For what some would call a "dive" bar, this place isn't too shabby. Honestly, the friday night Fish…read moreFry is out of this world, and the meatballs are amazing. Drinks are fairly priced. Decent pub food. It's not really my type of place after 9 p.m., but that's just me - the Auburn tends to have a lot of regulars and faithfuls both during the daylight hours and beyond. Don't write it off as being a "dive" just yet - the food is actually pretty darn good.

I really liked this bar. It's definitely a hole in the wall but has a great vibe with friendly…read morepeople, a jukebox, darts and pool table. The prices on drinks here are also very reasonable. I spent about $9 for three mixed drinks the night I was here. I was also pleasantly surprised with the pretty clean bathrooms which is rare for a dive bar. My buddy used to frequent this place a lot when he lived in Utica. I came here for his wedding. He told me to get a 'Purple Water'. This is a cocktail that from what I can decipher has some alcoholic type grape kool-aid with water added. It was quite delicious, light and refreshing. Definitely didn't weigh you down like a beer or whiskey can sometimes. For sure a must try. I'd definitely hit this place up again if I ever ended up in Utica a second time. Doubtful I would, but just saying.

Little hole in wall bar, with NO SIGN . But the bartender was fabulous, super funny, and made some…read morestrong drinks! Cheap tab, a jukebox and darts make this a place I'll want to return to. Not to mention CLEAN RESTROOMS!! Plenty of sitting and standing room considering the size, and did I mention clean bathrooms? That's a big deal for me.

Yup I had some…read morefantastic shit shits lot bruh if you're from Utica college come here and look for pat

THE best bar, on the planet. It was home for 4 years, and we became almost physically attached to…read morethe place, Smitty, Sarge and the rest of the crew. We lived above it, tended it's bar and at times we fought to defend its honor...at least one broken arm was dished out for assaulting The Rok itself. Smitty would lock the door for our fraternity meetings, and we'd send drinks to the local cops on their nights off. I remember the walls, the bathrooms, the shortened pool cue (so you could play a shot on the side of the table that was permanently too close to the wall. I remember the bench in the back by the bar door. It was great for chat up girls, cause if you get a drink all the way back there, you were like some kind of mafia Don. Miss it every day...

We love checking out the restaurants around Varick street because we enjoy pub food. The Stief fits…read morethe bill. It's a casual, comfortable place with good beer and many types of margaritas on the menu. I ordered a raspberry chocolate that hid the alcohol very well and could have been dangerous. It was delicious! One friend tried the Fruit Loop (sweet and strong) and another got the pomegranate (yum!). We shared a few appetizers, the first were chicken fingers and pretzel sticks. The chicken was some of the best I've ever had: moist and flavorful. The pretzels were soft with a cheese to dip into and they were so good we got another order. The wait staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. We recommend you try it out!

Their Martini menu is amazing. The blow pop and poprock martinis are delicious. Feels like your on…read morethe beach. Also, try the fishbowl! The atmosphere is pretty relaxed and chill during happy hour. Always a good crowd. One of my favorite bars on varick!

Love it that they're open on Christmas Eve!!! . Staff is…read morealways friendly and welcoming, the beer selection is excellent, and fellow patrons always friendly and even jolly!!!

rude female bar tender. maybe she should of called in, if she didn't want to be there that badly…read more I've been a customer for 20+ years and I can't think of any bar service I've ever had that was as negative and unpleasant as her.

We had a GREAT experience at the restaurant in the Motel 6 at 5920 Airport Road - Oriskany. "Black…read moreOrchid Lounge." The Hotel was being renovated (July 2017), I guess changed from Days Inn to Motel 6. I'd booked since inexpensive. We were checking out schools in NE for my daughter and wanted to check out Hamilton and Colgate. Arrived late at hotel and things looked strange with construction. We were tired and hungry and were told restaurant closed at 10, and thought we were too late to eat there, or that if they did serve something they would to it in a hurry; but decided to check it out anyway. Two guys were having beers and talking, otherwise it was empty, and looked to be under construction too. We ordered and I waited while wife and daughter got settled in room -- Food was GREAT -- Fresh and tasty. The wrap sandwich was memorable. Two ladies running the place apparently do catering business too. They were friendly and obviously take pride in their work. We were surprised to have such great food in such an out-of-the way place, at a bad time. They had some good beers on tap too. (motivated to finally write this since had just had a bad experience at restaurant in expensive/fancy hotel back home in CA; and we reflected on how we had such a great experience at this Motel 6, under renovation, in the middle of nowhere).

Turning Stone has been shuffling around the entertainment lately, so Turquoise Tiger hasn't been…read morehosting the dueling pianos, but a jazz band instead. Regardless of the live music though, this place oozes pre-prohibition sophistication that'll bring you pretty close to the Babette's Supper Club (any Boardwalk Empire fans?) vibe. Expect plush leather wraparound sofas, intricate chandeliers, pastel colors, and a solid bar perfect for martinis to scotch and just about anything in between. If you're looking for more energy and pumping music, head to the adjacent Tin Rooster or The Gig, but if you're looking to cozy up to some smooth tunes in an equally smooth setting, you'll be right at home here.

In your life, you sometimes have moments that transcend time and your surroundings, making you…read morewonder if what you're currently experiencing has been crafted just for you. Those moments stay with you forever, and last night experiencing the Turquoise Tiger was such a moment for me. The decor in this place is epic - it's a 1940s Jazz club with turquoise carpets, turquoise drapes, turquoise everything else, accented by black and pearlized white booths and wall treatments. Turquoise has always been my favorite color, and this only solidified it further. The crystal chandeliers hanging from the 25 foot ceilings pull it all together and transport you into a lost age of cocktailing and music. We ordered two of their specialty cocktails, the Hunny Bourbon and the Tequila Honey. To say they were both expertly crafted is an understatement. Perfect balance of booze to non booze, fresh ingredients, and made expertly by Mikayla and Breanna the friendly mixologists. The Tequila Honey was a variant on a margarita but with honey syrup which was beautifully executed. The Hunny Bourbon was essentially a Bees Knees that subbed bourbon for gin, a fantastic effort by their mixology team. I feel they can easily offer more smash hits like this to further their unique and all star cocktail lineup! You HAVE to check out their restrooms - that's the most fun you'll have in a restroom, I guarantee! I had envisioned my trip to turquoise tiger for the better part of 14 months and thought about it daily before I finally made it there last night. My expectations were exceeded and I can't wait to get back there tonight. Turquoise Tiger for bar of the year....they have my vote..

It is the first place my friends, and I stop in before we start the rest on our bar hopping…read moreadventure. They make decent drinks, but the shots are where its at! I recommend the Blue Viagra shot, or Swedish Fish with the actual candy in the shot. They also have an adjoining martini bar called the Stiefvater, which has a different atmosphere- once, you walk through the door, and step inside it is a new vibe. I can do without the cigarette smell the Varick as this bar is probably one of the last vestiges for smokers to light up inside an establishment.

My favorite dive in the area. A good place to start your evening crawling varick St. Because you…read morecan get a bottle of beer got $1.50 or so. Depending on how you feel about smoke, be warned that most patrons ignore the law and light up inside. Can be a plus if you smoke.