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Last Update: 12 February 2012
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Last Update: 12 February 2012
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Bacchus
[a] [
] Bagel Jay's
Bambino
Bandana's Bar and Grill
Bar Bill Tavern
Barton Hill Hotel & Spa
The Basket Factory
The Beach House
Bella Mia
Bella Pizza
[m] La Bella Sicilia
Benchwarmers
Benjamin's
Oh Bento
Betty's
Big Belly Barbeque
[am] Big John's Submarine and Pizza
Big Top
[
] Bijou Grille
Bing's
[am] Bingo's Dim Sum House
Bistro at the Old Fort Inn
Bistro Europa
Bistro Six-One
[a] Black and Blue Steak and Crab
[a] Black Forest Adler
Black Forest Inn
Black Rock
Blackthorn
Blue Monk
The Blue Wall
[m] Bob & John's La Hacienda
Bob Sharky's Saloon
[am] Bocce Club
Bogey's Grillhouse
[a+] [] Bollywood Bistro
[] [a] Bonefish Grill
] Bravo Cucina Italiano
] Buffalo Chop House[—],
,
,
 |
Bill's rankings |
| [XXX] | recommendation from contributor whose initials are XXX |
| [a+] | on UB Amherst Campus (in the UB Commons) |
| [a] | near UB Amherst Campus (within 2 miles) |
| [m] | near UB Main St. Campus (within 2 miles) |
All phone numbers are in area code 716, unless otherwise indicated.
Bacchus. —WARNING: The website is
accompanied by loud music!
54 W. Chippewa St. (at Franklin St., downtown), Buffalo.
854-9463.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41 "Restaurants We Love" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
[3/06] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.
[EP, 7/11] says: "I recently enjoyed a great meal at Bacchus. Our waiter Chris was very helpful and knowledgeable about all the items on the menu. The food itself was excellent and of nice-sized portions. My friend and I both ordered the cod, which was cooked to perfection. We also shared a great bottle of Cabernet, which came recommended by Chris. The desert menu looked great, with plenty of chocolate items, but we were both full from our meals. The restaurant was moderately filled that night, so there were no noise issues. The interior of the restaurant is beautiful, and the view across Chippewa Street was nice to people watch, with windows surrounding the inside of the restaurant. Only regrets were no happy hours, since they have a nice, long bar as you enter. Try, and enjoy!"
[CK, 8/09] said: "Review: Positive. This was our second time to Bacchus this year. The first time was Winter 2009 with 2 other couples. It was a busy Friday night, and the food and service were very good. Our most recent trip was a Tuesday evening. The weather was nice, so we sat in the courtyard. The food was absolutely delicious. We started with an appetizer of an artisan cheese plate. We selected 4 cheeses, which were presented nicely on a platter with cherries and pan-crusted, caramelized walnuts: fantastic. I selected a dry sherry recommended as an appertif with the cheese platter, which complemented the flavors of the cheese, cherries, and nuts very well. The artisan cheese list was made up of about 18–20 different cheeses, some more exotic than others. The cost is $2–$4/ounce, depending on the selection. My wife and I shared 4 1-ounce selections, and that seemed just right. Our dinner was great! My wife had the pecan-crusted salmon over vegetables; I had one of the specials, a pan-seared grouper served over polenta in a fennel broth. It was absolutely delicious. We declined dessert, because we were full. Our server was helpful with the menu and very attentive. The service was excellent. Cost for meal, which included 2 cocktails at the bar beforehand, 2 glasses of wine with dinner, and 20% tip, was $125. It was well worth it."
[ZR, 3/09] said: "[1½ stars out of 4] We had been anticipating our dinner reservation at Bacchus this past Saturday night, because my mom and I had a light dinner of mussels at Bacchus last summer, which were excellent. We were told that they had nothing available until after 8:30, so we made our reservation for 8:45. We began with the crispy calamari and rock shrimp with the sweet and spicy glaze and seared scallops with apple hash and onion marmalade with chili oil. These starters were disappointing. The calamari was not crispy, and they were slightly cold. We sent them back, and, although they replenished our order, the taste was bland. The rock shrimp were unpleasant because they felt out of place with the calamari. We would have been better off skipping starters altogether. The scallops were mediocre. The chili oil was out of place, and the apple and onion marmalade hash did not compliment the scallops favorably. As far as our entrées, we ordered the rack of lamb with butternut squash risotto, duck confit and reggiano cheese pepitas, and the free-range chicken with caramelized onion, mashed potatoes, and baby spinach, and heirloom tomato salad with buttermilk drizzle. The chicken was delicious, and the tomato salad was one of the best I have ever had! Unfortunately, the lamb was overcooked, because, although it was ordered well done, the lamb arrived medium rare, so they cooked the lamb again, which ruined the meat, resulting in a tough, cardboard-like taste. We could not eat the lamb [$34]. The risotto was better, but, unfortunately, we had issues with three-fourths of our dinner. I was disappointed to learn that the executive chef, Brian Mietus, had left the restaurant on a Saturday night by 9 pm. I believe that if he had been in the kitchen, our orders would have at least been cooked correctly. Also, the moment our appetizers were cleared, our entrées arrived, and they were cold, as if they had been sitting in the kitchen waiting for us to finish our apps. Additionally, the service was rushed. We were handed a dessert menu the moment our entrées were removed from the table. I like Bacchus because of the atmosphere, minus the carpeting, but we will be less likely to return for dinner because of our below-stellar experience."
[CP, 11/07] said: "Six friends and I had dinner here last Friday. The Mahi Mahi special I ordered was out of this world. Another friend agreed she would lick the plate if she were home :o) The only complaint was that the filet was served a little rare for having ordered it medium. It was delicious, though."
Bill said: [12/06] [MER] and I stopped here to pass some time with other parents while our son was at the Maria Love Charity Ball. I tried the seared scallops with apple hash, onion marmalade, and chili oil, while [MER] had the grilled pizzetti with wild mushroom, prosciutto, reggiano cheese, arugula, and truffle oil; both appetizers were scrumptious. But the restaurant is almost unbearably noisy.
[PMR, 2/03] said: "We dined at Bacchus in January 2003. We found the restaurant to be almost empty; it was a Tuesday evening, so that may have been the reason. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the food and the wine. The food is served in smaller portions, meant for ordering a couple dishes and sharing amongst the dinner guests. The food was of excellent quality, and they were more than willing to adapt the menu, which is slightly limited but had enough choices to please all four of us. They gladly altered a couple dishes to be vegetarian friendly. The wine list is exhaustive. The prices for the wine are very fair; we liked one of the wines our waiter recommended, and, at a later date, we purchased a bottle at a local store and found the price to be only slightly less than what we were charged at the restaurant. Our waiter made excellent wine suggestions, and we enjoyed 3 different bottles of wine over the course of our meal and desserts. The waiter was non-intrusive and allowed us dine and converse at our leisure."
Bagel Jay's.
[a] 100 Plaza Dr. (in Dash's Plaza at Hopkins Rd. and W. Klein Rd.),
Williamsville. 639-1000.
2730 Delaware Ave. (near Amherst St., in North Buffalo), Buffalo. 874-1800.
[a] 2206 Millersport Hwy.
(in the Mobil station at the corner of N. Forest), Getzville.
204-0001.
[5/09] "We have a new favorite lunch sandwich from Bagel Jay's: roast turkey on an asiago bagel. It's more like a roll than a bagel, but—whatever—it's delicious, with a nice cheese flavor."
[2/07] "In addition to excellent bagels in about twenty varieties, they serve a wide choice of sandwiches, either on bagels, rolls, or in wraps (but a very limited choice of rolls and wraps). The roast turkey is excellent, especially on a jalapeno-cheddar bagel. I wish they had pastrami, but the closest they have to that is corned beef. For those who have been in the area for a while, this restaurant is owned by one of the Bagel Brothers, who sold their local chain to Manhattan Bagel years ago. Open for breakfast and lunch; eat in or take out."
[HPK, 9/07] said: "It is strange to me that in this day and age there are still places that have no idea what customer service is. My family and I have always been fans of Bagel Jay's. Recently though things have been "weird" at the Hopkins Rd. branch. The last two visits, the order has been wrong. The wrong bagels, smears, coffee, etc. The 1st time we let it pass, thinking mistakes happen. The last time, though, we called them up once we realized that our order was wrong again. Wrong bagels, smears, and the coffee had the wrong items in it. Upon calling, this was their response: "Bring them back and we will fix it; we can put your bagels back and give you new ones." Put them back??? Yuck. I would not want to get someone's else's bagels. We explained that we could not come back at the moment but would be more than willing to come back in a couple of hours. Making a special trip would not be worth the gas money, and we did not have the time. They said, "unless you bring them back now, there is nothing we can do for you." What??? We questioned this only to be told the same thing again. We were not rude; in fact, when placing the call, we said, "We want you to know so the mistakes don't keep happening." If this was my place, I would have said to my customer, "Please keep what you have now; enjoy them. We have written your name down, and, when you can come back in, we will make it right. Any day." I hope whatever is going on gets better; we do like the place."
[Bill, 2/07] said: "The best bagels in the area. My 11-year-old son insists on stopping off at the Williamsville location after school every day for a plain, untoasted bagel with butter, a bag of chips, and chocolate milk. When the servers see him coming, they ask him if he wants his "usual":-) We've been to both the Williamsville and the North Buffalo locations, which are equally good."
Bambino Bar and Kitchen.
297 Franklin St. (downtown), Buffalo.
240-9851.
[JoM, 10/11] says: "We decided to give this new restaurant a try during Restaurant Week on 9/27/11. We were very happy with our experience. The Restaurant Week specials were chosen by all three of us. Two of us ordered the ravioli with meatball; the third person in our party ordererd the Margherita pizza. All the specials came with either soup or salad, the main course, and a cannoli for dessert. The ravioli were excellent: They were cheese ravioli accompanied by a large meatball and a delicious red sauce; there was a slight taste of mint in the ravioli, which was a surprise but added a nice, distinctive flavor. The Margherita pizza was also very good: This was a Neopolitan-style pizza, which has become very popular lately; the crust was crisp and delicious, and the toppings were stewed tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese. The soups and salads to begin the meal were very good, and the cannoli to end the meal was also quite good. Our waitress was very attentive, and we had top-notch service. Overall, we were very happy with our meal. I would recommend!"
[JAr, 9/11] said: "I saw that nobody had sent you a review of this new restaurant from the owner of Fiamma, and, since my fiancee and I have now dined there twice over the past two weeks, I thought it was time to fill you in on one of our new favorites. The space is very comfortable and inviting. It feels upscale without being stuffy. I like that I could walk in in either a suit or jeans and feel comfortable. The wood-fired pizza oven is towards the back of the bar area, and the main dining room is upstairs. The layout is fun in that the upstairs seating area overlooks the bar, and the different spaces feel connected. Anyway, the food is the important part. Across our two meals, we've been very pleased. Their wood-oven pizzas are a must-try. On our first visit, we tried the Narda's Red pizza, a thin crust topped with San Marzano tomatoes, romano cheese, and thick-cut pepperoni. It was so good on the first visit that we knew we had to get it again on our second trip. The crust seems perhaps a touch thicker than a typical wood-oven pizza, but is still quite thin, with a crisp bottom and just enough chew to the dough. The other pizzas sound tasty, too, but the Narda's Red is so good that it might be hard to break that habit. This is classic Italian food—a few, high-quality, simple ingredients used well. Their oven-roasted wings were a pleasant surprise. They are cooked in the wood oven rather than deep-fried. Being a wing connoisseur, I was skeptical of an oven-baked wing, but, perhaps because of the temperature of the oven, the skin was crisp while the inside was still very moist. I thought frying was the only way to get wings cooked like that. The wings are tossed in a mixture of herbs, lemon juice, onions, and other ingredients (the menu isn't currently posted online, so my apologies for being vague here) that really enhance the chicken's flavor. My fiancee loved their meatballs. I prefer my meatballs to be a little more soft, but she liked the firm texture, the red sauce, and the herbed, ricotta cheese that they were served with. Additionally, their stuffed banana-peppers were very tasty. Stuffed with a mixture of sausage, ricotta, and herbs, the peppers were very flavorful, and I used the complimentary Italian bread to get every last bit of sauce out of the dish. The waiter warned us that the peppers were extremely hot, and, due to the variation in natural ingredients like peppers, I found one to be just a touch spicy and other other to be a bit of a scorcher. So, be careful if you don't like spice. Service really is great here, as well. Each table has a waiter as well as a waiter's assistant who takes care of refilling water and clearing plates. The tag-team service has proven to be effective, efficient, and friendly while not overbearing. Like Fiamma, Bambino is really setting itself apart as an upscale, casual restaurant with exceptional food and service."
Bandana's Bar and Grill.
930 Lake Rd., Youngstown.
745-1010.
Bar Bill Tavern
185 Main St., E. Aurora.
652-7959.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41 "Restaurants We Love" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
[JFG, 3/09] says: "Well, I guess it's time to share instead of keeping it secret! If you want a place that does what is, arguably, one of the best places for beef on kimmelweck in Western New York, this is the place. And if you want what is the equal of any wings I've had in Western New York, this is also that place. Serendipitously, it just so happens that both of these Buffalo classic foods are prepared, and prepared well here and, certainly in the case of the Beef on Weck, better than any place else. They know what makes an excellent beef: slow roasted and medium rare (but you can get it done to order most times), and they've paired it with a true kimmelweck roll, not like that abomination Charlie thinks is the real thing. (Sorry, Charlie!) The wings are meaty, moist, and delivered to your specification—from mild to suicide. Me, I cannot take 'em any hotter that "hot", and they'll ask you if you've ever had their "hot" for that reason. And that's not all they have that's good. Several varieties of wings are on the menu, and they're all good. And you don't have to settle for only wings or weck—there's variety, and I've never been disappointed. When the snow flies, the soups are great. You'll hear a lot about wings or weck served elsewhere. Most of the hype comes from college students who haven't gone anywhere but Duff's or Anchor or somewhere else that's near a campus. Meanwhile, the natives who grew up with the cuisine are happily, and quietly, munching wings and weck here or the beef at Schwabl's.
[DwH, 3/08] said: "Has become a favorite place when I get to visit Buffalo. Great wings and wonderful beef on 'weck. The beef on 'weck is carved right there behind the bar—the small size is adequate; the large size is downright necessary for a sandwich this good. Damn the calories! Full speed ahead! So-so beer selection but always friendly staff and enough large-screen TVs to microwave you. Busy, but the food is so good that it's worth either waiting or going at off-times. No credit cards, but there is an ATM."
[KAS, 3/06] said: "Having recently moved to East Aurora (from another Western New York town), my husband and I were in search of new restaurants/bars/cafes to explore. After several circuits of the village, we finally settled on the Bar Bill Restaurant right near the circle. It was very crowded, very friendly, and very fun! Since it is a very small place in ratio to the number of customers who congregate there, getting a table on a Friday or Saturday night takes time and patience, but it is worth the wait! We ordered their famous beef on weck sandwiches and an order of their Sicilian chicken wings. We were absolutely delighted! I have to say, the best I've ever had. We told family members from surrounding towns, and the Bar Bill is now one of their favorite places to eat as well. My parents' favorite wings to order are the wasabi/barbeque ones. Talk about something different! On busy nights like Fridays and Saturdays, your best bet is to come early if you want to eat right away, or be willing to have a drink or two at the bar and wait. The wait staff, for the most part, also tends the bar, so they are busy folks, but very friendly. Other nights during the week, when not as busy, you are able ask the bartenders if a table is available, and they will point you in the right direction. It is best to ask, rather than just seat yourself, as there are probably hungry people ahead of you waiting for the table. It's a very casual atmosphere, and no one ever seems to be in a hurry (except the people carrying food to the tables!). Some nights, when it's not so busy, the cooks will send out chicken wings to the bar so you can try out a "new recipe". Just a note, they do not accept credit cards, so be prepared with cash! We ran up a hefty bill one night for 6 people (drinks, dinner, and generous tip) and presented a credit card only to be informed, very apologetically, that they don't accept credit cards. Fortunately, we had the cash, but be forewarned or they'll have you washing dishes in the back! We have been very happy with the Bar Bill and feel as though we have found our watering hole away from home. We hope you enjoy it as well."
[JSt, 4/00] said: "I now reside in Weatherford, Texas, where Beef on Weck is unheard of, but grew up in East Aurora. You need to go to the Bar Bill on Main St near the traffic circle there for the best beef on weck in WNY (even better than Schwabl's)."
Barton Hill Hotel & Spa.
100 Center St., Lewiston.
754-9070, 1-800-718-1812.
[PT, 5/09] said: "We attended a group dinner at Barton Hill, overlooking the Lewiston waterfront park and Niagara River last weekend. There were about 120 people at the event. In advance of the dinner, we were offered a choice of beef Wellington or roast halibut with tomato and garlic chutney. We both chose the beef and were asked at the table how we wanted it cooked. Ours were perfectly cooked to medium rare, and the crust was flaky and tender, but it didn't have any of the foie gras that we expected, just a mushroom duxelles. Nevertheless, the main course was very good. The salad was not-too-exciting iceberg lettuce and cheese with artichoke dressing. For dessert, small chocolate sundaes were presented. The wines were a chardonnay and merlot from the nearby Niagara, NY, escarpment region. They were surprisingly good. For the size of the group, the food, presentation, and service were first rate. Someone at our table said it was ‘better than Niagara-on-the-Lake’. I don't know which Niagara-on-the-Lake restaurants they've dined at, but I wouldn't go that far. The only large group dinner I've been to there was a wedding reception at Queen's Landing, which was extraordinary. Still, we will probably go back for dinner if we're in Lewiston for an Artpark show."
The Basket Factory.
2 Watson Ave., Middleport, NY.
735-9260.
[WHN, 8/06] said: "I was introduced to The Basket Factory several years ago, when I did business with a company in Middleport. More recently, my wife and I had lunch on their outdoor deck overlooking the Erie Canal. At lunch time, they have good, basic food—burgers, wings, sandwiches, pasta dishes, salads, etc.—and good service—at very reasonable prices. Their dinner menu sounds much more ambitious, with a variety of seafood, chicken and duck, steaks, veal, and more."
The Beach House.
5584 E. River Rd., Grand Island.
773-7119.
Bella Mia Candy Store.
1096 Hertel Ave., Buffalo.
447-0922.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41 "Restaurants We Love" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
[MSP, 3/10] says: "Consider this: Yes, you can ‘go back to the future’ by visiting this North Buffalo establishment. Retro colors on the outside, but plenty of Retro candy on the inside! Everything from homemade chocolate items to the proverbial sponge candy! Hard to find items galore. Step inside and breathe deeply! Ah, the sweet aroma of chocolates! Almost everyone in our group had at least one common comment: ‘…Hey, look at this one. I have not seen this candy since I was a kid…Wow!’ They also have a great selection of Perry's Ice Cream, and when Tom (the owner) is behind the cooler case with his ice-cream scooper in hand—you can't believe what ‘small’ means to him. Believe me, the small size is plenty, unless you want to share. On the other hand, if it's just a hot, summer, Sunday afternoon in July—then you're good to go! And speaking of ‘Sundaes’—Bella Mia Candy Store also knows how to make those, too! Good Grief! It's actually possible to have too much of a good thing. Ask for those extra toppings at your own risk! So, take a seat by the windows, ask for a large glass of cold water, and go to it! This store is what ‘good eating’ is all about in the Nickel City, NY. Life is Good & Sweet."
Bella Pizza.
3330 South Park Ave. (1 mile north of
Ilio DiPaolo's), Lackawanna.
822-6242.
[m] La Bella Sicilia.
2909 Genesee St. (east of Harlem Rd.), Cheektowaga. 896-6692.
[JSG, 2/10] says: "It's been some time since I have written a review: don't live in Buffalo anymore post-graduation in 2007, and I miss all the great restaurants. I was surfing reviews recently and came across B&CB's review of La Bella's—was floored, as I had just about the exact same experience during my last visit. I don't live in the area anymore, so, when I visit, you can bet I want to eat at all my old favorites, and a friend of mine meets me at this restaurant during my visits. I used to love it here: huge portions, good meatballs, and great antipasto. My last visit in October 2009 was a complete disappointment. Like the previous reviewer, our service consisted of waitresses complaining about their co-workers, and, since we were there toward the end of the evening, the staff was cleaning up around us, too, making us feel like it was time to clear out. My ziti and meatball wasn't particularly warm, and not as tasty as I remembered. We ordered an antipasto, got it, and the waitress didn't even follow up to see if we wanted meals! This place was never top notch, but, if I had to go anywhere again, La Castelana offers a better product with much, much better service."
[B&CB, 1/10] said: "My wife and I have dined at La Bella many times over the past 18 years: low expectations around service but high expectations for quality (and quantity) of food. Last night, we went with these usual expectations, and it was honestly a dreadful experience. From the time we walked in the door (‘Your table is over there!’), it only got worse. The place was almost empty and had a dirty and worn appearance. Our waitress appeared, decked out in her finest pair of torn jeans, gave us a menu, and immediately asked if we were ready to order. We ordered a carafe of Chianti, which was spoiled, and both had eggplant parm, usually a good bet. The entree was immediately thrown at us on their finest paper plates, the kind you buy in the bulk section. Quality and quantity was average, but what we got along with it—waitresses yelling complaints about each other across the room, vacuuming all the tables around us, and listening to the complaints of the kitchen staff dining on the tables around us—certainly were not what we anticipated. We concluded that they were rushing us because it was probably near closing time at 9:30 P.M. We were further dismayed to find out they didn't close until 11:00, leaving no excuse for the filling of sugar containers at a nearby table, the serving of our dinner on paper plates, the vacuuming all around us, and the rush to get us out of there. They almost seemed pleased that with an hour and a half left until close, the restaurant was completely empty. While the food was only fair and reasonably priced, the atmosphere was only a cut above a truck-stop diner."
[CWi, 10/09] said: "Thanks so much for your awesome site. I use it all the time and have found many great restaurants I would have never known about. [Thanks for the kind words!] My husband and I recently had a disappointing dinner experience at La Bella Sicilia. I had the spaghetti and meatballs, which were fine: nothing spectacular, but definitely acceptable. The side salad, which was not included, was quite lame: just iceberg lettuce with some tomato, chickpeas, and green olives. My husband had ordered the sausage cacciatore; however, they brought him the chicken cacciatore. When he very politely told the waitress of the mix-up, she adamantly said "No; you ordered the chicken cacciatore." We again politely stated that he did indeed order the sausage and asked if it would be possible to switch. She then continued with the whole "This is what you ordered, and it would take over twenty minutes to get the sausage." She had major attitude going on and not once ever apologized for the error; in fact, she made us feel like we had done something wrong by even suggesting there had been a problem. We aren't ones to make a scene, plus we had no desire to prolong this awkwardness any longer, so he just stuck with the chicken and made the best of it. I certainly understand that mix-ups occur and am more than willing to compromise, but I don't expect to have to deal with rude, borderline-nasty service. Needless to say, we will not be returning."
[TCJ, 8/08] said: "Have visited this establishment many, many times and usually great food, amazing prices, and OK service, not always very friendly but you overlook that sometimes when the food is as good as it is. I have had the chicken wings: crispy, great sauce and enough bleu cheese for dipping. Subs are tasty and always made fresh. Sauce is wonderful; being Italian myself, I am accustomed to a specific kind of sauce and am particular about my choice of restaurant to order such a meal. They have always come through. However, on this one particular night, 3 of us went: 1 ordered wings, 1 ordered a sub, and I ordered a calzone. We waited and waited for our bread (I use the term loosely, since it is just a sub roll); the bread never came, so I asked the waitress. She said, "You do not get bread with what you ordered"?!!?! I was very confused, as I have been coming here for years, and this has never, ever happened. I asked; she said, "The girls should not be giving you bread unless you order a dinner". I was very upset with this, since, again, it is just a sub roll. On to the food: Like I said, I had been there previously and ordered the calzone, only to be severely disappointed. Knowing full well it will take longer to make, I am fine with that, but when it comes to the table, and the cheese in the middle is still cold, it is unacceptable. After 3 separate attempts, I will never order a calzone from there again."
[AFN, 3/06] said: "Six friends and I returned on 3/22. I had a delicious dish called "Chicken Margarite"—sauteed chicken topped with sauteed eggplant, cheese, and a lemony sauce. Everyone else thought their choices were excellent as well. A friend who also ordered the chicken asked for red sauce, which they brought to her on the side. A choice of salad or pasta comes with each entree. My dinner cost $14, including two soft drinks, tax, and tip. Very economical and very good."
[DWS, 5/95] said that he was taken here "when we first came to Buffalo and it is still excellent. They have great linguine and red clam sauce and their pizza is excellent. I still eat there. Also their antipasto is great."
Benchwarmers Sports Bar & Grill.
30 Mississippi St. (downtown), Buffalo.
856-3740.
Benjamin's Restaurant and Inn.
430 King St. N., St. Jacobs, ON, CANADA.
519-664-3731.
Betty's.
370 Virginia St. (in Allentown, west of Elmwood Ave.), Buffalo.
362-0633.
[WHN, 4/11] said: "Went to Betty's for brunch Sunday morning, 4/17. I had never been there before. Parking is difficult, but after circling the block, one opened up on the street alongside the building. They don't take reservations for Sunday brunch, but, even though the restaurant was packed, and people were lined up waiting for tables, we only had about a 15 minute wait. Once seated, the service was very quick. The eggs Benedict were delicious, with thick pieces of Canadian bacon and perfectly poached eggs. The accompanying home fries were very good, too. Coffee was replenished without having to ask."
[JoM, 2/11] said: "Went to Betty's for brunch with my girlfriend on Sunday, January 30th. This is probably our favorite restaurant for brunch in the city. Sundays are typically pretty busy. We arrived at 10:45 and had about a 15-minute wait; we were seated around 11:00. The coffee at Betty's is excellent, and we both started with a cup. My girlfriend ordered a vegetable scramble, which consisted of eggs with many different vegetables, such as squash, peppers, and onions. The meal was also accompanied by hash browns. She raved about the different veggies and how tasty the dish was; it must have been, as the plate was clean when she was done. I ordered the French toast casserole; this was a berry-and-almond casserole with whipped cream on top. It was excellent. With tax and tip, the meal was under $25. Highly recommended!"
[DKl, 6/10] said: "I am a foodie and, thus, dine out frequently in the WNY area. In all my dining experiences in Buffalo, I have to say that my experience at Betty's the other night was, by far, one of the worst. I drive by Betty's on almost a daily basis, as I have many friends and dealings in Allentown, but I had never eaten there before. So the other day a friend of mine and I decided to give it a shot after a matinee at the Market Arcade. We walk in at around 7 P.M. and are told by a passing waitress that she'll be right with us. About 8 minutes later, after hearing our grumblings, the bartender stopped what he was busy with (nothing) and came over to ask us if we'd like a table. He takes us into the geriatric-laden dining room, where there were four empty tables. At first, he tries to seat us at a deuce by the kitchen that is covered in the side work of a random employee. We asked to be put at a clean table, and he grudgingly placed us in between two other tables with diners. We sat at our table for almost 15 minutes with not even so much as someone coming over to say they would be right with us or to pour us water or anything. This atrocious service, coupled with a menu full of uninventive and overpriced entrees, led us to say ‘enough is enough’, at which point we walked out and had a great meal at Allen Street Hardware Cafe. I will never set foot inside Betty's again, and I caution anyone under the age of 65 to do the same."
[KE, 11/08] said: "Betty's should definitely be added to the vegi-friendly list."
[AFN] said:
[5/06] "What a great place! Two friends and I had lunch here today (5/3). They had both been to Betty's before, but I had not. Since it was a beautiful day, we opted to eat at the "sidewalk cafe", but the restaurant looked nice inside, too. The first thing our waitress asked was how much time we had, because, she said, some people want a leisurely lunch and others need to get back to work quickly, which was our situation. My grilled chicken with red pepper sauce was perfect, and the salad with house miso dressing was terrific, too. One of my friends ordered coconut cream pie, which she said was the best she ever had, for dessert. Excellent (and fast, as we asked) service, also."
[JJa, 2/08] said: "I've been to Betty's for brunch 2 weekends in a row. Waited about 10-15 minutes for table first time, 25 minutes second time, but it was close to noon. Our waiter was friendly, staff kept us refilled with water and (great!) coffee. Coffee is deep, dark roasted, and rich. I had "Smothered Cornbread", light cornbread topped with scrambled eggs and black beans and fresh salsa, with a dollop of sour cream, side of home fries, and garnish of fruit. Divine!!!! I splashed a little of the Frank's hot sauce that is on every table, but didn't need it. My companions both had tofu hash, with sweet potatoes, onions, eggs, and homefries. The "hash" was well seasoned and very good. Second trip, I asked the server's advice; thought I might try something new. He steered me back to smothered cornbread. Friend had Smoked Salmon Benedict, and was very pleased. Good refills on coffee and water. Will have brunch here often, but I can't wait to try dinner some night after work."
[ASe, 2/08] said: "Recent visit for Sunday Brunch—12/2007. Formerly one of our favorite brunch stops—Betty's had great food, friendly (if very slow) service, and a relatively kid-friendly atmosphere (we have a newborn and a two-year-old). Terrific omelettes, good coffee, fresh fruit and vegetables, nice decor, skilled chefs, but slow waitstaff. Not a cheap breakfast—usually north of $30 for two, including coffee and juice. After two incidents of very slow service (following very long waits for tables), we've decided to cross Betty's off our list. One waitress in particular would ignore us almost completely, and the very apologetic manager's response (1/2 off the bill and a free dessert) was nice but not quite enough for us to chance it again. Food was often served lukewarm to nearly cold (not very appetizing for eggs Benedict), table waits were way too long, waitstaff could be inattentive to the degree of being rude. A pretty place and a clearly talented kitchen—but often way overbooked and with some very poor servers."
[BMcWS, 1/08] said: "We had never heard of Betty's until we heard it advertised on NPR's Morning Edition. One cold winter night, we decided to give it a try. Betty's was welcoming from the moment we pulled up. Somehow, it just glowed in a welcoming way as we walked to it through the snow in the dark and cold. The inside was just as welcoming—cozy little kitchen-style tables made the place feel very homey. We were pleased with the menu selections as well. There were a lot of things that were comfort food—meatloaf and pot pies and soups—but there were exciting and adventurous things too: an Asian vegetable soup, for example. We started with the dinner salad, which was a breath of fresh air. No white lettuce and pink tomato awaited us here. Instead, we got a bowl with green lettuce and other greens, radish, cucumber, red tomato, sunflower seeds, and sprouts. It was a welcome sight. All dressings are homemade, and both the ranch and lemon garlic herb were delicious. Our entrees were delayed a long, long time—over 45 min. Our server was friendly but subdued, and we didn't quite understand his mumbled apology about something getting mixed up. Once the food came, it was delicious. I had a special—boneless chicken breast stuffed with brie and blueberries with a vanilla cream sauce, accompanied by a pear risotto. The chicken wasn't quite cooked all the way through, but most was, and it was tasty, although there was little flavor provided by the brie. The risotto was wonderful. My husband had the meatloaf and mashed potatoes, which was hearty and wonderful. Our son ordered the children's buttered pasta, which was a tad greasy, but came with fresh apple slices, so that was a definite plus. We will definitely go back to Betty's."
[RRo, 11/06] said: "I've been to Betty's several times. Fresh iced tea, amazing lunches, and they are "kid friendly"—my 3.5 YO daughter had a blast playing with their abacus while awaiting our meal. I agree with all the other reviewers but need to add a word of caution: If you need to wait for a table, consider leaving. Last time we went, we had a slightly bigger group (7 of us). They said it'd be a little bit, but made no effort to keep us informed or even move tables to accomodate our group; after over an hour waiting and the curly-haired guy-owner/mgr just watching our frustration grow, we left very disgruntled, hungry, and disappointed. ARGH...not a nice way to treat your customers, guys."
[RTC, 1/06] said: "A lovely restaurant within the bounds of Allentown. Art pieces are displayed on the colorful walls, most of which have been created by employees of the restaurant, who are all too eager to show them off. It is easy to see that everyone at the restaurant cares about the food and providing good service. Waitresses seem to enjoy their jobs. The menu contains a creative variety of modern American foods, all of which look delicious. I've not had a complaint about any item I've had there. Every visit there has been thoroughly enjoyable."
[BL, 12/05] said: "Baked goods, soups, salads, hot plates, desserts. Allentown addition to the quality restaurants in the city. Restored building with a bright and friendly atmosphere and very good food. We had lunch, but popular for brunch, breakfast, dinners, desserts. Delicious scones (we bought some and took home). Suggest a roll or some kind of bread to go with the lunch salads. My husband's jerk grilled chicken with pineapple and banana mayo was excellent and filling. Good soups also. Popular by the number of people arriving. We will definitely come again. Not sure of the hours, but believe they are open daily except Mondays."
Big Belly Barbeque.
4819 Southwestern Blvd. (northeast of Camp Rd., near Howard Rd.), Hamburg.
649-2141.
[AJW, 2/10] said: "I have a great son. He knows how much I love barbeque, so when he found a new place, he brought our family to Big Belly Barbeque. This is a small place and full as it should be, given the great barbeque and great prices. When we first arrived, the incredibly friendly staff brought out complimentary cornbread—the standard fare as well as an awesome, maple-syrup cornbread. Both were terrific. They also brought by a sample of the homemade soup of the night. My son's stock was going up with every bite. Between the four of us, we ordered every meat on the menu, and each was great. The ribs were probably the best I have had in WNY—flavorful, juicy, and tender. The homemade barbeque sauces were memorable. The special meat of the night was smoked prime rib, and it was exceptional. One of my pet peeves with several local barbeque joints is that the meat is better than the sides. Not so here. I mentioned the cornbread, but equally good are the baked beans, the homemade applesauce, and the spicy, 4-cheese, mac & cheese. Before we left, we noticed the special the next day was going to be piña colada shrimp. I was curious. As Pit Master Pete (the guy who owns it and does the bbq) described them to us, he mentioned that the original recipe was for piña colada ribs—ribs in a pineapple/rum sauce, then rolled in smoked, toasted coconut. He offered to whip up a batch. Full as we were, we agreed. Unbelievably good!!! We needed a wheelbarrow to haul the leftovers home. We will be back often! I use your site all the time. Thanks for all you do to help lots of small business people in our community." [Wow; thanks for the nice compliment!]
[am] Big John's Submarine and Pizza.
546 Niagara Falls Boulevard (at Decatur, between Kenmore Ave. and Eggert
Rd.), Tonawanda.
836-4881.
[MEL, 10/99] says: "A good little neighborhood restaurant. I had some moist, delicious baked haddock here one Friday night, as well as acceptable pasta."
Big Top Drive In.
1105 Ridge Rd. (between S. Park Ave. & Abbott Rd.), Lackawanna.
824-9090.
[RDM, 7/10] says: "Had a wonderful, kid-friendly lunch with family at this new hot-dog stand/restaurant. Everything was good. The fries were crispy, and everyone enjoyed their hot dogs and cheeseburgers. The big surprise were the clams casino! They were so flavorful that we all agreed we would be back again for those alone. My son also enjoyed a custard cone after lunch, and we all felt it was a super-friendly place to hang out. Loved it!"
Bijou Grille.
643 Main St. (downtown, next to Market Arcade Cinema, across from
Theater Place), Buffalo.
847-1512.
[TeB, 8/10] says: "This is one of my favorite places to dine in Buffalo. I get season tickets to Shea's almost every year, and this restaurant has become a staple in our theatre adventures. We typically stop here before most shows for a glass of wine, and, 2 or 3 times out of the season, we'll come down early for dinner. If you're a crab-cake fan, this is your place! I have tried many crab cakes locally, and these are by far the best. They are served 3 per appetizer platter; they are large lump crab, seared on both ends—not sides, because these are long, cylindrical in shape, so they have ends. They come with three remoulade sauces—hot, medium, and mild—rizzled on the plate, and a side of spring-leaf salad. Yummy! The waitstaff is always courteous and professional, and the wine selection is fantastic. I've been here many a time and never had a bad experience!"
Once self-described as "California-style bistro dining." Informal, nice place to eat downtown. Also, good desserts; wine by the glass. Outdoor dining in summer (downtown Buffalo really looks good from here). I had not been here in a long time, but MER and I found ourselves downtown on a Friday evening [12/07] and stopped in here for a light dinner. It was warm and welcoming. I had the seared scallops in olive oil and tomato beurre blanc with spinach, risotto, and green beans (the beans were a pleasant surprise, not listed on the menu); the meal was excellent. MER had a pecan-crusted chicken salad, which normally comes with goat cheese, though she requested that it be omitted; it also comes with red onion, tomatoes, and honey mustard vinaigrette; she pronounced it delicious, very light, and very nice. For dessert, we shared a warmed apple cobbler with ice cream. Bijou is definitely still worth its two stars. Now if only more people came downtown in the evenings!
Had no one eaten here in nearly 10 years? It would seem so, but here's a more recent review from [LSS, 4/07], who says: "I had a fine, pre-theater dinner here in January. I must note that the servers are laid-back, yet friendly and professional. The bartender (I need to get his name) is a gem and lightens the mood on a cold winter's night, and not just by the booze he pours. My guest enjoyed his cioppino, and I had a grilled vegetable pizza. I recommend the Bijou for its great location, good food, and excellent ambience and service."
[MEL, 4/98] says: "A yuppie-oriented Theater District bar; worse than most of its ilk. Ordinary (not bad, not great) food, lousy service, high prices."
[MLS, 1/98] says: "Besides the excellent food, the service is friendly."
[J&AD, 1993] say: "This 50s' style popular downtown night spot features sandwiches, salads, a few entrees, and flavorful single-serving pizzas."
Bing's.
1952 Kensington Ave. (near Harlem Rd.), Amherst.
839-5788.
[BMcWS, 9/10] says: "We went here recently, because we had a coupon. It's a small place. I found it interesting that the menu has a cover letter on the front of it from the owner, which changes weekly. Before our food came, the waitress brought some celery sticks in a little glass, with an olive-oil dip (the kind you dip bread in). This was unexpected and nice. Our salads were not great. They were small, and the house vinaigrette was very spicy—I could not eat mine. Some garlic cheese bread came out, and that was delicious. My husband had veal parmigiana, which he said was good. I had fettucine Alfredo, which I asked for with some broccoli on top. The broccoli was beyond al dente—practically raw. The Alfredo sauce was very thin and seemed to have no cheese in it. I had to ask for extra cheese twice. We appreciated that the waitress brought us a carafe of water, since that was all we were drinking. There wasn't much on the menu I would have tried. I don't think we will go back."
[KSc, 2/10] said: "My boyfriend and I went to Bing's on 2/13/10 for an early Valentine's dinner. That will be the first and only time we visit Bing's. The night started out with us waiting in the doorway for 15–20 mins. before a hostess even acknowledged us. She couldn't find our names, along with the 4 parties in front of us, on the reservation list. Apparently, her son took the reservations from the week and never marked them down in the book. Waiting customers walked about, because it seemed too disheveled. When we finally were able to be seated, the wait only grew longer from there. It was apparent that they were severely understaffed. How is that proper planning on Valentine's Day weekend? We waited for water, we waited for bread, our dinners took about 45 mins. to come out, and forget about getting a refill on our drinks. It was terrible! Everyone at surrounding tables were obviously complaining as well. The worst part is that the wait wasn't even worth it. The food was subpar at best. What a disappointing Valentine's dinner."
[StP, 1/10] said: "My wife and I, with another couple, had dinner at Bing's on New Year's Eve (12-31-2009). This place is a rather small restaurant, with a cozy, homey atmosphere. We all started with two appetizers to share, the ‘famous’ artichoke hearts and Italian cigars (sort of an Italian, cheese-stuffed eggroll). These were rather good, although at the $8 range, I thought a little pricey for the quantity and ingredients. Next came the salads, which were very good, with premium ingredients and with a nice presentation. The Caesar salad (dinner portion) was particularly good, with large anchovies upon request. After an excessive wait, the entrees came next. The New York strip was good but not spectacular. Lasagna Bolognese was the same. I had the Manicotti special, which was obviously homemade and very good. Overall, it was a good but not great dining experience, and I think a little pricey for the extras (drinks, appetizers, etc.)."
[KFr, 6/08] said: "My husband and I went there one evening to celebrate our anniversary. What a huge disappointment! We had reservations and were seated late. Our table was next to the bar, and it still took the server ten minutes to wait on us for our drink order. She then returned another ten minutes later with our drinks. We waited over 45 minutes for appetizers, which we simply walked out on. The restaurant wasn't even busy that evening, and it was clear the reputation of this retaurant was anything but upscale or professional. I hope it closes, because what should have been a night to remember in a happy way clearly became one we soon forget."
[PZT, 3/08] said: "My husband and I went to Bing's this past December for dinner. The service was very slow, the portions were small for the price, and the food was mediocre. I had a chicken dish; he had stuffed shells. The waitress never refilled our water glasses despite being asked twice, and when we ordered soda we received them in small rocks glasses filled to the brim with ice (very little soda). We couldn't help but notice that we received our meals before the people at the next table had even received their bread&151;and they had arrived before us. We had an Entertainment coupon, and, when we received the bill, it didn't appear that the discount had been applied. I mentioned it to our waitress, and she pointed out to me that she had seen the coupon, and that I had not looked at the back of our bill. When I did, I was shocked to find that we were charged $12 for 6 sodas. We had only ordered 4, and the only reason for that is that nobody ever brought us any more water. She did correct the bill, but I was still pretty annoyed. I wonder if we would have received "free refills" had we not had a coupon, since it was obvious that the drinks had been added to the back of the bill at the last minute. I waited for a few minutes, planning on asking to speak to the manager or owner, but we finally gave up & left when the waitress never came back. We won't be returning to Bing's."
[ALJ, 8/07] said: "We recently found a great restaurant—Bing's Restaurant & Catering—and have enjoyed two meals there over the past couple of months. The first time we ate here, 7/07, I enjoyed their house salad with a garlic vinaigrette, and my fiancé had the Caesar, which was a little heavy on the cheese but otherwise tasted good. We shared the risotto appetizer, which was phenomenal. I had a chicken scallopini entree, which is not on the menu but, upon request, was prepared for me and was very flavorful and served with linguini. My fiancé had their chicken parmesan and said it was the best he's had in Buffalo. They have a nice wine list, which we ordered from. The service was great—our waitress was very attentive and pleasant. We returned again 8/07 with my fiancé's parents and again had a wonderful meal. We started with house salads, which were very garlicky but nonetheless delicious. We shared two appetizers; one was a special baked polenta topped with marinara and artichoke hearts, which was very good, and the other was a fried calamari, which was tough and chewy. The entrees were again wonderful; both my fiancé and his father ordered the chicken parmesan; I had pasta primavera, which again was not on the menu, but the kitchen was happy to accommodate my request, and my entree came chock full of vegetables cooked to perfection atop linguini, with a chunky marinara sauce. My fiancé's mother had a penne dish with broccoli, spinach, and roasted red peppers in garlic and oil, which she enjoyed as well. We ordered drinks to start, and I have to say that Bing's martinis leave something to be desired—my chocolate martini was overly sweet and syrupy and had to be sent back. However, our waitress was very nice about it and, after having the bartender make another one for me, removed it from the bill and offered us a coupon at the end of the meal for a free entree when we returned, which we certainly will! Bing's really aims to please their customers! Additionally, this is the first Italian restaurant we've found in Buffalo where I actually like their red sauce. Being Italian myself, I am extremely picky about red sauces and usually stay away from them at restaurants, because I am usually disappointed. However, at Bing's, I can order whatever I want off the menu, knowing I will be pleased! We can't wait to go back this weekend! Note: Reservations recommended, especially on weekends, because the restaurant is fairly small and does not have a lot of tables."
[WHN, 8/07] said: "We've only been to Bing's twice. Several years ago, we sat at a table in the bar area, which was very quiet that night, and had an excellent meal. So we told some friends about Bing's and went there with them on Saturday night. We all had very good Caesar salads to start. For my entree, I had Osso Bucco, which was delicious, although I would have preferred that the accompanying risotto parmesan had been served on the side, instead of underneath the meat and broth, so the flavor was more distinct. My wife had veal Marsala, which she said was very good, and our friends had steaks, which they also said were very good. The only negative note was the high noise level in the main dining room, which made it nearly impossible to carry on a conversation. If you want a fairly quiet meal, I would recommend sitting in the bar area (and hoping it's not a busy night at the bar)."
[am] Bingo's Dim Sum House.
3202 Sheridan Dr. (near N. Bailey Ave.), Amherst.
833-8811.
[BMcWS, 2/11] said: "We visited this new spot on a Saturday night in late February around 5 P.M. This place fills up early. First, some thoughts on the space: The tables are too close together (I practically had to climb over people to get out); the tables are too big—we were miles apart from each other; they need to turn off the TV, which was blaring right above my head. The servers were very friendly and helpful. The menu needs some work. First of all, there are no prices. Secondly, there are items listed with no English explanation, so we had to ask. They do not have sugar available for tea—only Splenda. The menu has a nice selection of items, and there is a bubble-tea menu, as well. Now for the food: We sampled about 8 items. The two best, hands down, are the roasted-pork bun and the chicken bun. We've had these before in dim sum spots in big cities, and these were equally good. The buns are steamed and white and fluffy. The pork bun had BBQ-flavored pork inside. The chicken bun smelled like chicken soup and had chicken and veggies inside. These were truly excellent, worth coming back for. Fabulous. The vegetarian spring-rolls were too greasy for us. They were served with a very spicy sauce that was not identified to us. Later in the meal, we learned other sauces were available; however, these were not originally offered to us, so we added duck sauce and oyster sauce to the table about halfway through. We had steamed spinach-dumplings. They were a pretty green, but were kind of gummy and not that great. Next up were some potstickers, which were good. We also had deep-fried, egg-shaped items, whose name I cannot remember. This was filled with shrimp and mushrooms and veggies and was good, but again, was kind of greasy. We ordered another item, which never appeared and which we did not realize until later. It was supposed to be a steamed dumpling with shrimp, mushrooms, and veggies. I do not know if we were charged for it. For dessert, we tried the peanut puffs. This was a glob of peanut butter, encased in batter and deep fried. One taste was more than enough, as we were over our limit for greasy food. Other things on the menu include chicken feet, ribs, lotus rice, and lots of steamed and fried dumplings. I would come back for the buns and try the lotus rice and some items that are not fried."
[SuS, 1/11] said: "Formerly Bao's. Owner/server/chef Billy from NYC, whose brother attends UB medical school and told him there were no real dim sum restaurants in Buffalo. My daughter found this restaurant by accident on the Urban Spoon. We had mostly steamed vegetarian dim sum, but there are also meat, pan-fried, and deep-fried selections. We tried a deep-fried fishball dish on a skewer, which may have been a Chinese version of gefilte fish. Tasted better, but I found this a bit rubbery. Billy said he is still tweeking the menu. He has not had an official opening as yet, but people from Spree magazine told him he would be reviewed in the March issue. He also indicated that, when the restaurant was busier (on the weekends), service was slower (no wonder). I've been back twice with different groups of friends who uniformly were very positive."
Bistro at the Old Fort Inn.
110 Main St.
(near
Old Fort Niagara, about 15 minutes from
Artpark), Youngstown.
745-7141.
[JKo, 8/11] says: "We had a thoroughly enjoyable visit to this lovely restaurant. On a pleasant summer evening, we opted for a table outdoors on the cozy patio outside, surrounded by flower boxes and hanging baskets of ferns; small but lovely. We chose not to go for the specials, and selected salmon as well as crab-cake entrees from the standard menu. The wine list included house selections that were reasonably priced at $4 per glass. Entrees as well were reasonably priced, and included bread plate with oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping, house or Caesar salad, as well as choice of potato and vegetables. The bread was fresh baked, warm, crusty, and flavorful. My house salad was a wedge of iceberg with a side of tomato slices, crumbly bleu, and crisp bacon; yum! My wife's Caesar was not noteworthy but was nonetheless enjoyable. Our entrees were exceptional: My salmon filet was cooked perfectly and topped with gorgonzola, bacon, and spinach. It all worked fabulously. The garlic mashed potatoes were to die for, and surprisingly the fresh vegetables were cooked perfectly. My wife had the crab cakes, which were large, flavorful, and accompanied by a very pleasant dill sauce. Baked potato and those fresh veggies completed her entree. For dessert, we selected fresh blueberry pie, which was amazing, as well as strawberry shortcake nicely served over fresh biscuits. Service was professional and attentive. Our visit to the Bistro at the Old Fort Inn was a great experience and highly recommended."
[CJF, 10/10] said: "Stopped in at the Bistro at the Old Fort Inn in Youngstown on Friday (10/8/10). Seated immediately with no reservation. Restaurant includes a medium-sized (10–15 tables) dining room and several small (2 tops) tables adjacent to a well-stocked bar. Very pleasant décor; seemed like a locals place; classic piano man added a nice touch. Limited wine list, but good selections. Plenty of entrees, including lighter fare, to choose from. 2010 Restaurant Week menu had 4 or 5 great choices: soup or salad, entrée, dessert for 2 for $20.10!!!! We had filet and surf & turf. Both cooked as ordered; very tasty; plenty of good sides. Drinks, dinner, wine: $100. Stop in, if you find yourself up that way!"
[AFN, 6/09] said: "My sister, our daughters, and I went to the Lewiston Region Tour of Kitchens on Saturday, 6/13. Seven restaurants from Lewiston, Niagara Falls, and Youngstown offered samples of their cuisine at the various houses on the tour. The only dish I really disliked, as did my daughter, was so-called lobster and crab cakes from The Bistro at the Old Fort Inn, which tasted like they were made with surimi instead of real crab meat."
Review of its previous incarnation as the Olde Fort Inn…
Bistro Europa.
484 Elmwood Ave. (at Hodge, just north of Allentown), Buffalo.
884-1100.
[7/11] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.
[CDeLo, 4/11] says: "Very positive. In light of the most recent review for this restaurant being so negative, I wanted to write a positive review for one of my favorite spots in Buffalo, although I am worried about too many people finding out about it (it's so small and hard enough to get a table). My boyfriend and I have visited Bistro Europa twice in the last month, and, I must say, on both occasions, everything was excellent. We have both been longtime fans of this little restaurant. We loved it when it was under the old ownership. We both agree that, when the new owners took over, things were a bit rocky at first. But on our last several trips, they seem to have found their groove, and we think this restaurant is better than ever. We recently attended a birthday dinner there, and everyone at the table of 8 or 10 loved everything and could not stop raving. Our most recent trip was this past Friday [4/1/11]. The two of us arrived early to avoid the crowds and were warmly greeted by a server who told us to have a seat wherever we liked. I started our meal with a delicious glass of Montepulciano, while my boyfriend ordered a German beer. We decided to order four small plates and a bread basket, and just share everything. First up, the waitress brought us the homemade bread basket, the heirloom beet salad, and the shirred duck-egg dish. Everything was delicious. I love that they make their own bread here, and there is always a nice assortment of sweet and savory breads. This time it included biscuits, a sweet bread with dried fruit, and foccaccia. It was such a large portion that we ended up taking most of the breads home and eating them for breakfast the next day. The beet salad consisted of cold beets presented four ways: beet tartare, carpaccio, mousse, and pickled with a crisp of manchego and Asian pear. It was complex and really delicious. Each preparation was different in both texture and taste. Next up was the shirred duck-egg with salt-cod brandade, bechamel, and a homemade rosemary popover. This too was great, and we practically licked the bowl. Finally, we shared two small-plate specials: French gnocchi with pork cheeks and then a dish of potato noodles, black tomatoes, house-made ricotta, sesame seed, and truffle oil. Both were outstanding. We had had French gnocchi on a recent trip to Paris and found these ones equally delicious and light, a great pairing with the pork cheeks. The potato noodles were also delicious. I had no idea that truffle oil and sesame seeds were such a delicious combination! We were so full that we passed on dessert, but I have had the sticky toffee pudding before, and it is excellent. Overall, I think Bistro Europa is a great little spot. We eat out quite often, and, compared to a lot of restaurants in Buffalo, Bistro Europa is preparing really creative and delicious food at really reasonable prices. With four small plates, a bread basket, two beers, and two glasses of wine, our bill was way below $100. Thanks, Bistro Europa, for another delicious meal!"
[JCr, 9/10] commented on [SR, 9/10]'s review: "‘Crudo’, by definition, is raw fish drizzled with olive oil and citrus of some sort."
[SR, 9/10] said: "Beyond negative. Awful! My brother and I went to Bistro Europa with our cousin and his wife on Saturday night [9/11/10], my first time since the new owner/chef bought the restaurant. Two of us ordered appetizers of caprese salad with fresh peaches instead of tomatoes, with basil, and mozzarella that was covered with black sea salt; way, way too salty. The peaches weren't salted and were OK, although not ripe: too hard and not really ready to eat. I had to scrape off the coating of sea salt to make the mozzarella edible. My brother had chicken livers, which were battered and deep fried way too long and had, he said, a burnt, carbon taste. My cousin ordered red snapper crudo, which was nothing more than raw fish topped by a citrus sauce, not ‘cooked’ by the marinade, like ceviche, but maybe this was what the ‘chef’ intended. Chicken Piri Piri, which I had previously under the old owner/chef (and was delicious, which is why I ordered it again), was so salty that it was inedible. I sent it back and got golumpki, which two other people had also ordered. Like everything else, it was grossly over-salted. I was afraid to eat much, because I thought the kitchen staff might sabotage it because I complained. (We heard the chef yelling at our waitress because she asked how one of the menu items—some kind of whelk dish—was prepared). My cousin-in-law's golumpki was still partially frozen inside, and she sent it back to be re-nuked. My brother said his golumpki was luke-warm inside, but he kept it. Basically, their version of golumpki is just a big meatball wrapped in a cabbage leaf with, perhaps, a minimal amount of rice, which I couldn't detect, but some could, covered by tomato sauce. Our server asked if we had ever made golumpki at home and no one had. She said it's really easy, so we wondered why they had to freeze it and serve such garbage. The scallops that my cousin ordered must have been fine, or at least he didn't comment on them, maybe because he had suggested Bistro Europa. The rye bread, baked in-house we were told, was very good: the best part of the meal. I was astounded to find so many positive reviews online and to see the place was very crowded. The next day, I talked to another cousin, who said she agreed Bistro Europa has gone badly downhill under the new regime and that everything she had was grossly over-salted on her last visit. They need to bring in Gordon Ramsay from Kitchen Nightmares to learn that good restaurants don't freeze and reheat food, but they probably won't, since they somehow attract a lot of diners. But I'll never go back."
[JCr] said:
[1/10] "I once again returned to Bistro Europa; however, this time was for lunch. The restaurant has since acquired a very talented new owner/chef, and I stopped in to check out the new lunch menu. To start, I went with a cup of lentil and chorizo soup, which was well balanced and delicious. For my main course, I chose the steak panini. I believe a hanger cut was used for this sandwich, and it was cooked to a perfect medium-rare. This was a great sandwich and was complemented with some yummy pickled vegetables. I cannot wait to return again soon for dinner."
[12/09] "We recently returned for another evening at Bistro Europa, and this did nothing but solidify the fact this is becoming one of our new favorites. We arrived at 8:30 to a busy dining room and took a seat at the bar, received menus, and had our drink order taken by Dan, the polite and courteous bartender/server. After my wife and I received our beverages, we placed our orders, starting with the Spar's Weisswurst with homemade pretzel and beer mustard, and one of the pierogi specials of the night, which was pork pierogi; the other special pierogi this evening was oxtail pierogi. We greatly enjoyed both of our starters and would certainly order them again. Regarding our entrees, we both ordered off the specials menu again, and went with the meatball sliders with Sunday gravy, and the butter-braised Maine lobster with linguiça and potatoes in a natural jus broth. The meatball sliders were filling and most excellent; the lobster dish was quite great, as well, filled with a generous portion of lobster and the yummy linguiça sausage, which is a cured Portuguese sausage if I recall. Another great meal at the Bistro: 3 stars on the Rapaport scale."
[10/09] "Last evening, 10/28, my wife and I met a friend of ours for an unforgettable meal at Bistro Europa. We arrived to this quaint restaurant, situated in the heart of the Elmwood Village, about 8 P.M. and took a seat at the bar, which is where we chose to enjoy our meal. We quickly received menus, were told the nightly specials, and our drink orders were taken by the friendly and knowledgeable bartender/server. To start, the three of us chose to share a few specials of the night: a steak tartare with marrow, truffle gribiche, and parsley root puree, and the other, a roasted pear salad with Marcona almonds, arugula, and goat cheese truffles, and a liver pate served with sausage, spicy mustard, gherkins, and a warm crusty French bread. I have enjoyed steak tartare at many great restaurants, and none have even compared to this; it was above and beyond the best I have had prior. For our entrees, I chose off the specials list, a roasted Cornish game hen with a carrot-ginger puree, sautéed chard, and natural jus. This was a perfectly cooked bird; crispy skin; moist, tender meat; and a wonderful entree all around. My wife and our friend both chose the golabki, which is cabbage stuffed with pork, beef, and rice, in a warm tomato broth. This was a well-received dish by both guests, and I would imagine it is one of the best sellers. Other specials on the menu last evening included a roasted tomato soup, duck pierogie with sweet chili sauce, farmer's cheese and potato pierogie, and homemade spaghetti carbonara alla chitarra. There is a nice selection of desserts as well, all made in house, and my wife thoroughly enjoyed her pear tart. As noted previously in a review below, they have a nice selection of wine and beer, although now they do have quite a nice selection of Polish beers. Prices are extremely reasonable, great service, and comfortable ambience. Bistro Europa will now enter into my regular restaurant rotation, and I recommend you stop in and see first hand why."
[SJo, 4/10] said: "We had brunch here on Easter Sunday, the first Sunday of their being open for brunch, and it was outstanding! We had the pastry plate, house-made, and everything was unbelievably great—the sticky bun—best pastry that ever entered my mouth. Everyone ordered different entrees, and I managed to sample the house-made breakfast sausage and bacon—I am normally not a fan of either, and rarely eat meat, but they were both extremely good—the sausage had such a good flavor of maple and, I believe, fennel, and the bacon was smoky and crisp. I had the crepes, made with mango and pineapple, cheese and mint—fabulous combination. The service was warm and friendly, the owner/chefs—so nice—it was really a wonderful experience. This is now not only my favorite dinner place but is now my favorite brunch place as well. I believe this is the best restaurant in Buffalo now."
[LRK, 1/10] said: "Bistro Europa is the best restaurant in Buffalo. There. I said it. I've been impressed by Tempo, pleased at Hardware, and smitten with Ulrich's. But Bistro Europa is the best restaurant in Buffalo. Their new menu, all of which I hear is made in house, looks really effing great. I had a special tonight: the duck burger. What they don't tell you is that the thing is served with delicious, crispy, fried duck skin on top! Delicious. I'm going back ASAP for the pork thing my friend ordered, which was served with mustard greens (!!!). Yay!"
I had been told that this was formerly known as "Europa Bistro" and formerly located a few doors away. But…
…[RL, 7/09] says: "I've been a longtime reader
of your restaurant guide, though as of yet I haven't
contributed any reviews. It's really an excellent resource,
[Thanks!]
and I consult it frequently. As a resident of the Elmwood Village area,
I thought I would offer an update on one of the restaurants in my
neighborhood.
Bistro Europa/Europa Bistro: There's always been
some confusion over what this place is called ever since it opened, and
I'm not sure there was ever an official name change. Your
guide notes that this restaurant was formerly located a few doors away,
but I can assure you that it's always been in the same spot."
[ECB, 4/09] said: "Very small and a bit cramped, but comfortable.
The food was a bit slow
coming out, and the service could have been more attentive. Otherwise, a
very nice dining experience. [AAB] and I tried the fries with garlic
aoili and meat/cheese/fruit/bread plate, which were both quite good. We
also tried the roasted, seasoned almond that the couple we were dining with
got, and it was excellent and addictive. Our entrees of Chicken
Paprikash and Cassoulet were quite satisfying in a home-style,
old-school food way. We ended the meal with a dessert special whose name
escapes me; it was rum-soaked bread dipped in egg and fried like French
toast served with gelato, which was excellent. Definitely will return."
[AAB, 3/09] said: "To enter this tiny restaurant, you pass
through a green curtain that,
although it is new and well maintained, still gives the impression of
being worn and threadbare. This impression is followed through to the
entire restaurant, with its tiny, warped tables; low lighting; and
photographic decor. This is not to say that the restaurant is dirty,
as it is not; it is simply moody. This restaurant is about the size of
my kitchen, not counting the bar. We were forced to sit at one of the
elevated side tables, as I did not feel comfortable taking the only
table with four chairs. The whole restaurant is served by only one
person, including the bar, so service was spotty and disjointed at
best.
The menu was small and simple, something which I appreciate, and
divided in ‘large dishes’ and ‘small dishes’. Neither of us had a
‘large’ dish, but the small dishes were just on the other side of
‘enough’, with an appetizer. I had the Chicken Piri Piri, and my
companion had the Potato Pancakes with apples. We also had the fondue
plate to share. The fondue plate was a tasty cheese and a seemingly
random group of other ingredients to dip. We dipped thick pieces of
bread, apples, tomatoes, bell peppers, grapes, breadsticks, and
zucchini. While the selection of things to dip seemed odd, it was all
fresh and complemented the cheese well. The breadsticks were also
very good, and I wondered if they made them fresh on site. They also
had a very large beer and wine list, which I found intriguing.
The next course was also tasty. The chicken Piri Piri (named for a hot
pepper, although I do not think that was the pepper used in this
dish), was spicy in a mild and pleasant way. It came plated on top of
some large cut fries, which were extremely tasty. The chicken was all
dark meat, which I was happy about, as it is the tastiest part of the
chicken, but may have surprised other diners. I tasted my companion's
meal, and the potato pancakes were very tasty and crunchy.
I cannot wait to come back to this restaurant and try some new
dishes. I also was intrigued by the extra ‘bar food’-type menu stuck
to the wall with a tack. It included marinated olives and liver pate,
amongst other things. Despite the crowded conditions, this place is
lovely. Just come during an off day, early, or late, so that you can
get a table."
[WHN, 7/08] said: "Our son recommended Bistro Europa, where he
had what he says was the
best cassoulet he's ever eaten. So we went there last night,
Saturday, July 12th. They don't take reservations, so we went fairly
early, thinking we might have a long wait for a table. Fortunately,
our party of five was seated at the last available table. For those
who haven't been there, the restaurant is really tiny, with table
seating for, I would say, 20 people max, plus a few tall,
cocktail-type tables and stools along one wall and seating at the
bar. The menu has much more than Eastern European choices. We all
ordered house salads to start, which had a delicious dressing
seasoned with dill, among other spices. My wife had Hungarian chicken
paprikash, served with potato dumplings, while our daughter and I had
spicy Portuguese chicken pirri-pirri with roasted potatoes. The
serving sizes were very large, and the meals were excellent. My son
had cassoulet, which he said was different than the last time he had
it—not as heavy, but still very good. We speculated that they use a
lighter-style cassoulet recipe during the summer months than in
winter, when he last had it. Our grandson had a more-or-less plain
chicken cutlet. He apparently enjoyed it, too. We were going to go to
Sweet Tooth
next door for dessert, so
passed on some very tempting offerings, including Black Forest
cheesecake, with fresh blueberries, sweet cherries, and raspberries.
Unfortunately, Sweet Tooth has moved. (We learned later that it's now
at 94 Elmwood near Allen)."
Of its previous incarnation under its previous name at its previous location...
[BL, 1/07] said: "We went to Europa Bistro on a Friday, 1/5/07.
The food is good, but some items
are overpriced. The best thing they have going is well-prepared food and
good
service. The cons are a chilly room, because the tables are near the
front
door, which opens directly to the outside. Too bad the huge bar could not
be put
in the front so diners could sit more warmly and more relaxed in the
back. We
might accept the tight quarters, but a cold room has to be fixed. (We
have
visited three restaurants lately, and all have been chilly or had drafty
windows
or doors. Please make our dining comfortable. Maybe heat costs are
influencing
this, but a cold restaurant is not fun.) Additional concerns are small
portions
and high prices. One example is pierogis, which appear to be becoming an
expensive delicacy around here. For the amount and size, they were priced
pretty
high. (Note: They were also priced high on our recent visit to
Prosit
in
Williamsville, so we did not bother trying them.) Service was quite
good considering
the congestion. There were some delays around the room, but our hostess
was
gracious, and so were the customers. We were told the help was ill. The
restaurant
has good food overall but needs some room upgrades, and we observed
prices
were higher than we expected."
[JGM, 12/06] said: "I've been reluctant to send in a review of
Europa Bistro, because this tiny place
in a former Subway sandwich shop has quickly become my favorite Buffalo
restaurant, and I want to continue to be able to find a seat there, but
it's
unfair not to share it. The menu features a wide variety of cuisines
from
western and central Europe, with a focus on Polish dishes, but includes
a
lot more. The Chicken Paprikash with liver dumplings is delicious, and
the
cassoulet is the best I've ever had. Each night, there are also a number
of
specials, including a nightly risotto, an entree, and usually several
soups. I've been there four times, and everything I've had there has
been
wonderful. As I said, it's a very small place, with eight or nine
tables,
but my favorite seat is at the bar. There is also a good wine list and
a
pretty good selection of beers (although no Polish beer). Prices are
very
reasonable, ranging from potato pancakes for around $7 up to $13 or so
for
the specialties. And the atmosphere is cozy and warm, with the walls
painted in rich reds and blues, and gypsy jazz playing in the
background."
Bistro Six-One.
61-63 Queen St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, CANADA.
905-468-2532.
[a]
Black and Blue Steak and Crab.
5493 Sheridan Dr. (in Williamsville Place plaza), Amherst.
839-2525.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41 "Restaurants We Love" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
[1/08] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.
[WHN] says:
[6/10] "Last Saturday [5/25/10], we met friends for dinner at Black & Blue. After drinks and bread were served, our waiter told us the nightly specials, which included a soft-shell-crab appetizer and a filet topped by a jumbo, grilled shrimp. I can't resist soft-shell crab when it's in season, so I ordered that to start. It was lightly battered and deep fried, served with a sun-dried-tomato dipping sauce, over cheddar-cheese fries. The crab and the dipping sauce were excellent, but the cheese fries added one too many fried elements to the dish. They were good, but didn't really complement the crab. Our friend ordered a Caesar salad, and our wives had house salads, all described as very good. For main courses, our wives had the evening special, filet topped by shrimp, served over mashed potatoes. The potatoes were flavored with bleu cheese, which my wife had and loved, but the other woman asked for, and received, a substitute of garlic mashed potatoes. Both thought their meals were excellent. Her husband ordered seared scallops with a pomegranate glaze, served over vegetable risotto. He liked the scallops, but apparently didn't care for the risotto, as he left most of it. He also ordered a side of French fries, so probably didn't really want or need two starches. I've always wanted to try what Black & Blue describes as grilled, jumbo shrimp and andouille sausage with fried, cheddar-cheese grits, because I love traditional low-country shrimp and grits, and thought it sounded interesting. And since B & B makes a great she-crab soup, I thought they might also serve wonderful shrimp and grits. I told our server I had never heard of fried grits, and asked if he would recommend the dish. He said it was very spicy, but most people who had it liked it. So, that's what I ordered. The best shrimp and grits I've ever had were at a restaurant called S.N.O.B. (Slightly North of Broad) in Charleston, SC. There, the grits are creamy, cheesy, and very flavorful, with some, but not a huge amount of, sausage. Black & Blue's dish was nothing like it. It was served on two skewers with six shrimp and two large andouille sausages, split in half lengthwise. The cheese grits were deep fried and served like a slice of cake. The roasted garlic and tomato ragout was very good, however. It was not a bad entree, but there was way too much sausage for my taste (I left 3/4 of it). I also learned that I'm no fan of fried grits, and later found, on Google, that the way B & B served them is how fried grits are done in the south. So, theirs was the traditional preparation, so it wasn't the restaurant's fault that I didn't care for them. With dinner, we had a bottle of 2008 Two Hands Angels Share Shiraz from McLaren Vale, South Australia, priced at $40, about the same as at retail stores, an extremely reasonable price. It was very good. We finished the evening with coffee and complimentary chocolate truffles, but no dessert. Overall, it was a very good meal, with an excellent server, Pete. We will certainly return to Black & Blue, but I won't have the shrimp and grits again."
[3/10] "Our son took my wife, our visiting daughter, and me to Black and Blue on Monday, 3/15, to celebrate my wife's birthday. When we arrived, we learned that they had extended their restaurant-week offer for another day. The $20.10 specials were a house salad with white balsamic vinaigrette, a choice of filet of sirloin over garlic mashed potatoes with a sherry-tomato cream sauce or grilled salmon with a ginger glaze on a seared vegetable risotto cake, and cauliflower and spinach. Our daughter had the salmon, while the rest of us had the steaks. Both entrees were delicious. Dessert was banana cheese cake with a chocolate topping, which was also delicious. It was a fine meal with excellent service at a great price."
[1/10] "We met another couple for dinner at Black and Blue Friday night, 1/15. When we were seated, we were served cheese-encrusted croissants and multi-grain rolls, which, although not hot, were fresh and flavorful. I started with she-crab soup, which is exceptionally good here. We spent a few days in the Charleston, SC, area last fall, and I would say that Black and Blue's she-crab soup is as good as any I had in the low-country. Our wives had chop salads, with the house sweet-and-sour dressing with bleu cheese, and our other friend had a Caesar salad. The salads were very large (probably large enough for two people), and reported to be very good. From their extensive wine list, we had 2007 Simi Russian River Valley Chardonnay with our appetizers, and 2006 Two Hands Bella's Garden Barossa Valley Shiraz (rated 93 by Wine Spectator) to go with our main courses. Both were excellent, especially the Shiraz. We each had some cut of beef. The steaks were cooked perfectly, as ordered, and served with a choice of toppings. I chose Gorgonzola, my wife had red wine demi-glace, and our friends had bearnaise. One large side dish is included with each entree, so both couples ordered shoestring fries and baked asparagus to share. We skipped dessert, but we were given a plate of chocolate truffles, which were very good, along with our coffee. It was an excellent meal, with excellent service."
[9/09] "We met friends at Black & Blue on Friday night (9/25/09) for their 3-course ‘Local Restaurant Week’ special. The starter was a house salad of mixed greens with white balsamic vinaigrette dressing. For the main course, we all chose grilled top sirloin steak topped with lobster butter sauce, with a caramelized onion-potato cake. (Maple glazed salmon was the other entree choice.) The sirloin steaks were excellent—very tender, cooked perfectly, and a more than ample portion—and the sauce was delicious. The potatoes were very good, as well. A vegetable would have been a nice addition, and there are numerous choices on the ‘sides’ menu, but our friends didn't want any. The dessert was apple spice cake with a dollop of whipped cream. The service was good, but the ‘helper’ reversed the seating vs. serving pattern, so there had to be some swapping of medium steak for medium rare; not a big deal. There was a sign at the hostess's desk saying that Black & Blue will be extending their restaurant-week specials through Thursday, October 1."
[7/09] "On Sunday night, we dined at Black and Blue for the first time since our visit shortly after they opened a year and a half ago. The popovers and rolls were hot and fresh. Our son, daughter, and I started with she-crab soup, which was excellent, with sherry drizzled across it. It's more like low-country she-crab soup than Maryland (per the menu) crab soup, but perhaps they mean that the crab is from Maryland, not the soup recipe. Our daughter said it reminded her of she-crab soup served in Charleston when she lived there. I agree it's the best I've had outside of South Carolina. My wife had a chop salad, which was also delicious. It was large enough that she shared some of it with each of us. The sweet and sour dressing with bleu cheese was reminiscent of that served by David's Grille in Orchard Park, and toasted garbanzos added a flavorful, crunchy element. For entrees, my son and I had steaks. My strip steak, topped with truffle butter, was nicely cooked to medium rare, but his, also ordered medium rare, was more medium well. The horseradish cream sauce he ordered on the side made it palatable. My wife had king crab legs, served with lemon butter, which she said were excellent. She had the meat removed from the shells in the kitchen, which was nice. Our daughter had grilled trout with crab and avocado salad, topped by crispy tempura onions, and served over lemon risotto. She thought it was very good, but found the risotto to be overly lemony for her taste, but probably fine for people who enjoy more citrus flavor. Unlike our first visit, when we were overwhelmed by three orders of cheese fries, we ordered three different sides, included with the steak and crab entrees, to share. They were very good and more than enough for four people. Overall, the meal was very good, and the service was first rate, too."
[1/08] "My son took us to the new Black and Blue Steak and Crab restaurant for my birthday. It was Monday night, but the place was very busy, maybe as a result of Janice Okun's 3-1/2 star review last Saturday, January 5. The cheese-flavored rolls offered after we were seated were hot and very flavorful. For an appetizer, I had she-crab soup, which was excellent. Other appetizers ordered were crab cakes and an evening special of fried calamari with a chili/tomato sauce. Both were said to be very good, although my wife said her crab cakes (made with back-fin lump crab meat) are better. The steaks—one filet, the rest, rib steaks—were very good, cooked medium rare as ordered. The truffle butter and wine sauces were quite tasty. For sides, the server said the cheddar fries were delicious, so we all ordered them. They were good, but after a few fries, the cheddar flavor (sort of like on cheese-flavored popcorn) got to be a bit much. I would say that the included side dishes are large enough to share among two to four people, depending on how hungry they are, so suggest ordering different sides and sharing them, rather than getting all the same one. The service was excellent. There is a decent selection of wines by the glass, and a large by-the-bottle wine list. When visiting their website, use the Rochester link to check out the menu, as the Buffalo one is not online yet. But, note that the prices in Buffalo are $1 or so higher than indicated on the website."
[SRu, 10/10] says: "This past Saturday [10/30/10] was the second time my husband and I attempted to dine at this establishment. We had a reservation but arrived a bit early. The hostess was on the phone with her head down and other ear covered. I figured it was due to the loud backround music but thought it odd she did not look up and smile to acknowledge that people were waiting for her. As we waited, a server stormed over to give her a nasty note about making sure the tables were set. Once again we were not acknowledged by the employee. So far, not a good impression. We were told our table would be ready ‘around the time of our reservation’. No ‘You may have a seat here or in the bar area, if you like’, which is what I would expect to hear from a hostess. We went to the bar area to wait. My husband got a bartender's attention after several minutes of standing at the bar. He ordered a mixed drink for himself and a club soda for me. Evidently, the bartender took offence to my choice; she gave him a dirty look and asked ‘A what?’. After waiting at the bar with my husband's empty glass being ignored, I suggested we walk out. My husbank said, ‘You'd think they'd be nicer once you are seated at a table, to get a good tip’. No matter how good the food may have been, I would not have enjoyed my meal, due to the rude staff. There are too many good restaurants in the Western New York area to waste my time on rude service."
[MER, 9/10] said: "I had tomato and mozzarella on lettuce, with a creamy
sauce that was amazing. I had filet mignon cooked to perfection, with a
demiglaze that was wonderful. For dessert, I had apple crisp, which
could have been hotter, but was very good anyway.
Jared was one of the best servers I have ever had; he was pleasant,
caring, and very attentive. Samantha was, as well. Thank you, Black and
Blue, for a great dinner."
[KMe, 1/10] said: "My husband and I went to Black and Blue on
Saturday [1/23/10] and had made reservations thru Open Table, which I love to use.
It took over 5 minutes for our server to find us, and my husband was just
about to go to the bar to get our drinks when he arrived. We knew we
wanted the fresh oysters and the beef carpaccio, so we ordered them when
we placed the wine order (2 glasses of cabernet). About 5 minutes later,
another server brought the appetizers; however, we were still waiting
for our wine. Our wine came shortly after—not a good start, and this
was just an indication of the service for the rest of the night. My
husband ordered the filet special, and I ordered the arctic char. Both
were presented beautifully, but I need to remind myself that, whenever we
dine here, I should just order the steak—they know what they are doing.
The char was so-so, but the way he described it sounded much better than
what I got. It was basically blackened and on some diced sweet potatoes
and asparagus. In the end, we both got coffee, and I got the chocolate
creme brulee. In the end, the service was lackluster, and it was
extremely loud in the dining room—I found myself yelling during
dinner! Total bill was $140, and that included 4 glasses of wine. I
don't know if I will go back."
[DLM, 1/10] said: "During the holidays, our two friends and my
husband and I were so pleased to have dined at this lovely Williamsville
restaurant. Between the four of us, each and every appetizer, which
consisted of shrimp and crab, was perfect. The wine was red, dry, and
perfect, as our waiter suggested.
I opted for the steak served medium well, along with our
guests; we all had the steak. My husband and I each had the beefsteak
tomato salad.
Our salad with the huge tomatos were the best ever.
Our guests had regular salads; they said they were yummy.
No one had dessert.
We all had coffee. Service was impeccable
This Saturday, we will return with great expectations. Lobster
for me on this visit.
I recommend this restaurant highly and would hope most who read this
would try Black and Blue and just judge for yourself.
We understand waitresses who may reach for a fork, as someone
stated earlier in your reviews [SC&PM, 2/08]; that is unfortunate, but really what can
it harm? Several things can go wrong, but for the most part most of us can
expect perfection, but really it is rare to find it to that degree.
Enjoy this restaurant; it is a gem."
[DHe, 3/09] said: "We use your review site quite often and
thought it would be nice to
contribute. Thank you for providing the service!
[You're welcome!]
My wife and I recently visited Black and Blue Steak and Crab for the
first
time after hearing a few positive comments. Well, let us say that we're
not
surprised to see several mediocre/negative comments on this site. To
begin,
the atmosphere is outstanding, and the service we received was
appropriate
for a restaurant of this caliber. Our waiter (Brian), along with
assistant
(Alison), were each professional servers and maintained a perfect pace
of
delivery, water top-offs, etc. We each ordered the chop salad to start,
which Jen loved, but I found to be a bit overpowered by the dressing and
onions. For the main course, I ordered the filet mignon with a side of
port-wine mashed potatoes. Jen ordered the New York Strip topped with crab,
with
a side of creamed spinach. My filet was perfect (as it should be at a
steakhouse); however, the New York Strip was very much overdone. Jen
had
ordered medium and received well-done, so we grabbed Brian's attention
and
sent the steak back. The manager came over and apologized. This was
followed by another steak being delivered that was extremely underdone
(raw
in the center to the point of being difficult to cut). Even your
average
chain restaurant can usually manage to hit "medium", but a so-called
steakhouse can't manage the same after multiple attempts? In any
event,
the steak was returned, which obviously angered the chef. The same steak
was
re-broiled to medium but was now very dry due to being cut in several
sections in the raw state. In addition, the black truffle butter must
have
remained on the plate when the steak was tossed into the broiler, because
it
was completely melted. This combination resulted in a dried-up steak
with
no complementary sauce. The manager did waive the cost of the steak, but
we
were still charged for the topping of crab! In contrast, the side
dishes
were outstanding. Overall, I would rate our experience as
disappointing.
We won't be returning."
[CDeL, 11/08] said: "My husband and I returned to Black and Blue
on Saturday evening for the
first time since celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary there in
September. That night was so wonderful, and I've been telling my husband
we simply must go back ever since. To our disappoinment, the waiter on
our anniversary, Chris, we were informed, is no longer there. I was so
looking forward to seeing him. Such a nice young man and so
knowledgeable. He made wonderful suggestions and made us feel like we
were special on our special night. Nonetheless, we once again had a
truly enjoyable meal. Our previous visit had been on a weeknight and
wasn't quite as crowded and noisy, but we sat tucked away in a cozy
booth against the wall and felt very comfortable. We aren't normally
creatures of habit, but we loved our meals from our anniversary so much
that we ordered the exaxt same things right down to the dessert: an
absolutely delicious banana cream pie made of caramelized bananas and
custard with an Oreo-cookie crust. Not like any banana cream pie I've
ever had before, but now the best I've had. To start, my husband
ordered a sampler plate of oysters: 4 varieties. The oysters were
accompanied by wasabi tobiko roe, a spicy cocktail sauce, and a pink
peppercorn mignonette, and all were excellent. I had the crab cakes
served with a lobster and corn cream sauce. They were out of this
world. For his entree, my husband had the 8-ounce filet mignon prepared
a perfect medium rare with the red wine demi-glace that Chris had raved
about. He chose the grilled asparagus as his side dish and loved it.
I, once again, ordered the pan-seared sea scallops brushed with a
pomegranate glaze and served with a vegetable risotto. The risotto
wasn't prepared as well this time (a little undercooked and firm) as the
last, but still was very enjoyable. The pacing of the courses was
perfect: not too fast, which allowed us to relax, enjoy ourselves, and
digest a little to make room for the next course. We've had two very
nice nights out at Black and Blue and recommend it highly."
[GOw, 8/08] said: "We went to the Black & Blue last night for
dinner. I made 6:30
reservations; unfortunately, I got caught up in a combination of rush
hour and pre-season Bills traffic and was late. No matter; my wife
made it on time and explained, and they were able to accommodate us.
This was our first time here, and we were impressed with the interior.
Amazing fireplace; awesome bar with huge wine racks. Very upscale and
modern. The place was slamming busy. 2-deep at the bar. We figured
that they must be doing something right to be so busy on a week night.
We were right. We had a good meal with professional service. I was a
bit frazzled after the rush hour commute and required a cocktail
quickly. That was the only downside to our meal. As is our usual, we
had Beefeater martinis on the rocks with olives. The drinks were served
in generous-sized glasses, but tasted weak and cost $8.50. This is
higher than some of the other fine dining restaurants that we have been
to. Oh well; we just had two, and that did the trick. We were quickly
brought some rolls and water, and our server then came by to tell us
about the specials. We really liked our server. She was pleasant,
attentive, and willing to accommodate. Her accent intrigued us, and we
were way off in thinking she was Eastern European when she was in fact
from Quebec City. We went ahead and ordered an appetizer while we
looked over the menu. The crab & lobster fondue came and was deadly
good: sweet crab & Maine lobster baked in a parmigiano-reggiano sauce
with caramelized leeks and buttered breadcrumbs, served with crispy pita
chips and a mascarpone popover. The pita chips are soft, buttery, and
warm: excellent. We ordered more. Talk about rich. I probably would
not order this again, but only because there are lots of other
interesting choices. The steaks are served with their signature rub of
spices and your choice of house-made sauces: red wine demiglace,
horseradish crème, Gorgonzola cream, b&b steak sauce,
béarnaise, or
black truffle butter. Jan went with the Gorgonzola and a 12 oz.
rib-eye and enjoyed it. If anything, it was cooked just a shade past
medium. I had the rest with eggs this morning. You also get your
choice of one side. Jan chose the creamed spinach; she liked it, I
wouldn't touch it if you paid me, too. I went with the paella. This was
my first time ever ordering this dish. I enjoyed this very much. It is
described as grilled lobster tail, split crab leg, scallops, chorizo,
and chicken served over steamed saffron rice with peas and oven0dried
tomatoes. Delicious. The lobster was a bit chintzy, but the crab made
up for it. The scallops were grilled and very good. All was fresh and
well cooked. The rice was the only thing I left. It was fine, but did
not inspire me to stuff myself any further. We decided to forgo dessert
and coffee. Our server did bring us 4 little chocolate truffles. Nice
touch. The bill was $120 with tip. We would definitely go back."
[PMa, 6/08] said: "My friend and self tried B&B about two weeks
ago and had a great
evening. We enjoyed everything from appetizers to our glass of Port and
the
bittersweet chocolate after our meal. Drinks from the bar were watered
down, but the food and service we received made up for that. I was so
delighted by B&B that I chose to bring my parents there for their 58th
anniversary dinner last night [6/16]. There were six of us in the dinner
party.
Upon arrival, we were escorted to the second level and seated. We all
felt
a little packed in, because the table is small and seating is a little
awkward. We decided to make the best of it, and so we settled in as our
waiter approached. He seemed like an amateur who was uncomfortable
performing in his title role of waiter...ugh, we hoped the evening would
perk up. The house salad I had so enjoyed the week or so before was
just
OK, with the cornbread croutons being soggy instead of crunchy. The
salad
"special" was not so special. Only one of the five appetizers we
ordered is
worth mentioning and that is the crab and lobster fondue served with
fried
pita and topped off by a lovely muffin made of mascarpone cheese.
Unfortunately, our evening continued on a downward spiral from there.
The
waiter and entrees (steak special, fish special, bone-in filet, crab,
and
lobster) were nothing more than you would expect from a local diner.
Presentation was nice, but the taste couldn't meet the expectation:
mediocre to poor at best throughout our meal. For dessert, we ordered
the
banana cream pie, apple crisp, and molten chocolate cake. The pie was
bland;
the warm cinnamon apple crisp, which is described as "crisp served warm
with
a caramel sauce and vanilla bean ice cream", had barely any topping; the
apples were hard enough to make you wonder if they were cooked at all;
and
the ice cream was lacking in size compared to the dessert itself.
Highlight
of the evening was the warm chocolate bomb cake shared by three people
in
our party. It was good enough to make a chocolate lover out of anyone.
The
consensus was 1 out of 5 stars."
[NMJ, 5/08] said: "Dined on May 28, 08. Reservations for two at
5:30, and was promptly
seated. The atmosphere almost reminded me of a restaurant set in NYC.
Upscale with casual fine-dining. Huge wine racks to the right as you
walk
in that sort of sections off the bar part of the restaurant. A cool,
see-through "fireplace" to the left of what appeared to be a smaller
scaled
private banquet room.
I felt the hostesses should've worn stockings and closed toed shoes and
possibly a tasteful uniform. Last thing I'd like to see is a girl in
mini-dress, pasty with unfinished toes as I'm being seated to a $100
meal.
This sort of "cheapened" up the place. Even at
T.G.I. Friday's
the
girls
wear hosiery.
Waitress was attentive and friendly. Fresh warm rolls served with butter
were immediately served. The first round were a little stale and luke
warm.
Asked for more rolls, and they were warm and fresh. I probably
could've
just eaten those and been just as full. My mother and I ordered a
Caesar
salad, and we split it. I was not impressed. Was too "fishy", and not
enough parm cheese or croutons. I ordered the 8oz filet with a side of
garlic mashed potatoes. Served in an oval, hot, iron dish with handles.
My
steak was edible, but too overcooked. I asked for medium well (slight
pink inside), and it was clearly well. I opted not to have the
signature
"rub" (seasoning). Instead, had the side of B&B steak sauce. Bland, to
say
the least. Any filet that isn't seasoned shouldn't taste any less.
Honestly, it wasn't worth the $26. The garlic mashed potatoes were
amazing
($5.95)! Nice helping. My mother also ordered the 8oz filet with a
half
lobster and side of garlic green beans. Her steak was also ordered
medium
well, and was brought out well done. For dessert, the sorbet was good.
The
waitress realized it was my birthday and gave me the chocolate lava
cake,
nicely decorated and topped with a single strawberry, on the house. This
was
fabulous.
I would probably dine again, if someone I went with hasn't dined there
before. The food presentation was nice. The staff were polite and
pleasant. I'd order my steak differently next time, and possibly with
the
signature seasoning. Forgo the Caesar salad and opt for another
appetizer
instead. I'd probably also order the 12 oz filet, forgetting it is
weighed
prior to cooking.
Total bill $106. This included one salad, two 8 oz filets, one-half
lobster, three glasses of wine, diet Pepsi, lemon sorbet, and a
complimentary
chocolate lava cake. Actually a lot less expensive than anticipated."
[CP, 3/08] said: "Mostly negative review:
I dined here 3/14/08 with 9 friends. First the positive: 7 of our
party
ordered steak. I believe all were filet; I heard no complaints and some
positive comments.
I personally feel a good tenderloin is one of the simplest meals to
make,
and make good. So, giving the restaurant credit for a good steak
doesn't
mean much in my book.
Negative: A friend and I shared the "black and blue" salad
described on the
menu as baby spinach and bleu cheese in warm bacon shallot
vinaigrette,
topped with blackened seared tenderloin tips. Not only was there no bleu
cheese to be found, but the tips, which I ordered medium rare, came out
well
done. No pink whatsoever. The dressing was incredibly salty, and the
pieces
of bacon did not look or taste like bacon. I actually couldn't
identify what
the crunchy salty bits were until I went back & looked at the menu
again. It
was absolutely not worth $14.00. For my entrée, I ordered tilapia over
a crab
couscous and garlic greens. Generally, I wouldn't order tilapia at a
"fine
dining" restaurant, but the description was enticing. Because it was a
special,
we weren't told the price. Even if it was $25.00, which it was, I
thought
the amount of crab served with it would make up for the very inexpensive
fish. Wrong! I found the tiniest piece of crab in the cold (not even
room-temp) couscous. Lastly, 2 girls at our table had the macaroni and cheese
during their last visit. They raved about it and ordered it again. They
both
agreed it was very dry this time and couldn't finish it. Overall, I
wouldn't
recommend eating here."
[SC&PM, 2/08] say: "Thank you very much for
your website. We refer to it regularly for new
restaurant reviews as well as all other reviews. Here is our experience
(very recent) from Black & Blue restaurant.
(Monday, February 11th, 2008 8:20pm)
I made reservations for my sister's birthday. We were there for a nice
evening dinner celebration on her birthday. We were seated promptly
after our 8.15pm reservation. We started with a bottle of German Weber
Riesling. Bread and butter was brought to our table before the wine
arrived. After 10 minutes, the waiter returned with our bottle
(uncorked) of Riesling, only to have him place it on our table for him to
return because he had to deliver another bottle of wine to the table
behind us and to take orders at another table. We ordered the Grilled
Trout, special of the day Beef Medallions with Portabello and Grilled
Asparagus, Lump Jonah Crab, and the 20oz Porter House with Lump crab with
Red wine demi-glaze served with a side of sweet potato dumplings.
Before our entrees arrived, a waitress simply leaned in to us to
retrieve our salad forks (seeing that none of us were having salad)
without a mere "excuse me". We thought that was rather rude and
unrefined, seeing that she simply reached across us to retrieve the fork.
Our entrees arrived, and the Lump Jonah Crab as well as crab on the
Porter house was fresh and delicious. The grilled trout served on a bed
of lemon risotto topped with fried onions was not bad. The lemon
risotto was rather bland, but the grilled flavors of the trout somewhat
compensated for the unflavored risotto. The Beef Medallions were decent—the side of asparagus was nicely grilled, but the asparagus was rather
old.
Service for the rest of the evening went downhill from here. The
waitress who reached in for the fork came back to refill our water
glasses, clumsily hitting our plates loudly, and appeared to be in a rush
to just clear whatever she could while we were in the midst of eating. The
waiter who took our orders stopped by very shortly to check on us and
moved to the table next to us to "chat". The same goes with the "clumsy"
waitress, who came later to clear our plates. My sister, who ordered the
Beef Medallions, had only managed to finish half her meal. As the
waitress was clearing all our plates, my sister requested that her
unfinished portion be packed up. Without asking or anything, the
waitress simply stacked on our side plates onto her unfinished portion
and cleared our table leaving our water glasses behind. We were in utter
shock!! If the waitress had not heard my sister's request, she could
have also inquired if the unfinished portion was to be packed up.
Instead, she took it upon herself to just clear everything up. Again,
the waitress cleared our table in such a fast and clumsy manner as if
she was in a rush to get out of what she was doing.
We asked for our check; it came some time later, and I left zero tip. I
asked to speak to the manager and relayed to him our bad experience.
Before I was done complaining of our service, he interrupted me to go
retrieve our check. He returned with our check and with our waiter. Now
I have the manager and waiter in front of me, and I had to repeat my
complaints. The manager had me fill in a comment card. As I was filling
the card, our waitress stormed up to confront us. She claimed she did
not hear the request to pack up the unfinished portion of the meal.
Offers from the manager, waiter, and waitress to recook the unfinished
portion of meal was made, to which we declined. We were already on our
way out the door, and there was no point waiting for the chefs to recook
the discarded meal. The waitress was unapologetic over her actions and
was very confrontational about what had happened. Another shocker was
that we felt the manager could have handled the communication portion of
this bit with his serving staff instead of having us explaining again
and again what had gone wrong. We were assured that our complaints will
reach management of Black & Blue, but I doubt that a small comment card
coud have documented all that went wrong. I commented what I could on the
few measly lines provided and hope that no one else will receive such
bad experience as we did."
[ECB, 1/08] said: "My wife took me here for my birthday. The
evening didn't start out well.
With an 8pm reservation, we weren't seated until after 9pm, though they
were very apologetic and treated us very well once we were in the dining
room. My wife and I shared the Small Oyster Sampler, which was a variety
of raw oysters with a number of sauces. Eschewing the condiments, we
thoroughly enjoyed the oysters, vowing next time to get the large one.
My Crab Cakes were delicate and succulent, melting in my mouth, with
just the right amount of sauce, while my wife's She Crab Soup was rich
and flavorful. My wife got the Porterhouse with Truffle Butter and
Vidalia onion rings. The steak was fantastic, so much so that the sauce
was a distraction, and she ended up not using it. The onion rings were
fairly mediocre. I got the Lump Jonah Crab, which was luxurious and
decadent. It came with drawn butter, garlic aioli, and a drizzle of
spicy pepper sauce. I found the latter to be particularly nice. I got
the Orzo "Mac and Cheese" that Janice Okun recommended, and it lived up
to the praise. We were offered dessert for free, because of our wait,
and enjoyed the Chocolate Creme Brulee and Banana Cream Pie with coffee.
Overall, the food and service were wonderful and made up for the
irritation of the long wait, which we were assured was uncharacteristic.
We intend to visit again next month for my wife's birthday."
[KPa, 12/07] said: "Thanks again for your fantastic website. I
utilize your it religiously, and it has been a while since I have sent in a review. That being
said, I will give one good (Black and Blue) and one bad
(800 Maple).
Now let's get to a great restaurant:
My wife and I went to Black and Blue for our Christmas Eve dinner, and
we both thought it was fabulous. The atmosphere is very nice, and
everything is aesthetically pleasing. We were greeted by a very friendly hostess
and
opted to sit right down at our table.
It was not the most inexpensive restaurant I have ever eaten at, but the
food was worth every penny. My wife ordered the Beefsteak Tomato w/ Mozz
for
her appetizer, and she loved it. She is picky about her salads, and she
is
still talking about that salad a week later. I had a shrimp cocktail
that
was very good, along with their pretzel rolls, which are delicious.
They have a pretty impressive menu and a very extensive wine list. My
wife ordered the Jonah Crab Entree ($26) with a side of asparagus
(included).
I ordered the 8 oz Filet ($25) with a side of Jonah Crab ($7) and their
orzo Mac and Cheese (included). I also went with the red wine demiglace,
which was out of this world.
You can also order a 1/2 lobster tail with any meal, for $12, and a side
of
blue crab for $6. I suggest the Jonah crab, because it is very, very
tasty.
Both of our meals were phenomenal, and we can't wait to go back again.
We
are very psyched to have a restaurant like this right in
Williamsville.
Great ambience, good service, and great food. The only negative thing
to
say is that they served their red wine in white-wine glasses."
[KBr, 12/07] said: "It just opened. My husband and I went there
for dinner this past Saturday
(Dec. 22) and it is wonderful. Try it out."
[a] Black Forest Adler.
2447 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst.
564-2447.
[1/12] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.
[DFi, 2/12] says: "We went to the Black Forest Adler for my nephew's birthday. There were 8 of us, and we had a reservation on a Sunday night. We needed it; it was 2 days after the review in the Gusto, and it was very busy. They warned us that they were out of some menu items because they were so busy; even so, they had everything we ordered. Three of us had the Sauerbraten; it was delicious! My wife had the roast pork, which was also very good. Another person with us had the steak dish, and the sauce with it was amazing. The Spaetzle were done very nicely, too. We ended the meal with apple strudel with ice cream and whipped cream, and we all loved it. We will be back soon."
[NH, 2/12] said: "On February 2, we decided to try the new German restaurant, Black Forest Adler on Niagara Falls Blvd. Having been to Prosit! and being very, very disappointed, we were looking for something better. This is it! We walked in to traditional German music playing softly in the background and were seated immediately. The decor is nothing fancy, but very clean and bright: big wooden tables and chairs spaced so you weren't sitting right next to another party. The beer menu was great, with mostly German specialty beers (bottle only). Wine is also the only other alcohol offered at comparable pricing. We started out with a side order of potato pancakes, which were brought to the table hot, thin, and crispy, with applesauce: Very nicely cooked; however, I do prefer a hint of onion in mine—but these were great; three make up the side order. I ordered the Paprika Schnitzel with spaetzle, while my husband had the Sauerbraten with spaetzle and red cabbage. Both dishes also included a salad to start. Let me tell you about this salad: It was most unusual in that it had a scoop of German potato salad, a scoop of macaroni salad, fresh corn niblets, cucumber, carrots, croutons, and was topped with greens. It was enhanced with the nicest, mild, creamy dressing and absolutely delicious. The Paprika Schnitzel was very, very good. I usually have just regular Wienerschnitzel, but decided to branch out a bit. It was two very large pieces of veal pounded very thin and breaded, then topped with a paprika, red pepper gravy. Excellent choice. The sauerbraten was also two thick cuts of marinated beef and served with a snappy gravy, which is traditional: very, very tender, needing only a fork to cut it. The red cabbage was not as sour as we are used to, but had a nice, mild sourness to it. The spaetzle, of course, were to die for. The place was standing room only by the time we left at 6 P.M., so I'm sure they will be as big a success as I hope for. There aren't enough good German restaurants in this area. All in all, this trip was a huge success, and we will definitely be back. There are many German beers we haven't tried yet. All I can say is, ‘Prosit beware!’"
[RAS, 12/11] says: "I visited the Black Forest Adler (‘Adler’ is German for ‘eagle’) a few days before Christmas. There was a good crowd; I'd say it was 80% full, and our waiter, who was one of only two servers, was a bit rushed, but very accommodating and pleasant. I am pleased to report that, finally, we have a restaurant in metro Buffalo which serves authentic German food. The menu is large and includes several schnitzels, sauerbraten, potato pancakes, spaetzle, sausages, and much more. I split a potato pancake appetizer with my friend. We both loved the hot, crisp, shredded cakes served with applesauce or sour cream. I opted for the pork Cordon bleu, a double schnitzel really, stuffed with smoked Black Forest ham and cheese, then breaded and fried, served with spaetzle; they were perfect. My companion's Wiener schnitzel was also perfect. This is hearty fare, but we both raved about the included salad (of all things). It was romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, cucumber, kidney beans, corn, German potato salad, croutons, and a creamy dressing; the salad was absolutely delicious. We were too full to try the desserts, which include in-house-made Black Forest cake, apple strudel, and Linzer torte. My desire to try other items, such as the liver dumpling and goulash soups, is certain to bring me back to the Adler repeatedly. Entrees range from $13.95 to $18.95. I saw no seafood on the menu, and there was only one vegetarian offering: cheese spaetzle with salad. By the way, the atmosphere is very pleasant, and the restaurant is very clean; my only minor disappointment was that there was no draft beer, but I found a nice, bottled, dark, wheat beer."
Black Forest Inn.
255 King Street E., Hamilton, ON, CANADA.
905-528-3538.
Black Rock Kitchen & Bar.
491 Amherst St., Buffalo
551-0261.
[AMB] says:
[9/11] "We dined Sunday night [8/28/11] at Black Rock Kitchen, a new restaurant on Amherst St. It is a really pretty space—old storefront, tin ceilings, nice-looking bar. We were seated right away (without a reservation, but there were only ‘high’ tables available, which we took). The menu has salads, small plates, and sandwiches; and the specials menu had additional appetizers and entrees. We ordered a combination of small plates & specials. I had a delicious, heirloom-tomato salad (perfect this time of year) along with a ‘small’ plate of pork enchiladas—they were terrific, with a delicious sauce, and the combination together was plenty for dinner. My husband had all duck—duck-pastrami sliders (special appetizer) and then an entree called ‘duck duck goose’ (too cute; one had to order it)—there was duck breast, a roasted duck thigh, and rice with fois gras. He loved it all (I tasted just one of the sliders—very good, on some really tasty rolls—seemed homemade). The menu had a lot of interesting choices, so we are looking forward to going back. It is a great addition to the neighborhood."
Blackthorn Restaurant and Pub.
2134 Seneca St. (South Buffalo), Buffalo.
825-9327.
[3/08] "I'll start by confessing that 25 yrs. ago I worked at the Early Times Tavern, the previous incarnation of The Blackthorn Pub; some of the current employees are friends; and I have a certain sentimental attachment to the spot. But I had not been here for quite a while. Small parking lot adjacent to the building is often full, but plenty of parking in lots across the street. The owners have just laid the base for an outdoor patio that rocked on St. Patty's Day and should be a hot spot this summer! As in any good pub, the owners and waitstaff present smiling friendly faces (I was even offered my old job back!). A nice variety of draft beers, and they make a great Manhattan, compete with "sidecar", so it's almost like 2 for 1. Since it was Friday, I opted for a traditional fish fry, as did my companion. Crunchy beer-batter (breaded and Cajun-broiled are other options), fish hanging off the plate, surrounded by crispy French fries, homemade cole slaw and macaroni salad. A personal disappointment was that the bread was not rye, but I quibble. Evening specials included more sophisticated swordfish and salmon entrees. Of course, wings and sandwiches are also on the menu. Bottom line: friendly service, good food and drink, and a soon-to-be-opened outdoor patio."
[DAR, 2/09] said: "Visiting my college kids at UB on Feb 7, 2009, and decided on Blackthorn for a late lunch. Seated promptly—not busy and wanted to order entrees, but told that entrees are not served till after 3pm. I considered corned beef sandwich or roasted bologna sandwich, and asked server for advice, which he indicated that the corned beef is fresh vs. the bologna, and corned beef is a favorite. Ordered the corned beef, and I got small slices of rye bread with thinly sliced, dry corned beef. Hardly enough meat for one sandwich and dried out to boot, while the description said "piled high"! This is a supposed favorite [in March], and yet for me it was the puniest corned-beef sandwich I had at a pub. It would probably be acceptable at Friendly's and cost a lot less. Wife ordered Rippers Wrap, and she judged it acceptable but nothing more. Kid ordered Kev's favorite, and I can only assume Kev is on a diet because again small portions. Son got an open-faced roast beef with a good amount of beef, but the beef was bland. Service was slow, but they told us after we had ordered and waited for 20 minutes that a large party was being served upstairs. Did not charge for drinks due to the slow service. Overall, the food was disappointing, and I do not plan on returning."
[HPK, 4/08] said: "I visit this restaurant often; always great food at a good price. Really friendly people. For those who think a local pub may not have a large choice of foods—wrong. Salads, sandwiches, clams, hot food. I highly suggest this place."
[DCa, 1/05] said: "Buffalo has many, many wonderful restaurants, and I am determined to try them all! The Blackthorn Restaurant and Pub was recommended by a co-worker. The beer and cheese soup is delicious. They also have a wonderful fish fry. It gets very busy and noisy on a Friday night, so be prepared to wait if you don't have reservations. I have been there on several occasions now, and they are very consistent...and the servers are very friendly and knowledgable. I highly recommend it for a casual dining experience at reasonable prices. Dinner for two, including soup, drinks, and appetizer, usually runs us about $50.00."
[MEL, 6/98] said: "It is probably about as close to a `nice' restaraunt as South Buffalo has (dinner entrees around $10). It's a mix of generic American food and a few Irish specialties. I had a beer and cheese soup that was quite tasty, and some rather ordinary french fries."
Blue Monk.
727 Elmwood Ave. (Elmwood Village area between Allentown & Buff State), Buffalo.
882-6665
[KaB] said:
[11/11] "We went to Blue Monk for an early dinner after shopping along Elmwood Avenue last Saturday afternoon [11/5/11]. We were promptly seated, and our waitress was very helpful in picking out drinks from their extensive, tri-fold, double-sided, beer menu. My husband was very happy with his choice of a dark lager from California; I chose a Bacon Vodka Bloody Mary. Who knew they made bacon vodka? The Bloody Mary was spicy and delicious, especially after the ice melted a bit. We started with a roasted pear salad with walnuts and bleu cheese. The salad was generous enough to share; it was very fresh and lightly dressed with a sweet dressing. I ordered the braised short rib sandwich on a torpedo roll, fresh horseradish, New York white cheddar, and caramelized onions; it came with Monk Chips, which were in-house fried potato chips. My husband ordered the steak with the Duck Frites, along with a garlic and sea-salt dipping sauce. Our entrees were very generous, and the Frites were exceptional. They were updating the menu specials on their blackboard for the dinner menu while we watched, and we were very excited to see the added entrées that we could potentially enjoy at our next visit. Overall, our entire experience was great, and we would recommend to anyone."
[KKi, 12/11] said: "My husband and I recently visited the Blue Monk on Elmwood Ave. and absolutely loved it! We were looking for a place with a relaxed atmosphere, great drinks, and food, and the Blue Monk definitely delivered. We stopped in on a Saturday night, around 7:30, and waited about 20 minutes for a table. That gave us time to have a drink at the bar. Bar was crowded, but service was good. I love the decor, and there was great music playing in the background (old Eric Clapton, Allman Brothers). My husband loves Belgian beer, so he was in heaven and had a very hard time deciding on his first beer. We had one of their beers on tap (great) and then were taken to our table. The food was so good! We started with a salad that had grilled pears, crumbly bleu cheese, dried cherries, and walnuts; it was so good! We also tried the duck-fat fries that the Blue Monk has become known for. They did not disappoint! Delicious. For dinner, I had an entree off the specials menu: grilled striped bass with a warm potato salad; it was fantastic. Great flavors. My husband had the sausage plate off the regular menu: German sausage with a cheesy, potato-casserole-type of side dish. It was rich and delicious, and he loved it. We tried some different beers before leaving. Server was very helpful in answering questions about the beer menu. Place was great; can't wait to take some friends there."
[BMcWS, 5/11] said: "On a Saturday in May, we enjoyed the food at this bar with tables tucked upstairs, but there were some service issues. We started with the ‘blue balls’—meatballs with bleu cheese. Unfortunately, we were not brought this dish—instead, some kind of fried seafood dish was presented to us. Our server then brought the correct dish and told us to keep the mistake— which was nice, with fried shrimp and calamari and thin onion rings. The meatballs were good—a bit strong for me, but the husband enjoyed them. We got an order of the homemade potato chips, which come with two dips of your choice. These were fabulous, and the choices for dips were really interesting; I highly recommend this. We also had a salad, which was fine. For the main course, I got the beef stew. It was amazing—rich, deep, warm, and filling. It came with fabulous egg noodles that may have been homemade. Once it came, that is. I was first presented with a sandwich, which was not what I ordered. That was taken back, and my food was delayed, while others at the table got their orders. Others at the table enjoyed the Reuben and a short-rib sandwich. The beef stew (when it finally came) was the standout and worth going back for. There are no desserts available. The server apologized for the mistakes in service. It's a bit loud when the bar is full, and kind of dark and crowded in the dining area, but we would eat here again."
[AMB, 10/10] said: "Thursday night [10/28/10], we tried the Blue Monk for dinner. The decor is interesting—lots of old signs and posters, bar area by the door, and a seating area up a short flight of stairs in the back. The bar area was very crowded (6:30ish on a Thursday) when we arrived, and all the tables in the seating area were full—we were happy to be able to grab some bar stools for the wait (about 30 min, which is what we were told). Very, very large selection of beers (mostly Belgian, though I am not an expert on this). Those my husband ordered for us were excellent. The menu is varied and interesting—a selection of soups and appetizers (from which we selected great French fries, which came with a choice of two dipping sauces; the soup special, which was a delicious cream of spinach & asparagus; a combination plate of crispy fried onion rings; calamari—very tender; and olives; and a wedge salad—all were terrific); mussels prepared several different ways; some sandwiches (we ordered a duck Reuben, a prime-rib sandwich, and a grilled cheese—which came with the most delicious bacon on it). Also, you could choose a ‘table sized’ mac and cheese, or Belgian beef stew (we ordered the latter). (For four of us, four appetizers and four entrees was more than enough food, but we wanted to try different things—we came home with 4nleftover boxes). All the food was excellent; service was very friendly—a great new spot. Note that this is not a quiet restaurant—the dining area overlooks the bar, and at times it was hard to hear the conversation. But that is part of the atmosphere."
The Blue Wall.
2720 Seneca St. (near the I-90 Thruway), W. Seneca.
822-2205.
[m] Bob & John's La Hacienda.
1545 Hertel Ave., Buffalo.
836-5411.
[LCo, 7/07] says: "Bob & John's is a casual restaurant that offers American and Italian cuisine; it's a great place to eat if you just want a quick, simple, and relatively inexpensive meal. On Tuesdays, they have all-you-can-eat spaghetti for $2.25 after 4 p.m. It's a great deal even if it's not the most mind-blowing plate of pasta with marinara sauce that you've ever had. I recently tried the portabella sub, which is sliced portabella mushrooms and red peppers, sautéed in oil that is seasoned with balsamic vinegar and Italian spices and served on a 12" toasted sub roll. I'm not sure what comes on the sub, but I had it without any cheese or mayo (the menu says that these are standard on the subs) and added shredded lettuce and tomato. Overall, the sub tasted great, and at about $5 I would definitely order it again."
[MEL, 2/98] says: "Pizza and pasta place; good, but uneven. Loved their pepperoni, but thought their specialty pizzas (e.g., white pizza) were drab."
Bob Sharky's Saloon.
105 Kennedy Rd. S., Brampton, ON, CANADA.
905-453-7117.
[am] Bocce Club Pizzeria.
4174 Bailey Ave. (north of UB Main St. Campus), Eggertsville.
833-1344.
1614 Hopkins Rd., Williamsville, 689-2345.
8214 Transit Rd., Williamsville, 689-6662.
630 Clinton St. (South Buffalo), Buffalo, 856-7023.
[WHN, 1/06] says: "Apparently the owners of the "original" Bocce Club on Bailey Ave., now on Transit Rd., are not connected to the other locations, that go by the name Dino's Bocce Club. The Transit Road location was recommended by friends. We've now had their pizzas several times, and they have been consistently quite good; better than the Bailey or Hopkins locations with (almost) the same name."
Bogey's Grillhouse.
4 Windward Dr. (in the Casablanca Winery Inn), Grimsby, ON, CANADA.
905-309-7171; toll free: 877-446-574.
[a+] [] Bollywood Bistro.
UB Commons (520 Lee Entrance), UB North Campus, Amherst.
[MEP, 11/09 says: "I get takeout from here at least once a week. It's a little more expensive than your standard fare from [other campus dining places such as] Bert's or Putnam's, but the quality is more than worth it. I usually get a 2-item combo of dal makhni (lentils in a sort of tangy sauce) and kofta masala (turkey meatballs in curry sauce). The food comes served with a fair amount of basmati rice and a large piece of naan (both help offset the spiciness of the food!). Their 2-item combos are $6.99 + tax, and they also have some à la carte entrees you can order if you wish. The service there is always quick and friendly. Also, they always have some sort of Indian music video playing, which can be both annoying and amusing at the same time. Overall, a great place to expand your culinary horizons!"
[AMSo, 2/09] said: "K. and I happened to discover the Bollywood Bistro on Saturday, when we hoped to get some Korean food @ UB. Initially, we weren't planning to stay there, but we are both happy that we did! We both got the chana masala (chickpea dish) and a cauliflower & potato dish, served with basmati rice and naan. The food was aromatic & delicious, and the portions were more than enough. The decorations are cheerful, and the view of the lake was great. We'll definitely be back (and we aren't even UB students any more)! I would list this under vegan/vegetarian, because there are several options."
One of 2 new restaurants at the Commons (the other is Oh Bento) with a great view of Lake LaSalle. I've been here twice [4/08], and each time had a very good meal. The food is served cafeteria/food-court style, and you can get two dishes with rice and a beverage for around $8 and change. A welcome addition to campus cuisine.
[ECB, 4/08] concurred: "I was excited to discover that they'd added a couple new restaurants to the Commons while I wasn't paying attention. A huge fan of Indian food, I had to give Bollywood a try. I was cautiously optimistic but prepared to be disappointed. Turns out, I was pleasantly surprised. The food wasn't bad at all. I had rice, aloo biryani, aloo gobi, and roti, and all were quite serviceable. My companion tried the palak paneer, which she spoke well of. All in all, an excellent option on campus."
[]
[a]
Bonefish Grill.
—WARNING: WEBSITE PLAYS LOUD MUSIC!
1247 Niagara Falls Blvd. (attached to
Boulevard Mall), Amherst.
833-6106.
Bill says:
[2/12] I did, indeed, persuade my family (MER, SLH, our 6-year-old
granddaughter) and an out-of-town visitor
to return to Bonefish after a couple of
other (closer) restaurants that we had considered turned out not to be
available; so, once again, Bonefish was an accommodating second choice,
but one that we were quite happy with, and I'm promoting it to
1 star. We were there on Superbowl
Sunday, at about 5:30 P.M. The place was
nearly empty, and there were a few glitches: They were out of the
coconut Thai shrimp, and their capuccino machine was broken. But food
and service were excellent. For appetizers, we shared the
Wagyu-beef-and-ginger dumplings (again) and an order of edamame; both
were excellent. MER, SLH, and our friend ordered Caesar salads, which
they liked. I had an evening special: Antarctic Butterfish Monaco,
grilled with sauteed spinach, feta, and artichoke hearts, in a
lemon-basil butter sauce, accompanied by the evening's vegetable (for
all entrees) of
sauteed garbanzo beans and spinach in a marinara sauce, and, as my choice
of a side, garlic mashed potatoes; it was exquisite, and perfectly
proportioned (I hate large portions of food; of course, butterfish
(a.k.a. "escolar") is
not supposed to be served in portions larger than 6 ounces,
assuming, of course, that this "Antarctic butterfish" was really escolar
and not, say, Hawaiian butterfish, which is, I've been told, a different
animal)—in any case, as I said, it was exquisite. MER had the
Kobe burger. SLH had a Baja fish taco, which she loved. Our friend had
the Pecan Parmesan Rainbow Trout with artichokes, basil, and lemon
butter, which she thought was good enough (and a large enough portion)
to take home. The only dining companion not happy with her meal was our
very picky-eater granddaughter, who was unhappy with her penne pasta
(not on the children's menu, but offered to us by our server when we
asked if we could have plain pasta)— she was unhappy, not because
it was bad, but because it had been ordered with butter, instead of dry :-)
She did like the bread and the fries, however! (There was one other
disappointment: no chocolate milk, only regular milk.) And she did
like dessert: a large brownie with ice cream and whipped cream. My key
lime pie was OK, but a bit on the too-gelled side. Dinner for 5
(including the children's meal), without wine or tax, and before tip, came
to just under $125, or just under $25/person.
[3/11] Despite what I said about its name, [MER], our 15-year-old son, and I, together with [LDS] and her family—9 in all, including one child needing a highchair—ate here for the first time on Saturday, 3/19/11, starting at around 5:30 P.M. We were "refugees" from Olive Garden (2-hour wait) and Friday's (at the Boulevard Mall—a 1-hour wait). Bonefish sat us right away. I won't describe everything that eveyone had, because there were too many of us to keep track, but the short version is that we all enjoyed our meals. The menu has a wide variety of informal and formal dishes with a mix-and-match set-up for sides and sauces; the entrees include about a half-dozen, "formal", non-seafood dishes, which is fortunate, because I was the only one in our party who ate fish! We began by sharing appetizers of coconut shrimp and Wagyu-beef-and-ginger dumplings; I didn't try the shrimp (I'm not overly fond of coconut), though the others liked them a lot, but I thought the dumplings were very tasty. I had the Snake River Rainbow Trout with a lemon-butter sauce, accompanied (as all entrees were) with a chickpea-tomato-spinach side; for my optional side, I chose French green beans. The trout was good (not great—perhaps a bit overcooked—but good); the sides were excellent. [MER] said that her filet mignon was very good (but not great). My grandchildren had mac and cheese, which they seemed to like. Other entrees included chicken marsala and a Wagyu burger with delicious, hot, homemade, potato chips. For dessert, one grandchild had a brownie with ice cream, large enough to share with everyone, and [LDS] was surprised with a complimentary creme brulee for her birthday. Service was excellent, with a waitress helped by at least two assistants, though a bit slow. All in all, my fish-hating friends found it a good place to eat, and fish-loving me liked it, too. I hope I can persuade them to return!
[DGB, 3/11] says: "Next time you're at Bonefish, I cannot recommend highly enough the Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer, large enough for 2. If you're the adventurous type, you also need to try the Ahi Tuna Sashimi—single or double order—which is perfectly seared-yet-blue in the center. A grown-up night out for us is 2 seats at the bar (very friendly bartenders), those 2 appetizers, and a bottle of crisp white. Enjoy!"
[KaB] said:
[12/10] "We went to Bonefish Grill on 12/5 for dinner. For a Sunday night, it was very busy, but the service was excellent. We decided to skip the appetizers, because their portions are generous. I ordered the Oscar Sea Bass Special, which was sea bass covered with crab and asparagus. They were serving spaghetti squash as their side. I chose green beans as another side. While the sea bass was excellently cooked and very tasty, the spaghetti squash stole the show. It was prepared simply, but it had a nice bite to it that I have never achieved cooking at home. There was enough of the entree to take home for lunch the next day. Our daughter ordered the Spinach Bacon Gorgonzola Norwegian Salmon, which was topped with sautéed spinach, crispy bacon, and creamy Gorgonzola cheese. She enjoyed it and was also able to take enough home for lunch. My husband had the Lobster Thermidor Dorado, which was mahi-mahi topped with lobster, lump crab, and a cream sauce, with jasmine rice and the spaghetti squash. It originally came with mashed potatoes, but potatoes and fish are something that he does not like. Anyhow, it was a very good dish with a couple of good-sized chunks of lobster. We did not have room for dessert after such an excellent meal. Overall, for the three of us, dinner came to $75 before tip."
[LHu, 6/09] said: "Negative Review: I had dinner at a Bonefish Grill in Panama City, FL, last September, and it was very good, so a friend and I decided to try the BFG at Boulevard Mall last night (June 17th, 2009). I made reservations for 7:00, and we were greeted and seated upon arrival. The restaurant looks pleasant, it's loud, the booth was comfortable. Our waitress was prompt; she took drink orders, brought four small slices of a blah warm bread that is "made in house", with a saucer of herbed olive oil. She took our dinner orders; I requested two selections of side order vegetables—green beans and then a mixed vegetable medley, one in place of the daily special, succotash. The dinners were served; the mixed vegetables were cold and raw, and they were supposed to be cooked: Several pieces of the broccoli had brown, rotten spots on it, and the others were yellow; the carrot stick had a black rotted end; the peppers were raw; the green beans were cold and were as hard and tough as a bean off the vine. The Grilled Cedar Plank Arctic Charr "special" I ordered was soft and "gushy", with a slimy, thick, fat-covered skin on the bottom it; it was drenched in a tasteless, herbed butter sauce; the fish was less than a quarter inch thick, probably about two ounces of edible fish, and the price was $26. When I've ordered Arctic Charr before, it was a firm fish with substance and flavor similar to salmon; this was tasteless mush. My friend had Tilapia and was served two very small pieces of dry fish, four, barely-cooked, gray-green colored, cigar-sized asparagus spears (extra 50-cent charge for asparagus), a very small scoop of bland, barely warm, au gratin potatoes, and that was $22.50. I explained the problems to the waitress, and she brought out a new dish of green beans that were microwaved to burned, shriveled sticks with the comment "Maybe you'll like these better". The manager came over, and I told her what the problems were; she asked if I wanted anything else. I asked for a Caesar salad. The "Caesar salad" I was served was comprised of the yellow hearts of romaine with a great deal of white stems, no dark leafy greens; it was engulfed in a very dry, Parmesan-type of finely ground cheese—like the stuff that comes out of the green can—so much cheese that the salad was inedible. It was bizarre and the worst restaurant meal I've had in a very long time. I talked to my friend this morning, and she ended up getting stomach problems when she got home last night. The manager was professional, but the problems are in the kitchen; no rotted vegetable should ever be plated and served, and, while vegetables with firmness are wonderful, they need to actually be cooked, or the menu should state that the vegetables are blanched and raw. A seafood restaurant should serve wonderful fish, not OK fish or fish that is borderline on its freshness, and it needs to be cooked correctly. The manager removed the charges for my dinner and beverage, but they also took the dinner back to the kitchen without a replacement meal. I'll never consider eating at Bonefish Grill again. The entire experience was a disappointment, and it was expensive for the very poor quality and very small portions; but I suppose the small quantity of food is a good thing when the quality is so very poor."
[AFN, 8/08] said: "I met some friends from my former school at Bonefish Grill for dinner last night, Monday, 8/11. I had not been there before, although some of the others had been. To start, I had the corn and crab chowder, which was exquisite—rich and creamy, one of the best soups I've ever had. Instead of an entree, I chose two appetizers—crab cakes with two sauces—remoulade and tartar, and coconut shrimp with a sweet, Asian-style sauce. Both appetizers were delicious. Among my friends' dinner choices were the scallops and shrimp combo, grouper, and steak topped with shrimp. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals, and the service was fine. I would go back again."
[ABi, 2/07] said: "They may as well go a step further and call it the Heimlich Cafe. Or they could reinforce other negative fish stereotypes and name their business the Stinkfish Grill or the Not As Good As Steak House. Any of these names, the real off-putting one or otherwise, would reflect the fact that dinner at the Bonefish Grill wasn't great. The first thing one notices upon entering the restaurant is that, oddly, the servers and bartenders all wear chef's coats, and, considering that dinner dragged on for one hour and forty-five minutes, perhaps our dawdling waitress was also prepping and cooking our food. We had an interminable wait to order, an epochal phase before our entrees arrived, and a third eternity waiting for our check. While pleasant, she did everything in her power to prolong our meal, such as reciting the side dishes and sauces that were listed right on the menu, a practice traditionally limited to unlisted specials; we had already read what she said, and her redundant listing added a few minutes to the marathon. For some baffling reason, this particular seafood establishment doesn't offer clams or oysters, so we got slightly underdone mussels and overbreaded, excessively crunchy calamari as appetizers. Both were preferable to my mahi mahi dinner. It was seared well, almost like a steak, but it was barely a bait-sized portion, and the flavor of the meat was somewhere between bland and bitter. The lemon butter sauce doused over the top was as plain as vanilla ice cream served on Wonder Bread, a sentiment echoed by the forgettable scoop of garlic mashed potatoes neighboring the fish. Maybe I'm just a yokel who usually orders fish fried, not by species, but the Bonefish was at best unremarkable. They have a limited menu, and, based on what I tried, fewer choices doesn't mean better quality. If I get dragged back here, I'm ordering the token sirloin and one of their fruity, girly martinis (they offer a dozen of the latter, and the drinks list takes up about a third of the menu, space that could have been used to offer more, you know, seafood). That way, if I'm stuck in their blandly generic space seated immediately adjacent to the restrooms as we were (thanks, hostess), I'll at least have beef and booze to pass some of the 105 minutes."
[JAd, 1/07] said: "Positive review: New chain restaurant (same company as Carraba's and Outback). Nice atmosphere, sort of loud but OK. Good service. Menu mostly seafood, grilled fish. Full bar with special martinis, several beer varieties. We had the calamari appetizer served with marinara and a Thai sauce—it was served fast and really good—crisp and fresh—we liked the Thai sauce a lot—sweet but with a bit of spiciness. We had the corn chowder with lump crap—also good and rich—needed some salt, but tasted fresh and not from a bag like most chains. Served with warm bread and a pesto olive oil dip. I got the Chilean Sea Bass with lemon butter sauce (each fish offered comes 4 ways—with a lime tomato garlic sauce, pan Asian style, with warm mango salsa, or lemon butter). The fish was fantastic—buttery and cooked to perfection—large portion, too—I'd guess 8oz. The sauce did not overwhelm and was a nice compliment. The Au Gratin Potatoes served on the side were great, too—rich and cheesy. My date had the single lobster tail. Though it seemed small, it was enough to fill him, and tasted really good—the butter served with it was perfect, and the texture of the lobster was good, too. The entrees being served around us looked inviting. The prices were reasonable for the quality of food—two beverages, an appetizer, soup, and two higher-priced entrees ($22 for the lobster and $23 for the sea bass) brought the bill to just under $65—we thought it was a good deal."
Boomerang's Bar and Grill.
995 Niagara St., Buffalo.
883-0408.
[11/10] Given 4 (out of 4) pennies by Emeri Krawczyk, Buffalo News "Cheap Eats" restaurant reviewer.
[DGe, 12/11] says: "We have been to Boomerang's several times, most recently on 12/8/11, a Thursday, with a large party. The service was bit slow: Salads and soup came quickly, but about 45 minutes for entrees; we were a party of 10, so that may have slowed them down. The food was overall good. The gorgonzola pasta with chicken was excellent, creamy, loaded with chicken. The raspberry pork chops—2 of them an inch thick—are very good; the sauce is a bit too sweet, but well balanced by the bleu cheese. The pork ‘chop’ is really a loin slice, so no bone. The pulled-pork sandwich was surprisingly good: tangy, sloppy, and loaded with strings of succulent pork on a quality roll. The beer-battered shrimp were good: plentiful and large, if a tad heavily battered. The shrimp scampi over pasta was very good: nice taste, and the large shrimp were not overcooked. The honey-fried chicken is not very ‘homemade’ tasting; a bit mundane, but great for a finicky kid, and inexpensive considering the large portion. The seasonal ‘Tom and Jerrys&rsquop; are wonderful, as good as any in the city, and help with the wait for the kitchen. Most entrees cost between $5 and $10. While Boomerang's may not be perfect, it is a decent meal, the people are friendly, the service is OK. You know you are in a neighborhood bar, not a fancy place, but for a bar it is quiet, pleasant, has off-street parking, and is conducive to conversation. A great value—dinner for 10, with 4 Tom and Jerrys, 6 pop drinks and a variety of entrees cost only $120 plus tip."
[JGi, 11/10] said: "We went to this restaurant based on the four-penny review in the newspaper recently. It was impossible to figure out where even one penny was warranted. Here is our review from start to finish. There was no host at the host stand when we walked in. There was another couple in front of us, who were also wondering where the host was. After about 10 minutes, someone came over and took our names and said it would be twenty minutes for a table. We went to the bar to order a drink while we waited. My girlfriend asked for a Bloody Mary, not too spicy. After being fairly heavy handed with the vodka and adding a couple drops of tomato juice, the first thing the bartender reached for was the Tabasco. There isn't any seating in the bar area except for the bar stools, which were full, and one tall table, which was also full. When we finally got a seat at the bar, twenty minutes after we gave our names, we were treated to an argument between the bartenders. We sat at the bar for another forty minutes before we were seated. So we sat for an hour after being told twenty minutes. We have no issue with waiting an hour for a table; the problem was that we were told twenty minutes. Based on the number of tables that were seated before us, maybe eight or nine, the host must have known that twenty minutes was not a realistic wait time. We sat down, and I realized I left my tab open at the bar. I went back to close it out, and, while the bartender was doing this, the register ran out of tape. Neither of the bartenders knew what to do to refill it. They asked a server for help, who also didn't know. I had to wait for ten minutes for someone who was in the office (presumably the owner) to come and fix the problem. I got back to our table, and our server came a few minutes later. We ordered the mussels as an appetizer. The server left to put the order in and didn't come back for our dinner order for about fifteen minutes. I ordered the raspberry pork chops with mashed sweet potatoes, and my girlfriend ordered the eggplant parm. We both got the creamy roasted red pepper and artichoke soup. The mussels were described on the menu as cooked in white wine, garlic, butter, and lemon. When they arrived, they were steamed mussels with three lemon wedges. There was no butter, garlic, or white wine to be seen. I discovered that the ‘broth’ at the bottom of the bowl was water by dipping my bread in it. Delicious. When our soup came, our server told us, ‘Luckily, I was able to get the soup; it was almost gone’. Meaning we got the bottom of the barrel. The soup was not a creamy roasted red pepper with artichoke. It was actually an artichoke soup with strips of red pepper. It was so thick it could have been an artichoke dip. The flavor was decent, but not what we were expecting. When our dinners came, they both looked pretty good. The eggplant itself was good, and the pasta was cooked perfectly. However, the sauce tasted like it came from a can; it was very metallic. The porkchops had crumbly bleu cheese and a raspberry sauce over the top. The bleu cheese was so overpowering that you couldn't taste the raspberry. This combination is a good idea but would definitely be better with less bleu cheese. The mashed sweet potatoes were really good; they tasted like pumpkin pie. However, I would have gotten a different kind of potato had I known that the other vegetable on the plate was carrots. The server had also forgotten to bring the glass of water that was ordered during dinner. Against our better judgment, we decided to get dessert. We ordered apple pie with vanilla ice cream. After we waited for another 10 minutes, we received a piece of burnt apple pie that had been microwaved to the point of being dry and way too hot to eat. The ice cream tasted like it was a generic, store-brand, imitation-vanilla ice cream. We took only one bite each and pushed it to the side. We asked for our check and waited another ten minutes for it to come. By this time, the restaurant was not that busy, and it should not have taken that long to run the card. It was an overall bad experience, and we would never recommend the restaurant to anybody else. We recognized what they were trying to attempt but unfortunately the efforts were just not good enough."
[BL, 10/09] said: "Two years after MMo's review, we went to Boomerang's and agree it is a pleasure to dine there. I was in a fish-fry mood. [Thank you, Bill, for the cuisine headings on this site, for you got us focused quickly.] [You're welcome! And my thanks, again, to EN for the original suggestion.] Off-street city parking; a nice, cozy restaurant during a cold October; and a great meal with good service made our day. I had the standard Fish Fry ($9), and my spouse the Meatloaf plate ($10). Everything has gone up by one dollar since the prior review. Not bad, and we felt comfortable that menu prices read a single number instead of $8.95, $9.95. Boomerang's has a large menu with seafood entrees, pasta dinners, and interesting standards like grilled porkchops with bleu cheese and raspberry sauce. Hmm—a possibility for a return visit. The strip sirloin is up to $14, but all other items are $10 and lower. There are salad choices and sandwiches, too. Senior prices ($7) are offered weekdays between 3–7 P.M.. This is a local place to go for a meal made by a good cook. My spouse took extra note of delicious, sweet, mashed potatoes, and I the light batter on the fish and good fries. (Note: We think the cole slaw is fine and maybe they have improved it since the prior review. Only concern would be the macaroni salad with the fish, which was adequate but lacking some salt.) Our total for two dinners, two soft drinks was $25 including tax. Boomerang's keeps the prices moderate, while serving a very satisfying meal."
[MMo, 9/07] said: "Recently, my brother and I had the pleasure of dining at Boomerang's. The restaurant came highly recommended to us by two of our "foodie" friends, and with the two of us being 20+-year veterans of the restaurant trade, we are always game for new dining experiences. The restaurant sits on the old site of the Port of Call restaurant, Niagara Street, downtown near the Peace Bridge. Although off the beaten path for us, we made the extra 3-minute trip from the Elmwood Village last Saturday for lunch. We were overwhelmingly surprised and delighted at the meal that was to follow!! The place was pretty busy; we caught the tail end of the lunch rush. Despite this, we were seated promptly and given menus; a couple of minutes later we ordered our drinks. I was sticking with pop, but my brother had a "drink of the day", which was a passion-fruit martini. Oooohs and aahs from the other side of the table tempted me into a taste...oooh, if only I wasn't nursing a hangover, I would have ordered a couple myself. Delicious. Our waitress, Jen, returned, and we asked our usual slew of questions about the menu. She was very informative and knew everything we asked and then some. We loved her immediately, as we could tell she was a lifer like the two of us. Completely professional and efficient, but completely full of personality and an obvious love for her profession. With questions answered and food ordered, we settled in for our "dining experience". The decor was clean and minimal, overall very comfortable. The lighting was nice and subtle. No bright fluorescents blinding me, thank goodness!! Our appetizers came, and we were immediately awed by the size of my stuffed mushrooms. Four huge caps of white mushrooms (the kind you would use at home to stuff) stuffed with spinach and artichoke and baked in a white wine and lemon butter sauce. Amazing!!! The mushrooms were cooked perfectly, not mushy, not raw, piping hot, and just right! Did I mention they were $5? The portion would have been plenty for a meal itself (well, for someone who delights in only one course. Me and the bro tend to be multi-course diners!). My brother ordered the clams casino elegante, which were a wonderful twist on a classic favorite. Littleneck (I think; small, tender) clams stuffed with homemade stuffing (but not too much), baby shrimp, and topped with melted, bubbly provolone cheese. The menu description didn't really pique my interest, but the dish was absolutely delicious. Clams were cooked perfectly; stuffing had just the right amount of flavor without overwhelming the delicate flavor of the clams. Again, the price was right at $7!! Are you noticing a theme? Well, that is Boomerang's intention: nothing on the menu higher than $10!! One exception: The 14-oz. black Angus strip steak is, gulp, $12!! And it is actually served with a potato. Where am I??!?! I cannot recall the last time I saw prices like this, unless you count Jim's SteakOut. Anyway, entrees were next, and I had the fish fry. On a Saturday. Leftovers, you may ask? Nope; fish fry served fresh every day. A beautiful thing, if I do say so myself. The fish was huge, beer-battered, and flash-fried to absolute perfection! It was accompanied by a huge pile of piping hot crispy fries. Cole slaw finished off the plate and was OK. Nothing spectacular. Fish fry was $8. Brother had shrimp scampi: 6 or 7 large shrimp on a bed of pasta with a creamy version of a scampi sauce. Not quite as lemony or winey as we may have liked, but delicious nonetheless. The scampi was $10. Our service was flawless. Refills (free) for my pop came without asking for them, extra napkins at the quick, to-go boxes appeared when it was obvious we could not eat one more bite. All in all, an incredibly pleasant experience. We have already planned to take Mom and Dad for their anniversary instead of one of the pricier places we usually frequent. As you can tell, we have nothing but good things to say (and lots of 'em) about Boomerang's! Please give them a try, ask for Jen to wait on you, and tell her Maria and Kevin sent you. You will not be disappointed!! PS: Monday Madness is their Monday special that includes $5 dozens of steamed clams, clams casino, or lobster dainties; what a deal!!!"
Boston Hotel.
9373 Boston State Rd., Boston, NY.
941-5271.
[am] Boston Market.
4185 Maple Rd. (next to Pizzeria Uno,
across from the University Cinema), Amherst. 834-2320.
[DN, 8/96] says: "Better than average food, heavily leaning towards roasted chicken (you get to choose from a wide variety of side dishes), but now also offering a variety of sandwiches. A good break from regular burger-type fast food."
Boulevard Family Restaurant.
2455 Niagara Falls Blvd. (near Ellicott Creek Rd.), Amherst.
564-2025.
Bova's Deli.
7th and Pennsylvania, Buffalo.
884-1506.
Brasa Brazilian Steakhouse.
6361 Fallsview Blvd. (in the
Hilton Hotel and Suites Niagara Falls/Fallsview),
Niagara Falls, ON, CANADA.
1-905-353-7187.
[BMcWS, 6/11] says: "We've visited Brazilian steakhouses around the country and in other countries, and were thrilled to try one in our backyard. Located in the Hilton Hotel in Niagara Falls, Ontario, this restaurant is attractive and fun. You start by hitting what they call the salad bar, but is much, much more. There are salads, cured meats, cheeses, breads, pickled items, and an entire side of hot dishes, including potato and salmon. When you've had your fill, you flip the little card next to your plate over to green, and the servers begin bringing meat roasted on skewers to the table. They slice off a piece for you right there. There is a card on the table that tells you everything they will be bringing around, so you can decide what to save room for. We sampled every single type of meat (pork, beef, chicken, sausages). Some of the beef cuts were a bit tough. The pork roast was fantastic. They did not have any beef tenderloin, which was a disappointment since other Brazilian steakhouses do. The roasted pineapple is the perfect way to end the meal. You flip your card to red when you're full and don't want any more meat (or pineapple) brought to you. We enjoyed it here very much. It's not a cheap meal in any way, so be sure to come hungry so you can feel as though you got your money's worth. The servers were attentive, asking if there were any cuts of meat we wanted that had not made it to our table, and bringing us clean plates as needed."
Bravo Cafe & Catering.
5781 Seneca St. (near Transit Rd.), Elma.
677-4003.
[BL, 7/07] says: "Quality food, good cookin'!, at reasonable prices. From the salad dressings to the main entrees. Nice atmosphere, excellent ingredients, excellent presentation, good service, and, as noted earlier, decent prices. Extensive menu selections. Works well for a casual Friday evening or more special event. We will return!"
[ALR, 12/06] writes to tell us that they have: "Bravo has moved to its new location on Seneca St. near Transit Rd. Still the same fantastic food and great service. Really nice atmosphere, but they should really think about opening up their banquet room to regular restaurant patrons. Because the food is so good, the restaurant fills up quickly, and there's not much room to wait around for a table."
[DLB, 1/06] says: "One of the best-priced restaurants around! I took a friend there for dinner, and she has not stopped going back! The specials are always excellent, the service great, and the portions perfect. I can't believe the price of their desserts! The ice cream sundae is the best value around. I would recommend this place to anyone."
[ALR, 10/05] says: "My wife and I have gone to Bravo several times since it opened. It's a very small restaurant with limited seating and no waiting area. Every time we've gone there, the place is packed, because the food is really good. I have had several different items on the menu—Fucilli with pesto, chicken, and sundried tomatoes; a chicken sandwich with gorgonzola cheese; assorted soups; etc. Everything has been consistently good—the quality and flavor of the food, the service, and the atmosphere. They also make their own potato chips that are perfectly fried and salted. We buy a bag to take home each time. Overall, an excellent restaurant with excellent prices. I hope they move into a bigger space, though, because they really could use a waiting area."
[] Bravo Cucina Italiano—WARNING: WEBSITE HAS LOUD MUSIC!
1
Walden Galleria (next to
Cheesecake Factory), Cheektowaga.
684-4595.
[11/11] MER, our son, and I have eaten here twice in the past 6 months or so. On our first visit, we were shopping at the Walden Galleria on a Sunday evening (4/10/11) and decided to try Bravo for dinner. (This was our first successful visit: The last time we tried to eat here, we were turned away because their dishwasher was broken!) We began with the Mezza Flatbread Roma appetizer: roasted Roma tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil over a pizza sauce on a crispy flatbread; very tasty. We all enjoyed our entrees: Our son had a Prosciutto Margharita Pizza, which he said reminded him of the pizzas at La Scala (a compliment), though I think he wasn't overly fond of the prosciutto. MER had the Balsamic Glazed Chicken with asparagus, orzo, pilaf, spinach, artichokes, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, feta, and olives, which she raved over. I wanted to have the Grilled Tilapia with Crab, but they were out of that (why didn't our waiter tell us what they were out of before we chose our entrees?), so I went with the Grilled Scallops with Gnocchi, sweet potatoes, spinach, in a sherry-lobster sauce. The gnocchi were light and almost fragrant; it was an excellent dish. Our son had Torta di Cioccolata: chocolate cake with vanilla gelato; MER and I shared a Warm Berry Cake: blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries (and maybe a few others) on a butter cake, with vanilla gelato. Both desserts were excellent. We were very happy with the food at this first visit, and looked forward to returning. Service, on the other hand, could have been better. It was very slow; this may be because they claim to cook all meals to order, but we weren't told that there would be a wait because of that, merely that it meant that we could modify some of the ingredients if necessary (though MER asked to have the olives omitted from her dish and was told that that was impossible). Our waiter kept forgetting the wine. And after dinner was over, we looked longingly at a table next to us that had been served fresh bread at the beginning of their meal. Oh well. One clever thing: coat hooks and coat racks near each table and booth. On our second visit [10/11], MER and I had dinner here on a Monday evening while our son was shopping with some friends at the Galleria. They had a $16.95, 3-course, dinner-special menu: soup or salad, entree, and dessert. In addition, MER began with an appetizer of Crispy Shrimp Napoli: ‘shrimp fried to a golden crisp with green onions and our savory lemon butter, charred tomato Napoli sauce’; MER liked them, though I dislike breaded, fried foods, and—to my taste—this was no exception. There was also good, warm, herbed bread with a wonderful dipping sauce. We both began with the Bravo Chopped Salad (‘chopped greens, cucumber, red onion, tomato, olives, Feta cheese and traditional Italian dressing’), which was very good. For entree, I had the Lobster Ravioli alla Vodka (‘with sauteed shrimp, grape tomatoes in a tomato cream sauce topped with pesto bread crumbs’); it was also very good, though any shrimp were too small to detect. I note that the price of this on the full menu is $16.99, so the 3-course dinner price is really quite a bargain. For her entree, MER had the Balsamic Glazed Chicken (‘grilled chicken breast served with fresh asparagus, Mediterranean orzo and grain pilaf tossed with spinach, artichokes, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and Feta’)—also excellent. Our son finished shopping early, so he joined us and ordered the Pepperoni Classico Pizza (‘pepperoni, roasted banana peppers, Mozzarella and Provolone cheeses and fresh oregano’, though he asked to leave the banana peppers off). I tasted the crust, which was delicious. I think he finished eating before we did, even though he began way after we did! Our server, Josilynn, was excellent, and even surprised our son (whose birthday it was) with a complimentary mocha crunch gelato with a candle. Because MER and I shared this with him, we took our desserts home (Warm Berry Cake: ‘ripe, sweet berries baked into a warm butter cake and topped with vanilla bean gelato’—minus the gelato, which wouldn't have lasted). We had them the next day, and were very happy. The two dinner specials, the extra appetizer, the pizza, and drinks came to about $75 before tax and tip (i.e., about $25 each). I really think that this is an excellent restaurant and am promoting it to 1 star.
[SM, 8/08] says: "I just had to write after reading the negative review of Bravo. To each their own, but for my taste, Bravo is fantastic. Their Eggplant Parmesan is the best I have had in the area—crispy and flavorful, though I do recommend requesting an extra side of sauce. My wife absolutely loves it. Neither of us has had a bad meal yet. You can't go there without ordering the house salad! My only complaint is that they do not offer a variety of bread. Their only offering is an Italian bread with oregano and other spices baked into it. A bit too spicy, particularly when dipped in their oil. It would be nice if they offered a plain Italian bread with butter."
[PT, 1/08] said: "Hated it! The sauce reminded me of Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee."
[HPK, 11/07] said: "I was nicely surprised by this restaurant. I am not at all a fan of its neighbor Cheesecake Factory and had not eaten here, thinking it must be the same, boring, expensive thing. It is not. Plus, comparably, it's cheap! Wait...I should take that out of here. A cheap, good restaurant at the mall? Stay away! Anyway, I also do not like malls, so getting me to come here was a big deal. The food is very good. This is not "fancy fancy" Italian, rather some traditional servings such as lasagna (huge serving) and chicken Marsala, all types of pastas, etc. Nothing is over-spiced. We had an appetizer of the bruschetta, which was just terrific! Three adults and three kids; many, many drinks; $120."
Bravo Pizza & Grill.
3034 Sweethome Rd. (north of N. French/E. Robinson), Amherst.
775-4444.
Brennan's Bowery Bar and Restaurant.
4401 Transit Rd. (in the Shops at Main & Transit Plaza,
next to Eastern Hills Mall), Clarence.
933-9630.
[BMcWS, 1/12] says: "We've never been here before, even though we've driven by tons of times. It was pleasant inside, and the dining room is not affected by the bar, which is nice. The food and service, however, were horrendous. The potato pancakes, one of the specials of the house, were mushy, wet, crunchy, and raw inside. At first, I didn't even think they were made with potatoes: completely inedible. I had a Reuben: I don't know if there was any sauerkraut or Russian dressing on it; I didn't taste any, and, since it was dark in there, I couldn't see for sure. My husband had clams casino, which were clearly premade and frozen. He also had the Clancy sandwich, which was sort of like a French dip—beef and cheese on a roll. The dip, though, came in one of those little, plastic containers with a lid that salad dressing sometimes comes in; there was no way to dip this giant sandwich in that tiny, little container. The bottom half of the roll was completely soaked and mushy, a total mess. Our son had onion rings; I thought they were greasy and obviously bought frozen. The soda was watered down. The server was weirdly rude—dropping dishes on the table and running. When she brought our crummy food, she told us to ‘enjoy your feast’, which seemed insulting, somehow. She was always running away from the table and answering us in monosyllables over her shoulder. We will never go back there again, for sure. I don't know what all the people in the dining room were eating, or why they all were there, to be honest. This is one of those restaurants that has a menu that is way too big, so you know it's all pre-made stuff, and there is no effort to make real food."
[Bill, 11/11] said: I ate here for the first time, for lunch with MER and two visiting out-of-town friends, while doing some shopping on Transit Rd. MER has eaten here many times and likes it. It's a big restaurant with a huge menu and many daily specials. I began with one of 2 soup du jour choices: Thai chicken curry soup; it was both sweet and (to my taste) very spicy, served in a very narrow and tall coffee cup. It was OK, but I wouldn't order it again. For my main course, I had another daily special: lemon-salmon Caesar salad, which was excellent. Others had French onion soup, beef vegetable soup (another daily special), and beef on weck. MER had a (daily special) turkey wrap with an overly spicy chipotle sauce; for MER to say that something was too spicy means that it was too spicy. However, with the large variety of options and the excellent service, I'd definitely return. Lunch for 4 with drinks and tax, but before tip, came to just under $15/person.
[NH, 6/11] said: "We ate at Brennan's Bowery Bar on Transit Road and had the worst meal ever. Two of us ordered the chicken-finger salad, which came with fingers that I think were cooked the day before and refried that night. They were dry and chewy; just terrible. The noise level in there is not conducive to visiting with old friends. The bus boy was literally ‘throwing’ the dishes in the dirty receptacle, to the point where I actually thought he was breaking them. We won't be back there anytime soon."
[AFN, 9/09] said: "My sister and I had lunch at Brennan's on 9/25/09. I had New England clam chowder and a fish sandwich. She had clam chowder and a small fish fry. A very good lunch."
[WHN] said:
[7/06] "We went to Brennan's for the first time in ages on Friday, 7/7/06. My daughter was visiting from Phoenix and wanted to have a traditional Buffalo fish fry. The fish fries were very good, as was the New England clam chowder."
[UL, 7/07] said: "I recently went to Brennan's Bowery Bar and Restaurant to celebrate a friend's birthday. All of the food was quite good. Portions were generous, so that five of the six of us brought home leftovers for lunch the next day. We ordered Irish Potato Skins and Classic Calamari as appetizers to share, and both were quite good. I had the "Clancy" sandwich, which is a French-dip roast beef with provolone. The meat was tender and delicious, and it was served on garlic bread rather than a plain roll, which was delicious. We had bought a little birthday cake and were able to eat it there without them charging a plate fee. There was a magician who was going from table to table, performing tricks and making balloon animals, something I've never seen before at a restaurant that caters to an adult crowd. [Editor's Note: The late, lamented Dakota Grill had a magician, too, as did Forks a long time ago.] It was a nice, fun touch. Service was good, and there was no problem when we had to move our reservation back by an hour at the last minute. Also, one of our party uses a wheelchair, and this was one of the better restaurants for accessibility that I've been to. Completely flat, a fairly open layout for easy maneuvering, wide doors at the restroom, and a good size handicapped stall (at least in the women's restroom.)"
[MPM, 10/05] said: "I attended dinner at Brennan's on 10/04/05, and it was without a doubt one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. I was there with about 10 out-of-town guests to introduce them to some Buffalo cuisine, as we were all going to the Bills game the next day. Every single order was burnt, overcooked, or unappealing. My wife got a beef on weck, and it was so well done and tough looking she didn't want it. Kids' grilled cheese were so overdone they would not eat them. We were served about 90 minutes after the waitress took the order. It was so apparent that they had way too many customers and not enough staff. If they cannot accommodate serving a quality product to all of the restaurant guests, then they should limit their seating."
[MEL, 8/99] said, after visiting the Taste of Williamsville: "Pretty good BBQ and jerk wings, which appeared to have been baked or broiled rather than fried. Of course, with skins on, they still aren't heart healthy."
Brickyard Pub & BBQ.
432 Center St., Lewiston.
754-7227.
[PT] said:
[12/06] "Their combo platter—a small rack of ribs, pulled pork, and beef brisket—is excellent. You get plenty of meat, corn bread, and a choice of two side dishes for $12.99. The ribs are meaty, moist, and very flavorful. Much better than Kentucky Greg's, where I found the ribs had very little meat and were extremely dry."
[AFN, 6/09] said: "My sister, our daughters, and I went to the Lewiston Region Tour of Kitchens on Saturday, 6/13. Seven restaurants from Lewiston, Niagara Falls, and Youngstown offered samples of their cuisine at the various houses on the tour. My personal favorite from The Brickyard Pub & BBQ was "Louisiana shells" stuffed with Andouille sausage and chicken, topped by cheddar mornay sauce. Overall, the tour was like a multi-course tasting menu experience. Excellent! We have never been to The Brickyard Pub. I told my husband we'll have to try it this summer."
[CO'C, 7/08] says: "A 3-hr. break between a wedding & the reception left us with nothing to do at 3 pm. on a Sat. in Lewiston. The 6 out of town guests & the 2 of us were feeling a little hungry, so I suggested the Brickyard Pub. What a mistake!!! 5 minutes standing at the door, no one paid the least attention to us. (We were sort of hard to miss.) The sign said to "let us seat you". Finally, we were told to pick a table. We did, &, 10 minutes later, I had to ask for service. The place was half empty. We got menus, ordered drinks (a combination of wine, coffees, & soft drinks; nothing difficult) & snacks (all ordered at the same time!). 10 minutes later, we got the requested drinks. Note we are up to 25+ minutes here. 40 minutes after that, we asked for the check, since our orders of 5 appetizers still hadn't shown up. We were told that there were still orders ahead of us. No apologies, etc. Staffing wasn't a problem, since they were all over, chatting to each other, & we could see into the kitchen: There were people standing & chatting in there. At least there was service at the bakery we popped into. It was too late to try another place. Granted, we really weren't in a hurry, but over an hour wait to get 5 appetizers? And we were still waiting. I will spread the word. I also sent [this review] to the management of the place, & the person responding said that no way could the wait have been that long—completely dismissive of what occurred. Since we were on a deadline & had two people who had worked in the industry with us, it became a game to see what was causing the delays & what the response would be. The manager's final response was to include the web address of the most recent review from The Buffalo News."
[HHFK, 7/07] said: "Finding ourselves in Lewiston at dinnertime, my companion, our son, and I decided to try the Brickyard Pub & BBQ. First, let me say that the name does justice to the establishment. The draft beer spans from local micro-brews (including their own Brickyard Brown Ale and a seasonal pick) to the commercial standbys. They also have an outstanding stock of bottled beer and bourbons (more on that in a moment). The first good sign we had was the trickle of smoke coming from the back of the building and the scent of BBQ. My companion had the traditional platter (pulled pork, sliced brisket, St. Louis ribs) with sides of mac & cheese and coleslaw along with the seasonal pomegranate wheat beer. All of the meats were, in my companion's wording, "brilliant". The coleslaw had a lot of paprika, which was different, but good. The mac and cheese was typical, not great—as such, it was probably the low point of the entire meal. I had the Big Blue Plate Special of brisket with sides of sweet potato fries and the house bourbon along with a glass of the Blue Moon ale. That's right, one of the choices for sides is a shot of Evan Williams' bourbon. The brisket's initial rub was very mild, so it wasn't very salty. It was also done to perfection, tender and juicy. The additional barbeque sauce was a wonderful blend of sweet and spicy that didn't overpower the flavor of the beef. The sweet potato fries were soft and tender inside and firm but not crisp on the outside. Servers were pleasant and attentive, and the building itself was clean and pleasant. Overall, this was a great restaurant experience that's got us looking for reasons to find ourselves back in Lewiston."
Broadway Hotel.
158 Main St., N. Tonawanda.
692-9810.
Brodo Soup and Wine Bar.
4548 Main St. (east of Harlem Rd.), Snyder; 635-1117.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41 "Restaurants We Love" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
Reviews of the Snyder location:
[KATS, 5/06] said: "My review of Brodo in the suburbs should read like my thoughts on Brodo-Elmwood: slow service, mediocre food, always rushed in and out (even with the slow service). My experience at suburban Brodo was a nice surprise. First off, excellent, prompt service. I have walked out of Brodo Elmwood because the servers were too busy chatting at the bar to even come over and ask me if I wanted a drink. I've timed on my watch and sat for 10 minutes between being seated and being asked if I wanted a beverage—on an empty Tuesday night. Wait, I forgot I was reviewing suburban Brodo and not bashing Brodo Elmwood. Food was great at suburban Brodo, too (though those window seats looked mighty uncomfortable)!! Pretty much the same menu as downtown, as far as I could tell. I'm in walking distance, so I'll definitely be back!"
[WHN, 3/06] says: "Stopped for lunch at their location on Main St. in Snyder. The turkey Reuben was different from the usual corned beef, but very good."
Reviews of the former Elmwood Ave. location:
(Although this location has closed, I'll keep these reviews online for a
while, in case they are useful for those considering eating at the
Snyder location. [MCP, 2/10] says: "Plans
are still underway for the Brodo outlet on Main Street downtown.")
[MRT, 9/04] says: "Brodo is owned by the same people who [used
to] own Just Pasta.
[Note from Bill, added [11/04]: [AD] tells me that it is really
owned by the fellow who founded Just Pasta, as well as the
Garden
Restaurant at the Albright Knox.]
It is a small
restaurant just across the street from my favorite
Globe Market. Their
menu
is divided into appetizers, salads, pannini, focaccia & combos, entrees,
and desserts. From their menu, I have enjoyed their soups (excellent!),
their panko crab cake, avocado and tomato-basil corn sala cruda
(excellent!), their warm breaded goat cheese over arugla, field greens,
and
tomato, aged balsamic vinegar (exellent!), their roasted marinated
vegetables, feta, tapenade on pita (excellent!), their salmon, sweet pea
risotto, chive beuerre blanc (excellent!) and the most amazing old
fashioned dark chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I want the recipe
for this cake, it was so incredibly good. The restaurant does have a
wine
list. They do not take reservations. We are blessed to have two
restaurants with great food, Brodo and the Globe Market right across the
street from each other."
[SMD, 11/04] says: "What a great little spot! Stopped by there
for lunch on a Friday afternoon.
The noon crowd was just starting to clear out, and we were seated pretty
quickly. All meals include some nice sesame bread and olive oil for
dipping. Yum! I opted for the pumpkin soup with walnuts, and a chicken
salad panini with basil aioli. My date had a roast beef panini. All of
the
food was of excellent quality, and the service was attentive and
efficient.
We finished our meal by sharing a slice of the ricotta cheesecake, which
was
light and smooth, just as it should be. If you're on Elmwood, I
strongly
suggest you stop in and treat yourself. Delish!"
Brothers Restaurant and Pub.
728 Main St., E. Aurora.
714-5842.
[9/11] Given 3½ (out of 4) pennies by Anne Neville, Buffalo News "Cheap Eats" restaurant reviewer.
[AEM, 11/11] says: "I am pleased to say that, after having seen many places come and go from the corner of 20A and Rt. 16, I think this one may just hang around awhile! I have been to Brothers many times since it opened earlier this year, and they keep me coming back with their good food and friendly service. The menu seems pretty standard at first glance, but Brothers puts their own twist on familiar favorites. What might be a plain old cheese-sticks appetizer somewhere else is a fresh, deliciously breaded, mozzarella cheese dish at Brothers. They don't take reservations for parties smaller than eight, but they have a full bar area with nice televisions where you can wait for a table."
[m] Bruno's Pizzeria.
1274 Eggert Rd. (south of Main St.), Eggertsville.
833-6800.
[3/11] Given 3½ (out of 4) pennies by Anne Neville, Buffalo News "Cheap Eats" restaurant reviewer.
Buffalo Bean and Leaf.
1300 Hertel Ave., Buffalo.
875-3510.
[LCo, 10/07] says: "A friend and I went to Buffalo Bean and Leaf on a Saturday morning. The only thing that really drew us to it was that they offer Tofutti soy cream cheese and soy margarine as bagel toppings. I ordered a sesame bagel with soy cream cheese and a coffee. My friend had some type of hemp poppy seed bagel, also with soy cream cheese, and a soy mocha. Being able to get soy cream cheese at a place other than home was probably more appealing than the bagels themselves. I didn't really notice anything so remarkable about my coffee. The soy mocha could have used an extra pump of syrup, but other than that it was pretty standard."
[AMSo, 9/07] says: "Current hours: M-F 7am-7pm and Saturday 9am-4pm. We stopped @ Buffalo Bean & Leaf last night. I wanted to surprise Kim with a new place to "get her java on". We stopped in around 6:15 or so, and found parking easily on Hertel, but we crossed @ Colvin, because Hertel is too busy, and you really risk your life trying to cross anywhere but a stoplight! We both chose to get an espresso drink—a mocha made with almond milk and poured over ice. It was really good. I asked the barista, Amanda, if the white mocha was vegan, and she knew that it wasn't, and showed us the Ghirardelli bottle that mentioned milk in the natural flavor. She herself is an aspiring vegan, having been vegetarian for a while, and it was cool to have someone as a server who understood us. :) When we got there, there were no longer any bagels, but they did still have some slices of homemade breads available for toasting. For toppings on breads or bagels, they have soy margarine, garlic hummus, and tofutti soy cream cheese. They also have vegan cookies, French twist pastries, and some other vegan prepackaged treats available. Amanda echoed what the owner had told me about the future change to vegan scones and banana bread but was unsure when that change would take place. Along with espresso drinks, they had multiple brewed teas and coffees available, as well as some soda-type beverages. What was more impressive was the "wall of coffee"—lots of coffee beans available for purchase. We purchased two 1/2-pound bags of coffee that's actually grown on a volcano. It had a wonderful deep aroma. The coffee is moderately priced—about $5-$6 for a 1/2 pound, which is similar to what I've paid @ Buffalo Coffee Roasters in the Main Place Mall downtown."
Buffalo Beef and Brew.
3701 McKinley Pkwy. (in the
McKinley Mall), Hamburg.
821-7771.
[10/10] Given 3½ (out of 4) pennies by Joan Barone McDonald, Buffalo News "Cheap Eats" restaurant reviewer.
Buffalo Brew Pub.
6861 Main Street (near Transit), Williamsville.
632-0552.
[DwH, 3/07] said: "Travelling to Buffalo almost weekly since February and wanted to pass along some impressions: For what it is—it's just fine. Lots of great beers and free popcorn and peanuts. Food is classic and pretty tasty bar food. Staff makes you feel as if you are a regular "Norm!" "
[DY, 9/02] said: "Not just famous for their microbrewery, they have a fine selection of pub-style foods. Their wings are meaty and tasty, and some of the best I've had outside of the Shannon Pub (which they own, also). They have a good beef on weck (the beef is basted in their own beers), and meat pies, sausages, and other items you might find at English or Irish pubs. Oh, their burgers are very good, also."
[]
Buffalo Chop House.—WARNING: WEBSITE LOADS SLOWLY AND HAS LOUD MUSIC!
282 Franklin St. (downtown), Buffalo.
842-6900.
[12/08] Given 4 (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.
[4/07] Listed as one of Buffalo's "27 Best Restaurants" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
[EMW, 6/09] says: "My fiancé and I received a gift certificate for Buffalo Chop House that was about to expire, so we had an early dinner there last Sunday. We had no reservations, but the restaurant was nearly empty, so we were promptly seated at a nice table in the front room with the bar. Our waiter was very nice and attentive, and he brought our drinks out quickly: a glass of Riesling for me, and an iced tea for my fiancé, which the waiter continually refilled throughout dinner. We split the Flying Shrimp appetizer, which the menu describes as "10 Tempura Battered Shrimp Served with Cocktail and Royal Sauces". The presentation was very impressive, and the breading on the very large shrimp was light and flaky, very delicious—but very expensive at $26 a pop! We split a Caesar salad, which was good but not outstanding. For entrees, I ordered the Grilled Salmon Filet (which comes with baby vegetables and a dill cream sauce) and my fiancé ordered the 14 oz. Filet Mignon (medium rare) and added that night's special: to have his meal "Oscared". This meant that they added jumbo lump crab meat, asparagus, and a bearnaise sauce to your cut of meat. Our waiter did not indicate the cost, and we did not ask. We also ordered a side of home-fried potatoes to split. The entrees arrived, and everything looked great, but they had neglected to "Oscar" the filet. So the waiter promptly returned the fliet to the kitchen. When the steak came back, it was topped with a huge amount of real, succulent crab meat—it was really amazing how much crab was actually on this plate and how big the lumps were. However, upon cutting into the filet, it was definitely cooked to medium—there was barely any pink in the center at all, and this was a very thick cut of meat. When the waiter asked how our meals were, my fiancé mentioned that the steak was really too well done for his taste, and the waiter agreed it definitely was not medium rare. He graciously offered us complimentary desserts for our trouble, and we accepted. My salmon dish was very good. For dessert, we had the bananas Foster and the creme brulee, which were both delicious (although in looking at the prices on the menu, I'm not sure that we would have ordered them had they not been free). Overall, we enjoyed the meal. Then the bill came! I want to preface this by saying that I absolutely don't mind paying a lot for a great meal. But the cost of this meal was almost shocking to us: $175 for two people (and remember, this didn't include dessert, which would have been an additional $20 or so). Remember that "Oscar"? It was $20 in addition to the cost of the filet, but honestly, it was so good that I felt it was probably the most valuable thing we ordered all night! Also, we realized that we were charged for every single refill of iced tea that my fiancé consumed! $15 for iced tea when we are clearly not skimping on the meal? I thought that was a little crass for such an upscale establishment. So, looking back on the overall experience, we enjoyed our meal, but with so many steak houses popping up around Buffalo that are (1) less expensive and (2) can cook a eut of meat to the ordered temperature, we probably won't be back any time soon."
[Bill, 1/09] said: MER, my 13-year-old son, and I ate here on a Tuesday evening, primarily because we had received a gift certificate as a Christmas present and we had to be downtown at dinner time. For her appetizer, MER had the beefsteak tomato and Maine onion salad with buffalo mozzarella (another option was Roquefort); I had a taste, and we both liked it, especially the vinaigrette dressing. MER and my son had 10-oz. filets mignon, which they liked very much. MER thought hers the equivalent of that at La Scala, which has always been her favorite. However, this one came out piping hot; indeed, it continued cooking while on the plate! I, following my rule of eating that which I normally do not cook at home, had the catch of the day, which was a Szechuan-glazed red snapper with udon noodles and Asian vegetables in broth. It was tender, just very mildly spicy-hot (a good thing, in my opinion: I'm not overly fond of spicy-hot food), but a bit salty. Coffee was hot and good. MER ordered two side dishes: asparagus and sauteed onions. Both were excellent (though I didn't need them, because of the veggies that came with my meal; as others have noted, everything is à la carte: the steaks come unadorned on a huge plate). For dessert, my son had the "volcanic" chocolate cake, and I had the "American" apple pie with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce; both were accompanied by fresh berries and fruit. Service, by Chris, was friendly, efficient, and professional. But: The portions (and prices) are obscenely huge. A healthful portion of steak is a quarter pound, roughly half of the smallest portion served here. I had fully two servings of snapper. You can't order a single portion of a side dish; there were enough asparagus and onions to serve at least three of us, which is fine because there were, indeed, three of us, but had there only been one, there would have been the same amount. As for the desserts: What we believed to be the "volcanic" chocolate cake, which is what we ordered, I have since found out (from re-reading Janice Okun's review) was actually the "nine-layer" chocolate cake for two (made off-premises by Carriage Trade Pastries): a "slice" that seemed to be 10 layers, 8" high, about 4" in radius, and about 4" in circumference; we took pictures so that friends wouldn't think we were boasting. Needless to say, we took most of it home; Chris—our otherwise excellent waiter who seemed to have misunderstood our dessert order—admitted that no one had ever finished it. The apple pie was a full pie, about 8" in diameter; I could only eat about ½ of it, but we didn't take it home, because of the (now melted) ice cream. They do a nice job of boxing your leftovers and putting them in a shopping bag. But you pay for this. Our meal, with 2 glasses of wine, came to over $200 before the tip. I'll give it one star, which it clearly deserves, but I'd prefer trying some of the other excellent downtown restaurants before returning.
[CEP, 8/08] said: "As I'm browsing your site more, I think I'd like to put in my 2 cents for Buffalo Chop House, also: 1/1/08: Based on all the positive reviews, we made reservations at the Buffalo Chop House for New Year's Day for two (anniversary) and were very disappointed with the experience. When we arrived, the place was nearly empty, but we were given the worst seat in the house: a corner table on the ground floor, conveniently located 5 feet from the kitchen, bathroom, and coat closet. As the place was nearly empty, the corner wasn't highly trafficked, but we did endure the stares of kitchen staff leaning on the counter for the evening. On top of that, the water glasses were dirty. The food was good, but as a previous reviewer states, the steak comes alone. I wanted mushrooms with my steak, and had to order a side of them for $8—a dish big enough for 4 or 5 people to top their steaks with, even though there were only two of us, and only I wanted them. Also, an ordinary baked potato (the only side actually intended for only one or two people) ran the same price. The menu is not structured for couples, unless you want to just eat a steak or don't mind spending a fortune on large bowls of sides and having an entire bowl of sauteed mushrooms left over. We will not be returning here."
[AHa, 9/07] (of Raleigh, NC!) said: "I was in Buffalo for business, and 3 of us went to the Buffalo Chop House. We were there on Wednesday night, 9/5/07. No problem getting a seat (without reservations). Hostesses (2 of them) were nice, polite, and beautiful. Restaurant was nice, classy, and had a good atmosphere, with great music. Waiter was friendly, informative, and good. Best of all, the food was great. Lobster bisque soup was excellent, Caesar salad great, sides great; sides portions à la carte were hefty (can share) even though pricy (compare to a Ruth's Chris). Two of us shared Châteaubriand for two, and it was cooked perfectly. I was expecting some Bearnaise sauce with it or on the side, although it was excellent without it (and I didn't ask for it); it would have topped it off. Garlic mushrooms were great. The third person had a NY strip, and he commented it was very good, and big! We all had a couple of beers, a bottle of wine, and after-dinner drinks. Price out the door for 3 (guys) around $380. Not cheap, but I think the value was there, and will go back! I've been to several different chop houses around the country, and this one has probably been the best overall! Would recommend highly! Would rate it 5 out of 5!"
[AMS, 8/07] said: "The filet is to die for! The waiter said that they drop it in butter right before they serve it. This has to be the magic in their meat. It is not an exaggeration when the waiter says that one side feeds two people. It really does! Only I touched the plate of asparagus because my husband cowers away from veggies, so I had lots to take home. The hollandaise sauce was divine. The twice-baked potato (apparently not part of the regular menu) was delicious and as long as half of a computer keyboard. I didn't find anything overly salty. The meat was cooked as requested. Service was prompt and amiable. Maybe it was such a great night for diners and servers because it was a Monday. I will definitely seek out an excuse to go there again. It's worth every penny (or every Ben Franklin)."
[DwH, 3/07] said: "Travelling to Buffalo almost weekly since February and wanted to pass along some impressions: Buffalo Chop House is exactly what it claims to be: a temple to beef. Old-line barkeepers who know your drink after the first one on the first visit—immeidately making you feel like a member of the club. The sides (creamed spinach is a must) are well-done and match the steak thing flawlessly. Wine list is comprehensive, and you can bottom feed without compromising the quality of the evening. The cost is pretty hair-raising (expense account turf), but the service and the food are such that, for an evening anyway, you get to feel like Boss Tweed. Before he went to jail."
[MRT, 11/05] said: "On Saturday, November 5, my husband and I enjoyed dinner at the Buffalo Chop House. Because of this wonderful restaurant guide, I asked that no salt be added to my meal. When you first sit at your table, you are brought some olives, hot peppers, and feta cheese. Warm rolls and softened sweet butter are also brought to your table. My husband ordered their lobster bisque as an appetizer. He rated it 8.5 points out of 10. I ordered a plain field greens salad with no dressing, which made me happy. My husband suggested I order the 14-ounce filet mignon, and only eat some of it. This I did. I also ordered a side of spinach sauteed with garlic, and sauteed mushrooms. My husband ordered a rib-eye steak, baked potato, and asparagus. I will say that the asparagus was thick and not very tender. It was the only wrong note of the meal all evening long. My husband said he was disappointed with the presentation of the steak—it sat all alone on the plate. I was not disappointed. I emptied my plate of spinach and my plate of mushrooms right onto my steak plate. I ate approximately 4 ounces of the delicious filet. My husband enjoyed the rest of my filet today for lunch. For dessert, I ordered their apple pie and an espresso. It is a wonderful apple pie, with a delicious sauce, as well as a small fruit salad with kiwi, strawberry, raspberry, and cantaloupe. My husband ordered their chocolate cake and a cup of coffee. The service at the Buffalo Chop House is first rate. Water and wine glasses were always filled. Empty dishes were quickly removed. I will be very happy to return to the Buffalo Chop House."
[RTR, 10/05] said: "Recently visited Buffalo to see relatives and went to the Buffalo Chop House—our party was five, and reservations at 7:30. The place was mobbed and obviously overbooked, not to speak of the deafening decibel level. After being "stacked" at the bar, we were finally seated an hour later. A nice but rushed waiter took our orders, and, after the salad and appetizers, which were fair, we waited over an hour for our main course. All had meat dishes. After inquiring of the management where our food was, since we were going to "call the dining experience off", the waiter came running up the stairs with the food. As testimony to the evening, the table behind us, after waiting over one and one-half hours to be seated and not getting served anything but bread, got up and left . After our prolonged wait, we were amazed that the food was inedible. The had used so much of the meat rub that the pepper overload made it impossible to eat, let alone even attempt to swallow. All left their food. Living in a city of 5 million that prides itself on its steak houses, I have to say that this was the worst dining out I have experienced. It was terrible and inexcusable. Being popular and "in" is one thing; economic motives and overbooking are another."
[WHN, 8/05] said: "My wife and I, along with another couple, ate here on Saturday, 8/20/05. This was our second time and our friends' 3rd at this restaurant. We probably would not have gone back, but our friends really like it. While the service is indeed excellent, as [REV] said below, both my wife and I found the food to be incredibly salty—we all had filets ($32 for a 10 oz.; $36 for a 14 ounce), which were cooked perfectly, as ordered, but the salt content of a meal here must provide at least a week's worth of sodium. Likewise for the side-orders, especially the steak fries. I also object to having to pay $1 extra for anchovies on a $7.50 Caesar Salad. As far as I know, Caesar Salad is supposed to include anchovies. Restaurants should deduct $1 for those who don't want them, not add an extra buck. The wine prices are a little absurd—$40.00 for one of two "house" Chardonnays—a 2003 Sebastiani Sonoma County Chardonnay that I just paid $9.99 for at Premier—a 4-fold markup from retail. The waiter also said (incorrectly) that it was on Wine Spectator magazine's top 100 list. (It was rated 88 out of 100, and was designated a "Smart Buy"). On the other hand, they had a real "bargain"—relatively speaking—a 1999 Napa Valley Cabernet that retails for $95—$100, priced at $100. I won't say what it was just in case we go back and decide to blow $100 on a bottle of wine. I suspect they might triple or quadruple the price if they realize what they've done. I would say there are a lot better restaurants in the high priced category, including Hutch's, Rue Franklin West, and Oliver's. And there are a lot of places where the steaks are just as good, and definitely less salty, for half the price, including Calvaneso's, City Grill, McMahon's, and others."
[REV, 5/05] said: "I was there with my company for dinner on 4/25/05. I was impressed with the service. Never a glass was empty, nor were we waiting long. The appetizers were very good. Also, the presentation was pleasant, as well. The wine selection was good, and the one we received was in good form (bouquet, taste). I liked the fact you could get Pellegrino as your table water at no extra charge. My only complaint was the entrée portion of the evening. No one else had an issue, but since I do take my beef seriously, I was rather upset as to the condition of the meat. First, we were never presented our cuts of meat or seafood. This is usually standard at such a place, especially proclaiming themselves as the premier steak house. When it was served, it was à la carte, which is to be expected. The most attractive meat was their bone-in sirloin, which looked unique and very appetizing. I ordered my filet mignon medium rare, but more so on the rare side. Unfortunately, I received more of a medium well to well. The meat was on the verge of grey, with a little pink left. The cut was nice and thick, too. So you know the meat was not watched during the cooking. The searing was good, but the taste was a bit salty. I think it has to do with the rub/prep of the meat. I took the leftover home with me, and my girlfriend agreed. There was no problem with the quality of meat, or with the tenderness. The preparation was very much yet to be desired. Also, the sides we received were, for the most part, good. But again, the saltiness was a bit much. The most over-salted was the spinach, though the asparagus was prepared perfectly: not overdone & stringy, not underdone and hard. No problem with the quality of meat, or I'm glad I went with work, since I would have been upset for the price and preciseness of the cooking asked for, as well as the superfluous overly-salted foods. I may return, since it is a nice place, but I will definitely look around for better! The best steak I've had thus far was surprisingly at Carrabba's in Amherst. I suggest there until I find better! "
[MR, 9/03] said: "My wife and I ate there last evening. The food was excellent. The service was incredible. Put down your glass, and they would fill it for you. The atmosphere is beautiful—but you'll pay for it. Very pricy for what you're getting. Great food, but à la carte selection makes things add up quickly. 24 oz. Porterhouse = $33. They also have a 48 oz. version...for $66! Whew. The term "Chop House" denotes something of a "no-frills" variety steakhouse, but what you get is a first-class dining experience."
[DG, 6/03] said: "My wife, son, and I ate there last weekend. The food and service were excellent but a bit pricy for Buffalo. I would highly recommend for a special occasion and will be back again."
[FNN, 4/03] said: "My wife and I ate there last month and were very pleased. She had the filet and I had the sirloin. The sirloin was done to perfection as was the spinach. The filet was also excellent, a bit underdone for her taste."
Buffalo Pizza Co.
1769 Main St. (near Canisius College),
Buffalo.
881-1111.
[a+]
Burger King.
UB Commons. 633-8700.
[RJS, 1/12] says: "I noticed that your site doesn't have many reviews/comments of local/national fast-food places. Given the economy, diners spend more of their dining dollars in such places. Here are are short-form reviews/commentaries of the major fast fooders available locally. Burger King (many locations): Without a doubt, the worst fast-food food. How can you go right with a burger that's cooked twice: first flame-broiled and then microwaved? Despite periodically introducing new burgers and sandwiches, nothing ever tastes good there."
Burger Town.
Table Rock Food Court, Niagara Falls, ON, CANADA.
(no phone available)
[a] Burrito Bay.
2341 Millersport Hwy.
(in Getzville Plaza, also the location of
Elmo's and
Rocky's Indian Restaurant),
Getzville.
688-6070.
[10/10] Given 3½ (out of 4) pennies by Anne Neville, Buffalo News "Cheap Eats" restaurant reviewer.
[JMK, 11/09] says: "Walking into this place, you hear soft Mexican pop music playing on an outside speaker. The first thing you notice is the layout: Think of a Mexican Subway, but, instead of subs, you get burritos. We ordered a grilled chicken glutton burrito, and it was by far the greatest burrito I ever had. It weighed about 4 or 5 pounds and had more fixings than I can even begin to type. The salsa is made fresh there; I got the ‘hot’. There was indeed a lot of heat; there is an award hanging on the wall from some salsa contest they won, and I can see why they did. We also got an order of ultimate nachos. The chips were light and crispy; I would swear they were made that day. They were perfectly salted, with a hint of garlic. The toppings included beef, cheese, salsa, and I added sour cream. The line was out the door, but the staff kept it moving; it looked like Henry Ford's old production line. I give this place the highest rating. My only complaint is that there is only one location."
[WHN, 5/06] said: "Here's a better alternative to Mighty Taco or Taco Bell. They offer three sizes of burritos prepared to order with your choice of ground beef, pork, steak, chicken, bean, or vegetarian, plus a wide variety of additional ingredients to choose from, such as fat-free refried or black beans, rice, sweet or hot peppers, fresh cilantro, and more. Soft or hard-shell tacos, too, plus taco salads, nachos, etc. Twice as expensive as Mighty Taco, but even the small burritos are three times the size, with much more variety to choose from. Eat-in or take-out."
Butterwood Gourmet Desserts.
1863 Davis Rd., West Falls.
652-0131
Buzzy's New York Style Pizza & Restaurant.
7677 Niagara Falls Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY.
283-5333.
BW's BBQ.
5007 Lake Ave., Blasdell.
824-7455.
[JCr, 1/08] says: "I visit this place probably a couple times a month, mostly Friday nights to watch the Sabres, have a few beers with friends, and eat the best BBQ wings around. Aside from the dining room, they have a good-sized separate bar area, with 3 TVs and a good amount of seating, as well. Usually, my fare here consists of a plethora of bbq wings and sweet-potato fries, both of which I would feel confident to state are my favorite of anywhere. I do have to say that a few weeks ago I purchased a bunch of take-out, chicken and ribs, and was quite disappointed. We spent about $80 to reward a few hard-working friends that helped with my kitchen demo, and I was surprised and disappointed; both the chicken and the ribs were dry/overcooked. I had great take-out experiences prior to this; it was just disappointing to spend a good amount of money on take-out and be totally disappointed like that. I will return for more great beer and wing specials, though, in the future."
[BL, 11/03] says: "Excellent BBQ. We can compare it with many we have had in Kansas City, Memphis, and other BBQ towns. It can hold its own. Menu offers much in terms of ribs and chicken bbq. Very tender, and we mean it. The pork ribs are moist, and melt in your mouth like butter. Sides are adequate, though we would suggest a larger portion of mashed potato: very small compared to the potato salad and beans. Fries and sweet potatoes are offered, too. Everything is flavorful. We went for dinner and spent $25.81 (before tip) for half rack ($12.95) and one quarter rack ribs with chicken ($8.95) and two soft drinks. Free refills on the soft drinks. Mixed drinks/beer are available. There are sandwich items (pulled pork, burgers) and enough variety. We hope one day they will offer a pulled-pork plate like Kentucky Greg's Hickory Pit does. We bet it would be a seller. Excellent service. Nice atmosphere. Clean, and just a nice Friday evening experience. Family atmosphere, too."
[a] Byblos.
270 Campbell Blvd. (near Dodge), Getzville.
636-3102.
[3/10] Listed as one of 41 "Restaurants We Love" by Buffalo Spree magazine.
[MDo, 7/10] says: "According to their answering machine message they are reopening September 1st [2010]."
[SCS, 9/09] said that he had a very good "mezza" plate of 12 appetizers (1 order serves 2 people).
[NH, 6/08] said: "We went to Byblos Lebanese Restaurant on Campbell Blvd. as my daughter's birthday choice. Not being very adventurous about new foods, I was a little hesitant about this place. Well, I was so pleasantly surprised about everything there. First of all, the atmosphere is wonderful. Ethnic music played softly in the background, which was a plus, and the styling inside the roomy dining room was lovely. Our waitress, who was very knowledgeable about all the foods, couldn't have been more attentive. We all tried something different. I had the chicken and rice with vegetables, which was delicious and plentiful. The others had lamb with rice and vegetables, shish kabob with baba ganouj, and kibbi with baba ganouj. Everyone was very satisfied with their meal. I highly recommend this place and will be sure to go back to try something different."
[DRi, 2/08] said: "After driving by Byblos many a night, my girlfriend and I decided to try it. We went later on a Saturday night, a time when they were not terribly busy. We were greeted and shown to a our table promptly, and our server was with us shortly. I forget what we had for an appetizer, but it was delicious. As far as main courses, I ordered the falafel and fatoush combination platter, and my girlfriend had the chicken shawarma and parsly salad(?) combination platter. When the main dishes arrived, the first thing we noticed was that the portions were correct for one person, which is a plus. The second thing we noticed is that everything was delicious. The falafel was quite tasty, and the fatoush had a very nicely flavored dressing, with many different herbs and spices tasted. The shawarma was very good and not overdone, a feat given how thinly the chicken was cut. For dessert, we split a rice pudding. This was topped with quite a bit of cinnamon and powdered almonds at our request, and proved to be quite tasty. Our server was checking with us at appropriate intervals, and the restaurant itself was tastefully decorated. All in all, a place I want to visit again."
[RRo, 1/05] said: "Set in the charming old location of Port of Entry, this restaurant has a good balance of formal dining but with a quiet charm of a well-maintained countryside restaurant (which sometimes even has live Middle Eastern dance performances on Fri/Sat evenings!). Forget the regular side-salad—go for the Fatush; this unusual salad has the freshest of herbs, using fried pitas instead of croutons and a taste that awakens all your taste buds at once (yummy!). The beef and chicken shwarma are consistently good (I find the sandwich/wrap a better value than the "meal" that includes french fries), and if you like Rice Pudding, theirs has a hint of rosewater and sometimes is topped with pistachios. Together with Lebanese Coffee (warning: this stuff could put hair on your chest...very strong stuff with a slightly-sweet taste), it's a great ending to the meal. Many vegetarian-friendly choices, and even the Tuna Salad has an unusual and tasty preparation (includes raisins I believe) that distinguishes this restaurant from others. I've brought people to Byblos who are not usually the "daring" type (you know, stick to the basic "meat and potato"), and none of them ever left disappointed. Other worth mentionings—the large space may be suited for business meetings, too, and they have a full-service bar."
[SPH, 11/03] said: "Without a doubt, they have the best falafel in town. I went to Israel, and there were falafel stands on street corners that had the most amazing food. Byblos has that authentic middle-eastern taste. Their desserts are exquisite. The taste of their baklava explodes in your mouth, and their rice pudding has a hint of orange."
I finally ate here [11/03], with some colleagues from the Philosophy department and a visiting speaker. We began with the Mazza appetizer: a sampler of their appetizers, all of which were quite good, including falafel, shawarma, feta, hoummos, baba ganoush, fried kibbi, etc. For my main course (which was preceded by an undistinguished side salad with a house vinaigrette), I had baked kibbi, which can best be described as Lebanese meatloaf: a brick of ground beef combined with pine nuts and spices; tasty, but somewhat boring. Fortunately, I chose to have it accompanied by baba ganoush, and the combination was tasty. For dessert, I had rice pudding flavored with rose water. How would I compare it to Teta's? Byblos is a larger and more formal restaurant, with perhaps a larger menu; the food at both places seems to be about the same in quality. Note added [6/08]: Unfortunately, Teta's has closed.
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