Upstate New York Dining Guide
Regional classics, winery lunches and farm-to-table dinners across the state.
Upstate New York has more regional dishes than most visitors realize. Buffalo gave the world chicken wings and beef on weck, roast beef on a salt-and-caraway kummelweck roll. Rochester has the Garbage Plate, a late-night pile of meat, potatoes and macaroni salad, along with white hots, a pale pork-and-veal hot dog. Syracuse claims salt potatoes, and the whole region shares a love for Friday fish fries.
In the Finger Lakes, many wineries serve lunch with lake views, and the Hudson Valley's farms supply some of the most admired restaurants in the Northeast. The Adirondacks lean toward diners, brewpubs and lakeside inns. Hours shrink in the off-season in resort towns, so check before you go in winter.
Buffalo and Niagara Falls
Wings, beef on weck and charcoal-grilled hot dogs.
The bar credited with inventing Buffalo wings in 1964, still serving them on Main Street.
A local favorite since 1969, known for wings that run hotter than their labels suggest.
A tavern tracing its roots to 1837, famous for hand-carved beef on weck.
A Buffalo beef on weck specialist whose founder is known for his trademark white hard hat.
Charcoal-grilled hot dogs since 1927, best with the house hot sauce.
A small-town tavern that many locals rank first for both wings and beef on weck.
Tapas, wood-fired pizza and pasta a few blocks from the falls, open in the evenings.
The Finger Lakes, Rochester and Syracuse
Lakeside dining and regional icons.
The collective-run vegetarian restaurant behind the well-known cookbooks, open since 1973.
A winery bistro since 1999 with local, seasonal plates and lake views.
The restaurant at a winery making wine since 1977, with a terrace over the lake.
House-made pasta and seasonal dishes paired with Finger Lakes wines.
Dining in a red stone castle-style mansion on the shore of Seneca Lake.
A Rochester tradition since 1918 and the home of the original Garbage Plate.
The original location of the blues-and-barbecue chain, opened in Syracuse in 1988.
Hofmann hot dogs and coneys served since 1917 at a classic roadside stand.
The Hudson Valley and Catskills
Farm-to-table cooking and a famous cooking school.
Student-staffed restaurants on the CIA campus, from American to Italian and French.
Dan Barber's farm restaurant, with menus built from what the surrounding farm grows.
A restaurant and bistro in a former church in the center of Rhinebeck.
The dining room of an inn that has operated continuously since 1766.
A colorful, casual dinner spot with bright tropical flavors, open Thursday through Monday evenings.
A classic roadside diner on Route 28 in the Catskills, updated with local ingredients.
A Catskills farmhouse restaurant cooking with produce from nearby farms.
The Adirondacks and Thousand Islands
Diners, brewpubs and lakeside rooms.
A brewpub opened in 2016 in the shadow of the Olympic ski jumps.
A casual pub right on the shore of Mirror Lake.
A historic island resort on Lake George with Italian and steakhouse restaurants.
A restored 1927 hotel with a restaurant and a grand hall bar.
A small brewery and kitchen on Clayton's main street, near the river.
Restaurants change hours, menus and ownership often — check with the restaurant before you go. Listings are editorial picks, not paid placements.
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What is beef on weck?
Thin-sliced rare roast beef on a kummelweck roll topped with coarse salt and caraway seeds, served with horseradish and a little jus. It is a Buffalo specialty.
What is a Garbage Plate?
A Rochester late-night dish of two hot dogs or burgers over home fries and macaroni salad, topped with meat hot sauce, mustard and onions. Nick Tahou Hots claims the original.
Do Finger Lakes wineries serve food?
Many do, from cheese plates to full restaurants. Weekend reservations are wise for groups, and some wineries limit large parties and buses.