Gerber’s 1933 Tavern

Stopped at this restaurant when looking for something close to the thruway. Food was pretty good, service was excellent, restaurant seemed clean. The menu and the dining room are very small. Only 6 or 7 items on the entire menu and maybe 8 4-​tops. There seemed to be mostly «regulars» in there which I take as a good sign. We didn’t consume alcohol on this trip but they had some wonderful looking drink specials (ie Old Fashioned, Moscow Mule, etc)
My meal: Caprese salad (good) and BBQ beef sandwich (average). The sandwich came on brioche which didn’t have the density to stand up to the meat on the sandwich, causing it to be a bit soggy but had good flavor. The BBQ sauce was tangy and not at all sweet.
My dining guest’s meal: Chicken stew with buttered bread. He’s a man of few words but said it was good and finished his plate.

Small historic place with good food and great atmosphere. Very uncrowded. Sat at the bar and had a really good roast beef sandwich. Let the bartender talk me into bread pudding for dessert and it didn’t disappoint (although we did discuss them trying my Amaretto Butter sauce instead of the caramel sauce) :-).
Ended talking with the owner and the bartender/​server about all kinds of things. A very enjoyable evening for a solo business traveler

My boyfriend and I finally had dinner here after stopping in for just drinks a few times in the past.
They had two specials that night he got the steak dish with spinach and mashed potatoes and I had shrimp and scallops over raviolis in a white creamy sauce on top of a bed of cooked spinach (I wish I could remember what the saucewas called)
I absolutely loved my dish, I couldn’t believe the generous amount of shrimp and scallops that were on top of the nearly 8 large raviolis. With some help I was able to finish it.
Of course I had to try a bite of the steak special, melt in your mouth tender with perfect amount of seasoning and a slight char-​grilled taste which I loved!
Very welcoming and friendly staff!
Next time I will save room for the cheesecake.

We are sitting here at the bar, waiting for a table on our third visit to Gerbers. That should be an indication of my opinion of this cool joint. It has become our go to place when visiting Utica. Excellent food, great atmosphere, cold Utica Club on tap. Mark, the owner, has resurrected a time capsule from when Utica was a bustling city filled with guys (and gals) who made things.
The place is packed on a Saturday night but the wait is worth it. He also has a very good staff. Check online for the menu and specials are on the board. You cannot cannot go wrong here. I hope Gerbers is around for a loooong time.

old fashioned drinks, well an attempt. Not paying attention to finer details. The lighting is wrong. Feels very sterile.

Very very cool place. Everything inside is as it was 100 years ago. Menu is simple but offers enough variety to make it interesting. The bologna sandwich with long peppers was unbelievably good. The grill cheese rocks. The potato salad is second to none. If u r passing through or in the area u must go here!

I was in Utica for a week and a classmate of mine suggested I try Gerber’s. I am so happy I took her advice. When I entered, it was like I wasn’t dressed appropriately enough for the tavern. I wasn’t in a flapper get up. It was mesmerizing. I think this was in part because I love speakeasies and the 1920s.
The menu is simple, but lovely. I ordered the hot pastrami on rye. I chose the noodle salad, after much debate. The server told me that he had just personally made the potato salad, but I opted to try the noodle since the other side was potato chips and I didn’t want two potatoes on my plate. I also ordered a Saranac Ginger Beer, which is non-​alcoholic. I not only fell in love with the place, but I also fell in love with the local pop.
The sandwich came out and the pastrami was piled high. I tasted the noodle salad and immediately realized that there were olives in it, and olive juice. I’m not big on olives and actually hate the taste of them. I kept taking small bites, and eventually the noodle salad grew on me.
The service was great. At the table, they had fantastic hot mustard, which perfectly paired with the pastrami of course.
After dinner, I went to the bar where I had the local Utica Club, and then tried some other local beers. I wish I would have been in a better mood in trying one of their 1920s cocktails. The bartender, which turned out to be Mark, the owner, was delightful. He told me the story of how he came to open Gerber’s following his first career. He had saved the building after years of being unoccupied. Everything is original. It is a gem. He even found artifacts and the old menu from the 1920s. He was very friendly and we really had great conversation.
I highly recommend this place. It is like stepping into a little piece of heaven on Earth.

Mark and JD made it very welcome dinner and great beers with a great crowd of people.
You should go there

Lovely little spot, with pretty good food and a great atmosphere. Wonderfully welcoming crowd.

Great food, great service! The owner checked in with us multiple times, asking if everything was ok. Nice to see a business that cares about its customers’ experience. Not to mention the fact that their food is incredible and very affordable! Will definitely go back.

Service was good, atmosphere was relaxing and I finally got a burger the way I ordered it. They have Utica Club on tap, So that’s good enough for 5 stars on its own!

Best grilled cheese I have ever had. Add bacon and red onions, you won’t regret it. Been a dozen times And always greeted by name. Saranac legacy is the perfect complement. Owner is very hospitable. I will continue to make it my fav lunch spot.

Gerber’s is exactly what I wanted it to be. The warm atmosphere makes you want to stay for hours. The staff were helpful and friendly.
I ordered a blue moon and it came out crisp and cold as it should.
I’m always nervous ordering a $ 12 burger that comes plain on a bun, yet the extra money for the toppings became a distant memory the moment I bit into the soft, fresh, brioche roll. I’ve never had a burger this good.
To finish off your meal, be sure to try their bread pudding. You’ll leave smiling.

Walked into a pub with no frills nothing much to look at. Sat at the bar that was unattended & waited while the server was chatting with friends? Waited some more, a few more people sat & finally server stopped his convo to tend bar!!! Gee thanks for noticing us!
Server had to ask twice what we ordered to drink, got the menus. No burgers until after 5pm!
Waited over 15 minutes for two roast beef sandys that were served with the bottom of the bag of chips, plus side of uncooked potato salad.
Waited once again for the check & server once again had to ask what beer we drank to ring up the tab.
Should of went with the gut to leave after the 15 minute wait for two beers!

While visiting utica on a business trip I found this little gem. The owner and blond bartender were very friendly and the atmosphere was very welcoming. The hot pastrami sandwich was amazing!!! I highly recommend this place if u want somewhere to go that is laid back, fairly quiet with excellent food and service. I will 100% be back if I visit utica again in the future.

Great food and drink with service that is friendly and personable. The bartenders mix great drinks and the wine selection is solid. If you’re a meat eater, go for the meatloaf — it’s amazing! If you are in the mood for fish, the seared tuna is excellent. Even the sides are terrific — mashed cauliflower is so tasty, and the tuna is served on a version of succotash which is mouthwatering.
On to dessert. Gerber’s is known for it’s bread pudding… And for great reason. Dense, creamy, and finished with fresh ground nutmeg. Close your eyes and be in heaven! The pound cake cheesecake was a great surprise, clearly house made and delicious.
It’s a friendly home town establishment who recognized us our second time there. It’s small and cozy with lots of ‘30s charm. It’s a great fit for Utica and Bagg’s Square. We’ll be going again and again. See you there!

I don’t know what you like, but I like this place. This place is exactly what it should be; what more places ought to be. Great throwback to another time. Simple. UC on tap (and more). Tasty sandwiches from friendly folks. If you’re going to be in Utica, stop on by.

5 stars for the owner for saving this little nugget of history.
I met a business contact here for a couple of beers and a sandwich and was very impressed. The Utica Club on tap was fresh & very cold. The pastrami I had was impressive. The half-​sour pickles that were served with the sandwich were some of the best I’ve ever had (thats a lot of pickles by the way). I could’ve eaten a gallon of the coleslaw.
The server at the bar that night (Rachel) was a true joy to talk with offering some great insight to a nice city that seems to be on it’s way back. This was my first trip to Utica and I will go out of my way to return so I can sit at this bar and have a sandwich & a beer.
If you’re in Utica or driving on 90… you need to stop in here… the owners & staff deserve your patronage.

If you want a simple, no thrills place to have a drink and be reminded of «the good ol’ days» then head to Gerber’s. Visited here prior to dinner at a different restaurant in the area over the Thanksgiving holiday. We didn’t eat here, but they were offering a «quick» menu for those heading to the Utica Comets game, which I thought was great.
A nice selections of both spirits and beers, and the service was great. It was nice to go to a bar that had an old timey charm and was quiet enough you could actually sit and have a conversation with the people you were with.

This is a small place to grab a nice cocktail. They have worked very hard to keep their bar in the 1933 era, old timey vinyl, no tvs, chatty bartenders who can make a drink and if you like this kinda stuff– fried bologna sandwiches with long hots. It can feel a bit stale some nights but when there is a crowd Gerber’s is a cool place to be.