While Colgate might be in the middle of nowhere, our little Hamilton bubble has a surprisingly large amount of essential eats that every student must try at some point before graduation. Everyone loves a good slice from New York Pizzeria or an infamous Chipwich, but that is just the start of must-try Hamilton foods. So, what are you waiting for? Head downtown and devour yourself into a MacDaddy; you'll have no regrets...
Tollhouse Cookie Pie (Various Locations)
A classic cookie pie is easily the most popular Hamilton desert. Find it all over town at the Colgate Inn, Clubhouse, Hamilton Inn, or Flour and Salt. You might as well try it everywhere since it's that good!
Buffalo Wings (Rusch's)
Wings are a classic upstate snack and can be found all over Hamilton in many varieties. The wings at Rusch's Sport Bar are probably the most popular about town with classic homemade sauces and a fun sport bar vibe.
MacDaddy (Eatery)
Oh the MacDaddy, a student favorite for both its name and contents. This sandwich is truly an essential eat! Imagine really good mac and cheese, then imagine really good mac and cheese placed inside a grilled cheese sandwich- that's a MacDaddy and it's a real treat!
Back-to-Bed (Rye Berry)
Rye Berry has a number of great classic breakfast entries, but the Back-to-Bed stands out as a Saturday morning favorite for students. The sandwich has 3 slices of bread and two layers of egg, bacon, sausage, ham, cheese, and a spicy mayo sauce. It's almost too thick to bite all the way into!
Cheeky Monkey Wrap (Hamilton Whole Foods)
For a nice healthy reprieve, the Cheeky Monkey Wrap is fun and fresh. The whole wheat wrap is filled with tabouleh, chick peas, raisins, peanuts, provolone and a special sauce which is then toasted as a panini. The whole combo is heavenly!
Chipwich (Byrne Dairy)
The tired and true Colgate Chipwich is a longstanding tradition in the admission office for prospective students and remains the school's go-to treat. Head to Byrne Dairy to find a cooler filled up with many different varieties of the yummy ice cream treat. Would 10/10 recommend the Browniewich!
Chicken Tikka Masala (Royal Indian Grill)
Royal Indian Grill or Rig never disappoints and its Chicken Tikka Masala is easily the go-to favorite of most students. Chicken is dunked in a rich tomato and curry sauce that is filled with flavor. Pair it with a large order of naan for the ultimate meal!
Big Willy (Eatery)
Another Eatery classic, the Big Willy is essentially a turkey club with avocado that is grilled to perfection. Everyone knows that avocado makes everything better, so this sandwich is truly a delight!
Rigatoni Alla Vodka (Oliveri's)
Oliveri's prides itself in their house-made sauces, and I can tell you, their vodka sauce does not disappoint! The sauce is made with prosciutto which adds an amazing flavor and richness. They pour a literal gallon over the pasta making the dish a real treat!
Spoon Tip: For the ultimate cheesy hack, ask to get melted mozzarella on top of the pasta. Cheese pull time!
BEC (Flour and Salt)
Everyone loves a good old bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich! At Flour and Salt, this is actually not on their menu, so you have to "make your own". However, their bagels are fabulous and the combo works perfectly as a Sunday morning brunch.
Banana Peanut Butter Soy Smoothie (Hamilton Whole Foods)
Oh oh oh, this is so creamy and delicious! And it's vegan! Whole Foods never lets us down!
Burger (Good Nature Brewery)
Good Nature might be more known for their in-house beer, but their food is also a highlight. Their gourmet grass fed burger is topped with homemade beer cheese sauce, thick cut bacon, onions and greens. Makes for a tasty brewery delight!
Ice Cream Sundae (Maxwell's)
Go big or go home with a massive sundae from Maxwell's. Everyone has to at least try to finish one at some point, but be aware, it's difficult! Choose from an array of flavors or create your own masterpiece.
Mozzarella Sticks (New York Pizzeria AKA Slices)
Mozzarella sticks are some of life's best guilty pleasures. Who doesn't love sticks of fried cheese? At slices, I highly recommend dipping them into one of their many delicious sauces such as ranch or buffalo sauce.
Cinnamon Bun (Rye Berry)
Never underestimate a cinnamon bun that's literally the size of your face! The fluffy frosting-covered goodness is the ultimate breakfast treat for any sweet tooth. Think Cinnabon, but homemade- yum!
Flurry (Byrne Dairy)
Byrne Dairy has their own take on MacDonald's famous McFlurries. Choose from a range of candy flavored mixtures such as Oreos, M&Ms, or Reese's. The toppings are mixed into creamy soft serve ice cream and served in a generous portion.
The Hal (Flour and Salt)
The Hal is the classic New York lox bagel alla Hamilton style. Flour and Salt uses pastrami cured smoked salmon which is to-die for and puts it on a fresh rosemary salt bagel along with the usual fixings of onions, capers, tomatoes, and cream cheese.
Chicken Parmesan (Clubhouse)
This chicken parmesan is divine and that is coming from a chicken parmesan enthusiast. The Clubhouse serves you a generous portion of penne pasta, creamy tomato sauce and perfectly breaded cheesy chicken. They somehow get the ratio spot-on and thankfully, the serving is huge enough that it is perfect for leftovers.
Raider Passion Ice Cream (Originally from Gilligan's)
Seriously the best ice cream ever! Gilligan's mixes chunks of red velvet cake (frosting included), Oreos and chocolate syrup into vanilla ice cream. Maxwell's has it every once and awhile, but the Colgate Inn always does since they top their famous tollhouse pie with it!
Buttermilk Pancakes (Colgate Inn)
Perfectly fluffy and favorable, these pancakes are a Colgate favorite. Get them topped with berries and real maple syrup for the perfect breakfast.
Beignets (Good Nature Brewery)
The brewery makes divine beignets which are little fried french donuts dusted in powdered sugar. For the perfect after-dinner treat, grab an order of these and sit outside and enjoy the fabulous Brewery atmosphere!
Jug Dog (The Old Stone Jug)
Just kidding, try at your own risk!
A Good Old Plain Slice of Pizza (Slices)
If you leave Colgate without ever trying a slice from slices (at 2 am...), you never actually graduated. Everyone has to have a slice at some point in their Colgate career, and it has to of course come plain! The slice has a perfect ratio of cheese and sauce, and comes at the college-friendly price of 1.75$ each. Unfortunately, with that price, you might have to get two or three slices!