell, no dedicated parking lot but there seems to be ample street parking. Just pay attention to the signs. I had no wait time for a table. Service was excellent. Menu seems to be the same as Rochester's location. Delicious bbq and reliable. read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - White lightening cocktail. - Barbeque Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Excellent food and service! The Mac and cheese was my favorite. So good! The meats were all perfectly prepared. Service was friendly and quick. A must visit if you love bbq! read more

We got here around 5:30 on a Thursday night. Not a moment too soon! We walked in and had no wait for a table, but anyone after us went on a waitlist. Great busy atmosphere, and friendly waiter. We'd been to Dinosaur BBQ many years ago, and happy to report, it's still as good as ever. We had: - creole deviled eggs, excellent - pork ribs, good as always - side salad, very good - salad with smoked portobello mushrooms, great mushroom taste - mac and cheese, really good taste - cornbread was yummy - peanut butter pie -excellent! By the time we left the restaurant, the place was packed and people were waiting outside too. Nothing much else to say, another really good visit! read more

The staff was wonderful and friendly. The food was great. My wife and myself do a lot of traveling and this is a true hidden treasure.

Service, price and quality, all in one place.... great location. We went for the bar b que... well worth the trip!

Always 5 out of 5! It's been over 6 years since I've been to this location and in those six years I've tried an out of state DBBQ and also purchased the wango tango BBQ sauce from the local grocery.... But nothing compares to the OG! Service was quick and friendly. Oddly, there was no wait for our Sunday dining (there was always a wait in the past.... Might be since it was so close to the holidays) and we were seated asap. Ordered the family deal and had tons of left overs! The brisket is my favorite but the fried green tomato app is to die for. Highly recommend! read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Forgot to take a pic of my food but here is my view - Barbeque Near Me - Syracuse, New York

I don't give too many 5 stars but the food here deserves it. Absolutely delicious bbq and sides. Waitress was fantastic. If there is any negative thing to say is plan to be here for awhile. Takes awhile to get in, wait and very slow relaxed place. Definitely recommend and will come back. read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - BBQ Platter - Barbeque Near Me - Syracuse, New York

This place is never bad! After a long flight from France, & food I didn't like, this was a wonderful welcome back to America meal! This is a must visit any time I am in this area or in Buffalo. The 3 Meat Combo was so wonderful! The sides are fantastic and our server, Evan, was attentive and on point for our entire visit! We will be back!!! read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - 3 Meat Combo, Mac-N-Cheese, Baked Beans, Brisket, 1/4 Chicken & Ribs w/ Corn Bread! - Barbeque Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Amazing brisket. Great service. If I am back in town, I am eating there again. Don't let the look of the place intimidate you from bringing family and kids. It is great for that too. Mac and cheese was also a highlight. Also I love what they did with the place. Full experience. read more

After our second attempt we finally got a table!! It can be a super long wait even on a weekday so make sure you know that ahead of time. We shared the family style meal and it was pretty good! Loved the pulled pork and the chicken was delicious. The Mac and cheese was a little too peppery for me but that's okay. The poutine app and deviled eggs are a must try! read more

Had a DoorDash order. Not sure it was the delay in delivery but when it arrived it was cold. Seen lots of good reviews but honestly the food was not that good. Small servings. The spicy pepper mix was great. read more

Last time I was here. I got the distinct impression they were resting on their laurels. There's at least one place where the bbq is better imo. Lackadaisical service And way too loud to have a conversation. It's for under 31s...not for adults... read more

Excellent spot for some authentic BBQ! We ordered a combo plate with ribs and brisket with two sides (mashed potato and chili). The ribs were perfectly cooked with a smokey flavor. Brisket was slightly leaner and therefore harder to chew than I expected, but the flavor was on point! Portion was generous and more than enough for one person! We supplemented it with a brisket sandwich and it was a perfect size for a two-person lunch. The line for dine-in was very long as this is a popular spot, so we ordered take out which took about 5 minutes. There are plenty of tables (shaded too) outside so it's a good option to avoid the wait! read more

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que - Brisket + ribs (mashed potato and chili) - Barbeque Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Heaven. Someone recommended to my wife that we try this place when we were in Syracuse and boy were they right. I believe this is the original location, not that it matters. We were seated promptly even though they were packed. 5 adults and 2 kids. Waitress was extremely friendly and quite competent. We ordered a feast and drinks and she was great about bringing it all out and keeping us topped off. The interior is amazing, we all loves the wall paintings. We ordered the family style bbq which includes chicken, ribs, brisket and pulled pork (we asked for a 50\50 split) and cornbread. For sides we had the beans, fries, and tomato cucumber salad. Everything was delicious! Cost was surprisingly fair all things considered. Highly recommend! read more

This place is crowded and now i know why. They have the best fall off the bone ribs with tons of flavor. The brisket is the trickiest meat to smoke with and they made theirs nice and juicy. I thought i wouldn't enjoy their side because sides are usually bleh...But their sides are tasty and i finished all my sides. read more

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