Posting this review again since it no longer shows up on yelp, even in the "not recommended" section: I live in the Westcott neighborhood, and I truly think this place could be one of the premier music venues in the entire upstate area, but I've witnessed time and again their poor management skills, serving alcohol to underage patrons, and just an overall lack of respect for their paying customers. The reason this place isn't already rated one of the best venues in New York state is that the ownership doesn't appear to be putting much money into the venue itself, save for a new ceiling after parts of the old one fell on someone during a show and injured them. The acts are often terrific, but the place is downright disgusting inside. Do they honestly think that the floor in there is just permanently sticky? I'll tell you, it's not. It just needs to be cleaned on a regular basis (read: every night). The bathrooms are an even bigger horror story. Aside from the rampant drug use taking place, management allows patrons to apparently urinate wherever they desire upstairs, as long as it's within a few feet of a toilet. The toilets are often broken, and can go weeks at times without being fixed. The bathrooms are truly a health hazard in this place. I would never dream to carry my drink upstairs with me, let alone bring it anywhere near the restrooms. It's that gross. Friends from out of town who visit for shows inevitably approach me at some point in the night and ask, "What is the deal with those bathrooms?" It's sad. The place looks and feels like a crack house with a stage in front.
But the bigger problem is not the bathrooms, but the bartender. I'm not positive but I think he might be the owner as well, from what I'm told. I have witnessed him berate multiple paying customers more than once for what he deemed inappropriate behavior in his bar, and I was shocked at the way he spoke to them. The last time I visited the Westcott, it was very busy and there was a line around the entire bar, two people deep. A young woman next to me finally received her drink after about a ten minute wait, and the young man behind her stepped up to take his place. As we've all done many times at any bar, he stepped to the bar, money in hand and quite honestly asked very politely if he could have two beers. He had been waiting just as long as anyone else, but in the second line, so I guess the bartender took offense to what he considered to be this gentleman trying to budge the others at the bar. I had been waiting longer than this young man, and I found nothing wrong with the way he approached the bar and asked for a drink. The bartender, however, found it acceptable to stop everything and berate this young man, getting right in his face and screaming at him. "Would you walk into a restaurant and hold up money and just start screaming for salad?" I honestly think the bartender was high on something from his reaction, as it was extremely out of line. The bartender continued to yell directly in this man's face for several minutes about how rude he was being, making sure that the entire bar was focused on him. It was a pathetic and disgusting way to treat someone who payed $20 just to walk into that $hit-hole. I was so turned off by the way the bartender treats his customers that after waiting almost 20 minutes for a beer, I instead put my money back in my pocket and went home. I have not returned since, and I'm not sure I will until I hear that they start fixing, cleaning, and respecting their business and their customers. As great as it is to see some really talented musical acts coming to Syracuse, I can't honestly recommend this place to anyone. I can't continue to patronize this business while they treat their customers this way and watch the building literally fall down around them, and I wish others would stand up and do the same. read more
