The Carrier Circle area in Syracuse is almost like a separate city. Motels are what you find there, and the businesses nearby tend to cater to the traveller. As a result, many people in that area are from out of town. For me, it’s easy to forget how many businesses there are up there, as well as restaurants.

As such, we don’t get to that area very often. But we happened to be near there the other night, and decided to check out Pronto Joey’s for a late-ish meal. As it happens, they were just closing, and they suggested we try Joey’s, the fancier part of their restaurant. We almost balked, as we weren’t looking for a fancy meal. We took a look at the menu, which looked enticing, and hunger won out.

We were pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the staff and the food, which is pretty traditional red sauce Italian. Being somewhat of a snob, and having eaten red sauce South Italian all my life, I’m not always gung-ho about this type of restaurant. But when it’s done right, it’s wonderful. We had eggplant parmigiana as well as fettucine alfredo with pesto, which proved to be a tasty hybrid. The atmosphere is quite nice too, and would be good for a romantic meal.

I’ve lived here for 237 years (or is it 169?), and this was my first time eating there even though they’ve purportedly been in operation for decades. And I’m glad I went; maybe I’ll keep this area in mind for other food expeditions. The waitress called Joey’s the best-kept secret in town, and maybe that’s hyperbole, but they do make a good case for it.

I should add that Justin’s Grill, also in that area, has some very nice food, and on the rare occasions when I crave steak, this is a really good place for it.

Joey’s
6594 Thompson Rd, Syracuse
(315) 432-0315