Cheap Hotels in Syracuse (SYR)

Home to the Great New York State Fair and the eponymous Syracuse University, Syracuse provides a small-town feel with a unique personality. Kick back and relish the city’s copious greenery and take in its fun-loving and sometimes die-hard collegiate atmosphere. Plenty of hotels downtown offer reasonable rates; travelers willing to spend a bit more should look in the University Hill area.

The Hottest Restaurants In Town

• With eight locations on the East Coast (and one on the way in Chicago), Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is undoubtedly best eaten at the original restaurant in Syracuse. Pile your plate high with dry-rubbed ribs, 14-hour smoked brisket and homemade sausage, and you’ll find out why Dino BBQ always draws crowds of hungry diners.
• Pastabilities is known for its zesty hot tomato oil and chewy stretch bread, both of which you can buy across the street at the bakery. The restaurant offers a variety of fresh, homemade pasta -- a perpetual favorite is the tasty Wicky-Wicky Chicken (or Meatball) Riggies, rigatoni bathed in spicy tomato cream.

Settle In With A Drink And Live Music

• No college town is complete without a neighborhood dive bar, and Shifty’s fits the profile. The unpretentious bar books live bands five nights a week, and with no cover charge, patrons can enjoy delicious chicken wings while quaffing craft beer.
• Though Al’s Wine and Whiskey Lounge doesn’t book live music regularly, the classy establishment attracts customers with its impressive selection of spirits -- a whole library wall full of them, along with a rolling ladder -- and knowledgeable mixologists ready to whip up creative drinks to suit your palate.