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    Founding Fathers Pub

    4.2 (215 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Pubs
    Closed 12:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    Founding Fathers Pub Photos

    Business Info

    FOUNDING FATHERS PUB ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Founding Fathers Pub

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    Hail to the Chief sandwich & chips - yummy!
    Laura R.

    We stopped in on a quiet Sunday afternoon. Karissa made me a good Cosmo and poured hubby a good drink. The location is accessible but I didn't not see any accessible Parking nearby. The bathrooms are gender-specific and tiny - no room for a wheelchair in the ladies room stall at all. The menu was interesting and they had lots of specials. Desserts are not made in house. We could see the cook preparing food from our seats at the bar and he was generous with the salt. Our sandwiches were great but we were both super thirsty afterwards. We have two sons in school in the area and we would definitely stop back!

    Rick T.

    Cool dive bar to drink a Labatts beer cool atmosphere definitely a local bar. Great conversation people in Buffalo are always friendly.

    French onion soup
    John G.

    Really good bar service and the French Onion Soup was solid. I really enjoyed the Fried Bologna Sandwich as well. Bartender was basically an encyclopedia for Presidential history and great conversation starter. Would definitely drop in here for a beer and food!

    Ed F.

    Not going to lie.. Deff a gem of a place.. owner Mike behind the bar hit us (bar of about 20ppl) with random trivia.. awesome... easy and hard questions.. nice to mingle with locals in the bar who are used to it... great personalities all around... maybe we had a outside the dive bar nite but would deff recommend a stop by if your a history buff or just love our country

    The memorabilia and decorations make this place a lot of fun to see, but as a dining option it wasn't memorable for me. I came in while on vacation, on a Sunday afternoon at about 4:45. There were lots of people at the bar but none in the dining area. I expected a host or someone to greet me but that didn't happen. Finally, after sitting at a table for some time, I got up and approached the bar. I was told the cook wasn't in yet and that he may arrive at 5 or 5:30. I basically hadn't eaten all day, and had just walked from Sahlen Field, so this was not music to my ears. I sat down and waited because I didn't see a viable option that appealed to me. Eventually the bartender came over and said they were ready for food orders. I went with the tuna melt, which was a special for $12.75. It was okay. It definitely should have been warmer, and though the chips were not bad I'm not a fan of them and would have appreciated a different side option. The same bartender was essentially my server. I remained the only one in the dining area, which I thought strange. He made an adjustment to my bill and I appreciated that, having not even asked for it. The other discouragement though was that the two employees I saw there frequently stepped outside for cigarette breaks, and smoked right by the front door. I don't know about the rules in Buffalo, but in all the areas of California I've been to you have to be at least 20 feet away from the entrance to a restaurant when smoking. It's too bad the food quality and overall experience didn't match the fabulous surroundings inside the restaurant, then it would have been a real winner!

    Jeremy S.

    Were I differently inclined metaphysically, I would say that Founding Fathers is a dive bar more or less as God intended: it's old and cheap and woody and has free popcorn and something like a buffet during happy hour and every bit of cool historical memorabilia that you wouldn't ever have expected. Like, history buff dive bars? That is a thing? But it has other neighborhood bar standards as well: a crusty old salt behind the bar who is so gruff and endearing that you'd think somebody wrote him and a garrulous bunch of locals eager to strike up a conversation over a vodka or beer. Parking is on the street and it's a bit drafty by the door, which is to say that it is a bar in Downtown Buffalo. When they return from exile in the Pandemic Wastes, I will be there to help spend them back onto their feet.

    Decor is all about politics
    Steven C.

    This is all about the atmosphere, the camaraderie and the service. One of the friendliest places to go, the wait staff and owner strike up conversations with everyone, the food is good and you will hardly notice that the menu is limited. I love this place. Brooke made certain our glasses remained full and we had what we needed to enjoy their pastrami sandwiches which are actually quite good.

    Karla D.

    History, trivia, nacho bar and more, what could be better? Even if you're not here for their famed trivia night, the bartender will still throw trivia questions at you. Especially if he knows you're from Pittsburgh. I've said this about other bars in Buffalo, but I would straight up be a regular if I lived here. Prices are really reasonable and the free nacho bar, how can that be beat? It can't, I tell you. I love the decor! It's full of history and well done. The vibe here is so chill and relaxing. The service is out of this world great. I honestly can't wait to get back here.

    Zach S.

    One of the best bars you'll ever go to. Cheap drinks ($6 pints, $6.50 bourbon on the rocks), the sandwiches are big and worth the $11, the ambience is great and the bartender, Michael, will wow you with his stories.

    Sarah D.

    This old dive bar is really cool. I came here last night with a friend before the John Craigie concert, which was at Babeville. We parked in the church lot, where it didn't say reserved, and walked up the 2.5 blocks to get to the Founding Fathers Pub. Otherwise, you have to park on the street, I believe. The place is old and has a ton of cool presidential and historical information posted. The lighting was perfect. (We had sat at the bar. The waitress dimmed the lights shortly before my friend and I left.) We we're greeted right away. I had a Guinness and my friend had a whiskey and Coke. I was told that they don't have a deep fryer, which was unfortunate, because I couldn't get fries with my meal. I had the grilled chicken & cheddar pita. It came with chips, a dill pickle, and a small pepper. I liked it a lot. My friend had the Hail to the Chief which was a grilled chicken sandwich. We had another round of drinks before we left. I came here in early December with two different friends before the Shakey Graves concert (at Babeville.) At that time, I had the tortellini pesto, which was good. There was a large table near us that night. They had 12 people there and the waitress didn't seem overwhelmed. She did a great job with all of her tables. There's a popcorn machine here and a few areas to hang your coats up near the bar. I enjoyed the atmosphere here and will be back here if I have anything going on downtown afterwards.

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    Page 3 of 6

    Ask the Community - Founding Fathers Pub

    Review Highlights - Founding Fathers Pub

    However, that is easily overlooked by the free nachos; hot cheese, salsa, and peppers included.

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    Adolf's Old First Ward Tavern - The bar

    Adolf's Old First Ward Tavern

    4.5(125 reviews)
    1.9 miSouth Buffalo
    $$

    Old school vibe in Old Ward…read more The wings and drinks are awesome. I will go back for some other foods but place was packed on a mid afternoon week day. Now that is awesome!

    We stopped by Adolf's to check out the wings, which have come highly recommended by several friends…read moreas well as online. I've been on somewhat of my own personal wing tour lately and I'm glad we tried Adolf's. We came on a Monday, which is their wing special night, 75 cent wings. We arrived a little before the 5:00 PM rush so we sat right at the bar, ordered and behold, the wings were in front of us in about 5 minutes! Service was very fast and friendly. We ordered hot, and the level of heat was exactly what hot is supposed to be. Saucy, but not swimming in excessive sauce. The wings were crispy outside and juicy inside, that elusive perfectly fried wing. We opted for the homemade blue cheese, and while I liked it, I found it didn't have a strong blue cheese flavor. But they do have two choices of blue cheese type. Carrots and celery were included, not always the case with wing night specials. I would call these elite level, top 10 in Buffalo wings, maybe even top 5. The only reason that I did not score 5 stars was that there we 7 drums and 3 flats - and I am a flat guy. This usually works out well because my wife likes the drums, but this time they definitely skewed in my wife's favor. If it were not the wing special night, I might have said something, but the wings were so good I did not want to register a complaint about the lack of flats. We also ordered the hand cut fries which were hot and excellent. We definitely plan to return.

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    Adolf's Old First Ward Tavern - Exterior building

    Exterior building

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    Adolf's Old First Ward Tavern

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    Eddie Brady's Tavern - Reuben

    Eddie Brady's Tavern

    4.5(131 reviews)
    0.5 miDowntown
    $

    10 out of 5 stars. Wow…read more The owner took care of us personally (Patrick). This place is so amazing. We're here from California and this is the BEST food we had on our whole trip. With amazing personal service. This is a must visit.

    This is exactly the kind of place I would eat lunch at everyday if I worked downtown. I walked in…read moreclose to when they opened and the owner was there to welcome me in. He was a really nice guy and told me what his best menu items were. I had heard good things about the steak sandwich and hadn't had one in a while. I opted to get that with some fries. The fries were the best fries I've had. They taste like the ones from McDonald's only better because they aren't doused in salt. The sandwich was perfect. The steak was cooked exactly like it should be and the flavor was incredible. The peppers and onions on top added even more flavor but didn't overpower it. I don't think I've eaten anything faster in recent memory. No take out boxes needed here. The meal is too good not to eat right then. The bar also had a great vibe to it. I'm a big fan of old school style bars and establishments like this. The traditional architecture and nostalgic feeling is perfect here. It's not modernized like every other new bar built in the last decade. It's got character, a great menu, and excellent service. I will definitely be back for more lunch specials and enjoy this spot downtown.

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    Eddie Brady's Tavern - Looking at back dining room

    Looking at back dining room

    Eddie Brady's Tavern - Beef on Weck

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    Eddie Brady's Tavern - Spicy veggie quesadilla, Octoberfest beer, that cool cash register and of course, PATRICK!

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    Spicy veggie quesadilla, Octoberfest beer, that cool cash register and of course, PATRICK!

    Brunner's Tavern - Daily special board

    Brunner's Tavern

    3.7(71 reviews)
    5.9 mi
    $$

    Totally average fish fry with interestingly seasoned coleslaw, Mac salad and potato salad…read more Breading was crispy but dark and almost burned, leaving the fish flavorless. My suggestion is to call ahead for pick up as seating is as claustrophobic as the parking lot. It took me almost an hour from seating and beverages to having food in front of me. Also, set up a group text with your party as it's too loud to hear a person next to you talk. TLDR food was passable ambiance is what you'd expect from a neighborhood bar with a small kitchen. Takeout is a must with this place. Note, the steak I smelled cooking smelled divine. I should have ordered that.

    The epitome of why Buffalo is called city of good neighbors. We had so much fun sitting at the bar…read moreand loved Patrick/Sponge who was behind the bar serving drinks and on the grill. He made the day! It's a tavern. Youre getting paper towels as napkins and tight seating. And you'll love it. We split the french onion and the fish fry. Im not usually one for fish fry sides. But damn--they were good. Both the Mac salad and the potatoes were excellent (and I dont love mayo) and very dill forward. Fish fry. Our new favorite. Maybe favorite stateside, not just wny. But definitely favorite in WNY. Crispy. Perfectly cooked fish. Not fishy. Huge. We split it. French onion: so much cheese! I ain't complaining. Good broth. Melting onions. Croutons that are not totally mush. Would do over, over and over

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    Brunner's Tavern - Sammies on the grill

    Sammies on the grill

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    Founding Fathers Pub - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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