16 Incredible Restaurants in Utica, NY You Need to Try
Utica is historically one of the most Italian cities in the country, and Italian-American cooking still sets the table. Four local specialties come up again and again: chicken riggies (chicken and rigatoni in a spicy tomato cream sauce with peppers), Utica greens (escarole with garlic, hot cherry peppers and cheese), tomato pie (a thick, pizza-like pie topped with sauce and grated Parmesan) and half-moon cookies, which trace to a Utica bakery around 1925. Matt Brewing, maker of Utica Club and Saranac, has brewed here since 1888, and Lebanese and Salvadoran kitchens now sit alongside the Italian classics. Restaurants cluster along downtown’s Genesee Street, around Bagg’s Square and the Columbia Street brewery district, and along Culver Avenue.
This guide covers 16 places, from a 1943 Italian dining room on Lansing Street and a Saturday-only family-style supper to a rooftop oyster bar, a Dublin-built Irish pub and a farm-driven kitchen on Main Street. An East Utica landmark that serves food two days a week, Lebanese and Salvadoran cooking and a few good breakfast counters round out the list. Ratings and review counts come from each restaurant’s Google listing in October 2026.
Ventura’s
Ventura’s has served Italian dinners on Lansing Street since 1943, when Marie and Rufus Ventura opened it. Marie ran the kitchen and Rufus worked the room, and the family’s third generation runs the place today. The Yankees are part of the story. Rufus flew a team flag from the roof, full mast after a win and half mast after a loss, and Joe DiMaggio ate here during a golf tournament the restaurant sponsored.
Rated 4.6 stars from more than 500 Google reviews, Ventura’s is a classic Utica Italian dinner. Order the chicken riggies, made with cherry peppers and homemade rigatoni in marinara, or the vodka riggies. Add the greens appetizer, the house special of linguine with shrimp, mushrooms and Alfredo, or a steak. The family marinara is bottled and sold to take home.
The menu is long, covering veal, seafood, pasta, pizza and a Friday haddock dinner, so give yourself time to read it. There is a full bar and a private dining room. The restaurant posts separate lunch, dinner and buffet menus, so check what is running before you go. Prices are moderate for a sit-down Italian meal, and hours vary by day, so call ahead.
Address: 787 Lansing St, Utica, NY 13501
Website: venturas-restaurant.com
Pellettieri Joe’s
Pellettieri Joe’s is at 927 Jay Street in East Utica, where Jay Street meets Pellettieri Avenue. Local press calls it one of Central New York’s oldest restaurants, and it serves family-style Italian food with no butter on the table, because the bread comes with olive oil and grated cheese instead. One of its two owning families retired in 2025, and the Roses, who were already co-owners, are now in charge, saying they plan to keep the food and the feel the same.
With 4.8 stars from more than 300 Google reviews, Joe’s is built around Utica standards. Order the mushroom stew with ziti, the vodka riggies, spaghetti and meatballs or the eggplant Parmigiana. Regulars also name the braciole (rolled, stuffed meat), stuffed hots and roasted sweet and long hots, which are peppers, and the fried bologna sandwich with hot peppers is a local favorite worth trying.
Food is served only on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and listings disagree on closing times, so call (315) 797-1452 before you go. The restaurant is cash only, and there is a parking lot. Go early, because reviewers mention waits for a seat at busy times. Prices are low for the amount of food, and portions are generous enough to share, so it is easy to try several Utica dishes in one sitting.
Address: 927 Jay St, Utica, NY 13501
Trattoria Calabria
Trattoria Calabria at 706 Culver Avenue feels closer to Sunday dinner at a friend’s house than a night out at a restaurant. The owner cooks, hosts and serves a multi-course, family-style Italian meal in a cozy room and stops by the table between courses. There is no menu to order from, because the kitchen decides what comes out, and reviewers say the meal takes about two hours.
Rated 4.9 stars from more than 110 Google reviews, it has one of the highest scores of any Italian restaurant in town. Dinner typically starts with bean soup, bruschetta and an antipasto with marinated tomatoes, then moves on to mussels, eggplant Parmesan, meatballs and sausage in red sauce. Reviewers count seven to nine courses, so arrive hungry and pace yourself, and save room for the ice cream sandwich dessert some diners mention.
Dinner is served on Saturday evenings only, and reservations are required, so call (315) 724-0019 well ahead, since the room is small and walk-ins are not accepted. The restaurant is BYOB, so bring your own wine, and it takes cash only. Reviewers call the fixed price a good value for the amount of food. Details can change, so confirm the date, time and payment rules when you book.
Address: 706 Culver Ave, Utica, NY 13501
Willows of Utica
Willows of Utica is a quiet, fine-dining style dinner house at 900 Culver Avenue, run by chef and owner Luke Barrett. The menu is Italian-American with a polished touch, and the kitchen puts its own spin on Utica greens by building them on romaine instead of the usual escarole. The dining room has a fireplace, and a private room handles larger parties.
With 4.8 stars from more than 200 Google reviews, Willows is a favorite for special occasions. Start with the greens, made with Sicilian sausage, hot cherry peppers and aged Parmesan. Then order the chicken Lukatelli, panko-crusted medallions topped with greens and Fontinella cheese, or the riggies with chicken, sausage or seafood. The filet mignon with bleu cheese and sherry cream is the steak to know.
Reservations are required. Call (315) 765-0271 and leave a message. Dinner is served Wednesday through Saturday with an early last seating, and the restaurant closes for stretches in summer and early fall, so check before you plan a trip. Takeout is available if you order ahead by phone. It is one of the pricier meals in this guide.
Address: 900 Culver Ave, Utica, NY 13501
Website: willowsofutica.com
Portofino Restaurant & Events
Portofino opened in July 2023 on Harbor Lock Road, in the former Aqua Vino’s building on the banks of the Erie Canal, which gives Utica a waterfront dinner option. The dining room mixes classic Italian looks with a modern touch, and an upstairs room handles parties of 15 or more. The menu has a section labeled traditional Utica fare, so it is an easy place to try the local standards in one meal.
Its 4.6-star rating across more than 500 Google reviews rests on large plates of Italian-American cooking. From the Utica section, order the chicken riggies, which add soppressata and olives to the usual peppers and mushrooms, or The Classico, with meatballs and Italian sausage. Other standouts include the Lasagna Portofino, osso bucco ragu, salmon Tuscano and a 32-ounce tomahawk steak.
Dinner is served Wednesday through Saturday, and the website lists OpenTable for reservations, so book ahead on weekends. Ask about seating when you reserve if you want to be near the canal. This is one of the pricier Italian dinners in town. A Girls Night package with a drink, two appetizers and a cannoli per person is also offered.
Address: 16 Harbor Lock Rd, Utica, NY 13502
Website: portofinoutica.com
Ancora
Ancora (Italian for “encore”) is at 261 Genesee Street next to the Stanley Theatre, the 1928 movie palace that is now a performing arts center. Exposed concrete ceilings, stage lighting, an open kitchen and a custom wine tower bar give the room a modern feel. The menu mixes Italian and Mediterranean cooking, with a tapas list and a crepe station.
Rated 4.6 stars from more than 300 Google reviews, Ancora is best for sharing. Start with the fried meatballs, gorgonzola potatoes, arancini (fried rice balls) and parmesan polenta fries. For a main course, diners point to the chicken riggies and the paella, and the kitchen also serves pasta, steaks, seafood and flatbreads. Save room for a crepe.
Reserve through OpenTable or by phone at (315) 724-4815, especially before a show at the Stanley, when the room fills up and can get loud. Dinner is served Monday through Saturday, and the restaurant is closed Sunday, so check hours. Outdoor seating is available in season. Prices are moderate.
Address: 261 Genesee St, Utica, NY 13501
Website: ancorautica.com
Tailor and the Cook
Tailor and the Cook opened in 2012 at 94 Genesee Street in Bagg’s Square West, in a building that once housed the UTK Tailoring Company, which gave the restaurant its name. It moved to 311 Main Street in late 2023, a historic building that was home to the Children’s Museum, with more than 100 seats and a larger bar. The kitchen buys from nearby New York farms and changes the menu with the seasons.
Rated 4.6 stars from more than 800 Google reviews, it is among the most reviewed dinner rooms in the city. Try the East Utica greens, with escarole, cherry peppers, bacon and pecorino, or the chicken riggies on house-made rigatoni. The hand-cut filet, braised short rib mac and cheese and seared scallops are other favorites, and the Saturday-only prime rib is worth planning around.
Reserve on Resy, though walk-ins are accepted. The restaurant serves dinner daily and brunch on Sunday, so check hours. Tapas Tuesday is a weekly special, and a private room called the Hieber Room seats up to 20. There is a lot and street parking. Expect mid to high prices, with steaks and entrées at the top end.
Address: 311 Main St, Utica, NY 13501
Website: tailorandthecook.com
mōtus
mōtus is a modern American gastropub at 234 Genesee Street, created by two chefs who both cooked at Tailor and the Cook. One also worked at Blue Hill at Stone Barns and the other at the Savoy Restaurant in Rome and Turning Stone. Their idea was farm-driven, seasonal cooking that can handle a burger at the bar or a multi-course dinner.
With 4.7 stars from more than 200 Google reviews, mōtus draws diners for a menu that changes regularly. Reviewers single out the duck, scallops and pan-roasted filet mignon, and the house burger with fries is a steady favorite. Finish with the flourless chocolate torte. Rotating beers, wine by the glass and cocktails round out the list.
Dinner is served Wednesday through Saturday, with doors opening at 5 pm and the last seating at 9, and the website has a reservations page, so book ahead for weekends. A prix fixe menu is a good choice for celebrations. It is one of the pricier restaurants in this guide. Hours can shift with the season, so confirm by phone at (315) 624-9090.
Address: 234 Genesee St, Utica, NY 13502
Website: motusutica.com
Ocean Blue Restaurant & Oyster Bar
Ocean Blue is a seafood and steak restaurant in the Landmarc Building at 118 Columbia Street, and it marks ten years in business in 2026. Floor-to-ceiling windows, a large copper bar and an open kitchen fill the main room, and an elevator from the lobby rises to a rooftop deck with views over the city. A chef’s table seats eight in the kitchen.
With 4.4 stars from more than 1,200 Google reviews, it is one of the most reviewed restaurants in town. Start with oysters on the half shell, lobster bisque or New England clam chowder. Then try the crab cake, baked stuffed haddock or a lobster roll, or choose a prime steak. Sunday brunch adds corned beef hash and chicken and waffles, and the warm butter cake is a dessert favorite.
Reserve through OpenTable, especially for the rooftop in warm weather. Dinner is served daily, with happy hour Monday through Saturday and brunch on Sunday, so check hours. There is a lot on site and validated parking at the Radisson garage. Prices run from moderate for sandwiches to high for prime steaks and seafood platters.
Address: Landmark Building, 118 Columbia St, Utica, NY 13502
Website: oceanbluerestaurant.com
Zeina’s Cafe and Catering
Zeina’s Cafe has served Lebanese-style Mediterranean food at 607 Varick Street since 2010, just down the street from the Saranac Brewery. Albert and Layla Zeina cook family recipes passed down for generations, and they travel to Lebanon each year to bring back spices and new ideas. It is a casual, family-run cafe rather than a formal dinner house.
Rated 4.9 stars from more than 700 Google reviews, Zeina’s has one of the strongest reputations in Utica. Order the chicken shawarma with rice and salad, a gyro bowl or the kafta plate. The Lebanese loaded fries and the hummus topped with hashweh (spiced ground meat and nuts) are local favorites, and the baklava is a good way to finish.
Hours are short, with lunch on Wednesday and lunch through early evening Thursday through Saturday. The cafe is closed Sunday through Tuesday, so check before you go. You can order online for takeout, and the cafe also caters. Prices are low to moderate, which makes it an easy lunch stop between sights.
Address: 607 Varick St, Utica, NY 13502
Website: zeinascafe.com
Restaurante El Buen Gusto
Restaurante El Buen Gusto at 1101 Mohawk Street is a small, brightly colored restaurant serving Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Mexican dishes, a reminder that Utica’s food scene reaches well beyond Italian. The menu runs to nearly 60 dishes, from breakfast to grilled meats, and local news has described the Salvadoran cooking as milder than the Mexican side. Dine-in, takeout and delivery are all offered.
Its 4.6-star rating across more than 160 Google reviews comes from a broad menu of Central American and Mexican plates. Start with pupusas (thick griddled corn cakes stuffed with fillings such as cheese and pork) and chicken tamales. Then try the churrasco Guatemalteco (grilled steak), carne asada or a lengua (beef tongue) burrito. Birria tacos, fajitas and breakfast plates also draw praise.
The room is small and parking is limited, so aim for off-peak times if you can. Listings show hours from morning to evening, Monday through Saturday, and the restaurant is closed Sunday, but check before you go. Prices are low, and breakfast is served, which makes it a useful early stop. Reservations are not mentioned, so plan on walking in, or call (315) 922-7761 with questions.
Address: 1101 Mohawk St, Utica, NY 13501
Five Points Public House
Five Points Public House at 623 Columbia Street is a Victorian-era Irish pub that was handcrafted in Dublin, shipped to Utica in three shipping containers in September 2018 and rebuilt here. It has a hand-painted ceiling mural, a mosaic tile floor and a snug for quiet talk. The site was once home to St. Patrick’s, Utica’s first Irish Catholic church, built in 1850.
Rated 4.7 stars from more than 300 Google reviews, the pub serves classics with a local twist. Try the fish and chips in Smithwick’s batter, bangers and mash, shepherd’s pie or the Irish dip with Guinness cheddar. Irish greens, with braised escarole, cabbage, potatoes and corned beef, are a nod to Utica greens. Fried apple logs make a sweet finish.
The pub is open only a few days a week, roughly Wednesday through Friday, and the kitchen closes at 9 pm, so check hours and the pub’s Facebook page for private events. It is connected to the Irish Cultural Center, which has a museum upstairs. Fiddlers and singers perform some nights. Prices are moderate.
Address: 623 Columbia St, Utica, NY 13502
Website: fivepointsutica.com
Gerber’s 1933 Tavern
Gerber’s 1933 Tavern at 16 Liberty Street, in downtown Utica’s Bagg’s Square West, is a small tavern with a speakeasy feel. The brick building dates to the 1840s, when it was a seed warehouse beside the original Erie Canal, and drinks were still poured here during Prohibition. The name honors 1933, the year Prohibition ended. Gerber’s Grill closed in 1976, and the space sat empty until the tavern reopened in 2013 with its original bar, light fixtures and front sign preserved.
With 4.7 stars from more than 300 Google reviews, Gerber’s is known for its atmosphere, but the kitchen holds its own. The small menu includes a Reuben, a burger, a chicken sandwich and a fried bologna sandwich, plus a Lebanese platter, and the late-night meatballs have a following. Craft beer, cocktails and wine fill out the drinks list, and live music turns up some nights.
Gerber’s keeps evening hours, generally Wednesday through Saturday, with a later closing on Friday and Saturday, so check before you go. It is a popular stop before Utica Comets hockey games at the nearby arena. The room is small, so arrive early on busy nights. Prices are moderate.
Address: 16 Liberty St, Utica, NY 13502
Bagel Grove
Bagel Grove opened in September 1988 on Burrstone Road as Utica’s first authentic bagelry, after an electrical engineer named Ed Grove left a job at GE to make bagels. The dough is made from scratch on site, and the bagels are boiled and baked by hand. Anne Wadsworth bought the shop in 2016, after more than a decade working there.
Rated 4.5 stars from 400 Google reviews, Bagel Grove is a long-running morning stop in the Mohawk Valley. Order an everything bagel, or look for the rotating Bonanza flavor. The shop makes about 14 varieties, including Asiago cheese, cinnamon raisin and Saratoga Sunshine. Cream cheeses range from honey walnut to jalapeño, and breakfast sandwiches include the Scromelette, with egg, pepperoni, chive and mozzarella.
Hours are mornings only, closing around noon, and the shop is closed Monday and Tuesday, so check before you go. You can order for pickup or local delivery within about 10 miles, and bagels ship nationwide. Prices are low. Go early on weekends for the best choice of flavors, and ask about the rotating Bonanza bagel.
Address: 7 Burrstone Rd, Utica, NY 13502
Website: bagelgrove.com
Top of the Morning Cafe
Top of the Morning Cafe is a breakfast spot in Triangle Plaza at 414 Trenton Road, in North Utica. The room is homey and busy, and the menu is built around big omelets, eggs Benedict and frittatas. Listings describe it as a daytime diner with a laid-back feel, and the kitchen also turns out sandwiches, salads and a beer-battered fish fry.
Rated 4.5 stars from more than 900 Google reviews, it draws a steady crowd for hearty plates. Try the Monte Cristo Benedict, corned beef hash or the sausage and cheese omelet. The meat lovers frittata and Georges Big Boy are other favorites, and portions are large. Service is quick even when the room is full.
The cafe opens early in the morning and closes in the early afternoon, so go before lunch. Expect a wait when it is busy, though the kitchen moves fast. Prices are low. Reservations are not mentioned, so plan on walking in, and check hours before you go, since weekday and weekend hours differ slightly.
Address: 414 Trenton Rd, Utica, NY 13502
Marr-Logg House
Marr-Logg House at 1130 Culver Avenue is a breakfast and lunch spot that has served Utica for decades. John Marraffa opened it in 1972 on Kellogg Road in New Hartford and moved it to Culver Avenue in 1987, and a New York State Senate resolution marked its 50th anniversary in 2022. The dining room is spacious, with booths and tables, and the feel is classic and unfussy.
Rated 4.7 stars from more than 200 Google reviews, it is known for classic breakfast plates. Order the eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy, a breakfast burrito or a short stack of pancakes. Locals also recommend the giambotti, a Utica breakfast of scrambled eggs, Italian sausage, home fries, greens and peppers, and a cannoli pancake turns up when it is on. Omelets come in mushroom, western and cheese versions.
It serves breakfast and lunch only, closing in the early afternoon on weekdays and late morning on weekends, and it is closed Monday, so check hours before you go. Prices are low, though a few reviewers find them a bit high. Arrive early on weekends, when it is busiest, or come off-peak, since the big room seats many. Takeout is available.
Address: 1130 Culver Ave, Utica, NY 13501
Final Thoughts
Utica restaurants often keep short weeks, with dinner service from Wednesday or Thursday through Saturday, and a few close for stretches, so check hours or call before you go. Pellettieri Joe’s serves food only on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and Trattoria Calabria only on Saturday evenings. Book the larger rooms such as Tailor and the Cook, Ancora, Ocean Blue and Portofino through Resy or OpenTable, and phone the small family places, some of which take cash only. Breakfast spots open early and close by early afternoon, so plan those meals for the morning. Ocean Blue and Tailor and the Cook both have parking lots, and the rooftop and canal views are best in warm weather. To take Utica flavor home, Ventura’s sells its marinara and Bagel Grove ships bagels nationwide.
Planning the rest of your trip? See our guide to the best things to do in Utica, NY.
Main photo, from left: gabbiistudios, Saahil Khatkhate and M. Cooper / Unsplash
