Clifton Springs Travel Plaza

The men’s and women’s rooms are clearly marked so there’s no way you’ll get confused. Fixtures are all American standard auto flush so you got that going for you. This is four stars all day long.

This place is terrible. The entire travel plaza smells like cow manure. I get that there must be a farm nearby but even the inside smells like a cow barn. Oh yeah, and the food options are terrible. Roy Rogers, Sbarro and a store that didn’t really seem to sell much.

The facility was clean but it is a small building and was very crowded.
The Roy Rogers is subpar if that. The food was extremely overpriced and wasn’t even hot. The fries were limp and soggy as well. If I could rate the Roy Rogers separately from this review, I would give it just one star.

Similarly to Alex’s post, I always stop at this particular location when I am headed home to Long Island from Buffalo because of Starbucks. I find myself beginning to doze minutes after hopping on the thruway and this particular rest stop calls my name every time. The Starbucks is a plus no doubt but I wish there were healthier options. After scanning the different places within this rest stop, I always find myself in the convenience store area buying hard boiled eggs and hummus. The sandwiches don’t look too appealing and the fruit often looks like it’s ready to turn. Their hummus is the way to go because it comes with pretzels, the perfect snack. There are also tons of chips, pretzels and nuts inside this little shop. Of course, with any stop like this, the items are going to be a bit more expensive than usual. There are tons of bathrooms here and I always find them to be fairly clean no matter what time of day I come. Make sure you don’t miss this stop when you’re heading down state because it’s going to be a long while until you reach another stop and another Starbucks!

Yes, I’m reviewing a rest stop. It is the only rest stop with a Starbucks heading eastbound from Buffalo to Syracuse. I stop here every time I drive to Syracuse. After about an hour into the drive, I start craving some coffee to push me through the last bit of driving.
Aside from the Starbucks, there’s a sub-​par pizza place and a fast food place (Checker’s, I think?). The bathrooms are clean and there’s a little gift shop where you can purchase water, EZ Pass and snacks. There’s also free wifi. Starbucks, wifi and clean bathrooms earn this stop 4-​stars for me.
If you’re managing this rest stop and want to make it truly a «world class tourist destination,» here are some suggestions (some are not that serious, but some are. Can you tell which ones are fo realsies?)
— How awesome would it be for rest stops to have massage chairs or even free massages /​yoga rooms for stretching?
— How about some better dining options? If you had a gourmet burger here, I would be tempted to eat it every time I’m driving.
— A painting room. I am not a «painter» or an illustrator*, but I understand the value of painting in relaxing. True, for most people rest stops are more of a get-​in, get-​out sort of deal, but if you’re driving 12+ hours… sometimes, it’s nice to take that longer 20 minute break and have it be truly rejuvenating. I’m sorry, but a Checkers fast food burger doesn’t do it for me. Painting one of those burgers may just be what I need, tho!
— A paved yellow brick road that takes me from the entrance to a toilet stall. (what?!)
— An exercise room. I’m serious. Working out gives me energy. Sitting in a car for 15 hours does not. Give me a treadmill to run on, a shower to take and let me get back to my driving… all «runner-high’ed up.»
I’ll keep dreaming and writing Unilocal reviews with the hope that one day someone important will see this and install some truly awesome things at «rest stops.» Until then, I’ll keep coming here for the Starbucks =\.
*unless you count my awesome stick figure drawings.

Oh LORD did i need this place. I was coming home from buffalo, needed gas, had to poop and was hungry. FIRST, i stopped by the Roy Rogers, got a burger. was not that bad, ate it quick, went to the bathroom. EXPLODED IT. But i must say for a public rest stop in the middle of the day, the bathroom was super clean. KUDOS TO THESE DUDES.
There was hardly a wait for gas and boom i was out of there. Best rest stop i’ve been to on the way down from buffalo to NYC ever. Def will stop by here with my tummy gurgles when im driving back down again!

On the eastbound side of the New York Thruway, this travel plaza never closes.
A welcome sight in the nastiest winter storms, they also offer a nice facility year round, allowing for a nice break from highway driving when needed.

Located between exits 43 and 42, eastbound, this Travel Plaza has a Sunoco gas station.
Restaurants
Roy Rogers — 24 hours
Sbarro
TravelMart
Starbucks
Other Services
ATM
E-​ZPass
On The Go
Sometimes there is a small farmers market outside.
Clean restrooms.

plenty of decent bathrooms, little shops, and food.
not much more to say. it’s a fine place

This four star is relative to only other Thruway stops. This is one above average. (1) the restrooms are generally clean, (2) they have a Starbucks, and a Roy Rogers so I guess that evens out to no gain no loss, (3) you have just probably passed most of Troopers who were hiding in the wooded area just East of this place and the next batch is likely to be somewhat closer to Syracuse. Gas here is Sunoco and not terribly out of whack with off Thruway prices.

Food. Gas. Bathrooms. Just what you need. A bit dirtier than the others. But needed and better than what they have in other states.