Bars and pubs in Buffalo

Bars and pubs in Buffalo

1. DrinkPubElmwood Village

   Cole's

   This place was once a Pierce-Arrow automobile showroom, and the interior still brims with historic character: black and white subway tile on the floor, scruffy old school pennants that have been tacked on to the wooden beams of the ceiling since God knows when. Quite an environment in which to quaff one of an encyclopedic selection (this is a Mike Shatzel operation, after all!) of beers trending heavily toward regional microbrews and imports. Pub trivia every Wednesday at 8PM.

   Closed · opens 5 pm

2. DrinkBarNorth Buffalo

   Colonie Lounge

   The Colonie Lounge is not the most highly-regarded strip club in the area, but if you'd rather not make the trek out to suburbia or across the border to Canada, it's a lot less skeevy than the other options within Buffalo proper. As a licensed cigar bar, the Colonie is one of the few establishments of any kind in Buffalo where it's legal to smoke inside, so feel free to puff away while watching the dancers.

   Closed · opens 5 pm

3. DrinkPubElmwood Village

   Thirsty Buffalo

   Head to this friendly, down-to-earth sports bar on game days to enjoy one of 30 beers available on tap (everything from big-name domestics to local craft brews to imports) and tasty bar food (the chicken wings are renowned, and the selection of sandwiches and wraps is impressive) while watching the Bills or Sabres duke it out with their opponents on one of numerous TVs. Yes, it'll be crowded, but service is always attentive and fast, and the price is right. Pub trivia every Tuesday night at 7PM.

   Closed · opens 3 pm

4. DrinkPubSouth Buffalo

   Resurgence Brewing

   With the expansion into the former E. & B. Holmes Machinery Company building, the entirety of Resurgence's roster of regularly-available beers is now brewed at their new facility on Chicago Street. On tap you'll find a rotating selection of their beers (always including the flagship Resurgence IPA, Sponge Candy Stout and Loganberry Wit) poured in what's far from typical "brewery tasting room" ambience: spacious, sleek and minimalist with just a few industrial-chic touches, and immaculately clean to boot. Best of all, they've now got a full food menu to go with.

   Closed · opens noon tomorrow

5. DrinkBarWest Side

   Rohall's Corner

   Amherst Street's roster of bars includes a wide diversity of places, from scruffy dives full of hardscrabble working Joes to hoity-toity establishments where trendy hipsters congregate. And then there's Rohall's, the best of both worlds: a hipster dive. (Don't misinterpret that: the ambience is not seedy, but it definitely feels like you've gone back in time to an old corner tavern from the 1950s or '60s.) Belly up to the bar for a beer list that splits the difference between obscure imports, local microbrews, and workmanlike PBRs and Genny Cream Ales, or else head to the back room to shoot some pool, play a tune on the upright piano, or take in some live music.

   Closed · opens 4 pm tomorrow

6. DrinkBarDowntown

   Bacchus

   To go along with Bacchus' superlative food menu is an extensive wine list that covers all imaginable varieties and regions, as well as a knowledgeable staff to help you navigate it. The vibe is relaxed, upscale, and (dare we say it) romantic, making for a stark contrast with the other nightlife experiences on this stretch of Chippewa, and the bar is ample enough to afford you some elbow room (though the seating isn't the most comfortable in the world).

7. DrinkPubSouth Buffalo

   BriarBrothers Brewing Company

   Craft brewery features a rotating selection of microbrews and hard seltzers with numerous flavor profiles. The brewery resides in a refurbished grain silo that was once a malting house that provided grain and malt for the greater rust belt region of the United States. Retrofitted to include production space, a sizable taproom, and an event center, it is a popular weekend spot for locals and craft beer enthusiasts. An on-site food truck featuring Nashville-style chicken sandwiches is available during business hours.

8. DrinkPubEast Side

   Buffalo Brewing Company

   Come to this artisanal nanobrewery in the Ellicott District to enjoy any of their four flagship beers on draft (easily the favorite among which is "1842", a toasty Vienna lager made with imported hops whose name commemorates the invention of the grain elevator by Buffalo milling magnate Joseph Dart) plus a changing selection of seasonal offerings; stay for a pretty impressive collection of artifacts from Buffalo's long and storied brewing history.

9. DrinkBarNorth Buffalo

   Dill's Military Road Tavern

   Miles away from the snooty hipster BS you'll find elsewhere in town, walking through the front door at Dill's is like stepping into a time machine (so much so that it's a regular stop on Eddy Dobosiewicz's Forgotten Buffalo Tours of the dwindling remnants of the rough-and-tumble, blue-collar Queen City of old). With its tile floor and wood-panelled walls, a beer list that doesn't go far beyond Labatt's, Coors and Genny, and even an original 1950s-vintage phone booth in working order, the place has been preserved almost exactly as it was in the days when it was the favorite lunch-break and after-work pit stop of workers at the old American Brass factory up the road apiece.

10. DrinkPubAllentown and the Delaware District

    Founding Fathers

    One of Buffalo's most unusual bar experiences awaits you at Founding Fathers: the owner is a former social studies teacher famous for quizzing patrons on American history from behind the bar, and the cozy interior is bedecked with portraits of all 45 U.S. Presidents as well as other historical memorabilia culled from said owner's private collection. Enjoy a pint while noshing on complimentary nachos and popcorn, choose from an abbreviated food menu of sandwiches and burgers, or if you're in town on the first Tuesday of the month, show up for trivia night — history-themed, of course!

11. DrinkPubNorth Buffalo

    Froth Brewing Co.

    The seemingly neverending craft-brewery craze in Buffalo set its sights on West Hertel in early 2019, with the opening of this 10-barrel operation on Military Road — and with a topnotch roster of beers right out the gate, plus a cozy ski-lodge ambience in the tasting room, Froth is quickly becoming a standout on the scene. That's especially true if sours are your thing: Froth brews no fewer than three of those, the "Mango Peach OG" sour ale, "Tangerine Sunset" sour blonde ale, and "Lemon Raspberry Sourbet" sour IPA. A sticking point are the prices, especially when it comes to the food menu of upscale pub grub.

12. DrinkBarAllentown and the Delaware District

    Fugazi

    Off the main drag and not very well signed, Fugazi is where you go if you want a classy gay bar experience in Allentown — but that class comes at the expense of character; with no dance floor, karaoke, or any of the fun diversions of its competitors, the place comes off as bland and a bit pretentious. Still, Fugazi is clean, the staff and customers are actually friendly, and they'll pour you a nice stiff drink.

13. DrinkBarSouth Buffalo

    Gene McCarthy's

    It's best known among local beer snobs as home of the Old First Ward Brewing Company, with nine different house-brewed beers on tap at any given time (the malty, chocolatey "HO Oats" English oatmeal stout and the pine- and citrus-tinged "This Is Not a Pale Ale" are particular favorites), but in many other ways, Gene's is still the same gin mill that's been slaking the thirsts of South Buffalonians since 1963: neighborhood old-timers certainly don't feel out of place in the homey ambience of the barroom or with the menu of pub-grub favorites done right (Gene's spot on the Buffalo Wing Trail is well-earned), and if your taste in beer runs more toward the conventional, you won't be left out in the cold either.

14. DrinkBarNorth Buffalo

    Kelly's Korner

    This no-frills, rough-around-the-edges neighborhood gin mill has a limited range of beers on tap, priced cheap and served cold in a barroom with all the ambience of some guy's garage in the suburbs (complete with old Buffalo Bills pennants tacked to the walls!) But where Kelly's Korner really distinguishes itself is with their food: though the menu is as brief as you'd expect, their renditions of chicken wings and beef on weck — the twin titans of local cuisine that form its cornerstones — are home runs.

15. DrinkPubSouth Buffalo

    Labatt Brew House

    The ground floor of the Labatt Brewing Company's U.S. home offices is given over to a 200-seat restaurant as well as this small "innovation brewery" for limited-edition and seasonal beers, most unavailable elsewhere. (They seem to be positioning Blue Citra, a hoppy lager with notes of grapefruit, as the next new breakout star in the Labatt lineup; get it here before it hits stores.) Enjoy any of these dozen or so beers either in the restaurant, a large beer garden out back, or a small tasting room with a bird's-eye view onto the production floor — and if you want to help any of them find a wider market, put in a good word on the feedback form they provide!

16. DrinkPubNorth Buffalo

    Murray's Tavern

    The (marginally) nicer of the two divey Irish pubs on upper Delaware Avenue, Murray's food menu can't hold a candle to the one at Kelly's Korner up the road, but they make up for that with friendly vibes, a breezy back patio (smoking permitted!), and a couple of arcade video games to try your luck at between drinks.

17. DrinkBarNorth Buffalo

    Sidebar

    Sidebar doesn't commit to the "lounge" aesthetic with quite the same level of gusto as Joey's Place, but its tinted windows, chilled-out clientele of neighborhood regulars, and live jazz music on the first Friday of each month combine to create a relaxed and mellow vibe all the same. This is the place to go on Hertel if you want to drink and hold a conversation with your friends without having to shout. Choose from a decent but not overwhelming selection of beers to enjoy at the wraparound bar, or opt for a competently-made mixed drink — and if bar games are your thing, check out the shuffleboard table!

18. DrinkBarAllentown and the Delaware District

    The Alley Cat

    If there's any bar on Allen Street that could be described as a "where everybody knows your name" type place, the Alley Cat is it. The ambience is stylish but not pretentious, the vibe is lively but not rowdy, the clientele is a mix of all different types of people — and drinks come cheap (case in point: a daily "beer and shot special" with Jameson, Crown Royal, or Cuervo sets you back a paltry $7). Free popcorn and Cheez-Its to munch on while you drink.

19. DrinkPubWest Side

    Thin Man Brewery

    The satellite location of not one but two of Buffalo's favorite bars and restaurants: Mike Andrzejewski of downtown's Tappo and Mike Shatzel of the original Thin Man on Elmwood team up to offer not only a selection of tasty wood-fired pizzas from the former but also the same fantastically discerning eye for fine beer that you see at all the latter's various area spots. On tap here are mostly selections from Thin Man's own superlative line of house-brewed beers as well as a handful of New York State-sourced hard ciders, with only a scant few of the craft brews and imports Shatzel is known for. They serve mixed drinks too, but be prepared to pay ungodly prices for middling portions.

20. DrinkBarDowntown

    Union Pub

    Mixed reviews for this tastefully remodeled and updated (yet still down-to-earth) Buffalo perennial in the shadow of Sahlen Field. Points in the Union Pub's favor include a great selection of beer (24 varieties on tap; local craft brews abound) and an unfailingly spectacular food menu starring some of the best wings in town; drawbacks include the service, which while always friendly, can be glacially slow if you catch them on a bad day.

21. DrinkBarNorth Buffalo

    Wine on Hertel

    Wine on Hertel is not an experience for know-it-all connoisseurs with a very specific idea of what they want. It's more for those who are newbies to the wine world but want to be really wowed, or perhaps for folks who are just extraordinarily prepared to put their trust in the owner's wine-list curation skills. That is to say: the selection is miniscule, but you'll never be steered wrong. If you're really lost in the woods, opt for a flight of four for $16 (the pour is generous enough that this may be a better value in any event); otherwise, kick back and enjoy drinks and tapas-style snacks in a quiet, chilled-out ambience (alternatively, live music on Friday nights presents a somewhat livelier scenario).

22. DrinkBarDowntown

    Electric Avenue

    There's character for miles in this scruffy dive bar hidden in plain sight next door to Mohawk Place, understandably a popular place to drop in before or after a concert for a cheap beer (mostly blue-collar brands like Genny and PBR, though there are a few local craft brews if you're so inclined) or maybe play a game of pinball or darts. Other than at showtimes, Electric Avenue's clientele is composed mostly of salt-of-the-earth regulars, though you won't be made to feel unwelcome.

23. DrinkBarDowntown

    Lucky Day

    It's in the historic Ancient Landmarks Masonic Lodge, so architecture buffs can drink in the majestic Beaux-Arts splendor before drinking in one of literally hundreds of varieties of whiskey, scotch, bourbon, and rye, as well as classic cocktails smartly crafted from same. Or maybe you're hungry, in which case you'll find something to your taste no matter what your favorite cuisine is: from Polish pierogi platters to Southern-style chicken and waffles to samosas garnished with green chutney and curry ketchup, the food menu is all over the map. Either way, service is impeccable, the mixologists work their art with aplomb, and live music and other events are frequent.

24. DrinkPubWest Side

    BlackBird Cider Hall

    Hip Chandler Street is home to this second location of Niagara County's farm-to-table craft cidery of choice (the original is located next to their orchard in Barker), with over 30 ciders and beers (their own and those of other New York State producers) to enjoy either in the indoor barroom, which has preserved all the rustic charm of the former Linde Air Manufacturing building, or outside in the courtyard on a patio complete with bocce ball court and a couple of firepits for those nippy autumn evenings.

25. DrinkPubNorth Buffalo

    KO Bar & Grill

    Splitting the difference between the dives further up Delaware and the more explicitly millennial-friendly Hertel hangouts, KO has, in the words of an October 2018 Gusto writeup, "taken the concept of a neighborhood bar to a new level". The interior is a spiffed-up version of the usual old-school coziness, the crowd is eclectic and lively but not rowdy or pretentious, the beer list adds a goodly selection of local microbrews to the usual roster of big brands, and the food menu is pub grub par excellence (try the steak sandwich). A pool table, dartboard, and occasional live acoustic music make for fun diversions, too.

26. DrinkBarSouth Buffalo

    Lockhouse Distillery

    The drink selection at Lockhouse Distillery's tasting room begins with a line of creative specialty craft cocktails featuring the same vodkas, gins, and liqueurs distilled onsite, but by no means does it end there. Here in this hipster-friendly but not intimidatingly trendy barroom you can also sample a well-curated selection of other quality spirits sourced from across New York State, a short but oddly eclectic beer list (blue-collar quaffs like Miller High Life and Genny Cream Ale mix incongruously with obscure microbrews), or even take in the occasional live music performance or DJ set.

27. DrinkBarDowntown

    Soho

    Back in the very early 2010s, Soho was one of the first spots on Chippewa to make the transition from hedonistic dance club to a more sophisticated and mature nightlife experience. Gone are the bouncers, velvet ropes and thumping music, and in their place you've got a relaxed vibe, a pricey-but-worth-it food menu centered on some of Buffalo's most renowned burgers (try the "Gold Standard Burger" with arugula, garlic chive aioli, and tomato confit), and a lounge-style bar area where the specialty is classic cocktails made with top-shelf whiskey and tequila. Service is hit and miss, though.

28. DrinkBrewerySouth Buffalo

    Flying Bison Brewing Company

    Flying Bison offers three tours a week of its brewery in Larkinville, where guides explain the company's history and mission, walk visitors through the beermaking process step-by-step, and furnish a glimpse of brewers in action. The atmosphere is laid-back and friendly as can be, and frankly it's almost unfair to say these tours are free — they're so liberal with the free samples it's almost like you are being paid to take the tour. (According to one reviewer, the staff, who are notorious for shooting the breeze with visitors over drinks before and after tours, "basically get you drunk on the house".)

    Tours Thu Fri 6PM, Sat 1PM and 4PM·Free

29. DrinkBarDowntown

    Bottoms Up

    A mixed bag at this old-Chippewa holdout. On the plus side, the music pumps, and drinks are strong, cheap, and so big you need two hands to hold them ("fishbowls", they call them!) But accusations of racial discrimination on the part of the bouncers are numerous enough to be believable, and woe be if you get on their bad side once you are let in.

30. DrinkBarAllentown and the Delaware District

    Colter Bay

    Colter Bay was one of the first places in town to tentatively dip its toes into the craft beer craze that would go on to take Buffalo by storm in the 2010s, and anyone who's ever been lucky enough to experience Blue Monk, the sadly-missed gastropub that launched Colter Bay's owner, Mike Shatzel, to local fame, knows what that means: there are some four dozen national and local microbrews on tap at the bar, as well as some craft ciders and house cocktails, all expertly mixed and poured in a refreshingly chill environment where the tightrope walk between hipster-friendliness and stifling pretentiousness is successfully mastered.

31. DrinkCocktail barDowntown

    Matinee

    If you want a nightspot that truly lives and breathes the Theater District — one where you stand a good chance of rubbing shoulders with an actual performer after a show at Shea's or the Alleyway — Matinee is your place. Beer is the libation of choice; the selection encompasses over 100 varieties (with obscure imports and craft brews from across North America represented) curated by a knowledgeable staff more than happy to serve as tour guides for newbies. And the chilled-out ambience, with vintage Broadway show posters on the walls and indie rock on the soundsystem, says "theater-geek hipster" in big bold letters.

32. DrinkBarDowntown

    Misuta Chow's

    Johny Chow took inspiration for his namesake nightspot from his visits to Tokyo while on tour as bassist for heavy metal band Stone Sour, and sure enough, he's recreated an honest-to-goodness indoor yokocho in downtown Buffalo. So when you're in between games of pinball or Double Dragon at the arcade or after you've had your fill of Japanese noodle-shop and street-food fare, head over to the gargantuan first-floor bar where you'll find a menu of Asian-inspired cocktails, an ample range of sake, and beers on tap from Sapporo to PBR — or up the "Hello Kitty-themed staircase" to the private karaoke room on the second floor. There's truly nowhere else like this in Buffalo.

33. DrinkPubSouth Buffalo

    Smokey's Tavern

    But maybe what you're looking for isn't a trendy hipster haunt where millennials down the latest la-de-da craft beers. Maybe what you really want is an old-Buffalo gin mill like you used to see years ago around these parts. If so, head a couple blocks north of the main Larkinville action to Smokey's, where the beer is cold, the prices are cheap, the ambience is cozy, and the vibe is convivial and without a hint of pretension. This is the kind of place where all the regulars know each other, but don't let that put you off: it's also the kind of place where you'll be welcomed as one of the gang in no time.

34. DrinkBarDowntown

    The Cowboy

    Country-and-western themed nightclub with line dancing and occasional live music. If you're looking for a throwback to the tawdry Chippewa of old, the giant naked-lady mural paintings that cover the entire back wall will let you know you're in the right place.

35. DrinkBarDowntown

    Buffalo Tap House

    Forget the dance clubs of twenty years ago: if you want a real throwback, the Tap House is on hand to show you what your grandparents' Chippewa Street was like. It's a dimly lit dive populated by a friendly and down-to-earth clientele, sporting a food menu of classic pub grub sans any pretentious bells and whistles (beef on weck is a favorite) and a vibe that's old-school through and through. The one area where the Tap House does strut and swagger a bit is on its beer list, with over 30 taps pouring craft brews from around Western New York and the wider Great Lakes region.

36. DrinkBreweryDowntown

    Pearl Street Grill & Brewery

    The Pearl Street Grill has been brewing their own beer in-house since long before that was the "in" thing to do, and their beer list is still one of the best known and most sought out among locals. Between the regulars and seasonal specialties you've got about eight options to choose from, including the signature brew "Trainwreck", a light-bodied, sweet and spicy German-style amber ale.

37. DrinkBreweryWest Side

    Resurgence Brewing

    The original location of this popular craft brewery boasts a German-style outdoor beer garden featuring homemade brews and light snacks, as well as bocce courts and a fire pit. In the winter, the operation moves to an indoor tap room with ample views over the brewhouse.

38. DrinkPubSouth Buffalo

    Tilly's

    In the late 2010s, the Old First Ward increasingly defied its insular reputation and finding its way onto the beaten path for Buffalo drinkers — all the while conserving much of the old-school vibe that drew their notice in the first place. All well and good, but if you prefer authenticity over "authenticity", then head instead to the next neighborhood east, The Valley, which is where you'll find Tilly's. No fancy bells or whistles here, just cold beer, friendly camaraderie, and a classic dive-bar atmosphere.

39. DrinkBarWest Side

    Unknown Club

    This unusually-named, delightfully rough-around-the-edges neighborhood dive has been pouring cheap cold beers since 1970 to a rogue's gallery of regulars who all know each other, which is not to say that you as a newbie will be made to feel left out. The Unknown Club really packs 'em in on Sunday afternoons when the Bills play, as well as during the annual Black Rock Riverside Oktoberfest celebration.

40. DrinkBarAllentown and the Delaware District

    The Old Pink

    Allen Street Bar & Grill

    The dive-iest of the dive bars on the west end of Allen Street, the Old Pink was one of the main stomping grounds for Buffalo's punk, hardcore, and goth crowd in the '80s, and still looks the part today. Cheap beer plus a short menu of bar snacks including a killer steak sandwich in an ambience brimming with grungy character. And old habits die hard: on weekend nights, longtime DJs EVR and Dr. Know (sorry punkers, not the guy who plays guitar for the Bad Brains!) spin a diverse profusion of left-of-the-dial favorites.

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Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Buffalo (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Place data from Overture Maps.