We’ve had this menu buried away for quite some time now and had no real desire of pulling it out to order. They have no real website online and all we found were nasty comments about the late delivery, unappealing dining area, swearing in the kitchen, and so on. There were also rumors of bad business overall with tax problems and being under new management and we wondered if this place was even open anymore. However, some of us at work are more audacious than others who just visit Sue’s, SPoT, Jim’s, etc, so we took the risk of ordering for delivery.
First, the menu is way too huge to go in to. There’s unsorted specials all over it and two pages worth of subs. They are open at 10am and close on 3am and weekends of 5am, which is late. We ordered delivery a few minutes before noon just in case the comments were true about bad service. We just got a cheeseburger sub, chicken finger sub, liter of Sprite, and a personal pizza with bacon, which totaled high to over $26.
Conversely, the service wasn’t bad, but the food was plain mediocre. The order was here before noon and it came with everything we asked for. For a three dollar delivery fee, we better hope so. The phone conversation was fine. All the food was in one big bag and the personal pizza was in a small box in there. After we took out the food, someone asked us, “Where is the rest of the food?” For the price we paid for, it didn’t look like a lot. However, we did a side by side comparison of Jim’s Bleu sub and what originally looked small turned about to be almost the same size of chicken finger sub as Jim’s but maybe with thicker chicken fingers. The pizza was just average… maybe just because it was a personal pizza, but it is not worth going into. The bacon on the pizza was no where delicious as the previous places we tried from.
All the food was just borderline average, if that. Nothing was great. Aside from their poor reputation, it is an expensive place and we probably wouldn't order from them again due to stronger competitors out there.
Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Avenue Pizza & Submarine
502 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222-2014
(716) 883-3500
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Buffalo's Best Dogs - Street Vendor
Originally today's lunch was meant to visit a grill that was outside of the Hyatt Hotel on Friday, but it was no longer there today. Luckily, there was a hot dog vendor on the corner of Main St. and Huron St. This is the second known hot dog vendor around that's a few minutes down the hot dog vendor on Huron. These small places are harder to find since there's nothing about them online. The only way you could find them is if you walk in different areas you don't normally go for lunch. This one can be spotted with Wardynski's umbrellas with a more closed off vendor station. It was a few extra minutes down from the hot dog vendor on Delaware and Huron.
This vendor, however, offered less on the menu. The vendor has hot dogs, Italian sausage, polish kielbasa, jumbo beef dog, pop, and chips. Notice something is left out and they are any hamburgers. This is a big loss. They also don't have any specialties, like a cheese or chili dog, as the other hot dog vendor does. A normal hot dog is just $1.75 which is the same as the other vendor down the street. Also, the Delaware hot dog guy is no longer a guy. As of now, it's been a young brunette girl for a few weeks. Well, at this hot dog vendor on Main St., there is a young blonde girl working.
The hot dogs here were cooked faster as many were on the grill at the same time. However, it wasn't thoroughly cooked as one could expect. The condiments are roughly similar. They do have hot sauce but it didn't even feel like there was hot sauce on the dogs. This vendor does have straws if you want to drink easier while walking with something else in another hand. However, wax paper was used to put the hot dogs on instead of one of those hot dog plates which was a big disadvantage.
It is very affordable and a quick eat. Only $4 was spent on the special of two dogs and a pop. This was the popular order of the day and this was is way below the average spending with these lunches. It's a nicer atmosphere with Main St. there and there are six benches and a convenient garbage can next to the vendor which is a big plus. There's more people walking by and it doesn't feel as lonely as the one on Delaware. The other hot dog vendor wins out at the moment though.
Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Buffalo's Best Dogs - Street Vendor
Corner of Huron St. and Main St.
by M&T and Bank of America
This vendor, however, offered less on the menu. The vendor has hot dogs, Italian sausage, polish kielbasa, jumbo beef dog, pop, and chips. Notice something is left out and they are any hamburgers. This is a big loss. They also don't have any specialties, like a cheese or chili dog, as the other hot dog vendor does. A normal hot dog is just $1.75 which is the same as the other vendor down the street. Also, the Delaware hot dog guy is no longer a guy. As of now, it's been a young brunette girl for a few weeks. Well, at this hot dog vendor on Main St., there is a young blonde girl working.
The hot dogs here were cooked faster as many were on the grill at the same time. However, it wasn't thoroughly cooked as one could expect. The condiments are roughly similar. They do have hot sauce but it didn't even feel like there was hot sauce on the dogs. This vendor does have straws if you want to drink easier while walking with something else in another hand. However, wax paper was used to put the hot dogs on instead of one of those hot dog plates which was a big disadvantage.
It is very affordable and a quick eat. Only $4 was spent on the special of two dogs and a pop. This was the popular order of the day and this was is way below the average spending with these lunches. It's a nicer atmosphere with Main St. there and there are six benches and a convenient garbage can next to the vendor which is a big plus. There's more people walking by and it doesn't feel as lonely as the one on Delaware. The other hot dog vendor wins out at the moment though.
Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Buffalo's Best Dogs - Street Vendor
Corner of Huron St. and Main St.
by M&T and Bank of America
Friday, June 18, 2010
Cabaret
We called the day ahead to pre-order for about 10 people. They weren’t sure if they were going to have a delivery person that day for us. So we ended up e-mailing our order to them and typed up the whole thing that day after we got off the phone. She called and confirmed the order and delivery soon after and said a delivery person would be available.
The last and only time we ordered from them was on April 16 to a fully favorable response. Many said it was the best yet at the time. It was also requested as a monthly reoccurrence lunch spot for delivery.
They have quite the nice website and menu. It also states, ‘Free delivery on orders over $75.’ We ended up having the subtotal to be just above that amount without tax and we got free delivery. The menu has a lot of celebrity names listed as the sandwich. Someone had the Michael York last time and the Liza Minnelli this time and was not disappointed. The serving size was more than generous. The taste was out of this world with real fresh meat, according to one of our 10 people who ordered it.
Today, our orders were delivered in the biggest single box yet. It was brought in by the most attractive delivery girl yet. One of us even walked by her when she came in the building and stood outside waiting for the delivery person to arrive as there was a disbelief that a delivery person could be that hot. However, the delivery person was hotter than the food. Each order was labeled with what the actual order was, but not by name. It came with ketchup and mustard packets as we like. However, one of us got the Blue Cheese burger and wanted mayo on it. When that person finished eating without the mayo on it, that person realized there was a small side cup of mayo underneath the wax paper. Also, for the first time, there was a small cup of jalapenos instead of being put on the sandwich. If you're not used to the sweet potato fries, don't get them. It’s either you’re a big fan of them or just don’t care for them. They were unsalted and not the same taste as regular because they were sweeter.
The only real complaint was that most of the food was at room temperature and not hot like King's Court was. Of course there's a difference between delivery and pickup though, but even for the food that was supposed to be hot in flavor wasn't. Still, we would welcome back Cabaret for our lunch needs in the future.
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cabaret
www.cabaretrestaurant.com
484 Pearl Street
Buffalo, NY 14202-1904
(716) 842-4181
The last and only time we ordered from them was on April 16 to a fully favorable response. Many said it was the best yet at the time. It was also requested as a monthly reoccurrence lunch spot for delivery.
They have quite the nice website and menu. It also states, ‘Free delivery on orders over $75.’ We ended up having the subtotal to be just above that amount without tax and we got free delivery. The menu has a lot of celebrity names listed as the sandwich. Someone had the Michael York last time and the Liza Minnelli this time and was not disappointed. The serving size was more than generous. The taste was out of this world with real fresh meat, according to one of our 10 people who ordered it.
Today, our orders were delivered in the biggest single box yet. It was brought in by the most attractive delivery girl yet. One of us even walked by her when she came in the building and stood outside waiting for the delivery person to arrive as there was a disbelief that a delivery person could be that hot. However, the delivery person was hotter than the food. Each order was labeled with what the actual order was, but not by name. It came with ketchup and mustard packets as we like. However, one of us got the Blue Cheese burger and wanted mayo on it. When that person finished eating without the mayo on it, that person realized there was a small side cup of mayo underneath the wax paper. Also, for the first time, there was a small cup of jalapenos instead of being put on the sandwich. If you're not used to the sweet potato fries, don't get them. It’s either you’re a big fan of them or just don’t care for them. They were unsalted and not the same taste as regular because they were sweeter.
The only real complaint was that most of the food was at room temperature and not hot like King's Court was. Of course there's a difference between delivery and pickup though, but even for the food that was supposed to be hot in flavor wasn't. Still, we would welcome back Cabaret for our lunch needs in the future.
Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Cabaret
www.cabaretrestaurant.com
484 Pearl Street
Buffalo, NY 14202-1904
(716) 842-4181
Thursday, June 17, 2010
King's Court Restaurant
We’ve had many problems with them before. Our first experience with them was in October last year. We reserved the room upstairs for an hour and a half lunch when we were all granted an extra hour of admin leave that day. About twenty people came that day and some sat downstairs for lunch. We thought sitting down for that length of time and ordering there would be plenty of time for lunch. Well, we were wrong and we were actually rushed near the end.
This wasn’t a problem for everyone… just for the people who had meals still cooking while other people were eating. However, one of us was let inside the kitchen afterwards to personally thank the chef and found out it was just two people who cooked for all of us. Sam, the owner/chef, and one other cook made a meal for like 20 people in the reserved room in addition to the other people in the small dining room downstairs. Most of the people did like the food too.
On another occasion, though during night, there was a gratuity problem with a gift certificate, but that's a whole other story. Their website is also terrible. The pictures on there get the red x so we couldn’t display the menu in picture format. It’s been like that for a while now. Anything designed by buffalobarfly usually is though with the same template and boring format. They are open early from 8 and close at 11 and have off on Sundays.
Today, we were smart and pre-ordered ahead of time. We called today and this was our first trip back in over a half year. We got a quesidilla with no onions and sour cream on the side, a double order of hot chicken wings with extra bleu cheese, and an order of fresh cut French fries. We got the order to go just in case if they were late or slow.
To our surprise, we came in and said we ordered ahead and that order was sitting and waiting for us at the bar all ready to go. It also had napkins and forks in bags inside along with packets of salt, pepper, and ketchup. When we got back with our order after deciding not to eat outside on the patio, everything was still very warm. The walking distance is similar to the hot dog guy on Huron and Delaware, so it's quick. The fries were very hot, a little soggy though, but still impressed by how everything was hot still.
These were probably the biggest wings we've had for lunch time here. They had so much meat on them and it was easy to bite off. The blue cheese request was honored so there were two. They were mostly liquid, but still very tasty. The combined flavors between the wings and blue cheese gave it a unique taste similar to between a Chicken Finger order and just wings. The Quesidilla didn't have chicken, though they offered it for extra, a chicken wing came through and helped out there.
They actually had some great timing today unlike in the past. Maybe it had something to do with us pre-ordering ahead or less orders the better for less confusion. Still, this showed us we would come back again and it raised the rating from what would have been even lower.
Final Rating: 3.0 out of 5
King's Court Restaurant
www.kingscourtrestaurant.com
189 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202-2115
(716) 856-9262
This wasn’t a problem for everyone… just for the people who had meals still cooking while other people were eating. However, one of us was let inside the kitchen afterwards to personally thank the chef and found out it was just two people who cooked for all of us. Sam, the owner/chef, and one other cook made a meal for like 20 people in the reserved room in addition to the other people in the small dining room downstairs. Most of the people did like the food too.
On another occasion, though during night, there was a gratuity problem with a gift certificate, but that's a whole other story. Their website is also terrible. The pictures on there get the red x so we couldn’t display the menu in picture format. It’s been like that for a while now. Anything designed by buffalobarfly usually is though with the same template and boring format. They are open early from 8 and close at 11 and have off on Sundays.
Today, we were smart and pre-ordered ahead of time. We called today and this was our first trip back in over a half year. We got a quesidilla with no onions and sour cream on the side, a double order of hot chicken wings with extra bleu cheese, and an order of fresh cut French fries. We got the order to go just in case if they were late or slow.
To our surprise, we came in and said we ordered ahead and that order was sitting and waiting for us at the bar all ready to go. It also had napkins and forks in bags inside along with packets of salt, pepper, and ketchup. When we got back with our order after deciding not to eat outside on the patio, everything was still very warm. The walking distance is similar to the hot dog guy on Huron and Delaware, so it's quick. The fries were very hot, a little soggy though, but still impressed by how everything was hot still.
These were probably the biggest wings we've had for lunch time here. They had so much meat on them and it was easy to bite off. The blue cheese request was honored so there were two. They were mostly liquid, but still very tasty. The combined flavors between the wings and blue cheese gave it a unique taste similar to between a Chicken Finger order and just wings. The Quesidilla didn't have chicken, though they offered it for extra, a chicken wing came through and helped out there.
They actually had some great timing today unlike in the past. Maybe it had something to do with us pre-ordering ahead or less orders the better for less confusion. Still, this showed us we would come back again and it raised the rating from what would have been even lower.
Final Rating: 3.0 out of 5
King's Court Restaurant
www.kingscourtrestaurant.com
189 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202-2115
(716) 856-9262
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Mister Pizza Elmwood
It was finally time to try out different food from this place. Today, we were in the mood for a bacon cheeseburger sub and pulled out our menus and found their menu that happened to have it. Their menu is actually quite extensive with a few surprises that will make you want to order other food that isn't pizza. The prices are in the middle to high range, but their specialty pizzas are among the best in the area. They have plenty of diverse pizza party packs and they have a great and clear website.
First a trip down memory lane with our previous two experiences…
April 29 was actually our first time we ordered something from them for lunch at work. A bit late, yes, to order from this fine pizzeria. We ended up getting the Mister Cheeseburger Pizza. Two of us agreed it was the best specialty pizza we have ever ate in Buffalo. Grade A ground beef, bacon, and onions along with American, Swiss, and cheddar cheese and their own special sauce was literally the best cheeseburger pizza we have had. The order was placed at quarter before 11am to be delivered at NLT noon. The individual taking the order was polite and assured the delivery would go off without a hitch. He didn't lie because at 11:55am the piping hot pizza was delivered. The aroma that escaped the box upon opening was truly captivating. Aside from the smell, by the looks it was easy to notice that it was thoroughly cooked and it wasn't overcooked either. After having this pizza, Mister Pizza on Elmwood had us as a repeat customer.
On May 7, we ordered pizza from Mister Pizza again for a pizza party. However, two supervisors ordered pizza from this place for two separate parties that day. We both had the misfortune at the hands of apparently incompetent delivery driver and/or staff members from Mister Pizza. The other team’s supervisor ordered: 1 Sheet Pepperoni, 1 Sheet Sausage, and 1 Sheet Mushroom. They received: 1 Sheet Cheese, 2 Sheets Pepperoni.
We ordered: A Sheet Pepperoni Pizza, Large Mister Hawaiian, Large Hot Chicken Finger Pizza, 100 wings (50 medium, 20 Cajun, 20 Honey BBQ ,10 suicidal) Our team was shorted an entire sheet pepperoni pizza from that list, which was obviously a big goof that needed to be rectified. Later that day, we were in contact with the manager to discuss apparent necessary options that went no where with no contact if we remember well.
The chicken finger pizza was the first pizza everyone started eating from and it went quick. The Mister Hawaiian, however, had plenty of leftovers. Cherries, pineapple, almonds, and ham was on it didn’t appeal to most of it. The Cajun wings were hot with its dry heat, however the suicidal wings left us in disappointment. We wondered if they mistaken the suicidal sauce with just putting plain medium or something on them.
Today, four people were in on the order. The order came as exact separated in pizza and wing boxes, though the guy was maybe a couple minutes later but not a big deal. They also delivered their suicidal sauce on the side. Remembering we already had the suicidal sauce on the wings in the past while trying it out, it was hotter on the side with the sub and fries than it was before on the wings. This was probably the best ratio of very hot sauce and flavor from a pizza place that we’ve reviewed. The deluxe loaded fries were a hit. Someone who didn’t order with us kept going back for more fries to dip in the hot sauce. These were waffles fries loaded with cheddar, salsa, and taco meat that came with a side of sour cream. The fries had a lot of toppings on it where it was almost hard to find them in the round tinfoil bowl. The tacos and chicken fingers were fine, though the plain side of fries could have used some ketchup. Luckily, the suicidal sauce helped out. The bacon cheeseburger subs had a thick layer of bacon on bottom with the burger on top. We thought it was all tasty that would fill you up. It may have been frozen patty by the way it was compacted and cut, but it was still appetizing.
This place calls itself Mister Pizza but really it has way more to offer in quality than the Pizza. This is an underrated place if you’re looking for subs or something else for lunch. For a pizzeria, they have such an amazing and appealing selection.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Mister Pizza Elmwood
www.misterpizzaelmwood.com
1065 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222-1225
(716) 882-6500
First a trip down memory lane with our previous two experiences…
April 29 was actually our first time we ordered something from them for lunch at work. A bit late, yes, to order from this fine pizzeria. We ended up getting the Mister Cheeseburger Pizza. Two of us agreed it was the best specialty pizza we have ever ate in Buffalo. Grade A ground beef, bacon, and onions along with American, Swiss, and cheddar cheese and their own special sauce was literally the best cheeseburger pizza we have had. The order was placed at quarter before 11am to be delivered at NLT noon. The individual taking the order was polite and assured the delivery would go off without a hitch. He didn't lie because at 11:55am the piping hot pizza was delivered. The aroma that escaped the box upon opening was truly captivating. Aside from the smell, by the looks it was easy to notice that it was thoroughly cooked and it wasn't overcooked either. After having this pizza, Mister Pizza on Elmwood had us as a repeat customer.
On May 7, we ordered pizza from Mister Pizza again for a pizza party. However, two supervisors ordered pizza from this place for two separate parties that day. We both had the misfortune at the hands of apparently incompetent delivery driver and/or staff members from Mister Pizza. The other team’s supervisor ordered: 1 Sheet Pepperoni, 1 Sheet Sausage, and 1 Sheet Mushroom. They received: 1 Sheet Cheese, 2 Sheets Pepperoni.
We ordered: A Sheet Pepperoni Pizza, Large Mister Hawaiian, Large Hot Chicken Finger Pizza, 100 wings (50 medium, 20 Cajun, 20 Honey BBQ ,10 suicidal) Our team was shorted an entire sheet pepperoni pizza from that list, which was obviously a big goof that needed to be rectified. Later that day, we were in contact with the manager to discuss apparent necessary options that went no where with no contact if we remember well.
The chicken finger pizza was the first pizza everyone started eating from and it went quick. The Mister Hawaiian, however, had plenty of leftovers. Cherries, pineapple, almonds, and ham was on it didn’t appeal to most of it. The Cajun wings were hot with its dry heat, however the suicidal wings left us in disappointment. We wondered if they mistaken the suicidal sauce with just putting plain medium or something on them.
Today, four people were in on the order. The order came as exact separated in pizza and wing boxes, though the guy was maybe a couple minutes later but not a big deal. They also delivered their suicidal sauce on the side. Remembering we already had the suicidal sauce on the wings in the past while trying it out, it was hotter on the side with the sub and fries than it was before on the wings. This was probably the best ratio of very hot sauce and flavor from a pizza place that we’ve reviewed. The deluxe loaded fries were a hit. Someone who didn’t order with us kept going back for more fries to dip in the hot sauce. These were waffles fries loaded with cheddar, salsa, and taco meat that came with a side of sour cream. The fries had a lot of toppings on it where it was almost hard to find them in the round tinfoil bowl. The tacos and chicken fingers were fine, though the plain side of fries could have used some ketchup. Luckily, the suicidal sauce helped out. The bacon cheeseburger subs had a thick layer of bacon on bottom with the burger on top. We thought it was all tasty that would fill you up. It may have been frozen patty by the way it was compacted and cut, but it was still appetizing.
This place calls itself Mister Pizza but really it has way more to offer in quality than the Pizza. This is an underrated place if you’re looking for subs or something else for lunch. For a pizzeria, they have such an amazing and appealing selection.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Mister Pizza Elmwood
www.misterpizzaelmwood.com
1065 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222-1225
(716) 882-6500
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Just Pizza
We haven’t ordered from this place in a long time for multiple reasons. This place used to be the place to order pizza from late last year before we started trying out new places and finding out they’re around here. The typical response we would get is, "Oh, it's Just Pizza again." We stayed away from it then because we were so used to it and there were more places to try out.
Upon placing the order over the phone, they asked for a first and last name along with a phone number. They didn’t know where we were located and wanted to know what streets we were between. They then asked if it was for downstairs or upstairs. This was all weird since we’ve placed many orders from there in the past, but under a different number. We wanted noon for delivery and the guy asked right away if 12:15 was ok. What you’re thinking about now is how we felt. It ended up being way too long for a phone order. This was in purpose of setting up a phone number in their system, even though they spelled the first and last name completely wrong on the receipt.
They came five minutes before noon which was earlier than expected. The delivery guy had everything we asked for including the number of blue cheeses, the plates, and napkins. We got a large pizza cut in 12 slices topped with pepperoni, mushroom, and bacon. The total was price near $25, which is an extremely high price for this order of a large.
Never before were we so full from a large pizza. Two men couldn’t finish this pizza. There were still two and a half slices left after our thirty minute lunch break. When we opened it up, we first noticed it was loaded with toppings, but without piling them on too high. These toppings certainly made this pizza special. It was better than the expected cardboard appeal, better than in the past, and better with toppings. The bacon on the pizza was only the second time for one of us and it was delicious on this pizza. Each topping was $2 and they surely put enough on for that price. Their blue cheese was also great as they’re manufactured just to them.
A lot of people in Buffalo are already familiar with this place by having many locations like a Jim’s Steakout. The pizza can still be easily identified by the eye to the average buffalo pizza consumer. We know what their wings are like and they are very average Buffalo style you would normally get from a pizza place here. They also have an advantage with their hours. They are open every day early at 9 to at most places midnight. After having this pizza today, Just Pizza will be climbing up the rankings for best pizza in Buffalo. All it takes is one pizza to do that.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Just Pizza
www.justpizzausa.com
300 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14222
716-883-5650
Upon placing the order over the phone, they asked for a first and last name along with a phone number. They didn’t know where we were located and wanted to know what streets we were between. They then asked if it was for downstairs or upstairs. This was all weird since we’ve placed many orders from there in the past, but under a different number. We wanted noon for delivery and the guy asked right away if 12:15 was ok. What you’re thinking about now is how we felt. It ended up being way too long for a phone order. This was in purpose of setting up a phone number in their system, even though they spelled the first and last name completely wrong on the receipt.
They came five minutes before noon which was earlier than expected. The delivery guy had everything we asked for including the number of blue cheeses, the plates, and napkins. We got a large pizza cut in 12 slices topped with pepperoni, mushroom, and bacon. The total was price near $25, which is an extremely high price for this order of a large.
Never before were we so full from a large pizza. Two men couldn’t finish this pizza. There were still two and a half slices left after our thirty minute lunch break. When we opened it up, we first noticed it was loaded with toppings, but without piling them on too high. These toppings certainly made this pizza special. It was better than the expected cardboard appeal, better than in the past, and better with toppings. The bacon on the pizza was only the second time for one of us and it was delicious on this pizza. Each topping was $2 and they surely put enough on for that price. Their blue cheese was also great as they’re manufactured just to them.
A lot of people in Buffalo are already familiar with this place by having many locations like a Jim’s Steakout. The pizza can still be easily identified by the eye to the average buffalo pizza consumer. We know what their wings are like and they are very average Buffalo style you would normally get from a pizza place here. They also have an advantage with their hours. They are open every day early at 9 to at most places midnight. After having this pizza today, Just Pizza will be climbing up the rankings for best pizza in Buffalo. All it takes is one pizza to do that.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Just Pizza
www.justpizzausa.com
300 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, New York 14222
716-883-5650
Five Guys Burgers and Fries: Exclusive Review
I had the privilege of spotting out a Five Guys to my surprise in Hoboken, New Jersey on Saturday. This is the first review outside of Buffalo and I’m writing this up because Five Guys might come soon to Buffalo for our lunch consumers. I wasn’t expecting to see one when I was in New Jersey and I didn’t even look it up to see if there would be any in the area. It was a lunch meal, but this was during the mid-afternoon.
Thanks to our Rochester friend at work, I was walking on the opposite side of the street and I saw this place and remembered he was always talking about how Buffalo doesn't have one and how Rochester does. I contacted him right away by cell phone and he told me to eat there! How could I pass up this opportunity even on a full stomach?
On the way back down the street, I stopped into Five Guys for the first time ever and went straight to the counter. This place almost looked like a normal fast food hamburger joint, but it wasn’t. It smelled great and looked clean when we walked in. I asked if there were any lunch specials, deals, or combos and unfortunately there weren’t any. The menu is actually very basic and doesn't offer milkshakes. I ordered the Cheeseburger which was $5.99. For that price, I could tell right away this wasn’t going to be your average burger. They asked what I wanted on it and I am glad they did. On their menu above, there were options to pick from. I picked out jalapenos, lettuce, mayo, tomato, ketchup, mustard, and their hot sauce. We also got a French fry which was $2.99. We ended up waiting a while, more so than a fast food place, but boy was it amazing.
They put the food in a bag and the fries were everywhere. The fries were placed in a tall drinking cup and scattered around in the bag. They were thick and long but not as thick as steak fries. They weren't too hot so you aren’t eating with your mouth open to get some air. All the food was warm at the right temperature. At some places, the fries are dry and need condiments. These fries, however, were different. They were better than all the fast food restaurant places and even some regular restaurants. Not only were the French fries on top of their game, but this Cheeseburger was fantastic. It had two patties and it was about two or three times the size as a Big Mac. There were so many flavors going inside my mouth and words of excitement flowing out after each bite. Nothing spilled outside my burger and it was perfectly layered without overdoing it. It was so incredibly juicy and moist without having that greasy taste. The hot sauce indeed had flavor and appropriate hot levels that were very satisfying as well as everything else was.
Our Rochester friend was right. It would be worth leaving work early to drive to and come back with the food for lunch. It is that great of a lunch meal and you won’t feel sick to your stomach afterwards like what some fast food places can do to you. The only knocks on this place are maybe the cost and no specials so you have to buy your drinks and other items separately. Hopefully, the rumors are true and Five Guys will be opening places around Buffalo this year. It was probably the best burger and fries meal I’ve had this entire year and it made our vacation slightly better.
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Five Guys Hoboken
www.fiveguys.com
319 Washington Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 683-3273
Thanks to our Rochester friend at work, I was walking on the opposite side of the street and I saw this place and remembered he was always talking about how Buffalo doesn't have one and how Rochester does. I contacted him right away by cell phone and he told me to eat there! How could I pass up this opportunity even on a full stomach?
On the way back down the street, I stopped into Five Guys for the first time ever and went straight to the counter. This place almost looked like a normal fast food hamburger joint, but it wasn’t. It smelled great and looked clean when we walked in. I asked if there were any lunch specials, deals, or combos and unfortunately there weren’t any. The menu is actually very basic and doesn't offer milkshakes. I ordered the Cheeseburger which was $5.99. For that price, I could tell right away this wasn’t going to be your average burger. They asked what I wanted on it and I am glad they did. On their menu above, there were options to pick from. I picked out jalapenos, lettuce, mayo, tomato, ketchup, mustard, and their hot sauce. We also got a French fry which was $2.99. We ended up waiting a while, more so than a fast food place, but boy was it amazing.
They put the food in a bag and the fries were everywhere. The fries were placed in a tall drinking cup and scattered around in the bag. They were thick and long but not as thick as steak fries. They weren't too hot so you aren’t eating with your mouth open to get some air. All the food was warm at the right temperature. At some places, the fries are dry and need condiments. These fries, however, were different. They were better than all the fast food restaurant places and even some regular restaurants. Not only were the French fries on top of their game, but this Cheeseburger was fantastic. It had two patties and it was about two or three times the size as a Big Mac. There were so many flavors going inside my mouth and words of excitement flowing out after each bite. Nothing spilled outside my burger and it was perfectly layered without overdoing it. It was so incredibly juicy and moist without having that greasy taste. The hot sauce indeed had flavor and appropriate hot levels that were very satisfying as well as everything else was.
Our Rochester friend was right. It would be worth leaving work early to drive to and come back with the food for lunch. It is that great of a lunch meal and you won’t feel sick to your stomach afterwards like what some fast food places can do to you. The only knocks on this place are maybe the cost and no specials so you have to buy your drinks and other items separately. Hopefully, the rumors are true and Five Guys will be opening places around Buffalo this year. It was probably the best burger and fries meal I’ve had this entire year and it made our vacation slightly better.
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Five Guys Hoboken
www.fiveguys.com
319 Washington Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 683-3273
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Manhattan Pizza
One of us had our first trip and experience to this pizzeria ever. For being so close on the popular Chippewa and Delaware corner, it may go unnoticed because it isn't on Chippewa. In fact, it's only a 10 second walk maybe from the corner. There's nothing really across the street from it other than a Starbucks and there’s nothing else down the block on Delaware that would compete. They also don't have a website so it's harder to find out about them aside from just walking by it.
This place does have an advantage. Its advantage is the eating area. It could probably sit 50 to 100 people easily. They have three seating places: one near the pizza counter inside, one that's separate inside with a bunch of tables in there as their main dining area, and one outside on a sidewalk patio with umbrellas. The patio is key for the summer time. This is the only pizza place around that has a patio with tables and it is very relaxing. For a pizzeria, this atmosphere ranks high. Many people were coming in and out quickly with food and enjoying it but it is never too busy to get your food here and have a spot to eat which is great.
At this place, we of course got the pizza and nothing but pizza. That's how you start at a pizzeria. As we walked in, we smelled some great food so that was a pleasing sign. We went by slice also and got a couple specialty pizzas which weren't bad. By the slice, it's $2.75, but you can get a couple slices and drink for about $6. They had a few pizza lunch specials on the chalkboard and one of them was 2 slices of pizza and a drink. Well, one of us just ordered two slices of pizza and then the woman at the cashier asked if we would like a drink right after. They are that quick here at reading orders and applying it to their specials. We each got a special and the service there is very much aware of what's going on. They were sharp for a New York style pizzeria, unlike what you might get at Zetti's. Although the slices are longer with big toppings at Zetti's, the appeal of this pizza is comparable to what you would get at Manhattan style pizzeria. They were long slices with the right amount of toppings still with a nice taste and not heavy with the sauce. From the counter, they put the pizza in the oven for a couple minutes to warm up. This made the pizza crispy on the bottom opposed to getting it freshly ordered though.
We regret we didn't bring back a menu, but they do offer a lot more than pizza. We can assume their large pizzas are bigger than the standard in Buffalo and they had available salads and wraps to go. Like we said, it's an easy place to get access to and they're helpful with your order.
If you're in the mood for New York style pizza downtown, this is the place. There really isn't anywhere else downtown. This is within walking distance and this would be the place to go to over the summer for pizza to eat there. The pizza is about a 3.5 basically because we got it off the counter, but due to the atmosphere, location, and everything else, it slightly receives higher. Delivery in the future might happen as well.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Manhattan Pizza
244 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202-2009
(716) 842-1986
This place does have an advantage. Its advantage is the eating area. It could probably sit 50 to 100 people easily. They have three seating places: one near the pizza counter inside, one that's separate inside with a bunch of tables in there as their main dining area, and one outside on a sidewalk patio with umbrellas. The patio is key for the summer time. This is the only pizza place around that has a patio with tables and it is very relaxing. For a pizzeria, this atmosphere ranks high. Many people were coming in and out quickly with food and enjoying it but it is never too busy to get your food here and have a spot to eat which is great.
At this place, we of course got the pizza and nothing but pizza. That's how you start at a pizzeria. As we walked in, we smelled some great food so that was a pleasing sign. We went by slice also and got a couple specialty pizzas which weren't bad. By the slice, it's $2.75, but you can get a couple slices and drink for about $6. They had a few pizza lunch specials on the chalkboard and one of them was 2 slices of pizza and a drink. Well, one of us just ordered two slices of pizza and then the woman at the cashier asked if we would like a drink right after. They are that quick here at reading orders and applying it to their specials. We each got a special and the service there is very much aware of what's going on. They were sharp for a New York style pizzeria, unlike what you might get at Zetti's. Although the slices are longer with big toppings at Zetti's, the appeal of this pizza is comparable to what you would get at Manhattan style pizzeria. They were long slices with the right amount of toppings still with a nice taste and not heavy with the sauce. From the counter, they put the pizza in the oven for a couple minutes to warm up. This made the pizza crispy on the bottom opposed to getting it freshly ordered though.
We regret we didn't bring back a menu, but they do offer a lot more than pizza. We can assume their large pizzas are bigger than the standard in Buffalo and they had available salads and wraps to go. Like we said, it's an easy place to get access to and they're helpful with your order.
If you're in the mood for New York style pizza downtown, this is the place. There really isn't anywhere else downtown. This is within walking distance and this would be the place to go to over the summer for pizza to eat there. The pizza is about a 3.5 basically because we got it off the counter, but due to the atmosphere, location, and everything else, it slightly receives higher. Delivery in the future might happen as well.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Manhattan Pizza
244 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202-2009
(716) 842-1986
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Tokyo Shanghai Bistro
We've ordered from this place multiple times in the past as well as others here at work so they are consistent for the most part. We were going to order sushi here for our first time but someone ordered ahead of our scheduled day and said the sushi was frozen and cold. This turned off way too many co-workers from ordering here that scheduled day as well as in the future for some odd and strange reason. About a week later, some of us separately tried out the sushi and it was just fine. Though, two different people ordered the same type of California rolls, they put the order together in the same tray and we later found out about this after we began eating and couldn't find the other tray.
This is the closest place for sushi downtown and it is not within walking distance. We all know the city of Buffalo is behind and lacks in diversity downtown for food. There are some Polish and Italian communities here but it’s just not strong enough. There are many delis, bars, and pizza places, but not enough culture at all. After twenty reviews, this is our first eastern culture place as our first Chinese review.
This one of the only Chinese places near downtown that has a website and menu online and that deliver. This Chinese cuisine opened up just last year on Elmwood. They have a huge selection on their menu and it goes deep for rolls and Japanese meals. Their lunch specials are a deal priced at $4.75, which is the best bet on the menu.
Today, we called at 10am to no answer. They open at 11am but some places are open before then to take orders and apparently they weren't so we called later and placed the order. The order came with utensils and napkins, which was nice. We ordered the Sesame chicken, Spicy Tuna Hand Roll, Orange chicken, and the General TSOs chicken all with pork fried rice. Yes, all these meals are very similar too with sweet, bright sauce on chicken.
Probably one of the best features of the meal was not the food but what it came in. The lunch meals come in these great round containers as this avoids any use of foil. Although they also wrote on the container what lunch special each one is, the lid is see through so it is easier to see what's in them. They are plastic and they can also be reused if you wanted. First off, the chicken itself was a bit hard. The orange chicken's sauce was fine but the little orange skin slices in there were small so it got in the way of eating the actual meal. The sushi roll priced at about $5 was not worth. They ended up putting it in a separate bag, but they didn't need to since it was so small. There was only one roll hand wrapped in some black layer. The order called for hot & spicy but yet it was so cold without no hotness to it. It was disappointing as it felt like eating a five dollar scoop of rice instead. In the past, the hot & spicy chicken was not hot either. There were too many vegetables and not enough chicken. Do not count on your spicy orders to be spicy. Aside from that, the meals are enjoyable and they do listen exactly to what you ordered. One of us didn’t want any vegetables and they went with that.
Overall though, one lunch meal is worth the price and it will fill you up. They already became the go-to place for Chinese food here and if you're looking for something healthy and maybe try out some sushi, this will be the place for delivery.
Final Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Tokyo Shanghai Bistro
www.tokyoshanghaibistro.com
494 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222
(716) 886-3839
This is the closest place for sushi downtown and it is not within walking distance. We all know the city of Buffalo is behind and lacks in diversity downtown for food. There are some Polish and Italian communities here but it’s just not strong enough. There are many delis, bars, and pizza places, but not enough culture at all. After twenty reviews, this is our first eastern culture place as our first Chinese review.
This one of the only Chinese places near downtown that has a website and menu online and that deliver. This Chinese cuisine opened up just last year on Elmwood. They have a huge selection on their menu and it goes deep for rolls and Japanese meals. Their lunch specials are a deal priced at $4.75, which is the best bet on the menu.
Today, we called at 10am to no answer. They open at 11am but some places are open before then to take orders and apparently they weren't so we called later and placed the order. The order came with utensils and napkins, which was nice. We ordered the Sesame chicken, Spicy Tuna Hand Roll, Orange chicken, and the General TSOs chicken all with pork fried rice. Yes, all these meals are very similar too with sweet, bright sauce on chicken.
Probably one of the best features of the meal was not the food but what it came in. The lunch meals come in these great round containers as this avoids any use of foil. Although they also wrote on the container what lunch special each one is, the lid is see through so it is easier to see what's in them. They are plastic and they can also be reused if you wanted. First off, the chicken itself was a bit hard. The orange chicken's sauce was fine but the little orange skin slices in there were small so it got in the way of eating the actual meal. The sushi roll priced at about $5 was not worth. They ended up putting it in a separate bag, but they didn't need to since it was so small. There was only one roll hand wrapped in some black layer. The order called for hot & spicy but yet it was so cold without no hotness to it. It was disappointing as it felt like eating a five dollar scoop of rice instead. In the past, the hot & spicy chicken was not hot either. There were too many vegetables and not enough chicken. Do not count on your spicy orders to be spicy. Aside from that, the meals are enjoyable and they do listen exactly to what you ordered. One of us didn’t want any vegetables and they went with that.
Overall though, one lunch meal is worth the price and it will fill you up. They already became the go-to place for Chinese food here and if you're looking for something healthy and maybe try out some sushi, this will be the place for delivery.
Final Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Tokyo Shanghai Bistro
www.tokyoshanghaibistro.com
494 Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14222
(716) 886-3839
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
SPoT Coffee
SpoT Coffee is a hip and young coffee shop that's nicer to sit in than a casual Tim Hortons and if Starbucks is too corporate for you. People really go here to sit on the couches and watch people. It’s mostly a scene than anything.
We’ve been meaning to go here and write about it since it’s been in the proximity of all the places we’ve reviewed lately, but the general response has told us service is slow and it's busy in there. We wanted to test this place out finally and see how long it would really take them to make some food for us. In the past, we shied away because it's a place that won't deliver since it's a coffee shop and less of a lunch place.
We got the impression this is a place where people set up first dates to. The biggest and maybe worst cliché question of all-time is, "Wanna go out for a cup of coffee?" They have hot drinks, wraps, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. They do have a catering menu too. There’s a new location in Williamsville on Main St. and an expanded Elmwood one. It's a close walk to the one on Delaware and Chippewa so we went there.
Back to the food, we went to a place that specializes in coffee for food and we didn't order any coffee. This clearly won't be a review on their coffee. We got the Spicy Tuna and Roast Beef focaccias which were sandwiches with wheat bread. After we ordered, the cashier literally screams back the orders to the kitchen in hope they're going to hear over the music and talking from a few yards away. We then moved to a second line to pick up our food. The sandwiches we got were cut in half and wrapped in foil to go and we got to pick if we wanted chips or a salad. The food was fine and the spicy tuna was in fact spicy with a nice hot flavor. They could have given us more food for the money though.
They are charging more for a sandwich than anyone in the area. It was about $9 for a sandwich or wrap and a real small side. We were almost ready to walk out after browsing the big menu on their wall inside. We do realize we're paying for the atmosphere and to listen to some old pop music, but still. This place is not worth it. We basically paid money to stand around and wait for fifteen minutes. It was $4 for a soup and $5 for chili. We wanted to get more but it exceeded our budget and we almost spent $20 on two little sandwiches. We didn't even get a single dessert.
We didn't have time to actually eat there so when we got back we had a hard time to figure out which one was the Roast Beef and Tuna. One of us ordered chips and we didn't get any chips... that's because they gave both of us salad... or really just lettuce spread around our sandwiches. We requested no tomato on the Roast Beef one, and there was tomato on it. Like we said, if you try to be specific here, they won’t relay that information on properly since the orders are briefly yelled out.
It took too long to get our food due to the number people there and how long it took for them to push out the food. They were all friendly and working so it wasn’t like they were just standing around though. This was our first food experience there. If we knew they pre-ordered, our experience may have been different, but we won’t be going there anytime soon.
Final Rating: 2.0 out of 5
SPoT Coffee
www.spotcoffee.com
227 Delaware Ave
Buffalo, NY 14202-2103
716-332-2299
We’ve been meaning to go here and write about it since it’s been in the proximity of all the places we’ve reviewed lately, but the general response has told us service is slow and it's busy in there. We wanted to test this place out finally and see how long it would really take them to make some food for us. In the past, we shied away because it's a place that won't deliver since it's a coffee shop and less of a lunch place.
We got the impression this is a place where people set up first dates to. The biggest and maybe worst cliché question of all-time is, "Wanna go out for a cup of coffee?" They have hot drinks, wraps, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. They do have a catering menu too. There’s a new location in Williamsville on Main St. and an expanded Elmwood one. It's a close walk to the one on Delaware and Chippewa so we went there.
Back to the food, we went to a place that specializes in coffee for food and we didn't order any coffee. This clearly won't be a review on their coffee. We got the Spicy Tuna and Roast Beef focaccias which were sandwiches with wheat bread. After we ordered, the cashier literally screams back the orders to the kitchen in hope they're going to hear over the music and talking from a few yards away. We then moved to a second line to pick up our food. The sandwiches we got were cut in half and wrapped in foil to go and we got to pick if we wanted chips or a salad. The food was fine and the spicy tuna was in fact spicy with a nice hot flavor. They could have given us more food for the money though.
They are charging more for a sandwich than anyone in the area. It was about $9 for a sandwich or wrap and a real small side. We were almost ready to walk out after browsing the big menu on their wall inside. We do realize we're paying for the atmosphere and to listen to some old pop music, but still. This place is not worth it. We basically paid money to stand around and wait for fifteen minutes. It was $4 for a soup and $5 for chili. We wanted to get more but it exceeded our budget and we almost spent $20 on two little sandwiches. We didn't even get a single dessert.
We didn't have time to actually eat there so when we got back we had a hard time to figure out which one was the Roast Beef and Tuna. One of us ordered chips and we didn't get any chips... that's because they gave both of us salad... or really just lettuce spread around our sandwiches. We requested no tomato on the Roast Beef one, and there was tomato on it. Like we said, if you try to be specific here, they won’t relay that information on properly since the orders are briefly yelled out.
It took too long to get our food due to the number people there and how long it took for them to push out the food. They were all friendly and working so it wasn’t like they were just standing around though. This was our first food experience there. If we knew they pre-ordered, our experience may have been different, but we won’t be going there anytime soon.
Final Rating: 2.0 out of 5
SPoT Coffee
www.spotcoffee.com
227 Delaware Ave
Buffalo, NY 14202-2103
716-332-2299
Monday, June 7, 2010
Bada Bing Bar and Grill
We've had lunch there a few times over the past couple months and this is our first visit to the place since we started these lunch reviews here. We've always called for pre-order since they don't deliver and the walk is only a few minutes. This place might be the best lunch place in Buffalo to pre-order ahead of time. At the time, it was deemed as our best visiting lunch experience.
It's so easy to place an order here by phone. They have one of the most friendly and relaxed services for lunch time. Today, we called and ordered 30 wings a half hour before noon for noon. The wings were half mild and half hot and we also got 5 blue cheeses. After a minute, we called again to change our order to half medium instead of mild to no problem at all.
April 8th was actually our first visit as we pre-ordered wings. This is easily the go-to place for wings during lunch time as you can tell. The wings were meaty, flavorful, and the price was right. If you preorder on time, there's no wait and no rush. The order came out right on time which was amazing. Plus, they have excellent service and they’re on time with the food and the bill.
At our second trip, the service again was in perfect form... only two waitresses around a bar and tables filling up our drinks and giving us our bill well on time without us even asking for it. Plus, we forgot we placed an order of fries when we got there since we were already impressed by our food. The fries, which were only $2.95, showed up to our wonder all hot and seasoned. We had jalapeño poppers stuffed with a lot of cheddar cheese that came with a dipping sauce. The pizza logs were deep fried to perfection with a marinara sauce. The mozzarella sticks were also fried to a golden brown with that same tantalizing sauce as the pizza logs.
Today was just like the rest at Bada Bing. One of us ate 15 hot wings and consumed 3 sides of blue cheese in a matter of 20 minutes. They have top 10 wings in Buffalo. The wings were cooked well and had a great flavor. Pay attention because the following contains three key words for their drinks: Free automatic refills. We were pretty much empty with our glasses as the waitress came by and asked how we are doing and she took our glasses to refill the drinks without us even saying anything. This is how it always is here. It's like they pre-read our minds. We had Pepsi so they do carry Pepsi products and not just Coke. In addition, they are never too busy here to make you feel welcomed. Before we left, they said have a good day.
Bada Bing has proved over and over to be the most satisfying and enjoyable lunch option in area to go and dine in. With the summer rolling around, Bada Bing is an excellent choice to escape your work boundaries, especially if you aren't afraid of spending a few dollars and pre-ordering ahead. They have a fun atmosphere for lunch time with flat screen televisions everywhere and it reminds you that you're not in the same building as where you work. They actually have 10 televisions that show ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN NEWS, and CNN all in HD. The wings are also on the cheap price side especially for having high quality. It's about $25 for 50 wings which is a deal. We've already had most of their appetizers and we would get them again. This is mostly a place to get pub food from for lunch. The only thing we haven't tried out yet that we want to but it's never available is the 3 Alarm Chili. Also, the sandwiches, that are basically a big hamburger with a side, range close to $9-10 total. Other than that, if you're looking for somewhere to sit down inside and have your meal in front of your face when you walk in, this is the place to go.
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Bada Bing Bar and Grill
www.badabingbuffalo.com
115 West Chippewa Street
Buffalo, NY 14202-2006
(716) 853-2464
It's so easy to place an order here by phone. They have one of the most friendly and relaxed services for lunch time. Today, we called and ordered 30 wings a half hour before noon for noon. The wings were half mild and half hot and we also got 5 blue cheeses. After a minute, we called again to change our order to half medium instead of mild to no problem at all.
April 8th was actually our first visit as we pre-ordered wings. This is easily the go-to place for wings during lunch time as you can tell. The wings were meaty, flavorful, and the price was right. If you preorder on time, there's no wait and no rush. The order came out right on time which was amazing. Plus, they have excellent service and they’re on time with the food and the bill.
At our second trip, the service again was in perfect form... only two waitresses around a bar and tables filling up our drinks and giving us our bill well on time without us even asking for it. Plus, we forgot we placed an order of fries when we got there since we were already impressed by our food. The fries, which were only $2.95, showed up to our wonder all hot and seasoned. We had jalapeño poppers stuffed with a lot of cheddar cheese that came with a dipping sauce. The pizza logs were deep fried to perfection with a marinara sauce. The mozzarella sticks were also fried to a golden brown with that same tantalizing sauce as the pizza logs.
Today was just like the rest at Bada Bing. One of us ate 15 hot wings and consumed 3 sides of blue cheese in a matter of 20 minutes. They have top 10 wings in Buffalo. The wings were cooked well and had a great flavor. Pay attention because the following contains three key words for their drinks: Free automatic refills. We were pretty much empty with our glasses as the waitress came by and asked how we are doing and she took our glasses to refill the drinks without us even saying anything. This is how it always is here. It's like they pre-read our minds. We had Pepsi so they do carry Pepsi products and not just Coke. In addition, they are never too busy here to make you feel welcomed. Before we left, they said have a good day.
Bada Bing has proved over and over to be the most satisfying and enjoyable lunch option in area to go and dine in. With the summer rolling around, Bada Bing is an excellent choice to escape your work boundaries, especially if you aren't afraid of spending a few dollars and pre-ordering ahead. They have a fun atmosphere for lunch time with flat screen televisions everywhere and it reminds you that you're not in the same building as where you work. They actually have 10 televisions that show ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN NEWS, and CNN all in HD. The wings are also on the cheap price side especially for having high quality. It's about $25 for 50 wings which is a deal. We've already had most of their appetizers and we would get them again. This is mostly a place to get pub food from for lunch. The only thing we haven't tried out yet that we want to but it's never available is the 3 Alarm Chili. Also, the sandwiches, that are basically a big hamburger with a side, range close to $9-10 total. Other than that, if you're looking for somewhere to sit down inside and have your meal in front of your face when you walk in, this is the place to go.
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Bada Bing Bar and Grill
www.badabingbuffalo.com
115 West Chippewa Street
Buffalo, NY 14202-2006
(716) 853-2464
Friday, June 4, 2010
Rosalind's Catering
We've had their paper menu stored away for months now and looked at it several times. None of us has really heard of the place or where it was located. The menu was referred by one of our co-workers who didn't even participate today. We couldn't figure out when to order from there but today was opportune. Today was one of our beloved coworkers' last day of work so a catered going away luncheon was set up.
Originally in the past we looked for places that catered. They are not located anywhere downtown, but they do deliver here. This is our only third catering experience for delivery and first for many for lunch here. It's also our first catering review.
We also needed many people to participate in hope of dragging the price per person down. Twenty people joined in at $7.25 per person plus tax. There was a delivery charge of $15 too. Unfortunately, they wouldn't cater the turkey or steak brochettes, deliver individual items, and they didn't have any dessert options on their menu.
The food was ordered the day before and the owner Mike called us at 9:15pm the night before to confirm the details. We ended up having the following:
· Boneless Chicken Cutlets
· Sausage Giambotta (Fresh Italian sausage, potatoes, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, zucchini, baked in our homemade sauce
· Italian Bow-Tie Pasta (Delicious bow tie pasta tossed with fresh vegetables, special seasoning and homemade Italian Dressing)
· Twice Baked Potatoes (Delicious homemade mashed potatoes milked with cheddar cheese, sour cream and chives)
Although they were late by a few minutes since they came from a distance, the food made up for it by a big margin. Everyone all around was giving thumbs up and mentioning how great the food and the choices were. This is probably the first place that came late but triumphed in the end with the food. Plus, they didn't forget a single item we ordered and had delivery techniques of keeping the trays hot.
The food really did feed 20 people and then some. Rolls came in a couple bags and these rolls were soft and fresh as well as the butter so it was easy to spread. The sausage was the new addition to the order over the turkey or steak and it exceeded expectations. The sausage had a nice taste to it without being too spicy or hard. It was pre-cut into pieces mixed with an amazing tomato sauce. It was so great that some of us put the sauce on the chicken so it formed something like a chicken cacciatore dish. The boneless chicken cutlets were basically chicken tenders baked to a nice crispy and tender way. All the trays were hot and we had our own serving spoons. The pasta and potatoes can't be overlooked because these complemented the meats well without being sour or bland.
The food felt like it really did come from an actual banquet facility. Away from pizza and wings, this was clearly the best lunch meal we've had so far for downtown Buffalo lunch. Even though the place is not exactly in downtown so there's no walking distance and we would need like 20 people again... the food quality was high for the price value, the menu selection had variety, there were fully pleased eaters, and their willingness on a short notice scores them the highest rating.
Final Rating: 5 out of 5
Rosalind's Catering
www.rosalindscatering.com
281 Tacoma Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14216-2313
(716) 874-1109
Originally in the past we looked for places that catered. They are not located anywhere downtown, but they do deliver here. This is our only third catering experience for delivery and first for many for lunch here. It's also our first catering review.
We also needed many people to participate in hope of dragging the price per person down. Twenty people joined in at $7.25 per person plus tax. There was a delivery charge of $15 too. Unfortunately, they wouldn't cater the turkey or steak brochettes, deliver individual items, and they didn't have any dessert options on their menu.
The food was ordered the day before and the owner Mike called us at 9:15pm the night before to confirm the details. We ended up having the following:
· Boneless Chicken Cutlets
· Sausage Giambotta (Fresh Italian sausage, potatoes, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, zucchini, baked in our homemade sauce
· Italian Bow-Tie Pasta (Delicious bow tie pasta tossed with fresh vegetables, special seasoning and homemade Italian Dressing)
· Twice Baked Potatoes (Delicious homemade mashed potatoes milked with cheddar cheese, sour cream and chives)
Although they were late by a few minutes since they came from a distance, the food made up for it by a big margin. Everyone all around was giving thumbs up and mentioning how great the food and the choices were. This is probably the first place that came late but triumphed in the end with the food. Plus, they didn't forget a single item we ordered and had delivery techniques of keeping the trays hot.
The food really did feed 20 people and then some. Rolls came in a couple bags and these rolls were soft and fresh as well as the butter so it was easy to spread. The sausage was the new addition to the order over the turkey or steak and it exceeded expectations. The sausage had a nice taste to it without being too spicy or hard. It was pre-cut into pieces mixed with an amazing tomato sauce. It was so great that some of us put the sauce on the chicken so it formed something like a chicken cacciatore dish. The boneless chicken cutlets were basically chicken tenders baked to a nice crispy and tender way. All the trays were hot and we had our own serving spoons. The pasta and potatoes can't be overlooked because these complemented the meats well without being sour or bland.
The food felt like it really did come from an actual banquet facility. Away from pizza and wings, this was clearly the best lunch meal we've had so far for downtown Buffalo lunch. Even though the place is not exactly in downtown so there's no walking distance and we would need like 20 people again... the food quality was high for the price value, the menu selection had variety, there were fully pleased eaters, and their willingness on a short notice scores them the highest rating.
Final Rating: 5 out of 5
Rosalind's Catering
www.rosalindscatering.com
281 Tacoma Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14216-2313
(716) 874-1109
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Prima Pizza & Pasta
This is a three part review in one. We'll briefly go over the experience we had during our pizza eating contest, sub platter orders, and today's of pizza and wings and other items.
Their website is also fantastic with enough information for their three locations. They even have an online order form for their downtown location. Furthermore, they have a pizza builder tool to customize your own pizza for online ordering by dragging toppings on it while the pizza is divided into parts. It is probably the neatest online ordering menu system we’ve seen in Buffalo. Go ahead and check it out if you’re bored enough.
The pizza contest was held on March 26. It was between two men with the time limit of 20 minutes to eat a whole large pepperoni Prima pizza without the crust. The two men had a large pepperoni pizza to devour while bystanders ate other pizzas that were ordered when watching us. The winner’s time was 14 minutes and 56 seconds to eat a whole large pizza. However, Prima was short a large order of pizza for everyone else watching during the contest. The delivery guy had to return to deliver one of the pizzas while the contest was going on. The pizza, as agreed by both men, was not their best that time. It was dry, chewy, greasy, and bland. It was a poor pizza to eat for an eating contest. After the eating contest, we took time off from seeing that pizza again.
The sub platters are liked by many at work. It is one of our more popular requests and orders. Prima's sub platters are fun and inviting. You can order with whatever meats and such you want in the platters. The large platter is about $40 that will feed almost a dozen people. They leave all the condiments on the side to spread on bread and their brownie platter was plausible. We had two separate sub platter orders in the past as they will continue to receive orders from us for them.
Today we ordered for a group of approximately 30 people. The delivery order was exact, on time, and piping hot and fresh when delivered. The Deluxe Pizza literally had some of everything on it. The chicken wings we got with our order had a lot of flavor and it was better than most from we've tried in Buffalo from pizza places.
Additionally, two of us got the five piece chicken fingers with fries order. This item was worth the price. It was fulfilling loaded with a ton of fries. We requested extra blue cheese, but didn't get it. Instead we got a single blue cheese from Cain products. One box was labeled mild when it was supposed to be medium, but we think they just wrote it on the box wrong. The chicken fingers were decent size... not too large or small. They were hidden under the foil in a chicken wing box where when someone was going to toss out the box when finished, another person realized there was still one left hiding under the foil.
Their pizza is not among the best in Buffalo, but the rest of their foods do well. We got delivery each time but they are somewhat in a walking distance. By the pizza slice there is nothing special though. This isn’t the last time we’ll hear of Prima Pizza.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Prima Pizza & Pasta
www.primapizzapasta.com
38 West Chippewa Street
Buffalo, NY 14202-2206
(716) 852-5555
Their website is also fantastic with enough information for their three locations. They even have an online order form for their downtown location. Furthermore, they have a pizza builder tool to customize your own pizza for online ordering by dragging toppings on it while the pizza is divided into parts. It is probably the neatest online ordering menu system we’ve seen in Buffalo. Go ahead and check it out if you’re bored enough.
The pizza contest was held on March 26. It was between two men with the time limit of 20 minutes to eat a whole large pepperoni Prima pizza without the crust. The two men had a large pepperoni pizza to devour while bystanders ate other pizzas that were ordered when watching us. The winner’s time was 14 minutes and 56 seconds to eat a whole large pizza. However, Prima was short a large order of pizza for everyone else watching during the contest. The delivery guy had to return to deliver one of the pizzas while the contest was going on. The pizza, as agreed by both men, was not their best that time. It was dry, chewy, greasy, and bland. It was a poor pizza to eat for an eating contest. After the eating contest, we took time off from seeing that pizza again.
The sub platters are liked by many at work. It is one of our more popular requests and orders. Prima's sub platters are fun and inviting. You can order with whatever meats and such you want in the platters. The large platter is about $40 that will feed almost a dozen people. They leave all the condiments on the side to spread on bread and their brownie platter was plausible. We had two separate sub platter orders in the past as they will continue to receive orders from us for them.
Today we ordered for a group of approximately 30 people. The delivery order was exact, on time, and piping hot and fresh when delivered. The Deluxe Pizza literally had some of everything on it. The chicken wings we got with our order had a lot of flavor and it was better than most from we've tried in Buffalo from pizza places.
Additionally, two of us got the five piece chicken fingers with fries order. This item was worth the price. It was fulfilling loaded with a ton of fries. We requested extra blue cheese, but didn't get it. Instead we got a single blue cheese from Cain products. One box was labeled mild when it was supposed to be medium, but we think they just wrote it on the box wrong. The chicken fingers were decent size... not too large or small. They were hidden under the foil in a chicken wing box where when someone was going to toss out the box when finished, another person realized there was still one left hiding under the foil.
Their pizza is not among the best in Buffalo, but the rest of their foods do well. We got delivery each time but they are somewhat in a walking distance. By the pizza slice there is nothing special though. This isn’t the last time we’ll hear of Prima Pizza.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Prima Pizza & Pasta
www.primapizzapasta.com
38 West Chippewa Street
Buffalo, NY 14202-2206
(716) 852-5555
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Luba's Place
This small place is located on the corner of Delaware and Mohawk inside the Immigration building next to a HSBC bank. Two people mentioned it on the same day today and they didn’t know the name of the place. It was way too difficult to find online and there's barely any notice there's food inside.
As we walked into the door where the sign on the ground pointed "Breakfast and Lunch" from the outside, it wasn't the place we imagined it to be. We even walked by it and then turned around to ask this lady behind a snack bar where the cafe is and there isn't one. Instead, Luba’s Place is a snack bar and concessionary with sandwiches.
This place isn't a they too, but rather a she. There was just one lady working. It felt lonely in there with just her and a small kitchen behind her. There's no sit down area and really nothing around. There was a pizza open on the counter to show today is Pizza Day. We each ordered two sandwiches on buns which took about ten minutes for her to make.
We took the menu back with us and did the math ourselves and she miscalculated both our orders. She did pocket some change, but it wasn't a big deal since she's doing all the work by herself. The sandwiches are dirt cheap around the cost of $3. They are quite stuffed with whatever you order and the best part of it is that it's completely fresh from the bread to just about everything included. The meatball sandwich was very tasty. Nothing else comes with the sandwich... compared to Sue's who charges double the price and in return for more, you just get some potato chips and a pickle. They do have breakfast items such as eggs & toast, bagels, muffins, etc. For lunch, salads, drinks, snacks, and pizza from Canisius on Wednesdays are there. On the paper menu we took, it even states we can phone ahead our orders, which is nice.
At first thought what was going to get a real low rating turned out to better than expected after we ate our food. Fresh food, affordable prices, and within a close walking distance redeems itself for us to go back and anyone to try out.
Final Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Luba's Place
135 Delaware Ave
Buffalo, NY 14202-2416
(716) 852-4997
As we walked into the door where the sign on the ground pointed "Breakfast and Lunch" from the outside, it wasn't the place we imagined it to be. We even walked by it and then turned around to ask this lady behind a snack bar where the cafe is and there isn't one. Instead, Luba’s Place is a snack bar and concessionary with sandwiches.
This place isn't a they too, but rather a she. There was just one lady working. It felt lonely in there with just her and a small kitchen behind her. There's no sit down area and really nothing around. There was a pizza open on the counter to show today is Pizza Day. We each ordered two sandwiches on buns which took about ten minutes for her to make.
We took the menu back with us and did the math ourselves and she miscalculated both our orders. She did pocket some change, but it wasn't a big deal since she's doing all the work by herself. The sandwiches are dirt cheap around the cost of $3. They are quite stuffed with whatever you order and the best part of it is that it's completely fresh from the bread to just about everything included. The meatball sandwich was very tasty. Nothing else comes with the sandwich... compared to Sue's who charges double the price and in return for more, you just get some potato chips and a pickle. They do have breakfast items such as eggs & toast, bagels, muffins, etc. For lunch, salads, drinks, snacks, and pizza from Canisius on Wednesdays are there. On the paper menu we took, it even states we can phone ahead our orders, which is nice.
At first thought what was going to get a real low rating turned out to better than expected after we ate our food. Fresh food, affordable prices, and within a close walking distance redeems itself for us to go back and anyone to try out.
Final Rating: 3.0 out of 5
Luba's Place
135 Delaware Ave
Buffalo, NY 14202-2416
(716) 852-4997
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Jacobi's Pizza Express
When we were walking around with the pizza box before and after lunch, at least five people asked us, "Pizza again?"
Jacobi's is located on South Elmwood by Tupper heading to route 33. This pizza place has been right under own noses for quite some time now... we just never attempted to discover if they were open or not. We have never seen anyone walk in or out of it and it has always looked dead and closed with nobody by it. Co-workers drive by it and even walk by it. They recently hung a Jacobi's flag out there to show some life. There is nothing online about this location and no one has ever mentioned it at work or ordered from there until one of us just brought it up today… due to that flag hanging.
We called them around 10am and someone actually picked up. After two quick questions that that they do deliver and sell by the slice, we ended up with delivery. All we ordered was the usual large pizza but with half pepperoni and half hot peppers. It was priced where it should be for delivery at about $15.
Upon delivery, the guy gave us a menu which was great as we forgot to ask. The delivery guy said they just re-opened up about a week ago, so hence the flag, and that the one in Kenmore is related as they're brothers. To our surprise, today as Tuesday was a large pizza special. The menu is huge for just re-opening. They have every day specials along with wings, tacos, salads, lots of subs and sandwiches, pasta, seafood, catering, and much more. The prices seem about right on most of the items.
This is a large pizza that could stuff two men with an appetite. The pizza, along with their blue cheese, was satisfying and it almost reminds us of how Carbone's was. The banana peppers actually had some hot taste to it without being bland or loaded with too many of them. The crust was average Buffalo size which is how most like it.
It could be the closest actual pizzeria on South Elmwood reaching downtown. It is worth walking to on a sunny day too. We would have to try their wings next as they do have something called super hot. Give it some time and this pizza place could be right up there for downtown.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Jacobi's Pizza Express
340 South Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14201-2139
(716) 848-4800
Jacobi's is located on South Elmwood by Tupper heading to route 33. This pizza place has been right under own noses for quite some time now... we just never attempted to discover if they were open or not. We have never seen anyone walk in or out of it and it has always looked dead and closed with nobody by it. Co-workers drive by it and even walk by it. They recently hung a Jacobi's flag out there to show some life. There is nothing online about this location and no one has ever mentioned it at work or ordered from there until one of us just brought it up today… due to that flag hanging.
We called them around 10am and someone actually picked up. After two quick questions that that they do deliver and sell by the slice, we ended up with delivery. All we ordered was the usual large pizza but with half pepperoni and half hot peppers. It was priced where it should be for delivery at about $15.
Upon delivery, the guy gave us a menu which was great as we forgot to ask. The delivery guy said they just re-opened up about a week ago, so hence the flag, and that the one in Kenmore is related as they're brothers. To our surprise, today as Tuesday was a large pizza special. The menu is huge for just re-opening. They have every day specials along with wings, tacos, salads, lots of subs and sandwiches, pasta, seafood, catering, and much more. The prices seem about right on most of the items.
This is a large pizza that could stuff two men with an appetite. The pizza, along with their blue cheese, was satisfying and it almost reminds us of how Carbone's was. The banana peppers actually had some hot taste to it without being bland or loaded with too many of them. The crust was average Buffalo size which is how most like it.
It could be the closest actual pizzeria on South Elmwood reaching downtown. It is worth walking to on a sunny day too. We would have to try their wings next as they do have something called super hot. Give it some time and this pizza place could be right up there for downtown.
Final Rating: 4.0 out of 5
Jacobi's Pizza Express
340 South Elmwood Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14201-2139
(716) 848-4800
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