Bill Rapaport's Buffalo Restaurant Guide

Alphabetical Listing of Restaurants: E

[a] 800 Maple
E.B. Green's
E-Cafe
[a] Eagle House
Eckl's
[a] Elmo's
Elmwood
Embers Grill
Emerson Commons
Empire Grill
Escabeche
Europa Bistro

Key:

[—], , ,	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)

(For more info on locations, see Geography)

All phone numbers are in area code 716, unless otherwise indicated.

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NOTE: Restaurants beginning with "El" are indexed as if that definite article were not there (just as it would be in English; restaurants beginning with "The" are not indexed under "T"!). So, e.g., "El Fogon" is indexed under "F".

[a] 800 Maple.
800 Maple Rd. (near N. Forest), Williamsville.
688-5800.

[KPa, 12/07] says: "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). Let's start with 800 Maple: My wife, another couple, and I went to 800 Maple last night (12/28) and had yet another lousy meal with lousy service. The first time we ate there, the linen on our table was very dirty and stained with food and coffee. We had the same problem last night with food-stained linen. They attempt to mask said stains by replacing the paper on top of the table, but not the linen under it. We witnessed the bus boys resetting tables, but not replacing the linen tablecloths. Not a very good impression. Our server was nice, but inexperienced. I expected more from my server, especially after reading on this site that it is owned by the guys from Oliver's and Siena. It took forever to get drinks from the bar, and even longer to get our water refilled. We never received bread, and our table was rarely cleared. Our pizza appetizer was excellent; however, the stuffed peppers had a funny aftertaste. Two of us ordered burgers cooked medium, and they both came out like burnt hockey pucks. I sent mine back, and my friend ate his. Mine was taken off of the bill, and his should have been but was not. My wife had the salmon, which she enjoyed, and my friend's wife had a pasta dish that she also enjoyed. The overall experience: The bar is very nice, and the bar-tenders are attentive. That world changes when you hit the dining room. Ambience is not so great; it's loud; it was very, very, very hot; and the service was lacking in all aspects. We gave them 3 opportunities to impress us, and they were 0 for 3. We will not be returning for a 4th time."

[AFN, 10/05] says: "800 Maple was previously a sports bar and, before that, a family-style coffee shop/restaurant. According to Janice Okun, who gave it three stars, it is jointly owned by the people from Siena and Oliver's. The interior has been completely renovated, with a separate bar area and a very large dining room, which lacks ambience, and is so noisy that we had to shout to be heard. I went with a group of friends, so we were able to reserve a table and were promptly seated. (Reservations are only available for parties of six or more; open for dinner only, seven nights a week.) There was a large crowd at the bar, and the restaurant seemed completely full at 6:00 P.M. on a Wednesday night. The restaurant specializes in wood roasting and grilling. The menu offers a few sandwiches (cheeseburgers, catfish, chicken, and prime rib) priced from $8.95 to $12.95, as well as full-size entrees. One of my friends was going to order a prime rib sandwich, but the pleasant, helpful waitress told her it was thin-sliced, with cheese on top, and many people, expecting a thicker cut of prime rib, didn't like it when they found out what it was, so she ordered the spit-roasted herb chicken ($13.95), one of their wood-fired rotisserie specialties. I split a spinach salad with warm goat cheese ($6.95) with another friend to start. The salad was all right, but the goat cheese was a gooey blob, plopped in the middle, without much flavor. I also had the herb chicken, which was terrible—very salty, with a preservative-like aftertaste reminiscent of Boston Market's chicken. It came with a few roasted red potatoes and green beans, which were either canned or grossly overcooked. A different spit-roasted entree special is offered every night. On Wednesdays, it's pork loin. Friends who ordered the pork loin ($17.95) said it was very good. Others who ordered the spit roasted prime rib (12 oz. $17.95; 20 oz. $25.95) said it was very good, too. Although it's apparently become very popular in the short time it's been open, I probably would not go back. It's not the kind of place that I would choose for a relaxing evening."

[a] Eagle House.
5578 Main St. (near the pastoral Glen Park, worth a visit for its waterfall and duck pond), Williamsville.
632-7669.

I [Bill] used to think the place was pretty mediocre and worth avoiding, and that its only interest lay in the fact that it's nearly 175 years old. But [MER], my 8-year-old son, and I ate here 9/03 after the owner sent me email suggesting I try it again. We went on a Saturday evening, not expecting that we'd need a reservation. When we were told that the only tables available were outside, we opted to leave (it was going to rain), at which point several empty tables suddenly materialized. [MER] had the French onion soup, which she said was very good, and a pasta ratatouille that was good but nothing special (I had the leftovers for lunch the next day; I agree: good but nothing special). I had the haddock Dijonnaise, which had a thick, heavy sauce and was accompanied by mashed potatoes with a very dried-out beef gravy, together with 3 stalks of fairly tasteless asparagus. The rolls, though warm, were boring: not much different from Wonder-bread hamburger rolls. My son liked his chicken finges and fries from the children's menu; they were accompanied not only by the requisite bottle of ketchup but also by 3 dipping sauces and celery. Desserts were good but overly sweet; my white-chocolate-&-raspberry cake wasn't nearly as good as similar versions of that combination that I've had elsewhere (e.g., Just Pasta or Fredi). The service, however, was superb: almost as good as at the finest restaurants in New York: Our water glasses were never empty, plates were removed promptly, and we got clean napkins and new silverware for dessert. [MER] had lunch here a few days later with a friend who also hadn't been happy with Eagle House; both were pleasantly surprised with their lunches. In fact, [MER] reports that her beef on weck was the best and most tender she'd had in Buffalo, accompanied by an excellent potato salad. So I'm raising Eagle House's rating from negative [—] to neutral, and we'll probably be back, but I must say that I have to disagree with many of the comments below that praise it more highly than I do. One more comment that must be made. The night we were here turned out to be a special evening in Williamsville: The owner of Eagle House, along with other business folks in the area, had arranged for live entertainment on the street and open houses in many of the village shops. This was a very pleasant experience, and allowed us the opportunity to explore some really neat shops that we had never been in. I'm only sorry that it wasn't advertised more widely; it should definitely be repeated!

[ALK, 6/06] says: "Being young and hip city folk, we tend to stay in the city because of the great variety of wonderful restaurants across the city. However, we decided to chance things and venture out of our familiar territory for a dinner out in the (gasp!) suburbs this past Saturday evening (June 10th). We decided on the Eagle House on Main Street in Williamsville as the evening's destination. My dining companion and I sat in a very romantic round booth in the back dining room overlooking the patio/deck. We began our meal with some wonderful and perfectly chilled Riesling and an outstanding shrimp cocktail: 4 giant crustaceans over a bed of salad mix (carrots, red cabbage, and all...presentation is everything and the iceburg mix did nothing to enhance the wonderful shrimp). We each had mediocre house salads before our dinners. I love it when restaurants go a few extra steps to put some pizzazz into otherwise bland house salads...a little bit of imagination can go a long way, but the Eagle House's salad was certainly unmemorable in this respect. Our dinners were good...my dinner companion had a huge piece of the evening's specialty: prime rib. The only problem was that he ordered it medium rare, and it came out medium. Once we were eating, we heard the waitress at the next table tell her guests that the kitchen could only offer medium well prime rib from that point on. Too bad our waitress hadn't told us that medium rare wasn't available when we placed our order: We would have adjusted out order accordingly if we had known that our preferences couldn't have been accommodated. I enjoyed my haddock Dijonnaise, served with a few roasted asparagus spears and a baked potato. The fish was very fresh and tasty, and I enjoyed this dish quite a bit. We finished off our meal by sharing a dessert special: raspberry, papaya, and mango gelato covered with white chocolate and served with a piece of chocolate-chip biscotti. This was refreshing and wonderful. Service was a little bit slow that evening (we heard a few tables around us complaining), but we didn't notice a problem at our table. One word of warning: The Eagle House offers a choice of potato or vegetable with their dinners. My date and I prefer both accompaniments with our dinners, and ordered as such. The server told us that there would be a "small additional charge" for our potatoes. We are never ones to quibble over prices when it comes to dining out...after all, why go out to eat if one cannot afford to enjoy what one truly wants? However, we were quite surprised to see a charge of $8.00 on our guest check for our two very small, unadorned baked potatoes!! Potatoes must be very expensive in Williamsville this time of year!"

[JV, 4/06] says: "Their food selection was wonderful, the service was incredible, and the atmosphere was very inviting. I hadn't been there in many years and was glad I decided to try it again! The food was delicious! On my last visit, I had the crab cakes with lobster cream sauce—and my date had their beer-battered fish fry, which she said was the best she'd had in Buffalo. For dessert, we shared a slice of warm apple pie with caramel sauce, and it was out of this world!"

[BRo, 4/06] says: "I recently went to The Eagle House for dinner with 3 girlfriends and had a great experience. We pick a different restaurant every month and the last few weren't experiences to write home about. The Eagle was a nice surprise. I hadn't been there in years. The hostess was pleasant, the service was friendly and timely, and our meals were excellent. We had steak, chicken pot pie, crab cakes, and veal. All wonderful. Fun desserts and lots of cosmo-type drinks. We'll be putting The Eagle House on our list of favorites!!!!"

[WHN] says:

[2/06] "We returned to the Eagle House on Saturday, 2/4, with two other couples. One person in our party ordered veal escalopes stuffed with scallops, shrimp, and spinach; another ordered filet of sirloin with Gorgonzola sauce. Four of us ordered the Saturday Night Special—Prime Rib—one medium rare, one "really, really rare" (knowing it would never happen, despite the waitress's assurances), and two medium. All came well- to very-well-done. The veal dish was said to be delicious, as was the other beef dish, but since I have now had two bad meals in a row, I no longer like the Eagle House. Definitely a negative rating."

[12/05] "My wife and I had lunch here on Wednesday, 12/28. I should mention that we've been here for dinner and lunch many times, and have never had a bad meal previously. The restaurant was very busy, but we were seated right away, although we didn't have a reservation. After a few minutes, while a waiter and waitress had a disagreement over which one had our table, the waiter arrived and took our order. A few minutes later, the waitress arrived to take our order, but we told her it had already been taken. (They had another argument over something else later, but not involving our table.) My wife ordered shrimp and scallops scampi over rice ($11.95), and I ordered baked lemon and pepper haddock ($9.95). The shrimp and scallops arrived sans scallops, which my wife pointed out to the waiter, who said "didn't 'they' tell you we're out of scallops"? We wondered who "they" were. He offered to add more shrimp, but my wife declined. Anyway, she said her dish was superb, with perfectly cooked shrimp, and lots of garlic and butter in the sauce. However, my haddock had a definite iodine taste—not fresh. I should have sent it back, but didn't. I still like the Eagle House; I just won't order seafood in the middle of the week."

[GG, 9/03] says: "Time to update the Eagle House review. Good things have been happening in the last couple of years which have motivated us to frequent the restaurant. Summer is wonderful on the back patio, and inside is cozy and comfortable in the winter. Any time of year, the ambiance is pleasant and inviting, and, more importantly, the food is great. On a recent visit, I had salmon with a wasabi glaze that was one of the best I've ever had. Tricia Browne, the manager, works hard to keep the menu updated to feature new and old favorites and ensure that patrons are treated like welcome neighbors. There's a good variety of food from which to choose."

[KD, 9/03] says: "Outstanding!".

[AN, 4/97] says: "Good food and cosy ambience".

[RM, 5/95] says: "Nice atmosphere; entertainment in the lounge on some weekend nights. Decent food in a nice, cozy atmosphere. A favorite of people who live in the village of Williamsville."

E.B. Green's.
2 Fountain Plaza (in the Hyatt Regency Hotel, downtown), Buffalo. 855-4870 or 856-1234.

Steak house.

[4/05] Given 4 (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

I ate here with [MER] and 5 other guests [4/08], my first time back in about 15 years. We began with "Monkey Bread": basically a cinnamon roll, a rather strangely sweet appetizer that no one was thrilled with. I opted for the Dover Sole Amandine; yes, I know that this is basically a steakhouse, but my rule of thumb is to eat things that I wouldn't normally make for myself at home, and fish is one of those, whereas steak isn't. The sole was very good, simply prepared, accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes (at extra cost; baked is complimentary) and a small bowl of melted butter. It also came with an excellent house salad that you have to order without blue cheese if you hate bleu cheese as much as I do. [MER] had the herbed organic chicken, which she loved. Others had the rack of lamb, the salmon, and the sliced NY strip steak. Everyone was happy with their meals, and the service was excellent, if a bit leisurely. I would consider this a good, old-fashioned, standard restaurant; nothing exotic.

[TPr, 2/07] says: "What can you say about E.B. Green's that hasn't already been said? This still stands as Western NY's premiere place for elegant, fine dining. Walking into the restaurant on a Friday night, we were greeted by Jackie Jocko on the piano—a brilliant lounge player who has been playing for more decades than many of us have been alive. He asks about people in the bar area, finds out why they're there, and then works their name into a song while he plays his piano. What could possibly be more romantic? Expect to pay $20-$30 for a couple of drinks—but please don't complain—you're in a nice restaurant for a special occasion. There is no need to be cheap. My wife had a glass of Pino Grigio with dinner, and I had a delicious glass of single malt scotch before our meal. The ambiance and environment are worth it, and your drink will be made perfectly. After a drink, our table was ready, and the staff were prompt. I appreciate a restaurant that brings their cuts of meat to the table to show you what they look like. Their bread service was fantastic, and my water glass was never less than 1/2 full. We started the meal with pan-fried oysters. They came with a light but crisp breading and a mayonnaise-based dripping sauce. They were perfectly cooked and delicious. The oysters were definitely freshly shucked, and I would order these again. Our meals came with salads. I upgraded my salad to a Caesar, and my wife got the house salad. My Caesar was dead-on perfect. Each romaine leaf was coated with a perfect blend of cheese, lemon, and oil. My wife's house salad was superb as well—mixed greens with walnut and bleu cheese and a vinaigrette dressing. Everything was fresh and crisp. Our meals came, and the delivery was perfect. I should note that their menu is very straightforward. It lists the cuts of meat and fish that they offer, and that's it. In my opinion, that's how it should be in a fine restaurant—good food shouldn't need flowery descriptions. In any event, I went with the ribeye, and my wife got the salmon. I should note that they were out of a couple of things on the menu, but the fact that it was 8 PM and everything Green's serves is "fresh"—that is very understandable. Meals came with an enormous baked potato, and the staff brought fresh butter and sour cream for the top. My steak was perfectly cooked medium rare and was a very aggressive portion. My wife's salmon was done to perfection as well and was paired with a delicious mango salsa. We took our time, and the staff were around just enough to step in if needed, but never hovering. We would go here again and again and again."

[BMcWS, 1/07] says: "One star. This was our first trip to this well-known steak house. The squeamish among us didn't really enjoy seeing the tray of raw meat used for display purposes. A crab bisque to start with was just so-so. Others at the table enjoyed the clams casino. Salads were delicious, with the house salad truly a winner. Caeser was good, too. Filet mignon and prime rib were excellent. Potatoes accompanying them were good, as well. All other side orders are extra, and we did not partake. We did order the monkey bread and were disappointed to receive what appeared to be enough for only one person—we expected a basket. It was tasty though."

However, things may have changed in the last few years from the way they were in the last century:
[TSe, 2/04] says: "We celebrated my daughters b'day tonight @ EB Green's. The service was subpar: He forgot to bring our bottle of wine, he forgot my ice cream for dessert, and he never showed us their customary plate of steaks. I ordered the seafood & steak entrée. For $39.00, it was inferior prime rib, and the salmon was served unadorned. I cannot and will not recommend this restaurant to my friends. I find it extremely hard to believe this restaurant is rated one of the top 10 steak houses in the country. It does not get my vote."

[MEL] says:

[3/99] "I was scrolling through the site and noticed that someone said Warren's was the only place in WNY with dessert soufflés. Not so! E.B. Green's downtown also has them. I had a vanilla soufflé there a while back (that was pretty good, with a puddingish feel). They also have chocolate soufflés which I have not tried."

[10/98] "The local equivalent of Morton's (a fancy-shmancy national steakhouse) where, as in Morton's, they show you your (usually enormous) cut of meat before cooking it. Prices are enormous two ($25-$30 for most entrees) but worth it if anything is. I have been here twice in the past 2 years—once I had a filet mignon that was just OK, but the last time I had a truly delicious New York strip and a baked potato I ate for breakfast the next morning because the steak filled me up."

[3/98] "Reasonably good steakhouse, but not as good as the best national chains."

[MLS, 1/98] says: "More steak than is good for you. Priced for expense accounts."

[FAW, 9/97] says: "The steaks were excellent (I had a porterhouse), very generous in size, very good. The salad was good but not great. The bread served with the meal (like monkey bread) was only marginal. Would have preferred rolls. The dessert menu was disappointing—mostly pies, nothing chocolate, no ice cream or mousse cake, stuff like that. Turned out nobody ordered dessert (and they were really in the mood, too!) But the biggest problem was the lounge act. It started very early (8 p.m.) and was in very close proximity to the dining area. The music was extremely loud and not conducive to conversation. Suggest starting the lounge act later like 9-10 p.m. The service in general was good."

[DM, 7/95] says: "Very good steak—all the way up to the 48 oz. porterhouse!"

E-Cafe.
465 Main St. ( Lafayette Court Building, downtown), Buffalo.
852-7663.

[HPK, 3/07] says: "This is a lunch place located in the building. The food is fresh, made to order, and a great price for what they could charge. A large Greek salad is only $4. On Fridays, they have free soda. Sandwiches, according to people I work with, are also made fresh and taste terrific. What I just cannot get over are the prices. Cheap! Great value!"

Eckl's Beef & Weck Restaurant.
4936 Ellicott Rd., Orchard Park.
662-2262.

[JoKu, 3/07] says: "Eckl's had professional but stiff and rigid service. Two roast beef dinners were ordered, one medium and one medium well. Both were served bloody, bloody rare (most of the beef was served bloody rare from the open carving station, which was directly next to our table). The mixed vegetables with cheese sauce accompanied both dinners and were excellent. One dinner was accompanied by an excellent baked potato, the other by severely watered down, institutional-style, boxed potatoes. However, my son's roast beef ordered well done was extremely good, and the heaping relish tray served with dinner, while very good, seemed to go untouched on most of the tables. Suggestion: Maybe they should stop serving pickles, and start peeling potatoes. When the waittress returned, we made her aware of this, and she returned to say that they would re-prepare the beef. By that time, we had suffered our way through half of one serving, while the other remained primarily untouched. We requested to have one dinner removed from the bill. Our waittress returned and reluctantly accommodated. When leaving, I approached the owner to tell him how disappointed we were with our experience. He had an arrogant demeanor and claimed that the potatoes, while instant, were the "best on the market" and that paying someone 10 to 12 dollars an hour was a thing of the past. Don't restaurants have to reveal when using a processed or instant product?"

[a] Elmo's.
2349 Millersport Hwy., Getzville.
688-7237.

[KJR, 4/07] says: "When it comes to wing joints in the Buffalo area, every local I know has a top-five list. I was surprised to see that Elmo's hasn't had a review on this site since 1994, and since they've been on my top-five list for over a decade, I felt compelled to add an update. We had guests in from New Orleans last weekend (3/31/07) and shared 2 double orders of wings—one order hot, and one order Cajun/hot "double dipped", which is an Elmo's specialty available only by request. The wings were large, meaty, fried-to-crisp perfection, and came out steaming hot. The hot sauce has respectable heat without bringing tears to your eyes, and the Cajun/hot wings are out of this world, hitting you first with the Cayenne pepper and following up with that lingering blackened-pepper heat. Paired with a pitcher of Killian's Red or Canadian, and watching a Sabres game on one of the bar's overhead TVs, it's tough to beat this bar when the wing urge strikes."

[JB, 5/94] says: "Their Cajun wings are the best and their wings can beat Duff's any day. The prices are affordable (5 lbs. of wings (30 of 'em) cost 10 bucks). We the folks at the Computing Center demand that it be put up among the best of the Buffalo's best. You should try it, too."

Elmwood Restaurant Lounge and Bar.
Elmwood Ave. and W. Utica St. (just north of Allentown), Buffalo. 882-5881.

[MEL, 3/98] says: "Basically a bar rather than a restaurant. The food is edible but mediocre, and the service is also nothing to write home about."

[a+] Embers Grill.
2402 N. Forest Rd. (in the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center (formerly, the University Inn)), Amherst.
636-7500.

"Featuring American Regional Cuisine From The Deep South To The Far West", according to their website.

[WHN] says:

[2/08] "We had lunch at Embers Grill last Friday with another couple who frequently dine there and like it. Two of us had New England clam chowder to start, which was tasty but had more bacon than clams. My wife had broiled cod, my friend and I had beer-battered fish fries (also cod), and his wife had a chicken Caesar salad wrap. The fish itself was fine, although heavy on the batter, but the three servings of accompanying French fries were cold."

[5/07] "My wife and I went here for dinner tonight, Tuesday night, 5/1. When we arrived, there was one table occupied. We asked to sit near the fireplace, since it was a chilly night, but the (artificial) fireplace was turned off. They seated us there anyway. The decor is sort of a cross between "California modern" and sixties coffee shop. After being seated, I asked our server what Chardonnays they had by the glass. She said Aquinas and Sonoma. I said I guess we'll try the Sonoma. She said it was Gallo of Sonoma. I said "Oh, that's fine". The white, French-style bread was hot from the oven, but the corn bread was ice cold. We ordered Caesar salads. My wife ordered London broil. I ordered braised short ribs. Our waitress said she forgot to tell us they were out of short ribs and cioppino, because they are in the process of putting together a new menu. I switched to the London broil. I asked what Cabernets they had by the glass. She said something I didn't recognize and "Sauvan". I said: I never heard of either, but we'll try the Sauvan. When she came from the bar with our wine, she said: "It's Aquinas Cabernet Sauvignon; my crib notes aren't very good". The salads were good. The London broil was tough. (I believe London broil is made from a chewy cut of beef, like round steak, and needs to be marinated for a long time to tenderize. This was obviously not marinated and definitely not tender.) It was served in a salty, portobello-mushroom gravy with horseradish mashed potatoes, and spinach. One other person came into the dining room before we left, and there were three or four at the bar. It would not be our first, second, or third choice for dining. It might be our last choice."

[JTH, 3/07] says: "The former Audubon Room of the University Inn has been smartly redecorated. Its new menu maintains the previous feature of listing small and large dishes. I had the rack of lamb. The meat was of good quality and done rare as requested. It was only $26 for a full rack. My wife had a tilapia dish that was also nicely done and a bargain at $13. The service was friendly and attentive."

[PT, 2/07] says: "This recently remodeled restaurant has a much more casual look and menu than the old Audubon Room, with a lot more sandwiches and fewer dinner entrees. There is now a fireplace in the middle of the room, which gives it a warm feeling (literally) and was very nice on a bitterly cold winter night. Decent food and good service."

Emerson Commons.
70 W. Chippewa St. (downtown), Buffalo.
816-3018.

[PMR, 8/05] says: "The Emerson Commons is a cafeteria-style restaurant operated by school staff and students of Emerson High School. My husband and I had lunch there on August 3, 2005. We got there just as their lunch service was starting, and they told us they didn't have everything ready yet but if we wanted to wait we were welcome to do so. We opted to order from what they had available at the moment; I had a slice of tomato and cheddar quiche, and my husband had a slice of broccoli and cheddar quiche. The slices were very generous in size, and both were delicious, with light, flaky crusts. We both got small side salads from the self-serve salad bar; it was stocked with a good variety of fresh ingredients. We added cookies and 2 bottles of Coke to our lunch, and our bill came to $13.00 for both of us. They have a variety of specials every day, as well as 2 hot carving stations. Juice and other soft drinks are available, as well as a variety of desserts. Excellent lunch fare at very reasonable prices."

Empire Grill.
1435 Hertel Ave. (between N. Park and Norwalk), Buffalo.
446-0700.

[12/06] Given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

[KH, 5/08] says: "My Mother and I met a friend for dinner at Empire Grill on April 30th. I thought the restaurant was attractive, with big windows and a clean and comfortable feel. My Mom and I arrived first and were immediately seated and given menus. We told the waitress we were waiting for a third person to arrive, but I got a martini while we waited. It was very good. Our friend still hadn't arrived after 15 minutes, so our waitress asked if we wanted appetizers; we said that we preferred to wait and she said OK. She was very pleasant with us and did not show any annoyance that our third was still not there. After our friend arrived, our waitress quickly came over and explained the nightly specials, quoting the price after each special. I really liked that she read the prices, as at some restaurants they are really expensive; these prices were in line with the prices on the menu. The food showed up quickly and was very good. I had a portabello panini with roasted red peppers and goat cheese. It was served with very crispy fries and coleslaw and was delicious. I had to have half of my sandwich wrapped to go. My Mom raved about her pulled pork sandwich, which was also served with fries and coleslaw. She said it was very tender and perfectly cooked. Our friend ordered from the nightly specials a dish of shrimp with bacon, which she liked very much. Our waitress came over a few times to make sure everything was OK. We lingered awhile after dinner deciding whether to get dessert and wound up getting coffee with amaretto and splitting the cheese cake, which was fine. Overall we had a very pleasant time, with good food and a very friendly, attentive waitress."

[ACa, 4/08] says: "As an airline employee, I travel the world and get the chance to dine in some pretty extraordinary restaurants. On a recent trip to Buffalo, I discovered another of these: Empire Grill on Hertel Avenue! The restaurant itself is so cool looking—very modern, much like what one sees in Germany, in specific a hotel I just stayed in in Hamburg. The food was, put simply, great! I had the filet mignon with bacon port wine sauce, and it was expertly prepared and really exceptionally delicious. Service was friendly and prompt, and our needs were met before asking (i.e., another cocktail, ketchup, etc.). Just one question though: How did such a cutting-edge place end up in Buffalo, NY?!!! (Lucky you, Buffalo!) Loved Empire Grill and will be back every time I'm in town! Bravo!"

[JT, 4/08] says: "I've been here several times and never had such a horrible experience like I had this time. The service was absolutely horrible! The food was OK, but the bun on my turkey burger smelled like an ashtray (stale cigarettes). It took the server (James M.) 30 minutes to get our bread, then another hour to get our food (when people who had gotten there way after us, but had a different server, already got theirs), then he never came over to see if we liked our meal, get us ketchup, or refill our drinks. I got so fed up, I asked another waitress to get the manager and no one ever came over. After I finally saw our server watching the Sabres game at the bar, I asked yet another waiter to get us the check. We paid, left a $3 tip on $20 meal (way more than he deserved) and then wrote on the back of the check "SERVICE WAS HORRIBLE!" They didn't care anyways, because the manager never came over to our table. I wouldn't recommend going here unless you feel like serving yourself."

[LS, 1/08] says: "I visited with a group of six diners for an early brunch last Sunday, Jan. 27. I was concerned about service, but there were no problems at all. We were the only table in the sunny upper dining area—a perfect spot to begin the day. Coffee and water refills were plentiful, and we all loved our selections: French toast stuffed with peanut butter and bananas, French toast stuffed with berries, various omelets, and the standout—the breakfast burrito."

[ESe, 12/07] says: "We never got past being almost seated at the Empire Grill this past October. My friend, who is on oxygen, asked to be seated a few feet away from the crowded together main group, because he is self-conscious about having oxygen tanks with him. The hostess was very blunt and sarcastic in disallowing this. She actually was laughing when we decided to leave and go elsewhere. Very depressing, because it was not easy for him to venture out."

In the interest of fairness, here is the manager's reply to [ESe]'s review: "My name is Neil Caldiero and I am the Executive Manager of Empire Grill, Toro Tapas Bar and Faherty's. I constantly check your website for reviews of all restaurants, including ours, as your site is a useful tool to see what people have to say in regards to our venues and others. I was present when this person came in to the restaurant. They came in on a night when we were very busy and did not have a reservation. We told them there would be a short wait to get them to a table, and we would do so as quickly as possible, especially as he was on oxygen and we would not want him to be uncomfortable. They did not like this at all, and left. We were quite paced and looking at a 10-15 minute wait time when they came in. It appears this posting is a complete fabrication of events and in no way reflects what actually happened. I am asking that you please remove this from your site as it pertains no useful information to customers and is border line lible on their part. I am in no way upset with you or your website, I feel it is a very useful tool to get appropriate feedback regarding true events and I appreciate the time and effort you put into the site."

[LFo, 5/07] says: "On May 5, 2007, I went to the Empire Grill for breakfast with three family members. The waiter was very friendly, and we were seated right away. I had the French toast stuffed with peanut butter and bananas, which was absolutely delicious. They had many different types of French toast on their menu, but I would get the peanut butter and bananas again. There were two large pieces, and I could only eat one. I took the rest home, which made for a good breakfast the following morning. Everyone else I was with enjoyed their French toast and eggs benedict. It was a nice place to come on a sunny Saturday morning in Buffalo."

[HDe, 3/07] says: "I recently dined at the new Empire Grill with my friend and admit I was disappointed. To be frank, I don't get it. They spent from what I understand 1.5 million, and it looks like it indoors, yet to me the servers are second class, and the menu, food, and presentation were also second class. The appetizer list was very limited, so I passed. The wine list was OK, but very limited, certainly not going to win any Wine Spectator awards. My friend had the pork tenderloin, which was served to the perfect doneness; however, it was smothered in apples, thus almost killing the pork itself. I had the 14 oz. rib eye.—not impressed at all. It was fatty, and it came with maybe 5 asparagus stalks and a square "potato torte" of some kind. There was no presentation of any kind, and it's something I could have easily done myself. I'm actually shocked that if you're going to spend that kind of money, you need to hire professional staff, you need a great chef, a more extensive menu (way too basic), and improve on the wine list. Anyway, our server was quite stoic and only came over a few times, and overall it was a experience that was forgettable. We met the owner, who seems very nice and engaging, but I wonder if he really "gets it". I honestly can't see the place surviving unless it improves. When you have restaurants like Fiamma or Lombardo's, that's a hard act to follow, and Empire falls way short."

[AFN, 1/07] says: "Some friends and I met for dinner at Empire Grill on Tuesday, 1/23/07. One of my friends and I decided to share two entrees—crab cakes and garlic shrimp. A choice of two side dishes comes with each entree. I chose grilled asparagus and potatoes au gratin made with asiago cheese. Both main courses and the sides were delicious. Another friend ordered a vegetarian dish of eggplant and other veggies, which she enjoyed. The others had seafood—either shrimp or salmon—which they also enjoyed. Good food and good service."

[SE, 12/06] says: "Yesterday, I had lunch plans and was very excited to try the Empire Grill for the first time. I live in North Buffalo and always try all of the local restaurants, because I believe in supporting my neighborhood, and, to be honest, the food on Hertel is great, and there is nowhere better in the city to eat. That being said, I went with a friend to Empire yesterday at 2 P.M. to enjoy lunch. Now, Empire Grill has been billed as a diner, and, to me, a diner is a place that is open many hours of the day. When we walked into the restaurant, I asked for a table for 2 and was told that, unfortunately, they wouldn't be serving lunch until 2:30. I was shocked by this, to say the least, and what surprised me even more was the fact that the hostess didn't even offer us a seat at the bar to wait for a table. Needless to say, we walked out and went to another restaurant in the neighborhood, The Wellington Pub, which was more than happy to have our business. At the Wellington Pub, a woman walked up to me and asked if I just left the Empire Grill; I said I did, and she said she left there as well as 2 other people after her. I must say, what a sad thing for Empire Grill to be basically turning away customers at 2 P.M. on a Sunday afternoon. I'm still interested in trying the restaurant, but who knows what's going to happen once I get there; will I be turned away again because I show up at another "odd" dining hour? Empire should take a lesson from the other restaurants on the block."

[CSF, 12/06] says: "A friend and I made plans to try the new Empire Grill on Hertel this past Saturday night. After a quick review of your site and other sources, I was seeing similar trends in terms of food quality and service—trends that left me discontented, but anxious to see if they had gotten over their opening jitters. What a positive surprise the restaurant was. Upon entering at around 7:00, we were politely informed that there would be a 20-minute wait for a table, and took up residence watching the Sabres game from the bar. Less than 10 minutes later, we were seated. Water glasses were promptly filled, and, before I had a chance to delve into the menu, our waitress stopped by to see how we were and explain the menu. She stopped back again a short time later to take our orders and apologize for the bread not being ready. Within 10 minutes, we had bread, and 10 minutes following that we had our dinners: mine—the salmon with teriyaki glaze, and my companion's—a dinner salad with shrimp and peanuts. She raved about her salad (but honestly, it's salad; it shouldn't be that hard to begin with!), my salmon was perfectly grilled with a delicious glaze of just the right proportion, the asparagus was tender, and the potato side was delicious! The moral of the story here: The Empire grill seems to have settled out of its freshman funk and into the Hertel groove. The service was top notch, the food was excellent, and the atmosphere was great. I look forward to stopping back soon to check out the breakfast side of things as well as to further my exploration of their dinner menu!"

[JCr, 11/06] says: "Opening night, I stopped in to the new addition to my neighborhood to see what this new restaurant was all about. The menu for this restaurant is fairly large and covers many different tastes. Consisting of over a dozen different burgers and sandwiches, another dozen or so entrees, and a great selection of appetizers, I had a tough selection in front of me. I chose to try the Tangerine Pulled Pork sandwich served with fries and coleslaw and an order of their Spicy Wontons. The pulled pork sandwich was very good, it had a good sweet bbq flavor, but I had hoped for a bit more citrus flavor with the tangerine in the sauce to give this a new profile. The Spicy Wontons were great, and I expect them to be a big hit there. A new spin on the token Chinese take-out Crab Rangoon, these crispy wontons are stuffed with cream cheese, chicken, and jalepeno and sit in a chili-lime oil. As far as price and service went, I think the pricing is right on the mark with what you get, and although the service was slow, the place just opened, and, once the new servers and cooks all get settled in, there shouldn't be any issues there. Empire Grill has found a nice little niche, better food with a bit higher costs than the Kosta's-type establishment, but not as elegant and less costly than a pure fine dining restaurant. All in all a great new addition to the area and a very nice complement to a few of the more "fine dining" establishments, such as Lombardo's, Fiamma, North End, La Marina...."

[IE, 10/06] says: "I went to the restaurant one week after it had opened. You would think they would try a bit harder to impress customers. I ordered the full rack of baby back ribs with two sides (which as it says on the menu come free with the entree), macaroni/cheese, and a house salad. The macaroni and cheese were cold, all compressed into a rectangular shape as if someone dumped it out of a box. The ribs were hard to tear apart. Waiter dropped a quarter of the ribs, which I wanted boxed; that was fine, no problem I told him. Didn't offer a discount for the mishap and then charged me extra for the side salad, which, according to the menu, comes with the entree. Waiter said that it had slipped his mind to tell me that for some reason that particular salad (even though it is listed under SIDES) is not free. Overall, it is a bit more expensive than your average restaurant, and you get less for your money. Food was cold and hard, taste was so-so, and so was the service. Might give it another try, but overall not a good first experience."

Escabeche.
6 Picton St. (in the Prince of Wales Hotel), Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. 888-669-5566.

French.

Given 4 (out of 5) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

[WHN, 11/06] says: "My wife and I had dinner at Escabeche over the holiday weekend. The food, service, and ambiance were really first class. As you would expect in NOTL, they have a wide selection of Niagara Peninsula wines, but they also have a very lengthy wine list with hundreds of imports from the US, France, Italy, Australia, etc. Before dinner, we each had a glass of Henry of Pelham Chardonnay. To start, my wife had a mixed green salad with bleu cheese and assorted fruits and nuts. I had Quebec foie gras. I had a glass of Konzelmann Estate Late Harvest Gewurtztraminer with the foie gras. For the main course, I had one of the evening specials—a veal chop in a cabernet wine sauce. My wife had rack of lamb. Both entrees were cooked perfectly, and the accompaniments, which I won't attempt to detail, were very flavorful. With the main courses, we had a bottle of Burrowing Owl Cabernet Sauvignon from British Columbia. We finished with a platter of assorted Canadian cheeses, and a glass of Inniskillin Vidal Ice Wine. (We were staying at the Prince of Wales, so we didn't have to drive.) In addition to the à la carte menu, they also offer a five- or seven-course "Chef's Choice" tasting menu, which, like several restaurants we've dined at in Montreal and Quebec City, is not revealed until each course is served. We asked if they would accommodate special requests—for example, my wife will not eat raw fish—and our server said yes, they would. Maybe next time. We also had an excellent English breakfast the next morning."

Europa Bistro.
464 Elmwood Ave. (at Hodge, just north of Allentown), Buffalo.
884-1100.

[BL, 1/07] says: "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] says: "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."