No way you can find this great place on your way! It's very hidden in the neighborhood, but the food worth searching for it. We are from CA and visited Niagara Falls. My family and I all agreed the Fish & Chips was the best food we ate during our trip. The fish was very fresh and tasted amazing. Great people, great service, and great entertainment. read more

Gene McCarthy's - Restaurant - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Gene McCarthys deserves a spot in the top 5 places to go for wings in buffalo. A small quiet neighborhood bar with a great service and a nice selection of beers and pub food. The apple pie cider was so dangerous, sweet and had that distinct fresh pie flavor to it. If this was summer... well I'm just glad it's not.... But the wings, the wings were the standout as always. Wings McCarthy, the bbq flavor with the bleu cheese crumbles... easily one of my absolute favorites. Always crispy, and a good size. Plus as an added bonus their bleu cheese is always chunky and fresh, so good it takes two-3cups per single order. read more

Gene McCarthy's - Wings McCarthy Apple pie cider - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Killer dive bar with a dinning area in back. Get the Sheffield dry rub wings and a pint of one of old first wards beers

The waitress was very nice and professional. The food was good, I had the McCarthy's style chicken fingers. I would order them again. It is a bit small on the inside but it gives that classic small town bar feel that gives it real character. Overall I would come back again and try out more on their menu. read more

Gene McCarthy's - McCarthy's sauce chicken fingers and fries. - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Went to gene's on a Friday (not during lent) for fish bars. Got a seat right away at the bar (this does not happen during Lent! You have to go early to get a table). We ordered the French onion soup - good cheese, decent amount of onions but could have been a richer broth, 1/2 fish fry and full broiled cajun. I love that they come with Mac salad, Cole slaw, potato salad (my fav) and fries. No substitutions allowed. It's a nice south Buffalo bar- tvs, good beer list. read more

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I'm so mad I don't have a picture of this fish fry because it was I think the best I've ever had and I love that they give you every single side like what other place actually gives you fries macaroni salad, coleslaw, and potato salad that's just unbelievable. We picked it up to go and brought it home to watch Love is blind with our fish fries and it was still delicious after the drive home one of the best fish fries in Buffalo we will definitely be going back to get another one during lent. read more

Solid 3 stars. Fish and Chips were burnt and fairly greasy laden. The Scotch Eggs were a treat and upped my star count. Service was fine, not exceptional. read more

Gene's is our favorite spot for a fish fry. Hugh portion with a delicious batter. Served on Wednesday and Friday. Always packed so try to get there early. Once you get a seat service is great. The bar area is always packed. Just an old bar with lots of character inside. Street parking is available. read more

I've been to Gene McCarthy's for many reasons... for a quick drink, to wings and fries , to a late night dinner , to my most recent visit , taking my son to the outdoor patio for some summertime lunch dining. The atmosphere at Gene McCarthy's is forever friendly , completely casual, and the food is always spectacular. My son discovered a love of Rubens so I knew I had to take him here. If you're looking for a casual bar atmosphere with an outdoor patio, great food and great brews, Gene McCarthy's is your place ! read more

Gene McCarthy's - Lager on the patio - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Friends and I were just thinking of different places for lunch and Genes was a great pick. The Pastrami sandwich was on point. Meat was tender and peppery and no need for mayonnaise or horseradish. Vince the bartender was great and kept the conversation interesting and fun. Will definitely be back. read more

For the many Irish restaurants in the Buffalo area can't find corned beef and cabbage dinners if its not St.Patrick day. We'll we found one! My daughter can eat Corned beef and cabbage dinner every day and was looking at the menu on line for Gene McCarthy's and there it was it said dinners for the first 7 days of the month! I don't think that is the law on the menu all the time because someone told me they used to do it on the 3rd Thursday for awhile I guess if you enjoy having corned beef and cabbage dinner more than in March it worth checking online and see what the menu said! We stopped in on Saturday around 5 and it was busy since it was only 2 of us we got a seat at the bar within 5 minutes. I got one of the house brewed beers a lagar very nice and my daughter got vodka ginger ale nicely made by our bartender/ server. He was very friendly and attentive for it being so busy. Of course my daughter got the corned beef dinner came with beef, carrots, cabbage, whole small potatos,bread and butter. The meat was sliced thick and still so tender carrots and potatoes were nicely done and great bread with she didn't want so I ate it next day for toast was great crispy and soft in the middle because it was thickly sliced. She only had trouble with the cabbage! There wasn't that much on the plate compared to everything else on the plate but everything about it was great! I had the Ruben sandwich was great plenty of tender meat and saurkraut wasn't sour made just right and a course the thick bread grill just right and the thousand island dressing was perfect! For the 1st time here was impressed with everything about our experience sad its not warmer because they have a great outdoor space i can see having a few beers and food out there will be back to try something different many things caught my eye! read more

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Permit me to rave about this South Buffalo institution - the quintessential Irish corner bar with great staff, really good food, and a genuinely likeable cast of loyal regulars. Rightfully included on the Delicious Dozen/Buffalo Wing Trail, and highly ranked on the Wing Coalition Pyramid, Gene's wings (standard sauced or Sheffield dry rub style) are absolutely elite. Beyond this Buffalo staple, the rest of the menu includes solid pub grub faves. Brewmaster Bryan's beers are simply superb. His draft offerings include solid lagers & pilsners, seasonal special brews, and a good variety of styles. Something for everyone. And, of course, there's Guinness. Paul's cask ales - available on the first Monday of the month, and rumored to be expanding to Fridays (fingers crossed) - are not to be missed. Think and Drink Tuesday Trivia with Matt is a blast. The bartenders, servers, and food & drink here make this place a favorite Southtowns corner bar, and a regular haunt for us. I love this place so much I've considered buying the house for sale next door. read more

Gene McCarthy's - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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I love Buffalo. Love everything about this city. It's my home away from home and been coming here since becoming a Sabres fan in '97. I always have a great time here, but for the first time in 21 visits I finally had a BAD experience. I could be wrong, but based upon my experience I'm about to share and what a few others have mentioned, I feel like this is a place geared exclusively for the locals where everyone already knows each other. Are outsiders not welcome? Kinda felt that way... Because, with that said, I took my wife here for a new place to try based upon a great youtube video I saw - from a time they made their own rauchbier aka "smokey beer" - heard the food was excellent etc etc. It's a shame I'll never get to know firsthand how either the food or brews were because after we waited to be seated for 15 minutes or so, we were passed by all the servers time and time and time and time again. After about 25 minutes on a late afternoon on the Sunday before Labor Day, we were finally given 2 menus. The waitress said she would also be back in about 3 minutes. Another 10, 15 minutes went by and we definitely knew what we wanted and were ready to order. I tried flagging down the girl we interacted with for all of 10 seconds and once again I felt like we were invisible. My wife at that point said "if she passes by us one more time without acknowledging us we're going someplace else." Needless to say we ended up leaving for East Aurora to get some of the best wings and weck ever, but not before we wasted 40 minutes of our lives we can't get back. read more

Husband and I stopped for lunch on a Saturday afternoon; not our first visit. We've been here a handful of times in the past 5 years. The bar was full but the dining room was basically empty... plenty of seating and only 2 tables were occupied. We were told by the barmaid to sit wherever we chose. Waitress promptly brought menus and took our drink order. I ordered a mixed drink, husband ordered a Guinness. Waitress came back with my drink and said they were out of Guinness. (Something ironic about being an Irish bar that doesn't properly stock Guinness.) He ordered a different beer, which was fine. My mixed drink was flat... and I recall flat soda being an issue the last time we were here. Drank it anyway, since prior experience dictated that the lack of carbonation seems to be the norm. We ordered "fresh cut fries" with a side of gravy and a single order of 10 mild wings to share. The fries: Cold and had a strange texture, almost spongey. The gravy was overly salty and commercial-tasting (think hospital cafeteria food), also not hot. The wings: Very large in size. The mild sauce had a good flavor and there was plenty of it... the wings were swimming in it. Unfortunately, they were rubbery and some were borderline underdone. We would have gladly waited an extra 3 minutes for our order, because it seems that's how much longer they needed to be in the fryer. And, there were only 8 on the tray, not 10 as the menu states is in a single order. For as attentive as the waitress was in the beginning, when we were looking for her to mention our cold, undercooked food... she was nowhere to be found. When she finally did resurface, she apologized for the missing wings and undercooked food but there was no offer to rectify the issues. Honestly, we weren't looking for 2 more wings or new fries... we just wanted to leave at that point... but a simple offer would have been appropriate. 1 star for the mild wing sauce. 1 star for quick service once we sat down. Bottom line: There are many great places for wings in the Buffalo area. This place is so hit-or-miss that its definitely not a solid, reliable choice. read more

Food, just popped in for a casual dinner. As always you are met with a welcoming vibe from all staff members. Ruben sandwich was jammed with tasty corned beef that just fell apart in your mouth. Sides of Mac salad was right on. Tangy without being drown in mayo. Potato salad like the Mac salad wasn't swimming in mayo and you could taste the spuds. Finally, on this warm Saturday the Kolsch was the beer of choice. Really, really enjoyed this brew. Believe it or not served in the proper glassware. The taste was as close to a Cologne brewery as I've found in the states. If you enjoy Kolsch, it is worth stopping by. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

Came here for lunch on a Saturday and was seated right away. The waitress was friendly and attentive. I ordered the Rachel sandwich, French onion soup and hot wings. The food came out quickly and it was all piping hot and fresh. Everything was delicious! I especially loved the hot sauce on the wings, it was the perfect amount of spice and flavor. The sandwich was piled high with turkey and the French onion soup was probably one of the best that I've had. read more

Gene McCarthy's - French onion - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Beer was Excellent Service Great Food not so much... Miss the old chef Grown up grill cheese with no tomatoes, spice and on white bread... Just not the same read more

Located in Buffalo's Old First Ward (OFW), this historic tavern sits in what used to be a bustling epicenter. Irish workers found jobs by the Buffalo waterfront. As soon as you walk in, you can look in any direction to see that every space on the walls and ceilings adorned with memorabilia like pictures, tools, old flyers, even a kayak or row boat. What makes this place special is that they brew their own beers. I loved every one I tried, we took some home. Here's what we ordered: - beer flight: Gene's Lager (my fave), streaker IPA, Razzputon (raspberry ale), Against the Grain and Wake the dead (coffee stout) - Sheffield Wings (dry rub) - Stuffed Banana Peppers - banana peppers stuffed with 3 cheeses, with grilled pita wedges - beef on weck: slow roasted to medium rare, sliced thin, dipped in au jus, piled on top of fresh toasted kimmelweck roll We ended up taking home these beers: - Ipso Facto - Gene's Lager - Chill Everything we ordered was so good. When it came time to pick our favorite spot, Gene's was our top pick when it came to our buffalo wing adventure. This place had everything. Great beer, best sheffield wings, best stuffed peps and the beef on weck. We felt that Gene McCarthy's had the best authentic experience. Highly recommend. read more

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Definitely has the feel of a neighborhood bar that's been around since 1933. The only unusual additions were high top tables, but given the lack of floor space, this makes sense. The pints were good and the food was great! We had the sampler plate which came with wings and a mini Beef on Kimmilwick. The roll had way too much salt on it, but it was easy enough to scrape off the extra. Could have used a cup of au jus to dip the sandwich in, but I wasn't complaining. All in all a decent spot for lunch. read more

Gene McCarthy's - The bar - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Stopped by with our dogs for an outdoor lunch on a beautiful fall afternoon. A server came out promptly with menus and took our orders. Water bowl already out for the pups and self-serve cold water available at the window to the bar. I had Reuben with side salad and hubby had fish tacos. Unique and delicious mandarin orange salad dressing. Reuben was more like a panini, grilled and squished together. It was good but could have used a little more corned beef. Tacos were an order of 2 with a great deal of cole slaw, pickled onions and radishes, but a fairly small piece of cajun grilled fish on each. If you're really hungry, I suggest you order something else. read more

Gene McCarthy's - Cajun fish tacos - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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I usually love dive bar type places so this one fit the bill perfectly. I agree with the previous review from Greg D - it does seem like a place for locals and the service definitely needs help - it was like being waited on by Carla on Cheers if you are old enought to remember that. We had wings and beef on weck and they were just OK. We are big Bar-Bill fans so I know it's hard to measure up to that, but this could have been better. read more

This place is iconic south Buffalo. A brewery and awesome food. My usual go-tos are the Ahi Tuna salad, Reuben, chicken wings or fingers, Souvlaki salad. But everything is fantastic. The servers are friendly and the service is great. It's not a huge place and can get busy at lunch. Definitely a place to try if you've never been! read more

Gene McCarthy's - Ahi Tuna Salad - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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This is a place I go to several times a year, last time I visited was January 31'st. Got there before five, just in time to get one of the last tables before they went on a wait. Had the Cajun broiled fish, good choice, it comes with French fries, cole slaw & Mac salad. Service is always good and since it's a brewery so are the beers. Located in the OFW it's an older building with memorabilia on the walls and a canoe hung from the ceiling. My only complaint is how tiny the ladies room is. read more

Where to start... ok the beer. Old First Ward Brewing does it right; lots of lagers - specialty ones from Helles and Heffeweizens to swarzbiers and not over run by IPAs! If that isn't perfect enough the wings were amazing. When reviewing wings I feel like you have to do a medium and these didn't disappoint. Large, crispy, yet tender perfect spice and sauce ratio; it's what you dream a wing to be. I'd put these right up there with my favorites at Bar Bill and Mamosers. Waitress was super nice and friendly. She kept checking in to see how we were doing which is always a plus. The atmosphere is what you want an Irish bar to be. Picture collages on the wall showing people over the years being very merry! read more

This is a lovely little brewery wrapped into a cozy local corner pub. We brought the kids and enjoyed the last half of a playoff game. There was a broad kids menu including vegetarian options. The menu is heavy on handhelds, again with vegetarian options. Our beer flight highlighted a solid beer backbone: the red, porter and pale ale were the best for us. We especially appreciated the kitchen was open later on a Sunday. While we live out of town, I anticipate we will be back! read more

Family in town from Lexington Kentucky and they want Buffalo Favorites, Wings and Beef on Weck. There were eight of us and we all agreed that the food was very, very tasty. The service was excellent and the ambiance is that of a good old fashioned Irish Pub. Very good craft beers that were ice cold. Definitely enjoyed ourselves and we would return as well as recommend this establishment to others. read more

What a great old neighborhood bar here in the old first ward. You want to experience a bit of genuine south Buffalo atmosphere, roll in here before a Sabres game and grab a beer and some food. This place is legit. read more

Inedible food! I ordered a "pulled pork sandwich". We all know what that is, right? Nope. Not whoever is doing the cooking at Gene McCarthy's. What I was served were about three chunks of pork (I think), seemingly chopped with a meat cleaver, gristle still attached. The meat was not "pulled" or shredded in any way. Obviously not slow cooked or even cooked in the sauce provided. It was topped with cheese and barbeque sauce. It was not chewable due to the high gristle content. Quite frankly, it was garbage. The waitress was very nice and the service was good. read more

Very good salads and wings. Also enjoyed their broiled Haddock as well. Love the fact that they are one of the few places that I know that serve Non Alcoholic Guinness. Food can take a while and it's usually worth the wait. Traditional bar vibe with TV with Sports. Family with kids are around for mid afternoon dinner on a Sunday. Can get crowded and you can get a seat at the bar for a meal. read more

It took a strong reminder from a friend in "the business" that frankly embarrassed me that moved my car along the 20 minute journey from Williamsville to Gene McCarthy's. Twenty minutes ... actually it was quicker than that to get "home" ... to get me to one of Buffalo's awesome long standing treasures! It was an awesome evening so I opted for the outdoor "beer garden" but inside this classic Irish pub exists the spirits of all who have laughed, sung, drunk, and eaten before. It exudes a welcoming that only Irish pubs can offer new and old patrons! The barkeep smiled and directed me to the beer garden. Service although a "wee" bit slow was filled with smiles and willingness to make the visit special! The actual reason I was directed to Gene McCarthy's was for the "Buffalo Fish Fry." which my friend said was "THE BEST!" They offer up this Buffalo traditional meal on Wednesday's and of course on Friday's! So, the order was simple ... bringing me the beer battered haddock with tartar, malt vinegar and all the sides! Of course, the beer was great and cold and poured with perfection! They have a good selection (Please note, I don't want to be overwhelmed with beer choices at pubs so what Gene McCarthy's offers is a well thought out list of options each of which would have made me happy.). All it took was one loving look at my dinner to know that this was going to be an incredibly special experience! The fish beautifully golden, perfect fries, cole slaw and a side macaroni salad. As my fork touched the crisp skin you could hear the crunch and then the white flaky fish of the North Sea was revealed. ABSOLUTE PERFECTION ... I savored each bite. I enjoyed the outdoor evening breeze glancing over at other happy customers surprised that there were not more fish orders but everyone seemed happy. When everyone seems happy at a place serving food and when you are exquisitely joyful you know that you have found a winner! Only a short 20 minute drive ... always surprising when you think good things are farther away than they actually are. Now, I am not going to say this is the best Buffalo Beer Battered Haddock fish fry but it is now in my top three. Thanks Andrew for the tip .... and thank you for all who worked the night at Gene McCarthy's and made my evening grand! read more

Gene McCarthy's - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

This is a warm, cozy, friendly neighborhood pub with good food and beer. There is such a relaxed vibe here that makes you feel right at home. The servers treated us like we were family, which I loved. The food arrived quickly and was hot and tasty. We came for the live jazz music on a Monday night in February. Alex McArthur and Company were phenomenal. read more

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very cool spot in the first ward, Amazing corned beef dinner just before St Patrick's Day! Love the vibe with frequent customers and family atmosphere read more

Beef on deck is great, the meat was tender & the roll was fresh The fries were just warm, but I don't need them anyways The service was a little slow but they were busy so I can't complain read more

Sat in outdoor area for 30 minutes. 3 servers working that never even glanced our way let alone greet us. Never will go here again.

Old school Irish pub in the Old First Ward Great ambiance Delicious fish fry and selection of beer as well as mixed drinks. Warm and cozy in a cold rainy day as well as an outdoor beer tent with heater! read more

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For whatever reason - I never catch a good meal at this place. On a Monday before a Sabres game ... wings were Salty and the beer is just average... I can not recommend this place. read more

Amazing food and awesome service!! Our waitress and bar tender were super sweet and attentive. Atmosphere was chill and fun! read more

Gene McCarthy's - Dining Area - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Group of friends from Cleveland decided to go all-in on a weekend tour around Buffalo, of the Wing Trail restaurants. This was stop #4. Definitely a local hangout kind of bar, close to a ton of industrial businesses and a cool new area called Silo City where gentrification of old buildings is in full swing. Being the first stop of the day, we thought salads would be a good way to start. And why not some pizza logs as well! And then 30 wings to share around the table. The pizza logs were basically an Italian egg roll served with a marinara dipping sauce, fun to try since just about every bar menu had them listed. The salads were hefty and easily feed 3 people. Make sure to try their tangy Greek dressing, it was fantastic! For the wings platter we chose 10 McCarthy's style BBQ hot wings, 10 mandarin sesame and 10 Thai chili and garlic. The BBQ hot had a thick, sticky sauce and came covered in bleu cheese crumbles (not everyone's favorite, but some of us rally liked the tangy flavor). The mandarin sesame wings were cooked well, but folks felt pretty meh about the flavor combo. The real star of this place is the Thai chili and garlic flavored wings; they had a distinct Asian flare to them and reminded me of the taste profile of General Tso's chicken. Would definitely come back just for these wings! We all love that the wings in Buffalo are really crispy (something we rarely get back home), and these were no exception. read more

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I can't believe I have never visited Gene McCarthy's previously. We decided to go on a recent Saturday evening. Yes, it was packed but we did get a table immediately. We did get out drinks pretty quickly, but due to the craziness of the place...our food took a while. If you're ordering wings anywhere in Buffalo, expect it to take some time. Have a drink or two and enjoy your company. I did have one of OFW's beers, can't remember which one...but it was a lager. Very good, but I was the driver so I had to refrain from more (I hate being good). It took about an hour for our food to arrive (wings and three sandwiches. The wings were some of the best I've had...cooked and sauced perfectly. I was in wing heaven. I believe I had the Rachel sandwich (turkey, swiss, 1000 island & slaw on rye), excellent in it's own right, but the wings were the star. Okay, one more star of the meal...the mac salad that came w/ my sandwich. I could have just gotten the mac salad and wings and been a happy camper (and not be the DD guy for the trifecta). The place is a fun gathering spot for friends and family, so it does get loud. That just adds to the atmosphere. The waitresses/staff was great. I'm definitely gonna return on my next visit. read more

Gene McCarthy's - Some of the best wings I've had. - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

We were so excited for this next adventure! It doesn't get more Buffalo than the First Ward. And it doesn't get more First Ward than Gene McCarthy's. By that logic, Gene McCarthy's should be another can't-miss stop on the wing tour right? Um.... Sauce: 2.5 / 5 Starting with the positive, their specialty flavors weren't universally panned by the Wing Kings. The Sheffield Dry Rub received the highest ranking from the group. The honey mustard had some fans at the table but it was not unanimous. The sweet and spicy BBQ with crumbly bleu offered something unique, although as the sole member of the Wing Kings who does not like Bleu Cheese (which doesn't mean I prefer Ranch, it just means I just prefer WINGS), I would say the Bleu Cheese was so potent that it bordered on medicinal. As for the "standard" medium, there are not enough synonyms for "boring" to do this review justice. With all the flavor available in this vast world, why would you choose to use so little of it? Meat: 4 / 5 Decent meat content. A few of these chickens may have roamed the yard a little too long (or were provided a yard to roam, at all) as there were some stringy, cartilage-heavy wings but not enough to spoil their grade here too much. Cook 3 / 5: Hot out of the fryer, which was good... but it slid downhill from there. The line between perfect and overcooked may be different for everyone but in this case, way too many of our wings were overcooked to the point of dryness. When you're sharing a 10-wing appetizer with a table of four, you might not notice or care how dry a wing is but when you're staring down the barrel of your 15th all-too-dry-chicken-wing, it can feel a lot like the Griswold's Christmas turkey. Final Score: 9.5 / 15 Gene McCarthy was a famous politician before he was a wing restaurant and they say in politics "you can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time." read more