Real deal. Asked the host I'm staying with where the best Buffalo wings are, she recommended this place, and it was great! Meaty wings. Good beer on tap. Proper dive bar feel. Don't walk there like I did...the 1.8 mile walk from Syracuse campus is...suspect, but I really love this place, and a lyft ride is around $10. When I tell locals I went, they nod in agreement as if I passed some 'locals only' test. I get the feeling everyone knows about this place, and they all want to keep it their secret, a secret we out-of-towners should never know. I got 6 Buffalo wings, and 6 Frankenstein wings and was VERY happy. If anyone knows what brand bleu cheese dressing they use, please let me know. I bet they make it in house, it's incredibly creamy and delicious. read more

Classic dive bar. Very friendly bartender. Best wings in Syracuse. Had an order of the the Frankenstein and an order of the hot wings. It was nice contrasting the two different flavors. The wings are crispy which I like. Next time will try the pierogies read more

Shifty's - Hot wings - Chicken Wings Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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I'm visiting town for a couple days and heard that Shifty was THEE PLACE to grab wings from. I went. I saw. And I believe. We ordered a dozen Frankenstein sauce wings extra crispy and got a couple orders of pierogis. Everything was absolutely excellent. The bartender helping us was fast and kind. The space was a well maintained bar and by the sound of conversations around us, loved by the regular crowd. I plan on coming back when I'm back in town. read more

Shifty's - Pierogis - Chicken Wings Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Best wings in Syracuse, bar none. Try the sweet Asian style and the Frankenstein, both are incredible. Great vibes and a sweet place to sit outside on a nice summer night. Old school dive bar. They also sponsor the 10x Syracuse City League Lacrosse Champions read more

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I have only heard that Shifty's has amazing wings for so long, so my friend offered to take me for lunch yesterday and it was a quick 'yes'. There isn't much parking when you pull up, as it is a corner dive bar situation. When you walk in, we weren't really greeted by anyone and there were only a few tables that were all full. There were drinks at the bar so we motioned if we could sit, bartender said yes. Asked what we wanted to drink, laughed at how I don't look my age, offered me a taste of a beer I asked about after giving me a recommendation. There aren't a ton of options but my friend found one quick, I just don't drink much beer besides sours and ciders. The bartender asked if we needed menus, he didn't but I did. I asked a couple questions about "which wing sauce won an award", I was told Frankenstein. My friend came from Albany craving the Old Bay wings. So those two are what we ordered. We asked for her to ".make sure they are crispy" and she said no problem. It took a while, but they were a little busy and we had asked them to cook longer so understandable. When the wings came out they looked and smelled amazing. They came with an extra paper boat with napkins so you could put the bones aside, loved that. These wings were "exactly as a wing should be", saucy, crisp, delicious. The Frankenstein sauce is a mix of different sauces, but I got notes of buffalo, garlic Parm, ranch dry rub. It was good but am definitely trying the Old Bay next time. And yeah, there will be a next time. read more

Shifty's - Frankenstein wings - Chicken Wings Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Awesome neighborhood bar! The staff is really great especially the bartender with the mustache and glasses! Good pizza too- as soon as I turned 21 I became a regular!!! read more

Wings are amazing here! Bartenders are always super friendly and we love to go to watch football on Sunday's! They also make a really good Bloody Mary! read more

Let me preface by saying this was a takeout order, so this review is not in regard to the actual bar itself. Now with that being said, it was 11pm and we were looking for pizza and wings. I don't really expect much from a bar when it comes to pizza, but I was a bit shocked when I opened the box to find a big crispy tortilla with sauce and cheese on it, think Easy Bake Oven pizza It was really bad, the crust was so hard it was inedible, even my teenager agreed, and he loves every form of pizza, good or bad. The Buffalo wings were good, lemon pepper a bit under seasoned. I wouldn't say they're "the best wings in Syracuse", as I've read so many times, but the Buffalo was decent. And to boot, they forgot the fries ‍ read more

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This place rocks! The band was awesome and the beer is cold. Dancing to good tunes and drinking fine beverages, what more do you need??

The beers are cold and the wings are hot! I'd like to say... keep Shifty's a secret. I'd like to preserve the chill local feeling of this local watering hole. We enjoyed our experience of live music, good food and welcoming service. This place is a gem. read more

Best wings in Syracuse! We love stopping in for the Salt & Pepper wings full of flavor and cooked to perfection! The garlic Parmesan and Old Bay are winners as well actually any flavor will not disappoint. The bartenders are fabulous whether it's your first visit or 100th. Kathy is one of the best and takes excellent care of all patrons! They have live music most evenings. read more

Always get good food from Shifty's. Live music and perfect wings. Hey thanks Shifty's.

Frankenstein wings are fire. The sauce is so good I used the celery sticks to scoop the sauce in my mouth, then threw the celery sticks out.

Best wings ever!! Meaty, crispy, saucy. The best! Get the frankenstein wings. Also tried their clam strips for the first time, so tender! This place is a must if you are in Syracuse. I dream about these wings. Great selection of beer too! A++ read more

Shifty's - Chicken Wings Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Fun ambiance, good service, great wings!!! Meaty and fun choices for wings. If you are daring try the F... Bombs. read more

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Amazing wings. I couldn't stop eating them. Crispy outter shell and tasty inside. If I'm ever back- this is my wing stop!

BEST chicken wings in Syracuse. If I could you-know-what to a chicken wing, I would definitely do you-know-what to Shifty's chicken wings. I get their "Atomic" because I like em HOT. The aroma of savory spices and crisp skin tantalized my senses as I massaged the wing in my mouth. My fingers grasping it as my lips rub against it, feeling its warmth. A gentle tug with my mouth with the first bite and I tell you, it was really hot but flavorful. Everyone was staring at me as I let out satisfying sighs. I licked my lips and fingers, capturing every last drop of sauce. 10/10 would make love to these wings again. read more

Great atmosphere, friendly people. Wings were great! Tater tots could have been cooked a little longer to get a bit more crisp on them but all and all, great place! Definitely would come back! read more

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I did not have the food but I headed over after dinner for music and fun and Shifty's did not disappoint! What a comfortable, welcoming incredibly fun place! I can not recommend highly enough. read more

Shifty's - The party even continues outside. - Chicken Wings Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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F Bomb wings were delicious!! Great taste, and cooked perfectly. Seemed more of a bar atmosphere than bar/restaurant BUT still a pretty damn good place. read more

Me and my two classmates came to shiftys at 5pm on a Monday and wow we were shocked at the amount of people here. No dining seat, bar stool, counter space was open! The bar was actually crawling with people of all types doing shots out of the bottle. Business people, college students, local bums, average joes, president trumps, oprah Winfrey! It was nice to see such a nice mix of people. We ordered 1 1/2 dozen wings for their Monday special**($8/dozen) plus a 50cent ramekin of ranch dressing. and a side of Cajun fries. $20.49 **dine in only We got the sweet chili, spicy mango, mild. The wings are a good size, slightly on the dry side. I liked the sweet chili because it was a most "wet" and flavorful choice of the 3 The side of fries was perfect to share amongst 3 people and could be perfect for 1 if you just don't give a damn what anyone thinks about your dietary habits. Our bartender brought us a pitcher of water and 3 cups. She was the sweetest. Referred to us and charli and the angels. I guess I'm not an angel... haha Overall, it was cool' will be back for wings! And to get ratchet on a Monday. read more

Shifty's - Chicken Wings Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Great if you're looking for a lively pub and even better if you want amazing wings. The wings here are the best, they have several flavors to choose from. We went with Frankenstein, which you need to try. They have live music on the weekends. Definitely a no frills type of place. read more

Food was amazing service very welcoming everyone was friendly. I highly recommend this bar and restaurant. read more

Shifty's - Pool table very nice - Chicken Wings Near Me - Syracuse, New York

If you changed the "f" to a "t" then Shifty's might actually have really crap wings. And lots of bathrooms. Thankfully, no letters need to be changed because the wings here are the best in Syracuse. I know, that may not be saying much, but it's enough for you to give them a try. I'm very skeptical of wings outside Buffalo New York, because in the vast majority of cases, they have been substandard by comparison with the best in the original region for wings. But there are some exceptions such as Bob's Big Shot in Pittsburgh, Richmond's in Rochester - and here is another one. Shifty's makes excellent for wings, and while they aren't cheap they are certainly tasty. Speaking of tasty the staff here are gorgeous and covered in tattoos. So I tipped accordingly. Anyway these are the best wings I've had in Syracuse by a mile. Now I need to shift gear and write a different review. read more

Shifty's - Time to Shifty gears - Chicken Wings Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Stopped here on a recent trip to Syracuse. We don't know the area but we met some friends at Dinosaur BBQ and we took the short ride to Shifty's. This is a biker bar (we rode our motorcycles!) but the diversity was great! So many people, all having fun dancing to live music. The band was awesome! They kept us all entertained well into the wee hours of the morning. Drinks were good. I'd have to go back to review the food! There's an outside deck but it's a little small. Of course that's where everyone wanted to be! You can't go off the deck with your drink so beware of that. Will head back to this place again! read more

Shifty's - Can even hear the band on the outside deck! - Chicken Wings Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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They are open for lunch again! Limited menu but always very good food. Old bay wings were crispy and tasty, those who got the cheeseburgers said they were very good. Philly steak was pronounced delicious. We work nearby and are so glad we have this option back. Thank you! read more

Absolutely love this place!!! Such great live music, friendly bartenders, and good vibes. The wings are hands down the best in Syracuse. The Frankenstein are my favorite!! read more

This is such a great hometown feel dive bar that I have been coming to since coming to Syracuse. The wings are the best I've ever had!! Definitely a must try. read more

Shifty's has been around for over a century. Onondaga Historical Association archives trace the building's existence to 1896. It was a grocery store in 1905, before it was known as Wysocki's Old Corner Tavern from 1917 to 1969. Wysocki's Old Corner Tavern was then renamed Shifty's in 1969 by Central New York natives Pete Woods and Gary Oviatt. Since then, Shifty's legacy stubbornly stuck around. Seeing as I'm not a drinker, I first became aware of Shifty's through the documentary The Great Chicken Wing Hunt, where the makers of the film spent 3 weeks traveling east coast states searching for the best wings. Shifty's ended up being the runner up. As a self professed wing snob, that means I had to try them. My wife and I came on a Friday evening. Not a ton of people there. As has been said, its a dive bar and looks the part. We got a menu and sat down. Our intention was to get wings and wings only, though there was other tasty sounding stuff on the menu. We ordered a dozen hot buffalo, and a dozen of their Frankenstein sauce. Wings came out quickly and were perfectly cooked. Crispy on the outside, but tender and juicy inside. The Frankenstein sauce, which the bartender described as a mix of all flavors, tasted pretty much exactly that way. Garlicky, lemony, a little hint of spice and heat. They were tasty though. The true test to me, though, was the plain hot buffalo. I had such high hopes, but I was very disappointed. While they were also cooked perfectly, the flavor just was not there. They tasted buttery, more like a mild sauce than hot. Everybody raves about their wings, and it's cool and all that they have a ton of flavors to choose from, but as a chicken wing snob/purist...if you can't get a simple buffalo sauce right, your wings just don't make the cut, and can't be called some of the best in the country. Service was fine. Though the bar was busy, the bartender did check on us, bring us our food, and answer questions. Food did come out quickly and perfectly cooked. They had a wide selection of beer to choose from, but my wife did mention that her on tap Blue Moon was flat. I give them three stars because the wings were not bad, just disappointing. They were cooked well and we do plan on giving them another try, perhaps with their Xtra hot sauce. read more

Shifty's - A dozen of Shifty's hot buffalo and a dozen Frankenstein wings. - Chicken Wings Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Wings are really good. The service was acceptable and the atmosphere was typical dive bar with live music. Overall good time.

Great local small bar, good tap beer selection, awesome wings, and staff are seasoned. No surprises here, open mic night was good local entertainment! I will stop in every trip to Syracuse! read more

4.25 Stars - In town for business - customer suggested we go for lunch (WANGs!). It is a nice dive bar feeling place, regulars and the amazing Carla(?) manning the bar. Wings on point! Everything that passed my seat I wanted to order - Seriously! Why not 5 stars - totally biased on my part: - .25 stars (I needed a bigger stomach) - .25 stars (I REALLY wanted there to be music - but it was lunch so..) - .25 stars (They do NOT have a franchise where I live) If I am EVER in that part of the city again - I am hanging my feedbag on here! read more

Neighborhood bars can sometimes be hostile to newcomers, but I've never once gotten that vibe at Shifty's. It's a good place to come with friends and/or coworkers, a down-to-earth solid hangout. They have a nice selection of beers (Shifty's last call pale ale is my favorite-- a nice sour.) they have live music often, but personally I just like to come here with a small group and unwind. read more

Shifty's. One of the best bars in Syracuse. The wings are as good as you can ever hope to find. Don't be afraid of the fatal wing flavor. It's bursting with flavor with a perfect kick of spicy. Enjoy the next few Beers killing that heat at the service of great bartenders. They always have the game on and parking is always available if you know where to look. It's a fantastic diverse crowd with plenty of friendly people. Make sure to check out the big calendar behind the bar to check out all of the musical acts coming up. I'll see ya there on Monday nights. Wing night. read more

This is a great neighborhood bar! Was there last night. Reasonable drink prices and good food. The bartender Heather was awesome, extremely attentive and professional. read more

Always love this place! Wings and beer. Great peeps always around. Neighborhood plus surrounding area bar that keeps it great. Never a dull moment. Burgers are great too. Keep it up shiftys! Year after year! read more

Shifty's is the best kind of hole-in-the-wall dive bar, with a laid back neighborhood crowd of all ages and the best chicken wings in town. Shifty's doesn't mess around with flavor - their wings go beyond basic mild/medium/hot. My favorite is the Garlic Parmesan, extra crispy. I've also tried the Frankenstein variety; I'm not sure what combination of spices makes the magic with these wings, but it works. Stop by on a Monday night for 35 cent wings - bring a few friends, order a dozen each of different flavors and call it dinner. Your wallet and your tastebuds will appreciate it. There's no table service so belly up to the bar and pick your poison. Service is pretty fast, even on a busy night. If not for the wings, check out their live local music or catch a game on their big screen. read more

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WOAH SHIFTYS HITS THE WINGS SPOT I just moved up from nyc a few days ago and I've had "the best wings" in my neighborhood, they still felt as they lacked something, satisfying but something was missing. Three days ago, I put trust in the good people of reddit on what place in Syracuse has the best wings, Shiftys was among a list with the recommendation of the Frankenstein sauce. I looked at the other places and the pictures were captivating but still, more was needed. With my significant other, we checked Shifty's Yelp page and boom, we were convinced after pictures. We placed an order for Frankenstein wings for pick up. Once we arrived, we entered a almost-homey environment with awesome, feel-good music, a contrast to NYC. These wings... oof, they hit the spot. Next day, as we settled into 'cuse, we went about our day and the wings were a recurring topic. By dinner time, we both said "Pick up from shiftys?" This time we wanted something new, something sweet yet spicy. We decided on Flaming Mango, a very unique flavor. I have to admit, the smell was not the most appetizing but the taste, they knew what was up. As another Yelper said, the spicy level isn't for the weak, like myself. It is an overwhelming yet delightful flavor, so definitely a must try but, PROCEED WITH CAUTION. **not going to take off stars because not their fault** Today, after a lovely hike, 'twas decided to grab some Fatal and Frankenstein wings. Though an intimidating name, the Fatal wings are delicious and have a lovely, mild kick (nothing too crazy, scary). After munching, once again, Shifty's continued to impress us. Shifty's, you have two new customers! Brava! (: read more

I always have a great time when I go to Shifty's. The beer selection is impressive for the dive bar appearance. Staff is friendly but will banter, which is always fun. And the big screen makes for a good place to watch sports. Complete with pool table and darts for the bar gamers out there. In terms of the food, they're definitely in the top 3 places to get wings in Syracuse (With a $8 / dozen wings night on Mondays). I've tried most of their sauces and the Frankenstein wings are worth going alone. It's a good balance of sweet and spicy without being overly complex. Garlic Parm is also noteworthy. I thought the Cajun could have used a bit more spiciness but may have just had a bad batch or personal preference. Pizza is passable as pizza, which is about all you can ask of a dive bar. Overall, good spot to hang out pretty much any day of the week. read more

Shifty's - A whole heap of wings and a pizza. - Chicken Wings Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Great wing! They may be the best I have found away from my area. We enjoyed the F-Bomb, Frankenstein, Garlic Parm and Godzilla. All of the wings were cooked perfectly, nice and crisp, but not dry. The F-Bomb weren't as hot as I thought they would be, but man were they tasty. I think my favorite out of the bunch was the Frankenstein, a truly unique flavor. Godzilla is very similar to the Frankenstein, just a different heat level. The garlic parm were good, but the weakest out of the bunch for us. Seemed like a great local spot with a lot of regulars. There was a band getting set up as we were eating. We didn't stay, but I could see grabbing a couple of beers and listening to some tunes if I lived in the area. I would definitely stop again if I were in the area. read more