I'm a big supporter of the International Institute. Not just because I know some of the staff. Because of the work they do. Because they are helping build a new Buffalo. Because they fight for the rights of all, not just immigrants. This annual fundraiser brings all sorts of Buffalonians together - those who've lived here their whole lives and some who came last week. It's price point is low, making it available for all. The event has food from around the world, so again, everyone will find something they like. They have various restaurants, from the Canadians making poutine to the Japanese with raw fish to chocolates from the native Buffalonians. Also, Chinese, Burmese, ice cream (Italian?), and more. There are also plenty of things available to purchase for yourself or gifts. All sorts of fun ethnic gifts from various shops around town. Great annual event. read more

We've been to the Buffalo without Borders event 2 or 3 years in a row now and it's a great event. There is a wide array of food options from "around the world." I love that you can try new places (e.g., we found a new German restaurant) or try different dishes from old favorites (e.g., Sun Restaurant) - where I usually get the pad thai but in the future will also be rotating in the delicious black rice dish. The event is nice in that there are a lot of options that your average person may not have experienced (e.g., Burmese, Ethiopian) mixed with things that are more mainstream - like potato pancakes from Germany or poutine from Canada. The only thing that keeps this event from being a 5-start is the seating situation. The event has gained in popularity and it can be hard to juggle the food. There are maybe half a dozen large round tables with chairs and another half dozen to a dozen cocktail tables. People who come with groups stake them out and stay the night. Even if the seat is empty it is not uncommon to be told that it is taken. Some of the dishes you can eat standing up but others (e.g., soup) are hard to eat without some sort of surface. (Thus, the lack of food photos from me...) I love that you get a map of the world and that you get stamped at each location you visit. Every year we try to make it to all the stops but there is always too much food to quite pull it off - even with some sharing. All around, a great event! read more

Buffalo Without Borders - You get stamps as you travel the world! - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Amazing and delicious! We sampled food from Peru, Korea, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Poland, Mexico, and Ethiopia. Then we finished it off with Sorbet and Ice Cream! The Kombucha was delicious, as were the beers. Plenty of access to the cash bars, and a huge table of appetizers. Oh! And servers walking around with appetizers as well! We could barely breathe after all the deliciousness! Great international entertainment, and an array of vendors, too. A really fun night for a great cause. read more

Buffalo Without Borders - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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When they say you are going to "eat around the world in one evening" they aren't kidding! I sampled delicious food from Burma, Poland, Germany, Peru, Italy, Greece, Ethiopia, Korea, Mexico, and Sri Lanka. Wow! Pierogi's..... and..... meatballs..... and noodles (oh my!). Plus beer.... and kombucha..... and gelato (superb!). But.... as fantastic as the food was..... so was the great entertainment: drummers and dancers and musicians and (even!) Chinese dragons..... and the international vendors. The entire evening was a feast for the senses! And, the fact that it is a major fundraiser for the International Institute, an agency very close to my heart serving refugees and immigrants, while promoting global understanding and connections throughout the WNY community, made it even better. Buffalo, I am so proud to be a part of your city of good neighbors! read more

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With this unique event you can travel the world with one music note, cultural dance, diverse cuisine, and shop in one night in Buffalo! Now that is an event to remember! Buffalo Without Borders also raises money for a wonderful non-profit called, the International Institute of Buffalo. They help refugees, women that need help from domestic violence, human trafficking, etc. But this event highlights the diverse group of cultures in the Buffalo area and brings everyone together to experience the multiculturalism. Eleven local food vendors were at the event and two local drink vendors.. Food vendors: Sri Lankan - Go Veggies (their veggie egg rolls Ethiopia - Lucy's (one of my favorites) India- M-Asian Halal Foods Burmese- Rakhapura Mutee & Sushi (delicious sushi that can be found at the Westside Bazaar) Canada- Allen St. Poutine (Dan's favorite- bacon cheeseburger poutine) Japan - SATO (Homemade Ramen buckwheat noodles..out..of..this..world!) and their ZukeDon was one of my favorites (marinated raw tuna on rice with seaweed) China- 007 (Shumai and steam buns can be found at the Westside Bazaar) Burmese/ Thailand- Sun Restaurant (amazing black rice salad and pad thai) Germany- Schnitzel & Co. (delicious German food...potato pancake and spatzel homemade!) Italy- Sweet Melody's (I had 1/2 pumpkin gelato and 1/2 apple cider sorbet..hit the spot) Arica & Iraqi- Blue Table Chocolates (the papaya truffle was to die for) Beverages: Japan- Community Beer Works- "Yuz Not That IPA" can be found at SATO ...Fav brew! China- Bootleg Bucha- Kombucha drink (fizzy flavored fermented tea..many health benefits!) Tart Cherry mint was tasty and the Ginger! All of the food was fabulous!! Loved tasting the various diverse dishes. When in line at Lucy's I helped a lady who tried eating the flatbread "injera" like a hotdog. I told her to roll it out and rip apart to pick up the lentils, cabbage, beets! One of my favorites! The music and dance performances from various cultures was a perfect way to entertain! The dancer from the Indian culture was very talented! I hope this event will continue because I will spread the word to others, and I'm already looking forward the "Buffalo Without Borders" next year!! read more

Buffalo Without Borders - Dan and I had fun "traveling the world" one cultural performance, one diverse cuisine, and one music note at a time this past Thursday! - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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This was my first time at Buffalo Without Border thanks to tickets I got from Yelp Buffalo! Buffalo Without Borders was a great event to support a good cause. There were tons of food stands offering samples of cultural dish(es). Throughout the night there were cultural events which I enjoyed to watch and also various vendors who were selling cultural items in the lobby. I bought a hand-painted tote bag and a bracelet! My only complaint is there was not much room to sit or stand in the main ballroom. There was barely any place to even stand and eat! There should've been perhaps another room opened up with tables so we could sit down at some point. I was kind of getting tired of standing! Overall this was an enjoyable event and I would be back in future years. read more

This event gets better ever year ! Like traveling the world in one evening. So many delicious foods to try . Good size portions . Ethiopian, poutine and Sun Burmese were clear crowd favorites. Personal fave was gelato! The market placed had so many great things to offer. Unique things that will be Xmas gifts good size crowd but lines were manageable . My only suggestion is to have some non alcoholic drinks and water available . Great cause! read more

Having moved to Buffalo just a few months ago, I'm still figuring out my way around, and where to eat. Buffalo Without Borders was a great way to try a lot of places I haven't gotten around to visiting yet, and to support a great cause. As a vegetarian, I didn't expect to be able to try food from every vendor, but was very pleasantly surprised to find that many vendors had something vegetarian-friendly. Some of the vendors were even serving all-vegetarian items, like Lucy's Ethiopian, M-Asian Halal Foods and Go Veggies. My favorite dish was the vegan version of the black rice salad from Sun Restaurant, though the smoked eggplant from M-Asian Halal Foods was really good as well. I also appreciated that Allen Street Poutine had vegan gravy, so a traditional-style poutine was a go for me! I don't know if it's even possible for a person without dietary restrictions or food allergies to try every single food option-the portion sizes were good, and I started getting full not that far into the evening. In addition to the 11 food vendors, catering staff were also circulating in one of the rooms with trays of additional appetizers, like bacon-wrapped dates and potato pancakes (My husband, who isn't a vegetarian, didn't have room to sample something from every vendor, and from every passed appetizer tray.) As the night went on, it was tricky finding places to stand and enjoy our food without getting in other people's way, but it was nice to see a great turnout at a event that supports an organization doing good work, and that celebrates multiculturalism. read more

I won a pair of tickets through Yelp and was super excited to attend. I had a great time among the good sampled food options and cultural dances and performances. There was a huge turnout tonight, a bit crowded which is always a good thing for events. There were all sorts of samples to try from many staple Buffalo Restaurants. The music was really good also. I really enjoyed the boutiques and all they had to offer. read more

Great event. First time attending this party and really didn't know what to expect but, I'm glad I went. Awesome entertainment and delicious ethnic food. The Bhangra dancers from the University at Buffalo were by far the most impressive entertainment of the night. It's obvious they are severely dedicated to their art form. I also really enjoyed the Jama Jama Peace and Love African drumming group, the one dude was really getting down. For the food, I think the best cuisine was prepared by Pure Peru and Sun Restaurant. Marta, the owner of Pure Peru made 'papas rellenas', a deep fried potato fritter with beef, eggs and olives, awesome! That was covered with 'aji de gallina', kind of like a mix between chicken a la king and tetrazzini but, with more spice. From Sun Restaurant I had 'own no koksware'. A chicken noodle soup with coconut milk and hard boiled egg. It had almost a curry like flavor. It was complex and delicious. Honorable mention would have to be from the Gelato Gypsy. She had a great chocolate-hazelnut gelato and a very refreshing berry sorbetto. Although everyone had great food, these were my three favorites. If you missed it this year, mark your calendar for next year. I know I will. read more

This is for the 2015 event: each year is different, but it seems the quality stays the same. I had a great time. The space was a good one, albeit a little loud in the main performance room. It gave enough space to wander around and walk off the delicious food you were eating. Each vendor brought different foods and samples. Because I'm a vegetarian, I can't judge all the stands - but what I did have was quite good. (Most stands had vegetarian options, so you won't be out of luck). Standouts were Sun Restaurant, Lucy's, Sweet Melody's, and the Chocolatier place - not sure of the name. But the truffles they were giving out were amazing. Entertainment was stand out. Belly dancing, a local klezmer band, and a Caribbean ensemble playing pop music. Rocking out to Gloria Estefan, woohoo! If anything, the whole event raises awareness and donates money to an important cause. The immigrant and refugee community in Buffalo is not supported enough and needs to be recognized by more Buffalonians. read more

What an event! The venue choice of the Hotel Lafayette was completely on point. It was just enough room to not feel claustrophobic, while also not being so large that it killed the crowd-energy. The entertainment was stellar. I was so busy stuffing my face that I failed to notice which group was performing which set of music. Still, the entire ambiance of the event hinged on the wonderful sounds coming from the stage. The Den of Prophesy was also great. It felt like an expanded version of the West Side Bazaar wares (with a Yelp stand to boot!) I didn't buy anything due to the high price points, but found several things that I would have liked to purchase. If anything, I wish that there were more tables (high-top with no chairs, or dining-style seating) available. We often ended up balancing multiple plates on elbows and against our bodies, then quickly stuffing food into our face before they fell. A few more places to set plates down would have been welcome. I very proudly filled up my entire passport book (and all of the stomach real estate I own) at the event. Below is my near-definitely list of the best and worst that the event had to offer. If it's too much to read, I'll put my conclusion here: Can't wait for BWB 2015!! Vendor Reviews 1) Sun Restaurant: Just as good as their restaurant cuisine! Definitely best in show. 2) Rakapura Sushi: Even though their buffalo roll was a little heavy on the cream cheese, everything was delicious. 3) Lucy Ethiopian: Eating Ethiopian off a tiny paper plate was an odd experience, but the food quality held up to what I expected after eating at the restaurant. 4) The Irishman: I was warned that the shepherd's pie soup wasn't very good from another patron, but I beg to differ. It was warm, flavorful, and had tons of protein. The Irishman itself sometimes offers some...different... variants of Irish food, so the soup version of shepherd's pie didn't throw me off much. 5) Passport Wine Company: A speed class in wines from around the world! I walked away feeling tipsy, educated, and impressed. 6) Bavarian Nut Company: Okay, not the most impressive wares (3 almonds? That's it?) but their bubble tea set-up was adorable and on-point. Oh, boba. It's so easy for you to win my heart. 7) Caribbean Experience: The meat was delicious, but too spicy for my very sensitive palette. 7) Taste of Africa: Even though the offerings were interesting and exciting (love falafel) everything was a little bit dry. 8) Sweet Melody's: I love Sweet Melody's. I've had their gelato on many occasions. Still, the flavor choices always come across as a little Americanized. With so many great gelato places in Buffalo, I wish they had chosen something a little bit more authentic-feeling. 9) Go Veggies: I love Go Veggies. I didn't love their lentil soup. The lentils were a little under-cooked and there wasn't much else to it. 10) Wegmans: Disclaimer: I am a Wegmanite. I'll drive past 10 other grocery stores to do business there. I was disappointed with their representation of Japan, though. The only sushi they offered was California (definitely not in Japan) rolls and veggie rolls. If they were going to participate, i wish they would have featured some more of their interesting rolls. 11) Blue Table Chocolates: Despite their eye-catching display and friendly faces, the chocolate just wasn't very good (I can't believe that phrase just left my fingers). I'm sure their other chocolate offerings are great, but their creative rethinkings of baklava and tamarind/chili fell flat. Not listed: Pure Peru. By the time we got to Pure Peru (which I love - why did you leave the WSB, Pure Peru?) they were running low on stock. My compatriot and I were the last ones to be given food, which was only about a quarter of a bowl of soup. It was good, but I just don't feel comfortable placing it on the list due to not having a lot of experience with it. read more

I love this event which is the major event of the year for the International Institute of Buffalo. If you'd like to travel around the world via food, entertainment and shopping (but most importantly, food) then you need to attend this event. The change of venue to the Hotel Lafayette was a good move. Although it was still very crowded, it was easier to see the many food choices than it was at Asbury Hall. Also, it seemed like because there was more space the event was larger over all, which is nice. Having the vendors in the Crystal Ballroom was the best improvement. There were more vendors but plenty of space for them to show their goods and they were so much easier to access than in the past. Hello early holiday shopping! The food was excellent. I learned last year to come on time--before the vendors run or of food. This year I think the food tickets might have helped but some places still ran out of options early. Since organizers know how many attendees are coming, I wish the restaurants would plan a little better. The set up this year did make it more difficult to watch the performances because it was hard to see around the crowds. (Crowds at a fundraiser are good though!) I spent a lot of time in lines in the other room too, so I couldn't watch the performances from there either. What I did see was great. The only thing I found difficult was that there weren't enough places to put your trash after eating. There were trays but not enough and they needed to be emptied more often. Over all, Buffalo Without Borders fun way to travel the world in one evening while contributing to a good cause. My taste buds love it! I can't wait till next year! read more