Home | Intro | What's  | Contributors | Ratings Key | Catering | Cuisines | Locations | Outdoors | Waterfront | | Send a Review

Bill Rapaport's Buffalo Restaurant Guide

Alphabetical Listing of Restaurants: D

---

Key:

[–] , , ,	Bill's rankings
[XXX]	recommendation from contributor whose initials are XXX

All phone numbers are in area code 716, unless otherwise indicated.
All locations are in Erie County, unless otherwise indicated.

D'Avolio Kitchen.
5409 Main St.
(at Reist St., between S. Union Rd. & S. Cayuga Rd.),
Village of Williamsville (Town of Amherst)
810-9354 or 1-877-OLIVE99 (1-877-654-8399).

[12/14/12] Given 3½ (out of 4) pennies by Emeri Krawczyk, Buffalo News "Cheap Eats" restaurant reviewer.

Lunches; pizza, sandwiches, salads.

Daddio's Pizza.
1247 Hertel Ave.
(at Commonwealth Ave., between Colvin & Delaware Aves.),
North Buffalo (City of Buffalo).
877-7747.

Delivery available from Takeout Taxi, 631-2222.

[12/09] Given 3½ (out of 4) pennies by Anne Neville, Buffalo News "Cheap Eats" restaurant reviewer.

[JDH, 1/09] says: "Hertel Avenue's newest pizza joint. They have a small but good menu that included pizza, subs, and several other side items. The menu explains that they plan on expanding the menu with time. This restaurant has a very large dining room, so you can eat in. Also, the employees are very nice and helpful. Please support our newest local business."

Dairy Queen.
Numerous locations; click on this link for store locator.

Owned by the same folks who own the Buffalo News! (And Geico, and the World Book Encyclopedia!)

[RJS, 1/12] says: "I noticed that your site doesn't have many reviews/comments of local/national fast-food places. Given the economy, diners spend more of their dining dollars in such places. Here are are short-form reviews/commentaries of the major fast fooders available locally. Dairy Queen (many locations): Oddly enough, the strength of some area Dairy Queens is their hamburgers: juicy and tasty; unfortunately, many area Dairy Queens do not serve burgers. Try to find a DQ serving Orange Julius; the drinks are well worth the price. Waffle Bowl sundaes, Arctic Rushes (formerly ‘Mr. Misty’), Buster Bars, and specials are good choices. The Blizzards are bland ingredients mashed into bland soft-serve; there's not much there there."

Daisies Cafe.
2711 South Park Ave.
(at Ridge Rd.),
City of Lackawanna.
826-3410.

[LMa, 8/09] says: "Had not been to Daisies in their larger new digs. There was a fairly large group of us (9 people), and we wanted a relaxed, no-wait Saturday dinner—nothing fancy, but the food needed to be good and not too pricy. We were pleasantly surprised by the tranquil spaciousness of the new location. We sat near the back, where a small water fountain bubbled along soothingly. The dinner menu was limited, but everything sounded delicious. I had chicken cordon bleu that came with tasty smashed potatoes—real potatoes!and fresh broccoli. Several people started off with crocks of French onion soup. I tasted it, and it was the best broth I'd ever had—rich, flavorful, almost creamy. I asked the waitress if the stock was home-made, and she confirmed that everything was real and homemade—stocks, soups, desserts, potatoes. Some other interesting dishes: chicken-wing pasta: rotini with chicken and bleu cheese; very spicy. Greek pasta with chicken, cucumbers, and feta (my companion said it could've used a bit more garlic). The pertly named Jan Brady pasta: angel hair with Alfredo sauce. A special of the day: cheesy potatoes with embedded ham. Pure comfort food. Everything was delicious—like eating at a friend's house who really cares about flavors and good quality ingredients—and the waitress did much to foster the impression of being at home, treating us with friendly attentiveness and humor that made us feel cossetted and cozy. The restaurant is known more for breakfast and lunches, but here is a tip: This is a great find for dinner as well."

[BL, 9/08] said: "A popular, local cafe we first read about in The Buffalo News is Daisies Cafe. Also, we found this article online: "Bless me, father: Daisies Cafe, Lackawanna" (Buffalo Buffet). So we paid a visit for a midmorning meal. My spouse had the Daisy Platter of 3 eggs, home fries, a heap of bacon, and about 3-4 medium-sized pancakes ($6.99). They are the best kind of home fries, with those little bits of crust that make them delicious. I chose the chicken souvlaki ($6.50) and loved all the flavors. The chicken could be a bit more juicy, but otherwise it was great. We shared a slice of lemon meringue pie. Yum. $23 for the two of us. The service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was kind of fun with four different areas of seating. Great comfort food."

Dancing Chopsticks.
UB Commons (520 Lee Entrance),
UB North Campus (Town of Amherst).
688-8885.

Japanese. Located where Oh Bento used to be, with a great view of Lake LaSalle.

[10/10] Cuisine seems indistinguishable from its predecessor. As I said of Oh Bento, I'm not a great fan of Japanese cuisine, but I do like their Veggie Tofu Rice Bowl.

Dandelion's Restaurant.
1340 N. Forest Rd.
(north of Maple Rd.,
south of W. Klein Rd.,
near the UB North Campus),
"Greater" Williamsville (Town of Amherst).
688-0203.

[WHN] says:
[4/30/15] "Before going to see Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, at UB's Distinguished Speakers Series on Wednesday, 4/29, we had dinner at Dandelion's. G had eggplant parmesan, with spaghetti on the side, which she said was very good. I had chicken and steak fajitas, with roasted peppers and onions, and served with salsa, pico de gallo, and sour cream. All dinners include a trip to Dandelion's salad bar, which was stocked with a variety of accompaniments and dressings. It was a good meal with fine service."

[10/11] "On Wednesday, 10/5/11, I had lunch with a business associate from NYC at Dandelion's. He said he would like pasta. I first thought of Lebro's, but decided it might be too noisy to discuss business, so chose Dandelion's. I ordered a Cobb-type salad, with assorted greens, ham, turkey, avocado, etc., with oil and balsamic vinegar dressing and crumbled bleu cheese on top. My lunch partner didn't see any pasta that he liked, so he asked our server if the kitchen could prepare some penne and broccoli, with olive oil and parmesan. She said she would ask and returned in a few minutes to say it could be done. Very accommodating of the kitchen staff. He said it was just what he was hoping for, and enjoyed it very much. My salad was good, too, but way too large to finish, and I took half of it home."

[11/16/08] "We went back to Dandelion's last night for their Saturday-night Prime Rib special. The prime rib was, again, excellent, and they've added a very limited selection of low-priced wines by the bottle: two whites and two reds, but better than none. Also, last week, we wouldn't have needed a reservation, so this week we didn't make one. Wrong choice. The place was extremely busy at 7 o'clock (the same time as last Saturday), and we had to wait 20 minutes for a table."

[11/9/08] "We haven't been to Dandelion's since it changed ownership several years ago, so we decided to go there with friends on Saturday, 11/8, to have their "Saturday Night Special" Prime Rib, which we saw advertised a while ago. Dandelion's is a very casual neighborhood bar and restaurant, with a certain quirkiness. We had made a reservation, thinking we might need one on a Saturday night, but when I told the hostess we had a reservation, she said she didn't know where the reservation book was and seated us in the dining room. When our server asked if we wanted something to drink, I asked the others if we wanted to order a bottle of wine, but the server said: "We don't do bottles". One of our friends said she would like a Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay (which the "old" Dandelion's served). The response was that the only Chardonnay they have is Fox (something unintelligible) Chardonnay. She ordered a glass of that, as did I. My wife asked if they had sparkling bottled water. The answer was no, they don't have sparkling or plain bottled water. She ordered a club soda. Our other friend ordered an extra dry Beefeater Martini on the rocks with olives. They could do that. For a small restaurant, the menu is huge—4 pages plus four or five nightly specials. The bread was fresh. The salad bar, which I haven't seen in a restaurant in ages, was good. And the Prime Rib was the best I've had in a long, long time—perfectly cooked to medium rare, as we all requested, with a choice of potatoes or pasta side dishes, plus a winter squash and carrot veggie combo. We will definitely return on another Saturday when we're in the mood for Prime Rib, but may ask if we can bring our own wine and pay a corkage fee."

[5/08] I had lunch here with a colleague. The menu is fairly standard fare, but there are a few interesting items, such as blackened ahi tuna as well as their namesake dandelions with either steak or chicken. I opted for a grilled chicken and roasted red pepper wrap, with Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and mayo. It was fine, but very bland—almost tasteless. The accompanying homemade chips were good, however. The service, by Jennefer (who seemed to be the only person waiting tables), was excellent.

As of at least [5/06], under new management. The review that follows may be for Dandelion's previous incarnation.

Review from more than 10 years ago:

[AB, 7/05] said: "I see that there is no review for Dandelion's on this site, so I thought I'd throw in my two cents! Dandelion's Tavern is a cute little place that always seems to have steady business, but I have never had to wait, not even on weekend nights. The service can be a bit slow at times, but the servers are all extremely upbeat and friendly. Even though there are tablecloths on the tables, it's very casual. The menu is broad, and features pretty casual fare, like chicken wing appetizers and burgers, but also has some more "sophisticated" sandwiches, and a lot of dinner selections like steak, fish and chicken. There are always good specials. One thing I'll say for Dandelion's is that you really get what you pay for. I wouldn't say this is one of the best restaurants in Buffalo for great food or anything, but you wouldn't expect that kind of thing for such a moderately priced restaurant. The prices are very reasonable and reflect what it is--casual dining. That being said, I've always had a good meal there, such as Cajun chicken, shrimp scampi, and the Buffalo standard, beer-battered haddock. All were very tasty, and come with salad (iceberg lettuce, but still pretty good). My only complaint is the rolls--they are generic and almost look like hamburger buns; don't bother! Also, there is a decent wine and beer selection, and a nice patio for warmer nights. The desserts sound great, but Dessert Deli is around the corner, and I can't resist its siren song! If you're looking for a good meal and wide variety for a low price, I highly recommend this place!"

Daniel's Restaurant.
174 Buffalo St. (Rt. 62)
(south of Maple Ave. & Legion Dr.,
north of Pleasant Ave. & Main St. (also Rt. 62),
Village of Hamburg (Town of Hamburg).
648-6554.

[6/19/14] Given 8 (out of 10) points by Andrew Z. Galarneau, Buffalo News food editor.

[WHN] says:


[8/18/15] "On Sunday, we went to Daniel's for one of their quarterly food-and-wine-pairing dinners. We began with amuses bouches called ‘Whiskey & Cigars’, a wonton wrapped to look like a cigar with whiskey cream and ‘ashes’. We were served 2013 Emiliana Natura Gewürztraminer from Chile, which was also the wine served with the first course: grilled & chilled shrimp with French-Indian Vadouvan spice and coconut sauce. The second course was a deconstructed French onion soup, with parmesan cannoli, paired with 2013 King Estate ‘Acrobat’ Pinot Gris from Oregon. Next came Wagyu beef tartar, topped with a truffled quail egg in the shell, with two mustards, onion jam, caper powder, and mini brioche rolls, paired with 2011 Louis Jadot Pinot Noir from Burgundy. Then came an intermezzo—berry sorbet in Champagne, which we were asked to mash into an adult smoothie. Next came a meat course of pork tenderloin, chopped salad, black current jus paired with 2013 Frei Brothers Reserve Zinfandel from Dry Creek, Sonoma. Finally, except for dessert, came filet mignon with black truffle-Madeira butter, bacon-wrapped asparagus, twice-baked potato, and fried onion rings, paired with 2012 Concha y Toro Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile. Finally, we were served a magnificent dessert—an Irish cream ‘milk shake’, chocolate cake with white chocolate sphere, served over chocolate and tart cherry coulis, with a tart cherry ice cream in a chocolate spoon, paired with non-vintage Gancia Moscato Rose from Italy. As always at Daniel's, the food and wines were wonderful."


[5/30/15] "G and I had dinner at Daniel's on Friday night, to take advantage of their offering of a $32, 3-course, fixed-price menu. Not all items from the regular menu are included, but there was enough variety to please most diners. I ordered a bottle of 2011 Hess Treo from California, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Syrah, and Merlot. For her starter, G had seared scallops, with pancetta, mushrooms, radicchio, and chive butter. I had a house salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, watermelon radishes, manchego cheese, and hazelnut brittle (think peanut brittle), tossed with blood-orange balsamic vinaigrette. Both appetizers were very good. For her main course, G had Daniel's version of Shepherd's Pie, made with steak tips, mushrooms, and peas, in a rich, red-wine demi-glace, and topped with a dollop of mashed potatoes. G said that it was excellent. I had Daniel's bouillabaisse, made with scallops, shrimp, white fish, mussels, and a lobster ravioli, in a thick, tomato-saffron broth. My bouillabaisse was good, but extremely salty, so I didn't eat much of the salt-laden broth. For dessert, G had a brownie with chai ice cream, and I had an almond cookie with vanilla ice cream, raspberry coulis, one raspberry, and chocolate sauce, which was delicious. With wine, coffee, and tax, but before tip, our dinner was $115. It should be noted that normally the fixed-price menu is only available Tuesday through Thursday, but was on offer Fridays during May this year."

[3/30/15] "Sunday night, we went to Daniel's for a food- and wine-pairing dinner. The evening began with amuses bouches of smoked trout mousse, topped by a deviled egg, salmon roe, and strands of saffron, accompanied by chilled, sparkling sake, which was also the accompaniment for the first course. The first course was wonderful: wild striped bass, with a thick prawn bisque, with sides of pea puree and carrot ‘caviar’. Our second course was pierogi filled with black truffle, goat cheese, sunchoke (Jerusalem artichokes), and scallions, topped by a citrus cream sauce. The accompanying wine was Lady Lola Pinot Grigio-Moscato blend from Veneto, Italy. Delicious! The next course was also excellent: a slice of Granny Smith apple, filled with sundried fruit, topped by parmesan-crusted chicken breast, with fig and balsamic coulis. Nothing like your Grandma's chicken parm. The perfectly paired wine was Rocca Sveva Soave Classico, also from Veneto. Next came an intermezzo of strawberry-mint sorbet. The fourth course was a disappointment: short rib, with tomatillo jam and smoked tomato oil, with parsnip puree, served with Healdsburg Ranches Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Billed as ‘fork tender’, G's meat was tough and sinewy, while mine was tender enough, but fatty, as short ribs are. The wine was excellent. The final course before dessert was delicious shepherd's pie, made properly with lamb, plus root vegetables, porcini mushrooms, and mashed potatoes with Boursin cheese. The dish was excellent, and even G, who doesn't normally like lamb, ate most of hers. The paired wine was Farmers of Wine blend of Negroamaro and Primitivo from Puglia, Italy. Dessert was delicious, too, despite the unfortunate name of ‘Irish Car Bomb’, which reminded me of frequent trips to London during the years when the IRA was planting bombs in hotels, pubs, and restaurants, and machine-gunning hotel lobbies and bars. Anyway, the dessert was chocolate Guinness cake, topped with a whiskey-filled (presumably Irish whiskey) toffee sphere, which we were told to break to let the whiskey flow into the cake, plus a scoop of Irish Cream ice cream on the side. It was an amazing dessert. The accompanying wine for the finale was California Cocobon, a red blend of merlot, zinfandel, and petite sirah. Service was exemplary, and the informative wine introductions to the various wines by a representative of the distributor, Southern Wine & Spirits, was interesting. The fixed price was $95 per person before tax and tip. The next wine-pairing dinner will be in late April and will feature wild game."

[1/1/15] "We celebrated the coming of 2015 with New Year's dinner at Daniel's, with an 8-course, wine-pairing dinner. The meal began with amuses bouches of a bite Caesar salad—a tiny, grilled, Romaine leaf, bacon, a crouton, and Caesar dressing, served in a parmesan ‘cup’. The accompanying wine was a Qupe Marsanne from Santa Barbara, also served with the first course, which Daniel's called a truffle ‘explosion’—a ceramic spoon with a black truffle, over enoki mushrooms and grains of paradise. The next course was Dover sole topped with a lemon-thyme cream, served with asparagus and grilled tomato; the accompanying wine was Stratus White Blend, from Niagara-on-the-Lake. The next course was also seafood: grilled lobster tail with sunchoke puree, and pineapple; the paired wine was St. Francis Chardonnay from Sonoma. This was followed by champagne sorbet as an intermezzo. The first meat course was braised rabbit, with port wine demi-glace, topped by lavender-date chutney, served witn carrot slaw; the accompanying wine was Perrin Family Cote du Rhone Reserve. Finally, the main course was filet mignon, topped by a ginger sabayon, served with lobster-whipped potatoes, baby carrots, and pickled mustard seeds; the paired wine was Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon from Yountville. The dessert course was egg-nog ice cream, and spiced cake with spun caramel, over which blood-orange sauce was poured. The final wine of the evening was sparkling Bouvet Signature Brut, from Saumur, France. Priced at $130 per person plus tax and gratuity, it was an excellent meal with service to match, but way too much food, although there was enough filet and potatoes left over for another meal."

[9/2/14] "On Sunday night, G and I attended a food and wine pairing dinner at Daniel's. After being seated, we were served a 2013 Larent Miquel Chardonnay Viognier from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France, along with amuses bouches of foie gras dusted with ground coffee, pistachios, and other nuts. Delicious! The first dinner course was a salad of purslane greens, orange and grapefruit wedges, watermelon radishes, and goat cheese, tossed with passion-fruit vinaigrette. I had never heard of purslane greens, but learned that they are a leafy herb, high in Omega 3 oil. Next came the fish course, accompanied by 2013 Domaine de Bel Air Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie, from the Loire Valley, France. The fish was pan-seared skate wing with dill crème fraiche, served with French, purple potato salad and green beans. I had never had skate wing, but it was wonderful. The third course was grilled, de-boned quail, with mushroom duxelle, over truffle cream. The paired wine was 2012 Chateau Nicot Blanc Entre-Deux-Mers Blanc, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadet. I thought that the quail was excellent, but G thought that hers had too much fat and skin. Next, we were served an intermezzo of blood-orange sorbet. Our first meat course was braised pork belly over a pinot noir gastrique, served with corn gratin. The wine accompaniment was 2011 Marc Roman Malbec Vin de Pays d'Oc, from Languedoc-Roussillon. Last (except for dessert), but not least, came surf and turf: roast rib eye of Angus beef and grilled shrimp, with oyster mushrooms in sauce Bordelaise. The wine paired with this dish was 2012 Tortoise Creek Pinot Noir, also from Languedoc-Roussillon. Finally, for dessert came pomegranate semifreddo cake, served with non-vintage Chateau Veuve Ambal sparking white Burgundy. The food was exceptional, and the service impeccable. The same dinner menu and wine pairings will be repeated on Sunday, 9/14, if any readers are interested."

[6/23/14] "On Sunday, 6/22, G and I went to a wine-and-food-pairing dinner at Daniel's, the first one we've attended since the restaurant reopened under new ownership. Dinner began with a chilled, roasted pear soup, with a goat-cheese crouton, accompanied with Noble House Dry Riesling from the Mosel region of Germany. Neither of us are big fans of chilled soups, but it was an interesting starter. The second course was sauteed, soft-shell crab, served over house-made pasta, tossed in lemon-caper-garlic sauce. This excellent dish was paired with a very citrusy Matua Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. The next course was crispy-skinned duck breast served over merlot-orange jus, with a fennel-scallion crepe, carrot puree, and savory shallot jam. The duck was paired with pinot noir from California's Arroyo Grand Valley AVA, by Laetitia Winery. The duck and the wine were excellent. This was followed by an intermezzo of key lime sorbet, then the fish course: halibut poached in chardonnay, served over smoked lobster butter, with parmesan flan and tomato-basil salad. The accompanying wine was St. Francis Sonoma Chardonnay. While excellent, we were both quite full at this point and couldn't finish the fish. The final course (before dessert) was filet of sirloin, with porcini mushroom cream sauce, topped with julienned, deep-fried, potato sticks, and served with a garlic scape. The paired wine was a St. Francis California Cabernet Sauvignon. (I took most of the steak home, as neither of us could finish it.) Finally, dessert was chocolate ravioli, with roasted marshmallow filling, with chocolate ganache and graham-cracker praline. Dessert was accompanied by Hi! Prosecco from Veneto, Italy. The cost, wth NYSST, but before tip, was about $100 per person. Overall, it was an excellent meal, with great service, but way too much food for either of us to finish. Nevertheless, we are looking forward to Daniel's next food-and-wine-pairing dinner, some time in August."

[3/2/14] "Saturday, March 1, we went to the ‘new’ Daniel's for the first time. As noted in the earlier review by MaD, the restaurant has been slightly and tastefully redecorated, with a new color scheme and new artwork, and the hostess station and coat closet have been relocated to provide an additional table for two with a front window view, which we'll request next time we go. We ordered a bottle of 2011 Franciscan Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, while our server reviewed the daily specials and some of the regular menu items. A card listing these specials was left on our table. We asked about the ‘soup of the moment’: porcini mushroom, asparagus, peppercorn, and crab-meat bisque. After pouring our wine, our server returned with a small sample of the soup, which was creamy and delicious, so we both ordered it. We also shared an appetizer of swordfish skewers with grilled tomatoes, sweet peppers, and red onion, accompanied by pineapple salsa and arugula pesto: another excellent dish. For our main course, we both had our favorite dish from the ‘old’ Daniel's menu: veal tenderloin and lobster with lobster sauce, accompanied by cheesy mashed potatoes, asparagus spears, and baby carrots. While the veal and lobster dish was very good, we both felt that it was not quite the same as the ‘old’ Daniel's version: The sauce was not quite as rich and didn't have quite the same lobster taste, and the presentation was not as elegant, with the veal and (smaller) lobster tail segments laid on the plate in overlapping fashion, rather than in a horizontal ‘roll’ of alternating veal and lobster segments. G also felt that her veal was a little tough, but mine was fine. While it will probably not be our ‘must have’ menu item for future dinners at Daniel's, we will now have an opportunity to try new and different menu items. We were too full for dessert, but our favorite profiteroles were not available anyway; we hope that they return in the future. As for us, we will definitely return, and made reservations for next New Year's Eve, before we left. Our dinner, before gratuity, was just over $175. Also, Daniel's is continuing the tradition of food-and-wine-pairing dinners, the first scheduled for consecutive Sundays in mid-March, and another on a Thursday in April."

[MaD, 1/24/14] said: "I recently dined at the newly re-opened Daniel's Restaurant in Hamburg and would like to submit a review. Thank you for your consideration in posting this: My husband and I recently dined at Daniel's restaurant, which re-opened under new ownership in December. A favorite of ours for many years, we were very disappointed, as many of their faithful patrons were, when the former owners decided that it was time to retire and close (although completely understandable after 23 years in the restaurant business!). We were very curious to see what had been done to the place, if anything, in terms of remodeling. Upon entering the restaurant, we immediately noticed a much softer and cozier atmosphere: Nothing drastically different, but newly painted walls with a warm, beige hue and decorated with elegant window treatments did not go unnoticed. Now for the best part, the food: We were happy to see that many of the previous Daniel's menu items had stayed, with the addition of some new and interesting dishes by chef and co-owner Scott Donhauser. After reviewing the menu, we noticed a few references to ‘Daffodils’ and asked our server about this. He told us that one of the owners was a former owner of Daffodils Restaurant and wanted to bring a few of the favorites over to Daniel's. The full rack of lamb was one of them. This thrilled my husband, because this dish was one of his all-time favorites when Daffodils was open. We each started with an appetizer, the steak tartare and the scallops. The dishes were beautiful, and flavors even better. The scallops were tender and juicy, and the tartare had a wonderfully luscious texture. For entrees, we decided on the rack of lamb (of course!) and the lobster and veal medallions, a Daniel's staple. The rack of lamb came perfectly charred, and cooked to an exact medium rare as ordered. As good if not better than he remembered from Daffodils, my husband said. My veal and lobster was outstanding, with a rich lobster sauce and tender medallions. Although the dessert list looked impressive (they are all made in house), we decided that we were too full but would indulge on our next visit. Even though the restaurant was busy, the service was top notch, and we had a leisurely meal with no pressure to give up our table. I know I speak for many others when I say that the re-opening of this beloved dining establishment was the best thing that could have happened in Hamburg and in Western New York. Bravo to the new owners, who obviously paid attention to the previous success of Daniel's and from all accounts are well on their way to continuing this endeavour for many years to come! We will be back with friends very soon."

[12/5/13] Under new management.

Danny Sheehan's Steak House.
491 West Ave.
(between Michigan & Heath Sts.),
City of Lockport (Niagara County).
433-4666.

[PT, 8/10] says: "We went to Danny Sheehan's with friends from Lockport on a Saturday night a few weeks ago. Neither couple had been there before. My first impression was that the place is outdated and dirty looking, and needs a total refurbishing and updating. Also, some of the silverware was not properly cleaned, and we had to ask for replacements. Nevertheless, it was very busy and crowded. As our friends pointed out, there are limited ‘fine dining’ choices in Lockport. We all had steaks, which were all right, but my husband's and mine were more medium to medium-well than medium-rare, which we had ordered. The service was slow, but acceptable considering the number of diners being served and that we were not in a hurry since we wanted to talk with our friends. The meal was not cheap. Our friends have lived in Lockport for several years and have tried most of the local restaurants. The only one they really like is Shamus, where we have not eaten. Most of the time, they drive to the Buffalo area. Maybe next time we join our friends for dinner, we'll go there. We won't be returning to Danny Sheehan's, and neither will they. Once was enough."

Danny's.
3715 Genesee St.
(between Dick & Union Rds., near the Buffalo Niagara International Airport),
U-Crest (Town of Cheektowaga).
634-1780.

Danny's South.
4300 Abbott Rd.
(at Rt. 20A/Big Tree Rd., near Ralph Wilson Stadium and Erie Community College South Campus),
Town of Orchard Park.
649-1194.

Review of Danny's South in Orchard Park:
[WHN, 2/12] says: "Same website and menu as Danny's on Genesee St. in Cheektowaga. We went there for a quick dinner on Wednesday night [2/22/12]. Although I don't like salad bars, theirs was fresh, clean, and offered plenty of variety, with about six dressing choices. Four soup choices are available daily with the soup and salad bar. The one we chose, a chicken and pasta soup, was lukewarm, probably because one of their standard warmers wasn't functioning, and they were using Sterno or another ‘canned heat’, which obviously didn't provide enough heat. My beef on Kummelweck was very good, with medium-rare beef, although the roll was way too salty, and I scraped off most of the salt. Nevertheless, a good choice for a quick, casual meal without resorting to a fast-food chain."

Reviews of the Cheektowaga location:

[MEs, 5/08] says: "THE FOOD NAZIS: A great online friend and fellow "foodie" & I were instant-messaging about my family's experience at Danny's on Mothers' Day. It dawned on me that it might be a unique & interesting review format to cut & paste our online chat here. Hope you find it worthwhile! (I'm "Top".)
5/13/2008 1:46:27 AM: {Top}how was your moms day?
5/13/2008 1:46:58 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}very good thx. yours was good, i hear
5/13/2008 1:47:03 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}lol
5/13/2008 1:47:14 AM: {Top}very good thx. but we violated our sacred rule of not eating in overcrowded restaurants on major holidays & were summarily disappointed lol
5/13/2008 1:47:32 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}where?
5/13/2008 1:47:33 AM: {Top}mom was unhappy the whole time & said next year im cooking again lol
5/13/2008 1:47:39 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}lol
5/13/2008 1:47:48 AM: {Top}Dannys on genesee kinda near the airport
5/13/2008 1:47:57 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}oh yeah
5/13/2008 1:47:57 AM: {Top}which we all do tend to love as a rule
5/13/2008 1:48:17 AM: {Top}but their cust svce is always hostile & counterproductive if theres ever a prob
5/13/2008 1:48:21 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}well, it is the busiest day of the year for restaurants
5/13/2008 1:48:24 AM: {Top}which we knew...
5/13/2008 1:48:44 AM: {Top}lol did i mention last year's birthday debacle?
5/13/2008 1:48:45 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}did you do brunch or dinner?
5/13/2008 1:48:52 AM: {Top}yea it was a mob scene
5/13/2008 1:48:53 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}no
5/13/2008 1:48:53 AM: {Top}dinner
5/13/2008 1:49:06 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}i think brunch is a better option
5/13/2008 1:49:23 AM: {Top}they have a thing where they call ya before your birthday every year & offer a free birthday dinner that week
5/13/2008 1:49:34 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}cool
5/13/2008 1:49:56 AM: {Top}coincidentally my mom & i are 3 days apart so we both went & took gramma & aunt audrey
5/13/2008 1:50:19 AM: {Top}we ordered & then were told theyd only honor one free birthday dinner per table
5/13/2008 1:50:52 AM: {Top} (i mean how many times do they even run into this? friends/family with a birthday the same week LOL)
5/13/2008 1:51:15 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}not often, i'd guess
5/13/2008 1:51:32 AM: {Top}so we said thx for making our birthdays so special & left
5/13/2008 1:51:55 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}good for you
5/13/2008 1:51:57 AM: {Top}then yesterday...speaking of brunch....
5/13/2008 1:53:23 AM: {Top}....my sister & her husband just this past week had to put his mother with Alzheimers in a nursing home. a few yrs back they built her a room in their home & had taken care of her as long as they could....
5/13/2008 1:53:48 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}ok
5/13/2008 1:54:06 AM: {Top}the nursing home had a Mothers Day brunch which they attended and were really not too hungry at dinnertime so they said theyd share a fish dinner
5/13/2008 1:54:25 AM: {Top}but on holidays sharing is not allowed there lol So then sis said she'd have just the soup & salad bar which they normally offer & was told no.
5/13/2008 1:54:31 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}lol
5/13/2008 1:55:03 AM: {Top}so when the waitress came back my sister offered to pay a plating/sharing charge which was also not allowed so my bro in law orderd the fish for himself & my sister said shed just have a large shrimp cocktail.
5/13/2008 1:55:26 AM: {Top}and they told her she couldnt do that either!!! can you say FOOD NAZIs? lol
5/13/2008 1:55:34 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}lol
5/13/2008 1:55:51 AM: {Top}not only was it a tuff week for sis but shes a mom too & all her kids were there
5/13/2008 1:56:27 AM: {Top}so she ordered nothing
5/13/2008 1:56:36 AM: {Top}& i was surprised the creeps even let her stay lol
5/13/2008 1:57:07 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}good for her
5/13/2008 1:57:41 AM: {Top}lol thats what i get for being forgiving. i know how they are there but we do generally like all the food....and as if in a party of 12, making once exception would break the dang bank huh?
5/13/2008 1:58:03 AM: {Top}and of course, being mothers day the food was all pretty lousy anyways
5/13/2008 1:58:31 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}well, i'd take them out the sunday before or after
5/13/2008 1:58:45 AM: {Top}both my delmonico & my lobster tail were dry etc etc
5/13/2008 1:58:46 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}maybe cook for them on the day, something simple
5/13/2008 1:58:49 AM: {Top}moms & aunt audreys meals stunk Their racks of ribs were shoe leather & moms lobster tail was half raw. My supposedly 4 oz side lobster tail was way smaller than the rest & looked more like a prawn. Grammas french fries were never really cooked & soggy & cold. (Does ANYONE cook fresh fries per order anymore or do they all just make a batch & stick em under the heat lamps & use em all nite? blech Anways, we know better than to complain there and we really just wanted to get the heck outta there. Sis threw in a hundred dollar bill for her family and the pleasure of not eating a thing and getting hassled on Mothers Day. ...also, they do tend to have wonderful lobster tails there at a super price so we've had them and loved them often over the years but one time about a year ago, all 4 of us had to send them back because they were so strong/fishy/old/spoiled tasting. And they did take them off the bill but not until they implied in no uncertain terms that we were crazy because the chef tasted them & they were fine.
5/13/2008 1:59:07 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}it's too much pressure on restaurants
5/13/2008 1:59:25 AM: {Top}yeah thats what we always generally do on busy holidays....something at home easy like throw baked potatoes & lobster tails in the overn or even get a honeybaked ham
5/13/2008 2:00:14 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}there's no place like home
5/13/2008 2:00:16 AM: {Top}it really is. plus mom/we are all pretty darn good cooks so we're fussy & as ya know most people will eat anything
5/13/2008 2:00:23 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}* clicks ruby slippers
5/13/2008 2:00:28 AM: {Top}lol
5/13/2008 2:00:37 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}lol
5/13/2008 2:01:00 AM: {Top}which reminds me i think theres a local site where one can review restaurants
5/13/2008 2:01:44 AM: {Top}i should do that. actually could just cut & paste our chat if ya didnt mind. thats pretty much the whole story
5/13/2008 2:02:00 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}not at all
5/13/2008 2:02:03 AM: {Top}lol would be an interesting format
5/13/2008 2:02:10 AM: {Top}sweet thx
5/13/2008 2:02:30 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}bill rappaport, i think
[Editor [Bill Rapaport]'s note: Nope! Try "Bill Rapaport", however :-)]
5/13/2008 2:02:32 AM: {Top}o thats one i never heard of! thx hafta check it out
5/13/2008 2:03:09 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/restaurant.guide/
5/13/2008 2:03:15 AM: {Top}awesome!
5/13/2008 2:03:28 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}lol
5/13/2008 2:04:09 AM: {Top}do need to mention tho, the poor waitress was mortified & the service was wonderful so we didnt take it out on her....not that ya could...they build the tip in on holidays apparently!
5/13/2008 2:04:35 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}i hate that
5/13/2008 2:04:39 AM: {Top}me too
5/13/2008 2:05:06 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}i always tip, usually well, but it should be my decision
5/13/2008 2:05:38 AM: {Top}not that she was all that attentive - how could she be with such a mob? but we never hold that against the wait staff & usually tip minimum 20% anyways...
5/13/2008 2:05:47 AM: {Top}i totally agree
5/13/2008 2:06:19 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}like i said, most restaurants can't handle such a crowd well
5/13/2008 2:06:29 AM: {Top}virtually none
5/13/2008 2:06:36 AM: {Top}moms always right ;-)
5/13/2008 2:07:02 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}lol yup
5/13/2008 2:07:09 AM: {Top}and grammas 94 & still kickin so its really all small beans anyways, huh? plus we went to my sisters for dessert afterwards & had a blast
5/13/2008 2:07:10 AM: {Bobbie_Lee}i better hit the sack!


So there's the story, folks. The place is a crap shoot. Mostly you win; but, whoever "Danny" is, he needs to take a chill pill. Hope this was of value to you. One side note. Though I believe Danny's may have invented the Spicy Buffalo Wing Soup, when it's available, it's much better at Curly's near the Basilica! Happy grazing everyone!"

[PZT, 3/08] says: "Just wanted to chime in that Danny's has been a favorite of ours for years. It's not fancy; you won't find any cool, new, cooking techniques or the latest fad dishes here. Just good, old-fashioned, all-American food (Danny's calls it Buffalo Cuisine). A great place to take your family; a place you can count on for good food & service. The items in the salad bar are varied and always fresh (I love their house Honey Basil dressing.) Each day, there are 4 homemade soups to choose from (the only constant is their fantastic Buffalo Chicken Wing Soup; the rest change daily). The menu has something for everyone, the specials are great, and all meals are reasonably priced & of good quality. I highly recommend the Autumn Chicken Tips, as well as the broiled scallop dinner. If you're looking for the trendy new place to go, Danny's isn't it. If you're looking for good food, a comfortable atmosphere, and no surprises, this is the place."

[AFN, 3/08] says: "I went to Danny's Cheektowaga location for lunch with some friends from school. The person who set up the lunch date said they had a great soup and salad bar. I hate salad bars, so was hoping they had more offerings. (This was my first visit.) In fact, they have a very large menu with numerous sandwiches, burgers, salads, and more. Apparently, their soup and salad bar "Express Lunch" is well known and highly regarded. It includes a half sandwich, with your choice of ham, turkey, roast beef, tuna, or corned beef. All my friends chose the soup and salad bar and loved it. I had "Danny's Steak on a Hard Roll" (like a Philly cheese steak sandwich), which was very tasty, and very large...I couldn't eat all the bread."

Reviews from more than 10 years ago:

[MEL, 11/98] says: "Basic satisfactory generic American food. For some reason, a lot of people consider this place to be sensational. I don't, but I would go again if I were in the neighborhood."

[Bill, 3/97] said: Adam Sterlace of Danny's suggested we eat there. Well, we tried; boy, was it crowded! Sterlace should have told us we'd need reservations! Not only that, we were not told how long we would have to wait for a table. The guy who was taking names was exceedingly rude and impolite, and after a couple of attempts to ask him questions and to ask to speak to Sterlace, both of which were rebuffed with curt "no"s, we decided to go elsewhere. We may try again, but since Danny's is not near where we live, it may be awhile.

Darrow's Restaurant.
13192 Broadway
(at W. Main & Exchange Sts.),
Village of Alden (Town of Alden).
937-7004.

[BL] says:
[11/10] "This menu file (a base menu) came in from the owners when I emailed them this past week. My understanding from the owner is it will be changing in a week or two to add new items. Specials I noted when we were there that weekend were offered on an additional table listing along with a wine list."
• The current [5/12] menu is online here.

[10/10] "Alden is an interesting place, nice farmland, good neighbors, and a village hugging Broadway about 8 miles east of Lancaster. Comfortable living. People know each other, and word of mouth spreads when a new eating place arrives. Darrow's is a former tavern renovated into a decent restaurant/bar setting. What is important is that they have a chef on board who cooks well and takes local foods and adds them for that extra kick in a menu. I had the broiled orange poppyseed haddock that came with two sides; I chose potato salad and the vegetable of the night, braised red cabbage, which was great and unexpected. It was an excellent fish ($10.95). And even the tartar sauce was homemade and different. My spouse had the beef on weck with potato ($6.95). Sides are a list and can include mac and cheese, fries, potato, coleslaw, vegetables, beets, salads, etc. There are many entrees to choose from and a decent wine list, along with beer and beverages. Each time you come, the place is progressing more and more, making it a welcome addition to the community. Service is comfortable and very good. The chef can try to accommodate food needs like non-gluten selections, if you request. Or he will use rhubarb in season, showing up as a sauce or dessert. We have not tried the steak, homemade soups, or other specialties, but we will return."

Dash's Market.
499 W. Klein Rd.
(in Dash's Plaza, at Hopkins & W. Klein Rds., just west of East Amherst),
"Greater" Williamsville (Town of Amherst).
204-0386.

[WHN, 3/10] says: "Last Friday, my wife was in the mood for a fish fry, so I called ahead to order. Dash's person asked what time I wanted them ready, so I said 5 P.M., thinking I would beat the dinnertime rush. Wrong! There was a throng of people waiting for their orders, some since 4:30. There were a number of people waiting for their 5 P.M. orders, which finally arrived around 5:30. The Dash's staff kept apologizing for the delays and said they were just overwhelmed by the volume. (This was the first time we had ordered their fish fries, so I don't know if the wait times were unusually long, or if it's always that way.) In any case, the $6.95 fish fries, with cole slaw, macaroni salad, and a choice of French fries or potato salad, and rye bread, were very good. They also offer fried shrimp, scallop, and calamari dinners, and apparently (based on one of the waiting customer's order) also offer baked fish instead of fried. The other dinners are around $10.95. We will order from Dash's again sometime, but will specify 30 minutes before we really want them."

[AFN, 1/10] said: "My sister and I had lunch yesterday at Dash's, which offers a wide variety of soups, salads, and sandwiches. We each had a cup of soup. I had minestrone, and she had chicken noodle. Then we split a turkey panini sandwich. There are tables available in Spot Coffee, located within the store, or they will package it for take-out. The panini was OK, but not as good as the sandwiches from Bagel Jay's, in the same plaza."

Dave & Buster's.
4545 Transit Rd.
(in Eastern Hills Mall),
Harris Hill (Town of Clarence).
635-5075.

Part of the chain. It's basically a "Chuck E. Cheese" for adults.

[CAB, 2/06] says: "Went there Jan. 7, 2006, and it was wonderful! The bar inside the gaming room was where I ate dinner while my husband and son ran around like the maniacal gamers they are, and had the most delicious "bar burgers" in my life! You get 4 per serving on mini Hawaiian dinner rolls too cute and soo yummy! They also had a chocolate dipping tray, all kinds of fun, fresh, and innovative foods. The bartender was plesant, and drinks were good. The games were current, and the prizes were not so much geared to little kids, but my 7-year-old had a blast! This is his new favorite place—truth be told Chuck E. Cheese was his old favorite place, but he wants to have his birthday party at D&B this year! And, yes, it was a bit loud, but have you ever been to a quiet arcade?!? Big thumbs up!"

[HPK, 10/05] says: "With great excitement, I was looking forward to my first time at one of these supposedly excellent restaurants/play areas, etc. I am not sure what I got: First: It was wonderful to see a couple hundred cars in the parking lot of the Eastern Hills Mall! That can only be a good thing. D&B is a casino for kids during the day and a night club with toys for adults after 10 P.M. It is loud, loud, loud. There are dozens of games that make Chuck E. Cheese look old. All the games are paid for with a pre-bought credit card, which I think shows the wrong idea to young kids. There are pool tables, bowling alleys, and a full dining room. You cannot get in unless you are 21 or with an adult over 21. While this is a good thing to stop underage drinking, there is plenty of alcohol flowing all around the kids. (No pinball machines for those of us that love them.) The second floor has not opened up, and there are no plans to, till they figure out how business will do. OK, so the food. Average. Bar food, nothing special. I had a club sandwich. Other items on the menu were burgers, standard appetizers, some pasta, etc. This is not a place for a quiet evening. Prices were cheap compared to other restaurants in their class. Please do not get me wrong here. Take the kids; this is their type of place, even though one of my daughters actually said that it was too loud. As well, this will be a huge bar scene late at night (open till 4 A.M., according to an employee). There are also private rooms for parties of all sorts. I really hope that this helps the economy at the mall and creates jobs. I have problems with the noise (even the employees were complaining), credit cards for the kids, alcohol everywhere around little kids. There is a sign outside that says, "This is a place primarily for adults". Keep that in mind. During the day, though, I see no issue for kids. To sum it all up—go—experience it, then decide for yourself."

DeFlippo's.
326 West Ave.
(Rt. 31, between New York St. & Briston Ave., west of S. Transit St.),
City of Lockport (Niagara County).
433-2913.

Italian. It is also a small bed-and-breakfast inn.

Reviews from more than 10 years ago:

Bill says:
[6/02] Returned for dinner after a long hiatus; still a good place! I had one of the evening's specials: salmon in an artichoke ratatouille over spiral pasta, which was quite tasty. (But my tiramisu dessert seemed as if it had been too-quickly defrosted, and was cold and wet :-(

[6/98] Returned for dinner; still a good place. I especially like their homemade salad dressing.

[Summer 1996] An extensive menu, far more interesting than many other family-run, informal Italian restaurants in WNY. One of the chefs (the son) is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America.

DeJohns Italian Spaghetti House.
26 W. Main St.
(at Center St.),
Village of Fredonia (Town of Pomfret, northern Chautauqua County).
672-4755.

[JoM, 11/11] says: "My family attended a band concert at Fredonia State's King Concert Hall on 11/19/2011, and we were looking for a family-friendly place for dinner. We found DeJohn's and were very happy with our experience. This is a small and quaint restaurant in downtown Fredonia with a nice ‘greenhouse’ room in the back that accomodated our large group of a dozen people. My two younger cousins split a pepperoni pizza. I tried a bite, and it was very good: a thick crust with a sweeter sauce. Most of the adults ordered pasta dishes as entrees, which came with a house salad. Nobody complained about the quality or quantity of their meal; the servings were extremely generous and almost everyone had enough to bring home for a second meal. There is nothing fancy about this restaurant. The food is of good quality, and the prices are extremely reasonable. I recommend!"

The Delaware Pub & Grill.
3410 Delaware Ave.
(at Kenview Ave., south of Sheridan Dr.),
Kenmore Northwest (Town of Tonawanda).
874-0100.

Their (new) website has a link to Water Street Landing, so I assume that the two restaurants are related.

[APM, 10/11] says: "My husband and I went to The Delaware Friday night and have quite a mixed review. We liked the industrial feel of the restaurant, and our server was very nice, but the food service was very slow. We ordered chicken wings for an appetizer, which took over 30 minutes. I admit that they were delicious, but this seemed a little too long for fried food. It may have been the hunger, but, if they hadn't arrived when they did, I planned on walking out. We both had burgers for dinner; my husband loved his, and I kinda liked mine: I ordered my burger with a fried egg on top and was hoping for a gooey, runny egg yolk but got a completely cooked egg, but the burger overall was tasty. I guess I shouldn't complain, because it only cost us $33 (not including tip) for 2 beers, wings, and 2 burgers. We would go back, maybe on a Tuesday when they are not so busy."

[LT, 8/11] said: "Mixed review: Tonight [8/24/11], my husband and I decided to try that new place on Delaware in Kenmore, aptly named ‘The Delaware’. We arrived at about 7 P.M. and took what appeared to be the last parking space in the back. When we walked in, the place was very noisy. No one was there to greet us; a couple of staff walked by, and, a few minutes later, someone came running. We were told that we could sit outside or wait for ‘I don't know, maybe 5, 10…uh, 15 minutes’. We chose to sit outside. The menu is small and divided into ‘bins’ with a few things typed up along the side that appeared to be substitutes for sides that accompany unnamed items on the menu. There was no drinks menu, so he asked what was on tap and decided on Magic Hat #9. I stuck with my water, not knowing what else they even had, nor was I offered anything else. My husband got the asparagus fries and a Reuben, unaware it came with fries. The asparagus fries were excellent: crisp and well battered, with the veg on the inside cooked enough, but still had a bite. He and I agree we would go back just for them and a beer. The accompanying sauces were great, too, but I don't recall what they were. His Reuben was good, the pastrami thick cut and juicy, but he was not offered the choice of cheese, as stated on the menu, and got the traditional Swiss. The fries were standard, frozen, restaurant supply, fried poorly and stuck together in a clump: disappointing. I got the Tofu Stack, which was supposed to be cornmeal-crusted tofu in a napoleon with crisp wontons accompanied by mushrooms, water chestnuts, and ‘soy au jus’; what I got was baked tofu and soggy wontons with mushrooms and a single water-chestnut slice, topped with woody, stemmed watercress, I think. Although it tasted very good, I thought the menu did not represent what I got. Service was slow, and we overheard a nearby table with an issue and having to send something back. I ran out of water, drank my husband's, and eventually got the waitress's attention to bring me more. She came by twice while we were eating and asked, ‘Is everything tasting all right?’. Everything did taste all right, even if it was not what I thought I was getting. They have no dessert menu, and the selection was sparse at best—‘a bag of donuts’, cheesecake, peanut-butter pie, and bread pudding. The bottom of the menu had what I think was supposed to be a ‘joke’: that good service is an additional dollar. Overall, it is a decent place. Feels to me like it is trying to be more than it is. It has some twists on standard pub/bar food, but not enough, and the service would be one star, at the most."

[BMcWS, 5/11] said: "My family dined here on a Saturday in May. They have a patio out front facing Delaware Ave., but we didn't want to dine with exhaust, so we chose the inside, which is a bit industrial feeling. We started with the pork tater tots. I didn't think I would like these, but they were amazing. We also tried the homemade potato chips, which were OK but would have been much better if they had been fresh and warm. I enjoyed the mac en chevre, a mac and cheese made with goat cheese, parmesan, and cheddar, with some chicken. It had some pieces of tomato, but they were practically white. The dish was good, but the tomatoes have got to be red. Another family member enjoyed the horseradish burger on a pretzel roll. This burger was moist and delicious—and huge. The fries were also homemade, and were good. Another person got the ribs, which were a special and were done perfectly. Last but not least was the meatloaf, which also excellent. We didn't have time for dessert, but I would give it a go next time. We really enjoyed this. I just wish the inside was a bit more welcoming and that the waitstaff could keep the water glasses full—or give us bigger glasses."

[EKo, 1/11] said: "The Delaware is a new, somewhat-swanky, little restaurant in Tonawanda, south of Sheridan. The menu is similar to the Empire Grill on Hertel, in the way they take otherwise-ordinary dishes and give them an interesting twist. It's not just a burger; it's a brisket burger. It's not just baked chicken; it's baked chicken with a garlic au jus. I'm a meat-and-potatoes guy, so I was a little worried about how some of these would come out, but the brisket burger was very good. The other diners in our party had the tater-tot appetizer, which they really enjoyed. Very good prices, good service; I would recommend this place."

[SGu, 12/10] said: "My boyfriend and I stopped into The Delaware, the old Carvel in Kenmore. We went to just get a menu to check over at home, but came back after noticing Jamestown's Southern Tier Brewery's IPA on tap. We ordered the rarebit, fried asparagus, and salmon club, plus of course 2 Southern Tier IPAs. The food was fantastic; it was prepared amazingly. The rarebit is definitely a big draw. The beer was fresh; as beer geeks, we enjoy a bar with a good, craft-beer selection. They are well on their way to having a good selection, starting with the Southern Tier beers. Our bill was shockingly cheap, and the service was phenomenal. We will be going back and have already told many of our friends. Good local place, good beer, and great food."

Delhi Chaat Sweets and Restaurants.
3545 Sheridan Dr.
(between Millersport Hwy. & Sweet Home Rd.),
Eggertsville (Town of Amherst).
837-3038.

Indian cuisine. Same location and phone number as the former Moti Mahal.

[ECB, 8/11] says: "I've been there three times now for the lunch buffet and every time was overwhelmed by the food. It is a sizeable buffet for such a small place: pakoras, tandoori chicken, two other meat dishes, four veggie dishes, rice, a sweet, naan, and various chutneys, pickles, etc. Everything, though, is outstanding. The naan is to die for, hot and crisp on the outside. The last two times I went, the sweet was an outstanding gulab jamun. I have only a few issues with the food: First, the chicken is a bit dry, both the tandoori and the two curries I've tried. Myself, I tend to use thighs instead of breasts to avoid that. Second, they are very conservative putting out the tandoori chicken and pakoras; the last two times I've gone, there was only one piece of each, and they weren't refilled for the duration of my meal. I'd have felt bad if I had come with a friend! The service is a little slow, and, oddly, I wasn't asked if I wanted a drink on any of the visits: I was just poured a glass of water. Overall, though, I highly recommend it. I'll write another review when I get there for dinner."

Della Mostra by Mulberry.
658 Main St.
(in Shea's Smith Theatre, next door to Shea's Ticket Office, accessible from Main St. or Shea's lobby, between W. Tupper St. & W. Chippewa St.),
Downtown Buffalo
847-1410 ext. 187.

Italian.

Same management as Mulberry Italian Ristorante.

[WHN, 5/19/13] says: "Della Mostra opened last year in the former intermission bar/lounge adjacent to Shea's Buffalo. It's run by Mulberry in Lackawanna, through an agreement with Shea's. G and I had dinner there on Saturday, 5/18/13. We were seated on the balcony overlooking the main dining area. The menu selections are not as many or as varied as Mulberry itself, since the intent is to get customers in and out fairly quickly to attend a performance at Shea's. We ordered a $28 bottle of Chianti. G had tagliatelle Bolognese, and I had veal parmesan. Unlike Mulberry, salads are not included, but a house salad is only $1 extra. We both had their roasted-tomato vinaigrette dressing, but crumbled bleu cheese isn't available. The portions were smaller than the huge ones at Mulberry, but more than enough for a meal. The food and service were very good and, with our wine, cost about $70 before gratuity. Della Mostra serves lunch and/or dinner only when there are events at Shea's, opening two hours before most performances. Reservations are made through Shea's, and there is a link on their website to the menu."

• [Warning: The menu is in MS Word format, and the current version is dated "2012".]

Della Terra.
200 Delaware Ave.
(in the Embassy Suites Buffalo
in the Avant building,
at the northwest corner with W. Huron St.,
south of Cary St.),
Downtown Buffalo.
842-6100.

Online reservations available via OpenTable.com.

Italian.

[WHN] says:

[7/28/15] "On Saturday, we returned to Della Terra for dinner for the first time in about 2 years. We had hoped to dine on the patio fronting Delaware Avenue, but saw that there was no furniture. We asked our server, Brittany, what happened to the patio, which had tables set for dinner when we were last at Della Terra. She said that she was new and didn't know, but would ask another server or the hostess. (Later, we learned that the patio was closed over a year ago, for unknown reasons, and there are apparently no plans to use it for dining in the future. Too bad.) We ordered a bottle of St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon, and looked over the menu. Brittany brought bread and an excellent dipping sauce of EVOO and balsamic with garlic and herbs, plus butter. To start, we ordered a Caesar salad, which was prepared tableside and was excellent. I can't remember the last time that I had a Caesar salad prepared tableside, but I think that it was in the Cayman Islands a long, long time ago. For her main course, G had shrimp scampi, served over linguine, tossed with tomatoes, arugula, and garlic, with a lemon-butter and white-wine sauce. I had horseradish-crusted salmon, served over chive risotto, with a lemon-caper buerre blanc, and topped with asparagus spears. Both dishes were excellent. We skipped dessert, but had coffee. I had a Groupon worth $80, so our dinner, including tax, but before the tip, was just over $50. I think that the Groupon cost $40, so the actual cost of our dinner was about $90."

[4/21/13] "We returned to Della Terra for dinner on Sat., 4/20. Our server, Reggie, brought bread and an excellent dipping sauce of EVOO and balsamic with parmesan and herbs, and described the two evening specials—one chicken, one fish—in great detail. We ordered a bottle of Charles Krug cabernet sauvignon, while we looked over the menu. We asked Reggie to tell us about what the menu calls the chef's special seasonal salad, which was romaine with chopped egg, olives, cheese, and grape tomatoes, with a tomato vinaigrette. Remembering that the salads were very large last time, we ordered one to share, which was served on separate plates. The salad was very good. G ordered the chicken special of sauteed chicken breast, pounded flat and encrusted with mushrooms, garlic, and herbs, served over mashed potatoes and asparagus. I had the other special—halibut with a creamy, sun-dried-tomato sauce, topped with a puree of sun-dried tomatoes, and served with gnocchi. I'm not wild about gnocchi, but this preparation was very good. It was an excellent meal, with excellent service. We had a Living Social voucher worth $50, so our dinner cost about $75 with wine and coffee, before the tip. ($100 including $25 paid for the voucher.) Complimentary valet parking is available."

[9/3/12] "Friday night, 8/31/12, we had dinner at Della Terra. There were only one or two other tables occupied, and the host said that we could sit wherever we wanted, but that there would be a group of twenty people arriving, so we should avoid that part of the dining room. We chose a table at the front window, overlooking an outdoor patio, which we hadn't known existed. Since it was a windy evening, we wouldn't have chosen to dine outside, but at least one table was occupied, and it's equipped with heaters, so it would be an option in the fall. Our friendly but professional server, Reggie, was knowledgeable about the evening specials and, after I ordered a bottle of blended sangiovese-cabernet, but used the wrong bin number, returned to make sure we were getting what we wanted. We asked about the size of the salads, which he described, and ordered a Caesar salad, which we shared. I wanted anchovies, but G didn't, and Reggie said that that was not a problem; two salads arrived promptly, one with and one without anchovies. For main courses, G had tilapia with Himalayan red rice and asparagus spears. I had an evening special of veal Milanese, described by Reggie as delicious. It was not a classic Milanese, but was topped by fresh tomatoes and mozzarella. The accompanying angel hair pasta, tossed in olive oil with fresh red peppers, was spicy hot but very flavorful. Our meals were excellent and, with a $29 bottle of wine, cost $60 before tip, excluding $25 paid for a $50 Groupon voucher. The atmosphere is elegant and fairly quiet, despite the large group at the other end of the room. Complimentary valet parking is available."

[DCh, 9/10] said: "Perhaps the best way for me to describe our dining ‘experience’ at Della Terra (and, believe me, it was quite the experience!) is that we thought, after this unbelievable evening mercifully ended, we must have been on ‘Candid Camera’. The abridged details:

• We had a 6:30 P.M. reservation [9/25/10] and were seated promptly at our table. That was the highlight of the evening.
• Our very glib waiter told us, and I quote: ‘We have a new menu; it's better than the old one, so hopefully you'll find something you like. As for the seafood dishes, I really don't like fish, but I'm told they're pretty good’.
• Ordered cocktails; took approximately 15 minutes to have them delivered to our table.
• I order a pasta dish; my wife opts for the filet mignon: Neither of which was a ‘special’; pretty standard order, right?
• Wrong! First, our salads took 25 minutes to arrive! Why? Well our very glib waiter (as noted previously) was engaged in a conversation with a table at the opposite end of the restaurant for, say, 25 minutes!
• Finally, the salads come: not bad, really; not exceptional either. We finish in relatively short order and wait (again) for our plates to be cleared.
• Now the fun really begins! The waiter returns after another lengthy lull, begins to clear our plates, and states, ‘Oh, by the way, ma'am; I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but our kitchen just informed us we're out of filet mignon[!] You'll have to pick something else’! Are you kidding me? First off, filet mignon is pretty much standard fare in any fine dining establishment; you truly shouldn't be ‘out of it’, on a Saturday night especially! Secondly, he waited until well after we finished our salads to tell my wife her entree selection wasn't available! That, in and of itself, is a major faux pas that any restaurant manager should be mortified over!!
• My wife hastily selects a pasta dish as her replacement (assuming that it would be easier for this obviously challenged, kitchen staff to prepare), and again we wait and wait; in the meantime, the ever smiling waiter promises us more fresh bread, which—you guessed it—never arrives!
• After another twenty minutes, our entrees finally arrive. Not surprisingly at this juncture, my wife's pasta dish is a complete disaster: undercooked rice complete with what is literally some sort of alcohol (not wine as noted in the menu) dumped liberally throughout the dish; it was as if someone poured Jim Beam Bourbon straight from the bottle on top of this ‘creation’. The waiter did ask us, rather promptly this time, how our main course was, saw the look on my wife's face, and, rather stoically, took the dish back. The maitre d' then told us he would remove it from our bill (hallelujah!) and give us free dessert.
• Ah yes, the dessert; now that can't possibly get screwed up, right? Wrong!! Our ever-optimistic server told us our choices, and I selected the apple pie, my wife the tiramisu. Fifteen minutes go by, and here comes The Happy Waiter with only one dessert—my wife's—and no apple pie! ‘Sorry, sir’, he tells me. ’I was just informed we're out of apple pie’! At this point, it was similar to watching a bad movie: It's so bad that you can't help but laugh out loud, which my wife did until she cried!
• The waiter ended this unforgettable evening—now 2 hours and 45 minutes long—by stating, ‘Wow, this must have been your worst dining experience ever. Maybe I can wash your car or something to make it better!’ And, with that, we ambled back to our car (no, I didn't get the car wash; remember, it was valet parked!) with a story for the ages!"

[AMB, 1/10] said: "We also went with a faculty group to the new restaurant in the Avant building downtown last week for lunch. There was a good selection of salads and sandwiches, and a couple of entrees on the lunch menu. It was really pretty inside—huge windows looking out on Delaware Ave., pleasant hotel lobby (stylish waterfall) when you walk in, and a nice-looking bar area. I had a good sandwich, and it seemed that everyone was satisfied. Service was fine, and, for those concerned with the ‘downtown parking issue’, they have a valet that was no cost for restaurant patrons (I didn't check to see if that would be the case in the evening). I'd like to try it for dinner (seems like it would be a great place to watch out on a snowy evening); it also seems like it would be a good place for a group lunch or dinner event, as the menu was interesting but also had enough on it to please a group."

Dessert Deli.
716 Maple Rd.
(at N. Forest Rd., in Maple-Forest Plaza, near the UB North Campus),
"Greater" Williamsville (Town of Amherst).
689-2115.

[3/10] Listed as one of 41 "Restaurants We Love" by Buffalo Spree magazine.

Take-out and eat-in (coffees, teas, breakfast items) bakery.

[WHN, 3/08] reports that he "stopped in to buy a cake last week and noticed a sign saying they no longer serve lunch. I've never had lunch there, but the cakes and other desserts we've had have been exceptionally good."

[PT, 6/07] says: "Besides their scrumptious cakes, cheese cakes, and other desserts, they now offer a handful of weekday lunch specials—salads, sandwiches, wraps, and a quiche of the day. As delicious as their baked goods, in their own way."

DiBella's Old Fashioned Submarines.
1420 Niagara Falls Blvd.
(north of Brighton Rd.),
Brighton (Town of Tonawanda).
332-2418.

3900 Union Rd.
(between the two halves of George Urban Blvd.),
U-Crest (Town of Cheektowaga).
632-4573.

6970 Transit Rd.
(between Wehrle Dr. & Main St., in the Transit Corners neighborhood),
"Greater" Williamsville (Town of Amherst).
565-0591.

Part of the chain.

[CEP, 1/07] says: "This site has long been in need of a review of DiBella's. This is a wonderful place to grab a sub for lunch or dinner. The rolls (wheat, sesame, or everything) are baked fresh all day and are wonderfully crusty. The fillings are also generous. Tonight, my boyfriend had a Steak and Cheese sub, and he raved about the thinly sliced meat. I had a Ham and Turkey sub, which was wonderfully enhanced by DiBella's own oil dressing. In addition to the best subs in WNY (some might say Wegmans' are the best, but Wegman's started with DiBella subs in the beginning), the atmosphere is unlike any other sub place around. Plenty of old fashioned advertising and great music like "Hit The Road Jack" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" make this place a fun place to grab a quick and delicous meal (~$7 for a sub combo with drink, and chips or cookie)."

Dick and Jenny's.
1270 Baseline Rd.
(at the northwest corner with Love Rd.),
Grandyle Village (Town of Grand Island).
775-5047.

[7/17/14] Given 8 (out of 10) points by Andrew Z. Galarneau, Buffalo News food editor.

[MTC, 2/12] said: "On Friday, 2/17/2012, I decided to dine at Dick & Jenny's for their special Mardi Gras Dinner Menu and live music by Ron Lee Zydeco and the Hot Tamales. Unfortunately, the music was the highlight of the evening. With so many different options on the menu, my girlfriend and I decided to order numerous items to share. We started off with ‘Dick's Daily Gumbo’, featuring andouille sausage, oysters, and duck breast. The gumbo's rich roux was satisfying, while the vegetables and oysters added a nice sweetness; the andouille packed a nice amount of heat, but the duck went undetected. For appetizers, we decided on the New Orleans BBQ Shrimp & Grits, Pain Perdu of Molasses Cured Pork Belly, and Grilled Alligator Sausage. The Shrimp & Grits were pretty good; the grits were fairly creamy, and the shrimp were cooked and seasoned properly. The first disappointment of the night was the Pain Perdu of Molasses Cured Pork Belly, which was an epic fail. The sandwich was tricky to eat, because it sat on top of the Peach Bourdon Sauce, which made the bottom sticky and soggy. So, instead of picking it up, I quickly deconstructed the sandwich to find the star of the show—the pork belly. Unfortunately, I was greatly disappointed: The sandwich's bacon was off-colored, with a whitish hue, and rubbery; the cheese wasn't fully melted; and the pork belly just wasn't pork belly. I have had pork belly numerous times, and it is rich, fatty, luscious, flavorful, ‘mouth-watering’, juicy, and every other food-porn, buzz word used to describe its greatness. What I was served was discolored, dry, and extremely small—the four pieces were ~1/8" thick and 2"×2". After contemplating where this dish went wrong, I hypothesized that the sandwich was prepped in the morning, wrapped, refrigerated, and then cooked to order. That would explain the off-colored meat, the uncrispy bacon, the dried pork belly, and the rubbery cheese. The alligator sausage was fine but nothing I would order again. For an entrée, we ordered the Southern Sweet Tea Marinated Fried Chicken, which came with Red Beans & Rice and a side of Jambalaya. The fried chicken was the second major disappointment of the night. For $16, we were served a fried, boneless, skinless, chicken breast, one drumstick, and one wing. Not in my wildest dreams when I ordered fried chicken did I expect a boneless piece of meat, not to mention that they did not serve the thigh! Total food cost might be $1.50. I have eaten some of the best fried chicken in the country, at Gus's Fried Chicken, in Memphis, TN, and you can order a 3-piece combo for $5.75 or 8-piece meal for $14. To make things worse, the chicken was not seasoned whatsoever; they seemed to have forgotten to add a little salt and pepper once the meat came out of the fryer. As the baseball saying goes, three strikes and you are out! The Jambalaya was number three. Maybe it is expectations vs. reality, but, when one orders Jambalaya, I assume the dish will be prepared with rice, meat, vegetables, and seafood. D&J's version was a plate of seasoned rice, without meat or seafood. The other oddity of the night was how hot the serving plates were. The server had to carry them out using a dish towel, and warned us that they were extremely hot. Why was this? Was everything sitting under a heat lamp for a very long time? Was the majority of the food prepared in the microwave? Do they keep the food warm in the oven, leading to it being overcooked? Do they like hot plates? I have no idea which answer is correct, but I do know that I will not be going back to Dick & Jenny's again."

[DJM, 2/12] said: "Two thumbs down. I've reviewed numerous restaurants in WNY, and this is the first that I wholeheartedly do not recommend and will not return to. I really wanted to love this place; honest, I did. However, their food left way too much to be desired to merit a trip back to Grand Island to make this a destination (I probably wouldn't bother if I lived on G.I. or even next door to the place). Went with Girlfriend and two other couples. This review will focus on what Girlfriend and I ordered, which was a significant portion of the menu. First, we split a bowl of gumbo; it was based on a hearty roux and was truly delicious for what it was, a basic soup. Unfortunately, the ‘pre-meal soup’ was the highlight of the evening. Thereafter, we split an appetizer of ‘Drago's Bayou Style Char-Grilled Oysters with Parmesan Garlic Butter.’ Wow; these were absolutely horrendous. I've had oysters which have hailed from numerous locations and which have been prepared in numerous ways. These were the worst of what I've ever had, by far. The first thing I noticed is that the shells are half-dollar sized at best (read: very small shell and correspondingly very small amount of meat). Next I noticed they're saturted with cheese; to be frank, I couldn't actually taste oyster, but could taste cheese and nothing but. They definitely were not prepared with a hint of ‘Parmesan garlic butter,’, as the only note present was cheese. For the price (more than $2.00 per oyster), I expected a lot more but, at the very least, something that was more than a half-forkful of complete let-down that didn't even taste like an oyster. Thereafter, we split the appetizer sampler platter, complete with crabcake, crawfish cheesecake, and pork belly pain perdu (pork belly French toast). The crabcake wasn't bad at all, but, heck, crab cakes are easy to please with. Same goes for the crawfish cheesecake; it was good, not great, but that's mostly because the overwhelmingly predominant ingredient in it is cream cheese (link to recipe, as published on website of their original restaurant in New Orleans), and who doesn't love cream cheese?! I was absolutely livid when I saw the pork belly pain perdu. This portion of the appetizer sampler was served as a sandwich; the pain perdu tasted like soggy bread and nothing else. The bread was 95% of the dish, as the pork belly was virtually non-existent; it was literally a single strip about the thickness of a thin piece of bacon, and it ran throughout the soggy pain perdu. (Compare this to any and all other presentations of pork belly, where the same is a centrally presented, substantial cut of pork belly.) We also ordered a piece of alligator sausage and some jambalaya. The alligator sausage was seasoned with a decent amount of heat, was cut in half the long way, and was pretty dried out (we assume it was cut in half prior to cooking, as the center was equally dried out). The jambalaya simply wasn't jambalaya, as jambalaya is comprised of substantial portions of meat, vegetables, stock, and rice. The ‘jambalaya’ that was served was nothing more than dried-out, flavored rice, with two or three small, token pieces of vegetable dispersed throughout. An aside: We asked where Dick was at some point during our meal, as we noticed Jenny was busy with a host of tasks throughout the evening. Our server politely told us that ‘Mr. Richard’ showed up that morning, per usual, to do all the cooking and that he had returned home at some point during the afternoon, not to return for dinner service. Now, I understand some of the menu items cannot be made to order, and they must be prepared slightly ahead of time. However, based on the meal we and our dining companions had, it seemed as though the entire meal was subject to the deleterious effects of being prepared by Chef Microwave (or Chef Heatlamp), after its initial cooking that morning or prior to. In summation, the food was bad, but the place was full, probably because Cajun/Creole is somewhat of a rarity in the Buffalo area; most people don't know any better and are attracted by the novelty, but now you readers do know better—stay away."

[WHN, 11/11] said: "G and I met another couple here for dinner on Saturday night, November 19, [2011,] for dinner. They discovered Dick and Jenny's about a year ago, and love it, often eating there twice a week. The women started with Jenny's Salad of mixed greens, apples, pears, toasted pecans, and bleu-cheese vinaigrette. The other gentleman had crab cakes over fried green tomatoes with jalapeño remoulade. I had chicken gumbo. I thought the roux had been slightly burned, giving the gumbo a somewhat bitter taste. I would say the gumbos I've had at both Shango and Chester's were much better, at least on this occasion. Everyone else liked their appetizers. One friend had creole-spiced, roast pork loin with apple mashed potatoes and almond green beans almondine, with a Port wine and plum glaze. G and the other woman had seared sea scallops and shrimp with a lobster ‘beggar's purse’ (like a large ravioli or Oriental dumpling) and thermidor butter with broccoli florets. They both thought the dish was excellent. I had blackened haddock and spicy crawfish over green-onion garlic rice, and Swiss chard, with lemon butter. It was delicious. Overall, a fine meal, with great service."

When JPK sent me the review below, it included this comment: "The website is for the New Orleans location but it gives you an idea of the owners." I was puzzled, because the New Orleans Dick and Jenny's didn't seem related to the Grand Island one. However, at JPK's urging, I learned that, indeed, Dick and Jenny (the people, not the restaurant) came here from New Orleans (see "Grand Island Business News—Page 5" and scroll down to "Dick & Jenny's Bake & Brew To Open February 26—February 2008"). Moreover, JPK says "Beyond asking them if they still have a stake in the other restaurant the plates are the same in both." Check out the links! New Orleans's loss is Western New York's gain :-) For more details, see their local website by clicking on the restaurant name, above.

[JPK, 11/09] says: "I have been using your website for years, and my husband and I have been trying new restaurants recommended by your users since moving back to the area in 2002. [Thanks!] A restaurant that has been open for a bit is Dick and Jenny's on Grand Island. We have gone for breakfast and lunch, and they will be opening soon for dinner. The food is excellent: very fresh and reasonably priced. Breakfast items include egg bakes, which are baked eggs with different additions; I had one with spinach, feta, artichokes, and tomatoes, and it was great. Lunch is also tasty. The turkey melt includes fresh, roasted turkey and ham. The breads and sweets are homemade. They are reopening toward the end of November, having recently received a liquor license, and will be open for dinner. We cannot wait. Living on the Island, it is great to have somewhere close to go for very good food and great service."

Dina's Restaurant.
15 Washington St.
(between Jefferson & Monroe Sts.),
Village of Ellicottville (Town of Ellicottville, Cattaraugus County).
699-5330.

[WHN, 7/12] says: "G, her 12-year-old granddaughter, and I had lunch at Dina's on Sunday, 7/15/12. G and I shared a ‘Prairie Field’ salad of roasted vegetables (summer squash, zucchini, and green beans) over assorted greens and baby tomatoes, topped by a sauteed, feta-cheese crouton, with sun-dried tomato and basil vinaigrette; our salad was delicious. Her granddaughter had a small ‘Sheila's’ mixed green salad with Gorgonzola cheese, apples, baby tomatoes, sunflower seeds, and raisins; I'm not sure what dressing she had. It should be noted that smaller salads are not on the menu, so you need to ask. Bread was not served, so G asked if any bread was available. Our server said it was but that they only served it on request, because they found that many people didn't eat it when it was routinely presented, so it was wasted. The bread was rosemary sourdough, and was very tasty. For the main course, G had pesto pasta, with sundried tomatoes and grilled chicken, which was excellent. I had a grilled, blackened mahi-mahi sandwich, with dill mayonnaise, warm sliced tomatoes, and lettuce, served with a choice of side salads. I chose pasta salad. I had asked our server how the mahi-mahi was, thinking that, on a Sunday, it might not be fresh. She said it was very good, and it was. G's granddaughter had the adult-sized spaghetti and meatballs, which is also available on the children's menu for about half the price. (She could have made do with the kid's portion, since she didn't finish most of the spaghetti and at least half the meatballs.) With 4 glasses of wine, two soft drinks, and two coffees, lunch for three was about $85 before tip. Dina's is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week."

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.
301 Franklin St.
(south of W. Tupper St.,
north of W. Chippewa St.),
Downtown Buffalo.
880-1677.

Part of the chain.

Online reservations available via OpenTable.com.

One of Andrew Z. Galarneau's (Buffalo News food editor) 10 most remarkable new restaurants for 2014.

[4/17/14] Given 8 (out of 10) points by Andrew Z. Galarneau, Buffalo News food editor.

[DPi, 3/11/14] said: "I recently had a Friday lunch at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que with a couple of colleagues. As a vegetarian, I was impressed that the management included two meatless items on the menu: a fried green tomato sandwich and a smoked broccoli Reuben. Providing vegetarian options, other than just a plate of side dishes, is rare for a BBQ restaurant, especially in this area. I opted for the tomato sandwich, and was quite impressed. Although the sandwich was not large, it was well proportioned. Built on a soft, bakery-style roll, it featured two slices of fried green tomatoes, which struck a nice balance between crunchy exterior and soft interior. The tomatoes were topped with shredded cabbage, pimiento cheese, and some BBQ mayo. The cabbage added a nice freshness, but the flavor of the pimiento cheese overwhelmed the BBQ mayo, which I didn't really notice. In any event, I enjoyed the sandwich, which comes with a choice of one or two sides. I opted for a single side dish: the mac & cheese. It was tasty, creamy, and had a nice Cajun spice baked on top, which gave it a little kick and extra flavor. The next time I return, I will definitely order two sides; neither the sandwich nor the side of mac & cheese were large, and I left satisified, if not full. Service was good for a newly-opened restaurant. The waitress was friendly and had her act together, even though it was a busy lunch crowd. I will defenintely return."

[JoM, 2/18/14] said: "A group of friends had been anticipating the opening of Dinosaur BBQ in downtown Buffalo. We were able to make a reservation via Open Table for its opening weekend on 2-15-2014. We made our reservation for 12:45 and were seated immediately. There was a large, walk-in crowd waiting in the bar and entry area. They've done an excellent job remodeling the former film warehouse into a BBQ restaurant that feels authentic and has an excellent layout to accommodate large amounts of customers. We started with a pitcher of Bell's Two-Hearted ale off their impressive beer list. For food, our group of 4 ordered the ‘Family Stylin' BBQ’, which included a whole chicken, a full rack of ribs, and 1 pound of brisket. We chose baked beans, mac & cheese, and mashed potatoes with gravy for our sides. The food was delicious, with a good balance of smoke flavor, while not being overly sauced. There was additional BBQ sauce on the table for anyone needing additional. The menu says that the ‘Family Stylin' BBQ’ serves 4–6 people. Our group of 4 ate the entire meal, but we were completely stuffed. I'd say that the family meal comfortably feeds 4–5 but that 6 might be a stretch. Service was very good. Overall, we were very impressed with the quality of food and excellent service. We were a little nervous going on opening weekend, fearing opening-week mistakes. Those fears were quickly eliminated, because Dinosaur clearly trains their employees well prior to opening. In my opinion, what makes Dinosaur BBQ outstanding is how well rounded they are. I don't necessarily think that they have the best meat in each category in the WNY area, but they come in a close 2nd or 3rd in everything. You will never be disappointed with any smoked meat you choose at Dinosaur. While Dinosaur has excellent smoked chicken, I believe One-Eyed Jacks has the best chicken and chicken wings in the area. For ribs, Dinosaur is excellent, but Al-E-Oops is the best. For pulled pork, I prefer Kentucky Greg's over Dinosaur. For brisket, Wild Bill's Hickory BBQ is head and shoulders above any other BBQ restaurant in the area, with Dinosaur coming in 2nd. But I always have an excellent meal at Dinosaur and the ambiance is 2nd to none. I highly recommend it!"

DiPaulo's Pizzeria.
571 Brighton Rd.
(at Colvin Blvd.),
Brighton (Town of Tonawanda).
835-6161.

[EN, 6/10] says: "In the mood for a fish fry this dreary Friday night [6/4/10], and I didn't want to go far from home. I decided to try out DiPaulo's, because it is close by, and I know it has fish fry; the pizza was OK, so I figured ‘why not?’. The restaurant has more of a deli-type counter feel to it, with about 8 or so booths that would fit 4 people. So, it came to $10 for about a 6-oz. piece of fish, about the same amount of fries, a side chef salad, and tartar sauce. I asked for some lemon wedges; they didn't have any (the girl who was working says a lot of people ask for lemon; might be a hint to start having it??). The fish is decent: It is not beer battered; rather, it is breaded. I'm not entirely sure it is haddock: maybe cod. The fish tasted pretty good; I could tell that they keep the grease nice and fresh for their customers. Fries were pretty good, as well, except for the fact that they didn't seem to have put any salt on them. I don't think I would go back, but really it is only because of my personal preference on how I want my fish. I like beer-battered haddock, with lemon to squeeze on it. If you get fish fry from here, make sure you ask for ketchup with your food; I did not ask, and they did not include it."

Doc Magilligan's Restaurant & Irish Pub.
6400 Lundy's Lane
(in the Best Western Plus Cairn Croft Hotel,
between Drummond Rd. & Franklin Ave.),
City of Niagara Falls (Niagara Region), ON, CANADA.
1-905-374-0021.

[HGh, 2/3/14] says: "Two very enthusiastic thumbs up for Doc's! We stumbled in out of the cold to an incredibly warm welcome and were immediately drawn in by the delicious smells and inviting atmosphere. I want whoever designed the pub to design my home. The colours were rich, the seating cushy, the lighting perfectly dim, and the natural light plenty. Our waitress seated us in a perfect secluded booth (we have 2 kids under 3) and was wonderfully attentive to our whole family throughout the entire meal. My husband ordered a Smithwick's, and I got my perfect pint of Guinness. I decided to order Reuben Bites for the children to start, since they were hungry: bite-sized balls of Swiss cheese, corned beef, cream cheese, and sauerkraut dipped in seasoned breadcrumbs and accompanied with garlic aioli dip—what could go wrong? When left in the capable hands of the kitchen staff at Doc's, apparently nothing. I know that ordering something like that is pretty risky when it comes to kids, but I took a chance, and they gobbled up a very hefty helping. My husband and I decided to order more to see what the fuss was about. They were heavenly! Savoury and not too salty; a perfect medley of flavours. The Reuben Bites were probably the highlight of my whole trip to Niagara Falls—and, yes, I'm serious! Next, we moved on to the main course. We decided to go Irish or go home, so my husband ordered Guinness-braised steak & mushroom pie, and I decided to try out boxty. (I'd never even heard of boxty before; it's an Irish pancake that uses potato.) Doc's has a few different kinds of boxty, and, even though the chicken curry boxty looked amazing, I was sharing my meal with the kids, and the idea of feeding a potty-training 3-year-old curry deterred me from that option. Instead, I chose the Fresh Haddock Taco Boxty. To be honest, I don't know how long it took to get the food, which probably means that it was fairly quick, since neither of the kids started losing it. Both dishes were delicious. I can't say enough about them. The pie was the perfect combination of tender inside with a firm, yet flaky crust. My first experience with boxty may never be outdone; something that seemed so simple (fish, potato, julienned beets, carrots, slaw) blew my mind. The boxty was served like a taco and topped with cilantro and caper tarter sauce. Between my kids and me, we cleaned the heaping plate. The kids also helped themselves to the steak-and-mushroom pie, which they enjoyed as well. A couple pints later, and we were ready to go—but not before booking hotel reservations for the next 2 nights at the adjoining Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel. It's as close as I can get to living at Doc's—which I would if I could. Trust me."

The Dock at the Bay.
3800 Hoover Rd.
(off Rt. 5 at Bay View Rd., between Athol Springs & Woodlawn, on Lake Erie, near Blasdell),
Bay View (Town of Hamburg).
823-8247.

Same owners as Scarlet on Virginia.

[WHN, 5/12] says: "G and I had dinner at Dock at the Bay on Wednesday, 5/16. Before dinner, I ordered a glass of white wine, and she ordered a red, an Argentine Cabernet. The red wine was oxidized, smelled ‘burned’, and tasted bad. When we complained, it was replaced with a Pinot Grigio, at G's request. My chardonnay was fine. The rolls presented were cold, probably straight from the refrigerator, and just not good. For dinner, G had bacon-wrapped scallops with a blueberry reduction, which she thought were very good. I ordered an evening special of sauteed grouper, but they were out of it already, at 6:30, so I had a cup of onion soup, which was extremely salty, and a chop salad with balsamic vinaigrette and crumbled bleu cheese. I couldn't see any bleu cheese, so our server brought a small cup on the side, after assuring me that it was mixed in with the greens. The salad had what looked like the kind of canned, fried onions that my mother used to put on top of a green-bean casserole on holidays but, otherwise, was just OK but nowhere near as good as Black and Blue or David's. Since one meal was good and the other mediocre, I would give it a neutral rating, but probably won't go back for a second meal."

[KaB, 8/10] said: "We ate at the Dock at the Bay on 9/2/10. We chose to eat in the main dining room on the patio rather than the more casual deck and bar area. Overall, our experience was mediocre at best. Nothing was bad enough to send back, but nothing was very good, either. Our server started out very slow. We had been seated more than 20 minutes before drinks and bread were served. The bread was fresh out of the oven and warm, but it wasn't baked enough. It was a blob of dough inside the outer crust. I had crab cakes and a side salad. The crab cakes were pan seared with a panko bread-crust, but the inside was mushy. It was topped with what the menu called a remoulade sauce. I found it to taste exactly like tartar sauce. I had to wipe it off the crab cakes. My husband ordered the Apricot Glazed Salmon with a sugar and spice rub. The salmon came out cooked medium with a thick glaze of apricot jelly. Once again, not undercooked enough to send back, but not very enjoyable. The red potatoes on the side tasted like they had been cooked much earlier and thrown on the grill just to warm them up, almost like the baked potatoes wrapped in foil you get at bad banquets. The steamed broccoli was the only acceptable item on his plate. Our plan had been to eat and stay to see the sunset, but they had a very loud band playing outside, and it was impossible to even hear each other talk. We ended up watching the sun set as we drove back up the I-90 on our way home. Overall, a very disappointing meal, and it will be a long time, if ever, before we return to the Dock at the Bay."

[HPK, 6/09] said: "I was very hesitant to go here based on the past reviews. I am not sure what happened in the past, but the food, service, and atmosphere were great. We decided to sit outside, which meant we would hear the loud music, which for us was fun: a nice way to ‘let loose’ at 41 years old. The food was excellent. I had crab cakes, another had a chicken dish, and my wife had the prime rib; no issues at all! The drinks were good, as well. Our server was attentive and answered all our questions. This was a fun Friday night. We spent some time afterwards looking at the lake; that alone is a beautiful sight we forget about in WNY. If you want a quieter dinner, ask for a table indoors. We will be going again: good food and fun!"

[NWi, 10/08] said: "Short and not-so-sweet review of The Dock at the Bay. June, 2008: Windy day out on the patio for lunch; therefore, we moved indoors to find that the AC was so bitter cold that we had to place items on the air vents. Food was cold and tasteless. Horrible quality compared to just a few years ago. Waiter was friendly but totally alone on staff, and clueless. Insisted that we take a free dessert with us for our inconveniences! I would not eat there again."

[JKl, 9/08] said: "After reading other guests' reviews recounting their bad experiences, I was spurred to add my own review to also warn other would-be diners. We visited this restaurant at the end of June 2008 for my mother's birthday dinner. Despite having a past bad experience (for my mother's birthday a few years ago; go figure), we were lured back yet again for the promise of dining + live music outside after dinner. We were a large group of 10 and made reservations in advance. We were promptly seated on a Sunday evening at around 6pm. We were only one of three occupied tables in the room, so we were glad to see that our past experience of bad service wouldn't be an issue. We were wrong. Despite being a very slow night customer-wise, our service was agonizingly slow. Our waitress rarely returned to fill our water glasses, and one of us actually had to get up and speak to the hostess to find our waitress to retrieve refills of other beverages. The food is highly overpriced, overcooked, and sub-par. I had a beef on weck that featured dry, wrinkled-up beef and a pile of mushy French fries. My husband was served Cajun Alfredo, which was barely spicy and unappealingly watery. The chicken in his dish was rubbery and did not seem fully cooked. We all agreed unanimously that we would never patronize this place again. Oh, and the "live band" that was scheduled to show up never played. So we wasted money on poor food, horrible service, and weren't even rewarded with some entertainment, the real reason we showed up in the first place!"

[KiB, 7/08] said: "This is a report about The Dock at the Bay Restaurant. To start with the sum of my experience with this site, let me say that I am in my 50s and until I went to this eatery I had never found the service so lacking at a restaurant that I felt I should walk out—that is, until I went here. The site was recommended by AAA, and I have let them know they should seriously review this site pending its removal from their listings. I went in alone, without a reservation, on a Thursday evening. A young lady greeted me and promptly seated me at 8:15 PM. At ~8:30 PM, a couple was seated next to me, they got their drink order in, got their drinks and their bread and enjoyed a nice conversation with the waitress about that day's weather—all with the waitress's back to me the whole time. There were only 8 table set-ups in the room, and 2 were empty, and all but that one couple were eating their meals—this was not a hectic time by any stretch of the imagination! After 27 minutes of being ignored, I went to the lady who sat me and asked to speak with the manager. When I told her that I was quite upset at being ignored and not served in any way, her first response was that she was sorry and then she proceeded to turn to the greeter and ask what steps the greeter had taken and who she had spoken to. At this point I left. I refuse to give my business to a place that places customer service so low on its list of priorities. I'm sorry that I have no information on their food; I never got any and will never, ever enter that place again—period."

[NDB, 7/07] said: "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to alert you and your readers to the most horrific dining-out experience I have ever had: Big Night Out Gone Wrong. When there are 13 people going out to eat, you think long and hard about the location, the atmosphere, the quality, and price to accommodate all the eaters. We chose the Dock at the Bay because there were 6 adults and 7 kids ranging in age from 3 to 14. We had hoped to eat on the patio, listen to the band, and enjoy the beautiful Buffalo sunset on the water. We made a reservation to ensure we could all sit together. We arrived promptly on time for our reservation. They had set up a table inside where there was no view and the air-conditioning was cold. There were less than 4 indoor tables occupied at the time. We requested to eat on the patio, which was also sparsely populated. After much discussion and pleading with both the hostess and the restaurant manager, we were accommodated. We had offered to split the kids from the adults, but we got the lame excuse that they can't seat more than a party of 10 on the patio. This is absurd, as they are going to fill the seats regardless, and we did offer to separate. Finally we sat down with the 8 at one table and 5 at the table next to us. The meal was good. We ordered pots of crab legs, clams, lots of chicken wings for the kids, and the adults each ordered a main entree. We enjoyed several beverages, and the band was quite good. Our waitress was very good. All was going well, until it came time to pay. My friend had a gift card that was a year old but had no expiration. The manager once again declined to accept the card. The value of the card was $75, and our bill was well over $300. We weren't looking for a free meal. As it turned out, the owner, Denise (no one seems to know her last name), was eating on the patio with friends. I asked her if I could speak with her off to the side, but her manager jumped in and started the conversation, forcing to me to explain in front of her guests. I had no intention of embarrassing her, but her manager left me no choice. We explained our situation, and she too said they would not honor the card, and no accommodation was offered. Nothing. I walked away. Shortly after, she came up to me telling me how rude I was to interrupt her dinner, which was not my intention. I told her we spent over $300, and her response was "So?". Never in my life has an owner not bent over backwards to make me, the paying customer, feel welcome and appreciated. Well, Denise is the first!!! We paid our bill and started to the bar area to have a drink and listen to the band. The kids were watching the volleyball game, and everything was fine. As we walked down the steps, we were asked by the bouncers to leave the restaurant. I was stunned. We were followed like were criminals, like we had done something wrong. We left, and took our business to Hoak's. They were accommodating, and we enjoyed the sunset. I want your readers to know that this business does not value the customer or the money they spend. The hostess, the manager, and the owner were all rude and less than accommodating. It occurred to me that perhaps these people have never left Blasdell and don't really know how to behave like respected business owners. I also noticed they are not a member of the Better Business Bureau; it's no wonder. Hope you will print this to save others from the same poor experience we had!!"

[ELC, 6/07] said: "I ate here for a wedding reception in 6/06 and found the food bland and very ordinary (however, the appetizers were wonderful, and the service was very good!) However, I have eaten in the actual restaurant several times and found it absolutely wonderful! Their clam chowder is amazing, as is their pork and apples—dessert (we split a slice of apple pie) was also fabulous. Don't have a reception or party here, but I'd recommend it highly for lunch or dinner!"

[RDM, 5/06] said: "Sorry to say, this restaurant was horrible. There was no one to seat us as we walked in. After a few minutes, we (along with a few other diners) peeked into the bar and restaurant area to see what was up. A frantic hostess screamed out, "I'll be with everyone in a minute." The place did not seem overly full to us. She rudely asked if we had reservations, then sighed when we said no and mumbled something about having one table left. This seemed odd, since, throughout dinner, several tables remained empty around us. It seemed to take forever to get a highchair, forever for our waitress to finally come and screw up our drink order (then blame us for the mix up), and forever for her to take our order. At one point she actually told us she had hot food coming out for another table and would come back to take our orders in a bit. The food was very mediocre! My husband and I both ordered the crab cake dinner ($18). The crab cakes themselves were tasty, but the sauce was completely tasteless. There were no lemons accompanying the crab cakes, just very few roasted baby red potatoes and a side dish of stir-fry vegetables with a horribly sweet teriyaki sauce. Apparently, these were the V.O.D. as the menu stated. They did not go with our meal and tasted straight out of the freezer section of Sam's Club. My mother-in-law did enjoy her fish fry, but my father-in-law's seafood pasta was also bland. 0 stars! I will not give Dock at the Bay a second chance."

Dockside Bar & Grill.
153 Sweeney St.
(on Tonawanda Creek,
west of Marion St.,
east of Main St./Rt.384),
City of North Tonawanda (Niagara County).
693-3600.

[GOw, 4/3/14] says: "We had heard that this place had been bought and renovated, with a brand new chef on board, looking to class it up. We had never been there before, so we cannot comment on the changes, but the place is nice. It is right on the water. I imagine that on a hot sunny day this would be a great place for a frosty beverage. We arrived at 5:45 and took 2 spots at the bar. Bartender was very nice and chatted us up a bit. We ordered 2 glasses of Apothic at $5.50 per glass. We ordered one of the Restaurant Week specials: fried chicken, panko-crusted mac & cheese, and Brussels sprouts. Food was all very good, with the favorite part being the Brussels sprouts. They were split in half and roasted with olive oil and seasonings: just perfect. The chicken was all dark meat, crispy and tender. Mac and cheese was fine. We were in a bit of a hurry. Meal split with wine was $30 before tip. Good deal, decent food; we will be back."

Doctor Birds Caribbean Rasta-Rant.
3104 Main St.
(between Custer St. & Minnesota Ave., near the UB South Campus),
University Heights (City of Buffalo).
837-6426.

[RHo, 11/13/12] says: "Last night, I stopped in at Dr. Birds to scope out their vegetarian options. Turns out one must call ahead or wait thirty minutes for the vegetarian entrees or roti, because they are prepared to order. The vegetarian dinners are jerk tofu, ‘stakelet’ with gravy, and another dish I can't recall. [There's a possibly out-of-date menu with the vegetarian listings online; click on the restaurant's name link, above. I put quotes around ‘stakelet’, thinking it was a misspelling, but that's how it's spelled on the menu.] The vegetarian roti include curry potatoes, curry soya meat, soya meat in brown gravy, and a few others. I didn't have thirty minutes, so I got a veggie patty and a soya meat patty, the Jamaican hand-pie/calzone/pocket-sandwich, and a side of plantains. The patties were ready to go, and the plantains took a few minutes. Everything was delicious and hot. The plantains are long, bias-cut pieces, not smashed disks like some places. Their other sides, such as curry potatoes and chick peas with spinach, were unavailable. Patties are all $2.25, roti are $8, and entrees are $9 and up. They have jerk chicken, oxtail, and other popular Jamaican dishes. They have an impressive selection of bottled tropical drinks and over a dozen Caribbean grocery items. I will definitely return to try the entrees. Primarily take-out; can't really eat in with more than two people. Worth a visit."

[DaB] said:

[12/06] "I just wanted to add to my previous review. Several months ago I decided to make a truly life-altering change, and became an avid vegan. Despite what one might think, this change has had little impact on the wonderful and tasty food that I get to enjoy, specifically at what remains my favorite restaurant in Buffalo, NY. My new favorite dish, replacing the once-craved curry goat, is the stakelet. This "compressed soy-protein patty" is lightly browned, and baked in a flavorful sauce, enhanced with island spices and an assortment of garden vegetables, served atop piping hot red beans and rice. I also still get to enjoy those old Jamaican favorites, like the sunny-tasting calaloo patties, warm coco-bread, and exotic curry dishes, accompanied with a spicy, strong-tasting roots drink. I suppose it just goes to show that even with such a dramatic change of my diet, I still have a place at this true cultural landmark. It is truly a place where people mean something."

[2/06] "No matter what time of year it is, it is always summertime at Doctor Birds Rasta-Rant. The tantalizing aromas wafting from the kitchen; the Reggae music pumping from the stereo in the back; and the colorful wall posters depicting images of tropical islands, reggae musician Bob Marley, and the great Selassie adorning the walls make this tiny, warm, restaurant/corner store an enchanting adventure of its own. For starters, other than the numerous exotic drinks in their large floor cooler (for someone as much a fan of Africa as I am, I highly recommend the "Baba Roots drink"), try one of the flaky, tasty patties within the large warmer on the counter. Each patty can be ordered hot, medium, or mild. Options include beef, chicken, vegetable, calaloo, and soy. The spicy chicken patty is my personal favorite, including a subtle hint of Jamaican curry powder, and fresh potatoes. Ask about using their dining room next door to the main take-out area for a more formal sit-down atmosphere. Each entree is served with a Jamaican-style red beans and rice, steamed mixed vegetables, and seasonal homemade sides, such as their fantastic Jamaican potato salad. My personal favorite is the curry goat. Goat remains my favorite meat, and here they really know how to cook it! For those who have never had it, it is a strong, flavorful meat, served on the bone, with a tender melt-in-your-mouth feel to it. This dish is not always available, but when it is, get it! Each dinner is available in sizes small, medium, large, and extra-large. The oxtail is good as well, but not quite as flavorful as the former dish. Their jerk chicken is quite hot (which I do not mind at all), marinated in their own gourmet jerk sauce, including scotch bonnet peppers and various tropical fruit, which adds some sweetness to it. The brown stew chicken and curry chicken appear to be favorites as well. For vegetarians, items include curried or lightly seasoned steamed vegetables, steaklet (soy protein patty), as well as a variety of vegetarian sandwiches for lunch. Seafood lovers... come on down! Escovietched or fried red snapper and jumbo curried shrimp are awaiting you. Many entrees are available as wraps, stuffed inside an enormous piece of roti (Indian flatbred). For desserts, the large, colorful floor cooler contains large pieces of homemade banana bread, coco bread, yellow cake, cheesecake, and Jamaican bean pies. This is a little place, but it is such a fantastic one. When I am stressed out from my busy life, this is my sanctuary. When you open the door, a warm breeze from within blows out, and you step into a small, bright sanctuary that closes you off from the frantic rush of the outside world. The staff and customers are all very friendly and always ready to strike up a converstation. The culture and mere energy and excitement of the place have truly taken my breath away. When you do not have the money to truly get away from it all, this is as close as it gets. I have been going to Doctor Bird's for a long time now, and will continue to be a loyal customer for as long as I can."

[CAl, 4/06] says: "Doctor Birds Caribbean Rasta-Rant has a cool name and spicy menu. Although it is a cozy place, there is enough parking for everyone who comes. I tried the spicy curry chic. It's mixed with soft-boiled potatoes, and is served with mixed veggies and rice and beans. There is also a tasty surprise that comes with it: plantains. I also tried the spicy beef patties from the warmer; they were H-O-T. So H-O-T that I had to get another one. Try chasing that down with a nice cold Jamaican ginger beer. One of the pleasant workers told me it enhances the flavor. I suggest that, if you want to try something new, go and visit. Although I've never heard of it, Doctor Birds has been established since 1968. I urge everyone to try it at least once, and don't be afraid if it doesn't look like what you were expecting. It is a great place with great food!!!"

[GWe, 4/06] says: "I have been going to Doctor Birds Caribbean Rasta-Rant ever since I was a sophomore in high school; I am currently a freshman in college. My barber shop is right across the street from the Rasta-Rant, and, every time my friend and I would get our hair cut, we would make it our business to get a spicy beef patty from Doctor Birds; the beef patties are very good, and they only cost a dollar and fifty cents The service is also very good and timely; you don't have to wait long for your food. Although their beef patties are very good and inexpensive, for about three years that's the only thing I was getting from there, until, about two months ago, I tried the curry chicken with red rice and beans and steamed mixed vegetables. This meal cost me about six dollars and fifty cents, but it was worth it. Other than the chicken being a little too spicy, the meal was good and filling. The only negative comment I have about Doctor Birds is that this is not a place where you would come and eat in. Most people get their food and go; I think it's mainly because it's such a small space: People really can't get comfortable and enjoy their food there. Other than that, Doctor Birds is a really good restaurant or Rasta-Rant. I would suggest that you at least try the spicy beef patty; you won't be disappointed."

Review from more than 10 years ago:

[MEL, 10/97] says: "I had a satisfactory but not impressive chicken roti (kind of like a Jamaican version of moo shu chicken). Significantly less expensive than Curly's."

The Dog Bar.
• Facebook page
1913 Davis Rd.
(south of Behm Rd.,
north of Bridge St.),
West Falls (Town of Aurora).
652-5550.

online menu

[ChAC, 6/30/14] says: "Old-fashioned hat policy spoiled our family dinner. Policy is not mentioned on any website or the restaurant's phone message. They have signs in the dining room that tell you that you have to remove your hat. I had on a brand-new Bills hat that I wore because a family member had bought it for me and I wanted to show appreciation. I thought the signs were a joke, but the waitress said that the owner was dead serious about it. Also, the dining room was hot, and the soup—which is all I had to eat—was watery. Service was great, though. So, beware folks: The hat police are on the patrol!"

[MiM, 10/22/12] said: "My husband and I visited The Dog Bar on Oct. 12. We walked in knowing that it would be a longer dining experience than we are use to, but we were in the mood for a relaxed evening. We were seated almost immediately, and our drink order was taken very quickly. The drinks took a bit, but not a crazy amount, of time, but the restaurant looked almost full, so it was acceptable. We then ordered, and I got the seafood chowder and my husband got a beef vegetable, salads for both, and we ordered a lobster tail and a filet mignon, with the intention of splitting each. The wait for the soup was long; again, we were expecting a wait, but it is a bit strange that it takes so long for soup. Both soups were very good; great seasoning in each. The salads came pretty soon after we finished the soup, both very fresh and again plain but good, and fresh bread served, too. We got our entrees, again not too long after finishing salads, the 12-oz. filet was cooked perfectly and served with a delicious au jus sauce, and the lobster tail was cooked perfectly, also. The quality of both were excellent: one of the best steaks I have had. We will be returning when we are in need of a very relaxed evening."

[WHN, 9/30/12] said: "We met friends for dinner at The Dog Bar on Saturday, 9/29/12. I have never been there, and the others had not been there in years. We ordered a bottle of Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon ($29) before dinner, which includes soup, salad, entree, and coffee or tea. G and I had onion soup, while the other couple had vegetable soup. The onion soup was mostly broth with a few pieces of onion, with grated cheese on the side. The vegetable soup may have been better, but the others didn't comment on it. Biscuits and muffins from Butterwood Gourmet Desserts (which used to be nearby but closed their West Falls location and moved to the Hotel at the Lafayette in August) were presented, as were crackers and breadsticks. The house salad is iceberg lettuce and a tomato slice. The salads, with ‘famous’, house Italian dressing, were very good, despite the boring iceberg, because of the simple, garlicky dressing. For her entree, G had shrimp with ‘scampi sauce’, accompanied by rice and corn. The eight shrimp and the garlicky scampi sauce were wonderful, she said; there were no leftovers, so she must have liked it. The other couple both had shrimp and scallops, also with scampi sauce. (The alternate sauce choice was lemon butter.) They both enjoyed their dinners, too. My aunt and uncle who lived in the Southtowns frequented The Dog Bar and raved about their lamb, so I chose a single, 2-inch-thick, lamb chop, ordered medium rare, with deep-fried potato wedges as the accompaniment, and corn, the sole vegetable of the day. My lamb chop was more toward the rare side than medium rare, but it was very flavorful and extremely tender. Mint jelly was served on the side, but I didn't use any—the lamb chop was perfect by itself. The (presumed) owner came to our table to ask how everything was. The food was excellent and the service was as well. (Maybe they saw the Bill Rapaport website criticisms from 4 or 5 years ago, because both our server and busboy were very attentive throughout the evening.) With a second bottle of wine, our dinner was just under $75 per couple before the gratuity—an excellent meal at a reasonable price. We will return."

[WW, 9/08] said: "Saturday, September 6th, 2008. Lousy!!! First, let me say we were not in a hurry; four of us went out for a relaxing evening. When we arrived at 7:00pm, we waited 20 minutes for a waitress to arrive at our table to take our drink order. A glass of ice, a carafe of pop, & a shot of Jim Beam were placed in front of me, so that I could mix my own drink. My husband received a shot of vodka, a carafe of tomato juice, and all the fixings to make his own Bloody Mary. If I wanted to make my own drinks, I would have stayed home. Next, we waited just over an hour for our soup, another 30 minutes for our salad, & another 45 minutes for our entree. I am more than willing to pay for a great steak. I've had better steak at Outback. I had heard rave reviews about this place for years, but obviously something has changed. Since dining there and telling people of our experience, they all say the same thing: lousy. It apparently has been going downhill for the past 5 to 6 years. It certainly was not worth the $100.00+ dinner bill that we spent there that evening."

[PM, 4/07] said: "Just read about your website in Buffalo Rising Magazine and expect to visit often. My wife and I eat out often and love real restaurants run by people who like to cook, as opposed to the corporate, plastic, chemical factories with fake friendliness that are slowly taking over. Fortunately, Buffalo is a great place to eat out. It's too bad so many are only interested in the portion-size-to-price ratio. The first thing I did was look at a review about one of our regular restaurants and was surprised to see a nasty review by an apparently vindictive person "warning people away from this restaurant". Is there any way to know whether the person reviewing has reviewed many restaurants or just [has] a vendetta? Or is a mole seeking to damage competition? Or perhaps promote their place? The one that brought this up is the "New" review of the Dog Bar in West Falls. The menu clearly states that all food is cooked to order and takes a while, and especially lamb takes extra long. And those are the exact problems that the individual has with the place! So, if you are in a hurry, don't go, but why trash the place because you can't comprehend the words on the menu? (Not you, of course, but the reviewer). We have eaten there many times over the last 20 years. It is a unique family place that has real food, steaks, and lamb that taste as they should, rather than the chemically tenderized meat often found. We don't eat there often enough. It's true that it is a leisurely place to eat, so we just don't go if we are in a hurry. But when we go, we dine and relax, and it is always a pleasant evening. Real food, cooked to order, at honest prices. It's a shame that people are in too much of a hurry to appreciate good things done the old fashioned way. Fast meat? Try Ponderosa. It's very popular."

On the other hand, [MBu, 4/07] said: "I know that reviews should cover food, not service. But people need to be warned away from this place. I went to The Dog Bar searching for lamb, rumored to be the best in the area. I encountered that certain experience we all have at least once: service so bad it is almost dreamlike, swimming-through-molasses bad. We had Saturday reservations for two, arrived early at about 5 minutes to 6, sat down in the near-empty restaurant. Twenty minutes before a waitress appeared, another 30 minutes before drinks and menus. Another 30 minutes to take our order. Another 30 minutes brought soup. No amount of pleading would get any restaurant personnel to our table. Actively ignored. We're into it nearly 2 hours, and no food. I grabbed a passing waitress and asked for rolls to keep us busy while we waited for our food. She nodded, then left, then failed to return. It had now become a comedy that I couldn't exit, just so I could see how it turned out. If they didn't like us for some unknown reason, they could have fed us and we would have been gone by now. It became more movie-like. A party of 12 entered, and they were clearly regulars. Lots of greeting and fawning and back slapping. They had their food in 30 minutes. After 2 hours we did not have ours. I left $5 on the table to pay for the soup. We walked out, and no one noticed. The soup: average, but highly prized as the only meal of the evening. I can only recommend The Dog Bar if you want a restaurant experience uncontaminated by service or actual food."

Dog é Style.
• menu
128 Genesee St.
(west of N. Oak St.,
east of E. Chippewa St. & Ellicott St.,
across the street from Genesee Gateway),
Downtown Buffalo.
844-5900.

The owners seem to have taken a leaf from the practice of many hair salons and invented a French-sounding word to create their punny name. I know of no language in which "é" is a word (or even a morpheme), but I am willing to stand corrected.

[JoM, 10/24/14] says: "I stopped in for dinner with a friend on 10/23/2014. The restaurant was designed to look like it's made from shipping containers. I'd describe the atmosphere as an upscale hotdog stand. There's a small bar when you first walk in and a large seating area upstairs, with a great balcony that overlooks Genesee Street. You order and pay for the food downstairs towards the back of the restaurant. I wasn't adventurous on my first visit, and chose 2 House Dogs for my meal. They were larger hot dogs than served at most similarly styled restaurants; I thought that they were good. My friend chose the Bahn Mi dog ["Saigon Style, Pickled Veg, Mayo, Chilis, Cilantro", according to the menu—Ed.] , and thought that it was excellent. We also split an order of French fries, which were very good. Service was friendly, but slow. We waited close to 10 minutes for our order. Overall, we enjoyed our experience, and I look forward to returning soon."

Dolci Bakery.
802 Elmwood Ave.
(south of Lafayette Ave.),
Elmwood Village green section (City of Buffalo).
882-5956.

[LCo, 5/08] says: "Dolci is a bakery in the heart of the Elmwood strip. They make vegan cupcakes, and that's the only reason I go there. The cupcakes are chocolatey and moist, and the buttercream is delicious. It's fluffy and flavorful and stacked high. They usually have both chocolate and regular buttercream stocked in the case. I wish I could vouch for more of their desserts, but the vegan cupcakes are reason enough to stop in."

Donna Eick's.
9 Charles St.
(between Rt.-31/East Ave. & Chestnut St., south of the Erie Canal),
City of Lockport (Niagara County).
434-5149.

[AS2, 10/31/12] says: "There's a new restaurant in Lockport, NY. The owner used to run the Flavorful Palette, which went out of business this year. I decided to check it out, because her soups used to be pretty good at her old place. For lunch, I had apple salad ($6.95) and cheeseburger soup ($4.95). The salad was romaine with nuts, apples, and a vinegar-based dressing. The apples were fresh, and the nuts were a nice touch. I liked it, but I think the $7 price tag on it was about twice what it was worth. The soup was her attempt at the famous cheeseburger soup at Grover's. It was cheesy and hot, but the cheese tasted gritty, and the 1 piece of hamburger was more like a mini-meatball. If someone told me that it was really a canned Chef Boyardee soup, I wouldn't have been surprised. It's a shame, because she had a lot of soups listed, and I would hate to judge her entire menu on one terrible example. She just opened this week, and there were a few people inside. My wait time for a soup and salad was 40 minutes, so we had to ask for to-go containers, because our lunch was over by the time we got our food. Overall, I would say it's a good effort. The place is cute, but the staff doesn't seem like they've ever worked in the food industry, so they could use some help."

The Dove Restaurant.
3002 Abbott Rd.
(at the southwest corner with Willet Rd.,
on the border with West Seneca,
north of Windom,
northeast of McKinley Mall),
Town of Orchard Park.
823-6680.

[WHN] says:
[2/3/15] "Monday night (2/2/15), we went to a ‘Touring Italy’ wine-pairing dinner, with wines selected by the staff from Just Vino on Main St., downtown, and the multi-course dinner prepared by The Dove's chefs. The first course was quail in a peppery, white-wine sauce, paired with 2013 Bramito de Servo unoaked Chardonnay from Umbria. Next was one of my favorites of the evening, from Piedmont, pappardelle boscaiola tossed in a delicious olive oil and very light cream sauce, topped by shaved beef filet, mushrooms, and parmigiana-style cheese. The paired wine was an excellent 2009 Prunotto Barola. Next came bacon-wrapped pork medallions in a red-wine sauce, matched with 2012 Peppoli Chianti Classico. Then a fish course: salt cod Livornese, in a sauce of tomatoes, capers, and olives, with small shells. The paired wine was 2012 Tormaresca Primativo, the grape known as Zinfandel in the US. The penultimate course was filet mignon, topped with melted Gorgonzola, with a side of Gorgonzola risotto. This was accompanied by 2013 Il Bruciato, a ‘Super Tuscan’ from Bolgheri. Finally, we were served a simple dessert of almond biscotti, along with a glass of non-vintage sparkling Nando Fragolino, which has a strawberry flavor. Our server told us to dip the biscotti in the wine to soften it up. It was a wonderful meal, with great food and excellent wines, and very reasonably priced at $60 per person, including tax, but before gratuity. And unlike some wine-pairing dinners we've attended, we weren't overwhelmed by the amount of food (although G did have most of the final course wrapped to go). I believe that this was the first time that Just Vino has organized a dinner like this away from their downtown Buffalo location. I hope that it won't be the last. Kudos to all involved in the selection of the wines, and to the chefs, cooks, and servers. Molto bene!"

[11/15/14] "It's been quite a while since we've eaten at The Dove, but we returned Friday night. I ordered a bottle of Montepulciano ($25), but they were out of it (again) so we switched to Chianti ($25) (again—see my previous review). While waiting, we were given what were described as Swedish meatballs, in an Alfredo sauce: very tasty. We also received warm bread and rolls. Soup and a house salad are included with all entrees. The soup was pasta fagiole, which is always good at The Dove, Before the entrees were served, our server brought us two glasses of limoncello: nice touch. For her main course, G had chicken Florentine ($20) and substituted spaghetti alio y oleo for rice and veggies, at no extra charge. Her chicken was excellent. I had an evening special, veal pasta ($20), somewhat like veal cacciatore but without the vegetables, which was also delicious. It was an excellent meal, with fine service. Every table was occupied when we arrived, and there was a private party in the back room."

[12/29/12] "G and I had dinner at The Dove on Friday night, 12/28/12. We ordered a bottle of Montepulciano, but they were out of that, so we switched to a Chianti. Dinners include both soup and salad, so we began with pasta fagioli, the soup of the day, accompanied by hot rolls with a butter-garlic topping. Small bowls of grated parmesan and raw onion were provided to add to the soup, if desired. Next, we were served house salads, mine with creamy parmesan and G's with Italian vinaigrette. Both the soup and salad were very good. After finishing the soup and salad, we were served complimentary glasses of ice cold limoncello. For our main courses, G ordered an evening special—chicken Diane, which, like the more traditional steak Diane, was pounded flat and prepared with a mustard-and-brandy sauce. Her entree was accompanied by mashed potatoes and broccoli. Although the chicken was somewhat overcooked, the sauce made it an excellent dish. I ordered basa, a Vietnamese fish, described by our server as a white fish similar to tilapia, and, by another server, as a type of catfish. (I looked it up later, and Wikipedia does describe it as a type of catfish, found mainly in the Mekong River and now farm raised. After reading more Google entries, I probably wouldn't order it again because of alleged toxins, which are a good reason to avoid any farm-raised fish.) The fish was rolled and stuffed with a mixture of shrimp and spinach, and cooked française-style. It was delicious. My meal was accompanied by rice pilaf and broccoli. With the bottle of Chianti and coffee, our dinner, before tip, was a shade over $75."

[2/12] "G and I had dinner at The Dove on Saturday, 2/4/11. It was my first time there, although she had been there a number of times. The breads served were warm, fresh, and flavorful. G was planning to have chicken piccata, which she had had there before, but it wasn't on the dinner menu, so she ordered chicken Florentine. I ordered veal piccata. Soup and salad are included with the entrees. The soup of the day was pasta fagioli (a.k.a. pasta fazool), which was very rich and tasty. The salad was mixed greens with a choice of several house-made dressings. With dinner, we had a half-bottle of Ruffino Chianti. Half-bottles are seldom found on restaurant wine lists, so it was good to find a few on The Dove's menu, since we didn't want a whole bottle. After the soup and salads, complimentary, ice-cold limoncello was served: a nice, unexpected touch. My entree was very good, but G's chicken was somewhat overcooked (probably because it was sliced very thinly) and, therefore, a little tough. We had coffee, but skipped dessert. Overall, a good meal, with good service."

[EAK, 11/09] reported: Offers an early-bird special (before 6:00 P.M.), 3-course, fixed-price menu, $15/person.

[RDM] said:

[10/09] "I had another amazing meal here on Thursday evening [10/22/09]. I really enjoyed the evening's special, which was linguine with mussels, clams, shrimp, and calamari over broth. I have to rate The Dove A+ on our entire meal, service and atmosphere included!"

[10/07] "We ate here again last night. The Dove is an experience! Everything we had was amazing. The mussels posilipo (in spicy red sauce) appetizer, the bread, the house and Caesar salads, the complimentary pasta faigole, the complimentary lemoncello shot, the shrimp luciano (shrimp, garlic, and oil, with mussels over linguini), and the veal gorgonzola were all above average. The staff made us feel at home. The atmosphere at the bar where we had a nightcap and watched the Sabres game after dinner was so friendly. The Dove is easily on my top ten list of WNY restaurants!"

[3/07] "My husband and I tried The Dove after reading the great reviews it received on this website. We were not disappointed! Great food, great atmosphere, and great staff. We'll certainly be back."

[RL, 8/09] said: "I would like to contribute a review of The Dove on Abbott Road. I had driven past this restaurant many times but never really had the urge to go there. It's difficult to tell what type of place it is and what type of food they serve based on just the appearance and the name. It's mostly Italian, but not the all too common quantity-over-quality version of Italian. If not for happening upon all of the positive reviews on this website, I probably never would have tried this restaurant. The experience at The Dove must be very consistent, as my experiences almost exactly echo those of the other reviewers. The first question I have at any restaurant is, ‘What beers do you have on tap?’ There were only two choices here, Shock Top and Michelob Amber Bock. I would have liked more options, but I was just happy to see something other than Labatt Blue, so I went with a Shock Top ($2.50; very reasonable). We were then presented with our basket of fresh bread, which was served hot with whipped butter. You could definitely tell that the rolls were homemade. Next came the complimentary pasta fagioli soup, served with onions and freshly grated cheese: very good. This was followed by our salads, both ordered with the house dressing. I also requested crumbled bleu cheese ($1), which I expected would be on the salad but instead arrived in a small bowl on the side. There was enough cheese for 2 salads, so I guess I got my dollar's worth. The salads were very fresh and consisted of a nice assortment of arugula and other greens. Can you guess what came next? Yes, the ice cold limoncello shot, which was a refreshing touch. I'd like to note that the timing of these different courses was just about perfect. There was just enough time between each course to not make us feel rushed, but not so long that we ever felt like there was a wait. Our server was very attentive, our water glasses were always filled, and overall the service here was excellent. For our entrees, I ordered the Filetto di Pomodoro ($12). This consisted of a very flavorful, chunky tomato sauce and pancetta served over linguine. My benchmark for pasta is Trattoria Aroma, and, while the menu at The Dove doesn't offer as many interesting choices, the quality is right up there. The pasta was perfectly cooked, and served very hot. My companion had the Chicken Parmigiana ($17), consisting of two breaded chicken cutlets served with linguine. It was reported to be very good. We both ended up with leftovers, which were wrapped for us. For dessert, we split a piece of the tiramisu ($6), which was just about perfect. And yes, there is bread at the door that you can take home with you. Keep up the good work on the website." [Thanks for the kind words!]

[KCa, 10/06] said: "A wonderful lunchtime retreat. The atmosphere there is open and inviting with an Italian motif—very soothing. The freshness of the food and the quality of service makes for an overall enjoyable experience. Each customer promptly receives their freshly made bread basket with an assortment of breads and homemade sticks to please, then out comes the house's soup for the day; after that, a carefully prepared salad with many dressings offered to choose from. Entrees range at lunch time from $7.00-$15.00 . The Caesar salad is the best I have ever had: exactly the right combination of ingredients to set off the fresh greens. Please save room for dessert, because no matter what you order here you know the owners have taken into account freshness and quality along with careful preparation as the benchmark to please their customers. I also am very impressed with their wine list and the affordability of their selections. When leaving the restaurant, help yourself to a complimentary bag of those fresh rolls and breadsticks discussed earlier in my review. Viva Italia. Check out The Dove; you won't leave disappointed!"

[ADB, 7/06] said: "We celebrated our anniversary at the Dove. This was our second attempt—we had tried the previous year, but apparently they were closed on Sundays (and we didn't know this). We were unable to find a website previously, but now the Dove has one. Definitely a good place to eat! My husband had a pancetta and pasta dish, and I had shrimp with olive oil and broccoli over linguine. Both dishes tasted great and were not overly expensive ($11 and $16). The shrimp in my dish were large, and my husband seemed to really enjoy his meal. Both plates were big enough to take a bit home. There is an extensive menu, and we could have had much more expensive dishes had we chosen to. We were a little disappointed in wine selection. While they had a lot of listings, there weren't wines like German Rieslings, and not really any local wines, either. So, it made it difficult to choose what to drink. We did choose a wine and were brought a large wine-glass-full each, which was nice. Service was wonderful. From the moment we stepped in, we were brought fresh, hot bread with butter, and were asked if we wanted lemon for our water. We ordered calamari as an appetizer, and it was some of the best I had ever tasted. Though not stated on the menu, a small bowl of soup (pasta fagioli) was included, along with fresh parmesan and onions. Salads were large and delicious—dark leafy greens. Our waiter and others continuously stopped by to make sure that our dinners were satisfactory, to see if we needed anything, etc. We were brought a lemon "shot" to cleanse our palate before our entree arrived. Food was brought to the table incredibly hot, which is great! Though there was a meeting or event going on in the next room, service was incredibly attentive. I would definitely recommend The Dove."

[HJI, 8/05] said: "The Dove in South Buffalo deserves a full review, especially if it's anything like the one that the family also owns in Satellite Beach, FL. My sister and I were looking through the Melbourne [FL] Dining Guide, and we came across a review of The Dove. After reading it, she said it sounded just like a place in Buffalo that she's fond of. (When I'd visit Buffalo, I'd frequent the restaurant, too, but then it was owned by different people and known as the Painted Post.) Anyway, both places shared the Dove name and gave away their dinner rolls to departing patrons. Coincidence or not? We decided to find out. Indeed, the two places are owned by the same family. The brother operates the place in Satellite Beach and his sister, the place in Buffalo. As for the dining, [the FL restaurant] was exquisite! If you've not been to the Dove in Buffalo, and if it's anything like its Satellite Beach counterpart, you're in for a treat."

Review from more than 10 years ago:

[LDM, 1/04] said: "Serving Italian American fare with the quality and presentation that rival competitors north of the city. Lunch and dinner menu is served in a warm, pleasant atmosphere."

Duff's Famous Wings

Original location:

3651 Sheridan Dr.
(east of Millersport Hwy.),
Eggertsville (Town of Amherst).
834-6234.

Franchise locations:

550 Dick Rd.
(south of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport & George Urban Blvd., on the border with Depew),
Town of Cheektowaga.
683-3090.

3090 Orchard Park Rd.
(south of Weiss St. & the border with West Seneca, near Union Rd., north of Webster Corners),
Town of Orchard Park.
674-7212.

[] 4545 Transit Rd.
(in Eastern Hills Mall),
Harris Hill (Town of Clarence).
631-3833.

For a history of Duff's, see Andriatch, Bruce (2012), "Five Miles of Tasty Bliss on Sheridan", Buffalo News (31 July).

Review of the Eastern Hills Mall location:

Bill says:
[8/7/15] My son and I had lunch here twice in one week recently. Because we had both had wings the first time, we decided to try something different the second time. My son had mozzarella sticks and a Buffalo Fingers wrap with chips. I had a Caesar wrap with chips. My main reason for writing this review is the comment on my Caesar wrap, which was the strangest that I have ever had: It was essentially a Caesar salad in a (whole wheat) wrap, complete with croutons!—in fact, there were more croutons than chicken. I felt as though I were eating a bread sandwich. There was too much dressing, too. Next time, I'll stick with the wings. Service was rather slow, even though it was not busy. With tax, before tip, our meals averaged a bit above $13 per person.

[10/5/12] MER, our son, and I had an early dinner here on a Friday night. There was a not-unreasonable, 20-minute wait. We had to try out this newest location, given its proximity to where we live, but we were a bit apprehensive, given some of the negative reviews of other Duff's locations besides the original. But, if anything, this location is at least as good, if not better, than the original. First, the food is just as good: We ordered medium-light and medium wings (as well as some hot wings as takeout for our daughter and son-in-law), onion rings, and fries. The wings were as good as those at the original, the onion rings were, in MER's opinion, as "wonderful" as the original's, and the fries were perfect. Second, this location is at least twice the size of the original, giving it a much airier, more comfortable feel. Third, despite the larger size, the service was efficient and excellent, with one server taking our order, another bringing us our meal, and a third bussing the tables—all members of a team who were helpful when we needed refills and the check. Fourth, the menu is much larger than I recall the original's being: Besides the usual wings, etc., there are a variety of salads, wraps, sandwiches, burgers, beef on weck, a kids menu, and desserts, as well as a full bar. I'm giving this location one star. (For the record, our wings and drinks, with tax but before tip, came to just over $12.50 per person including the take-out for two extra people.)

Reviews of the original, Amherst location:

[RM, 8/12] says: "Everyone has an opinion about the wings. Certainly, in this part of town, they are recognized as the best wings around, and it is hard to disagree with that. I really like the lunch special of a cheeseburger and fries: very good. If you do have a visitor in town, I highly recommend going to the Anchor Bar. Wings were invented there, and, whether they are or are not the best, the atmosphere and special setting make it a must for visitors."

Bill said:

[3/09] My son and I returned for a quick dinner after his trumpet lesson. He revisited his medium-light wings, and preferred them to their equivalent at the airport location of Anchor Bar. I decided to try the mild wings (one step up from plain): I was very disappointed: They were almost tasteless—certainly no hint of Frank's Red Hot —and very greasy. Taste in chicken wings is a very personal thing. I've been told that there are two basic recipes: baking and frying, and that Anchor Bar bakes, whereas Duff's fries; I don't know if this is true, but I much prefer those at Anchor Bar. ([DMcI, 3/09] comments: "I've never been to the Anchor, but every time it shows up on television, the wings are shown being taken out of a fry basket. Keep up the great work!". Thanks for the info. In that case, if Anchor fries, then maybe Duff's bakes, in which case, I guess I prefer frying, but, as I said, it's all a matter of personal taste.) I supplemented my wings with a small salad with fat-free Italian dressing; it was mostly iceberg lettuce, with one slice of cucumber and two cherry tomatoes in a bowl that was so small that it was impossible to keep the lettuce in the bowl and off the table; the dressing was much better than the fat-free Dijon that I had had at my previous visit. I'm going to drop Duff's star; their wings simply weren't as good as I remember them to have been years ago.

[2/09] My 13-year-old son and I had dinner here just before his school science fair. He ordered wings with "medium light" sauce, which I found intolerably hot, but he thought was OK; he did, however, request that I take him to get some Chapstick for his lips afterwards :-). He also had onion rings, which he said were very crunchy (a good thing). I had a chef salad with chicken and fat-free Dijon dressing; the salad was huge, with warm chicken, black olives, tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers, and croutons: quite nice, but the dressing was overly sweet.

[EK, 2/08] says: "Since stumbling (luckily) on Duff's, and living 350 miles away, I look forward to trips to Buffalo and eating there. I happened to blow the clutch in my car getting off the interstate at Harlem Rd....initial thought "ouch this is going to be expensive"...comforting thought "3 possibly 4 more meals at Duff's while the car is getting repaired." "

[TCV, 9/06] says: "I just went to the Amherst Duff's with some friends. I'd only been there once before. Overall, it was a horrible experience. The service was slow, they got our order wrong, and the food was not good. One of the people in our party ordered the chicken sandwich that I talked about elsewhere, and it wasn't good at all. She said it tasted like it was microwaved. One of our three orders of fries came out, and then the wings two or three minutes later, and then the sandwich three minutes after that. The waitress apparently didn't understand that we wanted more than one order of fries, so we had to order those again and wait for those. She forgot our refills at least three times. We waited twenty minutes for our check, then after some more waiting for her to come by to take the credit card, we gave up and just brought it up to the counter. We were there in total for an hour and a half, and only about 40 minutes were spent actually eating."

Reviews from more than 10 years ago:

[HPK, 9/04] says: "In response to the just posted Duff's review [about their Orchard Park location], where the question is asked: "[BL, 9/04] says: ..... Does anyone know if this is what the Amherst location is like, too?" Unfortunately yes. I used to be a big fan of Duffs. Before I moved here, when I came into town, I always made sure I went to the Duff's in Amherst. That all stopped about four years ago. What used to be the best wings in town, are now not worth it at all."

[RM, 5/00] says: "Good wings and basic food. Great for students or out-of-town guests. Wings are better than those currently served at the Anchor Bar if one cares about quality and not history."

[DN] says...

[5/00] ...that he has since moved to the Bay area, but returned recently and had dinner "at Duff's, which still has the best chicken wings I have ever tasted. We've been searching for halfway decent chicken wings in the San Francisco Bay area, but haven't found anything yet. Nothing compares with Duff's or the Anchor Bar. (In fact, we went back to Duff's for lunch!)"

[8/96] "Still the best wings in Buffalo. My brother swears by them and insists on going there every time he visits Buffalo (from India!). The wings are hotter than at other places (as their T-shirts will tell you)."

[MEL, 5/99] says: "Pretty good wings for the suburbs, though I liked the Anchor Bar's better.

Review of the Depew/Cheektowaga location:

[KRN, 4/10] says: "Duff's Famous Wings was packed on my Saturday afternoon visit during the basketball playoffs. We scored a table within 2 minutes and were waited on quickly. I had a BLT and split a double order of med/hot wings, extra hot sauce on the side, with my wife. In spite of the crowd, everything arrived as ordered. I thought the BLT was excellent, as were the wings. My wife Linda agreed that the wings were among the best we ever had. We will visit again."

Reviews of the Orchard Park location:

According to an article in the Buffalo News, this is a licensee (franchise) of Duff's in Amherst, but (they tell me) same menu and recipes. Same owners as Athens Family Restaurant and The Warehouse (Pizza Co.).

[TCV, 6/06] says: "I feel I have to defend Orchard Park Duff's. I've never paid for refills (when I've needed them; the drinks are big!), and the fries are always nice and hot. Even though it's the same recipe, I've always found that I liked the wings here better than the ones at the Amherst location. I love my local pizzerias, but none of them can even begin to compare to Duff's. The wings about two years ago were always much bigger than they are now, but even now they're still large. My friends (none of whom dislike the restaurant either) tell me that the best non-wing items are their chicken sandwiches; one of my friends, who orders chicken sandwiches pretty much everywhere he goes, claims that it's the best one he's ever had. I can't personally back up these claims, because as much as I may think that I'm going to order something else going in, the wings are too good to resist! The prices are a tad high, but it's definitely worth it."

Reviews from more than 10 years ago:

[BL, 9/04] says: "First time at any Duff's and probably last. I was surprised about the poor quality of the wings considering the reputation the Amherst location seems to have. Most of us ordered the 10 wings and two sides and one drink. I too found out it would be another charge for second drink—no refills for me and saved $1.50. Wings were bad, and most in my party finished only about half of their order. Very, very dry and crispy, so the meat was nonexistent. Find better wings at most pizzerias. Now we understand why the place was pretty much empty during lunch time. It was sad, as we had brought an out-of-town guest to show him a "Buffalo" place, and he could only finish 6. Does anyone know if this is what the Amherst location is like, too?" [Editor's note: For one answer, see above.]

[RWG, 3/03] says: "Just had wings at Duff's in the Southtowns. I had the lunch special: 10 wings and 2 side dishes. The wings were good, although a bit over-saucy; French fries were lukewarm; and the chili was good, although a little bland. I ordered a Pepsi with lunch and had to refill it two more times—the hot sauce necessitated it. I found on my bill that I had been charged $1.50 per glass, making my drinks almost as much as my lunch! Whatever happened to free refills? Although the food was decent, the pricing policy is very poor. My quick lunch ended up over $11.00 plus tip! I guess I won't be going back any time soon. They have too much competition in the area to be pricing this way."

Dug's Dive.
1111 Fuhrmann Blvd.
(at the NFTA Boat Harbor on Lake Erie,
just west of Tifft Nature Preserve,
south of the Downtown Waterfront),
Old First Ward (City of Buffalo).
821-9600.

Seasonal.

Same ownership as Lake Effect Diner and The Steer.

[GOw, 5/11/15] says: "On an absolutely beautiful night in Buffalo this past Friday, we took our Italian, foreign-exchange student, along with her girlfriend from Poland, to the waterfront. We walked down at the Marina and considered The Hatch or Templeton Landing, but decided, after a nice walk, to head south. We arrived at Dug's about 8 P.M., and the joint was hopping. Plenty of parking. We asked about sitting outside, but it was a 1½-hour wait. We said that we would take the first available. We (wife and I) had bottles of Landshark and sat outside and watched the sunset. We only waited ½ hour and were seated outside, but the girls were cold, so we changed to an inside table. I had a bowl of clam chowder—it was delicious and piping hot—followed by an average Caesar salad. Miss Italy had a crabcake and an order of onion rings, which she enjoyed. Miss Poland had a veggie burger and an ear of corn; again, no complaints, although one must wonder where they got the corn. My wife had the clam-strip platter with sweet-potato fries; The clam strips were plentiful and deep fried, reminding me of Howard Johnson's. Fries were very good. We enjoyed the ambience of this place, and are sad to see it going. Service was a bit slow; it appeared that they were understaffed. Before tax and tip, the meals were $17/person."

[WHN] said:

[4/23/25] "We heard that Dug's had opened for this, its last, season, so we went for dinner last night. It wasn't exactly summer-like on the waterfront, but we sat close to the wood-burning stove to keep warm. G had clam chowder and a small house salad. I had a lobster ‘dawg’ (roll) and French fries, called ‘Dive Fries’. My lobster roll was good, but the bacon bits that used to be sprinkled on top weren't present, and the fries had pepper as well as salt. Hopefully, the weather will eventually improve, so we can enjoy Dug's (at least in its current location) often until it closes forever on October 15."

[4/1/13] "G and I had dinner at Dug's Dive on Friday, 3/29/13. Since they don't take reservations, we arrived early—around 6 P.M.—and had about a 20- or 30-minute wait at the bar. We were last here about a month ago, and I had had one of the best burgers I've ever had: Very tender, juicy, and flavorful. This time I had delicious clam chowder, Cajun haddock, served with French fries, cole slaw, and an ear of corn. G had shrimp scampi with linguini. Both meals were very good."

[4/12] "On her way to work, G saw that Dug's Dive had opened for the season, so we met for a casual dinner and to watch the sun set over the lake on Wednesday, 4/5/12. G had a very large salad (too large to finish), while I had New England clam chowder and what Dug's calls a lobster ‘Dawg’, which New Englander's call a lobster roll—lobster salad with small pieces of bacon, on a ‘New England-Style’ roll. All the food was very flavorful. But the by-the-glass wine list is pretty sparse, with only one red, two or three whites, and a white Zinfandel. We will return for another sunset soon."

[DJM, 10/17/12] said: "Visited Dug's Dive with a friend, to watch the remainder of a Bills game, on a fairly warm Sunday in mid-October. The great location is definitely this place's strongest asset, the staff its worst asset, with food and corresponding prices being a mixed bag, such that what should be a restaurant's strongest asset becomes a net-neutral. The place is one of only a few places in the Buffalo-area on the water, and it takes full advantage, with virtually a wall of windows. Other than our attentive bartender (mid-20s male with glasses and sporting a dress shirt with tie), who doubled as server, since we ate at the bar, the employees seem a wreck. This issue is exacerbated, as there is no solid divide between the open kitchen/back of house and where patrons are seated, as we were when seated at the bar and facing this open area. During the brief time we were there, two fairly attractive female servers were wandering around, itching, playing, and adjusting their hair, much more so than a ‘quick fix’. Those same hands then touched various foods served to patrons. Speaking of food, the pair was also eating slices of pizza as they wandered around the restaurant. Also, there must not be much communication in the kitchen, as the ‘chef’ in back was deeply engrossed in listening to music being played through the earbud headphones in his ears. As for the food, I generally liked my dish, and my friend generally disliked his. I ordered Cajun-seasoned, broiled haddock. The meal comes with cole slaw, choice of potato, and an ear of corn. The fish was pleasantly seasoned yet not overpowering, while the cole slaw and sweet-potato fries were above average, the former not being a heavy, mayonnaise-based slaw. The corn was disgusting; it was soggy and soft beyond belief, as though it had been boiled for far too long or left to sit in the water for an extended period of time. For $14, the meal was pretty good, particularly given the restaurant's waterfront views. My friend ordered clam scampi. It consisted of six steamed clams, placed on linguini and served with a slice of garlic toast. The clams looked like they were not cooked in the linguini broth, and my friend said that they were standard, non-seasoned clams. He complained that the linguini were entirely overcooked and very soggy. The toast was OK. For $16, I think his dish was quite steep, compared to the value of mine and also relative to other items on the menu. Namely, he essentially received the ‘1/2 dozen steamer clam appetizer’ (itself, $7) and for an extra $9 was graced with some toast and a small side of grossly overcooked and far from well-seasoned linguini. Was the price for his meal outlandish? Far from it. But, at the price paid (or any price) for what was received, the dish itself should have been prepared properly. Will most likely return because of location alone—sigh—even with the service and food issues, simply because of the location and the frequency that I'm in that area during the summer months."

[PFL, 9/12/12] said: "I visited Dug's Dive Tuesday evening, 9/11/12. As stated by others, the place is right on the water, and the outdoor setting and view of the lake were beautiful on this sunny evening. All patio seating was full, so we ate indoors, which was spacious and clean, about half full at 6:30 P.M. We tried this place because my friend T had eaten there the day before and could not wait for a second chance. After waiting a few minutes at the door, I approached one server asking if we could choose a table or if we should wait to be seated, as no sign indicated either way and no employee approached us. The server responded by seating us, but did so with a scowl. The server assigned to our table soon arrived and took our order after bringing us drinks. We each ordered a crab-cake appetizer, which T had had the day before. It was tasty and large, the largest crab cake I've ever seen in any restaurant. The crab cake was presented on lettuce with an aoli sauce drizzled on it, garnished with a few carrots, tomatoes, and greens. The crab flavor was somewhat overwhelmed with pepper, but we both agreed that this was worth returning for in the future. T ordered pan-seared scallops for dinner, which he found to be very good tasting. I ordered the fish fry, which was available in 4 varieties. One choice was the ‘potato crusted’ along with traditional battered, or broiled, or ‘Italian style’. Along with corn on the cob and what turned out to be a small portion of coleslaw, the diner chooses one more side dish from a long list that included what turned out to be a generous portion of well-crisped, sweet-potato fries. The slaw was somewhat less than a quarter cup, but was nicely balanced with a moderate amount of mayo, not swimming in the stuff. I asked about the preparation of the potato-crusted fish, and my server's response was useless, simply telling me that ‘it's very good.’ What I received was an almost inedible serving of what appeared to be a large fish fillet with a very heavy batter crusted with potato chips, all of which had been deep fried. I'm no stranger to fried food, but this was unlike anything I've ever seen elsewhere. It was an oil sponge, and the chips looked like protective spikes on a dinosaur's back. I found it as unappetizing as anything I've ever been served in any restaurant. I had to wait 20 minutes before our server was seen at another table, and I had to flag her down in order to request some tarter sauce, which was not served with the fish. After removing the entire crust and skin, I was left with a very small portion of nicely cooked, flaky haddock, maybe about 2 ounces in my estimation. I easily left 90% of the ‘fish’ on the plate, and I would guess about 1500 calories or more. When the server presented our bill, I suggested that, when asked about this entree, she should have advised that the potato crust was really a battered fish rolled in potato chips. She disagreed and chastised me, growling that she had never had a complaint before (I wasn't complaining, but should have) and that there was an adequate description on the menu. This is not how customers should be treated. Even if she disagreed with me, she should have been gracious about it, but we gave her a full tip anyway. Finally, for our second round, we ordered pina coladas. They tasted pretty much like frozen ice with a maraschino cherry and were not even liquid, being mostly blended ice. After the first of these, T asked some question (I didn't hear it), and our server responded that the drinks were made from a mix. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions about that practice, but I would have liked to know that at the time I ordered, so that we could have changed the order to something that did not come from a powdered mix. We still would have ordered more drinks and would have enjoyed them more. I find it almost unbelievable that this place is run by the same folks who run the Lake Effect Diner, which will be the subject of my next and very positive review. As for Dug's Dive, go for the view and the crab cakes; skip the rest."

Bill [5/12] said: I was looking at a map to see where my son's lacrosse game at the playing fields near Tifft Nature Preserve would be and noticed that it was very near Dug's Dive, so MER and I decided to have dinner there before the game. It was a beautiful, sunny, late afternoon, and Dug's Dive is in a perfect location. The first thing that came to mind was that it was our own local version of the pier at Santa Monica, CA. And Dug's was doing a lot of business. We chose to eat indoors, which may not have been the best decision: It was hot and noisy, but the view and people-watching opportunities were still great. MER had the Grilled Bruschetta Chicken Sandwich: "Herb marinated breast grilled on charcoal with melted provolone and tomato basil topping" (which was $7.50, a dollar more than the current (5/23/12), online [PDF] menu indicates). She liked the flavor but was unhappy about the presentation: soggy, in a cardboard carton, hence too messy to eat as a sandwich. I had the Lobster Dawg: "Rock lobster salad with house smoked bacon bits and fresh dill on a griddled New England style bun". It was excellent, though also served in a cardboard carton and a bit messy to eat. (A "New England-style bun", by the way, turns out to be the kind of hot-dog bun that Howard Johnson's used to serve.) And it was $14, not the $9 listed on the current, online menu. (I'm not complaining about the prices, just warning you. Their entire website doesn't seem to have been updated in a few years, because the main page still says "2010 Season Is Open!".) Our meal, with an onion-ring side and drinks, including tax (but not tip), came to a little over $18 each. Service was friendly and excellent. Entree items on the menu, like cioppino or like haddock in lemon butter, also sound good; we definitely plan to return.

[JJa, 5/11] said: "I have recently been taking the Outer Harbor's boulevard to wind home and to see the construction progress. I finally stopped at Dug's Dive on a Friday evening, even though I had to pretend it was a hot, sunny day. I was with a friend, and we sat at the bar. Diners trickled in. Friend wanted a snack and ordered calamari. I thought we'd get the standard plate of deep-fried rings with some marinara sauce on the side. When the rimmed, soup bowl arrived with un-breaded calamari, mixed with mild pepper rings, and topped with a chili-lime sauce and dusting of pecorino cheese, I claimed dibs on the peppers. Soon, we were fighting over the calamari in that mah-velous, chili-lime sauce with just a hint of heat! Can't wait to go back. Whatever that meal of the day will be, the calamari will be the appetizer!"

[PT, 7/10] said: "My husband and I went to Dug's Dive for the first time on Saturday, 7/10/10. It was nice being on the waterfront on a beautiful, sunny day. I had beer-battered haddock, with corn on the cob, cole slaw, and French fries. There were a number of sides offered besides French fries, and several variations on the haddock, including Italian-style, broiled, Cajun, and potato crusted. At $14, the price was quite a bit higher than a typical fish fry, but I'm sure you're paying extra for the location. My husband had a half-pound cheeseburger, with French fries, not included in the $6.50 price. I would say the food was mediocre. If we go back, it will be for the waterside location, not for the food."

Dunkin' Donuts.
5165 Main St.
(at S. Forest Rd., just west of the Village of Williamsville),
"Greater" Williamsville (Town of Amherst).
565-0373.

Part of the chain/franchise.

[WHN, 6/11] says: "Over a six-month period, I stopped for coffee nearly every morning at one or another coffee shop, frequently the Dunkin' Donuts in the Sunoco station at the corner of Maple and N. Forest in Williamsville (their address/contact info doesn't show up on the DD search engine, so I used the Main and N. Forest store, where I've also stopped). I'm sure many people will disagree, but, in my opinion, Dunkin' Donuts has far superior coffee to Starbucks, which I found to be too bitter for my taste, and better than Tim Horton's, which is good, but uses flimsy cups/tops, which can result in spills and drips while driving. I used to drive to Toronto on business often, and always stopped at the Tim Horton's location off the QEW, where Prudhomme's used to be, and their coffee was excellent. Maybe it was the Canadian cream, which I believe has more fat content than US cream. I don't recall any problems with their cup tops, either. Believe it or not, I think Wegmans is second best, although, they don't have a drive-through. I think Bagel Jay's and Spot Coffee are the worst."

Dutch Mill.
5259 Broadway
(Rt. 20, at Bowen Ave., west of Aurora St.),
Village of Lancaster (Town of Lancaster).
683-4560.

[RJS, 6/09] says: "The place has been around for many years, first as an ice-cream parlor. They are known for their outstanding potato pancakes, family-priced breakfasts, dinner/lunch specials, and Texas hot dogs with a very good meat sauce. You have a great website!" [Bill says: Thanks!]

Dy's Country Kitchen.
11512 Bullis Rd.
(west of Two Rod Rd.),
Marilla (Town of Marilla).
655-4539.

[KRN, 9/11] says: "We stopped at Dy's for breakfast on Sunday. It is a small restaurant, with chairs at the counter, about 10 tables, and a few booths. At 9:30 A.M., the place was packed with blue-jean-clad locals, mostly gray haired, who were greeted by their first name and asked if they were having their usual. Service can be a little quirky, but my cinnamon French toast and 2 sausage patties (links, if you prefer) for $5.25 was good. My wife had the eggs Benedict for $6.25 and thought it was very good; it was made with smoky ham, and the English muffin was fresh. Both dishes were from the Specials board. The coffee was good, at $1.45 a cup. Next visit, we will try the potato pancakes. The kitchen is along 1 wall, and you can watch your food being cooked. As we left, we spotted some of the customers sitting on benches in front of the place, enjoying the sunshine on a cool morning, and chatting. Lunch is also served. We will visit again."

Home | Intro | What's  | Contributors | Ratings Key | Catering | Cuisines | Locations | Outdoors | Waterfront | | Send a Review