At the Syracuse Suds Factory, it’s okay to skip out on a full meal.

The Syracuse Suds Factory is a place great for drinks and catching the game with friends — it reminded me of  Tully’s Good Times or a Buffalo Wild Wings. In fact, if you’re looking to catch the game in Armory Square, Syracuse Suds is probably a good bet. But if you’re looking for delicious, bold flavors, then Syracuse Suds probably wouldn’t be your first choice.

For some reason, when I first walked in, I thought the place looked fun and the vibe of energy from the diners was great. I immediately imagined the menu to be full of American food favorites — just strong and fatty flavors. My mouth was watering as soon as my eyes scanned the ambience of the restaurant.

The enormous, long bar was the restaurant’s focal point. Every stool was taken; everyone was enjoying a beer and watching the basketball game. A majority of the tables in the center of the dining area were occupied.

So it surprised me when the food I ordered was bland.

I thought I’d try the entrées from their Brewmaster’s Favorites. I tasted their flame broiled half-pound burger for $7.25, and their open-faced steak sandwich for $8.75.

I ordered and waited a while for my food, since there appeared to be only one waiter working the entire dining area. I used the extra time to view the restaurant some more, because it was hard to catch every detail when I first walked in.

The scenery was dark with a modern interior design, boasting high ceilings and a factory-like feel. Next-door was a beer brewery machine, which you could see through huge glass windows that separate the dining area from their mini factory. Unfortunately, I did not try any of their handcrafted beers. But I did try their beer-battered cheese sticks as an appetizer.

Of all the food I tasted, I liked their beer-battered cheese sticks the most. It tasted fresh off the fryer; a crispy and crunchy exterior with a stringy and cheesy interior.

I was excited to sink my teeth into a juicy burger and to bite into a tender steak — maybe the waiting time was a factor in my increased expectations of the food, and maybe my expectations became too high.

The burger patty turned out to be flavorless. I did not detect an ounce of salt or pepper, or any other seasoning for that matter. Maybe some onion and garlic powder or fresh onions would do the trick in giving more flavors and juiciness. I asked for my burger to be medium rare to avoid a dry patty, and ironically, it was still dry in a medium rare kind of way. I didn’t bother to finish it.

The side of fries wasn’t plain, but didn’t make the meal any better. It was seasoned too much and was far too salty. It did not taste like it was fresh off the fryer at all. I love fries, and had really wished I could’ve at least enjoyed their version.

I had hoped the open-faced steak would be better, but I would rate the dish equal to the burger. Before I took a bite, I looked at the steak and hoped that it tasted better than it looked. The steak didn’t have a nice golden sear or grill mark at all. Instead the meat was cooked to an even gray color.

Maybe my steak knife wasn’t sharp enough, but it was tough to cut through, and even tougher to bite through as a sandwich. The meat didn’t taste fresh. It tasted like it had been sitting in the freezer days before it was thawed that morning. Much like the burger, I couldn’t taste any seasoning on the meat either.

I would definitely come back to the Syracuse Suds Factory for appetizers and drinks if I was conveniently nearby and want to watch the game. The atmosphere is warm and fun and feels like you’re in a buddy’s home. And maybe that’s a good enough reason to go.

Published on March 24, 2014 at 1:03 am

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