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    Darwin

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

    Darwin Photos

    Business Info

    DARWIN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Darwin

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    Reviews With Photos

    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!
    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
    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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    Not sure what's better, food or staff. Bamboozled is the best wrap ever. If everything tasted this great I'd be a vegetarian for sure.

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    Great sandwich shop! The staff is very nice and welcoming, and I love the fact the menu rotates so there are always new sandwiches to try.

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    6 years ago

    You remember when Leonardo DiCaprio found that massive pink diamond in the jungle of Africa? That diamond jack called Darwin's....

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    This was a lunch stop while we were in the area for the day.... Phenomenal service and delicious food!!

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    Page 3 of 7

    Ask the Community - Darwin

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    The Wedge

    The Wedge

    4.8(35 reviews)
    2.7 mi

    My first time at The Wedge was amazing all around! My…read morefriends and I came on a Wednesday night and the servers were all super kind, knowledgeable, and patient as we arrived late to our reservation. They were also so kind to give me a complimentary glass of prosecco to celebrate my birthday. Wednesdays are $2 off all cider and wines so my friends enjoyed that deal as well. The Wedge changes their menu on a weekly basis so I was excited to see what was on this weeks menu so naturally we had to get multiple dishes to share in order to try as much as possible. We ordered two pasta dishes, truffle fries for the table, and brussel sprouts to share family style and we didn't leave a crumb behind! All the dishes were more unique than a typical pasta dish you may find elsewhere which was extra fun and soo delicious! The brussels were so soft and topped with so much flavor. I would love to come again to try their brunch menu and continue coming throughout the year to try many new items as their menu rotates. I really wanted to try their mac and cheese so I am determined to come back at the right time for that one!

    I'm a bit late to trying out The Wedge and I regret not going sooner. Went for their Pre-fix…read moreValentines Day menu. Everything we got was delightful. Cocktails were imaginative with a wide variety. Personally tried to Ceasar Salad Martini for something different and the Berry the Hatchett for my favorite kinda of of cocktail. Spicy! Loved both. Ceasar Salad Martini truly tasted like a light ceasar salad. All the food was fantastic, shrimp bisque, poached pear salad, steak with fabulous mashed potatoes, and one of the best lava cakes I've ever had and a shockingly good combo of Basque cheesecake and blood orange. And not to mention their cheese platter to start the night! Staff was friendly. Inside is cute and cozy, feels like an upscale Cafe with adorable artwork. Great place for a special occasion or just a catch up date night. Cannot wait to go back.

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    The Evergreen - Brussels sprouts

    The Evergreen

    4.1(202 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    It's so nice to go to a bar where they love on vegetarians as much a meat eaters, and it makes it…read moreeasy to find something satisfying to go with your beer here. For drinks they have a good selection of beers on tap, usually 10-20, from local and national breweries. The server offered me a sample before I fully committed on a beer I had a question about and I appreciated being able to try it before committing to a full glass. The Evergreen's menu itself is accessed through a QR code where their full list of options and specials are listed. My group opted to share the beer fries and they were taaaasty, pillowy soft, crunchy, and amazingly well seasoned. The vegetarian options are a regular part of the restaurant and the fried tofu I had was genuinely satisfying and well done. My cajun pasta was maybe a touch over but I was okay with it since it had my condiment obsession of chili crisp in it. The menu is well marked for dietary needs. A great thing of note is that they have women's, men's, AND an all-gender bathroom. I appreciate the inclusion in the food and restaurant itself. Car parking is street parking, it's accessible via the Centro bus system, and there is an artistic broken-chain shaoed bike rack just across the street from the restaurant. My group was happy with the prices and service for an early Wednesday dinner in a wintry March.

    Sat at the bar, it took awhile to get served and to get our bill, but ig the bartenders were busy…read moremaking drinks for the tabled patrons. The mac in cheese was probably one of the best I've had in town. The fries were really good and I dipped them in some spicy aioli. The burger on the other hand was simply not good and lacked any sort of flavor, I'd probably try a regular burger over the smash next time. The restaurant is nice. The location isn't bad and has decent parking.

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    The Evergreen - Burrata

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    Oh My Darling - Salmon Benedict

    Oh My Darling

    3.8(399 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    This is one of our go to places whenever I visit my daughter in Syracuse... never disappoints!…read moreThe menu has unique plays on some standards... always delicious and the cocktails are inspired & interesting... you'll probably need a rezzy ENJOY!

    I stopped by with a group of 6 on a Friday afternoon. When me and my friend stopped by there was no…read moreone at front so we stood around awkwardly for a bit before someone came over to bring us to our table. Walking through the restaurant was nice as the space was very large and the decor indoor was cozy and whimsical. Our server was nice throughout the meal. However, I did get a water glass that had marks on it that looked like someone just drank out of it and a crumb on the rim. I asked them if they could get me a clean cup and they ended up bringing the same one as the same mark and crumb were still there. For food, our table ordered a few items to share. We got: -CAULIFLOWER WINGS: The chutney/salsa on top of the fried cauliflower was nice and gave the item a little sour kick. However, the cauliflower itself was not cooked fully so not as soft as I wanted it to be. -SYRACUSE POUTINE: The appearance of the poutine was not the best. However, the gravy it came with was very flavorful and tasty. The potatoes themselves were not fried and were in wedge form but went well with the gravy. The small globs of melted cheese on top were a nice complement. -CAJUN SLIDERS: The slider compliments/sauce went well together but the sliders themselves had grill marks on it which gave a bitter bite to those parts of the slider. Additionally, the fried shrimp inside of the slider still had the tail on and so it was a bit of a surprise to bite into a full tail while eating a slider. All in all, a cute spot to see people but food had some hit or miss components.

    Photos
    Oh My Darling - Inside.

    Inside.

    Oh My Darling - Rosemary Hot Honey Dipped Crispy Chicken Full Housemade Mac Cheese Honey Dijon Roasted Brussel Sprouts - GF DF

    Rosemary Hot Honey Dipped Crispy Chicken Full Housemade Mac Cheese Honey Dijon Roasted Brussel Sprouts - GF DF

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    Crooked Cattle - Drunken Focaccia Bread

    Crooked Cattle

    3.8(38 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Stopped for a Saturday lunch. Only one waitress. No host stand or anything so it was a little bit…read moreawkward to figure out who to tell We were there. We started with the drunk focaccia. It was fine. Would've been better if the cheese was actually hot. Expensive at 15 bucks for four pieces of bread with beer cheese and scallions on top. I had the beef on week. Partner had the CHAMP. They really enjoyed theirs. The beef on wreck was good. Horseradish had a real kick which I appreciated. The sandwiches came with "rough cut" chips which seemed to be made in house. Fine for what they were I suppose, I don't personally like homemade chips so I can't judge too hard. Came to nearly 60 bucks for two sandwiches and an app. Expensive for what it was. Not a bad experience but I'll only be back if my partner has a craving.

    Tried Crooked Cattle for takeout on a DoorDash happy hour promotion at 25% off (unclear if this was…read morea one time deal or a daily offering). I ordered the Beef of Weck and Potato Salad given past reviews seemed to deem these two items as menu staples. The potato salad was fine, in need of a big pinch of salt. The Beef on Weck was a hardy, and a big portion for a sandwich, the extra horseradish wasn't necessary unless you're really a fan. However, the sandwich should be eaten with the au jus, otherwise it borders on flavorless. I did find the bun overly salty. Filling but not fufillying. Additional note... When I went to pickup the staff member wanted me to sign off on a receipt of the full amount without the discount. When I stated I paid online, he responded it had to do with the fact DoorDash doesn't allow for a tip. When I asked for a new bill representative of what I paid, the manager came and said they ask for the signature to confirm it was picked up... Then I said, I can indicate that here on the app, and he agreed and let me go with my food. Overall the interaction made me uncomfortable as I've never experienced a similar situation with pickup. Perhaps just me, but something I feel someone should be made aware of if they're ordering to-go.

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    The Hops Spot - Burger sliders

    The Hops Spot

    4.1(352 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Who knew French fries go with everything ? French fries with cheese, pickles and chicken... so…read moreamazing! Burger was perfect, and poutine desserts? Oh my! Funnel cake fingers topped with maple syrup and ice cream, so delicious! I was a bit disappointed at first since every time that door opened I was hit in the head with -5 degree wind but the staff noticed and moved us immediately. Another great spot that will be added to the Syracuse rotation.

    This downtown restaurant has some really good things, as well as some pretty strong drawbacks, so…read moreI'm not saying it's 3 stars because it's mediocre, I'm saying it's 3 stars because it's a mixed bag. Quality of the food depends. The $18 salad was a plate of iceberg lettuce with a few scraps of cheese thrown on. The salad was the biggest disappointment. On the other hand, the classic poutine was bang on. Great ratio of gravy to fries, everything was nice, all the flavors were right. But the rest of the poutines have too much quality variation, which is unforgivable for a place advertising their 12 different kinds of poutine. None of the other flavors were nearly as good as the classic, with combos that didn't work. The burger was tasty. However, it was supposed to be medium and it was very rare. The beer cheese pretzel was also disappointing. The cheese had been cooked too long, or maybe microwaved, because it had seized and was very coarse and mealy. The amount of cheese was also not enough for the pretzel. Service was great. No complaints about any of the waitresses or hostesses. Overall, a fine place near downtown to get a classic poutine and an artisanal beer. Stay away from everything else.

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    Darwin - sandwiches - Updated May 2026

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