Community gathering space Harvey’s Garden showcases the best local craft beers
Community gathering space Harvey's Garden showcases the best local beer
Harvey’s Garden is self-declared as Syracuse’s backyard party. The new beer hall, which opened January 1, is located on East Water Street in an old warehouse which has been newly renovated into a two-story bar with the latest and greatest in beer tap technology.
Just two blocks past The 505 On Walnut, a popular SU student housing apartment complex, Harvey’s Garden is the perfect spot for a casual drink with friends. They have everything you could want in a beer hall: 24 rotating taps of different New England and Central New York brewed beers, a full bar and three refrigerators stocked with other alcoholic and nonalcoholic options.
What makes Harvey’s stand out from other beer halls in the area is their use of the self-pour technology, PourMyBeer. PourMyBeer is a beer tap technology that allows customers to start a tab at the bar, and use a plastic swipe card at the beer wall to unlock the 24 beer taps to self-pour any of the options you want, paying only by the ounce.
Ryan Sahm, the general manager and managing partner of Harvey’s Gardens, says that they are the only beer hall in the Central New York area to utilize this technology.
“In a full-fledged beer hall kind of concept, I don’t know that there is one yet in the Central New York area,” Sahm said. “We are the first one to combine the food truck park plus the beer hall wall.”
The beer wall technology is perfect for casual drinks with friends. The beers are incredibly affordable. You never have to pay for more than you want to drink, and you never have to wait at the bar to get served.
When you walk into Harvey’s, you are immediately welcomed in by the friendly atmosphere and knowledgeable staff, who will happily explain to you exactly how to use the technology and what is offered. Ask them for their recommendation, and they will give it to you without question.
The hall was designed with the history of Syracuse in mind, basing the name and the decor on that of the first mayor of Syracuse, Harvey Baldwin. Baldwin is known for his idea of covering the city of Syracuse in hanging gardens, and when you walk into the warehouse-turned-beer hall, it is clear they took this to heart. Greenery covers the entire warehouse, with plants draped over the beer tap, hanging from the ceilings and walls, and even in the bathrooms.
Harvey’s is two floors, with an open concept full of low-top and high-top seating options. There are TV’s on both floors, and windows across the bottom floor making the space very bright.
Harvey’s does not sell food in-house, but instead they employ the local food trucks of Syracuse to provide food to customers. Sahm says right now there are only seven year-round operating food trucks, and they park outside of Harvey’s on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. These trucks include everything from gourmet grilled cheese, to Filipino fusion food. He said this will become more frequent as the weather gets warmer.
“I know a lot of trucks are coming out early because we are open,” Sahm said. “So we will start seeing regular traffic as food trucks go by the end of March.”
Sahm said he is working to get more events on the calendar at Harvey’s, but currently he has a few days a week dedicated to giving back to the community. Mondays at Harvey’s are known as Charity Monday, and half of all proceeds go to the charity honored that week. Tuesdays are First Responders Day, where everything is 25% off for first responders. On Wednesdays, Harvey’s hosts Trivia. Along with all of this, there is a Happy Hour Monday through Thursday, where everything on the beer wall is 25% off.
Harvey’s Garden is a great new neighborhood joint. It is perfect for a quick drink, or to watch a game on the TVs. It is family friendly, and the atmosphere and technology makes you want to come back for more. And, as the summer inches closer, Sahm said there will be live music, and more events to come.
“Now we just need to get through this last month and a half of winter, and get geared up for summer time,” Sahm said. “A lot of the stuff I want to do is outdoor-oriented.”
Head to the Harvey’s Gardens website to see what beers they have on tap, a full schedule of events and their upcoming food truck schedule. Harvey’s is open everyday of the week, check out their hours, and their pricing here.
is a magazine senior from Swampscott, Mass., and a digital producer for The NewsHouse.
