15 of the Best & Most Famous Buffalo Foods (and Drinks!) You Should Try

Get a taste of Buffalo and spend an indulgent food-filled weekend in Western New York with a focus on old favorites plus modern takes on classic things to eat. Explore the best of Buffalo food. Find out what to eat in Buffalo New York.

Buffalo food. That was exactly what I was looking for when I planned a weekend city break to my hometown in Western New York. 

What kinds of food is Buffalo known for? Read on to learn more what to eat in Buffalo including the classic comfort foods of my childhood plus some adult takes on old favorite dishes from the Queen City.

Buffalo Food Map

Click on the map below to open up an interactive version in Google Maps to explore all the great places to find the best Buffalo food discussed in this post.

What and Where to Eat in Buffalo

Now let's explore the Buffalo, NY food scene with my recommendations of where and what to eat.

1. Breakfast at the Original Pancake House in Williamsville

Want to know one of my favorite foods from Buffalo? Pancakes! I live in Dublin, Ireland now where pancakes = crepes. 

My first stop on my foodie weekend in Buffalo was to the Original Pancake House in Williamsville. I opted for a short stack of peanut butter pancakes with a strawberry sauce washed down with a bottomless cup of coffee. 

With a short stack this size, I decided to skip lunch and snack my way through the day.

2. A Buffalo Classic: Fowler's Sponge Candy

Want to know another thing that Buffalo is famous for? Sponge candy. Every time my family visits me in Ireland, they bring me a box of sponge candy. 

What is sponge candy? Sponge candy has an airy honeycomb center covered in either milk, dark, or orange chocolate. This famous Western New York treat is somewhat similar to honeycomb candy popular in the UK and Ireland but I like Buffalo's version better. 

Buffalo's sponge candy is much less dense and melts in your mouth when you take a bite. Niagara Chocolates double-dipped sponge candy is my favorite although Fowler's and Parkside Candy also make delicious versions of this signature Buffalo treat.

3. Orange Chocolate Buffaloes from Parkside Candy

Parkside Candy is an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and candy shop located in Buffalo's University Heights neighborhood. Parkside is another one of my go to places for my favorite things to eat in Buffalo (as you can probably tell, I have a sweet tooth). 

One thing that you should definitely eat on a trip to Western New York is orange chocolate. Bonus points if that orange chocolate is in the shape of a buffalo. Orange chocolate is simply milk chocolate with a delicate orange flavor.

4. Beef on Weck and Loganberry from Charlie the Butcher

At this point, I was definitely looking for something savory. Beef on weck is another food that Buffalo is famous for. 

What the heck is weck? A weck roll is a crusty bun covered in salt and caraway seeds that pairs well with roast beef. Charlie the Butcher's in Cheektowaga made beef on weck famous in Western New York.

I paired my classic beef on weck with fresh grilled corn on the cob and a loganberry pop (pro tip: in Buffalo soft drinks are pop not soda).

What's loganberry? It's a hybrid of a blackberry and a raspberry. Buffalo is the only place in the world where I've seen the humble loganberry turned into a sweet non-carbonated soft drink. If you're looking for a true taste of Buffalo, this is it!

5. Duff's Famous Wings

It may be cliche, but the most famous thing to eat in Buffalo are chicken wings. While the Anchor Bar brought Buffalo chicken wings international recognition, there are many more places in Buffalo to try that most quintessential of Buffalo's comfort foods.

I'd never tried Duff's Buffalo wings before but there are a number of locations around Western New York so we decided to check one out. We stopped at the location in the Eastern Hills Mall in Clarence. 

As an added bonus, we were there on a Sunday and got to watch one of Buffalo's other passions: football.

Beware: Duff's wings may blow your head off. They quip that medium is hot, medium hot is very hot and hot is very, very hot. 

Order a bowl of 10 chicken wings smothered in a spicy, vinegary sauce and wash it all down with an ice cold beer. Chicken wings definitely top my list of savory bar snacks to eat in Buffalo.

SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT:  Buffalo is part of a region of the United States known as the Rust Belt. This moniker is tied to Buffalo's industrial past as a steel producing city.  USA's Rust Belt cities are undergoing something of a renaissance. Consider Pittsburgh where you'll find great coffee, countless fun things to do including a visit to Randyland in the Mexican War Streets neighborhood, birdwatching at the National Aviary, and fun walks around Pittsburgh's university campuses like CMU and Pitt.

6. Louie’s Texas Hots

Looking for a fun dinner out in Buffalo near Elmwood Village but short on time? Grab a hot dog smothered in Greek sauce from Louie's Texas Hots. 

Louie’s has been a Buffalo fast food institution for over 50 years. Pair your hot dog with an order of curly fries.

7. Elmwood Village Farmers Market

Buffalo has undergone a renaissance of late. More people are moving into the city to live and work, reversing, to an extent, the mass exodus to the suburbs that happened in the 1980s. 

Elmwood Village is a neighborhood near downtown Buffalo characterized by old Victorian mansions. Elmwood Village now hosts a Saturday Farmer's Market. We browsed for some healthy fruit to counteract all the indulgent foods we'd been sampling thus far. 

It's hard to avoid the indulgent in Buffalo even at a farmers market. Keep an eye out for Butter Block patisserie. They had me at bacon with their maple bacon bowtie, a perfect combination of savory and sweet. 

Expect to find a long line at Butter Block patisserie waiting to order homemade poptarts (also outstanding).

8. daniela.

Buffalo isn't just about fast food restaurants, there are some great foodie places as well. Daniela. is located in Buffalo’s Blackrock neighborhood right across the street from the chic yet ominous Hotel Henry. 

daniela. serves pinsas, a unique take on pizza and delicious Italian sorbet in a casual atmosphere. I tried a four cheese pinsa with a glass of house red wine and finished the meal with a scoop of decadent chocolate sorbet. 

Daniela. is a great spot for a catch up and reminiscences with old friends. Grab a table and then order at the counter. 

Go early if you want to eat dinner here on the weekend, Daniela doesn’t take reservations and fills up fast...a great addition to the Buffalo food scene.

9. Sweet Ness 7

If you like architecture with your Buffalo food, then head to Sweet Ness 7 on Buffalo’s West Side and enjoy breakfast in a restored Victorian building. I ate a fab avo toast on rye and a cappuccino while steeping in the historical architecture of the cafe. 

I also grabbed a banana chocolate chip muffin to go which was rich, dense, and delicious. I just couldn't resist!

10. Buffalo Craft Beer and Blueberries by Canalside

Buffalo's Canalside is another area in Downtown Buffalo that has been completely redone. Stop for a beer at Liberty Hound. 

I tried Ellicottville Brewing Company's Blueberry Wheat. Buffalo was known for brewing a century ago which must have inspired the emerging craft beer scene in the area. 

I enjoyed sipping my beer outside with a cool summer breeze coming in off of Lake Erie and up the Buffalo River. Up until now, I've focused on the classic foods from Buffalo. The creative microbrew scene is proof that Buffalonians' palates are becoming more sophisticated.

SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: Another fun rust belt city with a great food and craft beer scene is Cleveland. Spend a day in Cleveland and you won't be disappointed.

11. Hearty Eastern European Comfort Food at Polish Villa

No trip to Buffalo is complete without sampling some Polish food. Polish immigrants settled in Buffalo between the 1880s and 1920s leaving their stamp on the Buffalo food scene. To try Polish food at its comforting best, head to Polish Villa. 

We visited Polish Villa II in Cheektowaga and stuffed ourselves without breaking the bank. A pierogi and kielbasa platter with a huge potato pancake on the side plus soup, vegetables, bread and butter cost just $15.45 USD. 

Save room for dessert. The rice pudding and pies (we sampled the coconut cream pie) are enormous and simply delicious.

12. Upscale Perogies, Deep Fried Mac n Cheese, and Pretzel Bread at Local Kitchen and Beer Bar

 

Local Kitchen and Beer Bar on Chippewa Street in Downtown Buffalo serves up modern takes on classic Buffalo comfort food. Local was by far the favorite restaurant that we discovered on our weekend city break in Buffalo. 

It was so good that we ate there twice! We tried flaky pretzel sticks with cheese sauce for dipping plus two types of macaroni and cheese (deep friend bites, and a baked casserole). 

My absolute favorite dish at Local had to be the pierogi. I sampled the Cheektowaga Polka, a pierogi with spare ribs and carmelized onions. 

When I was a kid, nobody went downtown and Chippewa Street was, shall we say, off limits. Now, Chippewa Street is safe with a vibrant restaurant, bar, and club scene spanning 3-4 city blocks. 

I'm so proud of Downtown Buffalo for finally turning things around!

SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: Looking for other great cities to visit in the U.S. midwest with amazing food? Spend a day in Chicago and your belly will thank you.

13. Concord Grape Beer at the Tap House Pub and Grill

I left Buffalo before I turned 21 so never got to experience the local bar scene. Just across the street from Local, check out the craft beers on draft at the Tap House Pub and Grill. 

Tap stays open to the wee hours of the morning and is a great place for a nightcap in Downtown Buffalo. The Tap House Pub was offering an extra special taste of Buffalo when I visited: Deep Purple from Empire Brewing Company, a beer brewed with Concord Grapes. 

Concord grape is about as "Western New York" as it gets with Welch's calling Westfield New York home (read more about things to do in Westfield NY here). Definitely seek out things to eat in Buffalo using concord grapes as an ingredient.

14. Thin Man Brewery

Buffalo’s craft beer scene gets better every time I visit. Grab a couple tasters at Thin Man Brewery on Elmwood. Thin Man features classic and creative choices. I tried a raspberry sour and a peanut butter imperial Stout. 

I hope you enjoyed this list covering all the foods that Western New York is famous for and then some. Every time I visit, I have a great time eating the foods Buffalo was famous for when I was a kid plus the more refined flavors I can appreciate as an adult. 

15. Resurgence Craft Beer Cans To Go

We discovered Resurgence Brewing Company on our most recent trip to Buffalo. Order online and pick-up a variety of 4-pack 16 oz cans to go at their brewery on Chicago Street near the Buffalo River downtown and enjoy your beer in the comfort of home. 

Resurgence Brewing features amazing Buffalo flavors like a sweet and silky Imperial Sponge Candy Stout and a refreshing Loganberry Wit. Resurgence beers are the perfect accompaniment for a Buffalo Bills playoff game. 

If you are planning a trip to Western New York, in additional to seeking out great Buffalo foods, you should consider taking an architecture walk in Downtown Buffalo or a Buffalo River Silo Cruise. 

Did you enjoy this post about what to eat in Buffalo New York when you travel to the Queen City? Sharing is caring...