The Burger Joint, Syracuse, NY

I was in upstate NY recently and went to The Burger Joint, at 2700 James Street. Their burgers are really good and they do some interesting things with them. Owned by a young couple. The wife used to work there and took over the business from the old owners. It's really small but has take-out. There can't be too many good burger joints. Their web site is "theburgerjointsyr" which I don't have enough posts to post the link to. I understand when the weather is nice they have a bring your dog night at the outside tables and also show movies.

Cool!  Thanks for this info.  I'm heading up to Syracuse in mid October. How do they cook the burgers?  Flat top griddle?  Open flame grill?  Can you order a burger done medium, medium rare, etc...?  Are the fries/o-rings hand cut?  Just curious.

I live and work pretty close, but I've never heard of it. I'll have to stop in and check it out soon.
They have a lot to live up to though if they want to beat my favorite Syracuse burger from the Blarney Stone on Tipperary Hill.

The Awesome Burger at Nick's Place (an art deco diner in the M&T Building in Hanover Square), also makes an outstanding burger.
 
Absolutely fresh meat, handpacked burger with a bun from community bakery - possibly the best bun in the 'cuse.
 
Nick's Place, under relatively new ownership (about 3 years), owner and head cook Johnny Fratto's breakfast-lunch diner may be the best diner in Syracuse - and it's not on the northside - go figure!
 
 

I honestly didn't know that Nick's even existed, and I've spent a lot of time in Hanover Square. I usually go to Bull & Bear for their Jim Beam burger if I'm down there.

check it out. they're only open b'fast and lunch (it is inside an office building after all). The menu is diner size - something for everyone, and nothing is bad. Most popular are the omelettes and burgers, but soups are made daily, roast beef is cooked on the spot, nothing pre-fab, quality first, profit second, is a motto that has made it Syracuse's best kept secret. IMO, time to let the secret out.
 
Bull and Bear has a better beer selection. I've been there a few times. Good joint.
 
Don't know if you remember Stereo's restaurant. I went to middle and high school with the youngest daughter,. I also knew the family that owned the old men's clothing store. Both are gone now.
 
Nick's Place has been there forever. The place still has the original seafoam green countertops, walls and seating from the 30s. It's a great diner. And, to be honest, until I knew the owner, I didn't know about it either. I never worked downtown, so if it wasn't open in the evenings and on weekends, I didn't know about it.
 
Funny, too, was MAn v. Food at Mother Cupboards - I swear I thought that place closed years ago. Again, since it was a b'fast and lunch place, as well, I'd usually pass by it when it was closed. It always looked abandoned to me. Go figgure!
 
 

I didn't grow up in Syracuse, so I don't remember Stereo's... I think I'd been over here only 3 or 4 times in my life until I graduated high school. I work a couple blocks west of Armory Square, which is two blocks from Nick's... I'll have to get up early one morning and stop in for breakfast.
I still don't know where Mother Cupboards is. Don't ever hear anyone talking about it, never see any ads for it.

Hey SeamusD, Mother's Cupboard is just down the road on James St. maybe 1/4 - 1/8th of a mile from the intersection of Thompson Rd. and James St. in Eastwood.  I went there over Labor Day weekend in 2010 and until I saw a Man v. Food episode featuring Mother's about a week before I had assumed the place was closed as I had always driven by in the afternoon (they only serve breakfast and lunch and close at 1:30pm) when visiting my sister when she lived on Nichols Ave.  
Here's the trip report:  http://www.roadfood.com/F...ND-FINALE-m617005.aspx

Thanks, I've probably driven by it several times and never noticed.
Read your review, Cornell style chicken is probably my favorite also. And funny enough, I'm going to Brooks' BBQ in Oneonta either for dinner tonight or lunch tomorrow.

It seems this burger joint is on or close to a campus. Enclosed is the menu & thread with more info.                 Buddy
http://www.campusfood.com/menu/items.asp?restid=10215&campusid=117&gclid=CJOnu9aDqKwCFcp65QodgTO62A
 
 
 

There's SU and LeMoyne, but they're 2 or 3 miles on surface streets to it.

The Burger Joint is a few blocks from where I live. We ate there when it was Laci's Burger Joint and had a great meal on a beautiful summer day. Haven't been back in a while, I work too damn much to get out and enjoy myself...and no its not anywhere near a campus...Billy I'll back track to your comments on Mother's Cupboard...love that place.

The Burger joint started out as a White Palace Hamburger Restaurant. Still has the porcelain enamel panels (now painted over). Not sure of the original vintage, its been a number of restaurants over the years. Good to see it back to its roots. I'd like to see it busier, but then they would be if I stopped in once in a while...

Thanks Cosmos!  Was in 'Cuse in October and over Christmas but didn't have much time for Roadfooding.  I did manage to make it to the Second North Deli for that wonderful London Broil sandwich and homemade chips and had biscuits with sausage gravy and those awesome home fries at Mother's right after Christmas!  Great as always!