It's overrated and overpriced. The pasta tastes bland. One time, I had pasta that'l was over cooked. The bread is always cold. The hot tomato sauce is good but it doesn't make up for the rest of the menu. The duck pizza is the best thing I've tried. The location and ambiance are the only things that make this place popular. read more

This place was fantastic!! A bit of a wait outside but once you get inside you understand why. Staff is very accommodating and the food is delicious as well as the wine selection!! read more

A little on the expensive side but awesome atmosphere and delicious food! Really good variety of dishes and it tasted amazing. It was extremely loud and cramped, and we did have some issues hearing each other and enjoying our meals out in such a loud space. We also had to wait for about an hour for our table and we were in a group of about 6 people. There wasn't a lot of availability as far as bathrooms go and we did have to go up a small flight of stairs to get to our seating and with the cramped space it was not terribly disability friendly. read more

I really like going here for lunch. Lots of choices and the cafeteria set up gets you in and out. Dinner here is good too, there's a very nice date night Ambience. If I come for dinner I always make sure to get a pitcher of sangria. However I love the chicken Gorgonzola lunch pasta so much I always rather come for lunch. read more

Pastabilities - Chicken Gorgonzola pasta with blue cheese crumbles and walnuts on the right. Thai beef on the left. - Italian Near Me - Syracuse, New York

This place is a locals' favorite. I'm not from the area and can't figure out why it's so popular. I will say that their stretch bread and Spicy tomato oil is out of this world. Their bakery is good and is across the street from the restaurant, but I found the restaurant to be nothing more than local myth. read more

Family from Boise, Idaho visiting Syracuse University and stopped by for a quick lunch. I had angel hair pasta with pesto and walnuts, kids had calzones and pizza. Very tasty. Salads great, varied with creative options. Cafeteria style for lunch. I would recommend! read more

My favorite place in town. They make their own pasta, sauces and bread from scratch. While this is the way most good italian places operate, it is not so common in this town. The hardest part is not filling up on bread and the dipping sauce before your meal comes. The calamari appetizer is very good but skip their sauce. The breading and how it is fried are top notch. Not chewy at all. read more

Bad service, ok food, bad beer, lots of wine by the glass and roaches.

Nice friendly service, full bar. Had the hot oil sauce and tortellini. Very accommodating as you put together your meal. Nice crowd.

amazing (especially the spicy hot tomato oil). Problem is it is so hard to get a table and they don't take reservations. This restaurant needs a bigger space to accommodate the demand. Great food, but the wait is insane even on work night. read more

Besides the 1.5 hour wait that seems to be a constant, the food was excellent, service polite and prices very reasonable. Most dishes are very generous portions and the appetizers are great! (Perfect to get an app, and eat half of the main dish and take the rest home for a whole additional meal!) read more

So normally I have great experiences but the last few times I've been I've had a miserable experience with the hostesses. They're are rude and obnoxious! As usual it's generally a long wait, but sometimes I like to check in on our place in line - and then I am patronized for asking and was rudely told "i told you how long the wait was". Also on top of this, I waited at the bar and watched the bartender serve not 1 but 2!! dirty glasses- they were filled and then they saw lipstick stains on it and all they did was wipe it off and serve it. Didn't throw it out and make a new glass or even pour it into a new glass... so probably won't be coming back here again read more

Came last week while in town had a pleasurable experience. Came back this week while in town. Had to pick up more hot tom oil for my wife. Only a 15 min wait which was way better then the hour and a half last week. First sat in the corner where my friend had to get up to let the person behind us. I understand they are a busy restaurant but it's very uncomfortable seat. Two tables sat after us were served and done eating before we were even served food. Waited 15 mins for a refill. Waiter visited surrounding tables multiple times even bumping into our table and still didn't ask If we were ok or needed anything even tho i set my empty glass on the corner of the table. The food is good not great but good. Not sure i will find myself eating here again when I'm in town. Maybe stop by and pick up some hot tom oil for my wife. read more

Having eaten here plenty of times in the past, myself and my 2 dining companions knew what to expect at dinner last night. We were pleased with our experience, as always. They only take reservations for large parties, so a wait is to be expected. Last night, we were told our party of 3 would have a 45 minute wait. Only slightly surprising for a mid-week night, Pastabilities is almost always packed. The estimate was spot on and we were called for our table almost exactly 45 mins later. The restaurant now provides those waiting with a pager so that they may wander around The Armory. I am not certain of it's range, as we stuck nearby the restaurant, but these are a very welcome sight as the inside waiting area can become cramped. We ordered cocktails to start, a Sloe Gin Fizz, Margarita and Saratoga sparkling spring water. All came as described in the menu. We were presented with stretch bread and spicy tomato oil as always and had no problem receiving more bread when needed. Both are amazing, For dinner our table ordered the Lobster Ravioli (a summer menu item), Chicken Parmesan (also listed as a summer menu item, but I have never not seen it on the menu no matter the time of year) and the Broccoli, Walnuts, Garlic, Romano and Olive Oil Pasta. All items came as described in the menu and were enjoyed by the person who ordered it. The Chicken Parm was served as two gigantic chicken breasts and a side of pasta and offered enough leftovers to make another entire meal for the next day. I'll admit that the reasons for deducting a star are slight, but they do keep this from being a 5 star experience. To start it was very, very warm in the restaurant. We were seated near the open area of the kitchen and could feel the heat coming towards our table in waves. I do not know what solution could be offered to remedy this and it was only a bit of a nuisance. The second was the attitude of the hostess when asked whether they were seating people outside on this night. I expected that they were not as the weather was threatening rain and they do not have awnings to cover the tables, but the response I received was a curt no. I am sure the hostess had been asked this question multiple times this night and that would explain her rude response. Neither of these items would ever keep me from returning to Pastabilites. read more

Never had a bad experience there. Food always great. It can get really noisy, which is the only part I don't like. Otherwise a tried and true Syracuse staple! read more

Not only my favorite Italian in Syracuse but also my favorite lunch in downtown/armory. Very few places in the Syracuse area have a line out the door and this is one of them, for good reason. It's been featured on at least two Food Network shows now and has always delivered. I've never had dinner here, just lunch, but I would be more than happy to give that a try here as well. read more

This was an amazing restaurant. The hot tomato oil is INCREDIBLE. I could eat an entire dinner off of just that.

Yeah, we all get the tomato oil thing.....but, the pork chop I had was ba-bam awesomeness...... Peanut butter pie kinda rocks as well...

Great pasta dishes. Amazing bread. Long wait, well worth it. Chicken Riggies Chicken parm spicy hot dipping oil nom read more

I came here for an early dinner on Saturday with my sisters and left very happy and very full. Since we got there shortly after opening we were seated right away. Our waitress came up to us shortly after and took our drink orders and promptly brought them to us, even the drink from the bar came quickly. After a good amount of time, the waitress came back and took our orders. While we waited for our dinner, we were brought out some fresh bread with the spicy tomato sauce... It was sooo good. I like heat so to me it was not very spicy but to my sister who does not do spicy it was warm for her. If you go through your sauce and would like extra, it is also considered an appetizer and you can get more. It seemed like it was perfect timing that after we finished our break & sauce, our meals came out. I order the blush vodka sauce with penne and chicken. The sauce was perfect and i fell in love. I had some chicken added to the meal and that was good however, it was just a little too charred for me. I like grilled but not charred. That was really the only downside of our entire meal. One of my sisters got sweet potato raviolis and the other also got vodka sauce but with a meatball. Dinner was very good, none of us had any left overs because we could not get enough. We did not have any desserts -- we were too full after finishing our dinners but if they are anything like their pasta, they are delicious. The only thing that would keep me from going back to Pastabilities is parking. It is garage or street parking which can mean you may park far away. That is fine in the summer and spring but when it is 15 degrees out and you are walking 1/2 mile to dinner you may get a tad cranky. Overall, very good and if you love pasta this is a must to go to. read more

The food is so delicious, one of the best Italian restaurants in Syracuse. A great place to take your out of town friends to convince them Syracuse is not as bad as people make it out to be read more

I've eaten here twice so far. Both times the place was packed however I don't remember having to wait too long for a table. I truly believe that you can't go wrong with anything from this place. From the appetizers right up to the entrees it's all good. That hot tomato oil is a real addictive substance. I purchased a few jars for my mother and she loved it. This place never disappoints and if you don't have time to sit and eat just call the order in and within 30 minutes you can pick it up. read more

I was only here once and didn't enjoy it to be perfectly honest. Parking was a nightmare because I went at lunch time during the week. Then I get in and the line is huge (which wasn't really a big deal). The selection wasn't great and they had a bunch of things I didn't like, and not many things I did like. I ended up getting a big salad and paying too much for it (in my opinion). Then we couldn't find a place for like 5 of us to sit so we had to wait for someone to leave. I know a lot of people like this kind of place but overall I didn't care for it. Don't judge them by my opinion, but I do want to put it out there in case it is true for anyone else too. read more

The 1.5 hour wait was well worth it! The bread and tomato oil was amazinggggg!! I could fill up on that alone! I ordered the pesto linguini which was great! Large portion that's great to share. My friend ordered the chicken riggies which was even better than mine! Perfect for Anyone who loves spicy food! read more

This place doesn't even try to be good. Half-assed Italian "food" at it's worst. Horrific service. This place caters to the lowest common denominator. The Sheeple wait far too long for far too less. Incompetent, disinterested service, with even worse food. It's sad that this hole is considered a local "institution." I wouldn't feed my dog this slop. The owner, Karen, could care less about her patrons. What a joke. read more

Great concept of having a cafeteria style Italian lunch - quick and easy. Delicious choices of pastas paired with great sauces and salads. All for low price and delicious. Fed a family of 3 for $40 with beers... read more

The bread was out standing and the tomatoe oil was great. My lasagna was dry! They could have included a salad with house dressing that would not hurt the bottom line but please the masses! The only reason I would go back is for a loaf of bread! read more

We've been wanting to come here for a while after reading the reviews and watching it on Diners Drive. We got here for lunch and there was a slight line. Daughter ordered the Fettuccine with Pink Vodka Cream Sauce and thought it was ok but a little gummy because of the sauce. Hubs had the Meatball Sandwich and liked it because the meatballs were soft. I had the Spicy Hot Tomato Oil with Shredded Locatelli Cheese on Whole Wheat Penne. It was delicious! The sauce was nice and spicy and the penne was al dente. Service was very friendly. Will definitely return when in the area! read more

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Went there last week for my birthday. We all loved our meals. Service was excellent and can't best the ambiance in the back courtyard. Always reliable. Will be back soon. To the earlier reviewer who recommends Little Italy-yes on Francesca's. Run don't walk far away from Asti's Caffee. You'll regret it if you eat there-just aweful. read more

Fabulous food. Like cafeteria style lunch and sit down dinners. Bread and hot oil sauce are the best!! Sometimes long wait.

Superb food! I had dinner there and the service was great. They have a Hot tomato dipping oil served with their stretch bread..oh so yummy. For my main course I ordered fettucini Alfredo, sauce was of great consistency and well flavored at each mouthful. Well worth the travel to downtown read more

Expensive drinks but who cares! Perfect location and the food is so fantastic! Should have free refills on soda. Also free seconds on bread but I will always go there because it's great service and food! read more

Lunch buffet is really such a great option during the week and always fun for dinner.

Love this place. Great lunch meals and perfect atmosphere for a dinner date with friends!

Me and some friends came here for dinner 2/18/17. The atmosphere and ambiance was upbeat, fresh and so downtown Syracuse. The spicy tomato oil was so very good with the warm bread. We ordered the meatball sliders, duck pizza, lobster ravs and wickic wicki chicken riggies. Everything was really good but the duck pizza was really amazing. The riggies were really spicy and yummy. The reason for 4 stars is the wait time was crazy 2 hours and no reservations. The other issue was the lack of bathrooms. For a place this busy they should have more than 1 stall for the women I had to wait for 15 minutes. read more

Great authentic rich pasta sauce. Best pasta I've ever eaten. Slightly expensive, but absolutely worth it. Friendly staff, minimal wait times. I am absolutely coming back. read more

My wife and I had the salmon and the broccoli walnut garlic pasta. Both dishes were outstanding.

Great choice for a quick pick up, it's all I ever have time for. I always go for their Alfredo which is amazing. Only thing I have wrong is the wait time so always order ahead. read more

This used to be one of our favorite places to go but it has lost something. Not as customer oriented as it once was. They do not cater to parties larger than four. It's as if they don't want you there. They brought us one plate of sauce for our party of 7 and wanted to charge us more for another small plate for the other half of our table. Food was okay. Some dishes were very good and others lacked flavor. Service was not bad but not great. Half our table received water and the other half had to wait 15 minutes for our server to bring them water. He took dinner order from another table and dessert order from another before bringing the water for the rest of our party. Once our meal was served no one came back to check on how we were doing. Have been there for lunch and would say much better than for dinner. read more

I came with a group of 5 for my 24th birthday, we were told the wait was 45 minutes, ended up being an hour and 15. One of my friends, who is 24, had gotten a glass of wine at the bar before dinner with no issue. We ordered a round of shots with our waitress when we got to our table, and she ID'd everyone even though we all had a glass of wine in front of us. The fore mentioned friend did not have her ID and the waitress would not serve her and took her glass of wine. The bartenders were rude, the waitresses were rude, for such a popular place the customer service is terrible. I understand liquor laws but seriously... read more