On a recent upstate New York Road Trip Will, my boyfriend, and I made a stop in Buffalo. I had never been to Buffalo and since I have 2 great friends that live there I had to reach out to the experts. Holly, Amanda, and I met on a WHOA Travel Trip I was leading in Germany for Oktoberfest. These girls know how to have a good time, so when I told them I was coming they insisted on taking Will and I out to see some of the best bars in Buffalo New York. Here is the journey around Buffalo we took. Get ready for a great night!
Best Bars in Buffalo: Buffalo River Works
We started our night over at River Works. This amazing place is a boating, music, sports, and entertainment space along the banks of the Buffalo River. Built on top of the footprint of the former GLF grain silos, River Works has repurposed this space and made it into a place that is a gathering place for the community.
Outside they have kayaks you can rent in the summertime to paddle the Buffalo river. They also have a first of its kind zipline coarse where you zip between the silos. You even zipline through the sharks mouth in the photo! I NEED to go back to Buffalo just for this.
Inside there’s an arcade with some pretty sweet pinball machines and a brewery.
In the winter they have not 1 but 2 outdoor ice rinks to skate on (don’t worry they’re covered so you can still skate if it’s raining or snowing). You can also learn the sport of curling by renting a curling sheet and throw some stones like an Olympian (or a hot mess, up to you).
We bellied up to the bar and had some delicious local and regional beer. Right as we got our beers the Queen City Roller Girls hit the concrete for their practice. As a former roller girl it was really awesome to watch their practice. I told Holly and Amanda that I’m planning my return trip around when there’s a game so I can enjoy Buffalo and see some roller derby.
Pin in for Later
Best Bars in Buffalo New York: Founding Fathers
From River Works we headed over to Founding Fathers, on the edge of Allentown. This bar has been open since 1986 (the year I was born!) and is one of the coolest bar I’ve ever been to.
The owner, Mike Driscoll, is a former social studies teacher and he loves all things Presidential. Ask him to quiz you on Buffalo’s connection with Presidential history. As such, Mike has covered the walls, and ceiling, with memorabilia.
The first Tuesday of each month they hold Trivia night! I wish I could say we were there on a Tuesday, but we weren’t (I love Trivia!).
We had a few beers each and filled up on nachos with all the fixings and popcorn, which is free and self serve.
Buffalo Tap House
After the nachos and popcorn at Founding Fathers we needed to get some food and when in Buffalo you need to get some wings.
Buffalo Tap House is a sweet pub and delicious wings. I won’t tell you how many we ordered, but it was a lot. Here are my recommendation for sauces:
- BBQ Pit
- Garlic BBQ
- Garlic Parmesan
- Honey Mustard
- Bacon Bourbon
Not only are the wings great, but they also have 31 different beers on tap. I even tried peanut butter and jelly beer which was strangely tasty.
Pro Tip: For those of you headed to Buffalo, I was told they’re just called wings, NOT Buffalo Wings. You’ve been warned.
Buffalo NY Bars: Mistua Chow’s
With full stomachs, we walked to our next stop, which I think is the best bar in Buffalo, Mistua Chow’s, which I think is one of the best bars in Buffalo New York
When we got to the bar Will sat down and told the bartender he wanted him to get him a beer based on a keyword. The keyword was, Party Zone. Yes, I realize this is more than 1 word, at the time, he did not. That’s how awesome the bartender was. We, later on, found out he played roller derby making him even cooler.
Drinks in hand we headed to the second floor where they have a couple of dozen old school arcade games. A few of my favorites are:
- Skeeball
- PacMan
- The Simpsons Game
- KISS Pinball
Once we spent all our quarters Holly and Amanda had us follow them to the “Pink Stairs,” at the time I had no idea what they were talking about. It’s literally a stairway painted pink with sparkles. The second photo in the gallery is the photo we’d us as our album cover if we were a band. I’m still trying to come up with the actual band name.
Mistua Chow’s is always hosting fun events like game night where you can play board games and eat bowls of cereal like you did when you were a kid. They have live music, and don’t forget to swing by for brunch and grab a funky donut!
Grab a Sub at Jim’s Steakout
By now you’ve probably done some quality drinking (We sure did!) and you’ll need to fill up with some food to prevent a hangover OR you’re just hungry. Whatever the case, head over to Jim’s Steakout for an amazing sub.
What sub should you get? Amanda says that the Steak Hoagie is the best while Holly lovers herself the Stinger. The Stinger is an award-winning sub with Angus Certified Steak with chicken tenders on top. You can choose from mild, medium, or hot sauce on the chicken tenders.
Check out the full menu here.
After leaving Jim’s Steakout we walked back to our hotel – it was approximately 2 in the morning – Holly and my boyfriend Will may or may not have ended up walking through the large fountain in front of the hotel. Holly was smart enough to take her shoes off. Will wasn’t. I think that pretty much sums up how amazing our night was. I’d share the video with you, but Will would be pissed.
What do you think the best bars in Buffalo New York are? Let me know in the comments!
Love it Pin it!
