I was recently nearby taking a course and needed to find a place for my lunch break. I came across this "diner" and took a chance. Well, I couldn't have been happier that I did. The owners were wonderful! I introduced myself and asked to know about the history of the restaurant and how it came about. After that, I went right into the menu. Cajun food in upstate?!?! Yes, please!!!! I ordered the fried chicken sandwich with hush puppies. DANG! Beyond good and the sandwich was huge. Had more than enough for dinner later that day. I will definitely be returning to On The Fly to enjoy their incredible food and to support this awesome mother and son establishment and so should you. read more

On The Fly Diner - Fried chicken sando with hush puppies. To die for! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Every bite was amazing. It was our first time here and all you could hear from our table was the sound of happiness. Every item on our plate was from scratch. Help us keep this family run business in operation. read more

If you thought finding good Cajun food in upstate was impossible, then you haven't tried On The Fly. The atmosphere is traditional diner with a bayou flair, and the staff is so friendly, communicative, and kind. The portions are generous, and it's clear everything is made fresh as it states on the menu. Highly recommend checking this place out! read more

On The Fly Diner - Shrimp Po Boy and Collard Greens - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Great friendly service. Several tables inside with comfy chairs and nice table cloths with a really stellar mural on the wall. The food is chef's kiss! Especially with their new collaboration with Get Smashed. read more

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This place is a hidden gem! First time in Syracuse and this was our first stop for a delicious meal... from the warm welcome as you come in to the love you taste in every bite, this is the place to go for amazing Cajun food. Portions are huge so be ready to leave stuffed... the owners are so sweet and have really done an amazing job and it shows in the food! Thank you for a wonderful and delicious meal read more

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My wife and I stumbled onto this diner. I took one look at the menu and I was very excited. Not the same old usual dishes but familiar with the twist. We sat next to the kitchen door and heard the conversations coming from the kitchen. My wife Kelly was impressed by the apparent pride they took in the food they were cooking. The people are very friendly and the portions were good. I highly recommend this little diner, especially if you like Louisiana country style dishes, at least what I understand it to be. We do plan to go back and try other things on their menu. Please don't expect too much when you walk in. It's very simple place with really good food. read more

On The Fly Diner - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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The place is owned and run by a mother son combo. She runs it and he cooks. The food here was amazing. The gumbo was authentic, the brisket omelette was very good and quite hearty and the chicken sandwich was huge and delicious. There was a good set of tunes playing. Service was a bit slow though maybe that was because it was Mother's Day. The attention was very nice. read more

Delicious food! We loved our orders of gumbo and French toast. They also gave us some bread for the table, an orange juice and a coffee. Servers switched out and seemed to have some miscommunication on our gumbo and we were given a smaller portion and add shrimp, but were given smaller portion with no shrimp and charged for the larger portion (shrimp wasn't on bill). The gumbo was delicious but servers didn't come and check with us or were to be found to ask about the shrimp, so we asked the server and she just said "I never saw any seafood on the order ticket" so we just dropped it and moved on. Overall good experience just I think need some more care put into the service side. We love the slogan of "be nice or leave" and they have an awesome mural on the wall, the inside is otherwise not over the top decor but simple and clean. read more

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A diner I'd been looking forward to trying ever since they opened and they sure lived up to my expectations. Not your typical diner as they serve southern style food packed with flavor. From the entrees we ordered I'd say you can't go wrong with either. They've got hearty dishes on their menu for breakfast & lunch; both of which are offered all day. The staff is incredibly friendly and accommodating, regularly re-filling water glasses and coffee cups and sharing their menu recommendations. The space itself was clean, the restroom was tidy, and there was ample parking on a Sunday morning. We'll be back for the bread pudding that sounded absolutely delicious! read more

On The Fly Diner - Biscuits and Gravy (8/10) & Braised Chicken Special (7/10); off to the side is a grit cake - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

This is a really cute Louisiana themed diner with very high quality food. Everything we had was absolutely delicious and the staff were all very nice and excited about what they had to offer. The place is well maintained and clean and the food came out quickly. We'll definitely be coming back!! read more

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Fantastic chicken sandwich, Fluffy hush puppies, delightful and friendly service. A good place with cozy small town vibes in the city. read more

On The Fly Diner - Chicken sandwich with hushpuppies - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Cute place. The owners are the nicest people. Had the gumbo which was very good. They had three types of hot sauce that you could add to it. Would be fun to go there during Mardi Gras read more

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Service is great, ambience is perfect for a nice breakfast. They source all their ingredients locally farm to table with fresh eggs. We had the eggs Benedict and country fried steak special. Steaks had NO fat or gristle on it, was seasoned and breaded perfectly. You can tell this family owned business takes pride in their food and show that with their flavor and plating. Highly recommend!!! read more

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Great food, friendly atmosphere! I had the French toast... should have ordered a single (pictures to follow) yummy and now I have enough for tomorrow ! My friends had the Shrimp Po Boy and A Traditional Breakfast. Every dis that went by looked amazing. Great presentation and plenty of food! Definitely someplace I will return to!!' read more

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Encountered this place by accident. Thankfully, it was close to our hotel, because that was one of the best breakfasts I've had in recent memory. The eggs were so good that I was rendered speechless, the bacon was delicious as was that homemade biscuit with apple butter. My friend said the grits cake is lovely. Looked at other tables, and the chicken and biscuits looked ridiculous, as did the shrimp po boy at the next table. Service was stupendous. Been a while since I was so delighted by a meal. If you are anywhere near Syracuse, they should be on your weekly restaurant list. Unfortunately, I'm hours away, but will always have the memory of that meal. read more

I've been here a couple of times, and it's always top notch! The crawfish mac and cheese is delicious, and so is the French toast. Your coffee cup constantly gets refilled. The service is warm and welcoming and you truly feel taken care of when you're here. It has a diner ambiance but with funky and fun decorations. I don't know of other spots in Syracuse doing cajun cuisine, much less for breakfast. Definitely a spot worth checking out! read more

I love Cajun food; the music, too. I'm always hoping a good Cajun restaurant would show up here in the Syracuse area. I haven't had much luck these last few years. Fortunately, I finally have an awesome diner specializing in New Orleans/Cajun food a 20 minute drive from my home in Solvay to the North Side to On The Fly Diner. Every time I do have the chance to try Cajun I always go for the Gumbo first. If the Gumbo is good, everything will be good. Well. the Gumbo is awesome; absolutely delicious. So are the biscuits. I order the Gumbo 2 out of every 3 visits, but I have also enjoyed their breakfast special (omg...the bacon!) and a Shrimp Po' Boy. I have yet to try the giant Fried Chicken Sandwich or the Shrimp & Grits' and whatever Chef Gray comes up with. read more

On The Fly Diner - Gumbo - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

The food was amazing! It's rare in syracuse to get fresh homemade food and this place does it right. Try everything if you can. And the staff is so nice! read more

On The Fly Diner - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

The place is small but has soul. Everyone on the staff was friendly. But most importantly, the shrimp Poboy that I had was absolutely delicious and and it completely satiated that craving I've been having since the last time I left Louisiana. I highly suggest y'all try this place out. read more

On The Fly Diner - Shrimp Po Boy and Cajun Fries - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

A really cute place! Everyone was so nice and friendly. You know youre in for a treat when the other customers talk to you about what is best, and have a friendly attitude to everyone working. The crawfish mac and cheese was really tasty. read more

On The Fly Diner - Crawfish mac and cheese - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

We went to On the Fly last weekend for the first time and had one of the best breakfasts we have had out in a restaurant! I cannot even pin point our favorite parts of our meal because everything was absolutely perfect (although I will say the side potatoes were SO GOOD)!! Nothing was over salted or oily like many places. I would also like to point out that all the staff are so friendly and welcoming! The retro mural is an awesome throwback, too! We look forward to returning and enjoying more meals together! read more

On The Fly Diner - Eggs Benedict - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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We got to meet the owners when we went and heard their story. Lovely people and the breakfast food tasted amazing!

My wife stumbled upon On the Fly Diners IG a couple days ago. We were planning on finding a place to have lunch today, and thought we'd go give them a try. Their IG describes them as a "ghost kitchen specializing in Cajun fare" and while they call themselves a diner, their menu is anything but traditional diner fare, with several different po' boys (including gator), gumbo, biscuits and gravy and fried chicken sandwiches. We pulled in and one of the owners, Gray, was outside painting the door. Very nice guy, greeted us and thanked us for coming. We walked in and met the other owner, Chris, behind the counter who was doing the cooking and serving. There was no one else in the restaurant at the time, so he told us we could sit wherever we'd like. There's two fairly large dining areas, one in the front and one in the back. We headed to the back and chose a table. We instantly loved the look of the place, as they've got a very funky style, with a large green velvet sectional couch in the middle of the back room, and a stuffed bear and deer head on one of the walls. They also had very cool upbeat funky music playing. Chris brought over the menu. I asked him to give me some info on the place, as I couldn't really find anything about them. He told us him and Gray both have culinary backgrounds. Chris is a Syracuse native who's worked at restaurants like Saint Urban and Apizza Regionale, while Gray came from the Seattle area. Both of them grew up eating southern Cajun type food and realized there wasn't anything in the area serving that type of food. They started out as a ghost kitchen until they bought the building on Court St that formerly housed the Fusion Diner & Cakery. They came up with their Creole inspired menu and remodeled the place completely themselves. My wife ordered the shrimp po boy with hush puppies as a side and I got the chicken sandwiches with a side of collards. Food was brought quickly and we loved it. My chicken sandwich had a ton of different flavors between the sauce on the filet, pickles, bacon, smoked gouda and their vinegar based slaw. My wife also loved her po boy, they use Lyncourt Bakery rolls, the shrimp was cooked perfectly and the tomato relish was extremely fresh and seasoned well. The collard greens and hush puppies were delicious and I dunno what the Off the Fly sauce it, but I'd probably drink it. Chris was nice enough to give us a sample of their gumbo which was also packed with flavor. Chris and Gray both asked our opinions before we left and told us they plan to let other small eateries use their kitchen as a ghost kitchen, to help out others the same way they were. They plan to have some fun sounding events every week as well - tonight was going to be a slider pop up with some of the other eateries they work with, all coming together to come up with 6 unique sliders to offer. We honestly had 0 complaints. The food is different, creative and delicious, the restaurant has a very cool, trendy look and feel, great music, and friendly owners who clearly care very much about the food they put out. read more

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Delicious food, friendly staff, great ambiance. 10/10 would recommend eating here if you get the chance!

Great spot! Wife and I have been to quite a few restaurants and this is one of the best breakfasts we have ever had. The Chef is clearly well-trained. Everything is made in-house. We had the eggs Benedict and biscuits and gravy. Amount of food is responsible and priced very fairly. Service was friendly and attentive. Give this place a chance - you will go back for more. read more

On The Fly Diner - Eggs Benedict. The chef adds lemon zest - nice touch. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Great food. Lovely people. Highly recommend if you are looking for great food and a relaxed atmosphere

This is how brunch should taste! Unique menu items for the area. Plenty of seating available in the clean dining area. The owner was our server and was very attentive. We had the sausage gravy and biscuits, one topped with fried chicken, and a side of collared greens. They provide a fun variety of hot sauce. Extremely flavorful and fresh, a great take on a diner favorite. We can't wait to go back and try the fried chicken sandwich! read more

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Immediately upon walking into On The Fly, Grayson the owner and Chef, greeted us with kindness and excellent service. He and our wonderful waitress Tracy walked us through their story, the culinary journey which brought them to Cajun flavors, and the plan on bringing community together. The menu is fully stacked with deliciously well thought out pairing like a chicken sandwich and some hush puppies, or a can't miss breakfast of biscuits and gravy. I can not wait to try one of everything. I can't say enough about the tremendously warm atmosphere this space projects. If you're looking for a new favorite spot, look no further! read more

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This place is owned by a mother and son team. Son is the chef, mom waited on tables. We got the classic breakfast. Scrambled eggs were delicious, soft and velvety, bacon was crispy like I ordered. Instead of potatoes I ordered grit cakes, which are grits mixed with cheese and spices. Then they are breaded and fried.... Delicious!! I took off one star only because we had to wait awhile for our check, if that doesn't matter to you consider this a 5 star review!! read more

Absolutely fantastic Food, Service, and Atmosphere! Clean, fun, and probably the best Po boy I've ever had. Cannot recommend enough! read more

On The Fly Diner - Shrimp Po Boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Had another killer meal at On The Fly this morning! My beverages were never empty and the French toast was amazing. It was huge so I got to bring some home for later and they even sent me on my way with extra compote! The staff is so friendly and the chef makes some killer dishes. Highly recommend! read more

I love the unique flavor this adds to our food scene. It has the vibe of a traditional diner to spark your nostalgia, but brings an eccentric flavor. My boyfriend has significant creole roots, so we knew we had to give it a try. We started off with a cup of gumbo and then split the po boy and shrimp & grits. Everything had amazing flavor and perfect seasoning. My bf said he wouldn't necessarily call the gumbo traditional gumbo, but it was still very good. The po boy was a bit difficult to eat as toppings kept spilling out, but we still really enjoyed it and the roll was fresh. The hushpuppies had great texture, but I do wish the flavor came through a bit more. Shrimp and grits was excellent. There were some collard greens thrown in that I would get an extra side of next time. I enjoyed the grits square patty rather than the usual way of cooking them. The bill came with a gummy hamburger favor, which I thought was a memorable touch. Service was great. We will def be back to try more on the menu. Prices are very fair for the amount of food that you get. Make sure you leave time to nap after this. read more

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The fried chicken sandwich was delicious. It came with Gouda cheese, pickled onions, and pickles. On the side I had collard greens that had an amazing flavor to them. The pancake special was phenomenal and its insanely large portions. The blue crunch the service was great and the server was very friendly the ambiance is very unique. There is artwork that is unique and eccentric. The feel and vice is very de Orleans creole style. The music was soulful and chill. Definitely going to be back. read more

On The Fly Diner - Pancakes - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Enjoyed breakfast this morning at On The Fly. Every single bite was perfect! The staff was very welcoming and friendly. The special of the day was exceptional! The chef is extremely talented! You will not be wasting your time stop in and try this place. read more

Breakfast there was SO good, I had to eat there another day. The food is outstanding. The food was beyond my expectations! The service may have been a bit slow but that was only because all the tables were full & there were a few folks waiting to be seated. On The Fly is well worth the wait for a table because the food is THAT GOOD! read more

Amazing food!!! It is a family run establishment that makes you feel at home as soon as you walk through the door! The staff are so nice and the food is do die for! I drove all the way from lake george just to try this spot! Thanks again! I'll definitely be back! read more

ON THE FLY , You must try! , newly opened Diner restaurant take out sit in Call them now! 315-214-8743 at 3600 Court Street in Syracuse NY. , a taste of the South Cajun foods fresh made from scratch by chef and owner Grayson when you sit down for a delicious schmorgasboard meal. Scrimp po boy is juicy and fresh. The collards just right vinaigrette seasoning, pulled pork delicious, as is the corn bread and everything we tried. read more

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I was excited to try this restaurant! My friend & I went to lunch today. We met the Owner and Chef "Grey" and he was so friendly. He waited on us and explained a few things to us on the menu. His Mom filled our water glasses and his Dad was working on a Dinosaur mural on the wall. His dad is such a talented artist. The food arrived quickly and it was piping hot. We both got the BBQ pork sandwich with hush puppies. The hush puppies came with a homemade sauce that was so good. The BBQ pork was chunks of pork with a delicious sauce. Grey then came out with a complimentary order of corn bread hot out of the oven with butter. It was amazing. The whole experience was so nice with the family working together as a team. I will definitely be back to try some more of the menu items. It's a small menu but I prefer that because you can see the attention to detail in each dish. Please support this small business!!! Currently accepting only cash. read more

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Wow!!! If I could give 10 stars I would!!! my wife and I both got a classic breakfast and it was amazing!!! Excellent service. And prices are very reasonable too!! Come here you will not be disappointed!!! read more

The food was delicious; the chicken sandwich had the perfect combination of ingredients. The waitress was very nice and answered questions about the establishment. I was a fun little place where people were interacting, but it wasn't overly noisy. We would definitely stop by here again when we are in the area. read more