Looking for the original Bar Towel blog? You can find it at www.thebartowel.com.

We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.

Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!

Buffalo NY - what to see and explore?

Discuss beer travel and regional information, including the best bars and places to check out around in Canada and around the world, and other chat that is not specific to Ontario.

Moderators: Craig, Cass

Post Reply
User avatar
TwoPint
Posts: 250
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:15 am
Location: at large

Post by TwoPint »

TwoPint wrote:
Kish84 wrote:Anyone know what the closest area to the Consumers Craft Brew Stand is at Coca Cola Field. Or would it just be easier to buy tickets there and ask to be seated closer to that area?
Last year it was at street level, a little on the first base side of home. I'm guessing that section 108 would be closest. Last year I was in 109 and it wasn't all that far to walk.
It looks like the location has changed. The Bisons website says: "The Consumers Craft Brew Corner features beer from Flying Bison brewery and other great-tasting craft brews. It is located across from the Swan. gate." That would put it in the area of section 105. You can always e-mail them at info@bisons.com to confirm.

icemachine
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2637
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:20 am
Location: Aurora, ON
Contact:

Post by icemachine »

Dragging this thread up from the dead

Heading down to Buffalo tomorrow and again Sunday/Monday to catch the Habs-Sabres and wait for the wife to return. Anything new going on in Buffalo and any special releases to keep an eye out for?
"Everything ... is happening" - Bob Cole

ercousin
Posts: 453
Joined: Tue Jun 19, 2012 2:05 pm
Location: Toronto

Post by ercousin »

icemachine wrote:Dragging this thread up from the dead

Heading down to Buffalo tomorrow and again Sunday/Monday to catch the Habs-Sabres and wait for the wife to return. Anything new going on in Buffalo and any special releases to keep an eye out for?
Premier just got 120 minute.

rudolf
Posts: 125
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2004 5:07 pm

Post by rudolf »

icemachine wrote:Dragging this thread up from the dead

Heading down to Buffalo tomorrow and again Sunday/Monday to catch the Habs-Sabres and wait for the wife to return. Anything new going on in Buffalo and any special releases to keep an eye out for?
We (Community Beer Works) are open 'til 7 tonight.

Gene McCarthy's/Old First Ward brewing is now open @ 73 Hamburg Street

Hamburg brewing company's beers should be around town.

probably some other stuff.

icemachine
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2637
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:20 am
Location: Aurora, ON
Contact:

Post by icemachine »

Thanks for the info Eric and Rudy

Had to get back to the GTA today so just made a quick stop at Consumers, but will be spending much of Sunday and Monday looking for and drinking these
"Everything ... is happening" - Bob Cole

User avatar
TwoPint
Posts: 250
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:15 am
Location: at large

Post by TwoPint »

This was the craft lineup at the Bisons ballpark yesterday:

Aviator Red
Rusty Chain
Brooklyn Cuvée La Boîte
Brooklyn Pennant Ale
Brooklyn Sarachi Ace
Hamburg IPA
Hamburg OMS Oatmeal Stout
Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
Saranac Wild Hops Pils
Ithaca Flower Power
Founders Pale Ale

All were $7US for 16oz.

rudolf
Posts: 125
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2004 5:07 pm

Post by rudolf »

Quick updates for any travelers:

- Pizza Plant on Main Street (The location closer to the City of Buffalo) recently closed as they lost their lease. The location @ 7770 Transit Road is still open.

- Community Beer Works (hey, thats me) will be operating a brewery in the new Hydraulic Hearth restaurant @ 716 Swan Street. Soft launch of the restaurant is this weekend (11/7) so hopefully they'll be serving food shortly. We haven't started producing beer there *yet* but I'd be surprised if beer produced on site wasn't flowing by the end of 2014

- Flying Bison has moved! Their new location @ 840 Seneca Street opens 11/8/14. I haven't been in there yet but there is a proper tasting room/bar area.

- We'll have 3 or 4 more breweries in 2015 as well as a bunch of new craft beer spots. I'll be sure to post here when they open up!
Last edited by rudolf on Fri Nov 07, 2014 7:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

rudolf
Posts: 125
Joined: Sat Oct 09, 2004 5:07 pm

Post by rudolf »

And also, I don't know if it has flown under the radar, but check out Gene McCarthy's/Old First Ward Brewing @ 73 Hamburg Street. Small brewpub not far from the hockey arena that is making solid to great beer. Their "Not A Pale Ale" Pale Ale is freaking killer.

User avatar
Kish84
Bar Fly
Posts: 602
Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 7:41 pm
Location: Kitchener

Post by Kish84 »

Any updates on the properties Mike Shatzel acquired on Allen Street??
"There's always money in the banana stand."

User avatar
El Pinguino
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1440
Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 6:02 pm
Location: Downtown TO / Galapagos Islands
Contact:

Post by El Pinguino »

Dont know about those updates, but I'd check out Resurgence brewing http://www.resurgencebrewing.com/

Oddly I think we have a 2nd Buffalo topic on here that has more information...they should probably be merged?

sprague11
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1907
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2008 1:37 pm
Location: Newmarket, ON

Post by sprague11 »

Too bad about the main st location of pizza plant. I remember enjoying more than a few pints there back before i was married. Still, the transit location is the place to go.
"A good light beer is one that doesn't taste like piss!" - Frank d'Angelo

hopdevil
Posts: 93
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:05 pm
Location: Mississauga

Post by hopdevil »

For those staying at an airport hotel, or shopping on Transit Rd, here is an update on all things beer on the 1-mile stretch of Transit Rd, starting at Main St and going north.

Most are familiar with the Buffalo Brew Pub , Main & Transit.
http://www.buffalobrewpub.com
Great selection these days, incl Bourbon Cty recently.

Kitty corner to the intersection ( south end of Eastern Hills Mall ) are:

Brennan's Bowery Bar http://www.brennansbowery.com/home
This is a cozy Irish Pub, same owner as Cole's, with a number of good craft taps.

Tully's: good sports bar with good food. This location has a number of good craft taps.

For Chicken Wing fans, heading north along Transit, you have Anchor Bar and Duff's locations ( opposite sides of the road )
This Anchor Bar has 3 or 4 good craft selections.

Further north, on your left just past the Sheridan Dr interchange, is:
Pizza Plant http://www.pizzaplant.com Always good.

A few yds further, same side, is Santora's Pizza http://www.santoraspizza.com
More craft taps than any of the others. A big place, lots of TVs.

Note: 1 hr wait at both of the 2 above on a Saturday night at dinner time.

For purchases, there is a Premier Wines & Spirits on the same side of Transit Rd as the above 2, a little further.
For beer, Consumer's Beverages on the same side just past Klein.
Also for beer, Wegman's is on Sheridan Dr, between Transit and I290.
Wegman's have started using a beer cooler, in addition to the stuff they have on shelves.

atomeyes
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2153
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:39 pm

Post by atomeyes »

came back last night after going to three different Shatzel-owned bars.

the new one is ABV (Allen Burger Venture) on Elmwood and Allen, just on the edge of up-and-coming Allentown.
last night was opening night. kitchen's not opening for a week.
it's a really pretty spot. more refined than BM or Coles, but a smaller tap list. really worth checking out if you're in Buffalo for 1-2 days.

For those looking for good beer to bring back: Shelton Brothers started shipping into buffalo again. not sure what the issue was, but they stopped for a long time. not sure what US beer that affects, but you're slowly seeing some more European beer coming in (the Struise Black Damnation series, a few Cuvee Delphinee bottles, some occasional bottles of Fantome)

User avatar
El Pinguino
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1440
Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 6:02 pm
Location: Downtown TO / Galapagos Islands
Contact:

Post by El Pinguino »

Spent a few days in Buffalo about a week ago, hanging out with their media/tourism team. Got some nice insights into a city I rarely ever spend more than 24 hours in. Allentown is slowly changing, but pretty far from up and coming I'd say. It's a nice unpolished kind of mix of old stalwarts and a few trendy bars. Cantina Loco was decent for food...not a beer spot though.

The place to check out that is up and coming right now is Larkin Square. Down near where the new Flying Bison brewery location opened up. Aside from Flying Bison, there is Hydraulic Hearth - http://www.hydraulichearth.com/cocktails/ and some interesting plans for future development in this previously "dead" area.

Larkin Square is especially worth checking out on a Tuesday when 30 food trucks show up, lots of fun. I would not be surprised to see more beer industry showing up in this area.

Buffalo Riverworks is also the start of a potential interesting change to another part of town that has been dead industrial buildings up to now.

Other spots I checked out downtown were The Lodge (decent, small beer selection) and stopped in for some BBQ at Dinosaur (opened in November). Also hit (716) Food and Sport in the HarborCentre. It's pretty much Real Sports Bar in Toronto (with massive TV screen, and "theatre" viewing) but has a better beer selection. perfect spot for a drink or two if heading over for a sports game.

One knock on Allentown is a total lack of parking, can be worse than the little Elmwood strip. Conversely Larkin Square is wide open and Hertel, out near the one VBM location has potential too. There have been some big investments in Buffalo recently, I'm very curious to see how things will progress in the next couple of years.

atomeyes
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2153
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2011 1:39 pm

Post by atomeyes »

El Pinguino wrote: \

One knock on Allentown is a total lack of parking, can be worse than the little Elmwood strip. Conversely Larkin Square is wide open and Hertel, out near the one VBM location has potential too. There have been some big investments in Buffalo recently, I'm very curious to see how things will progress in the next couple of years.
i've never had an issue parking. free street partking on Sat-Sun in Elmwood, plus the side streets are all fine to park on.

Buffalonians are incredibly optimistic about the direction their city's moving. like, huge sense by them that it's hugely on the upswing. no clue what's driving their economy or if we're just seeing a correction after a century of decline (just like Winnipeg). but when you look at being able to buy a beautiful home in Elmwood for $350000 and being stumbling distance from BM and Coles, it makes you think.

Buffalo's a blue collar town. no idea why there aren't more micros simply due to civic pride and an abundance of huge spaces for cheap. Calgary, Buffalo, Winnipeg, Detroit. 4 cities that i'd open a microbrewery in.

Post Reply