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    Empire Square

    4.0 (29 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 11:00 PM

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    EMPIRE SQUARE ATMOSPHERE

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    Cheese curds
    Ashton S.

    TERRIBLE! Don't eat here! Food was thrown together and cold. Bacon in my BLT wasn't cooked all the way, the salad was a mess. I'll never come back here. I ordered an old fashioned as well and it was hands down the worst old fashioned I've ever had. I don't understand how this place has any good reviews if it serves food like this

    Events nightly!
    D M.

    Kevin's great uncle was the owner of Enrico's and we were in Watertown to see family. He immediately raved about Empire Square as he walked back to greet me. He loves their celebration of Pride month; how they kept the old bar--where he would talk with his uncle and hang out. The food was satisfying and I felt like I was having bc some home cooking. Good comfort food. Had the French toast, fried eggs over hard and Kevin had a burger and fries. So grateful for places that don't oversalt food! Hurray! Atmosphere is casual, family friendly, the art is nostalgic and they display a local artist's work.

    Mural of Paintings inside the restaurant.

    A beautiful setting to compliment the amazing food; served at the heart of Watertown BY the heart of Watertown. That's the best way I can describe the restaurant briefly Both my wife and I are avid fans of this restaurant. The food accompanied with the unorthodox setting gives the Empire Square a feeling unlike any other establishment in upstate New York in the BEST possible way feasible. The service is impeccable; my wife and I showed up at a relatively busy time and we were still taken care of accordingly. We've eaten here before and most definitely will eat here again. 5/5

    Mmmmm
    Josephine S.

    There is nothing like finding a cure to homesickness - and if you've ever travelled outside NY (or to NYC for that matter) nothing compares to the consistency of the clean oil in the fryers, the mood of the staff no matter what, the authenticity of Sarah the bartender...and of course some of the BEST South Western style food you can find!!! And it's all in 65 Public square WATERTOWN, NY!!!

    Southern burger
    Taylor R.

    Fairly new restaurant in town! My husband and I visited the first week they opened and weren't super impressed but knew it would get better when they figured everything out. Came back and we loved it! Our server was great, drinks were great, and the food was good.

    View of the restaurant
    Taron W.

    10/10 Restaurant!!! I was skeptical at first because I'm a picky eater, but WOW. The waffles, biscuits & gravy, & the monkey bread were amazing. On top of that the service was "homey". The chef came out herself to talk to the people here and see how they liked the food. Hands down the best food/service I've had in Watertown. Hidden gem to say the least.

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    27 days ago

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    2 years ago

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    11 months ago

    Love love this place. The environment, games, food and service. Definitely recommend. They have something to do every day of the week.

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great change of pace here in Watertown. Went for a family brunch and everything was fantastic!

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    5 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Empire Square

    The pulled pork hoagie was consumed by hubby and the cheese fries as well.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    We were visiting the area, and were appealed to this restaurant due to its old time diner look and…read morethe vintage car out front. Once we were inside, that vibe continued. The vintage diner feel was cozy, and the Coca-Cola light fixtures were unique. Each table also had its own vintage jukebox. We came on a busy Sunday morning, but got lucky and were sat right away. From the beginning, and throughout our experience, the staff were very friendly. Our sever brought us drinks within minutes, and we were able to put in our orders pretty quick. Like I said, it was a busy Sunday, so it took awhile for us to receive our food. But this gave my wife and I time to talk, and enjoy the ambiance. I ordered the breakfast lasagna (had never seen this before) with white toast and a side of corned beef hash. When the food came out, it was warm and fresh. The breakfast lasagna had a nice flavor from the peppers and onions and meats that were baked inside. The base was made from what seemed like mashed potatoes which threw me off a little, but wasn't bad. The toast had a good toast to it, and was nicely buttered. I am a corned beef hash lover, and Shorty's was pretty good! The flavors meshed well together and the texture was great. My wife ordered the sausage gravy and biscuits which was not great. The sausage gravy was lacking flavor, with the main taste being cream. The sausage within the gravy was cut up sausage links, and for myself and my wife at least, we prefer ground sausage. Lastly, the biscuits were nothing to write home about. They were not bad but they didn't wow. Overall, I gave Shorty's a three because the food didn't wow me. There was not anything wrong with the food we had at all, and we will probably be back in the future to try some of their other food. Otherwise, my wife and I also loved the feel of the diner itself.

    This place is amazing ! I can't believe all the times we have eaten in Watertown we didn't eat…read morehere ! The menu has everything you'd think a classic diner would. Food Service was super fast and the server was very nice as well. The old decor along the walls and coin operated juke boxes at each booth top off the ambiance here. Highly recommend! PS I had the best New England clam chowder I've ever had here.

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    Menu cover

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    Meat lovers omlette with hashbrowns

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    Simply Sweets - Awesome place

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    5.0(7 reviews)
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    Absolutely wonderful place, our family were in Watertown for a day out with our toddlers, zoo,…read morelunch, playground, ice cream kind of day, well when we yelped to see what's around for ice cream shops this place came up. We love to try out new places so we chose it. No regrets here - first of the product, ice cream was the best I have had to date, really yummy, second very kid friendly place - toys, kid books, little tool set, small picnic table for littles. Owner very pleasant and friendly. Tried to accommodate our picky toddlers and provided them with a ball to play. Such a relaxed environment, it was very easy to enjoy icecream, while our kids played and went back and forth between grabbing a mouthful of icecream and going back to play. Place radiated with positive atmosphere and relaxed demeanor, just loved everything about it. No stress just icecream and fun! If you are in the area give this place a chance. Oh and they offer other treats like chocolate covered strawberries and pretzels, rice crispies and thos place has a promise of smoothies, I am personally looking forward to that too. I had full intention of taking photos of my ice cream and kids having fun but I was too busy enjoying both. I'll have to co.e back with my real camera next time and take photos. You will not regret trying this place out - it's a little gem.

    This place is dangerouslyyyyy good! I got some truffles the other day that didn't even make it…read morehome! The owner is really friendly and great. Plus they are open through most of winter so highly recommend checking this place out!!

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    Menu

    Empire Square - southern - Updated May 2026

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