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    Darwin

    4.7 (275 reviews)
    InexpensiveSandwiches, Soup, Salad
    Open 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Darwin Photos

    Business Info

    DARWIN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Darwin

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    A large chalkboard displays handwritten text about Darwin's chapter 2, menu changes, and favorites, in a cozy restaurant setting.
    Kassie L.

    I love the concept here- rotating sandwich menu every few weeks to keep it exciting! I got D's Maryland Monroe. It was pretty good, but I was expecting the chicken to be hot/warm instead of cold. The bread seemed a little hard as well. All that aside, there was a ton of chicken on my sandwich and the sweet chili sauce was such a great addition! The French onion soup was delicious and perfect for a snowy day in Syracuse. The caprese pasta salad was very rich, but wish it had more tomatoes. I told them it was my first time & they gave me a free drink, and all of the staff were very friendly. The shop wasn't too big, I got there around 1pm and seating was limited, so something to be aware of! I'd definitely go back to try a new sandwich and the buffalo mac (they sold out by the time I got there).

    D's Birds of Pear-adise (8/10); tasty sandwich that could've done with a bit more pear slices! - A sandwich with chicken, leafy greens, and melted cheese is held in a person's hand, with foil wrapping nearby.
    Cassie C.

    For the longest time I'd been meaning to try this place and today was finally the day! Making my pick was easy as I usually get anything turkey and D's Birds of Pear-adise had the added benefit of having fruit! A nice balance of sweet & savory. As someone who's a fiend for sweet things, I did want a bit more pear but that's just me! Once you make a sandwich on Pasta's stretch bread you've sold me! I'll definitely be back to try their other sandwiches and sides!

    Their history
    Zachary D.

    From Destiny (Mall) to Darwin down the creek path to sandwich nirvana. Dave & Daryl care about making good sandwiches. Made the walk down to their friendly shop today to see about the hype. It's real and it's fantastic (Seinfeld ref). Here's my three things: 1) They have the hits Lobster Roll, Cuban, The Georgia, The Mojo, and the Meatball. Then they rotate a two week revolving list of sandwiches. Today I had the Mufetta and the Italian meats and cheeses were fantastic. Bread was perfect and soffrito spread went perfect. Highly recommend. 2) Took some sour pickles as a side and they were salty and sour but do not have any dill flavor so don't expect it. Unique taste. 3) Shop is kitschy, clean and the staff was super friendly and helpful. Come on bye they want you to check them out.

    a man working in a commercial kitchen
    Colette H.

    I love this place. If you're in the area and looking for lunch, I recommend stopping by. We went here for lunch, and I loved it. The decor in here is very cute and cozy. They have lunch specials weekly; their menu is always changing, which is very exciting. I love their drinks and specials. Their sandwiches have an array of toppings and options you can add. They also have outdoor seating available too. I can't wait to stop back in for more sandwich specials.

    Three Sides
    Cody P.

    This is the type of place that makes me wish I worked downtown (and during business hours). It's highly regarded and well known to be one of the best lunch spots. As soon as you walk in, you get this comfortable feeling that makes you want to be a regular... like you want everyone there to know you when you walk in the door. It's a glimpse into a life I've never had, where you're free and available at the time and place everybody wants to actually be. We've only been a few times, but enough to know whatever you order will be worth it. Just the Pasta's bread alone could turn a PB&J into a five-star meal. I always remembered them being a little higher priced than I was comfortable with. Maybe all it took was just not doubling their prices over the last four years, because $12.00 sandwiches seemed like a reasonable deal when we just stopped by. This time we ordered the Birds in Pear-A-Dise and the Otto Banh, then threw in some BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad, Alfredo Bacon Potato Salad, and whatever their mac and cheese was that day (I forgot to write that one down and now it's changed). Seriously, the Pasta's bread. It's not even their product, but the sandwiches have to be twice as good because they're using it. I was specifically craving some Banh Mi, so as soon as I opened the menu, I saw this option and case closed. My girlfriend and I usually go halfsies on stuff like sandwiches if we're both into them, so I tried both. Even when specifically craving Banh Mi, I still liked the other one better. The meat was regular soft deli pork. It had the fixings like the cilantro, carrots and cucumbers, but the hot pepper mayo wasn't what they should have added. It took all the banh mi vibes out of the sandwich and replaced it with something that made no sense. The Birds in Pear-A-Dise had the same deli feel with the turkey. It was thick cut deli turkey, like the kind you'd buy in a fully wrapped thick-cut heel from the grocery store. At first, all I could taste was the turkey. The raspberry mayo, the pear slices and the brie were a subtle presence that just made the thick turkey feel even wetter. The more I ate, the more those subtle flavors crept in until they carried the whole thing to the finish line. Even when the complex flavor profile came to fruition, there was still something weird about the execution. The raspberry mayo never really came through, and the pear slices were shingled horizontally which needed to be managed with every bite. We couldn't decide on the sides, so we ordered three. The BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad was wet. I mean we opened that thing and both said "Holy crap, that's wet." The noodles were structurally sound and took the creamy sauce by the reins. It was off the beaten path, but easily one of my favorite pasta/mac salads in a while. We concluded that all pasta/mac salad should be this wet, but only if you can pull it off like this. The Alfredo Bacon Potato Salad was so potent. Exactly the flavor profile we wanted, and we usually go for over-flavored, but at times this was like eating straight brie. It was the only thing we finished completely on the first run, because we couldn't stop coming back to it. The mac and cheese was about average. The cheese was thickened pretty hard, gritty to the point where you could feel the flour forming a sort of paste. I wouldn't normally go for that but it worked with the shells and the flavor. We ordered too much, and this was the weak link in our meal, so it fell to the back of the table and I honestly can't recall much about it. This place has been around forever, and they are notorious for their rather sophisticated lineup of lunch items. This is one of the easiest five-stars I could hand out in terms of food, uniqueness, price and atmosphere. I think my high expectations left me a bit staggered when everything wasn't perfectly in order. I can't tell if it's happy or sad that they change their menu so often. I want to try everything they make, but that also means I'm missing stuff every time I don't go there! Life is pain.

    Yummy sides
    Emily K.

    This has been on my list to try for a while, but I don't get downtown often. When my husband had a random middle-of-the-week day off, I suggested picking up sandwiches here. Bonus: they were participating in Dining Weeks! Street parking can be tough downtown, especially during the lunch time rush. I got lucky and found a spot and walked into the office building where the restaurant is housed. There was a line about 10 people deep and I thought "oh no I'm going to be here forever!" To my surprise, the line moved quickly and I had my food within 10 minutes. Phenomenal service! There was also some nice acoustic live music happening, which added a nice ambiance. I got the Ships in the Night sandwich, which has fresh mozzarella, marinated portobellos, roasted tomatoes, pesto and creamy balsamic on pastabilities stretch bread. Delicious! My husband had the Tuskafarian. He said it was very good, but liked mine better! I thought $15 for a sandwich, chips and a fountain drink was a pretty good deal! I was so eager to eat, that I forgot to take photos of the food. Their side dishes sound so good and unique, so I will definitely be back to try those!

    Chicken and Biscuits - A serving of chicken and biscuits in a black container, with gravy and vegetables visible underneath.
    Maureen M.

    I've been here before a few times. Service is always fast always friendly! I love this place there's tables available to eat in or take out. Parking is very convenient too. I love the Syracuse feel when you enter. I ordered the chicken and biscuits they were delicious! Ordered a poutine on the ritz sandwich served on Pastas stretch bread very tender roast beef dipped in gravy. That sandwich rivaled Monica's moist sandwich from Friends. Garlic parm potato salad was amazing and Nashville Mac n cheese also amazing! Can't wait to go again!

    Nov 10 2023
    Denise G.

    Great service & Great sandwiches!! Live music on a Friday afternoon was a bonus :) Limited menu but they change it every two weeks ... so, there's always something new to try. Locally sourced ingredients Small dining area

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Very good sandwiches, creative and delicious. In the lobby of a Chase building. Worth the trip

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    2 years ago

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    8 months ago

    It's an okay spot to grab lunch during the week. The space is nice, and they're often busy.

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    2 years ago

    Incredible sandwiches. Probably my favorite in Syracuse.. Excellent service and it's really quite fun inside. They gave great employees also

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    We tried the Optimus Prime and the Cuban sandwich. We thought they were both excellent. Highly recommend this sandwich shop.

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Darwin

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    Cafeteria style ordering and appearance. Got the tonkatsu ramen (it is a ramen place after all) and…read morewas pleased. The noodles had the right amount of bounce to them and the broth was satisfying. Would go again

    Listen here listen here , I can't believe I've been here so many times and never left a review!…read moreMitsuba is hands down my favorite poke spot in the Syracuse area. I always get the salad base and my mom usually goes with the noodles -- and let me tell you, they never miss. This time, I think our bowls got mixed up a little, and mine ended up with some ah tuna. I've always been hesitant to try it since I usually stick to cooked seafood, but it was actually so good! Flavorful, fresh, and the texture was way better than I expected -- honestly, similar to shrimp. If you like shrimp, you'd probably enjoy this too. For toppings, I went with shrimp, mango, crab meat, corn, chili flakes, and a few other things (I even snapped a pic of my order card because I can never remember everything!). The poke bowls are always fresh, flavorful, and customizable, and I love that you can watch them chop everything right in front of you. This visit I also tried the crab rangoons -- they were a little too crunchy for me, and my little one even said the same (and she usually loves rangoons). My mom tried the chicken wings, which were good, but I'll personally be sticking to the poke bowls because they are the star here. The restaurant is always clean, the staff is super friendly, and the quality is consistently top-notch. If you're looking for poke in Syracuse, this is the place. Five stars for the poke bowls, no question! They do sell all type of bubble drinks as well.

    Brooklyn Pickle - Turkey sub, cream cheese brownie & raspberry tea.

    Brooklyn Pickle

    (143 reviews)

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    On this Edition of Takeout Thursday we have Brooklyn Pickle (West)!…read more Never had it before and while i was tempted by the riggies being on special today, had to go with a sandwich for the first time. Got Roast Beef/Lettuce/Provolone/ Thousand Island. Sandwiches are hard to mess up and impress when they are cold cut but the price for the size along with the roast beef being a good cut definetly make this a good sandwich and I can understand the enjoyment. Coupled with it I ordered a soup and while they didnt have the meatball medley the chicken noodle was warm and comforting and additionally they gave us a mac salad to make up for the meatball medley being ordered but not available. Love a good paprika on my mac salad and they did it well. Would go back and try something else!

    We were visting from Montreal and heard about this place serving giant sandwiches. The photos on…read moresocial media looked super appealing so were were excited to try this. We came around lunch time on Saturday August 30th 2025 - Upon walking in, I noticed the menu board was written in very small font and had no descriptions so it was kind of hard to figure out what we wanted. I asked the employee for the most popular choice and she recommend the Brooklyn special which had swiss cheese, pastrami, corned beef and prosciutto. This came on a rye bread, with a type of mayonnaise and we added lettuce, tomato and onions. We got only 3 pickles for the huge sandwich which really did not seem like enough. I appreciated how much meat there was but the overall sandwich was lacking in flavor. The "Russian dressing" tasted like regular mayo. I did not see a regular reuben sandwich option on the menu, perhaps this was something you needed to request - but it would have been better to have a toasted bread perhaps or just a different sauce. Portion was huge, pricing was fair, but the overall flavor was boring so that is disappointing.

    Darwin - sandwiches - Updated May 2026

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