Chicken wings smoked low and slow, finished on the grill, sauced to order. Dinosaur's 1905 Erie Railroad station location on Court St serves the wings that made the chain famous outside Syracuse. Smoke-first distinguishes these from Buffalo-style fry-first wings.
Where to eat it: 1 restaurant across 1 city.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que was founded in Syracuse in 1983 as a motorcycle-rally canteen. The Rochester location opened in 2005 in the restored 1905 Erie Railroad station on Court St. The wings are the most-ordered item at both locations: coated in a spice rub, smoked in the pit, then finished on a charcoal grill and sauced. The smoke-first approach produces a different texture and flavor profile than the Buffalo tradition of frying raw wings. Dinosaur's house rubs rotate seasonally.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Tip from the editors. The smoke phase is non-negotiable. Wings that go straight to the grill are just grilled wings; the smoke is what makes them Dinosaur-style.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on Court St is open until midnight on weekends in the downtown railroad station, one of the few late full-kitchen options downtown.
Tip: Kitchen closes at midnight on Friday and Saturday. Live blues runs until 00:00 on weekends. The bar itself may stay open later than the kitchen; confirm on arrival.
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