Three of us had dinner this past Friday evening at Gene McCarthy's. We walked right in and got a table... and it was 6PM! The waiter was fabulous and brought our beer orders within a few minutes. They have OFW craft beers that are varied and delicious. I'm a beer snob by the way. Try their beer! We split an order of wings hot. If you haven't tried a pub's wings, you have to, right? So these were just the right amount of heat (for hot), just wet enough, and just crisp enough. I'd recommend them to anyone. Then came the mains; 2 fish fries and a beef on wheck. Really really good fish fry at this place. If you don't take my word on it there are thousands of Buffalonians who will back me up. Beef on wheck is about rare thin sliced beef and the roll.this was top shelf all the way. Atmosphere is perfect: lots of people, sports over the bar tv, and old Buffalo building... I mean come on! read more

Friendly greeting from a bartender with a big welcome smile. Bar itself is cozy and comfortable neighborhood bar setting. Beers: good selection of craft beers. Had CBW white hop and Flying bison branstorm. I have never tired them before and both were good. CBW was good but a bit bitter for my liking. I personally liked the flying bison one better and tasted perfect to my liking of pale ale style. Hoppy enough but clean and smooth after tasting. Foods: we shared beef on weck, chicken wings and chicken slovuki. BoW was overlooked and dried. Tested like they heated up slices of cold deli roasted beef. Chicken sluvaki was bad. Only 3-4 small pieces on a bed of iceberg greens. Very dried and tough. As chewy as dry-aged beef jerky.. The description on the menu said it was coming with toasted pita bread but didn't come with. We didn't even bother to ask for since the dish was inedible. Wings were ok. Crispy and tender. Thai garlic sauce was tasty. Overall foods was bad I wouldn't go there to eat. But maybe go back there to have some good beers if I would be in the area. read more

Sitting inside is limited but on a Friday night with a party of 6 we were accommodated pretty fast. We got the poutine which was delicious. Everyone got the fish fry I got breaded which honestly was probably the best breaded fish fry I've ever had. Everyone else got the beer battered and we were all happy and full. The only negative I have is the salad were a little meh maybe even pre-made. I will definitely be back read more

Awesome wings and fries. Great atmosphere and service was quick and attentive. Make sure to give this place a try!

I tried the Reuben bc of the recommendations made on yelp and it was delicious. I came with 8 other coworkers for lunch so I got to try their cheese and gravy fries and portobello fingers both were also good. read more

We came here during Buffalo Beer week mostly because they had a Fat Heads beer on ya and that isn't heard of in Buffalo. However once we drove out there..even though it was listed on their website it had kicked already, I wish the site was updated daily! But the fact that they have great rare brews is impressive. The servers were nice, however the bartender and waitress who were about 40 and 30 respectively while nice were shouting back and fourth about doing shots and sleeping on one of the patrons couches nd this went on for about 15 minutes just not the most comfortable setting. The place is a dive, but I'm okay with dives as long as they're relaxed. The wings weren't bad, and I had a turkey sandwich which was really good. They're starting their own brewery within the year, I will try it again once it's a brewery and hopefully will have better things to say. read more

Great place to grab a beer and enjoy consistent food. Bar is kind of loud but it's always filled with regulars or trivia night goers. The decor is always eye catching and gives the bar a historic feel. Food was good! Beef on weck breakdown: beef was perfect, piled high, and sliced thin; roll didn't have caraway seeds and had a lot of finely ground salt. Boyfriend got the chicken fingers with medium sauce, definitely large portions and lots of flavor! Fries are seasoned and delicious. Definitely a great place to count on for food and brews! read more

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Two nights ago, I was at a local brewery and my friend and I were craving some chicken wings. Thank goodness she suggested Sheffield wings from Gene McCarthy's. We ordered, sent her husband out to pick them up, and then we devoured them. We didn't really leave her husband too many wings. I found myself talking about the Sheffield wings to anybody who would listen since I ate them. They have a dry rub with cajun, oregano and other spices. They were perfectly crispy as well. When a couple of us were deciding what to do for dinner tonight, I obviously suggested Gene McCarthy's for the wings. They were just as delicious as the first time. They have an extensive menu but I can't imagine ever ordering something else. I already can't wait to go back again! read more

I was in Buffalo over the 4th of July weekend visiting family. I decided that we should all go "Old School" and hit up some bars in the 1st ward. 8 of us showed up around 1:30pm on a Saturday. We saw that they have an outdoor patio in front of their brewery and sat there. We went inside to grab a round. There were around 7 people inside, which has been redone nicely since I was last here years ago. Kristin, the bartender, took our order. I tried the Red Clover Irish Red Ale. It was delicious, cold, and refreshing. We hung out for a few more rounds and decided to get some finger foods. We got the nachos, which were huge and feed 4 of the people perfectly. We also ordered 2 orders of fries, and they were delicious! Overall, I was very satisfied and enjoyed our time here immensely. Beer-Great! Food-Great! Service (Kristin) - attentive and helpful! I cannot wait for my next trip in Da Buff. I will be hitting this place up again without a doubt! read more

There's something really weird about Gene McCarthy's. I think it has to do with how it is laid out. The thing is, I walked into this place, and was instantly transported about 2000 miles to my hometown, and the hometown bar/restaurant there. It was an eerie feeling, but not unwelcome. We ordered a couple of beers and I got the Beer Brat, while Lee had the Reuben. Both were cooked very nicely and were tasty. The beer here is good - They also are home to the Old First Ward Brewing company. This day we tried Red Clover, an Irish Red on tap, and Hopster, which is an IPA. Both beers got high marks from both of us. It's kind of a grubby place, but I honestly think that's part of the charm. The service was great, even if we were so obviously Not From Around Here that we stuck out -- but it didn't matter. Would I go back? Absolutely. This is the kind of place I would take people that aren't from around here to, because it is more the old, working class Buffalo that I enjoy. read more

Imagine nearly a dozen taps of wide-ranging micro-brews, and a staff that's happy to share a joke, a note about the weather, or just a smile as they serve. Now imagine that there are tables you can actually find a seat at to enjoy your craft beer. Add in a good shot of local history, a crowd that's notably mixed between white and blue collar workers, and a beef-on-weck that is known around the region, and you have ... well, it's a great, casual spot to have a very good beer. Not enough of those types of places around. (Can't speak to the food since the change in ownership) read more

Fun atmosphere. Great drinks and the wings are AMAZING!!!!! They have a really nice patio that is perfect! They also have their own brewery out back that you can take tours of. Fun stuff. read more

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

Great fish fry. Not a long wait. Would recommend to anyone. Food and service was excellent and they did not run out of fish. Even though the staff was busy they always stopped by to check in. read more

Outstanding service, great food and atmosphere and legitimately awesome beer. 5 stars!!

Located in Buffalo's Old First Ward, Gene McCarthy's has been in business for about fifty years. Now owned by local craft beer enthusiasts, a brewery is now under construction next door. The atmosphere is like a friendly, upscale neighborhood bar--plenty of comfortable seating, attentive wait staff, and people just having a good time. The menu is higher-end pub fare. For VEGETARIANS, there's a portabella sandwich and portabella fries (tempura battered with a gorgonzola dipping sauce (I recommend asking for hot sauce to go with them, too--delicious!). Lots of live music selections make this an especially fun place for a dinner/drinks outing on the weekend. read more

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

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I have been wanting to try Gene McCarthy's for a while now. I went with my boyfriend and brother. My brother seemed a bit apprehensive due to the "ok" food reviews, but we gave it a try anyway. When we arrived, there were a few people at the bar, and a large table of people eating. One of the waitresses/bartenders told us to just grab a seat wherever. We sat down and ordered our beers. I got the Bourbon Barrel Russian Imperial Stout. It was 13.5% ABV so luckily it was only a 5 oz glass. It was delicious!! I love bourbon barrel beers, so I really enjoyed it. The boyfriend got a hard cider on tap and really enjoyed it. My brother got an Ithaca Gorges and then some American Pale Ale whose name is slipping my mind. We all really enjoyed the beers! We ordered our food when we got the drinks. I got a medium rare burger with caramelized onions and a side of macaroni salad. A lot of the other food sounded good, but I was just really craving a burger. The macaroni salad was just OK. I was hoping for something better. My brother also got a burger with a side of fries. He ordered his burger medium but said it was a bit too well done. (Mine was cooked very nicely, though. Perhaps a bit inconsistency here?) My boyfriend got the turkey panino and a side salad. He joked that he had two meals because the side salad was so big, it was basically a meal in itself! He said the panino was delicious! We basically all cleaned our plates. Overall, a great atmosphere, tasty bar food, and great beer selection. We will definitely be back to this little First Ward gem! read more

Some great and different wings available at this Old First Ward pub. And they're in the process of building a brewery. Soon, they will be self sustainable for beer. This is a great place, don't be discouraged by the neighborhood. Don't miss out on the soups behind the bar. And the wings are always good. Although, I personally do not like margarine... so if you are like me, opt for your wings hot or another specialty flavor. The Mild/medium have that distinct flavor that goes along with margarine. The Thai Chili wings are some of my favorite. This is a true neighborhood pub/gem; wonderful people working, wonderful people hanging out. Acquaint yourself with Gene McCarthy's, I dare ya. read more

On the 4th of July, we were loooking for a place to eat. Our kids have been to Gene McCarthy's before. It is a frequent spot for them and knew we would like it. There were eight of us in our party, and half of us hadn't been here before. We ordered wings, loaded nachos, chicken salads, deep fried portabello mushrooms, panini sandwiches.... We had a full table of many wonderful dishes the we shared. Everything was spectacular. Not to mention the choice of beer. We can't wait to go back to try other things on the menu. Great job chef, and girls for your service. See you soon! read more

Ate the fishfry Friday about 3:30 PM. Service was good fish was oily like it was refried. French fries were old and cold. Salads were good. read more

Ok, let's start with the reviews that didn't give Genes 4 or 5 stars....ignore them completely. Most importantly ignore the one that said fish fry was worse they ever had. Bottom line, they have no idea what they are talking about. I shouldn't even be trying to convince people to try it, since it could lead to it being packed with hipsters. I suspect though that all the negative reviews are written by the aforementioned misguided hipsters. Went with a party of 7 on a Friday at 8pm and got a table with a simple call. The atmosphere is great, the beer is excellent and the fish fry was top notch. Service was also excellent and everyone was relaxed. If you love Buffalo, you should love this place. If however you get dressed up on a Friday night to go to the Pink, you'll probably hate it. read more

A group of us stopped in after a game nearby on a weeknight, I had been here a few times before, usually with a decent experience. Bartender told us to seat ourselves at a table, where we then waited for 30 minutes. There were 3 different servers working, none of which stopped at our table and ignored us anytime we tried to get their attention. Went back up to the bartender to ask if we could get someone to stop by our table and still nothing. Every other table was occupied, with the servers tending to them. Eventually, we just got up and left. I was absolutely amazed by the complete lack of anything that could be considered service. I will not be back. read more

Food is always great and Genes has a great beer garden/patio in the summer. Nachos are a necessity every time. Had the opportunity to meet one of the owners on my last visit and can't say enough good things about him. He was accommodating, knowledgeable and helping his staff out on the floor! Will definitely be back time and time again. read more

Wings were good, I got the hot. My pal got the garlic parm which he noted were sus. Not gonna lie, the waitress didn't have a damn clue about the beer list. I would still come back tho. read more

This place is awesome. Have no idea why I only gave them 4 stars. Food is great and so are their homemade brews. Staff is cool; haven't met one person I didn't like. Amazing place all around. Visit now! read more

Born and raised in the first ward of Buffalo and came back for a wedding. Driving around memory lane and stopped here for lunch. OMG BEST darn fish fry I have had in my entire life. read more

Very impressed with this place. I love checking out the older bars around Buffalo! I had the beef on weck & it was delicious. Tried some of their OFW beers too - they were great! This place is definitely going to be one of my go to bars before Sabres games!! read more

What a diamond in the rough! I don't live anywhere near Gene McCarthy's, but I found myself near the old first ward last Friday and I was looking for a good fish fry. Gene McCarthy's popped up and away I went. I was there with some friends and we all ordered the fish fry and got some beers. I went with the OFW pilsner which I really enjoyed, particularly with the fish fry, and my husband got an OFW stout which he also liked, but then switched to the pilsner on the second round. Our third friend was lame and ordered Blue Light. The restaurant was packed, but the bar was pretty empty. Which worked fine because I went up to the bar tender for our second round of drinks since our server really wasn't on his game (way to drop the ball, Pat), and the bartender was really fun and friendly. With his large bushy beard, he seems the type you would hope to find at a brewery called OFW (old first ward). Even if our server wasn't on top of his game, the food was. To date it's my new favorite fish fry--it was so good!! The mac salad wasn't my favorite, but I don't get a fish fry for the mac salad, I get it because I want a delicious, fresh, flaky deep fried fish! And Gene McCarthy delivered. I couldn't even finish the half order of a fish fry, but I really, really wish I could. It was amazing. I can't wait to go back. I feel that there are going to be many more Spring and Summer nights at this micro brewery in South Buffalo. I'm really looking forward to it! read more

Thanks to Gene McCarthys for keeping us sane!!! Best Food Best Beer in the Old First Ward!! Best wings in Buffalo ordered them extra crispy!! read more

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

Just stopped in last night for my buddys birthday. I don't know why, but I was expecting it to be a lot different than what it was (a house converted into a neat little dive bar.) Nobody in our party had ever been - so there were no real expectations. Drinks: We all started off with a few "house-made" brews. The selection of their beers on draught was pretty decent. Heavy on the IPA's - which was great - but we had someone who was a basic beer drinker and they only had one Lager. The Oatmeal Stout was pretty good and the Hopster was also delicious. Food: Birthday boy had the pulled pork and said it was good. I had an order of wings which were a little dry, but the "McCarthy" sauce (spicy BBQ with crumbled blue on top) made them tasty. Seriously, that stuff was good. Overall the place was better than it looks from the outside. Nothing really special going on here, but it was cool for the night. read more

All I can say is this is a true gem in Buffalo. You would never know it's here unless maybe if you are from the first ward. Best beef on weck I've had since I can't remember. Our servers Emmy (dont know if I spelled it right) and Victoria were the best told us about the history dating back to 1890's. Stuffed peppers were big and hot! They brew their own beer, Mashtag IPA, was amongst the best I've ever had (still love you big ditch) and Mango Hefe, wife loved it! Chocolate pie was a blast from the past! Fish fry sounds great and can't wait to try the wings! It's a cozy atmosphere, ahh the good old days! I almost forgot, if you like blue cheese then try the blue cheese coleslaw wasn't sure how it would work but it was perfect not heavy. read more

Came here for dinner. Had their corned beef and cabbage, which was very good, and an ample amount of food. My husband also liked his BLT and potato chowder. The restaurant was in a very interesting/historical area of Buffalo, so that added to the experience. We're already planning our next visit! read more

The best kept secret of the old first ward! I had never heard of this place until a friend who lives in the area insisted we go here for chicken wings. Normally I'm not too into wings but I agreed. I am so happy I did because these are officially the best wings in Buffalo. Yes, you read that right! They are perfectly cooked and sauced. You have to try the Mccarthys sauce, it's a sweet and spicy BBQ with blue cheese crumbles RIGHT ON THE WING. you won't need napkins because you will want to lick your fingers clean. They have a great beer list, a really nice selection on tap. They also have a huge and tasty fish fry for the fish lovers out there! They gave indoor and outdoor seating when the weather is appropriate. Park is across the street. They also have a selection of Irish pub fare if that tickles your fancy (it's the OFW after all). read more

The food good, the best park is there beer. Have there chicken wings,was nice and crispy and spicy. Didn't care for potatoes soup. But come back for there beer. read more

Just visited for the first time and it will be my last time. While the food was not very good to begin with (my beef on weck came with 0 caraway seeds, my partner ordered 10 wings and it only came with 8), this is something I would usually not leave a bad review for. What I am leaving this review for is the following incident. At the end of the meal a stray cat happened upon the edge of the property, two members of our party went to pet the cat. The owner subsequently came out and decided to throw a rock at this cat in an attempt to force the cat to leave. If this wasn't bad enough when we were upset this occurred he sat at a table behind us with other patrons and began talking about how we should mind our business about the cat. All of which are inappropriate but he could have seriously injured this poor animal who did nothing but sit in the shade at the edge of the property. I urge any cat or animal lover to not support this business. read more

Haven't tried the food but everything looks amazing. The beer is good. Last time I was there I got a LOT of beer in my flight. Atmosphere is great, but by far the best thing about this place is that you can bring your dog into the beer garden. For those us of who love hanging with our dog as much as enjoying a beer, this is a huge plus. read more

This place is great! Beer is awesome, wings are awesome, environment is super fun! We got twenty wings half hot and half Gene McCarthy's style which was a sweet and spicy( it was pretty hot) bbq topped with crumbled blue cheese. Great fun night out. Just a tip- this place is really not kid friendly on the weekends, not sure about during the week but when we were there it was really crowded and loud. Fine for us since we left the kids at home! read more

What a great Irish pub! Down-to-earth, casual place with an awesome staff to boot. I came here on Monday during lunch and it was quiet with a few local patrons at the bar. I can only imagine how this place is like on weekends or better yet, during St. Patrick's Day. Oh man, I bet Gene McCarthy's a hopping place! I was told that their Beef on Weck was amazing, the best in Buffalo. No word of a lie but it is. The meat was tender and juicy, tons of salt and caraway seeds on the bun, it's oh-so good! read more

Classic Irish pub, great pub food, small close knit dining area, and good beer. It's the type of corner bar everyone wished they had down the street from them. read more

I love Gene McCarthy's, the beer is excellent. My personal favorites are the mango hefe, and sacre bleu. Their food is great as well, I have tried the wings, chicken fingers, hot pretzels, portobello mushrooms, beef on weck, and even kegs and bacon- best corned beef hash I have ever tasted!!! read more

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

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fabulous 1st Ward neighborhood tavern. Now brewing their own LOCAL tasty beers, in addition to a other fab drafts. Great folks, outstanding bartenders always a relaxing place to land! Check their website for the many special activities that happen throughout the month. Beer School should be on everyone's MUST ATTEND LIST read more

Gene McCarthy's - Regular scheduled Gene McCarthy "Beer School" events are not to be missed - American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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