JSMBS Unofficial Handbook

Let’s face it: there are going to be days when you’ll want to head into town and get smashed. (Some of your classmates may define “some days” as “everyday.”) It is important to know where to go. Buffalo is a bar-hopper’s paradise. Most bars are open until 4 a.m. The Chippewa strip consists mainly of “clubby” bars. On Elmwood Avenue, there’s a blend of the artsy scene and Buffalo State students, while many Main Street bars cater to the teenie boppers and UB undergrads.  Cruise over to Allentown if you’re looking for a more off-beat scene.

 

• Allen St Hardware Café, 245 Allen St.: An extensive, very reasonably priced beer and wine selection with a great ambiance and live music—can’t be beaten! Frequented by the Allentown (med student) crowd, although we’ve been known to travel from the other side of the city to enjoy their custom brew.  They have some delicious appetizers and great paninis to help wash it all down.

• Alternative Brews, 3488 Sheridan Drive: Over 100 varieties of specialty beers. Usually quiet; a good place to go for a mid-week beer to unwind. Cigar bar, so it’s smoky inside.

• Anacone’s Inn, 3179 Bailey Ave.: Good beef on weck; pitchers;  a bit trashy.

• Buffalo Tap Room, 2309 Eggert Rd.: Don’t go for dinner, but very good bar food. Consume the strawberry blonde ale.

• Buffalo Brew Pub, 6861 Main St., on the corner of Transit and Main: Very good beer selection along with in-house brews. Good food.

• Brick Bar, 229 Allen St.: Long a fixture on Allen Street, Mulligan's new owners have transformed the old brick bar from being just another cool place into a fine dining restaurant cloistered in a tiny back room. But they haven’t neglected their roots—you can still find the beer flowing here!

• Brink’s,  51 W. Chippewa St., corner of Franklin and Chippewa.: Less trendy than most Chip bars, but still nice, and usually has no cover.

• Broadway Joe’s, 3051 Main St.: Often features live music; a bit more mature than the other Main Street bars. Dr. James Lohr loves it.

• Club Marcella, 622 Main St.: Large gay bar, with frequent drag shows and special hot tub nights in a rave-like atmosphere.

• Colter Bay Grill, 561 Delaware Avenue, corner of Allen St: Clean, late 20s bar. Good beer selection and great chicken wings.

• The Continental, 212 Franklin St.: Goth club.  Even if you’re not into that scene, it’s fun to go there to people-watch.

• D’Arcy McGee’s, 257 Franklin, near Chippewa: Irish pub with great music.  Great happy hour food every Friday.   

• Founding Father’s, 75 Edward St, just off of Delaware: Two words: free nachos. Also, the bartender will ask you great trivia.

• Frizzy’s, 140 Allen St.: Cinematically speaking, Frizzy's falls somewhere in between "Barfly" and "Animal House" with a bit of "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" thrown in for good measure. It’s an unpretentious watering hole with good, greasy bar grub. It sports darts, pool, a patio, and a black-and-white photo booth (you, too, can have your picture up!)

• Iberia, 87 Rhode Island St..: chic lounge atmosphere, house/trance music.  3148 Main St.

• J.P. Bullfeathers, 1010 Elmwood Ave.: Well-lit; good place to go when you just want to chill and have a few beers. Late 20’s crowd.

• Karma Lounge, 1389 Delaware Ave.: More upscale club/lounge that makes up the upstairs of Lotis restaurant. Can get crowded on the weekends.

• La Luna, 52 W. Chippewa St.: Latin dancing in a friendly atmosphere.

• Level, 73 W Chippewa St.: Two floors, some house music, some top 40.  Closest you can get to a NYC lounge in Buffalo.  Even when the strip is dead, you’ll still find people in Level.

• Marriott Hotel, 1340 Millersport Highway, near North Campus: While it sounds like an odd place to party, they do have some great drink specials, dance music and a nice atmosphere on Friday nights.

• McMonkey’s, 73 W. Chippewa St.: Attached to Level.  Combination ‘80s, techno dance club. 2 for 1 drink specials on Friday nights.

• Mr. Goodbar, 1110 Elmwood Ave., next to Cole’s: Pool, local bands, and lots of beer on tap.

• Nietzsche’s, 248 Allen St.: Allentown hole-in-the-wall.  Very relaxed atmosphere.  All the folks from the Allen St. neighborhood tend to come to chill out here, and know each other very well.  A great way to find out about “the Buffalonian way” from an older community.  Also the “hub” of Buffalo’s up and coming music industry.  Fridays are open mic nights, and you get to hear the local favorites.

• Sky Bar, 257 Franklin St.: On the roof of D’arcy McGee’s, open in the summer. Nice views of downtown Buffalo. Good for the one month in Buffalo where it’s nice enough to be outside. Good place to dance.

• SoHo, 64 W. Chippewa.: Nice deck, top 40 music. A stand around and drink kind of place, although drinks are a bit pricy.  A true meat market. Confused as to whether or not it’s a bar or a nightclub. Try to not get suckered into going there unless it’s a fundraiser.

• The Steer, 3151 Main St.: Steakhouse with a cool bar.  Great drink specials on weeknights; frequented by pro athletes.  Nice patio. A short walk west from the med school.    

• Two-Two-Three Allen (The Old Pink), 223 Allen St.:  If you like new music and dive bars, go here.  Don’t forget to bring a nose plug for the smell, your dancing shoes for the music, and some quarters for the Galaga and Ms. Pac-Man machines. And never, under any circumstances, can you date someone you meet here.  It’s just wrong.

• 67 West, 67 W. Chippewa St.: See SoHo. Also, get the loganberry and vodka.

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