On a Sunday afternoon, the streets of Syracuse’s Armory Square are pretty quiet. The intersection between Clinton and Franklin street appears to be a ghost town. But enter the Empire Brewing Company, a quaint brewery themed to the sights and sounds of New York City, and even on a late afternoon, the pub atmosphere is packed with locals and visitors alike.

Despite resembling a typical New York City pub, the Empire Brewing Company has a menu that spans several continents. Enjoy a spicy but flavorful Moroccan Chili for an appetizer before savoring delicious pastas, mouth-watering burgers, and fantastic Mediterranean flat breads as a main course. The portions here are enormous (and can be a little pricey, especially for college students like myself), so we recommend bringing a friend along to share.

At first, we were afraid that Empire would not offer vegetarian options, as most pub menus feature burgers, sausages, and other carnivore-friendly dishes. Empire not only has an extensive collection of vegetarian entrees and appetizers, but the dishes are so flavorful that friends on campus say they prefer to go meatless at this hopping Syracuse pub.

Lastly, Empire’s dessert options are typical American sweets, mixed with Creme Brulee and other international favorites. Although I have never had dessert at Empire, I am told it tastes just as good as the rest of their offerings.

Perhaps the best part of the Empire Brewing Company is its atmosphere. There is almost always live music ranging from country to traditional rock and roll, and the artifacts hanging around the pub are eye candy to say the least. The pub celebrates New York City, but also has decorations that show the overall culture of the state of New York. Paintings of Syracuse’s Landmark Theater as well as old maps of the Syracuse University campus can be found hanging on the pub’s wooden walls. With colorful decorations and plenty of flat screen TVs for sports games, the brewery can easily be considered a family-friendly restaurant.

We recommend checking out the Empire Brewing Company in Armory Square. For more information, check out their website at http://www.empirebrew.com/