The Evergreen has it All
What I thought was going to be a quiet Wednesday evening in Hanover Square, ended up being a surprisingly wonderful experience. It was just after five o’clock as I was walking towards The Evergreen, which is situated at 125 E. Water St. in Syracuse, as I noticed the streets and Hanover Square bustling with trucks and film crews. A new film by American High film studios staring Vince Vaughn (Wedding Crashers, Dodgeball, The Internship) was setting up for a massive shoot just across the street in the beautiful park area that makes up Hanover Square.
Photo By: Joseph Livshin
The main entrance on Water St. has a beautiful and large patio set up for those who want to enjoy the street atmosphere of downtown Syracuse. As you walk in, you are greeted with a beautiful bar and dinning area that has an outdoorsy feel. With reclaimed wood style trim around the entire place and thick, hardwood tables and a cozy atmosphere, you instantly become drawn into the inviting nature of this pub. Even the bathrooms keep that inviting nature with the walls covered in reclaimed wood framed photographs and fliers.
Photo By: Joseph Livshin
If you are a craft beer fan this is the place to go. The Evergreen keeps 20 micro craft beers on tap but only keep one keg on hand. This allows them to constantly rotate what they carry. The craft beer folks are always looking for the newest and greatest, so this helps to keep them on their toes. In addition to the brews in tap, they also keep over 40 varieties on hand in cans and bottles. Not a fan of the craft beer? They have you covered as well with their “fitness beers.” These are your traditional beers such as Bud Light and Michelob Ultra. As a fan of these it makes me feel even better knowing i’m getting a workout as I drink (sarcasm but not). On this day, I decided to do the $12 flights which allowed me to try four brews of my choosing from the tap beer list. The amazing bartender Kate helped me pick some of her favorites. All four were amazing in their own way(check out the links in the photo description for each beer). I especially like the Grimm Festooning (more of an Octoberfest style brew) which was a very crisp amber lager with hints of honey and caramel. I was also a fan of the Pom Pom Posh, which was more of a Weisse style beer which has a terrific blend of pomegranate and passionfruit which gave it a perfect amount of tartness.
After trying these amazing brews, it was time for the food. The menu has a little bit of everything for everyone. The traditional appetizers mixed with new age vegan offerings to the burgers and salads with a little twist. Most of the menu is also said to be locally sourced which helps give it that home town feel. I was blown away with the poutine bowl. The crisp beer battered fries were loaded down with the perfect amount of red wine mushroom gravy and local cheese curds. Not too soggy and not too crispy. After I finished my meal off with a traditional sirloin burger (without the lettuce, tomato and onions ofcourse) with their beer battered fries. The burger was perfectly cooked with the perfect amount of juiciness and topped with yellow American cheese on a fresh baked brioche bun. Again, the fries were done with the right amount of crispiness and seasoning.
What I loved about this place was it was perfect for everyone. Where you are someone who works downtown looking for food and drink after work, someone looking for a perfect date night place or just out with your friends, The Evergreen delivers a perfect experience. Even when the crowed began to grow toward the later part of the evening, the staff kept everything running smoothly. The prices were just right, the staff (especially Kate) were friendly and helpful and the place was clean and inviting. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a great experience in a traditionally overlooked part of downtown.