Home of the chicken wing and beef on weck since 1837.
Buffalo eats like a city that invented two of America's favorite bar foods and has spent six decades perfecting them. The chicken wing was born here at Anchor Bar on Main Street in 1964, when Teressa Bellissimo deep-fried a batch late one night and tossed them in butter and hot sauce for her son Dominic. Beef on weck, slow-roasted rare beef on a caraway-and-salt kummelweck roll, is the other native dish, and Schwabl's in West Seneca has been serving it since 1837. Polish heritage runs through the East Side at Broadway Market (1888), where paczki sell out on Fat Tuesday and Easter brings lines around the block. Italian-American Buffalo lives on Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo, where Ristorante Lombardo has anchored the strip since 1975. Sponge candy, a Buffalo specialty confection of toffee-aerated chocolate, comes from Watson's, Fowler's and Parkside Candy on Main. Friday fish fry is a Catholic-Western-New-York institution that peaks in Lent. The modern scene runs from Marble + Rye's chef-driven cocktail dining on Genesee Street to Tappo's Italian downtown.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Buffalo, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Buffalo's food story rests on two dishes the city actually invented and a network of immigrant neighborhoods that built everything around them. The chicken wing came first, in 1964, when Teressa Bellissimo of Anchor Bar on Main Street fried a batch late one night for her son Dominic and his friends. Frank's RedHot, butter, celery, blue cheese, and the rest of the world followed. Beef on weck predates wings by 127 years: Schwabl's in West Seneca has been slicing rare roast beef onto kummelweck rolls (caraway seed and pretzel salt on top) since 1837.
The immigrant layers run deep. The East Side is the historic Polish district, where Broadway Market (1888) still anchors the paczki rush each Fat Tuesday with Chrusciki, White Eagle and Camellia Meats holding the vendor row. North Buffalo's Hertel Avenue is the Italian-American food row, with Ristorante Lombardo (1975) at the top and a long stretch of red-sauce kitchens and gelaterias below. Downtown holds Chef's Restaurant (1923) for spaghetti parm, Marble + Rye on Genesee for chef-driven cocktail dining, and Tappo for Italian-American by the Pegula family.
The brewery scene is one of the densest in upstate New York for a city this size. Pearl Street Grill and Brewery (1997) is the oldest active brewpub, Big Ditch holds the downtown crown, Resurgence runs out of the Old First Ward on Chicago Street, and Community Beer Works has consolidated onto Chandler Street with the Thin Man taproom in the fold. Sponge candy, Buffalo's signature confection, comes from Watson's, Fowler's and the 1927 Parkside Candy temple on Main Street. The Friday fish fry, a Catholic Western New York tradition through Lent, is everywhere from corner taverns to white-tablecloth rooms.
Allentown: the dining-and-bar district along Allen Street, with Gabriel's Gate wings, Cole's bar (now on Elmwood), the Allen Street Hardware and the city's largest summer art festival. Elmwood Village: a walkable Elmwood Avenue strip from Forest down to Bidwell, with Mr. Goodbar (since 1968), Tipico Coffee and a long bar row. North Buffalo: Hertel Avenue is the Italian-American food row, anchored by Ristorante Lombardo, with Lloyd Taco Factory and Sophia's Greek on Military Road nearby. Broadway-Fillmore: the historic Polish East Side, where Broadway Market (1888) still moves paczki on Fat Tuesday and kielbasa year-round. Downtown / Theater District: Chef's Restaurant since 1923, Tappo Italian on Ellicott, Pearl Street Grill and Brewery and Patina 250 in the Westin. West Side: the emerging Niagara Street and Connecticut Street corridor with BreadHive worker co-op bakery. Larkinville: the revitalized Larkin District around Seneca Street, with Food Truck Tuesdays at Larkin Square in summer.
The original Buffalo wing: Anchor Bar at 1047 Main Street invented the dish in 1964 (Teressa Bellissimo). Duff's Famous Wings on Sheridan Drive in Amherst is the hotter, leaner rival. Gabriel's Gate (Allen Street) and Bar Bill Tavern in East Aurora are the local-favorite alternates. Beef on weck: Schwabl's in West Seneca (since 1837), Charlie the Butcher's Kitchen in Williamsville and Eckl's in Orchard Park serve the canonical version, rare roast beef on a kummelweck roll dipped in jus. Sponge candy: Watson's Chocolates, Fowler's and Parkside Candy (1927) on Main Street. Paczki: the Broadway Market vendors (Chrusciki and White Eagle) and Paula's Donuts during Fat Tuesday week. Friday fish fry: nearly every Buffalo tavern through Lent. Ted's Hot Dogs: charcoal-grilled Sahlen's franks since 1927, with the Sheridan Drive flagship. Buffalo-style pizza: cup-and-char pepperoni, square or round, at Bocce Club Pizza and La Nova.
Anchor Bar (1047 Main Street) is the birthplace of the chicken wing, October 1964. Teressa Bellissimo deep-fried a batch late one night for her son Dominic and his friends, tossed them in butter and Frank's RedHot, and served them with celery and blue cheese. The original room still stands, now part of a small national chain, but the Main Street location is the one that matters. Duff's Famous Wings opened on Sheridan Drive in 1946 as a gin mill and started serving wings in 1969, with a hotter sauce and leaner meat the locals have defended for decades. Gabriel's Gate (145 Allen Street) and Bar Bill Tavern (185 Main Street, East Aurora) are the local-favorite alternates. For beef on weck, Schwabl's at 789 Center Road in West Seneca has been serving it since 1837 (then under a different name, but the family and recipe carry through). Charlie the Butcher's Kitchen at 1065 Wehrle Drive in Williamsville is the airport-area institution. Eckl's in Orchard Park is a day-trip on the same theme.
Polish Buffalo lives on the East Side. Broadway Market at 999 Broadway has been the anchor since 1888, with Chrusciki Bakery, White Eagle Bakery, Camellia Meats and pierogi stalls. Fat Tuesday paczki sell out before noon and Easter butter lambs (a Polish-Catholic tradition) move thousands. Dyngus Day on Easter Monday is the city's signature Polish-American celebration with a downtown parade. Italian Buffalo lives on Hertel Avenue, the North Buffalo strip running from Delaware Avenue eastward. Ristorante Lombardo (1975) anchors the high end with Tuscan-influenced cooking; Tappo Italian downtown and the long row of Hertel red-sauce kitchens round out the modern scene. Friday fish fry is a Catholic Western New York institution that peaks in Lent (Ash Wednesday through Easter). Every tavern from Wiechec's Lounge in South Buffalo to Romanello's serves it; the canonical version is haddock, hand-breaded, with German potato salad and rye bread.
The plates that define eating in Buffalo.
Deep-fried unbreaded chicken wings tossed in butter and Frank's RedHot, served with celery sticks and blue-cheese dressing. The signature Buffalo dish, invented at Anchor Bar in 1964.
Where: Anchor Bar, Duff's Famous Wings, Gabriel's Gate, La Nova Pizzeria, Bocce Club Pizza
Thin-sliced rare roast beef piled on a kummelweck roll (a Kaiser-style roll topped with caraway seeds and pretzel salt), the top half dipped in beef au jus and served with horseradish.
Where: Schwabl's, Charlie the Butcher's Kitchen, Duff's Famous Wings, Pearl Street Grill and Brewery
A Buffalo specialty confection: golden honeycomb toffee aerated with baking soda, then dipped in dark or milk chocolate. The honeycomb is brittle, melts on the tongue and has a hollow lattice inside.
Where: Watson's Chocolates (Elmwood), Fowler's Chocolates, Parkside Candy
Deep-fried Polish doughnuts stuffed with rose-hip jam, prune butter, custard or raspberry filling, dusted in sugar. Eaten on Fat Tuesday (Polish Mardi Gras) and Easter season at Buffalo Polish bakeries.
Where: Broadway Market, Paula's Donuts (Williamsville), Paula's Donuts (Sheridan Drive)
A regional pizza style with cup-and-char pepperoni (the rounds curl up and char at the edges), a slightly thicker crust than New York style and Buffalo Sahlen's-brand cup pepperoni from Western New York.
Where: La Nova Pizzeria, Bocce Club Pizza, Pearl Street Grill and Brewery
Where to eat Buffalo-style pizza (cup-and-char pepperoni) in Buffalo →
Hand-breaded haddock or beer-battered fish, deep-fried and served with German potato salad, coleslaw, rye bread and tartar sauce. A Buffalo Catholic Lenten staple available year-round at most taverns, peak through Lent.
Where: Wiechec's Lounge, Schwabl's, Pearl Street Grill and Brewery
A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Buffalo.
Tappo Italian on Ellicott Street downtown is the Pegula family's Italian-American room, with handmade pastas, veal saltimbocca and free Ferguson parking.
Signature: Veal saltimbocca, House pastas
Ristorante Lombardo on Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo is the Tuscan-influenced anchor of the city's Italian food row, family-owned since 1975.
Signature: Handmade pasta, Wood-fired pizza
Chef's Restaurant at Seneca and Chicago downtown has been serving its cheese-blanketed spaghetti parm since 1923, a Billittier family institution.
Signature: Spaghetti parm, Italian sausage
Marble + Rye on Genesee Street downtown is the Mike Dimmer and Christian Willmott cocktail-and-dining room with a dry-aged burger and small plates.
Signature: Dry-aged burger, Seasonal small plates
Patina 250 inside the Westin on Delaware Avenue downtown runs a contemporary American menu built on Western New York producers, plus a strong bar.
Signature: Seasonal local plates, Steak
Daniela on Forest Avenue near Elmwood Village is an Italian neighborhood favorite, with wood-fired pizzas, fresh pasta and a strong local following.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, House pasta
Buffalo's eclectic dining-and-bar district along Allen Street, with Gabriel's Gate wings, neighborhood bars and the city's largest summer art festival.
Best for: Wings, Cocktails, Late night
A walkable Elmwood Avenue strip of independent boutiques, cafes and bars stretching from Forest Avenue down to Bidwell Parkway.
Best for: Cafes, Bars, Brunch
Hertel Avenue is Buffalo's Italian-American food row, anchored by Ristorante Lombardo and a long stretch of red-sauce kitchens.
Best for: Italian, Pizza, Wine
The historic Polish East Side, anchored by Broadway Market (1888), with pierogi, paczki and kielbasa traditions intact.
Best for: Polish, Bakeries, Markets
Buffalo's downtown core around Main and Pearl Streets, with Chef's Restaurant since 1923, Tappo, Patina 250 and the Pearl Street brewery.
Best for: Italian, Cocktails, Fine dining
The emerging Niagara Street and Connecticut Street corridor, home to BreadHive bakery and a growing immigrant-restaurant scene.
Best for: Bakeries, Coffee, Immigrant food
Peak food season: May to October for outdoor markets and wing crawls. Lent (February to April) for Friday fish fry. Late August for the National Buffalo Wing Festival at Sahlen Field.
Local dining hours: Lunch 11:30 to 14:00. Dinner 17:00 to 22:00, later on Allen Street and downtown. Many wings spots run until midnight or later.
Tipping: Standard US tipping. 18 to 20 percent at sit-down restaurants, 15 percent at counter service, $1 to $2 per drink at bars.
Buffalo's signature dishes include Buffalo chicken wings, Beef on weck, Sponge candy, Paczki, Buffalo-style pizza (cup-and-char pepperoni). See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Buffalo by district. Allentown, Elmwood Village, North Buffalo, Broadway-Fillmore (East Side) are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Buffalo include Ristorante Lombardo, Marble + Rye, Tappo Italian, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 2 editor-picked food tours in Buffalo, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Buffalo dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.