Bill Rapaport's Buffalo Restaurant Guide

Alphabetical Listing of Restaurants: H

Bob and John's La Hacienda (Buffalo)
La Hacienda (Niagara Falls)
Happy Jack's Restaurant
The Hatch
Hayes Fish Co.
Hemingway's
Hideaway Grille
Hillebrand's Vineyard Café
Hillview
Hirsch's
[m] Hoagie Brothers Giant Subs
Hong Kong Buffet
[a] Houlihan's
HSBC Cafeteria
Hutch's

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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La Hacienda.
1545 Hertel Ave., Buffalo. 836-5411.

See Bob & John's La Hacienda.

La Hacienda.
3019 Pine Ave. (at 31st St.), Niagara Falls.
285-7227.

[4/07] Listed as one of Buffalo's "27 Best Restaurants" by Buffalo Spree magazine.

[RV, 7/06] says: "I really didn't know how to contact anybody to tell them how much I miss WNY food, especially, pizza. My wife and I moved to Ft. Myers, Florida, three years ago and are going back to Niagara Falls for the first time since moving, and we really miss the pizza, wings, and subs. You have the LaHacienda on your list in Niagara Falls, and I can't wait to get there and eat any of their food, especially the pizza."

[AJB, 8/02] says: "Looks can be deceiving. This sit-down pizza & pasta place with a nondescript exterior and a Spanish name is good for a couple of reasons. First: Since moving to Buffalo from Southern NY via Boston, I have found that a sweet tomato sauce that is strained & processed of any resemblance to tomatoes is almost de rigeur throughout WNY Italian restaurants. La Hacienda uses a sauce that tastes homemade and boasts actual chunks of tomato. Very good. Secondly: It makes a simple thin-crust pizza that tastes excellent and is not too greasy. In fact, I don't know what they bake it in, but it closely rivals the brick-oven pizza at Carmine's on Transit. The owner (Aldo) is very friendly."

Happy Jack's Restaurant.
98 Niagara Blvd., Ft. Erie, ON, CANADA.
905-871-3970.

Chinese.

[JRM, 11/07] says: "This is my absolute favorite Chinese restaurant. The egg rolls (filled with sprouts instead of cabbage) and won ton soup (which uses a light and delicious rice noodle) are superb and unparalleled, in my opinion. The sweet and sour chicken, sizzling chicken and shrimp war bar, and Cantonese chow main are among my favorite dishes. I can't believe that this has not been added to your website, because it has been around for many years, and, in fact, my grandmother used to dine here as a young woman. The decor is somewhat dated, with golden dragons and other traditional Chinese scenes on the walls, and there is a small fish pond that I recall throwing pennies into as a child. In the summer, there is a lovely patio in the back that overlooks the river. Many people say that Ming Teh is the best Chinese restaurant (which is down the road), but I don't think that those people have been to Happy Jack's."

Harbour Inn.
35 Melville St., Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. 905-468-3881.

Excellent seafood.

Harry's Harbour Place Grille.
2192 Niagara St., Buffalo.
874-5400.

Wide selection of steaks, chicken, and seafood, in a gorgeous setting overlooking the Niagara River. I finally ate here for the first time [4/03] with a visiting speaker to the UB CSE department, and had a wonderful meal: mixed salad with a tangy tomato-basil vinaigrette dressing, and cioppino (like a bouillabaise), which was a bit on the salty side, but otherwise quite good. For dessert, a large slice of a Dutch apple pie à la mode.

But something must have happened; read on...

Once given 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer, but [8/07] demoted to 2½ (out of 4) stars.

[BM] says:

[6/04] "A supplement to my previous review: Harry's Harbour Place Grille appears to have become disconnected with their clientele (and reality). My wife just received in the mail (June) a $10 gift certificate from Harry's. You'd think that'd be appreciated, except the coupon is good only from January to April. In other words, you have to hold onto the damn piece of paper until next year to use."

[4/04] "Terribly overrated restaurant. I've been a "local" since moving to Buffalo 33 years ago and have never had service so bad. I am embarrassed to have chosen it. Just before going there, I spoke to my hairdresser, who had just gone the week before. She and her husband dined with another couple and had gone with hopeful expectations. Their waiter introduced himself and made a joke about his name. The service was almost nonexistent; then their waiter disappeared for 10-15 minutes at a time. The drinks were slow in coming, but the waiter kept disappearing for 10-15 minutes at a time. After the food was served (which was good), the waiter again disappeared and ignored following up during the meal. He only reappeared when the check (and coffee) was long overdue. So, when I arrived at Harry's, and a waiter (a young man of ~30) made a joke of his name, then vanished, I had a bad feeling of déja vu. I mentioned my hairdresser's comments to my dining friends, and we waited for his return, but it was long (10 minutes or more) in coming. Terrible service from drinks on. It took almost 2-1/2 hours for lunch. I complained to the manager, who did nothing. And no apology. To top off matters, when it came time to pay the bill, the cashier dropped my credit card between the cash register and the built-in counter, which took almost 10 minutes to retrieve."

[ME, 2/04] says: "We just ate dinner at Harry's Harbour Place. Should not have gone on Valentine's Day. Service poor (not waitress's fault). Brought wrong dinner twice, and, when the correct one arrived, it was lukewarm and tasteless (filet mignon). My wife's seafood platter was worse; scallops tasted off. These are the highlights, I could go on, but why?"

The Hatch Restaurant.
329 Erie St. (1 Erie Basin Marina), Buffalo.
851-6501.

[AFN, 5/06] says: "The Hatch is not exactly a fast-food restaurant and definitely not gourmet dining. You order at the counter and, when your name is called, eat at one of the picnic tables surrounding the building or along the marina's walkway. The menu offers hot dogs, hamburgers, fried bologna, sausage sandwiches, and the like. I found their grilled chicken sandwich to be very good. At lunch time on a recent Tuesday, the line was very long on the lake side, but we discovered another line on the other side that was virtually empty, and we ordered and received our food very quickly. The view is beautiful, with the Buffalo Lighthouse near by, boats on the lake, and the sunshine reflecting on the water. Too bad, with miles and miles of waterfront, that there aren't more restaurants of various calibers with a water view, and outside dining on the lake or river."

Hayes Fish Co..
8900 Main St. (at Shimerville Rd., between Harris Hill Rd. and Sheridan Dr.), Clarence.
632-1772.

[MZ, 12/07] says: "Here's another new Buffalo dining experience (for me) that I'd like to rave about: Hayes, thanks to finding it on your website. Thaaannnnkkk youuuu! In the ongoing search for the best fish fry in the Buffalo area, we tried the Hayes Fish Co. sitdown location on Main St. in Clarence on 12/20/07. I think we have the winner here. Fried haddock was perhaps the only occasion/location when the batter was so light, the oil used in cooking, and the fish itself, so fresh that you could actually taste each element separately and still catch the note of the ocean. Know how in many/most places you can peel off the batter to get to opaque white fish flakes inside? How the fish smells and tastes not of ocean but of "fish"? Not here: maybe it's best said the fish is dusted, and, because not encased, is translucent. Pretty amazing. I love fried (Ipswich) clams, with their fat, creamy bellies. Here, the gentleman who seated us, when asked about their (generic) fried clams, automatically advised that they "didn't have New England clams that night". Now, that's a guy who knows his clams, and, unprompted, understands that one point of origin for them isn't the same as another. I was impressed. I tried their "other" fried clams anyway, and they were pretty good if you're fried-clam starved, which is easy to be outside of the New England shore. (A memorial nod is in order to Howard Johnson's notorious, midcentury fried clam sandwich...ugh. Fried rubberbands.) Cole slaw at Hayes was fresh and excellent; mayonnaise-based potato salad was fine, if forgettable. (In Buffalo, German-style would be good with fish, as you can get in some places.) I'd recommend to them that they find a better source for the rolls they serve with their dinners—these were pretty anemic, although they taste better than they look, and a good warm Parker House roll would do much to carry forward the New England fish shack atmosphere of the place. (Not that you need bread, with their excellent portion sizes.) Overall, the atmosphere is very casual but nice—a contemporized cross between the venerable shackhouse style and a modern loft. Checkered floor, checkered tablecloths, very high ceilings, aluminum accents, paned windows. You order and pay at the counter, and they give you a beeper when you food is ready to pick up—in the old days north of Boston, MA, they yelled out your number—only difference. Service time is very fast, so there's no complaint there, and I found the paper tabletop/plastic basket service practical, nostalgic, and sweet. So, apparently, did the lively brace of customers, ranging from lots of octogenarians to early and middle-aged couples to families. Hipsters were, not surprisingly, absent. (They'll come around in ten years or so when they find their real selves.) I believe that in the warm summer months they have outdoor seating, which would also be nice, since they're located on Main Street past the heavy traffic area, and set back sufficiently. Longneck beer and wine by the bottle both small- and fullsized is available, as is the standard mix of non-alcohol. Speaking of traffic, for those of you who traffic in fresh seafood for home prep (see below also for takeout), theirs is a handsome collection both at the Clarence and Kenmore locations I visited. You can tell from the surface of the fish that it is sine qua non fresh. (When I lived in NYC, one of my best friends had a venerable family fish stand in the old Fulton Fish Market, where he'd ship daily from around the world to the Hayes's of the world; this is the same highest standard of quality.) I went to the Delaware Avenue location to get some ingredients for Christmas Eve dinner, and was not disappointed. Homemade lobster bisque was superb, and clearly popular: I got the last pint at 10:30 AM. It was noted that you can call in and order ahead both raw and prepared fish for pickup; for walk-in and carryout purchase, they had more than enough boiled shrimp available in various sizes; giant, lightly breaded and fried ocean scallops that looked plump and tender. Prepared haddock was also available, as was their complement of slaw, tartar sauce, various bottled hot and cocktail sauces, and "heritage" seafood spices like Old Bay, Zatarain's, and Tony Chicheres. There are three or four cafe tables tucked under the front window in the Delaware Ave. location if you wanted to nibble on some prepared fish or chowder; might be a nice local lunch spot for nearby office workers under the glow of the fluorescents. Low on ambience, unless you like that brightly-lit fishstand look, but I bet it would be mighty good. Bottom line, you're eliminating one middleman when you go to Hayes, dine in or carryout, so the fish could be anywhere from hours to days fresher. Which, to a fish lover, is one step closer to catching it yourself."

[WHN, 3/06] says: "Excellent fish fries (haddock or perch), and combos with scallops and shrimp. This location has a sit-down restaurant. Others, in Kenmore and Snyder, are take-out only. All three sell fresh (that is, uncooked) seafood, too."

Hemingway's.
492 Pearl St. (downtown), Buffalo. 852-1937.

[J&AD, 1993] say: "Standard American food at this bar and restaurant. Check to see if jazz is offered for the night you want to go."

Hideaway Grille.
399 Division St. (between E. Schenck St. and E. Robinson St.), North Tonawanda.
694-2710.

[AU, 2/08] says: "Very Positive. I was there recently with a friend of mine, and we both had a wonderful time. She had one of the rib combos, and I had a nightly special pasta dish, chorizo with penne. Both dishes were excellent. The ribs fell off the bone and are some of the best I have tasted. My pasta dish was spicy and tasted wonderful. Both of us brought half of our dinner home. We did have one mishap when the waitress brought out the wrong pasta dish to me. When I pointed out the error, she immediately took it back and had the kitchen rush out the correct order to me. It took almost no time and was handled very professionally. She offered to take something off the bill, but since we had such a great experience that night I declined her offer. I highly recommend this place; I know I will be going back again. One tip is to make reservations. I went on a Thursday night, and the place was packed."

[JDe, 6/06] says: "My wife, mother-in-law, and I, along with my 8-yr-old son and 7-month-old daughter ate there this past Wednesday (6/21). I appreciated that Hideaway Grille took reservations, even for a small party. Don't let that scare you off. The prices were moderate, and the atmosphere was cozy and quiet. The owner and staff even seemed to appreciate the children and were very friendly toward them. The tables were nice and sturdy, and the colors were warm and inviting. We started with stuffed mushroom caps and stuffed banana peppers. The mushrooms were baby bella nd were stuffed with spinach, garlic, and cheese; nice size, 6 to an order, and very good. We received 2 stuffed banana peppers, each cut in half; the stuffing was delicious, with Italian sausage, spinach, red pepper, breadcrumbs, and cheese. All entrees were generous in proportion and delicious. We had the sea scallops, tender and fresh; chicken parm, crispy out and juicy inside with a nice side of spaghetti; Porterhouse Special, very good. It was a large, 20 oz. steak topped with mushrooms and onions, cooked to perfection, more than enough for lunch the next day. My son had the chicken wings: very good flavor and some of the largest Buffalo wings I have seen. It really looked like they took the wings off a roasting chicken. The meal was rounded off with very good bread and fresh green salad. My wife and daughter thought the homemade vegetable soup was very good. Did not have room for dessert, but they looked great, and we will be going back for some drinks and dessert later this week."

[RA, 11/05] says: "Positive Review: I check this website often to get ideas for new restaurants to try in WNY. My wife and I made our second visit there this week, and we left completely satisfied for the second time. Some of the things we've tried are: Cherry Cordial Martini, Gorgonzola and Sausage Stuffed Peppers, NY Strip Steak and Sautéed Asparagus, Bass Fish Special over a Cream Sauce with Mashed Potatoes, Coconut Cream Pie, Tiramisu. Other menu items include: Ed's Famous BBQ Ribs, many other Steak, Chicken, and Seafood dishes. Also available are daily specials not on the menu. I could go on, but the bottom line is a great restaurant with great food, staff, atmosphere, and an irresistible dessert tray. Well worth the time to find this "Hidden" Treasure."

Hillebrand's Vineyard Café.
Highway 55, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada.
800-582-8412.

Continental.

[10/07] Rank changed from 4½ (out of 5) stars to 3½ (out of 4) stars by Janice Okun, Buffalo News restaurant reviewer.

[DwH, 3/07] says: "Travelling to Buffalo almost weekly since February and wanted to pass along some impressions: Hillenbrand Vineyard Cafe is a transcendent dining experience. Full moon rising over the vineyards in early autumn as the first harvest was getting started. Took the prix fixe, local ingredients, tasting menu with wine pairings. Can't recall the dishes specifically but simply a breathtaking evening with a great friend—an epic dining experience. Staff is a bit "stiff" per some of the comments from other reviewers but possibly because they take waiting seriously as in Europe. The wine pairings were very good. The food was carefully prepared and throughtfully sequenced combinations that worked so well that you could not help getting antsy to get to the next course."

[AFN, 7/06] says: "My daughter, 11-year old grandson, and I had lunch at Hillebrand on Friday, 7/7. My daughter ordered one of the daily specials, whitefish served over pasta with peas and asparagus. My grandson ordered another special, lake trout, served with fava beans, potatoes, and a small salad. I ordered breast of capon with fingerling potatoes, goat cheese, and asparagus. When the food arrived, the accompaniments for the two fish dishes had been reversed, and my daughter was served the trout over the pasta, and my grandson was served whitefish with fava beans, etc. My daughter pointed this out to the server, who went to "check with the chef", then came back to report that what looked like a trout filet was indeed whitefish and what looked like whitefish was in fact trout. Undeterred, they switched dishes, so they had the correct fish with the incorrect accompaniments. Since both the seafood dishes and my capon were delicious, it was not a major problem, but the arrogance of the chef/kitchen staff, who simply could not admit they made a mistake, was irritating, or perhaps they really don't know a trout from a whitefish."

[MRT, 9/04] says: "Extraordinary, extraordinary, extraordinary. We enjoyed dinner at the Hillebrand's Vineyard Cafe, Saturday, September 27, 2004. When we first sat down, we all enjoyed a glass of brut champagne--a wine they featured--to begin. For appetizers, my husband ordered a potato vegetable puree. Our friend ordered In House Smoked Salmon, Riesling Dijon dill cream, focaccia toast, and frise. I ordered Tomato Mascarpone and Basil Tart, aged Venturi Schulze balsamic vinegar, and pinenut raising salad. We ordered a bottle of Trius 1989 Cabernet. Our friend said I chose the best appetizer, but all were wonderful. The brought us an assortment of three different breads, as well as olive oil and butter. All three of us ordered the Cumbrae Farms AAA Organic Beef Tenderloin roasted onion mashed potato, King Erengii mushrooms, Cabernet plum compote--$38. I ordered mine rare; they ordered theirs medium rare. We were not given steak knives. They were not needed. :-) I must say that the view is beautiful, looking onto the lake. After dinner, we ordered a cheese trio: Toscaro, Pied de Vent, and Maple Dale 6 year old cheddar, while we finished our wine. The cheese came with fruit, including grapes that go wonderfully with cheese, as well as a delicious fruit compote. For dessert, my husband and I ordered Bittersweet Chocolate Raspberry Torte, salted caramel center and minted creme anglaise; our friend ordered C'est Bon Cheesecake, lavender honey, and bumbleberry cream. I cannot speak highly enough about this restaurant. Our final bill for 3 was $243 Canadian." And more recently [2/05], she adds: "This is a splendid restaurant. My husband and I enjoyed dinner at Hillebrand's, Saturday, February 12. When we first sat down, we each enjoyed a glass of their brut champagne. Our server brought us bread and butter and oil. We also each began with a delicious carrot soup. I also enjoyed a small salad of baby arugula and grana cheese balsamic vinegar, charred onions, and toasted heartnuts. My husband ordered the Tour of Niagara: rack of lamb with candied beets and fois gras, salmon on top of carrots, and pork tenderloin on top of sweet potatoes. His dish included 3 small glasses of cabernet, merlot, and chardonay to accompany the lamb, pork tenderloin, and salmon. I ordered their beef tenderloin, which was placed on top of a delicious cornbread and blue cheese bread pudding, with roasted mushrooms and a cabernet herb reduction. I ordered a glass of cabernet with my entree. We finally arrived at our favorite cheeses: Pied de Vent, Chevre Noir, and their Mapledale 6 year old cheddar. For dessert, my husband ordered fleur de cao souffle cake with icewine ganache centre acreme fraiche drizzle. I ordered their four flavoured creme brulee taster. The coffee flavored creme brulee was my favorite. Chocolate truffles [ended] the meal. Our final bill with tip for the two for this wonderful meal was $250 Canadian."

[AJB, 12/02] says: "We had an amazing dinner at the Hillebrand Vineyard Café yesterday. The quality of the food and service rival anything New York, Boston, or Toronto have to offer. To start, I had mussels with veggies and phyllo dough in an incredible red curry sauce. I chose a porkloin stuffed with wild rice on a bed of grilled vegetables in a sweet & sour, almost Chinese-inspired sauce. Of course, they have a huge selection of wines, and each menu item is followed by a wine suggestion. The wines are not marked up 100% as at other restaurants, but instead are very reasonably and fairly priced. The décor is very tasteful and elegant without being too stuffy & formal. This really is a top special-event restaurant and highly recommended. In fact, we made reservations for later in the week so other family members can experience it."

[PD, 9/98] says that the UB "News Services, where facts, food, and the narrative are gods, voted the best restaurant that ever lived award to Hillebrand Vineyard Café in Niagara-on-the-Lake. You can get there most efficiently on the QEW. The best. Do it. It's a little expensive ($50 American per, including an appetizer, champagne, and dessert), but it has ... this tiger shrimp thing..."

Hillview Restaurant.
6135 Transit Rd., Depew.
684-6820.

[BL, 6/07] says: "American, Greek food; reasonable price...$20-25 for 2. Good all-round menu, decent surroundings. Service is solid. Note the one head waitress (reddish hair) who runs a tight ship and trains a good staff. We have seen her there over the years, and she is one of the reasons we go there. We know the service will be consistent as well as the food. One of the Views restaurants. Open 24 hours. One of those places you just keep on your list of everyday restaurants."

Hirsch's Restaurant.
8445 Main St., Williamsville.
634-7148.

[MER], my father, and I ate here for lunch [10/98]. I would definitely agree with [AN], below (except for the comment about the Eagle House, which I'm not overly fond of). I had a pasta aglio e olio, which came with broccoli; it was tasty, but not nearly as good as the similar dish available at the Tiffin Room; in fact, it was quite thick and sticky ("glocky" is the term that comes to mind, if anyone knows what that means). However, [MER] and my father had the chicken barley soup, which they both thought was delicious. [MER] had a turkey club and thought that the bacon on it made it taste better than any other she had had. My father also liked his mozzarella burger. The service was extremely slow (it was lunchtime, but there were several empty tables, so that's no excuse).

[JSc, 5/08] says: "After a lackluster dinner at Old Red Mill Inn last week (see review), Hirsch's Restaurant was visited for dinner on Sunday. Hirsch's is just a stone's throw from Old Red Mill, and we were hoping for a different result. We got it. There were six of us in our party, which had reservations at 5 pm. We were surprised how many people were there on a Sunday night!! It was filled up, and for good reason. Hirsch's has a $9.99 dinner special on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Wednesday is Roast Pork Special, Thursday is BBQ Ribs (half rack), and Sunday is the Prime Rib Special. Three of our party ordered the Prime Rib Special, and the other three ordered ribs. The Prime Rib Special includes salad or soup (choice), entree with your choice of starch, veggie, and a desert !! The prime rib that is served is big. All three, including my wife, enjoyed their dinner. It came as ordered, and hot! The ribs that the other three ordered, including myself, were excellent. All the food came hot, and it appeared right off the grill. Service was timely, meaning drinks were served, and bread followed right after. Then salads and soup, and shortly after the main entrees. For a busy Sunday night, which I'm told is always like this for the Prime Rib Special. My wife and I had gone to Hirsch's on a Thursday night for the BBQ Rib Special and knew the ribs were up there with the best in the area. Total price for 6 dinners (3 specials), drinks before, coffees, desert including 20% tip was $129!!! Compared to Old Red Mill a week ago for four people came to $196!!! Almost $70 cheaper, 2 more people, and better service and hot food. Hirsch's also has an All You Can Eat Crab for $24.99 on Tuesday nites, fish fry on Friday (early-bird special 4-6 pm) and Saturday: Surf and Turf special for $19.99. (Closed on Mondays.) We will be returning soon!!"

[AN, 4/97] says: "Pretty basic American food, nothing special, plasticy interior (Eagle House in Williamsville is similar but good food and cosy ambience)."

[m] Hoagie Brothers Giant Subs.
3094 Main St., Buffalo. 834-3440.

Also other locations. Part of a (local?) chain.

[LIN, 4/96] says: "Cheap, but quite good, subs."

Hong Kong Buffet.
5887 S. Transit Rd., Lockport
439-9360.

[AG, 3/05] says: "Pound for pound, one of the cheapest restaurants around ($4.99 and down for lunch, depending on age; children 2 and under, free). But you get what you pay for: standard Chinese buffet fare. If you're not picky, you'll find something you like; the red Hunan pork and General Tso's chicken are both average, but sweet enough to make your teeth hurt. Dumplings and chicken dishes can be decent."

[a] Houlihan's.
1340 Millersport Hwy. (in the Buffalo Niagara Marriott), Amherst.
689-6900.

Part of the chain.

[ABi, 11/06] says: "Think a fancier Applebee's, and you have Houlihan's: Instead of framed sports jerseys and misplaced road signs, the latter's most prominent decorations are reproductions of lots-of-primary-colors French wine ads. My first lunch there indicates the food is a little better than the average box chain, too. I ordered the French dip and was rewarded with a richly savory portion of sliced beef excellently complimented with full-flavored au jus that was hearty enough to be served on its own as a soup; I restrained myself from rudely slurping up what was left after my sandwich was done, but just barely. The girlfriend got a stuffed chicken breast, and both parts of the name were delicious. The densely tender protein portion was butterflied and filled with a vividly creamy cheese mixture, and the package was enveloped by a crunchy, flaky breading that, paired with the oozy middle, contributed to an excellent textural balance. Our waiter was accommodating and courteous to the point of being charismatic, adding to my impression that Houlihan's would be a fine choice for the UB crowd as well as those in the Northtowns desiring a slightly more elegant version of the chain experience."

HSBC Cafeteria.
1 Marine Midland (HSBC?) Center (in the HSBC, formerly Marine Midland, Building at the foot of Main St., downtown), Buffalo.

[MEL, 8/99] says: "The HSBC cafeteria is on the ground floor of the HSBC building. It is the only downtown cafeteria as far as I know. You can get one of two hot entrees (OK, but often too fatty for me; about half the days both are from the heart-unhealthy Unholy Trinity of red meat, fried foods, and/or cheese), plus there is a salad bar (OK as these things go), cold sandwich area (fairly good), and a grill area (not bad but marred by long lines). It is also open for breakfast."

Hutch's.
1375 Delaware Ave. (south of Delaware Park), Buffalo. 885-0074.

Bistro originally run by former chef at Oliver's.

[5/04] and [7/07] 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.

[WHN] says:

[3/08] "My sister-in-law and her husband took us to Hutch's to celebrate my wife's birthday on 3/13/08. To start, my wife had an excellent shrimp and lobster bisque, which she said had a touch of sherry, as seafood bisques should. My sister-in-law and I had delicious panko bread-crumb-coated fried oysters with a mildly spicy remoulade sauce. My brother-in-law had pablano peppers wrapped in bread, baked, and filled with cheese, over salsa verde. He said they were excellent as well. For the main course, three of us had grilled lamb chops (two 8 oz. chops) with Gorgonzola-topped polenta and assorted winter vegetables. I've had Hutch's lamb chops several times and would say they are the best I've had in Buffalo. My brother-in-law had oriental-style striped bass, which he said was excellent also. My wife skipped dessert, but I had creme brulee, my sister-in-law had an apple-filled cake, and my brother-in-law had fresh fruit in a pastry shell with whipped cream. All were delicious. Excellent service, too, as always at Hutch's."

[12/07] "For our first visit to Hutch's in about two years, on Friday night, 12/28, my wife and I both had excellent shrimp and lobster bisque to start. For my main course, I had one of the daily specials—sauteed striped bass, with shrimp and scallops, in a brown-butter lemon herb sauce, accompanied by mixed vegetables and roasted red potatoes. It was exquisite. My wife ordered from the regular menu—grilled shrimp over garlic and olive oil (aglio e olio) linguine with zucchini. It was also delicious. The service was, as always at Hutch's, excellent. Still one of my top five favorites in the Buffalo area."

[12/05] "We have not been to Hutch's for several years, but decided to dine here because we were invited to a holiday open house nearby. When we arrived, our table was not ready, so we went to the bar, where we each ordered a glass of wine. In about ten minutes, we were taken to our table. My wife and I both had Caesar salads and lamb chops. The Caesar salads were delicious, with a slight tang, which our personable waiter said was from a drop or two of Tabasco. The lamb chops with a cabernet demi-glace, which we've had here previously, were perfectly cooked and extremely tender. Probably the best lamb chops we've had anywhere. The accompanying polenta flavored with bleu cheese was wonderful, too, as were the grilled vegetables that came with the meal. Hutch's remains one of our top three favorite restaurants in the city.'

[DwH, 3/07] says: "Travelling to Buffalo almost weekly since February and wanted to pass along some impressions: Hutch's has some of the finest food ever—and I am a veteran of the Chicago and New York City restaurant scene. I dream about the halibut special and the beet salad when I am away from Buffalo. The bar is the place to eat—great service (Brad is a top-notch guy and barkeep—go, Longhorns!). Staff is young and chipper and usually pretty attentive. Never a weak or mediocre bite of food, and I go there nearly weekly."

[GMK, 1/07] says: "Hutch's has been one of our favorite nights out for years. When we had our baby, we expected our dinners there to diminsh to next to none. Nope. The staff is helpful and friendly and willing to trade parenting stories and rush you out the door when your baby needs to go. It's a relief to know that we can still eat there! I know this has nothing to do with the food, per se, but it is so nice to not be forced into only going to 'family restaurants', as nice as some of them may be."

[MRT] says:

[10/05] "We enjoyed dinner at Hutch's last Saturday, 10/1/05, with a friend of ours who had never been to Hutch's before. Both men began with the lobster and shrimp soup, which they pronounced as excellent; I began with a salad. Our friend also ordered a stuffed pepper as an appetizer. All three of us ordered the filet mignon. Hutch's has the best filet mignon in Buffalo. The filet is accompanied by a marvelous sauce, as well as delicious smashed potatoes and other wonderful vegetables. We ordered one bottle of wine, and all three of us ordered dessert. Our friend ordered crême brulé, which he loved. My husband ordered a chocolate dessert; he loves chocolate. I greatly enjoyed my slice of pear and blueberry pie; it was delicious. Our final bill was around $200. It is my favorite restaurant in the city of Buffalo."

[11/02] "Hutch's is one of our very favorite restaurants in this town. In all honesty, it is really an excellent neighborhood restaurant. We wish Hutch's was in our neighborhood. I phoned around 6:00PM Sunday for reservations that night, and we were able to get in at 8:00PM. When you first sit down, delicious bread is brought to you, with delicious olive oil. The one down side to the restaurant is that it is very noisy. Reservations at 8:00PM is a very good time, because most people are leaving, and the restaurant becomes quieter. My husband began with an excellent lentil soup with duck. I ordered the eggplant Napoleon, from which they graciously removed the ham. It was expertly prepared. We both ordered tenderloin for our entree. It is good sized, and very delicous. Accompanying the tenderloin are delicous mashed potatatoes, snow peas, and red and orange peppers. I ordered their apple crumb cake for dessert, my husband their pumpkin pie, which were both delicious. We order one bottle of reasonably priced cabernet. The final bill was $144.00, which is not cheap, but that's what you pay for good honest food with excellent service."

[HPK, 12/03] says: "After five years of living in WNY, I finally made it to Hutch's. The food here is of a quality that is above most other restaurants in the area. It is on the expensive side; for four people the cost was around $200, but you get the quality and the quantity of food you would expect. We had a mixture of foods from raw oysters to steak. I personally had the tuna, which was seared to perfection. They were even willing to cook the tuna more medium for one in our party; many restaurants will not do that. We are big water drinkers, and our glasses were filled and refilled always, a plus in my book. A great atmosphere, and I would suggest this for all."

[ALS, 6/98] said: "Hutch's is another very good bistro, with a mix of casual to elegant cuisine."

[MEL, 2 & 3/98] says: "The best of the fancy restaurants I've been to. I had a very good spicy pasta and better than average grilled chicken. Also, Hutch's has a small-portions/sandwich menu, so that, in addition to getting the traditional super expensive meal, you can get a cheap meal, or an expensive meal made up of small portions of two or three different entrees."

[MLS, 1/98] says: "Consistently good."

But [NU, 2/97] says: "Wanted to alert you and your readers to some unfortunate experiences my husband and I recently had at Hutch's. First, let me say we had been eating there once a week for months and found the food exciting, fresh, varied, and consistently good. The service was also usually friendly and nice. A few weeks go we were particularly famished and asked our waitress if she would just split a bowl of soup into two cups to slake our hunger before we even ordered. She brought the soup, and the rest of the meal was as good as usual; however, when we got the bill we were charged $3—each (normally, big bowl is $3.25). When we asked why we were charged so much, the waitress simply said, `That's what Hutch told me to charge.' Okay, so every place has its lapses.... The next week, we were there with a couple of friends. We brought a bottle of wine from our cellar, something we had been doing there for ages. They would charge us $8—corkage, which was OK. This time, when we got the bill, he charged us $15! My husband went back to the kitchen to speak with him, and he nastily said he didn't want people bringing wine any more. Fine, but let us know in advance; don't just switch the policy without saying anything. Even though we had almost always enjoyed our experiences there, we vowed not to go back."

[JCM, 8/96] says: "Excellent food and service. Various dishes ranging from Italian pasta dishes, to fish, meat, and poultry, all prepared very well. Higher prices than normal for Buffalo ($15-$20 per plate) but worth it for a good occasion."

[PJE, 5/95] says: "Pretty good."