Markets and independent shops in Buffalo

397 markets, bookshops, record shops and makers in Buffalo.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 397.

BuySouth Buffalo
Buffalo Distilling Company
Though its official website traces the business's roots back to 1883, when the original company of the same name was founded by a pair of German immigrants on the Near East Side, today's relaunched Buffalo Distilling Company got its start in a Wyoming County barn in 2012. Their Larkinville retail shop and tasting room are open four days a week to fans of the "One Foot Cock" (no snickering please; it's named after the rooster weathervane on top of said barn) line of small-batch craft spirits. Distillery tours are also offered; get in touch on their Facebook page for details.
Tue Thu 4:30PM-9PM, Fri 4:30PM-10PM, Sat noon-8PM
BuyBookshopWest Side
Burning Books
This is not your ordinary bookstore, but if you're on the lookout for a unique gift for that hard-to-buy-for far-left radical on your list, Burning Books probably has what you're looking for: in the words of one reviewer, "books that people in power don't want you to read". Histories, biographies, reference materials, magazines, leaflets, DVDs, and even kids' books regarding a diversity of themes of social injustice and revolutionary politics — everything from the Black Panthers to the Stonewall Riots to the Zapatistas — all come at decidedly 99%-friendly prices.
Wed-Sun 11AM-7PM
BuyArt shopNorth Buffalo
Hyatt's All Things Creative
Founded in 1959 by graphic artist Charles W. Hyatt, Western New York's leading purveyor of art supplies stocks goods such as oil, acrylic and watercolor paints, brushes, canvas, pens, inks, papers, easels, ad nauseam at the hugely expanded warehouse-like location in North Buffalo that they inaugurated in January 2019. Hyatt's also offers picture framing services, classes and workshops, and miscellaneous gifts, and is one of the world's leading distributors of Pantone color-matching products.
Mon Tue 9AM-9PM, Wed-Fri 9AM-7PM, Sat 10AM-5PM
BuyBookshopWest Side
Rust Belt Books
One of Buffalo's best, and best-loved, secondhand bookstores, with an exhaustive selection of reading material of every genre — from old cookbooks to '70s music journalism to esoteric feminist essays to the classics of literature — and an enthusiastic and helpful staff and colorful clientele. More than that, Rust Belt Books' relentless devotion to the local community sees them playing host to a variety of community happenings, as well as poetry readings, plays and other special events.
Mon noon-6PM, Tue Wed 10:30AM-6PM, Thu-Sat 10:30AM-8PM, Sun 11AM-5PM
BuyBookshopElmwood Village
Talking Leaves Books
The last survivor of what was once a thriving independent bookstore scene on Elmwood, with a name derived "from a recurrent conceptualization of books by peoples who were unfamiliar with print; book pages were seen as 'leaves' that 'talked,' imparting wisdom and knowledge and spirit... an intriguing way of keeping track of the treasures of the people: their minds and their ways of being in, and understanding, the world." True to that philosophy, offered here is a vast selection of the sort of books that expand people's consciousness, with a special emphasis on unusual and oft-neglected topics that reflect the unique identity of Elmwood Villagers.
Mon-Sat 10AM-9PM, Sun 10AM-6PM
BuyElmwood Village
Parables Gallery & Gifts
Out of a former apartment flat on Elmwood Avenue in April 2016 emerged Parables Gallery & Gifts: a small but versatile three-room space that functions as a combination gallery, gift shop, and event space where the work of local artists and artisans of diverse media (including owner Glenn Kroetsch, who specializes in abstract paintings of nature scenes) are displayed, sold (prices rarely exceed $75), or transferred to one-of-a-kind gifts such as t-shirts and throw pillows.
Tue-Fri 11AM-6PM, Sat 11AM-5PM, Sun noon-4PM
BuyWest Side
Pattaya Street Food
Gourmet Lao Foods opened their own freestanding restaurant (see above) in 2018, but the West Side Bazaar stall where it all began remains in operation — albeit with a new name — serving delicious bubble teas, Laotian desserts (including dok jok, the crispy, coconut milk-infused cookie that they're most famous for). Plus, as if to make up for a weak point in most of the International Kitchen's other food stalls, Pattaya stocks a cooler with a full range of bottled soft drinks.
Closed · opens 11:30 am tomorrowUnder $5
BuyArt shopAllentown and the Delaware District
Pine Apple Company
The Pine Apple Company is a gallery and event space run by a sextet of local artists, and the operative word is "local": the Buffalo art world tends to be insular by necessity, a concept reflected in the name of the gallery (google the 2016 feature story in The Public that quotes co-owner Tom Holt for an explanation). Aside from the focus on local solidarity, though, there's no way to succinctly summarize what you might find here on any given day: come by to check out anything from watercolors to pen-and-ink cartoons to handmade plush toys to digital pop-art pieces, all representing the best of the Buffalo scene.
Wed Thu noon-6PM, Fri Sat noon-11PM, Sun 11AM-6PM
BuyAntiquesNorth Buffalo
Buffalo Antiques and Quality Furniture
Dealing in a wide selection of wholesale antique furniture, timepieces, china, sterling silver, light fixtures, and decorative accessories, Buffalo Antiques is a massive emporium that's been in business on Hertel for over fifteen years. In addition to the antique items, which represent Victorian and 19th-century European styles through the Mid-Century Modern period, a variety of new furniture is also sold here: Buffalo Antiques is a licensed dealer of the Maitland-Smith and LaBarge brands. As well, these fine folks are always on the lookout for quality items to purchase, from single items to partial and total estate sale liquidations.
Wed-Sat noon-5PM
BuySecond-hand shopNorth Buffalo
Hertel Home Consignment
"Consignment with flare" is the operating credo at Hertel Home Consignment, with an exceptionally well-curated selection that is high-quality yet affordable, constantly changing, and often tailored to reflect seasonal trends. Living room furniture, dressers and armoires, lamps, objets d'art come gently used but still vibrant, often sourced from people selling their homes, downsizing, or the like. And if you're looking to find a new home for your favorite piece, bring it on in: consigners get 50% of the profit after the sale!
Tue Wed 10AM-5PM, Thu Fri 11AM-7PM, Sat 10AM-4PM
BuySecond-hand shopWest Side
Paloma Exchange
If you're a fashion-conscious type with a flair for the retro, you know that scratching the vintage itch can sometimes come at a steep price. Not so at the Paloma Exchange, where the selection of secondhand men's and women's clothing and accessories is expertly curated by a repatriated local native who knows her stuff inside and out and includes a surprising abundance of souvenir-worthy Buffalo swag — and where prices undercut the competition by far. And the shopping environment couldn't be more trendy (or less "thrift store-ish"): floor-to-ceiling windows make for an airy ambience, the decor is understated yet stylish, changing rooms are ample in size, and the playlist of piped-in music is hipster heaven.
Mon-Sat 11AM-8PM, Sun noon-6PM
BuyRecord shopEast Side
Doris Records
If you're a fan of modern R&B and hip-hop music or the sweet strains of classic soul and Motown, you'll want to make a stop at this institution that's been going strong in Cold Spring since 1962. Nowadays small independent record shops like this are almost invariably partonized by hipster vinyl fetishists, but Doris is the exception to that rule: here CDs and DVDs dominate the inventory and there's only a modest selection of record albums. You can also browse a modest variety of baseball caps, T-shirts, and other streetwear, as well as racks of urban-oriented lifestyle magazines such as XXL.
Mon-Sat 10AM-10PM
BuyCraft shopAllentown and the Delaware District
El Buen Amigo
El Buen Amigo — "The Good Friend" in Spanish — is the name of the storefront gallery in Allentown run by the Latin-American Cultural Association of Buffalo. Aside from the works of art that are on display and for sale in the gallery, El Buen Amigo also hosts a wide variety of activities and programs reflective of the vibrancy of the local Hispanic community, including music, cultural enrichment programs, and Spanish language classes. El Buen Amigo also offers fair-trade crafts, clothing, and coffee for sale.
Mon-Sat 11AM-7PM, Sun 11AM-5PM
BuySpecialty food shopWest Side
Gondola Macaroni Products
First-generation Italian immigrant Guido Colla has been cooking ravioli with his own self-designed pasta maker since 1958, and now on the cusp of his seventh decade in business, his cramped little shop in Black Rock is a throwback to old times. You can get all kinds of pasta at Gondola, but ravioli is what they're most famous for — scratch-made daily in house with a simple recipe of durum flour, water, eggs, and various meat fillings; there are no additives or chemicals in this stuff, which is likely why its quality puts supermarket fare to shame. Service comes with a smile and obvious appreciation for your business, even if the owners' English isn't quite up to snuff.
Mon-Sat 9:30AM-6PM
BuyWest Side
La Flor Bakery
After you get done munching on some of the most delicious Puerto Rican food in town, don't forget to make a stop at the attached bakery for dessert, with bizcocho, several varieties of flan, pastelillos, and other delectable tropical desserts to take home.
Daily 8AM-9PM
BuyCraft shopElmwood Village
Lumpy Buttons
Taking over the space in the back of Thin Ice gift shop where ShopCraft used to be is this purveyor of a delightfully quirky line of handcrafted felt goods: embroidered pins and patches, decorative pieces to hang on your wall, plush toys, even finger puppets. The house aesthetic trends heavily toward cute cartoon animals — the black cat logo emblazoned on the sign in front of the shop (and also visible on their website) gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Wed-Sat noon-6PM, Sun noon-5PM
BuyGift shopElmwood Village
NEO Gift Studio
A longtime Elmwood Avenue fixture now reopened in brand-new digs at the corner of West Delavan Avenue, NEO Gift Studio is the place for you if you're looking for that perfect, one-of-a-kind gift for someone who may be hard to buy for. This immense store has gifts of all descriptions, both whimsical and practical, for all ages, women as well as men — candles and candleholders, home decor, office items, fine tableware, lamps, gag gifts, a wide selection of flowers and picture frames. As well, NEO's friendly employees live out the cliché of "service with a smile", and provide one of the highest-quality gift-wrapping services in Buffalo.
Mon-Fri 10AM-6PM, Sat 10AM-5PM
BuyCraft shopElmwood Village
ShopCraft
ShopCraft is less a gift shop per se than an alliance of locally-based artists and artisans who sell their handcrafted art and photographic prints, cards and stationery, organic toiletries, clothes, kitchenwares, and so on directly to the public. If you're looking for the kinds of souvenirs you could never hope to find anywhere else, head here. And if you can't make it during the above-listed hours, check their Facebook page — the artisans of ShopCraft keep a busy schedule of appearances at area craft fairs, farmers markets, and other events all year round.
Thu 3-8PM, Fri 10AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-8PM, Sun 10AM-7PM
BuyFarmers marketElmwood Village
The Farm Shop
Aside from the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmer's Market, this is the sole retail outlet for Cattaraugus County's family-owned White Cow Dairy. What the Farm Shop's inventory lacks in range is made up for by its quality: the cows are fed on 100% wild grass, making for old-fashioned flavors you can't find at the supermarket, and the constantly-changing selection is crowned by some of the best yogurt you'll ever taste. Aside from dairy products, there's also a modest range of other locally-sourced goodies, such as fresh produce from Buffalo's own WestSide Tilth Farm, artisan chocolate from Dark Forest Chocolates out of Lancaster, and real New York maple syrup.
Fri noon-7PM, Sat 9AM-7PM
BuyWest Side
Five Points Bakery
Quoting their website, Five Points Bakery is all about "raising the bar on local food" and "striv[ing] to overcome the limitations of our food system and reclaim our food heritage through education... and a dedication to sustainability". Sound a bit high-concept and pricey? It is, but those who persevere past the sticker shock will find the homemade artisanal multigrain, whole-wheat and ciabatta bread worth splurging for — and it's all made with organic locally-grown grain. If you've got a sweet tooth, the cinnamon rolls are among the hugest in town, and that's just for starters. All this goodness is available to grab and go, but if you like, you can also linger at the toast bar.
Mon-Sat 7AM-7PM, Sun 7AM-4PM
BuyBookshopElmwood Village
Inspiration Point
Inspiration Point is a modest but charming bookshop that stocks literature on such esoteric subjects as Eastern spirituality, yoga, metaphysics, meditation, natural healing, astral travel, and psychic phenomena. In addition, a wide range of music, greeting cards, and gift items such as candles, crystals, totems, and incense is on offer, and classes and workshops are held frequently.
Tue-Sat 11AM-6PM
BuySouth Buffalo
Mazurek's Bakery
This old-school Polish bakery has been open since 1933 and absolutely looks the part, from the humble yet proud exterior to the staff who know their customers and their products by name. Speaking of, these home-baked bundles of goodness sport real, old-fashioned flavors, far from the sanitized stuff you'll find in supermarkets. Crispy, golden-fried, sugar-dusted chruściki is their most famous offering, but you'll also find delicious Polish-style cheesecake, fresh pączki baked Thursday through Saturday, seeded rye bread that's the closest thing to the genuine New York article you can find in Buffalo, and doughnuts that drive folks to reverie.
Mon-Fri 8AM-5:30PM, Sat 8AM-3PM
BuyAntiquesEast Side
Sloan's Antiques and Modern Furniture
A visit to Sloan's is like rummaging through the jumbled treasures in your grandma's attic or basement. What will you find in the jumble? Their Facebook page claims "you will see giant fish, bear skins, disco balls, neon signs, lamps, paintings of all sorts, and of course antiques", but it's actually not quite as diverse and offbeat as all that: the cornerstone of the inventory is fine furniture and home decor of a chronological purview ranging roughly from Late Victorian through Mid-century Modern. Best to call ahead before you show up, as the owners seem to regard their opening hours more as a general rule of thumb.
Thu-Sat noon-3PM
BuySouth Buffalo
Snowy Owl Kombucha
Snowy Owl is a "kombucha production studio" that opened in September 2016 as one of the inaugural tenants of The Barrel Factory's "makers' market" selling artisanally produced goods. Snowy Owl makes theirs in a sustainable manner using 100% organic, fair trade-certified tea leaves. On Fridays and Saturdays, thirsty customers descend on their brewery-cum-tasting room-cum boutique to sample one of about a half-dozen plain and flavored kombuchas (also available is a "blend your own" option, where you can go to town on Snowy Owl's own juicer and your choice of fruits) — either imbibe at the bar or bring your own growler.
Fri 4-8PM, Sat noon-8PM
BuySpecialty food shopNorth Buffalo
The House of Olives
Easily the most interesting of the products sold here by owner Sandy Hofschneider are her flavored olive oils: infusions of fresh basil, jalapeño, Meyer lemon, garlic mushroom, and more into the imported extra-virgin oils you can also buy plain. Infused vinegars are also a specialty, with blackberry, raspberry, hickory, and chocolate among the available flavors. Best of all, Hofschneider herself is always on hand to suggest pairings, share recipes, or — bringing to bear her experience working as a registered nurse in North Carolina — extol the myriad health benefits of extra-virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars.
Tue-Fri 11AM-6PM, Sat 11AM-7PM, Sun noon-4PM
BuyCraft shopNorth Buffalo
The Main Frame
Opened in 1988 as a small art gallery and frame store at the heart of the Hertel Avenue corridor, The Main Frame is a sister shop to the venerable Vern Stein Art & Frame in Williamsville, and serves also as the production facility for the custom-made frames sold at both stores. The Main Frame boasts a large selection of prints on display and for sale, with antique prints featuring local scenes and themes a particular specialty. The Main Frame's staff has over 30 years of combined experience in custom framing, and really does a marvelous job at it.
Tue-Fri 10AM-5:30PM, Sat 10AM-3PM
BuyAllentown and the Delaware District
Art Dialogue Gallery
Curated by Donald J. Siuta, a noted artist, educator and consultant who also serves on the Board of Directors of the Buffalo Arts Commission and as head of the Western New York Artists Group, the Art Dialogue Gallery exhibits a small but magnificent collection of paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, and works in other media by local artists. In addition, there are antique prints for sale, and Siuta puts his nearly forty years of experience to good use in offering the most comprehensive selection of custom framing in Western New York, with hundreds of mouldings to choose from.
Tue-Fri 11AM-5PM, Sat 11AM-3PM
BuyWest Side
Bootleg Bucha
Buffalo's first kombucha brewery (a lightly carbonated, fermented tea native to East Asia with a wide array of purported health benefits; the owners will be only too happy to go over these for you) offers a rotating selection of about four dozen different varieties on tap, the most popular of which include ginger beer, carrot pineapple, and blueberry lavender. You can buy kombucha in disposable plastic bottles if you like, but Bootleg Bucha will also sell you a more environmentally friendly reusable glass bottle for $2, or you can even bring your own growler to fill.
Tue Sat 11AM-5PM, Wed-Fri 11AM-7PM, Sun 11AM-3PM
BuyFarmers marketEast Side
Broadway Market
The Broadway Market traces its history to 1888, not long after the birth of the city's Polish community. Back then, this was not only a place for the newly minted community to stock up on daily essentials, but also to meet friends, see and be seen, and enjoy a comforting reminder of their homeland. Today, Polish and other Eastern European foods and gifts share space on the sales floor with soul food stands, halal groceries, and other items that reflect the diverse pastiche of the modern-day East Side. For most of the year, the Market is a fairly quiet place, with about a dozen stalls and eateries open for business (more on Saturdays, which is generally the busiest day of the week) — but come in the weeks leading up to Easter and you'll find yourself amid the throngs of Buffalo Poles who flock back to the old neighborhood each year to pick up specialties for the traditional breakfast spread. At those times, seasonal vendors swell the ranks to perhaps three times as many as listed here.
Mon-Sat 8AM-5PM
BuyDowntown
Buffalo Scrubs
Located (appropriately enough) in the Buffalo Niagara Medical Corridor within easy walking distance of Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo Scrubs is Western New York's #1 dealer of high-quality professional medical apparel. Scrubs, lab coats, shoes, and accessories are available in a wide range of styles and brands, with free office consultations, on-site fittings and delivery services provided.
Mon-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat 10AM-2PM
BuyNorth Buffalo
Carriage Trade Pastries
In addition to supplying desserts to some of the finest restaurants in the Buffalo area, Carriage Trade Pastries is a great place to pick up some of the best scratch-made baked goods in Buffalo: cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, muffins, sticky buns, scones, and more for prices that are surprisingly affordable given the quality. Pies, cakes and other specialty items are available too, but as this is a small operation that custom-designs all their cakes, these must be ordered at least a day in advance. If you're hungry for something else, there's a lunch counter where a few light items such as soups, meatless chili, and quiche are on offer.
Tue-Fri 8AM-5PM, Sun 9AM-5PM
BuyAntiquesWest Side
CooCooU
The alpha and omega in Buffalo when it comes to everything Midcentury and Scandinavian Modern, CooCooU sports a myriad of one-of-a-kind items with a fanciful postwar aesthetic: whether it be furniture, lamps, decorative baubles, architectural elements, objets d'art, or even musical instruments and jewelry, the vast selection and impeccable quality are right up there with the best that places like Toronto and New York City have to offer. You could easily spend a whole day here. Hours of operation are variable — don't be surprised if the owner opens the place up early or stays late, especially during special sales and promotions or around the holidays.
Daily 11AM-5PM
BuyChocolatierElmwood Village
Fowler's Chocolates
Among the delightful locally-made confections available at Fowler's seven retail stores (among the most popular of which is their Elmwood Avenue location) are pecan caramel clusters, chocolate-covered pretzels, and a range of European-style truffles — but the specialty is sponge candy, a perennial favorite among Buffalonians. Fowler's employees can assemble a wide variety of custom-made gift boxes and other assortments, including a "bouquet" of a dozen long-stemmed solid chocolate roses. Fowler's also boasts an ice-cream counter in the summer, and serves fresh hot chocolate in colder weather.
Mon-Sat 10AM-6PM, Sun noon-5PM
BuyNorth Buffalo
Gino's Italian Bakery
Whether you're in search of a loaf of fresh, tasty house-baked bread, or you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth with delectable pastries (the pasticiotti is a perennial favorite), cookies such as cuccidiati and giugiuleni, Italian wedding cakes, or all manner of other sweets, Gino's is as good as it gets in Buffalo when it comes to authentic, delicious Italian baked goods. And the prices can't be beat.
Tue-Fri 8AM-5PM, Sat 8AM-3PM, Sun 8AM-2PM
BuySecond-hand shopWest Side
Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Wherein Habitat for Humanity operates what basically amounts to a huge thrift store for furniture and housewares: the shelves are stocked with gently used (and some new!) chairs and tables, sofas, bedroom sets, lamps, cabinetry, doors and windows, building materials, and appliances donated to them by the public. Best of all, this place operates with very little overhead — it's staffed by volunteers, so almost all the money you pay goes to help Habitat for Humanity build new homes and rehab old ones to help out the less fortunate.
Tue-Fri 10AM-6PM, Sat 9AM-6PM, Sun noon-4PM
BuyGift shopAllentown and the Delaware District
HeadSpace Glass & Gifts
Located on Elmwood Avenue just south of Allen Street, HeadSpace is Allentown's premier "head shop", stocking a wide variety of scientific glass pipes, artistic and decorative glassware, vaporizers, and other smoking accessories, as well as (interestingly enough) a modest selection of baseball caps.
Mon 1PM-9PM, Tue-Sat noon-9PM, Sun 1PM-6PM
BuySecond-hand shopWest Side
Hearts Thrift Store
This large thrift store in the heart of Riverside is one of Buffalo's best, but it's not known for the great diversity of its selection, nor are folks who come looking for the usual thrift-store fare — kooky vintage clothing, hip band t-shirts, designer jeans, and the like — likely to leave satisfied. Instead, the order of the day at this "businesswoman's thrift store" (as one reviewer put it) is high-end office attire and formalwear, sold in tip-top condition for prices that can't be beat. Best of all, the money you spend here could not go to a better cause: the store was set up to benefit Hearts for the Homeless, a faith-based charity that feeds, counsels and ministers to Buffalo's homeless.
Mon-Sat 11AM-5PM
BuySouth Buffalo
Lakeward Spirits
The Barrel Factory is where you'll find the production facility, tasting room, and retail outlet for this craft distillery where the theme — stewardship of Buffalo's local water resources — is reflected in everything from the company's name, to their partnership with Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper in developing eco-friendly, conservation-minded water use policies for the distillery, to their signature spirit, "Grain Canyon" vodka, named in homage to the historic grain elevators that line the Buffalo River just a stone's throw from here.
Wed Thu Mon-10PM, Fri Mon-11PM, Sat noon-11PM, Sun noon-6PM
BuyDowntown
Queen City Gallery
The Queen City Gallery "Celebrates the Architecture of Buffalo" (to cite its mission statement) from its headquarters in the Market Arcade on Main Street in the Theater District. Here you'll find not only the work of its owner, Michael Mulley, but also photography and works in other media by a bevy of local artists, with an accent on vintage and contemporary depictions of Buffalo and Western New York. Books and prints are offered for sale at reasonable prices.
Tue-Fri 11AM-4PM, Sat by appointment
BuyCraft shopWest Side
Stitch Buffalo
Stitch Buffalo's main mission is to help refugee women develop economic, educational, and practical skills, and it does this by employing over 55 of them as skilled textile artisans who hand-stitch a variety of goods using the native colors, styles, and methods of their respective homelands. One thing they don't make is clothing, but stop by Stitch if you're in the market for an embroidered pin (peace signs and "Buffalove" are popular motifs), a hair clip, a felt elephant figurine, or the like. And if you'd rather DIY, check their website for the date of the next "Second Stitch" pop-up event, where surplus yarn, knitting needles and other supplies are sold.
Tue Thu 1-4PM, Fri 9AM-4PM, Sat 10AM-2PM

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