In response to a comment by "Exposing Cinguliar"…
“Sometimes I just want to stop by somewhere and get takeout so I don't have to cook when I get home. But everything I have tried has been, well, horrible. This is my first year in Binghamton and I learned early that the food is not great, so I don't eat out too much, but the only food I have found to be worth returning to is China Lake and Lost Dog, neither of which are take out type places. Does anyone have any suggestions?”
To be honest, I have had the same dilemma many times in Bingo. There are not too many choices for takeout in Binghamton, especially if you are looking for healthy food. But when I think of take out, I think of Theo’s for some reason. Maybe it’s because they are now located in a gas station, making the atmosphere less than desirable for a sit down meal. Theo’s was originally located under the arch on Main Street between Binghamton and Johnson City. For some reason they moved last year but they are still churning out some pretty good southern style food (The original Theo was from Georgia). I have eaten a number of their dishes when they were in their old location with mixed feeling about the food. Now I strictly go there for two things: wings and cornbread.
The wings are much different than your standard deep fried chicken pieces tossed in franks red hot. Theo’s wet batters their wings giving them a thicker, richer and all around crunchier crust. Plus, I would argue that the batter holds moisture in better when submerged under 350º oil. They then toss them in a homemade sauce of your choice, I prefer their ‘sweet and sassy’ sauce but sometimes I opt for the spicier version.
The cornbread is out of this world. It is by far the most buttery moist cornbread that I have ever had. Honestly, it’s better than cornbread that I have had when traveling through the south. You have to try it. They sell it by the piece or by the tray (if you’re having a party). Whenever I have people over for some pulled pork or homemade ribs I buy a tray of Theo’s cornbread because it is that unbelievable. Plus people always rave about it after one bite.
I would skip their ribs, pork products and sides though. They obviously don’t have a smoker anymore so anything they cook is oven roasted, which just doesn’t cut it for me when I think authentic BBQ. But don’t let this stop you from trying their wings and cornbread!
Another decent place is Cosmos, which is located underneath the 201 overpass by the traffic circle. It’s a mom and pop Italian place with decent food and inexpensive prices. They also have pretty good wings and pizza. I wouldn’t say that they do anything the best, but Cosmos is consistent. If you order wings there, I recommend the garlic sauce. Their pizza is very thin, which is nice but sometimes goes limp when it approaches your mouth…. Overall the place is quite interesting; there are a number of odd sculptures on the restaurant property that I can’t even begin to describe, you simply have to see them. Cosmo’s also boasts its own Tiki bar and its own carry out section which is called… you guessed it…“Cosmo’s Carry Out!”
Finally, there is Escape State Street. They are located downtown, in the square off of Washington Street. They are open for breakfast, lunch and late night dining. Their panini’s are the thing to order when going there. Most of their items have clever names like, the Woppa and Russian Roulette. The nice thing about Escape is that they are the only place that I know of that is open late night. Being located downtown, they cater to the college crowd that goes to the bars or insomniacs like myself. Their prices are inexpensive, hovering around $6 and they deliver if you’re feeling lazy.
Theo's Southern Style Cuisine
53 Downs Avenue, Binghamton
607) 352-3201
Cosmos
445 Grand Avenue
Johnson City, NY 13790-2522
607) 770-0020
Escape
escapestatestreet.com
163 Washington St
Binghamton, NY 13901
607)723-1831
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