Downtown Buffalo, where to eat? (Rochester, Ellicott: hotel, houses, safe area)

[MovinOutWest]

I'm going to be visiting Buffalo in a few weeks for a conference and will be staying downtown, a few blocks north of the convention center. Does anybody have any suggestions of good place to eat lunch or dinner around there.

Also, it that a safe area for walking at night?

[Buffalonian4life]

There are a lot of great places to eat, pretty much any place you find downtown will have superior food. If you want a good amount of lunch dining options, I would opt for the Main Place Mall Food Court on the second floor of the Mall. It is relatively close walking distance to around where you are staying at, and it has a lot of options to choose from for a lunch menu. As per safety in north downtown, you should be alright - it's not a bad part of town, and you should be safe walking around in the evening/night, etc. As long as you mind your own business and don't get into some odd trouble, you should be just fine!

Hope your conference goes well, and you enjoy your stay in the Queen City. Cheers! From the second largest city in the state!

[Rochester-WNY]

Originally Posted by MovinOutWest

I'm going to be visiting Buffalo in a few weeks for a conference and will be staying downtown, a few blocks north of the convention center. Does anybody have any suggestions of good place to eat lunch or dinner around there.

Also, it that a safe area for walking at night?

Anchor Bar,‎ Shanghai Red's! look em up. You will love them! Shanghai Red's is within in walking distance. WNY!

[Buffalonian4life]

Originally Posted by Rochester-WNY

Anchor Bar,‎ Shanghai Red's! look em up. You will love them! Shanghai Red's is within in walking distance. WNY!

I can't believe you joined the Air Force. Wow!

Anyway, MovinOutWest, yes visit the Anchor Bar if you'd like to try where the original Buffalo Chicken Wings came from!!! - "(America's favorite food)"

[jenny S]

Not sure what you're looking for, but here are my picks: City Grill, Globe Market, chop chop, and shanghai reds are downtown. Down Delaware is Tempo, on chippewa are places like papaya, salsarita and then heading farther into Allentown and Elmwood village there's a ton of places to eat like Sample, Gabriels gate, cafe aroma, way too many others to name. Allentown and Elmwood village are very cool and close to downtown (roughly 3-5 miles) and definitely worth the trip. Buffalo is a great dining destination with a dispproportinate number of great restaurants considering the size of the city.

Personally, and this is not to knock anyone's opinion at all, just my opinion, but I would not do the food court at the Main Place mall and I think Anchor Bar is way overrated. I understand it's notoriety as the birthplace of wings, but there's a ton of other places that do them better and I find them to be not so good. Again, it's just my opinion.

[sabredrew]

Pearl St. Brewery is a fun place with good pub type food and good microbrews.

If it's a weekday, go to Charlie the Butchers in the Ellicott Square Building and have a Beef on Weck, a Buffalo tradition.

Buffalo Chop House or E.B. Greene's for upscale steakhouses.

I agree with the other poster who said to head to Allentown or Elmwood Village to eat. Founding Fathers and Gabriel's Gate are two favorites.

Just east of downtown is Chef's, well known for their homestyle Italian dishes.

Left Bank on Buffalo's West Side is very good, but I wouldn't walk there from your hotel

[mycrows]

Originally Posted by jenny S

Allentown and Elmwood village are very cool and close to downtown (roughly 3-5 miles) and definitely worth the trip.

Agreed. Actually, the corner of Allen St and Elmwood Ave is under 1 mile from where the OP is staying. That's a 15 minute walk.

In Allentown, I'd go to the Towne Restaurant or Betty's for breakfast, Lagniappe's or Quaker Bonnet for lunch, and Mother's or La Tee Da for dinner.

[Buffalonian4life]

Originally Posted by jenny S

Not sure what you're looking for, but here are my picks: City Grill, Globe Market, chop chop, and shanghai reds are downtown. Down Delaware is Tempo, on chippewa are places like papaya, salsarita and then heading farther into Allentown and Elmwood village there's a ton of places to eat like Sample, Gabriels gate, cafe aroma, way too many others to name. Allentown and Elmwood village are very cool and close to downtown (roughly 3-5 miles) and definitely worth the trip. Buffalo is a great dining destination with a dispproportinate number of great restaurants considering the size of the city.

Personally, and this is not to knock anyone's opinion at all, just my opinion, but I would not do the food court at the Main Place mall and I think Anchor Bar is way overrated. I understand it's notoriety as the birthplace of wings, but there's a ton of other places that do them better and I find them to be not so good. Again, it's just my opinion.

I just mentioned Main Place because I feel it is very underrated. Considering the dozens of vendors and the newly renovated food court, it has a good sampling of great WNY food, including Beef on Weck, Buffalo Wings, and Buffalo's best pizza - (Gino and Joe's!!!!!), to name a few. There really is any lunch option you would be craving, so if you want to see an assortment, try it out. I listed the Anchor Bar simply because it is where the original Buffalo Wings are from and I thought it would be a good experience for someone on a business trip to sample the region's claim to fame (from where it all started). It rarely disappoints anyone from out of town...at least in my experiences...

[Buffalonian4life]

What I would really suggest is a hop on over to Elmwood Avenue, as others have mentioned. The place is hoppin all the time and there are hundreds of boutique shops and the regions finest restaurants all the way down the "E-Strip." There are plenty, plenty, plenty of places to choose from, I say stick to the anchor bar or whatever you have a taste for - cause Buffalo's got it.

[mikesuicide]

Originally Posted by jenny S

Not sure what you're looking for, but here are my picks: City Grill, Globe Market, chop chop, and shanghai reds are downtown. Down Delaware is Tempo, on chippewa are places like papaya, salsarita and then heading farther into Allentown and Elmwood village there's a ton of places to eat like Sample, Gabriels gate, cafe aroma, way too many others to name. Allentown and Elmwood village are very cool and close to downtown (roughly 3-5 miles) and definitely worth the trip. Buffalo is a great dining destination with a dispproportinate number of great restaurants considering the size of the city.

Personally, and this is not to knock anyone's opinion at all, just my opinion, but I would not do the food court at the Main Place mall and I think Anchor Bar is way overrated. I understand it's notoriety as the birthplace of wings, but there's a ton of other places that do them better and I find them to be not so good. Again, it's just my opinion.

Jens hit the nail on the head. I would add the Pearl Street Grill to my downtown stops though.