Premier Gourmet

Premier GourmetPremier Gourmet
Premier GourmetPremier Gourmet
Store

3904 Maple Rd
Buffalo, New York, 14226-1044
United States

(716) 877-3574 | map
premiergourmet.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.48
Reviews:
82
Ratings:
108
pDev:
7.14%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DoubleSimcoe:
Photo of DoubleSimcoe
Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev -2.9%
I love food and gourmet markets and I love beer, so Premier was a must destination for me during my trip to Buffalo.

When you go in, there is almost no hint of the amazing beer section tucked away at the end of this store. Before, you ought to walk through aisles and aisles of yummies. Olive oil, chocolate, cheese and meats... a good but not exceptional market (go to Wegman's for the food, come here for the beer).

Yes, the beer. Wow! A big cooler with beer divided by countries, and then American micros. Ithaca, Yuengling, Sierra, Smutty, Victory, Flying Bison, Great Divide, Lake Placid, Troegs... a good mixture of national and regional, all cold and in six packs. Also growlers of the local Flying Bison and Rohrbach.

The room-temp beer selection is even bigger, with a big shelf for England (including Old Ales), Belgium and Quebec, Germany and Scandinavia (nice Mikkeller and Nogne). And more shelves for American singles, bombers and six-packs from pretty much every big and small name in the US.

As with other beer stores around Western New York I have visited (including the incredible Beers of the World in Rochester) I did not find anything super rare, but the selection qualifies nonetheless as exceptional.

Service was alright, a guy offered some help, another one responded to my Vanilla Bourbon County question somewhat tersely ("it came and it was gone like that"). But I didn't need help anyway.

Prices are a bit steep, but not super outrageous like at Beers of the World.

This store is a must for a beer lover in Buffalo, definitely.
Dec 14, 2010
More User Ratings:
Photo of FyreStorm
Reviewed by FyreStorm from Canada (ON)

4.89/5  rDev +9.2%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5
It's my go to when crossing into / outta US. Great selection, cold room, organized by area.

There are other good options in the area, but this is by far the best. Staff are great.
Jan 24, 2024
 
Rated: 4.66 by moscow2042 from New York

Jan 08, 2019
Photo of byronic
Reviewed by byronic from Canada (ON)

4.18/5  rDev -6.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25
Giant warehouse of goodies. Wine, cheese and lots of beer. Tons of other items as well but honestly we're here for the beer. Great selection although a bit pricey here and there. Could easily spend an hour or more perusing over the selection. Very helpful staff, but also willing to let you browse at your own pace. The fridge is especially cold so try not to stay in there too long!
Sep 26, 2017
 
Rated: 4.43 by liquid-lotus from New York

Feb 23, 2017
 
Rated: 4.64 by LeftHanded666 from New York

Feb 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.98 by BeerOps from Illinois

Feb 04, 2017
 
Rated: 4.78 by dochook from New York

Apr 26, 2016
Photo of Dankenstein716
Reviewed by Dankenstein716 from New York

4.03/5  rDev -10%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 5
Find it a bit overpriced. The customer service is pretty good. But when I do decide to go, it's for the selection and hopes of finding something I haven't tried.
Mar 14, 2016
Photo of fscottkey
Reviewed by fscottkey from New York

4.41/5  rDev -1.6%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.75
This is my go to beer store. I have been going here for over a year. They have a nice selection broken down by state and country. I haven't even started on any of their beers from outside North America (and there are a lot). Their web site does a decent job listing what is available. They Tweet out when new beers arrive, or when there are tastings. They have a state of the art growler system with a really good selection. The "vibe" is not as great as a store that just sells beer (with a bunch of neck beard guys to help you). They sell gourmet food, coffee, cheese, etc. And they sell beer. They still sport a huge selection and you can buy singles (which is what I usually do).

Nothing in the area really competes in terms of selection, rotation and notification of new beers.
Feb 23, 2016
 
Rated: 4.87 by cozmo from New York

Sep 27, 2015
Photo of mlockman
Reviewed by mlockman from Indiana

4.01/5  rDev -10.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.25
Not the best selection I've ever seen, and in fact seemed like somewhat of an afterthought to their wine-and-spirits selection, but the best I saw in town nonetheless. They list what's available in-store with prices online, so I would highly reccomend checking out the website before making a special trip, as there weren't too many limited release or hard-to-find beers. If you find yourself in the area, or don't know what you want and seek options, this place is great.
Sep 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.3 by Whatup14 from Canada (QC)

Aug 24, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by fredmugs from Indiana

Jul 31, 2015
 
Rated: 3.96 by Nyrangersgrrl from New York

Mar 01, 2015
Photo of cincysig
Rated by cincysig from Connecticut

5/5  rDev +11.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Outstanding beer shop (and much, much more) with a knowledgable and helpful staff. My first stop and frequent stop every time I'm in Buffalo.
Dec 26, 2014
Photo of KATCanada
Reviewed by KATCanada from Canada (ON)

4.24/5  rDev -5.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5
Good visit in Dec 2014. About 25 min from drive Niagara falls border crossing and maybe 20 from Peace bridge for my Canuck brothers and sisters. In my opinion the best selection in the area although the furthest of the majors from the borders. Great selection of Belgians, Mikkeller, Evil Twin and very nice USA regional representation. Staff I met were friendly but clearly not as knowledgeable as Village Beer market. Still way more selection. If you only have time for one stop this would be it for me.
Dec 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4.76 by JoelAK from New York

Nov 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by spark3148857 from Ohio

Nov 03, 2014
Photo of WunderLlama
Reviewed by WunderLlama from Massachusetts

4.51/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
Great rotating selection, growler fills, can buy singles, broad assortment with a variety of styles, very knowledgeable staff...what's there not to like?
Oct 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by Draven11 from New York

Sep 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by AugustusRex from Canada (ON)

Aug 15, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Moels

Aug 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by generallee from Virginia

Jul 20, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Moc513 from New York

Jul 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by REVZEB from Illinois

Jun 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by pottergator from New York

Jun 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by HoppyBastard1 from Pennsylvania

Jun 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by nodder from New York

Apr 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by Iamjeff6 from Virginia

Mar 20, 2014
Photo of timmy2b
Reviewed by timmy2b from New York

4.86/5  rDev +8.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Great selection of beers to choose from and the stock seems to rotate very quickly. I have only once got a beer that was well past its prime, but that was a Mkkeller single hop and I should have known better. The staff is very helpful and they are quick with suggestions based on others that you have enjoyed. They have a good number of rare beers come through the store, but they tend to dissapear quickly. I follow them on twitter and make a point of trying to stop the day I see a post of something I want. The selection is very diverse which allows for a lot of single bottle purchasing for things I may or may not enjoy. The single bottles are on the higher end of the price scale, but six packs and the rare beers are reasonably priced. I shop here about once a month unless something rare that I must have pops up. Only downside to me is the parking lot is a disaster and the location makes it difficult at times to get in and out.
Mar 06, 2014
Photo of GreesyFizeek
Reviewed by GreesyFizeek from New York

4.26/5  rDev -4.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.25
One of the best beer stores in Western New York. A gem for sure.

The section with beer in it is also alongside some great snacks and interesting kitchen equipment. The other section of the store (not connected, I'm guessing because of NYS law regarding liquor stores and beer) had a very extensive wine and liquor store.

There were 4 aisles or so dedicated to beer. Great international selection, and always a ton of Evil Twin stuff. All of the typical selections you'd suggest, with no major gaps noticeable. Aisles divided by state, with an extra containing various countries, most notably Britain and Belgium. The best, limited stuff is on the top shelf behind the growler station. Didn't get any growlers, so can't comment on the pour quality, but it seemed like there was a nice selection. No bottles seem to be hidden, but you have to ask to get the "good stuff" off the back shelf. Picked up a good bottle of Golden Delicious this way. There's a walk in cooler in the back of the store too, with cold six packs of New York craft standards.
Jan 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by scaredsheep from New York

Dec 24, 2013
 
Rated: 5 by toronto_beermaven from Canada (ON)

Dec 11, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by Wompus from New York

Dec 11, 2013
 
Rated: 5 by Bnjmnlws from New York

Oct 15, 2013
Photo of TerrySandee
Reviewed by TerrySandee from Wisconsin

4.61/5  rDev +2.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 3.5
This place is amazing! When we travel I look for places to find beer not distributd near me. I have never been to a place this awesome. 20 quality taps and the largest selection of beer that I have seen.

Found many locals as well as west coast stuff like Ballast Point and Ale Smith. I scored a Speedway Stout that I have been excited try. Great selection of imports too.

Staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. Notfar off the intersate either. If you have no reason to visit Buffalo, you do now.
Aug 05, 2013
Photo of scotorum
Reviewed by scotorum from Massachusetts

4.51/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75
Stopped here because it sounded like an upstate standout beer store, hoping to find a big selection including some things not available in New England.

Located in a busy shopping plaza area of a suburb of Buffalo. The smaller of two parts of a huge store, still larger than most beer stores. Beer in eight foot high rack after tall rack, in singles and sixpacks, plus about 50-75 feet of coolers with sixpacks and larger. Atmosphere says "step in, step up and look these over!" Everything very accessible except for the duplicates on the very top shelf.

I thought I had died and gone to beer store heaven.

When I first entered, a young clerk asked what I wanted to find, and cheerfully led me to the racks and explained where the empty cartons were for creating a mixed six.

Nearly everything was priced, and in most cases you could take a sixer, or a single without feeling a bit of a heel for breaking up a sixpack. Just ideal.

Broken down by state and country made locating particular breweries' products simply a matter of knowing where they were located. Didn't see most of the BA's top fifty rated stuff, but if it is nationally distributed, they seemed to have it!

Decent prices on most things, with quite a few great sales.

I'll do my damnedest to get back there when I hit my old hometown (Rochester) next month! Amherst is only an hour away!
Jun 25, 2013
Photo of jahbulon
Reviewed by jahbulon from New York

4.85/5  rDev +8.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
a-great atmosphere, I'm a young guy in the beer community and I feel more welcome here than any consumers location that's for sure. I like the store overall as well, there are lots of imported items like chocolate, coffee, cheese, deli, spreads, olives, pâté, cookies, bon bon's, etc... and local items as well. They roast their own coffee beans there and just offer a real nice shopping experience on top of their enormous beer selection and devoted staff.

q-amazing! I've been coming here regularly for over 2 yrs and I'm still finding things just in their regular stock that I need to try. Then you add on all the seasonal and limited releases they get which is like once a week at least. Most of the stock is kept fresh give or take a few things and the draft system provides you with a more stable growler fill.

s-very good. I've gotten to know everyone who works there pretty well and they always let me know when something is expected to come in or if they have something new I may not have noticed. Any question you ask about any of their stock, if they don't know themselves, they will look it up for you. very nice gentlemen :-)

s-amazing as said before. always changing draft list and adding things to their shelves as well. There are probably over 1500 different beers to choose from, in fact I'm sure they tell you on their website. just go and see it if you haven't, and if you think you've seen it before, go look again and remember how spoiled you are.

f-there is a café, deli, cheese cave, home-roasted coffee beans, tons of kitchen tools, cocktail ingredients, etc...

v-people below have said that this place can both be more expensive than consumers and village beer and I have to say that they are very wrong except for when consumers puts something way overdue on sale. Every "big" beer like founders doom, boltcutter, kbs and FW sucaba were exactly $2 cheaper than consumers and except for doom, this was true for village beer merchant as well. Just sayin' cause I'm a shopper and I look at prices all the time and there is no way that either consumers or VBM are ever cheaper than premier.
May 17, 2013
Photo of tresmonos
Reviewed by tresmonos from South Carolina

4.63/5  rDev +3.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
I am from Michigan and work all the time in the GTA. If you have ever been to Canada, you know the queen is alive and well because she likes to pull your dollars through your nostrils via sin taxes.

So I make bi-weekly runs to this place. It's a must. Selection is superior to anything I've seen in the Detroit metro. Prices are reasonable. They sort their beers via brewery / region. I saw some Colorado / Western US breweries in here, which blew me away.

Service is fantastic. And next door you'll find whatever spirits you can think of.

I see Ontario plates in the parking lot whenever I'm there, so it's not a secret. This place deserves some sort of citizenship award for keeping me sane in Canada.
Feb 19, 2012
Premier Gourmet in Buffalo, NY
Place rating: 4.48 out of 5 with 108 ratings