Flying in to take my sons to their first Bills game on Sunday

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

I wouldn't recommend making a fuss over trying to get beef on weck. It truly is not anything to write home about.

 

I would recommend Buffalo pizza from Bocce Club or La Nova, and the cajun honey butter BBQ wings from Bar-Bill. You might want to order takeout from Bar-Bill unless you plan to be there in line for a table when the doors open.

 

Definitely go to the Falls if they've never been.

 

Don't plan anything for Sunday other than going to the game, and park in someone's yard away from the stadium lots so you can get out faster. I usually park about a mile away.

 

If you need something else to do on Saturday and want some memorabilia, try the BFLO Store, Dave & Adam's, and the Walden Galleria.

[twist_to_open]

11 hours ago, JESSEFEFFER said:

A sneaky smart way to get to the airport after the game.  Call it a naked bootleg.

No tolls on that route, correct? I can't remember, but took that way to the airport back in Sept.

Edited December 31, 2021 by twist_to_open

[BuffaloBill]

Have fun. I’m sure your kids will love it. Almost a playoff atmosphere. 

[RiotAct]

53 minutes ago, twist_to_open said:

No tolls on that route, correct? I can't remember, but took that way to the airport back in Sept.

correctamundo.  Only tolls in the area are on the Grand Island Bridges (I-190), and on the 90 east of the Transit Rd exit and west of the 219/Ridge Rd exits.

[chongli]

13 hours ago, Augie said:

 

I took both my sons when they turned 16 as a rite of passage. Cemented die hard Bills fans. Congrats on an event your kids will never forget. That beats “things” hands down! 

 

I don't know about that one, lol. When I was turning 13, I got an Atari 2600 and toy pool table for Christmas. I played with those things obsessively, for years. Of course, this was 1982 and the Bills finished 4-5-1 and out of the expanded playoffs in a strike-shortened season. There were no divisions, but Miami, the Jets, and New England all made the playoffs. The Jets stunned the Steelers and number one ranked Raiders, while Miami went to the SB. I froze my butt off enough delivering newspapers each day and walking to school. The last thing I would want is more freezing at Rich Stadium, as it was called back then, lol. But, yeah, I'm sure these kids would love the experience, especially with the Bills winning.

 

[Sidenote: Back then, our home games were often blacked out, so we sat in the living room around the radio listening to Van Miller's broadcast..for real! I had to experience the 1984 0-11 Bills vs. 7-4 Dallas victory this way, as well as the Roland Hooks Hail Mary vs. New England in 1981, both in Week 12 in November]

Edited December 31, 2021 by chongli

[947]

How early should I plan on getting to there?

 

Was planning on getting there around 10:00, but considering the temps, not sure. Can you arrive at 10:00-10:30 & still get parking at ECC?

[Einstein]

2 hours ago, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

I wouldn't recommend making a fuss over trying to get beef on weck. It truly is not anything to write home about.

 

Someone finally said it. I didn’t want to be the first.

 

If you’re in the area of Charley’s and have nothing to do, fine. Try it.

 

But don’t go out of your way for it. People hype it up, but it’s nothing special. If you’ve had an Arby’s sandwhich then you have at least a general idea of what it’s going to taste like.

 

Personally I think that Rochester’s garbage plate is far more of a true “try this” than beef on weck.

 

Edit; I would also make it a point to have italian while in town. I’ve traveled the country and western NY has the best italian food. In fact, the best italian restaurant that i’ve ever eaten is in Irondequoit NY. It’s called Pasta Villa and I can’t stop visiting. It’s perfect every time. A lot of italians settled down in that town and it’s truly something special.

 

.

Edited December 31, 2021 by Einstein

[Haslett_Stomp]

Your boys will have a great time!  My son and I started attending opening day games when he was their age and he always had a blast.

[Dan Darragh]

2 hours ago, Giuseppe Tognarelli said:

I wouldn't recommend making a fuss over trying to get beef on weck. It truly is not anything to write home about.

This is disinformation. Clearly you are a Patriots fan.

[Einstein]

13 minutes ago, 947 said:

How early should I plan on getting to there?

 

Was planning on getting there around 10:00, but considering the temps, not sure. Can you arrive at 10:00-10:30 & still get parking at ECC?

 

The main lots start to get pretty packed by 10:30 but since you want to get to the airport after the game, I wouldn’t recommend using them anyway.

 

I bet you would be fine at ECC at 10:30.

[947]

Last question, I promise...  Is there any authentic Buffalo food inside the stadium?

 

I see Bocce Club is there- is it the same pizza as their regular locations or just typical ballpark pizza?

 

Can you get good beef on weck inside?

 

Thanks to everyone for all the responses & tips.

[Einstein]

3 minutes ago, 947 said:

Last question, I promise...  Is there any authentic Buffalo food inside the stadium?

 

I see Bocce Club is there- is it the same pizza as their regular locations or just typical ballpark pizza?

 

Can you get good beef on weck inside?

 

Thanks to everyone for all the responses & tips.

 

Stadium food is trash.

 

Its quickly made food using the cheapest ingredients and designed to feed 40k people quickly.

 

Edit: You can also spend up to half a quarter waiting in line to get it.

Edited December 31, 2021 by Einstein

[HIT BY SPIKES]

Took my two boys -- then 13 and 9 -- to their first game in 2000 when the Bears came to town.

 

They had a blast.

 

Yours will as well.

[JESSEFEFFER]

4 hours ago, twist_to_open said:

No tolls on that route, correct? I can't remember, but took that way to the airport back in Sept.

Correct.

[947]

30 minutes ago, HIT BY SPIKES said:

Took my two boys -- then 13 and 9 -- to their first game in 2000 when the Bears came to town.

 

They had a blast.

 

Yours will as well.

Nice! I was at that game, Rob Johnson was at QB if I remember right. My boys weren't born yet though...

[HIT BY SPIKES]

10 minutes ago, 947 said:

Nice! I was at that game, Rob Johnson was at QB if I remember right. My boys weren't born yet though...

Do you remember the fire -- no cars or people were hurt -- in Parking Lot 6?

 

Someone brought a bunch of stuffed bears, lined them up like a OL and DL and lit them on fire.

 

Burned out safely.

[ExiledInIllinois]

Aiding to the delinquency of minors is a crime! Have fun!

 

😃😊

[947]

30 minutes ago, HIT BY SPIKES said:

Do you remember the fire -- no cars or people were hurt -- in Parking Lot 6?

 

Someone brought a bunch of stuffed bears, lined them up like a OL and DL and lit them on fire.

 

Burned out safely.

Lol, awesome. I can't recall that, but sounds awesome. I may have seen it, but lots of beer that day & 20 years has erased the memory. We were in 1 of the grass lots, I think Hammer's.

[Buffalo716]

4 hours ago, Einstein said:

 

Someone finally said it. I didn’t want to be the first.

 

If you’re in the area of Charley’s and have nothing to do, fine. Try it.

 

But don’t go out of your way for it. People hype it up, but it’s nothing special. If you’ve had an Arby’s sandwhich then you have at least a general idea of what it’s going to taste like.

 

Personally I think that Rochester’s garbage plate is far more of a true “try this” than beef on weck.

 

Edit; I would also make it a point to have italian while in town. I’ve traveled the country and western NY has the best italian food. In fact, the best italian restaurant that i’ve ever eaten is in Irondequoit NY. It’s called Pasta Villa and I can’t stop visiting. It’s perfect every time. A lot of italians settled down in that town and it’s truly something special.

 

.

Lot of Italians settled Buffalo LOL 

 

Whole neighborhoods were strictly Italian

[Einstein]

4 minutes ago, Buffalo716 said:

Lot of Italians settled Buffalo LOL 

 

Whole neighborhoods were strictly Italian

 

Absolutely.

[Dan Darragh]

14 hours ago, 947 said:

Can you get good beef on weck inside?

I'm sure someone will disagree but I thought the beef on weck in the stadium was pretty good

[JESSEFEFFER]

21 hours ago, Einstein said:

 

The main lots start to get pretty packed by 10:30 but since you want to get to the airport after the game, I wouldn’t recommend using them anyway.

 

I bet you would be fine at ECC at 10:30.

If I take others to the game who can't take the longer walk, I'll park at ECC and pay the extra $10 but keep this in mind.   With many lots scattered across campus, only one offers a shorter walk and it fills faster.  As you enter the campus from Rt 20 ( SW Drive) and then pay, go to the left even if they say it's full.  Just ask to check it out for yourself.  There are usually spots in the lot near ECCs football field still remaining.

 

Also, an added benefit is the open space around those lots for some fun n games if you are so inclined.

 

[BillnutinHouston]

On 12/30/2021 at 9:23 PM, billsherd said:

I didn't know barbill had another location.

 

I believe Bar Bill north is at the former Old Red Mill Restaurant in Clarence.

[Einstein]

9 hours ago, JESSEFEFFER said:

If I take others to the game who can't take the longer walk, I'll park at ECC and pay the extra $10 but keep this in mind.   With many lots scattered across campus, only one offers a shorter walk and it fills faster.  As you enter the campus from Rt 20 ( SW Drive) and then pay, go to the left even if they say it's full.  Just ask to check it out for yourself.  There are usually spots in the lot near ECCs football field still remaining.

 

Also, an added benefit is the open space around those lots for some fun n games if you are so inclined.

 

 

Edit: Nevermind. Figured it out.

Edited January 1, 2022 by Einstein

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

On 12/31/2021 at 1:30 AM, Einstein said:

 

Retire that, just for sanitation sake.

Nah, that’s why God created antibodies 🤣

[Georgia Bill]

15 hours ago, Dan Darragh said:

I'm sure someone will disagree but I thought the beef on weck in the stadium was pretty good

There's a Charlie's the Butcher location very close to the airport.  I highly recommend their beef on weck.  When I visited Buffalo in October with my adult son (his first visit) we ate there just after landing and went back for more just before departing.  He also loved their polish sausage.

[billsherd]

19 minutes ago, BillnutinHouston said:

 

I believe Bar Bill north is at the former Old Red Mill Restaurant in Clarence.

Thanks, week check it out next time I'm in Buffalo.

[RiotAct]

3 hours ago, Georgia Bill said:

There's a Charlie's the Butcher location very close to the airport.  I highly recommend their beef on weck.  When I visited Buffalo in October with my adult son (his first visit) we ate there just after landing and went back for more just before departing.  He also loved their polish sausage.

I’ve lived in WNY my whole life and had Charlie’s last week for the very first time, can you believe it.

 

It was good but a little dry, I wonder if you can get au jus on the side?

[947]

Just got back home to IL, what an awesome experience!

 

Got in to Buffalo Friday night, checked in to the Hotel at 10:15 & decided to head out to try & find some food. There was a Bocce location 10min away that said it was open until midnight, so we headed over, and it was closed at 10:30 when we arrived. I didn't want to take my 2 teens to a "bar" for NYE right before midnight, so the only thing we found nearby was Jim's Steakout. We took it back to the hotel, ate & went to bed.

 

Went to the Falls Saturday morning, with the boys decked out in Allen/Diggs jerseys. Went to Goat Island and it was amazing, all free and hardly anybody else there. I'd only been to the Canada side before, the US side is great too. Hit Charlie the Butcher's for Beef on Weck for lunch after, and they're take-out only now, but we couldn't wait & ate it down immediately in the car. We all loved it

 

We were excited to go to Bar Bill North Saturday evening, got there about 5:00... and it was closed New Years Day, major bummer. I wasn't going to let that ruin our night, so we ended up at Anchor Bar close by. Wings were great, drank a few Anchor Bar IPAs which were really good. My boys loved it, great time. The wings beat the hell out of the BW3 we have at home. I'd had Anchor Bar wings before, still haven't gotten to try Bar Bill's though.

 

Got to Highmark about 10:15, parked at ECC & it was a breeze. Hung out outside for a while, then went in & hit the Bills Store, where I spent way too much money. We can't get Bills gear at home except online, so we went a little crazy.

 

The game was awesome. We had 12th row seats behind the Atlanta sideline, fantastic views. Got in early to see warmups, what an experience for my sons. A good amount of Falcons fans around us, but nothing but good interactions with them & all the Buffalo fans. Just the right amount of snow made for great visuals, and a perfect first Bills game experience for the boys. They loved every second of it, and didn't even want to get up to go the bathroom & miss anything. Seeing their favorite players that close was amazing. The shout song, the atmosphere, the fan noise, it was all just perfect for them. They both said "this is so much better than a Bears game". We got the La Nova pizza inside, and it was great. probably not as good as their their regular locations, but damn good.

 

Got out of the ECC lot super fast after the game & had time to make another stop at Charlie the Butcher's before heading to the airport. The Beef on Weck was my sons' food highlight of the trip. I really wish we that in the Chicago-area.

 

We've decided to make an annual Bills game trip, so this was the start of something great.

 

You WNY guys don't know how good you have it with easy stadium access and parking. I'm in the Chicago area & the only parking for Soldier Field that's as close as the ECC lot to you guys, is for VIP season ticket holders & costs a couple grand per year. Plus the traffic & hassle are 10x worse. For $35 at a Bears game, you're parking miles away & taking a beat up school bus masquerading as a shuttle bus. You're not getting home after a Bears game for at least 2 hours. Bills game are such a better experience. It's so cool seeing people everywhere decked out in Bills gear. I've been a Bills fan in IL for 30+ years & only recently did I start seeing other fans near home.  Seeing it everywhere was awesome for me.

 

Thanks to everyone for the great tips & info. They went to very good use.

[Bad Things]

I'm really happy to hear that you all had a good time back there.

Part of me is really jealous... I haven't been to a home game since the 1991 AFC Championships!  (That'll be 30 ago, next week!)

 

Let's go Buffalo!

[Buffalo716]

1 hour ago, 947 said:

Just got back home to IL, what an awesome experience!

 

Got in to Buffalo Friday night, checked in to the Hotel at 10:15 & decided to head out to try & find some food. There was a Bocce location 10min away that said it was open until midnight, so we headed over, and it was closed at 10:30 when we arrived. I didn't want to take my 2 teens to a "bar" for NYE right before midnight, so the only thing we found nearby was Jim's Steakout. We took it back to the hotel, ate & went to bed.

 

Went to the Falls Saturday morning, with the boys decked out in Allen/Diggs jerseys. Went to Goat Island and it was amazing, all free and hardly anybody else there. I'd only been to the Canada side before, the US side is great too. Hit Charlie the Butcher's for Beef on Weck for lunch after, and they're take-out only now, but we couldn't wait & ate it down immediately in the car. We all loved it

 

We were excited to go to Bar Bill North Saturday evening, got there about 5:00... and it was closed New Years Day, major bummer. I wasn't going to let that ruin our night, so we ended up at Anchor Bar close by. Wings were great, drank a few Anchor Bar IPAs which were really good. My boys loved it, great time. The wings beat the hell out of the BW3 we have at home. I'd had Anchor Bar wings before, still haven't gotten to try Bar Bill's though.

 

Got to Highmark about 10:15, parked at ECC & it was a breeze. Hung out outside for a while, then went in & hit the Bills Store, where I spent way too much money. We can't get Bills gear at home except online, so we went a little crazy.

 

The game was awesome. We had 12th row seats behind the Atlanta sideline, fantastic views. Got in early to see warmups, what an experience for my sons. A good amount of Falcons fans around us, but nothing but good interactions with them & all the Buffalo fans. Just the right amount of snow made for great visuals, and a perfect first Bills game experience for the boys. They loved every second of it, and didn't even want to get up to go the bathroom & miss anything. Seeing their favorite players that close was amazing. The shout song, the atmosphere, the fan noise, it was all just perfect for them. They both said "this is so much better than a Bears game". We got the La Nova pizza inside, and it was great. probably not as good as their their regular locations, but damn good.

 

Got out of the ECC lot super fast after the game & had time to make another stop at Charlie the Butcher's before heading to the airport. The Beef on Weck was my sons' food highlight of the trip. I really wish we that in the Chicago-area.

 

We've decided to make an annual Bills game trip, so this was the start of something great.

 

You WNY guys don't know how good you have it with easy stadium access and parking. I'm in the Chicago area & the only parking for Soldier Field that's as close as the ECC lot to you guys, is for VIP season ticket holders & costs a couple grand per year. Plus the traffic & hassle are 10x worse. For $35 at a Bears game, you're parking miles away & taking a beat up school bus masquerading as a shuttle bus. You're not getting home after a Bears game for at least 2 hours. Bills game are such a better experience. It's so cool seeing people everywhere decked out in Bills gear. I've been a Bills fan in IL for 30+ years & only recently did I start seeing other fans near home.  Seeing it everywhere was awesome for me.

 

Thanks to everyone for the great tips & info. They went to very good use.

It always feels good to hear people from out of towns speak well of home  

 

Family , Buffalo Bills and food is what makes wny amazing 

 

It's awesome to hear how your kid loves Charlie the butcher so much , I have a house down the street basically

 

Go Bills!

Edited January 3, 2022 by Buffalo716