Delicious Bbq. Best baked beans and salad with home made dressing. Corn bread is Yum..... Staff was delightful. Atmosphere fun. A must do when in Syracuse! read more

Excellent food and a fun & eclectic atmosphere. The writing on the walls is unique and original. For the food, the portions are plentiful, but not overwhelming . The presentation and plating is good. Last but not least, the taste is excellent. All in all an excellent experience . read more

Pretty awesome! Would definitely stop by again. The waitress was very nice and helpful. We got the pick your own combo with the brisket, pulled pork, shrimp, and sides of mac n cheese, collard greens, and bbq beans. Upon reading reviews about the fried green tomatoes, we decided to get the fancy ones! The green tomatoes were bomb! I would come back just for those. Even my bf liked them and he typically hates tomatoes! Fancy Green Tomatoes: 5/5 Perfectly crispy with an awesome awesome sauce. Pulled Pork: 4.5/5 tender, flavorful Shrimp: 4/5 spiced very well and served with a pretty great cocktail sauce. Don't let the habanero scare you away! The sauce wasn't super spicy. Brisket: 2/5 Pretty much had to slather it in bbq sauce to make it edible Mac n Cheese: 4.5/5 smokey, cheesy goodness Collard Greens: 4/5 gotta get some greens in there right? BBQ Beans: 3/5 quite chunky, which was nice. Bit to sweet for my taste.My bf liked them just fine, but he said he'd be okay without them too. Sidenote: pretty good beer selection as well! read more

I was curious and wanted to see if the rave reviews are true. They are. I'm a Texan who knows good brisket and these folks in Syracuse NY are doing a fine job. It's not Blacks or Franklin or Fargos but it's decently good especially considering the distance from the birthplace of bbq brisket. I had the brisket and ribs with a side of baked acorn squash and fresh cut fries. Presentation with cornbread was good. First the seasonal baked acorn squash was awesome and very pleased with that choice. Home cut fires were good too. Ribs were okay a little too much tug but flavor decent. Brisket surprised me. Nice smoke ring, not Texas oak though, however it was very tender indicating patience - low and slow - with the cook. The three jalapeños on top was a nice touch . Sauce was okay. Washed it down with a cold Middle Ages Syracuse Pale Ale. Atmosphere was really cool. From table carving to Waylen and Willie on the wall. Service was great. Waitress checked on me several times during lunch rush. Highly recommend. read more

We go as five for lunch when we go across syracuse. You can park your car opposite of the street and need to wait like 30 minutes. I orderred full stack ribs, 13 chicken wings , shrimp, new york strip steak and rib eye with some sides. Price is good and food is delicious. I love steak and chicken wings. Only shrimp need to peel and cold with a little spicy not like my imagination, I think it's grilled. After all , a really good try and a traditional American restaurant. read more

Every time my boyfriend comes visits me from nyc, we go here for lunch and gorge ourselves on the most delicious bbq ever. I'm in love with their ribs and fries. Their Mac and cheese and cornbread is decent. The service is exemplary and even though it is always crazy busy and super crowded in the restaurants, we always have a good experience as the food comes out in a reasonable time and there's so much going on on the walls, it takes your mind off the wait. Their chicken wings are good as well and I've had their salmon which I enjoyed if you feel the meats are too heavy. Cucumber tomato salad is nice, the acidity helps when you're eating all that delicious grease and fat haha The chili is pretty good (usually what my bf orders as his side). He is also lactose intolerant and the restaurant is very good at accommodating him and making sure to cut out anything dairy from his plate. We really appreciate that :) will be coming back again, probably this weekend lol read more

We like to treat ourselves a few times a yr, this trip was not good. Went by 1130am and the rack of ribs seemed like last night's warmed up. Over 1/2 was burnt and crispy while the rest were dry and overcooked. Taking this place off our special treat list happening now. It takes once to ruin it. Waitress left out drafts on the bar over 10 min, so warm and half flat. Nice girl though. read more

I've been here too many times to count since my childhood. Always amazing. Can't go wrong with a pulled pork sandwich, Mac n cheese and awesome corn bread. read more

Never had anything from here I didn't like and the mac and cheese is truly one of a kind.

Yummy food, reasonable prices, and very friendly staff. Parking was limited even during the day (we had to pay for parking) and the restaurant gets very crowded. Other than that I would recommend. read more

I cry when I think about their barbecue living in Alaska is painful it's been 5 years since I've had Dinosaurs it's like god kissed a grill

Excellent as always. Tried the fried green tomatoes for the first time and loved them.

No doubt the best BBQ in town, great food and cool dive bar atmosphere inside. The tres ninos is my personal favorite and the ribs are really savory and tensor. It's usually very busy so I would recommend takeout if you don't want to wait too long but if you have never been, you need to take it all in. read more

Great service, good food, relaxed atmosphere! Always enjoy Dinosau BBQ when we come to Syracuse.

This place has some of the friendliest staff members I've ever seen! They can get pretty packed on the weekends but still make sure to provide awesome service. Love their brisket and they have KILLER coleslaw, the food definitely did not disappoint. We'll be coming back for sure! read more

I came here with my family the other night after not coming for years. The Mac and cheese was INCREDIBLE! Our server was relaxed and the food came out so quickly. All in all it was a great meal and definitely worth every penny. Our ribs were tender. The texture of the brisket was a little different but the pulled pork was great as well. read more

OMG!!!!! This place is fabulous! The food is excellent! Anything and everything you order is great! It's tasty, comforting, and well worth the wait. It's a shame it's always so busy when we visit Liverpool. We love it!!!!! read more

Ok, so we had to wait a little bit for a table. WELL WORTH THE WAIT! My husband was so jealous of my meal after he tried a bite....He ordered the primerib bbq sandwich while I ordered the Reuben.....his dinner was good, but OMG, the reuben was HEAVEN. My mouth is watering as I write this review and just wonder what our dinner plans are for tonight.... We had our children with us who rarely finish a meal that they usually split...the waitress suggested that they split the grilled cheese & two sides...it was perfect and $5.99 total for decent portions. Great food! read more

Long wait times are typical due to their popularity, I waited almost 2 hours. The food is exactly what the rating says, its OK. The BBQ sauce is pretty good but the meat is nothing special. For all the hype this place gets, I was not blown away by my meal, but I was content. I didn't find the portion sizes to be all that big, I was still hungry when I was done. I've had the pulled pork and the ribs, both were consumed in a few bites. My lasting impression of Dinosaur BBQ is it's not worth the hype. read more

Best BBQ you are gonna find. Get there early to grab a table. Packed every night. Pulled Pork is a must!

Oh my word! Real smokey BBQ. Food and service was awesome. The Three Hombres (beef brisket, pulled pork and ribs). Mmmmmm tender tender tender. Good prices too. You guys got 2 Canucks that will go back for sure. Worth the drive. :-) Very busy. read more

Great southern style bbq for a yank joint. The brisket seems slow cooked rather than smoked. The ribs are awesome and the hot links are to die for. read more

I'm a Syracuse native and have only had Dino 3 or 4 times but each time, it's more amazing than the next. The wait staff is great (even though some people may find them a bit rough around the edges) but they are always friendly and honest. The food is the best you will find in the area relating to BBQ and in general and with multiple locations, throughout NYS, you're bound to be close. The only qualm I have is that the wait is always so long... There is an upstairs room that can be rented out for private parties, but not open any other time... A typical Friday or Saturday night wait is anywhere between 1 or 2 hours and considering they get you in and out in about 45 mins, it's a bit long but I would recommend to anyone! read more

The best food I have ever eaten. Mac n Cheese is amazing doesn't compare. We had brisket, ribs, and prime rib and they were all amazing! Oh and cannot forget about the catfish strips for appetizer. The food here definitely does NOT disappoint. read more

This is seriously good to me.... makes me miss New York! All the sauces and good food and damn, I miss Buffalo Sauce.

While on a road trip home from Niagara Falls to Massachusetts we used Yelp to search for a lunch place. Low and behold we located Dinosaur BBQ, 9 miles from I-90, best damn 9 miles I have driven for BBQ. 15min wait, plenty of tables and a small outdoor bar to keep you occupied. Large beer selection. We started with a small order of the honey BBQ wings, incredibly flavorful. I had the pulled pork and my GF had the ribs w/ Mac & cheese. Both plates had huge helpings....both meals as a whole were AWESOME!! Brought home a bottle of sauce, can't wait to try it at home. read more

Satisfactory, but not up to the hype. Crowds testify to the place's popularity, but metropolitan out-of-towners (like us) may suspect Dinosaur's success owes something to a lack of competition. We shared a Tres Hombres platter--enough for two. Generous portions are clearly the norm here. The brisket was undercooked, not reaching the melty-soft ideal, and arrived at our table lukewarm. The baby back ribs were quite good, with just the right amount of sauce. I'd happily order a rib platter again. The pulled pork was good. Nothing to write home about, but good. The mac-and-cheese was a little gummy; the beans better. (Devotees of very sweet baked beans should take note that these are more savory and oniony.) read more

Great place, Great food! The place can easily get crowded but the wait is well worth it. They make their own barbecue sauce which is so good that I had to buy it and take it home. I recently took a stop there on my way back from Montreal. I can easily say it is my favorite place across the Mason-Dixon line that I enjoy eating barbecue. Try it you wont regret it. read more

Yum. The place was packed so we say at the bar and ordered. The bartender was very nice and clearly a multi-tasker. Our food came out quickly and was quite good. I got the sampler dinner, with ribs, brisket and pulled pork. The brisket was excellent. The ribs were good. I didn't like the pulled pork. Maybe it would be okay on a roll but it lacked flavor overall. read more

A Syracuse staple. Every time I come home to Syracuse, I make a point to go here. I've never had a bad meal, there's always something different to try, be it entrees or sides, but I tend to stay with the same things every time - pulled pork, ribs, or chicken. The mojito smothered chicken steak is one of my favorites. Portions are good, enough to fill you up or to save for later. Price is very reasonable. Expect a bit of a wait if you stop by during peak hours at lunch or dinner. read more

This place is happening! Great atmosphere great food. Get the rib eye and boddingtons

Rochester native and then went to Cuse for undergrad. Safe to say I grew up on this magical food. And let me tell you, it is wonderful. Ribs, chicken, pork you name it, it's flavorful, comforting, and perfect in every way. I am partial to the Mac and Cheese. Never had one quite like it! Ill keep coming back again and again read more

Pretty good place to stop and eat. Not a huge BBQ fan but over all I enjoyed it. The appetizer sampler was delicious. The ribs were a little too cooked for my liking and the Mac and cheese was decent. Burger sliders were good. The staff was very friendly. This place gets pretty busy so be prepared to wait for a bit. Dim lighting. Cool place to see! read more

Always a contrarian. This place was crowded and we were passing through. The wait on a weekend night was long, too long while driving. So, we got take away quickly enough (like 15 min. not all that quick, but not a chain and it was fresh), and they let us eat it outside on tables seemingly set aside for this. Everybody was helpful, but much or all of the food was OK. not A-OK, but, eh, Ok. The sauces were wide ranging but just at best ok. The vibe was cool inside, and the selection was cool and broad, but I'd take Clems 9 days out of 10. the 10 day, I'd try them again and enjoy some of the unusual foods. So, if they want solace, it was a high 3, but still just a three. read more

This place never disappoints, fantastic food and drinks and great service. I stop on or get take out at least once a month and the food is always delicious even if it's cold by the time I get home. Anyone can find something they like here. Just adding to my review to tout the great service once again. I came to get a pick up order at the time I was told and ended up having to wait an extra half hour, I think they simply forgot to make part of my order because it was so busy. However the people working the take out area were so apologetic and told me to grab a free be sauce and even remade my fries once everything was ready because the original batch would be soggy. I would have taken the fries without even thinking but that just shows how much this place cares about their customers. :) read more

The food and atmosphere are excellent. It is a really friendly place and being at a the university nearby, it's a relief from the normal cafeteria food every day. The barbecue there is very tender and falls of the bone. Their signature sauces really make the difference as well. Everyone should try this place. read more

Being from the south and getting stationed in the north, I was pretty upset about the lack of BBQ. Then I was lead to Dinosaur by a friend. This place is the best bbq I have had. You get more food than you can eat, and you get it for a very affordable price. Even when I leave New York, I will still travel back to eat here. read more

My husband grew up in the Syracuse area, but never had been to Dinosaur. On our last visit to Syracuse (April 2015), we made sure to stop by, bringing along our children. The food, as expected, was wonderful, the service was fast, and the staff was friendly. But what made the day for me was how my request for allergy-friendly food for my 12-year-old daughter was handled. They had readily available a menu with a list of allergens; the manager came to discuss our needs; the waitress made sure she got the order correct, and the manager personally delivered my daughter's food. The manager even pointed out the differences in menu/food preparation between the various locations. I was thrilled with the level of care and attention. Thank you! read more

Best ever to have a delicious ribs! and a good ale local beer.

Great barbecue. Great full bar. Sides are okay but this is definitely a must try if you are ever in the Syracuse area.