Dewittshire Taverne (Club Scene)

From the moment one walks to the door, anyone can tell that the Dewittshire Taverne is full of life. With a central location and the atmosphere that any local can enjoy, the tavern is set for anyone to have a good time.

Located on the corner of Erie and Thompson, The Dewitt Shire Taverne is a live music and food venue. The location is conveniently located near both LeMoyne College and Syracuse University.

“We are quickly becoming the premier live music venue, not only can nearly everyone in the bar watch the band, but when its time no matter where you are in the bar you are only about 15 feet from the bar,” states the tavern’s Myspace page; http://www.myspace.com/dewittshire.

Tom Hartlieb, who has owned the tavern for almost 5 years, takes pride in his business. Even though he is a teacher by trade and has been in construction, his passion is bartending.

“I’ve always said, if you love it, you’ll be good at it, so I took a shot at a dream,” claims Hartlieb. As his passion lies in bartending, he finds himself behind the bar a lot. He does a lot of the cooking in the tavern as well as serves drinks often.

“I do that just so I remember what I’m doing,” states Hartlieb.

Hartlieb got his start when he was only 18 and working as security at a night club. He has also managed a country club.

When Hartlieb purchase the tavern, it was kind of in disrepair. “I pretty much built it from the ground up,” says Hartlieb.

“It’s in a great location and has great parking and the college is just right up the road,” brags Hartlieb.

“Although we have a lot of college students who comes here, we also have the everyday local who comes here as well,” states Hartlieb about the patronage. The tavern is definitely set for a local crowd.

There is a full bar available for patrons. This includes draft of Saranac, Yuengling, Labatt Blue, and pretty much all the other basics. Tons of beer taps makes for great specials like dollar pitchers on Friday nights. Its called Killakeg Fridays and it starts at 8pm.

The tavern has Tuesday nights as college night. Every other Thursday is trivia night. And there is even an open mic night.

Although we kept the menu simple, we’re not simple,” states Hartlieb. He takes pride in his food. He buys from local vendors. And everything is fresh.

“Give the smaller places a chance and keep your money local,” says Hartlieb.

Being fully staffed, Hartlieb brags about the fact that even though his tavern is a neighborhood social spot, his bartenders can pretty much make anything that his customers want. “However, it’s not just serving booze and making a sandwich,” says Hartlieb about his customer service.

The tavern has a full bar with plenty of places to sit. There are 5 good sized tables with approximate seating for 30.

There are also two TVs, a small pool table, an electronic juke box, darts, and even a boxing machine for entertainment. Hartlieb put in a small stage for the live music acts. There is also an ATM on the premises for the convenience of customers.

The hand written menu is located opposite the bar posted high on the wall. The menu consists of many simple bar foods such as fries, onion rings, and cheese sticks. Patrons can also order fried mushrooms, burgers, wings, and even an 8 oz steak sandwich for only $8. There are also burgers available as well as hot dogs and chicken sandwiches.

By Alisha Tondro, for Table Hopping – with Central New York Nightlife!

Published in November 2010 in Syracuse, NY

http://www.table-hopping.com/articles/Nov10clubscene.html