After years of passing by this place, and wondering what was going on inside, we finally ventured in and found out. Assisted ably by Andrea who was tending the bar and also waitressing, she explained everything about the restaurant and the specials for the week. The dining room was slow, and Andrea made sure we had everything we needed. We started with a Shock Top, an order of onion, rings, and I ordered the fresh perch dinner and my husband, the Ruben sandwich. They have a magician in the kitchen who perfectly cooks the food as everything was fabulous! The tartar sauce is house made, as is the cole slaw. Seafood is on the menu year round thus the "cans and clams" night. There is live music on weekends, so we must return! Lemon meringue pie topped off our night. Such a great yet unassuming place for dinner. read more

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If you're looking for a quit little place to have some great home cooked seafood, you have to come here on a Friday. We had called ahead and had a reservation for 5:30, we were seated as soon as we got there in the dining room. The room is full of memorabilia of the past, some taxidermy animals, and honestly just fun stuff, if you get bored with conversation in your party, just take a gander around. We went on seafood night and every thing tasted so fresh and delicious, the soup came out hot. Salads and seafood were very fresh. Our waitress was attentive if we needed anything else. I would definitely go back. read more

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Saturday nights good music good food! Caught Mystyk Groove Machine for great 70's tunes, Owner Wally belts out a strong rendition of GLORIA getting the whole crowd going. Love the kitschy decor with 45 records hanging from the ceiling tiles and board games from way back glued there as well. There is a separate dining room for casual dining. I very much enjoyed the broiled perch with red skin mashed and grilled asparagus paired with a cosmo martini. Fun loving place people are so friendly and service even in a crazy busy night is very good. read more

Western Ranch Motor Inn - Salmon Crostini - Hotels Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Stopped in at 6:30 on a Saturday. Not busy- just a couple regulars at the bar. I joined them and was quickly greeted by the friendly bartender. She asked if I had ever been in before (I had not) and she gave me a run down of the menu with some recommendations. Apparently everything is homemade aside from the dessert (which comes from the nearby bakery- Biscoti's). Everyone I know who's been here loves it so I was excited. I went with an order of hot wings and a basket of onion rings. The food came out after about 15 minutes which felt very fast due to the friendly atmosphere the staff created. The wings were good sized and came in a full dozen rather than the usual 10 you see more and more, so that was nice. The sauce was just a standard hot buffalo- no reinventing the wheel here. The onion rings were the star. Nice and hot and perfectly battered. No onions slipped out of the batter when you take a bite. I'd recommend them to anyone who stops in. Total came to just about 30 dollars for the dozen wings, large basket of rings, and a soda. Seems fair for the quality and quantity of the food. I'm looking forward to going back and trying more of the menu- maybe on a Friday for their seafood specials? Would definitely recommend this hidden gem to anyone looking for a low-key spot with great food and a warm, local bar atmosphere. read more

Ordered haddock sandwich, Food good, service so so unless you're sitting at the bar. Beverages were pricey, order one draft beer and one Arnie Palmer, $19. Appears just bartender and only one wait staff working to cover dinner shift. read more

I've been to the bar before and had great service. First time eating dinner there for a special occasion and the waitress was very unfriendly. We were very patient, not demanding and low-key so not sure what the attitude was for but it was not just my singular impression read more

Had heard this place was a hidden gem, and decided to stop by Saturday night for dinner. We sat in the bar area dining room where they have a juke box where you can still go and pick songs. My husband and I had a fun time picking out songs and jamming away as we waited for our food and even while we ate. We had a nice waitress who answered all of our questions as it was our first time there. We ended up trying the following: Wings-good! Split sauces of the xxx and spicy bbq and both were good. Really good ranch to dip them in. Reuben- my husband got this as his dish and he loved it. Really good Mac & cheese as a side. Seafood platter- haddock Nantucket style, Shrimp fried, and scallops broiled. Shrimp were huge and yummy. The scallops good as well. Not a fan of the haddock Nantucket style, so next time would get it broiled or fried. For the fries and cole slaw as a side. Cole slaw not the best but good fries. Dinner also started with bread which is nice and we ended taking home a slice of carrot cake which was delicious! Very good place and would stop back in! read more

Western Ranch Motor Inn - Rueben sandwich with a side of Mac and cheese- very good - Hotels Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Yes. A Nice hidden gem. Not the most modern of restaurants. Not the most up-to-date or decadent. But, when it comes to good food and friendly people, this place has both. Headed out on a Friday night to listen to Mike McDonald and some acoustic music and have a haddock dinner. The haddock dinner comes prepared three ways. I chose it broiled. The fish was fresh. The portion size was good. For the choices of side I selected coleslaw and a house salad. The coleslaw was good, The house salad was nicely portioned with plenty of fresh vegetables. If you're looking for fancy try someplace else. If you're looking for good food, check this place out. read more

Western Ranch Motor Inn - Haddock - Hotels Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Over the years, I have driven past this place, literally THOUSANDS of times and never gave it a second thought. A few days ago, my wife,daughter, and I were out on thevwest end of town and we were looking for someplace to eat... we happened to drive by on 690 adlnd decided to givevit a try, boy arecwe glad we did! From the outside, it doesn't look like much but don't let that fool you. We walked into a neat lil time capsul filled with nostalgic item from simpler times. The restaurant and bar iare very clean, the staff is friendly and the food is amazing. It seems that menu changes daily with the specials. Western Ranch is a neat lil place that is frequented by locals and its one of those places where everyone knows your name. We started off with an order of potato skins and a bowl of soup, both came out quickly, hot and fresh. I ordered the ribeye steak, which was cooked perfectly, with mashed potatoes and mac salad. My wife ordered the meatloaf dinner which came with mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans. Our daughter had a cheeseburger and fries. Our food came out in a timely manner and was delicious. I didn't catch our servers name but she was spot on and very friendly and attentive. In my opinion Western Ranch is one of tge most under-rated restaurants in the Syracuse area, ibwhish I decided to stop long before I did. If you're in the area and looking for a good meal, give them a shot... He'll, they are worth driving across town for. Enjoy! read more

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Ordered a rueban for take out, never opened Styrofoam container until I got home. Whoever was the cook that night, burnt both sides of the rye bread! I paid 13.00 for that sandwich. Had to put it on different bread. Of course the cheese was stuck to the rye burnt toast so basically I paid for just corned beef and saurkrat! read more

Western Ranch Motor Inn - Burnt reuban! - Hotels Near Me - Syracuse, New York

That place is a dump for many years No, I stayed in that place 30 years ago. They have not upgraded anything or done anything to it. You want a $25 motel that's the one for you. It actually needs to be torn down and rebuilt. read more

Don't judge a book by its cover. This is a very big place inside. The bar is small, but the dining rooms are very large. This place was recommended for the fish fry. I sat at the bar and I was greeted immediately. It was a friendly lady with a nice smile. Made me feel at ease as I was alone and the place was pretty busy. I came in on a Friday ordered a beer and a fish dinner. I opted for the onion rings with an upcharge fee. The dinner came out piping hot. And looked delicious. I ate my coleslaw as I waited for the fish to cool down. When I did get to the fish it was mouth watering greatness. The fish was cooked just the way a fish should be. It was battered perfectly and fried to perfection. So tender and moist. The fish was great but the onion rings were not. I figured for a substantial upcharge the onion rings would have been great. These were no rings from red robin. I'm not even sure they were real onions, possibly minced onions. The rings are the reason for 4 stars. The staff and fish get 5. I have also been back on Tuesday and Wednesday. They do a wing special on Tuesday $9 for 10 wings it's a great deal in today's market where wings are at market price and cost more than a lobster tail. Wednesday is cans and clams. It's $8.50 for a dozen clams and $3 beer. I will be back here on Tuesday. read more

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In all honesty I must confess that I've noticed this place from the highway so many times, and just assumed it was a little to seedy looking for my tastes. When will I ever learn? After reading a recent review in the local Post-Standard newspaper, my son and I stopped by for lunch and lucked into a special limited-time Polish Fest menu, "smacznego"! We decided to try the Polish cabbage rolls based on the recommendation of a fellow Yelper. My boy ordered the potato pierogi sautéed with butter and onions, and I ordered the platter consisting of golumbiki, pierogi, kielbasa, and kapusta. Everything was just outstanding, and without question, we will be back to sample more of the dishes served here. read more

Western Ranch Motor Inn - Potato pierogis sautéed in butter and onions - Hotels Near Me - Syracuse, New York

I have to update my review based on our last visit. Overall the majority of the food was good, but the Chicken Parmesan was pretty bad. The sauce on the pasta was watery and the chicken was bland. I would stick to typical American fare. read more

Western Ranch Motor Inn - Hotels Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Visited for the first time the night before Thanksgiving. It was very busy, but we were seated right away and service was fantastic from start to finish. We started with beers and clams. (7.95$ a dozen, delicious.) Next we tried the potato pierogies, which the server told me were made from scratch. They were close to perfect. Tender dough with lots of flavorful filling. I'll definitely be back for more. Entrees were fried haddock, which was cooked perfectly, and the starter sauce was great. Definitely house made. The fries were, meh... not the best frozen fry option, but I was already getting full anyway. My husband had a rib eye and mac salad, he enjoyed both. Steak was cooked like he asked, and the mac salad was homemade with lots of flavor. We had several cocktails and beers, and ended up taking home a slice of cheesecake and a big slab of chocolate cake. We enjoyed both later that night. Really good. Our bill was about 90$, which I thought was really inexpensive for all we had There was also a fantastic band playing. They were so fun, and not so loud that we couldn't still talk to our friends. It isn't pretty inside, but we loved it! We will definitely be back soon. Keep it up! read more

Western Ranch Motor Inn - House made potato pierogie with sour cream and buttery cooked onions. Omg. - Hotels Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Food was ok I had the steak. Came with fries and two onion rings. Gave it a 3 because very plain with a lot of flies. Probably not running back. read more

This place got a highly publicised, well deserved, positive review a few months ago which put this landmark back on my radar. Had time to stop in yesterday for a late lunch. Fish sando was exceptional. Side dishes (salads, mac) are homemade, and I will be back to try more. read more

Western Ranch Motor Inn - Fish sandwich for lunch with homemade mac and tuna salad. - Hotels Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Great food, great service, good prices. All of our food was cooked to order and was served hot. There is a good selection of beverages, all were excellent. This place is really a hidden gem! read more

I know the Western Ranch pretty well - my dart league plays here. It's pretty much a redneck/trucker/biker bar that is used by lots of local workers and temporary workers when the NYS Fair is in session. They do have some TV's tuned in to ESPN usually, as well as having a pool table, steel tip dartboards, and a soft tip machine as well. To its credit, they have pretty good food and service. The steak and burgers are fantastic and they have one of the nicest bartenders around. read more

As so many have written, we drove by this place umpteen times noting that "we should try it sometime". A review in the Syracuse newspaper giving it high reviews peaked our interest. We are always looking for Haddock done right. If you are too, this is the place. But Haddock is not the only thing they do right. We have had the Fried Haddock, Nantucket Style Haddock, Fried JUMBO Shrimp, Fried Scallops and the Penne with Shrimp, spinach, tomatoes in White wine garlic butter. Every one of these dishes out performs every restaurant in the area. Oh and to top it all off, or I should say start off with the Clam Chowder. Delish! They are very COVID aware too. Sanitizers on each table, masks on all workers and if you happen to get up and forget to put yours on? They remind you to put it on. Try it yourself read more

Great food and expensive drinks. It's like being in Cooperstown during tourist seating smh. Locals don't get a brake read more

After reading a review in the local paper, my wife and I ventured in early Sunday evening to explore this unassuming, old-School restaurant. We live less than 5 minutes away and have driven by without a second thought for the last 5 years. Well, tonight we found our "neighborhood place". I've never been in a friendlier, more engaging bar/restaurant in my life. Our server, Andrea , was so delightful- asking us questions, commenting on the food, apologizing for a more limited menu (due to serving 5x their normal number of dinners since the article came out). Now for the food: fine, fresh and tasty. My bacon cheeseburger was cooked perfectly medium with a nice char and delicious flavor- and more bacon on top than even I would put on! Really great. I was a little disappointed with the onion rings, but will try again since I love a good onion ring, and they might have had an off night. My wife had the shaved sirloin with was essentially a Philly Cheesesteak big enough for 2 to share. Shoestring fries were crisp and hot, and the rolls for both sandwiches recalled actual baked buns with a chewy crust and grilled inside. We will be back! read more

Stoped in alone for a bite to eat. I had an order of polish cabbage rolls they were delicious. I was pleasantly surprised service was excellent prices were very reasonable. Atmosphere is just a bit better than what you see on the outside. I will be back! read more

Best dive bar around. Great food and great people. Tuesday wings Wednesday wings Friday steak. Great deserts. Don't let the outside fool you it's a working mans bar! read more

Now this is a hidden gem. I have driven by this establishment on 690 for quite a few years. I was always leery about stopping g there. Finally my wife and I went there on a Tuesday night for wings and beer. The restaurant was very well lit, not dreary as we expected, with a dining as we walked in but decided to sit at the bar area. The waitress was very cheerful and inviting. Wings were awesome. Tuesday is a wings special. We were so impressed that we went back on Friday with our neighbors for the fish dinner. Excellent fried dinner and also what they list as "Nantucket " style. They also had a singer, Pinky, that played the keyboard and sax. Very entertaining. We will definitely return! read more

I felt it necessary to bump up my rating for The Ranch. The ranch is a little supper club tucked inside a small dive bar. The food (standard american fare) is just simple and excellent, especially what is on special for the night. The other night I had a porkchop dinner with apples and onions. Perfectly cooked, though wish they would serve it bone in for a tad more flavor. You get a basket of white french bread, big thick slices and a tidy and fresh head lettuce salad. Like I said, this is standard american fare, not locally sourced, not gourmet food. . . The bar itself always has an older friendly crowd, many that are working in town in some capacity but from other areas, and the occasional pop in of younger folks either for dart league or in a group from who knows where. The kind of young people that are hip before they even know it, at least that is my guess if they can recognize The Ranch for a good time. If you like the overly bright and bland atmosphere of chain places, you probably won't be comfortable here. But if you have had some of the best food in your life in under the radar places, that are a little worn, hidden, or quirky, then you'll love it here. read more

Awsome hotel. Stayed here for a weekend and the rooms were clean, staff was super nice and very accommodating. Resturante was great and the food was really good, the saloon style bar was fun and priced really well. Will absolutly stay again read more

Tasty scallops in butter with a ritz crumb topping. Amazing music by Morris and the Hepcats. 5 stars, much WOW! Super cool!

I stopped at the tavern for authentic Buffalo style wings and that upstate New York hospitality that one could only get from the Syracuse area. The whole place was in and out of conversations like my family at Thanksgiving, even drunk uncle, well forget about that.. Priceless time with strangers and I left feeling like family. Anyway, about the food, the XXX hot wings were top notch; truly unsurpassed. The perfect balance of crispy outside and tender juicy inside; reminded me of West Side Story. I never had a better hunk of chicken, baby. Little places like this are gems often overlooked for their food and the people. read more

Dive bar with good food and great energy! The atmosphere and service are awesome! Don't be fooled by the exterior...come in, have a drink and have fun! read more

Normally I would not stay at places like this but I was super surprised. Rooms were clean as well as bathroom. Staff was nice. We would definitely stay here again. read more

We found this motel super clean and comfortable. Staff was very nice. I wish we had arrived early enough to eat at the supper club. The bar was closing but they sent me off to my room with a very generous cocktail when I requested a drink. The lingering bar crowd was friendly (quirky!) and also very nice. Great place, good value. read more

I love this place! I am not into fancy up-to-date motel/hotels. I love old classic places like this and it's so far my favorite! Excellent food in the cafe and bar! Nightly specials you don't even see at nice fancy places! The rooms are what anyone would expect from an older motel, no coffee pot, alarm clock, or blow drier, but must be the cleanest I have seen yet! Very Very friendly staff all around, the owner makes you feel like your staying with family! So right for the price, staying with pets or kids? Excellent grounds to throw a frisbe or football and get a good run it! There are even two different rooms to host your next party or work meeting! And did I mention the food is worth it! Only downfall is if the motel is pretty full, some of the lower level rooms are more suited for the local road workers who seem to be disrespectful and distructive but you may have only those rooms as your option but they are still clean. They are much older and run down but considering some of the people who stay there I too would reserve those rooms for them. The other rooms on the upper level and inside are much nicer so be respectful and tip your maids!!! I heard this motel is haunted too! read more