Bill Rapaport's Buffalo Restaurant Guide

Alphabetical Listing of Restaurants: U

Ulrich's Tavern
Uncle Vinny's
[a] Uno Chicago Grill

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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Ulrich's Tavern.
674 Ellicott St. (near Virginia St.), Buffalo.
855-8409.

German.

[DCM, 10/05] says: "This restaurant has climbed to the top of my worst experiences. My son won a $50.00 gift certificate and invited me for a birthday dinner. As you enter the establishment, the first thing you notice is the strong moldy smell in the bar area. Over the years, I've come to Ulrich's a good half dozen times, and the smell is always there, creating a 1st and lasting impression. I had thought that, once the smoking ban took place, the smell would improve. Alas, it's still rank, perhaps the worst of any restaurant in all Western New York. While the food was just OK, I must stress it's a poor excuse for German food, lacking in both taste and freshness. When you have German food, it should be lightly fried, and this was heavy and overcooked. The owner paces the floor continually, making his help feel uncomfortable, and added an 18% tip because we had 5 adults and a two-year-old child. As we paid our bill, including the mandatory tip, he bluntly informs us that, for a reason we couldn't make out, we could not use the gift certificate. Because the gift certificate came with advertising for Octoberfest, we assumed that we needed to use it that day. Needless to say, what should have been an enjoyable night out with family and friends turned into something else. If we knew it was a drinking establishment first and foremost, we would have not expected more. The last thing anyone needs is another bad meal."

[RSm, 12/05] says: "Last Friday night (12/30/05), we had dinner at Ulrich's Tavern. What a great experience and so Buffalo. We had a wonderful German dinner, cooked by a black chef, with entertainment by a Celtic combo. The food was wonderful, the music was delightful, and the service was terrific. We had a variety of their German dishes. Between the potato pancakes appetizers and the cherry bread pudding dessert, we each had a separate German specialty. I had a chicken schnitzel dish with mushroom sauce and gravy, served with spaetzle, red cabbage, and sauerkraut. My wife had the sauerbraten special, and our daughter had the Wienerschnitzel. Everything was terrific, especially the cherry bread pudding. The dinner prices were about $15 each. The ambiance is old Buffalo. There's nothing new or modern about Ulrich's. It's like stepping back into an old neighborhood bar of the 1940s or 50s, which it is, I'm sure. Music throughout dinner was provided by the Celtic group, Iad Fein, which served up stirring ballads about the Irish fight for independence and, of course, Irish love gone wrong. The guitarist-vocalist and two percussionist (one man most ably played the spoons and the other female percussionist harmonized with the main vocalist). We liked them well enough to fork over $15 for a CD of their music."

[NW, 4/06] says: "We just ate dinner at Ulrich's Tavern in Buffalo; it was a most enjoyable experience, from our short wait in the bar for a table, where we were exposed to to Ulrich's great beer selection on tap, to all the history the bar holds. We then had a very good meal. The 4 of us loved our appetizers: German antipasto and potato pancakes, then enjoyed some very good live Irish music as we waited for our main course. A fish fry, Wiener schnitzel, a shrimp and pasta dish, and sauerbraten were shared by our party. All very good and fresh, the sides of sauerkraut, red cabbage, spaetzel, and roasted potatos were very good. Then we got the nickel tour from the owner, who told us 137 years of Ulrich's history in 15 minutes; it was very interesting. We then had cherry bread pudding and German chocolate cake as we listened to Irish rebel music. It was just a wonderful evening of great beer, great food, fun music, and Buffalo history, the most interestingly charming Buffalo place I've been at to date. The smell of cooking and the beer brought back wonderful childhood memories."

[WHN, 10/06] says: "Six of us went to Ulrich's for their Oktoberfest menu. Three of us had Wienerschnitzel with red cabbage, spaetzle, and a side order of potato pancakes. The others had a German sausage platter with potato pancakes and sauerkraut. The food was good. A German oompah band was playing (loudly), but it was perfect for an Oktoberfest celebration, and we all enjoyed the evening. Their wine "menu" of generic reds, whites, and roses could use more variety and better selections, especially some German Rieslings for Oktoberfest, but there were a number of good German beers available."

[DwH, 3/07] says: "Travelling to Buffalo almost weekly since February and wanted to pass along some impressions: OK...what's not to like? The potato pancakes are great, the beers are cold, the ambiance is so olde tyme as to make it closer to a time machine than a bar. Ghosts are all over the place—and for St. Patrick's Day, the Germanic tone shifts to all Celtic, all the time—the corned beef dinner is perfect, but good luck finding a place to sit."

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

Uncle Vinny's.
5259 Broadway, Lancaster. 651-9001.

[MEL, 8/99] says (after visiting the Taste of Lancaster): "There are very few pizzas I have ever had that actually taste bad, but Uncle Vinny's is one of them. It has a very odd flavor that I cannot describe except to say that I personally did not like it."

Uno Chicago Grill.
4125 Maple Rd. (between N. Bailey Ave. and Sweet Home Rd.), Amherst.
834-6200.

Part of the chain. But, in my opinion, one of the better chains! Takeout available from Takeout Taxi, 631-2222.

[WHN, 10/06] says: "Part of a chain best known for "Chicago Style", deep-dish pizza. Very good pizza, if you like the deep-dish type. We had their Numero Uno, loaded with pepperoni, sausage, peppers, mushrooms, Mozzarella, and Romano cheeses, along with nice, crisp mixed-green salads. There was enough left to take a few slices home. They have a large menu with other foods, such as pasta, seafood, beef, chicken, etc. Fast service from a friendly, well-trained staff. It's a bit expensive as pizza places go, but has a far nicer atmosphere than most."