The South Buffalo satellite location of Public Espresso at the Shea's Seneca building offers basically the same sort of eating and drinking experience as the downtown one: drip and pour-over coffee made from ethically-sourced beans, bursting with nuanced natural flavors; an impressive range of baked goods crowned by Buffalo's best homemade vegan doughnuts; sandwiches, breakfast options, and other light fare. But the ambience starkly different, eschewing the trendy hipster vibes for those of a 1950s diner, with checkerboard floors, decorative neon signs, and midcentury-inspired furnishings. And feel free to direct the nostalgic Gen Xer in your crowd to the gift shop, replete with Star Wars and other 1980s throwback merch.
Mon-Fri 7AM-4PM, Sat-Sun 8AM-3PM
Located in the beautifully remodeled Shea's Seneca building, Bottle Rocket is part beer store, part chilled-out, hipster-friendly watering hole pouring a constantly changing selection of craft beers. There are eight on tap at any given time, including a few local beers but emphasizing diverse and interesting selections from craft breweries around the East Coast that you won't necessarily find elsewhere in Buffalo. The centerpiece of the place is an enormous 84-inch flat-screen TV, which, when it's not tuned to the big game or blaring classic rock standards, is put to use for the video game tournaments the place hosts from time to time.
Located in the beautifully remodeled Shea's Seneca building, Bottle Rocket is part bar, part South Buffalo's answer to Village Beer Merchant. Here you can pick up four- or six-packs (or mix-and-match if you like) of a changing variety of craft beers sold out of a couple of vintage wooden bookcases and an old locker (repurposed from the defunct Public School 77 on the West Side) in a corner of the room. As with the selections at the bar, locally-brewed beers are largely eschewed in favor of harder-to-find options sourced from breweries elsewhere — so if you're on the hunt for something obscure, put this place on your list.
Sun Mon noon-6PM, Thu Fri 5PM-midnight, Sat noon-midnight
Its name may no longer be apropos — the place moved in 2019 from its former location on South Park Avenue (aka U.S. Route 62) to the Shea's Seneca building — but the tacos, nachos, burritos, and other classic Tex-Mex fare is still on point. Don't be fooled by a menu that seems run-of-the-mill at first blush: there are some interesting innovations to be found among the specialty tacos, such as Korean barbecue, Philly cheesesteak, and even a beef on weck taco dressed with horseradish slaw. The food is serviceably good though a bit bland, perfect for those who like Mexican cuisine but can't handle spice, and if you don't like Mexican cuisine, check out their selection of specialty mac and cheese bowls. It's all served up fast-casual style for reasonable prices in a cavernous space that gets loud when it gets crowded.
Sun-Thu 10AM-10PM, Fri Sat 10AM-midnight·$10-25