DINING OUT: GS Steamers

A place to party on the Oswego River waterfront

By Julie McMahon

Steamers is tucked inside the Clarion Hotel & Suites Riverfront on East First st. in Oswego.

GS Steamers Bar & Grill delivers on a classic bar setting with solid food and an even better view — especially if you catch a nice day on the waterfront of the Oswego River.

Steamers is unassuming. It’s even a bit difficult to find, as it’s tucked inside a hotel (the Clarion Hotel & Suites Riverfront) next to another hotel (the Best Western Plus).

But once inside, the space is vast and extended by a beautiful porch outside that overlooks the river.

The menu is huge. We stopped in on a football Sunday, which meant a special features menu on top of the large daily offerings. The service was fast and the hostess was cheerful and friendly. All the servers made graceful small talk with the customers as they trickled in and made everyone feel at home in the tavern-like setting.

Mariah, our server, was attentive and quick. She used a handheld point of sale, which made ordering and checking out very simple and quick.

A New England clam chowder and a salad came with the entrees at no additional cost.

Our drinks, a mixed drink and draft beer, came out quickly. We got a Black Beard mojito ($11) which was a good mix of sweet and tart. This was served in a pint glass so a nice portion, making the price worth it. We also ordered a Hayburner IPA ($7) by Big Ditch Brewing Company out of Buffalo. This was one of several IPAs and other beers on draft.

We kicked back and enjoyed in the classic tavern-bar-grill experience, with ‘80s music playing softly in the background. You get the sense this place has been around for a while, for good reason.

We got the side salad and New England clam chowder to start. These came with our entrees at no additional cost. Both were good-sized portions. The salad vegetables were crisp and fresh, served with Italian dressing. The chowder was savory and had a nice, smoky flavor. The soup had a good texture throughout, a lot of clam and bacon pieces.

We felt we had to order the steamers at a bar called GS Steamers — and we were pleased with the results. The clams ($16) had a good texture, not gritty and delightful when dunked in hot butter. They gave us well more than a dozen. While we weren’t blown away with the freshness of the seafood, they were good, solid steamers.

The chicken fajitas ($18): Nicely seasoned, not very spicy in terms of heat, but they had a lot of flavor.

Waiting for our entrees, we had a moment to take in the views. We were lucky enough to be there on an unseasonably warm day, so were seated outside. The restaurant is right along the river, with just a parking lot in between the building and the water. It’s also right across the river from the entrance to the Riverwalk, a great place for a walk if the weather cooperates.

Our entrees came piping hot. We had the Cajun chicken ($27), Steamers’ spin on chicken riggies with more vegetables but a similar heat. The dish was comprised of penne pasta with a thick sauce. Tomatoes and spinach added to the texture and flavor.

At first the spice level seemed fairly mild, but we were breathing fire by the end of this dish. The hot peppers served sliced with the pasta were overkill given the heat the dish already had enough heat. Overall, it was a good spice level for someone who seeks the heat.

We also enjoyed the chicken fajitas ($18) for our second entrée. They didn’t come out on a sizzling plate, but the meat and sautéed vegetables came out hot on a cast iron pan. These were nicely seasoned, not very spicy in terms of heat, but they had a lot of flavor.

The hot tortillas mixed with crunchy lettuce and tomatoes, cold shredded cheese and hot chicken and peppers and onions, made for a nice mouthful.

We walked away with full bellies. With the generous portions of both filling meals, we had two boxes to take home. The bill tallied $100 including the tip, making Steamers an affordable spot we’d recommend.