Bill Rapaport's Buffalo Restaurant Guide

Alphabetical Listing of Restaurants: I

NOTE: Restaurants beginning with "Il" 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., "Il Fiorentino" is indexed under "F".

Ike and BG's
Ilio DiPaolo's
India Gate
Inn on the Twenty
Irishman Pub & Eatery
Italian Village Restaurant

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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Ike and BG's Rib House.
1646 Genesee St., Buffalo.
892-4301.

[BTe, 3/07] says: "I had the 1/2 slab of ribs with coleslaw and bread. The ribs are very good: nice grilled flavor. The sauce is very distinct and pairs up with the grilled-rib flavor suprisingly well. I just warn that mild is medium, medium is hot, and hot is very hot. The coleslaw was another major surprise. Usually I am not a big coleslaw fan, but this coleslaw is without a doubt the best I had ever eaten. Ike and BG certainly changed my mind about coleslaw. Oh, and what the previous reviewer said about Ike and BG is spot on. They are very friendly."

[RCr, 7/04] says: "We were asked by our friends if we liked good BBQ. Our response was a resounding "yes", and we were off to Ike and BG's (7/3/04). I, being a former culinary guy, was totally psyched for what was billed by my friend Mike as, "The best BBQ in the city!" Located at 1646 Genesee Street, in the heart of the city's East Side, I was unsure of what to expect as we drove up and parked. The place looked small, and I was told there was no table seating, take out only. This was cool, as we could just bring the food back to one of our houses. Anyway, we stepped out of the car, and the hardwood charcoal, pork roast, and racks of ribs just filled the air with nirvana. Ike and BG (Betty Gean) do their BBQ outside in a couple of old cast-iron smokers. Mike had called in advance to let Ike know we were coming and to expect 5 hungry appetites. We were not disappointed. I had mentioned that Ike and BG's was a take-out-only place. Ike insisted that we stay, so we grabbed an 8-foot table and some chairs, and set them up in the adjacent lot. If you haven't figured this out by now, Ike and BG are 2 of the nicest people one will ever meet. Let's get to the food. My last experience with BBQ was at Fat Bob's, and that experience was downright awful--the food and service were horrendous, but we'll leave that for another review. Based on that experience, I was a bit skeptical and thought I would have to go back to Uncle Pete's (Boston, MA) if I wanted good BBQ this side of Kansas City. We sat down outside, and BG came out with serving trays of the pork shoulder, homemade mac and cheese, and homemade cole slaw. The pork shoulder, slow smoked, had the perfect blend of Ike's secret spices and hardwood charcoal flavor. Some folks tend to use too much wood, or smoke for too long. This was not the case at Ike and BG's. The meat was as tender as can be and, forgive me for using this, melted in your mouth. The mac and cheese was classic, the right blend of cream, spices, and cheese baked until there was a slight crispness to the dish. The coleslaw was some of the finest I have ever had. Not too much dressing and hints of pickle made every bite a culinary pleasure. My wife just reminded me we had tuna salad on the menu that night as well. So much food, I forgot about the tuna. The salad had a good amount of tuna with the usual mis en place and elbow macaroni. After we ate, washed down with a couple of pops, we sat around for a few hours and enjoyed getting to know Ike and BG. Being the night before the 4th of July, we were treated to some pretty cool neighborhood fireworks. Speaking of the neighborhood, everyone that passed by Ike said hello to him by name. You see, every Christmas, Ike and BG have an open house and serve their famous BBQ for free. They like to give back to the community which has treated them well over the past decade or so. Hours of operation at Ike and BG's are as follows: Mon-Sat, 11:00 am-12:00 Midnight. They are closed on Sunday and Holidays. Pricing is outrageously reasonable, and normal portion sizes are healthy. All dinners, ranging in price from $7.50 to $10.00, include your choice of two sides. Ribs go for $12.00 a half slab and $20.00 a full slab. I couldn't get out the door that night without getting a couple of slabs for the next day's festivities. Thanks again to Mike and Laura for introducing us to this East Side treasure and, most of all, our best to Ike and BG for many more years of tasty BBQ."

Ilio DiPaolo's Restaurant and Ringside Lounge.
3785 South Park Ave. (near Exit 56 on the I-90 NYS Thruway), Blasdell.
825-3675.

Takeout available from Takeout Taxi, 631-2222.

[RDM, 10/06] says: "I'm having trouble understanding what is so great about the food here. I was disappointed with the food at a wedding reception a few years back and a previous dinner with friends. Still, we tried Ilio DiPaolo's for dinner Friday night. The atmosphere was decent, service OK, but the food just mediocre. The minestrone was good, but not better than other local restaurants'. The breaded eggplant that topped my veal was good, but the veal itself needed at least salt and pepper. It had no flavor. I felt the same way about my side of spaghetti with sauce. It was bland."

[TMcK, 9/06] says: "My wife and I have eaten at Ilio's on numerous occasions and find it to be one the best restaurants in the Buffalo area. The food is excellent, the service even better, and the setting makes for an intimate evening of dining. The staff are pleasant, friendly, and courteous. The seafood dishes are delicious and varied. It is one of the few places I have found that serve calamari in marinara sauce. The antipasto plate is large and varied. Ilio's minestrone soup is the best I've ever had."

[MM, 12/05] says: "I'm from Cleveland and ate at a wonderful Italian place in Blasdell called Ilio DiPaolo's that I noticed was not reviewed on your website. This restaurant, according to my wife, had the best minestrone soup she's ever had. A "soup buffet" was available for lunch, which resulted in her going back for more, again and again. I had the Blanco Pizza, which has mozarella, fresh tomatoes, and basil. as well as their Roma Tomatoes and Fresh Mozarella salad, with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. The food was terrific, and the service very good. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Southtowns."

India Gate.
1116 Elmwood Ave. (near Forest, just north of Allentown), Buffalo.
886-4000.

Formerly called "Taste of India", and still affiliated with the (other) restaurant of that name.

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

[LCo, 9/07] says: "I have eaten at India Gate many times over the past few years, and I have always enjoyed the food, the staff, and the atmosphere. Most recently, I dined there with a group of 14 people. The waitstaff was great, with timely service for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. My favorite appetizers are the bhajia, tofu pakora, and the onion bhaji. Each of these appetizers is lightly battered with chickpea batter, deep-fried, and served with chutneys; they are crisp and not overly greasy. The chana bhatura is one of the best vegetarian options that this restaurant offers. The chana is rich and flavorful, and the bhatura, a deep-fried bread, is crispy on the outside but soft and light on the inside. Other vegetarian dishes that I have enjoyed are the chana masala and the tofu with spinach. Popular choices among those I have eaten with include the chicken tandoori and beef makhani. The spice level can be adjusted for any palate, with "mild" dishes having no heat at all. Overall, India Gate is a nice place to have a reliably delicious meal in pleasant surroundings."

[AFN, 11/06] says: "A friend and I went to India Gate for dinner on Thursday, 11/16. She had never eaten Indian food, and wanted to try it, since we recently had a Thai meal at the King and I, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. The Chicken Makhani and Chicken Muglai, which we shared, were both excellent. My friend enjoyed her meal as well...another convert to Indian cuisine (as well as Thai). The restaurant is quite large and very nicely decorated, much larger and nicer than it looks from its external storefront. The menu is nearly identical to Taste of India in Northtown Plaza, which apparently is owned by the same family."

[OB, 4/06] says: "My friends and I decided to try Indian food, and we all decided to try India Gate. Their food was pretty good. The restaurant was very presentable; the service was slow at first, but they eventually served us. I recommend trying their buffet-style lunch just in case you haven't had any Indian food; then you will be able to have different food to choose from. I recommend if anything their chicken tandoori."

[RJH, 4/06] says: "India Gate has a great atmosphere that may not be evident from its exterior. The cuisine is very authentic; feel free to eat with your hands. I ordered the chicken makhale, and I wasn't disappointed. It was very tasty, and the portion, when combined with the rice brought out on a large server, was more than a mouthful. My only complaint about the experience is the price of $11.95 for the amount I got. But, if you want quality, you get what you pay for. Overall very positive."

[LS, 12/01] says: "I had the lunch buffet twice in one week, and it was very good both times. I was happy to see a nice mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian selections. Excellent service, nicely decorated dining area."

Here are reviews of its previous incarnation as the city branch of Taste of India:

[MEL, 10/97] said: "Real good Indian food."

[DN, 8/96] said: "I was there (at the old location next to the Sweet Tooth) recently with a couple of friends from Seattle, and they liked it a lot (I, too, prefer this location over the one in the Northtown Plaza)."

[HD, 7/95] said: "My wife and I eat there regularly and really like it. There were some problems with consistency of quality for a while, but they seem to have straightened that out. Good service; good food; and nice, casual atmosphere."

Inn on the Twenty.
3845 Main St. (Exit 55 (Vineland) off the QEW from Buffalo; follow the winery signs to Jordan Village), Jordan, ON, CANADA.
905-562-7313, 1-800-701-8074.

[AFN, 4/08] says: "My sister and I and our daughters had lunch at On The Twenty on Saturday, 4/26. We all chose the three-course "Vintner's Lunch". To start, we had eggplant-and-fennel soup, which sounds strange but was delicious. For the entree, I had excellent coq au vin, while the others had grilled pickerel with diced potatoes in a mustard sauce, and vegetables. Their main courses were also reported to be excellent. Dessert was a light and flavorful lemon cheesecake. My niece wrote on the comments card: "Every mouthful was delicious, and the lemon cheesecake was even better than my own—which is very, very good"."

And from a related point of view, [WHN] says:

[1/08]: "Last weekend, we had lunch at On the Twenty. Their house-made breads—one sourdough, the other, brown bread—were excellent. I had the 3-course, fixed-price (C$25) lunch: winter vegetable bisque with creme fraiche, Coq au Vin, and pumpkin cheesecake. My wife also had the soup to start, then lamb ragout over papardelle pasta, but skipped dessert. The meal was delicious, and the service was excellent."

[7/07] "My wife, our visiting daughter, and I had lunch at On the Twenty on Saturday, 7/14. We all had the "Vintner's Lunch", a three-course, fixed-price meal (C$30, or C$35 with a glass of Cave Springs chardonnay, riesling, or cabernet franc). The menu changes frequently, perhaps daily, but this day the appetizer was cream of asparagus soup with creme fraiche, seared halibut filet over potato gateau, and vegetables, and raspberry cheesecake with wild blueberries. Everything was absolutely first rate. Three stars!"

[12/06] "We've had several excellent dinners and luncheons at On the Twenty since my review of May 2004. My wife has also had lunch there with our daughter on several occasions, during her visits from Phoenix. It's one of her favorite places to dine in this area. Over the holidays, my wife and I had another truly exceptional dinner at On the Twenty. We ordered two glasses of Cave Springs Reserve Chardonnay. Then we were served a delicious amuse bouche of wild mushrooms on a crispy bread or cracker. The breads served were sourdough and a walnut bread that was exceptionally good, not sweet as you might expect a nut bread to be. We then had an excellent butternut squash soup, followed by a simple green salad with a pumpkin vinaigrette dressing. Delicious. For our main courses, my wife chose beef rib eye "two ways"—roasted and a confit of beef—served with creamed spinach and "vegetable hash". I had rack of lamb—five chops, served with a chanterelle and brussels-sprout risotto that was perfect, with the fruity flavor of the chanterelles permeating the rice. Both main courses were cooked medium rare, as ordered—and were excellent. With our dinners, we had a bottle of Cave Springs Reserve Cabernet/Merlot. For dessert, we shared a roasted pear and almond tart, along with two small glasses of Riesling ice wine. It's worth mentioning that On the Twenty serves their own Cave Springs wines in several sizes—2 oz. and 5 oz. glasses—for those who want to drink less, or try more varieties. The ice wines are offered in 1 oz. and 2 oz. portions. Of course, they also offer bottles from Cave Springs and other Niagara Region wineries, as well as from California, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Our server told us that the restaurant now offers a tasting menu, but not during holiday periods."

[5/04] "We have had dinner here only once, but have had lunch 3 times. Every meal has been superb. Both lunch and dinner menus change with the seasons. The chef uses regional meat, game, seafood, and produce from Ontario and other provinces. Their recent Winter menu, which has probably been replaced by a Spring menu, offered a variety of game—pheasant, rabbit, venison, for example—as well as seafood, lamb, beef, and pork. There are daily menu changes as well. The focus of the wine list is on the Niagara, Ontario, region. Cave Spring Cellars has a tasting room down the street, but there's a wide variety of Niagara Region wines. The service and attention to details, like fresh flowers at each table, is also excellent. If this were the Michelin Guide, I would give it two stars."

Irishman Pub & Eatery.
5601 Main St., Williamsville.
626-2670.

[AFN, 1/08] says: "I've been back to The Irishman Pub for lunch twice since having dinner there with my husband and friends in November. For both lunches, a friend and I had the delicious Guinness Onion Soup, then split a Reuben sandwich. The Reubens are huge, so half of one is plenty, especially after the soup. The French fries that come with the sandwich are among the best I've ever had—made from real, fresh potatoes, not the frozen, pre-packaged variety."

[KI, 12/07] says: "Recently my family and I ate at the Irishman Pub and Eatery. From start to finish, this place was fantastic. There was a total of 6 of us dining. 3 of us had the Shepherd's Pie, which was excellent. Also ordered was the chicken-breast sandwich and the Emigrants Corn Beef, a traditional Irish dish that was very tasty as well. We had the pub nachos, which were very good. The atmosphere was perfect: calm and inviting. Our waiter was absolutely the best: He was attentive and friendly. Zero complaints; this place is quality and comfort. We would go back again in a heartbeat."

[WHN, 11/07] says: "Six of us went to The Irishman last night, Saturday 11/17. One couple had dined there several times, but the rest of us had not been there before. It's in the former Montana Mills bakery, which was under the same ownership until the company was sold to Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. The owner is a native of Ireland. The menu consists of numerous Irish pub-type items plus American bar food like chicken wings and nachos, albeit with an Irish twist, as well as more "upscale" dinners, including steaks, seafood, pork chops, and rack of lamb. To start, three diners chose "Irish" onion soup, just like French onion soup, but made with Guinness stout. Two members of our group had Caesar salad, which supposedly originated in Tijuana, Mexico, not Ireland but, in any case, was said to be excellent. I had a mixed green salad, with house white French dressing, which was very good. My wife and a friend had "emigrant's corned beef and cabbage" which, as the menu name implies, isn't a native Irish dish, but was "borrowed" by 19th-century Irish immigrants in NYC from their eastern European neighbors, as a substitute for Irish bacon, which we now call Canadian bacon. Served with colcannon potatoes, this dish was reported to be very good. Another friend and I had shepherd's pie, made, as it should be, with lamb. Delicious. The last two members of our party had "small plates" as mains—"lamb lollies"—small lamb chops with potato boxty for one, lobster cakes for the other. All the food was very good, as was the service. The only disappointment was the bread, which was basic, store-bought Italian...nothing special or Irish about it. Since the owner started with a successful bakery specializing in breads, you would expect better. Our friends tell us the restaurant has a very good fish fry (fish and chips) on Fridays. Janice Okun gave The Irishman 3 stars in her Gusto review a few weeks ago. We will definitely return."

[] Ironstone
516 W. 4th St., Jamestown.
487-1516.

Under the same management as a number of other Chautauqua County restaurants (La Fleur, Bonjour, Watermark, etc.).

[MER] and I have eaten here several times. I have found the food to be of mixed quality, though always good.

We returned [11/07] on a cold, snowy night to find that the heat in the lobby was not working; the dining room, however, was warm. Perhaps to compensate, all diners were offered a complimentary demitasse of superb, butternut-squash soup before their meal. There was also an assortment of warm breads with chive butter on the side. We began with a house salad: mesclun with choice of dressing (I had balsamic vinaigrette; MER had poppyseed). For soups, I had a fire-roasted chicken and corn chowder with red pepper and carrots, which had an excellent flavor but was a but too thick for my tastes; MER had a French onion soup that she ranked on a par with that of Spilios at its best and perhaps slightly better than that of Vullo's. For the main courses, I had an evening special, Arctic char with parsley risotto and glazed carrots; this was good, but had a slight "fishy" odor to it, which detracted from my full enjoyment. MER had a seared filet mignon with mushrooms, caramelized onions, whipped potatoes, and "seasonal vegetables", which turned out to be glazed carrots and, we think, parsnips; she considered her filet to be on a par with that of La Scala, which is high praise, indeed. Dessert was a disappointment, however: My tiramisu was sitting in a pool of what seemed to be warmed-up Hershey's syrup and had a minty flavor. Despite this not being a perfect meal, it was a good one, and I am giving the Ironstone one star.

A recent meal here [10/05] was superb: seared salmon with herb risotto cake and beurre blanc sauce, with a pumpkin mousse for dessert.

Italian Village Restaurant.
804 Wehrle Dr. (near the Wmsville/Cheektowaga border), Williamsville.
634-1804.

Italian. Takeout available from Takeout Taxi, 631-2222.

[MER], [SLD], and I ate here [12/03]. They liked it. I found it to be acceptable, but nothing special. [MER] loved her French onion soup, declaring it the best she had ever had. Salads were iceberg lettuce; I had a not very interesting balsamic vinaigrette with mine. For my main course, I had Fish Florentine: haddock in a white-wine cream sauce with spinach and mozzarella; it was OK, but nothing to rave about. Both Carmine's and Linguine's have better food and more interesting menus.