It's places like Original Grain that give me hope for Syracuse. I have to say, everything about this place adds an element of "umph" to Syracuse's otherwise bleak and plain atmosphere. No offense of course, Syracuse is my home, and I will always defend my city, but sometimes change is good. Let's start with the decor. The building has large windows, windows that give passersby hints of the hipster, fun, and artsy interior. There is a wall of white tiles behind the counter with a pattern of food shapes in black paint to add a personal touch. Everything is Instagram-able. Even the takeaway menu is carefully crafted. Original Grain truly knows how to appeal and sell themselves. They definitely have their own style, bringing in all sorts of people from moms meeting up for post-kid-drop-off smoothies, to business people perhaps grabbing some sushi (yes they have sushi!), to young 20-somethings having brunch (Saturdays and Sundays I believe). With bottomless mimosas (oh yes!) Anyways, Original Grain excels in their aesthetic alone. Just go on their Instagram. The food looks like art. They sell smoothies; I had some kind of smoothie (can't remember the name) with strawberries, blueberries, and maca (some special powder my sister was telling me would balance my emotions/hormones?). It had coconut milk in it too, making it a yummy vegan option. I'm totally not a vegan by the way, but I won't pass up tasty vegan food (hello Strong Hearts Cafe--which is another place I've been eyeing). I also enjoyed their avocado toast with a dressing of turmeric squeezed over it and cherry tomatoes and chives. The bread was thick and toasted just enough to warm the avocado a little. I think this was the ideal avocado toast. Even though my total (for the smoothie and toast) was $15-something, I highly recommend giving Original Grain a shot. I was only slightly salty about the price, but the inside was so beautiful and the food filled me up and made me feel good (the food leans towards the healthy side) that I just couldn't resist. The employees weren't overly exuberant, but I did only see three people working. The guy who served me was "nice" but perhaps it would take another trip to see how I like the staff. I think I was so overwhelmed by the decor (they have this amazing center price which hangs down in the middle of the room and it has rope and glass bulbs/bowls and lights and it's STUNNING) and the food which looks like it belongs in California. Ok so I know this review is super long, but for the TL;DR, just go here and eat and feel luxurious (kind of, I don't know, you'll feel like you've left Syracuse and entered some place that all the bougie people go) but it's right in Syracuse and if it's a little expensive, you can still get a smoothie or just split an açaí bowl or a sandwich with a friend. read more

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Been here many times, especially while I was living in Syracuse. It's a place I usually try to stop by for lunch when I'm in the area. My go-to favorite is the Lox on Lox toast, which features Lox, avocado, pickled onions, and green goddess sauce on toast. They have gluten free toast but you can also order it without any toast if you want a keto option. I usually get it with their matcha or a bottled kombucha. They also serve quinoa or clear noodle bowls and seaweed wraps. I really love the subtle Asian fusion they have in some of their dishes, such as their Rad Thai bowl, Banh Mi pita, or kimchi wrap. You can't go wrong with their breakfast bowls or smoothies. Sometimes I get their chia seed pudding to go and it's amazing, I can't recreate it myself. Overall really cool skater vibe with nice decor, including hanging plants. Definitely a must-go spot for Syracuse. read more

Went for lunch with my wife on a Monday, not crowded at all. Lots of signage to assist with ordering (3 different spots to order depending on if you want a smoothie or bowl or sandwich). We thought this might be tough if you want something from more than one line... but I'm sure there's a solution. She ordered the corn-cobb salad with mixed greens. It looked impressive, all the ingredients looked bright and fresh. The egg on top was amazing! The bleu cheese dressing did not pack much of a bleu cheese punch but was delicious anyway, the salad as a whole was great! I ordered the Southwest Smoke and was a little disappointed in the flavor. The short rib was plentiful and fully shredded but needed some salt/seasoning. The avocado poblano dressing was also lacking in seasoning so the salad became a bit 'one-note.' If one or the other had been salted then I would've been very happy with it. If I went again I would get the corn-cobb salad with an extra egg added and would be very happy. I probably won't go again, though, the price was a bit outside my comfort zone for a salad lunch. read more

Original Grain - Southwest Smoke with mixed greens. - Cafeteria Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Moving back to Syracuse I was nervous about finding a good healthy spot with a trendy vibe in the original grain checks all the boxes perfectly. I strongly suggest the smoothies the specials and the breakfast sandwich at any point of the day. The owners a great guy and cares a lot about his business I encourage anyone to give it a shot! read more

I got the lox on lox and the green thumb smoothie bowl and I really loved both. Great atmosphere and place for Syracuse! Super cute and they also have a book where customers write down what they're grateful for that's super cute. read more

Original Grain - Cafeteria Near Me - Syracuse, New York

The avocado toast I got was delicious! It was a good portion and everything was fresh. I am giving 4 stars because I feel like certain items are overpriced (I.e smoothies). Also the smoothie bowl I got once was basically soup. read more

Original Grain - Cafeteria Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Very healthy choices and tasty homemade sauces. Modern and hip design. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Highly recommended!

Definitely a place to eat. Just order out unless you're in the mood to sit through unfiltered R rated music with your kids. 5 stars for the food and the service 1 star for the loud music filled with vulgar and racist lyrics. I hope management sees this and switches their Pandora or other music station to play PG content in a restaurant. read more

Original Grain - Cafeteria Near Me - Syracuse, New York

I really want to love this place but I was annoyed at the service. I walked In when I wanted something other than a chain coffee/breakfast joint. Concept seemed cool, menu looked good. I approached counter , there was only one other person waiting for food/drink. I ordered the Avocado toast and the kick ass mocha. I sat down and waited, someone else walked in after me, they ordered a hot beverage as well and got heirs, thinking maybe they forgot mine, heard them talking about my order, my toast came up which was amazing I will say. Still no drink, she said it's coming... Well I finished my food and my drink was finally ready, it annoyed me with the slowness so I was hoping this was goi g to be an amazingly crafted drink... utter disappointment , Luke warm coffee with a slight coconut/mocha flavor. It was deposited in the trash and I went to get another elsewhere. Love the food but the beverage/service were lacking. I'll be back to eat after I have a coffee somewhere. The smoothies did look amazing and may try that. read more

Casual spot off armory square. Self serve with a good assortment of healthy bowls and pita sandwiches. Dining area was ok but a bit small. We were there for dinner - would be a better lunch stop. Service was ok, soundtrack was good. Food was good but I hate throwing away disposable bowls and silverware. read more

Enjoyed a kale yeah and the squash soup. Fresh ingredients and an ample portion make this a great stop. It wasn't busy when I was there but I can see where ordering and picking up would be a little confusing during a rush. Two entry doors and multiple signs don't help. read more

i love this place! the inside is so cute and the staff is friendly. there is not a single bad thing you can ordered here. my favorite are the make your own bowls. the peanut dressing is amazing read more

Original Grain - Create Your Own Bowl - Cafeteria Near Me - Syracuse, New York

We came here for lunch and enjoyed it but can't bring myself to give 4 stars. Décor: love, love, love it! Hipster/music/ throwback but clean looking vibe. They had a pic of Amy Winehouse on the door to the women's bathroom and a pic of Biggie on the Men's bathroom. Loved that they repurposed a skateboard and used that as a toilet paper holder. This may not be the taste for some but it was packed, so they def are super busy. I ordered the acai bowl($10) and my brother got a pb smoothie($7). Now, these prices are super typical for a person from NYC so there is no issue there for me. While I was happy to take an instagram-worthy pic of my bowl, I was PISSED they used frozen fruit! Like what the fuck did I just pay $10 for and why did I get a brain freeze from eating this bowl?! NOT cool at all! Maybe eating these bowls w/frozen fruit is okay for ppl up there but not for myself. Furthermore, eating an aqai bowl should never give you a brain freeze. The taste wasn't bad but I felt jipped w/the fruit. My brother said his smoothie was good. My mom ordered the "Ssam salad" and really enjoyed it so that's good. Totally random, but I loved the bright & modern plastic cutlery. Also, all the employees were friendly! A few things that bothered me: this is not a kid-friendly place. We were w/ a toddler and were forced to eat outside because there was only 1 table inside that could accommodate a toddler (that was taken). All of the tables were high up. Maybe this area isn't frequented by kids so that isn't an issue but it's something to be noted. My *major* concern was the wait for my bowl! My mom literally placed her order way after me for her salad and it was done before my bowl! How is that possible?! Since the bowls and smoothies seem to be popular then they should add an extra person to that station. It's crazy that at one point the smoothie line was nearly to the door. Come on now. Overall, I loved the character/feel of the place and the use of super fresh (for the most part) ingredients. I doubt they will change using frozen fruit but had to mention it for anyone looking to order one here. I would def go back but would try a salad or something else. Thanks for having us Original Grain. Tip* They do have wifi...look for the name "OG" and type the password- original grainsters read more

I want to give 3.5-4 stars but it won't allow me to~ So I only heard about this place about a week ago! What's up with that OG? Where is your marketing rep!! Anyways since I had time to stroll on by today I decided to give it a go! They have outdoor seating which i guess would be nice if there was something other than traffic to look at? The decor is off the wall and unique- I love the use of cassette taps and skateboard wheels under the bar to hold your bag/coat. Walking in as a first timer though can be a bit overwhelming- you just don't know where to begin- I read the brekkie bowl menu then the bowls and then the sandwich wraps- I ordered the Bahn Mi wrap which consists of chicken rice cucumber carrot jalapeño pickled onion and green goddess dressing. I thought it was flavorful and DIFFERENT (finally!) than other offerings in Syracuse. I really wanted an acai bowl so I was ecstatic to find they had a purple bowl- it had ingredients such as blueberries/blackberries I don't enjoy and substituted them for strawberries and mangoes. Maybe I was too excited for it.... I was quite disappointed that they used FROZEN fruit! I couldn't even bite into them :( Music- hmm.. I do enjoy their collection of hip hop HOWEVER a fair warning to families- these are not CLEAN versions which may put some parents in situations they may want to avoid and not being their toddler that may try to repeat everything. Do not bring your straight edge parents here unless you forewarn them about adult explicit language! And is super loud!! I was eating by myself but i could barely hear the worker shot my name for my order to be picked up; I doubt anyone could have real conversation without shouting I will be back to try the other wraps and bowls but sadly will have to travel back to Jersey or NYC for a good acai Berry bowl! Man, if they just used some of the $8 to spring for fresh fruit and cut it up I'm sure it'll change the taste and be worth the extra few seconds it takes to slice up some strawberries~ read more

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Wow, wow, and wow! I don't normally start my reviews off with that, but their food is so dang good! When you reference my pictures to my review you will understand why I say that. I had been wanting to come here for a while, but was a little apprehensive over how green and veggi like everything is. I was completely wrong in my assumptions about this place. They are masters of meat as well! I came here with my wife and we ordered food that was the complete opposite of each other. She ordered a massive salad that had corn, bacon, chicken, and tons of other stuff. I ordered a sandwich that was stuffed full of short rib. It was saucy and shredded. It was so amazing! It kind of reminded me of the consistency of pulled pork, which is fantastic. The bread is a harder brioche bun so it absorbs all of the meaty juices. Normally there are all kinds of what my wife described as yummy toppings, but I just got meat and bread. The prices may seem a wee bit high, but they give you so much food that you will be filled for more of the day. It feels like your eating at a small restaurant right in heart of NYC. I love the vibe. read more

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Fell in LOVE with this place. So glad it was recommended to me! Always looking for healthy meal options. original grain has it all.Very unique place. The employees were super friendly and helpful. When you walk in it can be overwhelming as theirs many options of "different" types of food, especially if you've never heard of some of the options. Everything is made to order, FRESH.. I got the Mexi-Cali bowl- chicken, black beans, roasted corn, pineapple, radish,avocado, pickled red onion, cilantro, roasted carrot and cumin dressing. MOUTH WATERING. I believe it was 14$ for the bowl, I was shocked at how big the bowl was, definitely enough for two meals. Can't wait to come back and try something else!!! read more

Original Grain - Mexi-Cali bowl - Cafeteria Near Me - Syracuse, New York

A little pricey but worth it! Everything in there feels healthy but delicious. Staff is friendly. Cool vibe.

I finally had the chance to check out Original Grain. I'm new to the whole bowl concept, so I went with the Mexi-Cali since it seemed the safest. I was expecting it to be bland because of my experience at Core, but this was surprisingly very flavorful! The chicken was seasoned very well, the pickled onions, corn, black beans, avocado and pineapple were all such a great combination! I will say that the cumin cilantro dressing that came with it was eh, and honestly the bowl didn't need any dressing. But overall, everything is so colorful it adds to the experience. As far as cost goes, it was $14 after tax for this bowl. You're definitely getting your money's worth because the bowl was super filling and honestly it could have been two servings. However, on the flip side, I think this is a specialty lunch place. I'm generally not going to spend almost $15 every day, but perhaps once or twice a month. Excited to go back and try something new! read more

Original Grain - Mexi-Cali Bowl - Cafeteria Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Came here for brunch with my friend and all of the staff were rude and looked us up and down like we were nothing . This is the first time this has happened to me here and I am not pleased at all. Made my friend and I super uncomfortable . don't know if I'll be back. read more

Such a good place. I'm glad there's a place like this in the area now- in downtown Syracuse. I love their acai berry smoothies. The wait was a little long, even though there weren't too many people there when I was there. I'd definitely be back to try more food! read more

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This is a casual modern eatery where you order at the counter (there are 3 different order spots depending on what you want to order) and pick up your own food to bring to your table. They sell lots of different healthy/modern food items here like fruit bowls, savory bowls, toasts, smoothies, coffee, chia seed yogurt parfaits and juices. Some of their bowl options were interesting and had ingredients like Recess Cocoa puffs. I tried the egg toast for $7 which had avocado, microgreens (larger microgreens), ponzu sauce, prosciutto, chia seeds and a poached egg on top. The avocado was very fresh (not browned at all). Microgreens were also very fresh and were not at all wilted. The dish had a good amount of prosciutto. The prosciutto is naturally really salty so I thought the ponzu sauce on top of the dish made it too salty/acidic. I think if there was less prosciutto the ponzu and meat combo wouldn't have been so overly salty tasting. The egg poached perfectly and was not too liquidy/messy. I had the small "kick-ass" coffee (with coconut oil and ghee AKA clarified butter). It tastes great but the oils will rise up and leave a residue if you let it sit. In Vietnam, it was very normal to have a little bit of clarified butter in your beans/coffee. They play young, hip and cool music here like MGMT and Phantogram. There are lots of hipster decoration pieces like a hanging old wire basket with cassette tapes, skateboard wheels as a purse/jacket hanger, and planters hung by macrame rope stuff. They have fun bright yellow details like the outdoor metal seats/tables and the plastic cutlery. Prices are high but that is pretty common with these types of places that sell trendy superfoods. I definitely want to come back for the acai bowls. read more

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Very interesting and different. Difficult to describe really. A variation on sushi. A new take on short ribs coupled with kimchi and a chicken dish which was excellent but I have no idea what it was. I found the street games going on outside a bit of a pain but then again, I am a boring old fart. Definitely calls for a 2nd visit read more

Today I'll be leaving a one star review in hopes someone sees this and makes this better. Doesn't look like much when you walk past, popped in for lunch and I can say the food was outstanding, the sandwiches we had were amazing to say the least, the only downside is the terrible service. I have never felt so disrespected by employees and workers, they straight up ignore you and went as far to be rude to us. Asked for a to go box for my sandwich, this with a headband and blonde hair gave me a dirty look and huffed, before practically throwing it at me, and then I had to get another box for my daughters bread so my wife who just got off of a 18 hour shift as a nurse went up and said I'm so sorry can I please get another box and she said "another box for what?" She said my daughters toast, and the girl looked at her and said "I guess" like what do you mean I guess?? Then she said I guess you can go grab one from over there, not only that, my wife had to stand there after asking for a bag and they completely ignored her, after asking three times for a bag and was just ignored so she ended up grabbing two herself. I can say that the experience was so horrible that I will not be returning and I will not be recommending this to any of my friends. Why am I paying $50 plus for my meal only to be treated with disregard and disrespectful words. Feel as though the management should be talking to talking to their employees about customer service and how to treat people. I always use my manners when in a public place to employees working but I never thought such a nice place would have such awful customer service and employees. read more

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Gave this place a shot while in town on business. It's a nice alternative to from the numerous sandwich places near by. I chose the Great Swell and would definitely order it again. The grains were properly cooked. The ingredients seemed fresh and the proportions of veggies was well balanced. My only complaint is the quantity of protein; for the price I expected more than a few bites. read more

thanks for the clean bathroom, expensive lackluster food! This noisy restaurant featured original grain that had soapy tasting quinoa along with al dente brown rice, squishy salmon and twig filled sesame seeds. read more

Original Grain - menu - Cafeteria Near Me - Syracuse, New York

3.7/5 Absolutely Beautiful place , bright and clean, the presentation alone makes you want to eat there , hip hop vibe , clever menu names , a little pricey but nice portions . My coffee had ghee and coconut oil it, it was the best part of my visit !( forgot the name ) My salmon nori sushi burrito like roll had house smoked salmon ( that was impressive ) and it was cut in two but one half was pretty flavorless because the majority of the ingredients were in the other half , the half that was good was just okay , they also forgot soy sauce and it was to go, my friend got the chicken bowl and thought it was under seasoned and missing salt as well , and the bowls are around 13-14$ . So the place is a bit over priced but was worth checking out ! read more

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WOW! Visited Original Grain for lunch and it did not disappoint! Always fresh and delicious! The service is top notch and the bright, inviting space is a great vibe! Highly recommend! read more

Original poke bowl and Mocha Rush smoothie were both fantastic! I can't wait to come back and try other options from the menu. The space is so aesthetically pleasing and a fun environment to study or for groups to get together. Will definitely be back! read more

Original Grain - Original poke bowl and Mocha Rush smoothie - Cafeteria Near Me - Syracuse, New York

I've been itching to partake in the poke phenomenon so i got really excited when I heard this place was opening. finally came tonight and was tempted to try one of the nori wraps but opted for the "original poke" mainly because: 1. dishes that begin with 'original' come across as a house specialty/menu mainstay 2. i had come with the goal of trying poke 3. someone walked by with a nori wrap and it looked TINY So, i ordered my poke. as others have mentioned, the line layout is confusing. i guess you have a line for bevvies and toast (?), and a separate line for bowls and wraps?? fresh ingredients tossed and prepared in a salad bar style (i watched my server make my bowl and kept resisting the urge to yelp out, "eek less kelp noodle..", "dont be so stingy with the avocado!", "another scoop of salmon pleaseeee?" After my bowl was prepared, I parked myself in a (backless.... PET PEEVE) stool along the window. The meal was.... ok. they need to work on their proportions. there was wayyyyy too much kelp noodle which really is quite difficult to eat because it never becomes sufficiently saturated with dressing, juices, etc. Otherwise, the dish was tasty...especially once I reached the bottom of the bowl where all of the flavors converged. However, the price tag of $15+ ($14 + tax) doesn't add up. this original poke should cost $8-10 MAX. there is very little salmon in that tiny bowl, which- lets be realistic here- is what you're paying for. For $15, you could get like 4 salmon rolls at a sushi joint! so basically, this place just opened which means they get a free pass to work out their kinks. I'll likely be back to try the "schmear" nori wrap in the nearish future... read more

Since I've only been there once, I can only rate it based on the food I had that one time. But it was fantastic. Got the Korean short rib nori wrap. Flavor was amazing. Everything worked together perfectly. The staff is friendly and helpful. The look is sharp and clean. Going with four stars for a couple reasons. First, ordering could use better signage. Went to the start of the line. Ordered the wrap and was told I was in the wrong line and needed to go to the other end. And two, portion wasn't as much as I'd like. For $9, I wasn't full at all. Could have used a side, will be something else next time. Would feel better about the whole experience. Overall, great healthy option downtown for a quick lunch or dinner. They're still new so I'm sure things will change and improve. Will definitely go back. read more

Original Grain - Cafeteria Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Overpriced and under seasoned food with poor service and a bad environment. Restaurant was filthy and the food, especially for the price, was horrible. read more

I went to Original Grain for the first time today. I ordered an Egg Man breakfast. It was hastily slapped together and over $10. It arrived in a wasteful plastic box even though I was dining in. I was prompted to tip and not sure where the tip is going to go and no one deserved it, anyway. The employees were flipping each other off behind the counter and ignoring me. I wanted a water and it was over $3. There are better places to go downtown that are not corporate, underpaying employees and overpriced for underwhelming, slapped-together food. read more

This was one of the most disappointing meals I've ever had. I had a poke bowl that was not only super bland but they even managed to mess up chicken and rice soup. No flavor at all. And the paltry amount of salmon they put on the bowl was ridiculous given I paid almost $20 for lunch. Also they music was really unnecessarily loud. read more

Customer Service. Check. Awesome Decor. Check. Good music. Check. Delicious food & good selection. Check! The seating could be a little more comfortable but everything else is amazing!!! I bought some Chia seed pudding to go! I will be back! read more

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I used to work downtown and this was my absolute favorite place to get lunch almost everyday! Their food is so fresh, tasty and wholesome! Feeling down? Try their Antioxidant Boost Smoothie! The Bahn MI Wrap is delightful and just the right kick of spice! But the Lox on Lox on Lox Toast is my absolute favorite- and the most heavenly, delectable pleasure (where salmon is concerned ), and their green goddess dressing is mouthwatering! read more

First Time picking up a couple of Sandwiches. I love that they are open until 8. I live a block away. Look, I like Pastas Stretch bread and all. But, at 10 bucks a sandwich, put some damn ingredients in between the 6 inches of bread. Joke. read more

First time here and I love it!! the environment is good and the food is great! It's a little expansive but still it's worth it. read more

Original Grain - Mexi-Cali - Cafeteria Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Healthy, filling, fresh. The trifecta. We love bringing our girls to Original grain because we know they will be filling their bodies with some of the healthiest foods; rich in vitamins and nutrients. They love it too because it's full of flavor! Anddd they look forward to their treat at the end of banana milk and honey Toast read more

My favorite lunch place in Syracuse!! So many healthy and delicious options from the toasts, bowls, to sushi burritos. My favorite is the original poke, but everything is so flavorful and well thought out. Only complaint is that they put yogurt in all of the smoothies so I can't order them! read more

I'm on a business trip from LA. So I was looking for a nice place to eat and enjoy a healthy meal. I must say the food was excellent and also great service. I ordered the "Smashed avocado" toast and "Strength in numbers" smoothie. I added maca to my smoothie. For both I spent about $15 and change. This is also probably the only place around this area to get a açaí bowl. I saw some people around me who ordered the smoothie bowls and they looked great. Also, a few days ago I had a co worker come here to pick up a salad and it was lovely. I ordered the Caesar it was the perfect size. So I'm glad this time I got to actually come in and see it in person. Love the whole vibe and decor. Great ambiance to enjoy a nice meal. Would definitely recommend. read more