Crooked Cattle scheduled to open in early 202 SYRACUSE — Whether it is an award-winning burger or a stellar sandwich, Matt Beach just wants to feed customers. Early next year, he hopes to do that from his second Syracuse restaurant, Crooked Cattle, which will feature a new menu including a roast-beef sandwich that honors the […]
Crooked Cattle scheduled to open in early 202
SYRACUSE — Whether it is an award-winning burger or a stellar sandwich, Matt Beach just wants to feed customers.
Early next year, he hopes to do that from his second Syracuse restaurant, Crooked Cattle, which will feature a new menu including a roast-beef sandwich that honors the one made famous by Clark’s Ale House.
“It’s always been a goal or a vision or a dream to own multiple restaurants,” Beach says. He already owns and operates Ale ‘n Angus, which opened in 2005 and serves up black angus beef burgers and American pub fare.
Located on Harrison Street, Ale ‘n Angus is just half a mile from where Crooked Cattle will open at 290 W. Jefferson St. in Armory Square — in leased space once home to a Starbucks. It was important for two locations to be close, Beach says, so he can travel easily between them.
He also liked the idea of having a location in Armory Square to help revitalize that area. “Armory Square has always been a destination location in downtown Syracuse,” he says. While the area was in its heyday 15 or 20 years ago, it feels like it has taken a backseat to other parts of the city more recently. Beach wants to do his part to bring it back to life.
“Syracuse itself needs more locally owned and operated business,” he contends.
Enter Crooked Cattle. The name is a play on Beach’s unique approach to food, including pairing foods not typically seen together or inverting a burger roll because it works better that way.
“A lot of what we’re doing is paying homage to Clark’s Ale House,” he says. A Syracuse staple for years, Clark’s served up a variety of sandwiches including a roast-beef sandwich that Beach is working to recreate.
“We’ve done our research extensively,” he says. From the rolls to the beef, the red onions to the extra spicy horseradish, Beach believes he has mastered the recipe.
While the Crooked Cattle menu is still a work in progress, it will feature other sandwiches, soups, and appetizers. He plans to keep the menu relatively small, with as few as 12 items. “We’re going to master those 12 items and be the best at them,” he says.
Beach is currently working to renovate the 2,450-square-foot space, which Starbucks cleaned out before leaving.
“It’s basically a blank slate,” he says. His concept for Crooked Cattle is rustic with features like a live-edge wooden bar and weathered galvanized steel. “It’s not a night club,” he says. “It’s not a dive bar.”
Beach hopes renovations will be done in time for an early 2025 opening.
“There have been many bumps in the road,” he says of the renovation process. “I’m going to open when I’m 100 percent ready.”
Hours aren’t set yet, but Beach hopes to draw a good lunch crowd. Like Ale ‘n Angus, Crooked Cattle will have limited hours. He plans to work with delivery services like Grubhub and DoorDash to increase his reach. “Yes, they take their percentage, but I’d rather have them take a little percentage than not get sales at all,” he says.
Beach is already talking with the city about using the neighboring Shot Clock Park for outdoor seating. The restaurant will also be dog friendly, catering to the approximately 60 percent of downtown residents that own a dog, he adds.
