When you’re in Armory Square and you’re in dire need of a sandwich fix, you can always go to Subway — or, you could hit up Darwin Cafe not even a block away for a more satisfying and delicious lunch. Not only is it always better to support a small local business than the large chain, in my opinion anyway, but trying something new is definitely worth the extra few dollars over a $6 foot-long.

Located on North Clinton Street, Darwin’s is a bit of a hike from Armory Square — about five blocks away, around the corner from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. The walk in the bitter Syracuse cold is not fun, but the food is definitely worth the extra effort.

From the curb, the restaurant looks pretty sketchy. The storefront is small, simple and definitely doesn’t do justice to the food inside. As with lots of small businesses with non-existent curb appeal, the real beauty of the restaurant is inside.

Darwin Cafe is unlike any other restaurant I’ve ever eaten in because the menu changes daily. That’s right, every day a new sandwich is added to the menu. It is inspired by its customers, and encourage them to give feedback. A large chalkboard sign posted in the restaurant even says, “Let us know if you’ve had ‘the best sandwich ever’ … it just might end up on our board.”

Claustrophobics may want to have a friend order for them — Darwin’s is the tiniest sandwich shop I’ve ever seen. There’s an aisle wide enough for two people to stand in line to order, and the same thing to pick up. During the lunch rush, it was packed like a tin of sardines, and I could hardly move. There is a miniscule seating area with three tables, but they are literally touching each other, so I suggest making plans for carry-out.

Six sandwich options were available, including one that had already sold out by the time I got there at noon. I ordered the “Hungry Like The Wolf,” a roast beef sandwich, some butternut squash soup and a side of bread.

The food was ready in about 5 to 7 minutes, faster than Panera in my experience. The staff was very friendly when they handed me my sandwich. I had been pouting a little because of the biting wind, so one of the workers tried to cheer me up. Their friendliness went a long way.

The butternut squash soup was thick and had a grainy texture — it was obviously homemade. There were chunks of squash in it along with hints of tomato and celery. I can’t decide if I enjoyed it more on its own or dripping it over the bread.

Kelli Mosher | Staff Photographer

Darwin Cafe has a signed copy of a picture of “The Soup Nazi,” a character in NBC’s 1990’s sitcom, Seinfeld. The Soup Nazi was famous for his delicious soup and his extremely strict ordering policy. It is my humble opinion that Darwin’s soup would have made The Soup Nazi proud.

The sandwich too was delicious. The “Hungry Like A Wolf” was made with roast beef and served with American and cheddar cheese, sautéed bell peppers, mushrooms and onions, A1 sauce and mayonnaise, all on a sesame bun. It was a combination I hadn’t tasted before. It was strange, yet satisfyingly rich and tangy at the same time due to the pairing of the cheese and the A1. The mushrooms were quite good. Sadly, I was too full to eat the whole sandwich and kept most of it for leftovers. I wish I’d gotten some extra soup for leftovers too.

The only thing I would caution customers about when coming to Darwin Cafe is its hours. The cafe is open from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays only. In fact, the first time I tried to visit the cafe, I arrived too late and it was closed. However, in true small business fashion, Darwin Cafe will go to any lengths to satisfy its customers. According to its website, “if you are running late and it’s close to closing time, give us a buzz 373-0484, let us know you’re coming, and we’ll get you served.” I highly doubt Subway or Panera would be half as generous.

Darwin Cafe serves fantastic food that is definitely worth the extra effort to get there on time. I would go again in a heartbeat.

Published on February 28, 2016 at 9:21 pm

Contact: cmrussel@syr.edu | @caseymrussell