Growing up on road trips as a kid has made me restless when I haven’t driven long distances in a prolonged time. From car rides starting in Toronto down to Florida, East to Newfoundland, and out West to Vancouver, the freedom of the open roads are one of my favourite ways to travel and see the world. Unfortunately when covid took over in 2020, those road trips took a back-seat for a few years, and I was left pondering where and when my next road trip would be.
Fast-forward now to 2022, road trips are back on the agenda. Hell yeah! Picking my first road trip destination after a two year hiatus was a tough one. The great thing about living in Toronto is that there are a lot of amazing places and cities to travel to that are only a short drive away. So when the opportunity to plan a road trip across the border into the United States came up this Summer, I was more excited than ever!
Check out Unexpected Buffalo. The Complete Travel Guide to Buffalo, Niagara.
If you’re a person like me who loves to merge the two worlds of food and travel together, then the Upstate Eats Trail is the next road trip for you! As the name suggests, this road trip is all about hitting up the diverse and exciting cities of Upstate New York where some of United State’s best bakers, sandwich bakers, and chicken wing shakers all reside! You’ll find a legacy of comfort foods that’s delectable, unforgettable, and best yet… affordable!
We’ll be hitting up four cities on this road trip: Binghamton, Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. The trip I took consisted of four nights and five days starting from Toronto, Ontario. There are two options to take here. You either start from the farthest city from Toronto which is Binghamton which means you’ll have the longest drive on the first day of your trip, or you can start from the closest city from Toronto which is Buffalo. If you start in Buffalo you’ll have the shortest drive on your first day, but the longest drive back home on your final day. The choice is completely up to you depending on your own circumstances and preference. I decided to have my starting point at Binghamton, New York which is around an eight hour drive from Toronto. As the days went on, I would then slowly make my way back driving past Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo before crossing the border back home to Canada.
Here’s how my adventure went and my exact itinerary for this epic Upstate Eats Trail road trip!
To read up on my other travel guides I’ve put together, find them at the links below:
Binghamton
Nestled in the rolling hills of New York’s Souther Tier, out of the four cities for me, this was the one I was the most unfamiliar with. A long time ago it used to be called the “Valley of Opportunity” as multi-national employers like Endicott-Johnson Shoe Factory and IBM thrived and attracted thousands of residents including immigrants from around the world. Those immigrants brought their culinary traditions that continue here to this day.
Consol’s
One of the best pizzas I’ve ever had! Or better known here as a “hot pie.” Based on a family recipe brought over from Italy in 1946, these hot pies have a crispy thin crust with house made sauce topped with a blend of provolone and mozzarella cheeses. I will even go as far to say that their pizzas here are even better than the ones I’ve had in Toronto. They are seriously… amazing!
Apple Hills Cafe
There’s nothing better than eating breakfast out on a farm! From June through October when the farm harvests its acres of raspberries, blueberries, and apple orchards, they open up their cafe to guests serving up their farm-fresh country cooking using the fruits of their labour. There’s nothing pretentious here. Just good breakfast food. Period.
Lupo’s S&S Char Pit
A staple to Binghamton, come here to order some Spiedies - cubed, marinated meat placed on a skewer and grilled. It’s perfectly marinated pieces of chicken on a roll, an institution here since the 1940s. Did you really visit Binghamton if you didn’t have a Speidie?
Little Venice
The pasta sauce here is the star! Only six people have ever prepared the sweet, thick red sauce that has fed this city authentic Italian cuisine since 1946. You basically just need to order any dish that utilizes their pasta sauce, which luckily is most of it! This to me is what an Italian grandmother would make and jar up at home. So good!
Syracuse
Nicknamed “Salt City” from the salt springs lining the southern shore of Onondaga Lake, Syracuse is a picturesque city with distinct and quaint neighbourhoods, a resurgent downtown infused with students from Syracuse University, and some of the most scenic places mother nature has to offer. The nearby cottage town of Skaneateles and the unique crystal-clear green waters at Green Lakes State Park is a must when you visit here. I just couldn’t get enough of this place!
Doug’s Fish Fry
Located in the picturesque town of Skaneateles, fresh fish dinners has been a staple here since 1982. Just about everything here is made in-house from their secret recipe batter that covers every tender and flaky fish dinner down to their tartar sauce. And when you need dessert, all you have to do is head next door for a seasonal fruit sundae at Doug’s Ice Cream!
Bull and Bear Roadhouse
Syracuse’s signature food is the Salt Potato, and you’ll be able to find their famous dish right here that’s also kicked up a notch. The foundation of the salt potato means it’s freshly boiled, salty, small, and topped with melted butter sticks. But over here you’ll get it loaded with pulled pork, bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives becoming its top-seller! Its a twist on a Syracuse staple.
The Original Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
There’s nothing more I love than some good Southern bbq, and you’ll find it here in spades! For more than thirty years, the aroma of brisket cooked low and slow for fourteen hours have covered the city of Syracuse. There’s no better comfort food in the city than what you’ll get here. The restaurant was fully packed when I arrived so I had to wait around 40 minutes before I could get a table. It’s worth the wait!
Heid’s of Liverpool
The quintessential Syracuse Summer hangout, Heid’s features hot dogs from Hofmann Sausage Company which is an iconic Syracuse brand that originated in the 1870s. Choose from a Hofmann’s red frank or a white coney - a particularly juicy hot dog flavoured with spices that give it an extra kick. Top it all off with their secret meat sauce and you got a winner!
Rochester
New York’s third largest city centred around the Genesee River has long been home to innovators and trailblazers where global companies like Kodak and Xerox were born right here. With one of the United State’s oldest public market and New York’s longest running brewery, this city will immerse you in its history and charm. And while you’re here, don’t forget to check out a ball-game!
Rochester Public Market
While the rest of the city sleeps, farmers across Western New York rise in the middle of the night and converge at one of the United State’s oldest public market dating all the way back to 1827! This is the perfect place to seek out some seasonal produce, meat, fish, and other specialties from its 230 vendors.
Nick Tahou Hots
You can’t visit Rochester without trying the city’s signature dish - the garbage plate! Once you get past the name (that is actually trademarked), you’ll enjoy an inexpensive and hearty plate of hot dogs, cold beans, and home fries covered in mustard, onions, and its signature hot meat sauce. Just go in and ask for “a plate with all that garbage on it.” Don’t worry, they won’t be offended.
Abbott’s Frozen Custard
Directly across the street of Ontario Beach Park, you’ll find the most satisfying frozen custard to help you cool down on a hot sunny day. The secret custard recipe that only the company’s CEO and president have access to gives customers a taste of their incredibly creamy, rich custard that needs to be scooped out of a cooler because it’s so dense. This is an essential Rochester Summer experience you can’t pass up on.
Schaller’s Drive-In
Located in an area known historically as “hot dog row” where the collective experience of the various hot dog businesses have more than 200 years experience, Schaller’s Drive-In is a roadside stand you must make a pit-stop at. The hot dogs are sourced from Zweigle’s, a 140-year-old Rochester institution that makes both “red hots” made with pork and beef, and “white hots”, a regional specialty of pork, veal, and a blend of spices.
Genesee Brew House
They have probably one of the best views of any brew house as their rooftop patio overlooks the 96-foot tall waterfall flowing through the heart of the city. This is New York State’s oldest beer maker and has become one of Rochester’s iconic brands and the anchor of the High Falls district for locals and visitors alike.
Frontier Field - Rochester Red Wings
After you finish your pre-drink at Genesee Brew House, if the timing works out I definitely recommend getting tickets to a Rochester Red Wings baseball game at Frontier Field! They are the minor league baseball team to the Washington Nationals who won the World Series in 2019! The best part is you can also get your hands on a Zweigle White Hot if you didn’t get a chance to drive down hot dog row yet.
Buffalo
The city all Torontonians know about when it comes to crossing the border to shop. But after the last few times I’ve visited Buffalo, I’ve learned that it offers so much more than retail therapy. With its distinct neighbourhoods, world-renowned architecture, a thriving arts scene, and a vibrant waterfront, this city has it all! I didn’t even mention yet about all its iconic foods, including you guessed it, the birthplace of the Buffalo wings that are currently enjoyed around the world.
The Original Anchor Bar
If you come dine here, you’ll be walking the steps of history. Only a handful of restaurants created a food that altered the course of culinary culture. The original Anchor Bar in Buffalo lays claim to one of those food icons. It’s home of the Buffalo-style wing which was created by restaurant co-owner Teressa Bellissimo back in 1964! If you can’t tell already, stopping by here is a 100% must!
Parkside Candy
If you have a sweet tooth then making a visit here needs to be part of your itinierary! It’s a meticulously restored candy shop and ice cream parlor dating back to 1927 selling dozens of confections made in the factory directly behind the store. Make sure you get their iconic Sponge Candy - a treat that’s airy, crunchy, with caramelized honeycomb made from sugar, corn syrup, and baking soda covered in chocolate. It also makes for a great souvenir and gift for family and friends too!
Bocce Club Pizza
This longtime, family-owned pizza serves up a classic example of Buffalo-style pizza which features a crust thicker than New York, but thinner than the Chicago deep-dish. It has copious amounts of gooey mozzarella cheese and small pepperoni that cup and char while baking. Just be careful when you first lay your hands on it as it comes out fresh from the oven, piping out! Get ready for a fresh slice of one of the best pizzas out there!
Ted’s Hot Dogs
You can’t visit Buffalo without getting a charcoal broiled, footlong Sahlen’s from this nearly century-old hot dog stand. The claim to fame here are their Sahlen’s hot dogs grilled to perfection over a bed of hardwood charcoal before your very eyes as you line up directly behind the front counter. The charcoal broiling causes the skin of the dogs to darken and snap open, giving it a jolt of flavour worthy of being a Buffalo staple.
Schwabl’s
It’s not very often you go to a restaurant that’s nearly as old as the city itself! Opened all the way back in 1837, you’ll find here one of the best versions of Buffalo’s signature sandwich - Beef on Weck. The sandwich consists of hand-carved roast beef dipped in au jus and served on a salted hard roll studded with caraway seeds known as a “kummelweck.” You’ll be stepping back in time as soon as you walk through those doors!
All these businesses are just a small sample of the amazing food you’ll find on this Upstate Eats Trail. What I loved most about this road trip was not just all of the delicious eats I had, but the majority of them is backed by so much history that makes each of their individual cities unique and captivating in their own ways. I can’t recommend this road trip enough! If there are any other spots you think should be included as a stop in one of these four Upstate New York cities that I missed, please let me know. You bet I’ll be coming back shortly to try even more amazing eats! Load up the trunk and lets go!