Buffalo Brewpub

Buffalo BrewpubBuffalo Brewpub
Buffalo BrewpubBuffalo Brewpub
Brewery, Bar, Eatery

6861 Main St
Williamsville, New York, 14221
United States

(716) 632-0552 | map
buffalobrewpub.com
BEER STATS
Average:
2.99
Beers:
8
Ratings:
45
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.52
Reviews:
29
Ratings:
38
pDev:
16.19%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by wisegreensoul:
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Rated by wisegreensoul from Idaho

3.56/5  rDev +1.1%

Dec 14, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.64/5  rDev +3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.75
Stopped here as there are several breweries in the vicinity. Bustling lunch time crowd, local, neighborhood vibe. Old fashioned interior like a 1970s steakhouse. Food available. 7-8 of their own taps plus about 20 others. Great service, even when busy.
Jan 26, 2023
 
Rated: 3.78 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Jan 10, 2018
 
Rated: 3.24 by nater919 from New York

Aug 26, 2016
 
Rated: 3.61 by RWLawman from North Carolina

Apr 07, 2016
Photo of i2rt
Reviewed by i2rt from Georgia

2.68/5  rDev -23.9%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Decent beer selection but don't count on the beer menu being up to date. They were out of 4 in a row that I requested. Worst bartenders in the world. You have to flag them down to get their attention. No eye contact when you are trying to order. Had one bartender walk off to talk to another customer while I was trying to order a beer. Who the hell trained these people?
As good as the beer selection is, I wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy.
Mar 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3.84 by BeerOps from Illinois

Jan 26, 2015
Photo of Steffanie
Reviewed by Steffanie from New York

4.25/5  rDev +20.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
I may be biased, since we got engaged here and are Mug Club members, but- usually decent food, always great selection. You can tell when the "good chef" is working, bc the food is amazing.
Jan 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by woopigscotty from Arkansas

Jul 26, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by generallee from Virginia

Jul 20, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by icw70 from New York

Jun 17, 2014
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Reviewed by Tyler200587 from Pennsylvania

3.81/5  rDev +8.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Went there for a welcome home party. Great atmosphere, food was on point. As well as the beer. Wish they had more selection, but overall a great place to go and kick back.

I would recommend the buffalo chicken wing Mac and cheese paired with one of their ales.
Apr 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Kzd from New York

Feb 23, 2014
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Reviewed by timmy2b from New York

3.54/5  rDev +0.6%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 3 | food: 4.25
I like going to the brew pub and I have a mug there.

The Atmosphere is decent. People are friendly, but it can get a little crowded.

The tap list does not change that much. If it was just the beers they brew that did not change, but as a brew pub I would like to see a little more turnover on the draft list.

Service is great and the bartenders seem to be very well informed about the beers and the differences between beers of the same style.

Food is good and the price is reasonable. Anyone not from buffalo looking for the best of what we offer should grab the sample plate of Beef on Weck and Chicken Wings. It will not disappoint!
Jan 25, 2014
Photo of jdibbs
Reviewed by jdibbs from New York

4.29/5  rDev +21.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
I love this place. I go frequently and can't think of a single time that I did not enjoy myself.

Atmosphere: The bar is very big and sits about 25-30 people (it even has a smaller bar for those who prefer to be closer to the wine selections). If it is extremely busy, there is a long shelf/ledge with stools to sit at directly behind the main bar if you can't find a space right away. It is all dark wood finish with great lighting (dim but not too dark either). The dining area isn't huge but it fits a decent number of people. There are two dart boards for additional entertainment.

Quality: The food is great. The beers can be somewhat pricey but then again compared to the other bars/restaurants in the area, its not that bad. Usually, none of the beers will exceed $5 in price.

Service: Admittedly, when the place gets busy (and it usually is on Thrus/Fri/Sat nights) the service can slow a bit. There are usually anywhere from 2 to 4 bartenders working on the busy nights. Ordinarily the bartenders are extremely responsive. They make sure you're doing alright with your beer as you get low. They are extremely knowledgeable in the beer selection and although a bartender usually hates the question, "what's good on tap?", they have no problem pointing out the beers that they think are good or even asking what you usually like in which case they make a suggestion.

Selection: They have 34 beers on tap at any given time, 4 of them are house brews. I've been told by a few people that they think the beers they do have are not extra-ordinary. I don't find this to be the case. They frequently have new beers on tap (usually 2-3 new ones every 2 weeks or so) and I always see something new that I haven't tried before.
The house brews tend not to be outstanding.

Food: The bar offers free peanuts/popcorn. The food is excellent. I suggest the Burgers.

Overall the place is a great bar to stop into if your looking for a quality place to drink with a great selection of beers.
Apr 09, 2013
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Reviewed by alexkeil from New York

2.75/5  rDev -21.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 1 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 3
I used to frequent this brewpub a lot a few years ago but its been in a steady decline for a while now, which is a shame because of the poetential it has being the areas first brewpub. Most importantly the beer is average at best which is unacceptable for a brewpub and for the price being charged per beer. I've been in the establishment many times and at all different times and have never seen any activity around the brewing equipment at all. From what I've been told the beer was much better when the pub first opened and because of money it started to decline. With any business, especially the restaurant business, it can be very difficult to keep your head above water; however, this place does a good business and charges a lot for all their beer. I think the owners need to reevaluate their plan for the brewing portion of their establishment, as Buffalo becomes more "embeered" and knowledgable of the beer culture in WNY they will choose to spend their money elsewhere. At this point its just a good beer bar.
Nov 13, 2011
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Reviewed by trxxpaxxs from New York

2.6/5  rDev -26.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 4 | selection: 2 | food: 2
I've lived in Buffalo for a few years, but have never ventured out to the Buffalo Brewpub until I recently went for a friends birthday...

The Buffalo Brewpub was crowded (which I was told by the hostess is pretty standard). We wandered up to the bar and ordered 2 rounds of drinks before our table was ready.

After we were seated, we ordered, and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time. But the selection and the quality of the grub was far from impressive. Our server was nice, and attentive, but no one in our party was particularly satisfied.

And the beers... Awful! All the "In-House" beers are made by Custom BrewCrafters. And they are all terrible. I tried their Amber and Pale Ale and was supremely disappointed with both. It strikes me as weird that they contract out, but have all the brewing equipment on premises. I guess it's just for show.

I will not be making a return trip the Buffalo Brewpub in the future.
Jul 09, 2011
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Reviewed by BruChef from New York

3.68/5  rDev +4.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
Finally got a chance to stop here for dinner with some friends on the way to a concert in buffalo. It was Friday nite around 8 and the place was packed. The Host was very friendly and informed us it would be about a half hour wait. Normally that would have been fine but we were in sort of a rush to get to the show in time so opted instead to leave a name with him, go to the bar and have some house brews and hope he calls it before we finish our beers.

The bar was pretty cool as it was pretty long and dark along with the rest of the establishment, almost British pub-esque. There were about three bartenders, all busy and seemingly able to keep up with patron request as we weeded our way to a tight opening at the counter. The tap selection was basic but good and plentiful, especially for a place that brews its own beer. Product from southern tier, ellicotville, smuttynose, saranac, sam adams, and long trail (triple bag, sweet!) were available but i wanted to try the house brew. I opted for a sampling of all five available: a house lager and a bock, both contract brewed by another local brewery, flying bison, an american pale ale, an amber ale and a spring seasonal ale. The samples were a bargain, each a full six oz. glass for a buck a piece. For all you mathematicians that's thirty oz.'s of beer for five dollars! Can't beat that ...unless the beers are just average, which they were. Nonetheless though, still a good deal.

Luckily we heard the host call us out for a table about ten minutes in to our drinks so we had time for dinner. We sat down and were immediately greeted by our server who asked us for our drink order. I was contempt with finishing my samples and ordered water while my companions ordered a couple more brews. He came back within five minutes with our beverages and by then we were ready to order. The menu was pretty typical of a pub: nachos, mozz. stix, onion rings, quesadillas, burgers and sandwiches, and some steak and pasta dishes. It was friday so that means fish fry, which my friends ordered (one ordered a sandwich of fried fish only to be disappointed that his fish was a frozen product. All of us are in the industry so we could tell. A couple redeeming factors were that he was able to turn his side of fries into poutine and the other one who ordered a regular fish fry dinner received a fresh, battered filet). I ordered a fried bologna sandwich with thick slices of locally made bologna, sauteed peppers, onions and cheddar cheese. It was pretty tasty and came with fries which our server offered malt vinegar with. Big points in my book. Of course, being that we were in buffalo, we ordered wings: An order of cajun and an order of reg. med. wings. They were good but very pricey; over nine dollars for a small order of ten wings. Good but not worth the price. The other portions were of a healthy size and reasonably priced.

Overall a good dining experience and i might go back after a few visits to some other bars/pubs in Buffalo, especially when they have their oatmeal stout back on draft.

Another few quick notes about the interior: The double swing doors going into the kitchen and the bathroom door had really cool paintings of some cartoon like caricatures in various settings. There were also a couple of cozy fireplaces, one in the entrance of the bar and one in the dining room. And for sports fans, this place had it's fair share of flat screens. A little something for everybody at this place.
Mar 13, 2011
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Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 2.5
*** Back to the Brewpub, six months later ***

We stumbled upon the Buffalo Brewpub and decided to give it another shot. We loved the atmosphere again, cozy and roomy and quiet on a Sunday night. Service was much better this time around, friendly (and pretty hot) bartender. Selection is still blah, 32 taps and not much of note, Dogfish 60, Ithaca Flower Power, Saranac... food- very average, we had the mozzarella sticks. Bar food. Not good. But the prices are low (beer under five bucks), love that. Would go back, for the ambience and the cheap beer. I'm re-rating this place higher on atmosphere, quality and service.

---

My wife and I spent a day in Buffalo and stopped at several beer places. The Buffalo Brewpub was our second stop after the nearby Pizza Plant. We were told it was the oldest brewpub in Buffalo and they also brew their own beers so we were intrigued.

I liked the cozy atmosphere and nice bar- I could see myself spending some time there if I were a local! That's about the only positive aspect of Buffalo Brewpub I can think of.

Beer selection appears to be huge but it is mostly macros. Truly good interesting crafties are maybe three or four. We tried the Saranac Imperial IPA, good but not great. After that we left.

Didn't try food or their own beers. Service was so-so. Bartenders were flaky and not very attentive, but nice enough when flagged down.

Not a place I would go back to. Pizza Plant is nearby and much better.
Dec 13, 2010
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Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.7/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Near the airport, Transit area. Pretty large and pleasant place, frequented by lots of college studatents, so everyone can get ID'd there. Crowded but still feeling of some room if you can get at the bar for your order. Saw about 20 or so taps, with some decent selections, but not the big new ones you can get nearby at Pizza Plant, and certainly at Cole's and Mr. Goodbar. You can get 6 oz. size glasses, perfect for a proper sampling. I tried their house beers this way which were passable. Music is kept down and folk rocky so conversation is easy. Separate bar area for those eating at a bar, which was good. Very good service for a buzy place.
Nov 13, 2009
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Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -14.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3
Have been here several times on business trips because it's not far from where I normally stay. They have about 30 taps or so, of those, maybe (2) that appeal to me, the rest appealing to the non to average savvy beer crowd. The food is middle of the road. I come here because it's easy to get to and can get in and out fairly quick and have a few Southern Tier IPA's on tap. Other than that, it's not a memorable place - what seems to be a local favorite, though. Every time I leave here, I question myself as to why I keep coming back, yet I do. Go figure.

It's a great place to hang, for people making the transition from macro's to craft, but for the beer geeks, it's an irrelevant beer stop. Considering the vast number of macro drinkers compared to craft beer drinkers, the business model here makes complete sense. If your beer hunting, take into consideration your personal preferences in beer and whoever you're with. That being considered, it will be an excellent choice or a bad one.
Oct 31, 2009
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Reviewed by wieserjd from New York

2.85/5  rDev -19%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 3 | food: 3
I used to live right around the corner from this place. It didn't impress me much then and it still doesn't today. The atmosphere is not bad (free peanuts and pretzels are cool) but their selection is not good at all. They have 5 house beers and all of them are pretty weak. The rest of their taps (28 or so) are filled with standard macro's with maybe 4 or 5 micro's mixed in. Unfortunately, the micro's are not anything fancy or exotic, just pretty good beer like Double Bag, Elliot Ness, Celebration Ale and an offering from Southern Tier. I like these beers but they can be gotten anywhere and I would expect more from a "brewpub".

The service here is also a problem. The bartenders are not very attentive and there were many times that I have had to wait at least 5 minutes to get served, which should not happen in a place like this because they usually have 3-4 bartenders working at once.

Their food is all right, nothing to write home about. Price are average.

All-in-all its just and average place.
Jan 24, 2009
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Reviewed by gixxerman from Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -10.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
This was an unexpected lunch stop which worked out better than expected. It showed up on my GPS when my stomach starting asking for food. It was an easy find right off I-90.

The bar is pretty impressive. It runs almost the whole length of the place. There is also a smaller bar right inside the doorway, but nobody was using it.

I had a house Oatmeal Stout, which was average and drinkable, and the beef on weck, which also hit the spot.

They had 5 house beers on tap, and another 34 guest taps a mix of 10 micros and 24 macros (I count beers like Shock Top as a macro).

It wasn't very busy, I was not impressed with the bartender. She was nice enough to me, but sort of hassled a mug club member about a gift card, then gave him the wrong mug, and had an attitude when he mentioned it. I am not sure if it was a personal issue, it did not really seem like it was though.

Worth a stop, you'll find a beer and food you'll enjoy here. You can even bring your macrohead friends, they will find something as well.
Jan 17, 2009
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Reviewed by sliverX from S. Georgia & S. Sandwich Isls.

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3.5
took the gf for dinner after not being there for a few years, I remember the selection being much more diverse back then. The menu was basically a lot of Macros and the very well known Micros, with 4 in house. The porter I wanted was no longer available and no other porters were on tap. The selection was such a disappointment the food was decent but basic bar food for Buffalo. Waitress seemed absent on beer knowledge which if I ran a brewpub would be standard training. Not what I remembered but may give it another chance sometime. Nothing adventurous of the 4 house brews that tempted me enough to even bother...
Oct 19, 2008
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Reviewed by WesWes from New York

3.7/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
This was my first stop on the Buffalo trip. It's a really happening bar. It's the kind of place you can go after work and really unwind and have some fun while having some quality brews.

I went to sit down and I had to dig my chair out of a mountain of spent peanut shells on the floor. The service was friendly and prompt. They had quite a selection of craft beers to choose from including around five of their own house beers.

The selection was above average. They had a lot of taps, but they were loaded with the likes of Labatt's and Labatt's light. Don't get me wrong they had Dogfish head and Saggetts Harbor as well. The house beers weren't very good. They were close to the worst out of the nineteen breweries my friends and I visited over the weekend. Overall, a cool local hangout.
Sep 16, 2008
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Reviewed by slander from New York

3.63/5  rDev +3.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
We'd had plans for din, but suddenly Mac's talking like he's going to head back to Toronto tonight instead of tomorrow. WTF? Can't you hear the clock a-tickin', man, you know we're running low on quality time. So I offered up to tail him back to Buffalo and we could do dinner there at this place I don't know, never been to, haven't really heard shit about, and then he could head home from there. Back on the thruway again, doing that same fairly easy drive from Rochester as I did the day before and wondering why I hadn't done this before...

Stand alone structure with no goddamn parking off the corner of some major mall and strip mall route. It's the place with giant buffalo mounted above the door just in case you're not sure. On entering, there's a strange rounded crescent shaped bar seating 8 with shirts & other shwag displayed there. It's seemingly disconnected from the long wood "L" bar through the through just beyond it, seating upwards of 2 dozen and running down nearly the entire far side of the building. A row of 34 taps (15 on each end and 4 in the middle) over the wood counter bar back holding stacked glassware in the center and tiered booze to both sides, and large flatscreens on the ends. Mug club mugs and growler pours. Seating for a dozen and a half on an adjacent bar counter divider separating the bar side from the far seating area. Dart zone to the rear, and a peanut barrel and popcorn machine (keep them saltys coming).

In the side room, 7 booths on the inside wall along the logo windowed divider over curtainy halfs below. And then a dozen square & roundie tables in 2 rows down the center of the room, and 9 booths & tables on the far wall below framed pics and windows offering views of the brewroom; 5 copper kettles behind glass but they're seemingly absent of some equipment, I'm thinking they play extract here. A big stone fireplace up front, flatscreens at both ends, sunken spots & mounted lamps on the pillars, and a checkerboard tile floor heavily coated with peanut shells.

Yeah, I missed lunch again, I know, I know. The Buffalo sampler gave 5 wings and a mini beef on weck. A beef on what? "A weck", Mac explained "is a Kimmelweck roll". It had fat salt and caraway seeds on it and I added the horseradish, it was damn good. See? I learned something new. I had the beef barley soup and the citrus pepper salmon. The soup was great and the salmon was very good, but there wasn't a lot of it.

5 house beers, they are the sampler. The Pils was crisp, bitter, and had a nice hoppiness; the Amber Ale, sweet, nice maltiness; the Buffalo Lager was pleasant enough, a little grainy but easy drinking; the Weisse, a little citrus, but that may be the chunk of lemon they served it with, a little spicy; the Oatmeal Stout, nicely oaty, licroice hooray, the best of the lot and it's made my Flying Bison. Pils & Amber were pretty good, too.

And a whole lot of guest taps. Some New York State micros (Custom BrewCrafters St. Patrick's Ale, Southern Tier IPA, High Falls Pale Bock, Saranac Pomegranate Wheat, Rohrbach Scotsh Ale), a few regional (Great Lakes Eliot Ness, DogFishHead 60 Minute IPA, Magic Hat Hocus Pocus, Sam Adams Cheery Wheat & Summer Ale, RedHook Long Hammer IPA) and beyond (Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat), and the rest are absolutely blah imports and thereabouts.

Food was good, beer was fair to middling. Every city with two brewpubs has one better than the other. This is the other.
Jun 14, 2008
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Reviewed by HopDerek from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +22.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
My favorite place to eat when visiting the girlfriend's family. Parking is easy, the hostess is prompt to either seat you or direct you to the bar, and the bar is long and welcoming. There is plenty of seating for dining as well, and the wait staff is pretty prompt.

With lots of different brewpub type foods to choose from, you'll be happy to enjoy some free popcorn and peanuts while you think it over. Lots of stuff to think about; pizzas, salads, soups, appetizers, burgers, real buffalo meat burgers, sandwiches, and my favorite: the traditional Buffalo sampler consisting of a small beef on weck and 6 or so Buffalo wings, all made the proper way, and very well priced. As far as the beers go, besides their 30+ guest taps, they've got 5 or so of their own beers, which may not be the best thing out there, but they're worth a try. They've got a great guest list, lots of stuff from overseas, and lots of local stuff as well, all varying in style.

My only complaint was that the beer menu was a little outdated and many of the beers I wanted were long since gone. Still, our waitress was on top of it and knew what they were out of right away instead of having to head to the bar and then come back empty handed.

Great place to go out to either by yourself or with friends, the staff is very welcoming and friendly, and makes you feel like you're part of the family. I look forward to returning.
Mar 24, 2008
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Reviewed by BuffaloBill91 from New York

3.53/5  rDev +0.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Several things that you dont see much elsewhere--
all you can eat peanuts and popcorn
a decent price on pints of the house brews 3.50
Buffalo burgers (not the same old same old hamburgers like everyplace else)

I like the card signing idea too--- you buy 20 brews there - they sign your card each time- get to 20- you get a personalized mug with your name on it- kept just for you behind the bar- a nice touch to make you feel like one of the family

The prices are reasonable and I think the house brews are cheap compared to other brewpubs--service is average- its not a very upscale place but its a nice place to take the family with you for lunch or dinner with a somewhat sports bar atmosphere with the several big screen TVs.. and it wont leave you penniless.

They have a decent selection of beers and a neat map to help people pick what type of beer they want based on bitterness and darkness scale...they have a good house oatmeal stout too.
Mar 18, 2008
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Reviewed by IBUnit63 from Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3
Nice mix of darts, families, regulars and pre-gig parties. No real vibe but a relatively friendly place.

Haven't been here in over 5 years so it was a great surprise to see their taps open up to the outside in force. Southern Tier taps come to mind by name recognition; wrapped around the house brews (never really did a whole lot for me) and Canadian macros were quite a few quality pours.

Service was basically par on this busy night; not exceptionally prompt but a tad more friendly than normal, which is always a good thing. Food was high-end pub grub - very serviceable. Now that I haven't lived in Buffalo for about 12 years, everything seems very reasonable when I go there.

A fortunate coincidence that the "final" show of the Lowest of the Low was at Club Infinity down the block; location doesn't find us in the neighborhood too often at all but we were very happy we stopped in.
Feb 13, 2008
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Reviewed by cpn920 from New York

3.63/5  rDev +3.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
This place has potential that they just don't live up to. I like that they offer a variety of beers, in comparison to other bars in the area. While the variety is better than Labatt's, Molson, and Coors Light. It still could be so much better. I stuck to the Franziskaner Hefe...nothing else really intrigued me. Guiness, Heineken, Bass, and the like took up almost half their taps. My feeling is get rid of that and offer some Southern Tier, Victory, Dogfish Head. Better than Friday's across the street but nothing special.
Jul 05, 2007
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Reviewed by hustlemuscle from Ohio

3.68/5  rDev +4.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Went to visit with my wife and father in law. Peanut shells on the floor, which I guess is to promote a casual feel. Instead it just felt a little dirty. The menu was pretty good sized, and the veggie lazagnia looked and tasted home-made. The beer menu wasn't bad, including an offering from Great Lakes (Burning River) a few local brews from Buffalo Brewing Company, Honeyoe Falls and a company from Cazenovia I had never heard of before. And of course, they had their own brews, 4 different, including the Oatmeal Stout I tried. It wasn't bad.
Jul 02, 2006
Photo of oberon
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina

3.34/5  rDev -5.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 4
I had been in this place a few years back when visiting the in laws now I work close and stopped in after work last Friday.You can tell the place on the outside by a big Buffalo in front it was pretty busy on Friday I could tell alot of regular patrons with their numbered mugs ans such,I found one spot down at the end of the bar.Their own beel slection consisted of a pale ale,oatmeal stout,amber,and weisse "like Blue Moon" written on the menu....oh no please dont oh nevermind.Had the oatmeal stout and pale ale neither impressed at all so went for other outside slections afterward.I had a CBC 19th hole ale,and Flying Bison mai bock I believe they had around 20 taps with only a few macros.There were alot of people drinking the standard Labatt blue over half would be my guess,the bartender was hot but not knowlegable about the beer being poured whatsoever.Four bucks a pint and nothing outside of the Flying Bison mai bock near worth it,the guys from work like going here and know hardly anything about craft beer if that says anything, my money will be going to the Pizza Plant right around the corner from where I work for now on.
May 22, 2006
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Reviewed by PuckLSHS from Iowa

2.4/5  rDev -31.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 2 | selection: 2 | food: 2
As some of the other people wrote, STAY AWAY unless you can't find anywhere else to go in the area or live close enough to walk. This place is not really worth the visit.

I tend to prefer Pearl Street over the Buffalo Brewpub anyday. The location is out of the city and has one of the painted Buffalo on its roof. The drive to get there is just not worth seeing the Buffalo on the roof or the beers.

I ordered a veggie sandwich and Wheat (as it was the only thing on the menu that sounded decent). The drinks came slowly and they weren't fantastic. The beer was overpriced for what it was and the atmosphere was kind of abnoxious. Maybe the service just made me upset though, which can have an effect on the atmosphere for me.

There is really nothing special about the place and we didn't stay very long. We got right back in the car and head right back to Cole's on Elmwood because we knew the beer was good and the service was there.

Unless you are in the area, I would suggest going somewhere else for the night. Sorry to say, it just didn't do anything for me.
Apr 20, 2006
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Reviewed by johnyeast from Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +21.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
I've been to the Buffalo Brew Pub before and have always been impressed with the beer selection. Long row of taps across from the bar. In house beers. Imports, micros and macros. At times I've been less than impressed with the food. This visit though, I had the open face roast beef with gravy and mashed potatoes. I was impressed. Very tasty. The bartender provided excellent service. Offered a sample when I was deciding what to have. Had a base knowledge of the beers. The Brew Pub has been around a while and has adopted some character. It has also lost a lot of it's pretentiousness (sp?) over time. Definately worth a visit if in Amherst/ Buffalo.
Mar 29, 2006
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Reviewed by ZimZamZoom from West Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +18.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
This place must have added taps in the past year or two!

I guess I'm here to reveiw this establishment rather than their beer. My most recent vist (3/3/06) was extremely pleasant. Never mind that it involved a rendezvous with my 5 siblings to plan that evening's surprise party we were throwing my dad for his 70th Bday. I drove straight from Fairmont, WV to the brewpub and arrived 15 minutes before opening Friday. At about 11:05am I wandered in to find an empty bar (no bartender in sight either). Having read the most recent reviews, I was not too excited about the house beers. What I did not expect was the 25 other taps that offered all kinds of delightful brews. Magic Hat #9, Hop Devil, Great Lakes Burning River, (another Great Lakes I forgot), some Southern Tier, some Flying Bison...the list goes on and on.

I got myself a Hop Devil and chit chatted with the Bartender (who was still setting up for the Lunch crowd). Soon my sibs and some of their SOs started wandering in and were all ordering beers (8 people total). We asked about transefing our tab to a table and the guy told us he would just write down what we had so far and give it to the waitress once we got seated. Nice move. Made thing much easier for us.

We were the first group seated for lunch. Was glad to see they still let you get baskets of popcorn and peanuts for yourself...and you can still brush the shells on the floor. The service was great, we kept the waitress hopping with beer orders throughout. She was good about knowing what beers they had, but I didn't quiz her so I don't know if she was beer smart. She was cute and friendly so it didn't matter anyway.

It being a Friday during Lent, most of us ordered fish fries, and laughed away her question about wanting them fried or baked...BAKED? The fish and the fries and the slaw was as excellent as any Buffalo fish fry I remember. I don't get to have them very much these days but this did not disappoint. Only one in our group tried a house brew (Oatmeal Stout) but since it was not me I will not comment on it.

As a brewpub this place may be lacking (though again I didn't try any so I can't comment on it). The sign by the brewing equipment does mention they brew only extract recipes so that might be part of the reason.

As a beerbar this place gets high marks for atmosphere, food, beer selection and service. I would recommend it if you are in the area.

The pints are still $4 but for some reason I don't find that to be high. I believe bottles of macros were reasonable but I didn't pay attention.
Mar 08, 2006
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Reviewed by blitheringidiot from Pennsylvania

2.4/5  rDev -31.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 2 | selection: 3
In short: STAY AWAY!!! Don't bother going unless you are a die-hard, bleeding heart, hell-bent-for-leather, all-guns-blazing, go-for-broke, strung out gutter-hugging brewpub junky like me. Otherwise...

...Pull up a seat: If you drive here from Buffalo/Amherst, it's only a few minutes out on 5 East/Main St. Easy to find, even at night...just look for the red neon shaped bison and the green "BREWPUB" sign. Plenty of parking but not because the lot is big but because the place is lame and the locals know it, too. Wanna know why? Read on...I wandered in through the front doors and mapped out the bar to right and the restaurant is to the left divided by a curtained glass and wood wall. Buffalo Brewpub's interior is easy to explain: Bowling Alley checkered floor and drop ceiling met with knotty pine cabin in between. They have like 50+ taps of scrod to decent local Flying Bison and others. Blah blah blah...Boddingtons...*yawn*

My bartender didn't know what a flight or a sampler was. He had to think for a minute and said that I could try any beer for $1.25 each. So I explained that I wanted to try each of the five Buffalo Beers on tap. He brought me two at a time explaining that one is a Dark. Only $4.50 for five. I looked around and I'll be damned if anything on the walls extolled virtues of their home brews. When will brewpubs ever learn? No matter because they all were scrod!

I sat down by myself against a wall with a shelf away from anybody. Two women openly goofed on me for quitely beergeeking and a guy that I think was being nice by asking what I liked best was kind, however he accidentally fomented a "bust on the beer geek" mini-riot with his drunk buddies because they were astonished that I was actually drinking the Buffalo Beers. Not like I really give a (hey!) Flying Bison! Anywho, I crammed back my sampler post haste for fear of flattened tires by the natives and kicked aside some peanut shells on the floor to escape.

As far as my test? Oh, you could bring Mom here if she likes potato skins and sports on the flat screens. I wouldn't take my Mom here in a million years. What a tragic sadness that a big place with so much potential bah-lows! This place is damn near the worst brewpub I've ever shelled out a coin for, next to Nodding Head in Philadelphia. L-A-M-E!!!

All the beers were watery low-flavor messes. At least they only held me up for $4.50. I tipped the 'tender well for the F of it. The best beer was their lager. Oh and the names of their beers a Buffalo "fill in the style."

Ramapo was better.
Sep 01, 2005
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Reviewed by wailingwench from New Mexico

2.78/5  rDev -21%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 2 | food: 3.5
Cheers: OK tap line up. 3 seasonals on tap including their house. The bar area is large, plenty of room. Even when crowded, people are nice enough to let you in, which is not typical of most Buffalo area bars. High marks for the all you can eat popcorn and peanut buffet. Superb bartenders. Quick to get you a refill. Bathrooms are really clean. BBQ wings and spinach dip spot on. Club was packed with cholesterol laden goodness.

Jeers: The house beers are colored sugar water. Prices are way too high: $4 pint. No beer specials to be heard of. Take away the macros, only 6 taps. Noone knew the brewing process. TVs are placed at both ends of the bar. I can honestly say that I will never purchase their house beers again. Buffalo Brewpub should let Custom Brewcrafters brew their house beers.
Oct 04, 2004
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Reviewed by ecoboy from Rhode Island

3.03/5  rDev -13.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
One late-night visit in summer probably shouldn't curse an establishment's numbers, but both BA Margaret and I had issues with the Buffalo Brewpub that could be easily remedied (service,) and maybe one that can't (one of the beers was undrinkable.)

Buffalo Brewpub is a longtime survivor on the scene, so it must be impressing some folks. The beer selection is pretty good, with a number of their own beers side-by-side with macros and a few select locals (the Ellicottville was particularly nice.) I would usually drink only selections that are made right at the establishment, but after a really off Buffalo Pale (went unfinished,) and a decent Oatmeal stout, the 50/50 risk led me off menu.

Reading their online guestbook finds what I suspected a bit: people come here as much for the TV's, the sports, the whole low-key vibe as they do the beer and the food. The menu is pretty huge, but the outcome falls into only the "good" category. It's pretty predictable stuff, done well, with a little flare here and there. My fish fry was an enormous portion of white fish that overhung the plate. So far, so good. But the fish itself was dense and pretty dry. M's soup and salad combination was served, only to find the regular salad brought instead of the requested caesar. This followed the (I have had this happen WAY too many times the world over) order of "a pale ale and a glass of water" receiving, you guessed it, a pale ale. Ooosh, people, these kinds of service improvements are so easy. And yes, I do know that servers get tired, and their attention to detail can flag, people can have bad days.

But for one trip, I'm afraid I cannot recommend this place.
Aug 24, 2004
Buffalo Brewpub in Williamsville, NY
Brewery rating: 2.99 out of 5 with 45 ratings