1st trip to Buffalo!

[DrZ]

Wife surprised me with a trip to Buffalo for my 40th bday. Would really appreciate any suggestions/local spots/recommendations on must do things. We are staying at Curtiss Hotel  Thanks everyone!

[Process]

Depending on time of year/weather, you are not far from Canalside. There isn't much as far as attractions but it's a nice area to walk around. 

 

Best spot for wings close to the hotel would be Gabriel's Gate. 

 

And this is obvious but if you've never been, I'd try to get to Niagara Falls. 

[SoCal Deek]

A little obscure from the typical WNY recommendations but I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House complex near Delaware Park. It wasn’t available when I lived in WNY but is well worth it. Truly amazing to see this 125 year old landmark restored. 

[DrZ]

Thanks! We are on our way now. We will check out Gabriel's Gate. 

[Augie]

2 minutes ago, Process said:

Depending on time of year/weather, you are not far from Canalside. There isn't much as far as attractions but it's a nice area to walk around. 

 

Best spot for wings close to the hotel would be Gabriel's Gate. 

 

And this is obvious but if you've never been, I'd try to get to Niagara Falls. 

 

If you do get to the Falls, The Maid of the Mist is a very memorable experience. If you are on the Canadian side, you are just 20-30 minutes south of Niagara on the Lake which we visited last week for the first time. It’s a charming little town where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario. That was a nice and easy side trip for us.

[Process]

2 minutes ago, DrZ said:

Thanks! We are on our way now. We will check out Gabriel's Gate. 

Nice- the weather is perfect.

 

Regarding Canalside, there are boat rides you can take which are nice if you are in to that. 

 

Enjoy.

Edited 2 hours ago by Process

[DrZ]

2 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

If you do get to the Falls, The Maid of the Mist is a very memorable experience. If you are on the Canadian side, you are just 20-30 minutes south of Niagara on the Lake which we visited last week for the first time. It’s a charming little town where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario. That was a nice and easy side trip for us.

Thanks!

[BillsPride12]

Not sure what the schedule looks like but I would look into doing a tour of Highmark Stadium if they have any going on when your in town. If you do that grab some wings at Big Tree Inn next to the stadium

[JP51]

21 minutes ago, DrZ said:

Wife surprised me with a trip to Buffalo for my 40th bday. Would really appreciate any suggestions/local spots/recommendations on must do things. We are staying at Curtiss Hotel  Thanks everyone!

If you are looking to stay downtown and like Whisky down the road is the Lucky Day whisky bar... You should also try Riverworks , down town for WIngs is Gabriel's Gate and the anchor bar....  if you like Oysters, Clams etc... great stuff at Streetlight next to the GoldDome Building you can take the train down to Southerntier Brewing Company by the arena great Big Screen sports bar environment....  and right in the Curtis Chez Ami and the rotating bar are nice as is the rooftop bar... there is also a casino downtown and Canalside is nice to visit as well... 

Edited 2 hours ago by JP51

[SoMAn]

56 minutes ago, DrZ said:

Wife surprised me with a trip to Buffalo for my 40th bday. Would really appreciate any suggestions/local spots/recommendations on must do things. We are staying at Curtiss Hotel  Thanks everyone!

What sort of things do you enjoy doing?

Dining, drinking, hiking, museums, dancing/nightlife, touristy stuff?

This may seem obvious, but as you're coming to a Buffalo Bills message board, I'm assuming a Bills' game is already on the docket.

Will you have a car?

 

And yes, Niagara Falls is compulsory if it's your first time in the area. Don't miss it. The Canadian side offers more attractions and places to visit than the American side. (sadly, Niagara Falls, NY could've been a great tourist destination had it been developed by someone with vision, but instead it's surrounding neighborhoods are dumps). 

If you're coming in the fall, WNY trees, parks, rivers, and other natural areas provide beautiful landscapes for just walking and getting some fresh air.

For inside museum stuff, Buffalo Albright Knox Art Gallery is world class. There's also the Buffalo science and history museums. 

Buffalo also has a very nice (and underrated) zoo.

As far as good eats, there are an infinite number of great places to test the local fare for wings, beef on (kimmel)weck, pizza, Friday Haddock fish frys, etc.

Some of the little hole-in-the wall mom & pop gin mills often have the best of these local favorites. But, there are so many great places for Bistro-style to fine dining. Don't waste your time with chain places like Applebee's when you're there. The food in WNY is outstanding.

If you're unsure about where to go, ask the locals. You'll find most people of WNY are extremely friendly and helpful. 

 

Enjoy, happy birthday, and GO BILLS!

 

Another thought...check to see what other entertainment is going on the week(end) that you visit. There may be some good music acts coming through town, maybe a touring play at Shea's Theater, or even an NHL game with the Buffalo Sabres if they're iplaying that week.

 

One more piece of commentary:

The Buffalo/WNY area has been branded as someplace where there's "nothing to do".  I challenge that. I live in the Atlanta area and in my opinion there's a far greater number of things to do and see in Buffalo and within a short drive, especially if you include Toronto and the southern tier and finger lakes regions.

 

 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by SoMAn

[DrZ]

23 minutes ago, JP51 said:

If you are looking to stay downtown and like Whisky down the road is the Lucky Day whisky bar... You should also try Riverworks , down town for WIngs is Gabriel's Gate and the anchor bar....  if you like Oysters, Clams etc... great stuff at Streetlight next to the GoldDome Building you can take the train down to Southerntier Brewing Company by the arena great Big Screen sports bar environment....  and right in the Curtis Chez Ami and the rotating bar are nice as is the rooftop bar... there is also a casino downtown and Canalside is nice to visit as well... 

This is great!

We are all about experiencing local restaurants/spots vs stuff we can do in ohio. Thanks!

[Big Turk]

1) Niagara Falls - Lewiston - everyone says Niagara Falls, but Lewiston is the crown gem of that area. If you like hiking(and even if you don't do it anyway---thank me later) take a hike along the Art Park Gorge trails, the views are stunning.  The view getting back onto 104 towards Niagara Falls could literally be a postcard that you send to people. Then go into and walk around downtown Lewiston and go down the river area...super cool little town. The Silo was featured on "Man Vs. Food" (the Original with Adam Richman) on the Food Network and is really good and a cool place right along the river. Along with East Aurora, easily my 2 favorite places in the Buffalo vicinity.

 

2) East Aurora - Bar Bill is one of the places the go for wings in the area, plus you are in my other favorite town. Lot's of cool things to do in the area, make a reservation, come early and walk around...or walk off the wings you eat after.

 

3) Canalside - tons of fun things to do down in the area...Naval Basin, Erie Basin Marina, terminus of the Erie Canal, etc...

 

4) Albirght-Knox Art Gallery - very cool and highly regarded Art Gallery with Delaware Park Lake right behind it that has some nice areas to walk and sit.

 

5) Charlie The Butcher - Best Beef on Weck in the area. 'Nuff said.

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Big Turk

[Draconator]

BarBill in East Aurora is a must. If you're waiting an hour and a half for a table there, stand by the bar. The moment two people get up, snag their seats. Alternatively, The Bar at Main and Hamlin which is across the street from BarBill, is just as good for wings, and it's owned by former BarBill employees. If you do end up at BarBill, ask for a Josh Allen Guinness. They laser imprint a picture of Josh on the top of the foam in the glass. 

 

I also second Niagara On The Lake. It's my wife's and my favorite town on earth. We've stayed overnight, played golf, and had many memorable dinners there. Our favorite restaurant is The Irish Harp. Old style Irish Pub. 

[boater]

The Curtiss...? The wife done good.

 

I once made a map of reputable Chicken Wing and Beef on Weck places. It is up to date as of 2024.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1mpmtjHMZCrqYop5-FKuRvDtRLTvMhbs&ll=42.95024824339911%2C-78.80922200917966&z=11

 

[Virgil]

Food:

 

Bar Bill - Honey Cajun wings and Pizza logs 

 

Apparel:

BFLO Store

716 Store

 

[yall]

1 hour ago, DrZ said:

Thanks! We are on our way now. We will check out Gabriel's Gate. 

Try Adolfs as well (or maybe instead). Best wings you can get downtown as far as I'm concerned.

[chris heff]

1 hour ago, DrZ said:

This is great!

We are all about experiencing local restaurants/spots vs stuff we can do in ohio. Thanks!

There is stuff to do on Ohio?

 

Sorry can’t help myself.

[Augie]

1 hour ago, SoMAn said:

What sort of things do you enjoy doing?

Dining, drinking, hiking, museums, dancing/nightlife, touristy stuff?

This may seem obvious, but as you're coming to a Buffalo Bills message board, I'm assuming a Bills' game is already on the docket.

Will you have a car?

 

And yes, Niagara Falls is compulsory if it's your first time in the area. Don't miss it. The Canadian side offers more attractions and places to visit than the American side. (sadly, Niagara Falls, NY could've been a great tourist destination had it been developed by someone with vision, but instead it's surrounding neighborhoods are dumps). 

If you're coming in the fall, WNY trees, parks, rivers, and other natural areas provide beautiful landscapes for just walking and getting some fresh air.

For inside museum stuff, Buffalo Albright Knox Art Gallery is world class. There's also the Buffalo science and history museums. 

Buffalo also has a very nice (and underrated) zoo.

As far as good eats, there are an infinite number of great places to test the local fare for wings, beef on (kimmel)weck, pizza, Friday Haddock fish frys, etc.

Some of the little hole-in-the wall mom & pop gin mills often have the best of these local favorites. But, there are so many great places for Bistro-style to fine dining. Don't waste your time with chain places like Applebee's when you're there. The food in WNY is outstanding.

If you're unsure about where to go, ask the locals. You'll find most people of WNY are extremely friendly and helpful. 

 

Enjoy, happy birthday, and GO BILLS!

 

Another thought...check to see what other entertainment is going on the week(end) that you visit. There may be some good music acts coming through town, maybe a touring play at Shea's Theater, or even an NHL game with the Buffalo Sabres if they're iplaying that week.

 

One more piece of commentary:

The Buffalo/WNY area has been branded as someplace where there's "nothing to do".  I challenge that. I live in the Atlanta area and in my opinion there's a far greater number of things to do and see in Buffalo and within a short drive, especially if you include Toronto and the southern tier and finger lakes regions.

 

 

 

 

 

As another Atlanta resident, I can say that at times it’s easier to get to Toronto from Buffalo than across Atlanta. They say you can see Toronto from Niagara on the Lake on a clear day, but we were not that lucky. 

 

I lived in the sticks mostly and left WNY when I was 17 for college, so I never really knew downtown. In major cities I always liked the idea of the quick “get acclimated” bus trip around town, hop on/off or otherwise, but never did it.  We had a couple hours to kill last Friday so we took a tour of the Naval Park and did a narrated double decker bus tour around downtown. If it sounds hokey, it’s because it is. But it’s also amusing and informative. It’s only $30 and two hours, but we were glad we did it. 

 

https://buffalodoubledeckerbus.com/best-of-buffalo-tour

 

We also did Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes last week, and it was great, but that may be a greater commitment of time than the OP can afford. 

 

.

Edited 56 minutes ago by Augie

[Low Positive]

I’m in Ohio too. The first thing I do when I hit WNY is get pizza. I would drive all the way from Cincinnati just to get Bocce Club. I like take out wings from LaNova. I get a bucket with half hot and half BBQ. The surprising thing will be just how much better the blue cheese is in WNY than it is anywhere else.

 

I would also walk around Elmwood Village. A lot of nice shops and cafes. But then again I grew up there so that’s the old neighbourhood. If you want local fast food, Elmwood Taco and Sub is really good but Mighty Taco is a local legend. 

 

But the best part about being in town is everyone is a Bills fan. Also, go to Wegmans and get a couple reusable Bills shopping bags. They are great conversation starters in Ohio with the Kroger checkout girls. 

 

Oh yeah. Get a loganberry! It’s a taste of childhood for Bills fans.

Edited 39 minutes ago by Low Positive

[chris heff]

24 minutes ago, yall said:

Try Adolfs as well (or maybe instead). Best wings you can get downtown as far as I'm concerned.

Somebody named their restaurant Adolfs?