The afternoon bartender is the man. I come here twice a year and somehow he remembers me and my drink. The evening bartender seems to not care about anyone there. Don't bother playing the juke box and he won't turn it up for you. Only bar where you can hear it over the patrons when there is less than 20 people here. read more

An amazing bar! They don't serve food. That means dogs are welcome! ONLY WELL BEHAVED DOGS! Bartender was nice. Went through the list of tequila options for me and got me setup in no time. Pool table and darts are available to play. Big round bar so there is plenty of room to get a drink. read more

McGarrets - Dog in bar, chillin. - Dive Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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One of two bars on Elmwood that will not accept vertical IDs. Totally fine but you should not toss the ID back to us and tell us to get out when we ask if we can still stay to play darts. All you have to say is it's against policy and thats totally great!! Its pretty understandable that someone would want to celebrate their 21st birthday but physically not be able to get a updated license yet, so theres no need to be rude. read more

One of the best bars in America! ;) What do I know.... Terrific set up, no frills, no fuss. Some amazing bartenders. Pool table and darts. Buffalo has some amazing bars. read more

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As someone who doesn't drink alchy, McGarrets had absolutely nothing to offer for me except as a place to hang out and celebrate a friend but they still get a good rating for friendly bartenders and a super laid back atmosphere and decent dive bar vibes. On a Saturday night, this place was pretty empty at 8pm, but people start rolling in around 10-11ish. They have an extensive beer list with some craft beers on tap including some local ones. Dart boards and a pool table fill the next room. Although they do not serve food, they were cool with us bringing in our own food and we got a pizza and some wings from Gino's across the street which they helped us serve. Solid place if you like dive bars. read more

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McGarrets is a great place. It's my favorite. The owner has a dog. There's table games. read more

McGarrets - Dog - Dive Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Pleasantly surprised by the cool vibes and relaxed atmosphere. I've been to "No Names" a handful of times in the past, but not in the last decade or so. Recently stopped in after a meeting for a couple pints, and was greeted by the owner's dog. Found a couple of my favorite beers on tap, at $6 for a full pint. The place was quite when we got there around 9:15 pm, but a few more folks started to line the bar about an honor later. As has been said, the place is cash-only, but there is an ATM inside. Now that I'm reminded what a chill place this is, I'll likely soon be picking up some ETS vegan supremes and downing them with a pint or two. read more

I love me a good dive bar. This place is great if you're a beer drinker, they have a great selection! We often walk up here for a drink on weekdays. It's a very relaxed atmosphere, the owners Dog is often in the house which is awesome. On Tuesday's it's 2-4-1 pints, free pool on Wednesdays I believe it is, and they often have live music. I would change my review to 5 stars if they bring back the free popcorn machine! :) read more

McGarrets - a dog in a bar - Dive Bars Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Alright to bring dogs Hippies are also allowed Really cool vibes, man No cards, cash only But this keeps the beer real cheap Sometimes a bands plays read more

This is a cool dive bar. Spacious and dark inside with plenty of seating at the bar. They do not serve any food, only drinks. They have several beers on tap - my friend enjoyed a porter. I had wine which they serve from single serve bottles. They have a nice patio where you can people watch on elmwood. This is a solid place to grab a drink in a casual / unpretentious setting. read more

A bit of a hippie / college bar, I used to go here all the time on Tuesdays to hit up the 2 for 1 special when it was still called Heenan's. Was an easy walk from my old spot on Auburn & Elmwood, which allowed for a rousing nights of drunken chicanery without having to drive or break the bank. Also had some decent beers on tap which not every bar did back then. Stopped in here the other night and in true dive bar fashion the place hasn't changed a bit, including still serving 2 for 1 of good beers. It's a bit dark, with a big center bar. Plenty of room to crowd around and belly up to it. Then they also have a backroom with some bar games like pool and darts. Bubble Hockey was a fave of mine, don't remember if I saw one in there this time around though as I didn't go back there. Can get a bit crowded with college kids on some nights but it's still a pretty relaxed environment. read more

Love this bar! Good beers on tap and great bartenders all around. It is my favorite bar in buffalo. And yes, its a dive bar, so cash only (but there is an ATM in the back). And they don't serve food, but they have all the local restaurant menus on hand--so you can have food delivered to you at the bar! Beer and liquor selection is top notch! IPA's galore (on tap!!), and plenty of anything else you might like. They have live music on Friday nights and open mic nights on Wednesdays. The music coming from this bar rocks. Don't be surprised to hear Phish, Talking Heads and the Grateful Dead playing over the loud speakers. read more

Ahhhhh McGarrets. McGarrets and I go way back! This is absolutely, without a doubt, my favorite bar in the city. I used to work across the street at ETS in my early twenties and nothing said the end of your shift like a beer with your co-workers at McGarrets. I even made this bar an official spot at my bachelorette party. We come and invade the patio every year for the pride parade on Elmwood. This is our bar! They bartenders are super chill and down to earth and will chat with you. They have a nice selection of beers on tap and they do mixed drinks as well. They have happy hour specials. One important thing to know is they cash only. Bring your cash!! They have darts and pool and a patio for summer, just dump your drunk into plastic before venturing out. McGarrets is the best! read more

If there is a band playing there is usually a cover charge ($3-$5) and the band usually starts at 10pm so get their early if you want to avoid this. As a typical dive bar, it is CASH ONLY. Which isn't a problem they have an ATM in the back. This place is loaded with an awesome selection of beers on tap from all over the place. This particular night I was drinking Magic Hat #9 Winter Howl it wasn't to bad. It had a strong nutty flavor and a nice dark hue to it. Overall the band was pretty good, we played a few rounds of pool in the back room and called it a night. read more

It's a dive bar for sure--but it's a pretty decent dive bar, with a little hippy flair. Located in a triangular building at the corner of Elmwood and Bidwell, McGarret's is fronted by a nice fenced patio looking out onto the parkway and all the hustle and Bustle of what has to be one of the city's most interesting intersections. It's a great place to lounge with a beer on a warm evening. Moving indoors, there's a triangular bar in the center of a triangular room. Seating is available on all sides of the bar and around most of the perimeter of the room. Some nights, you'll find a band set up in a room at one end of the bar--or along the huge windows looking out over Elmwood Avenue. They serve all the domestic and Canadian beers you'd expect, along with a nice variety of imports and microbrews. Service is always fast and friendly. Moving to the back room you'll find a dart board and foosball table, as well as two pool tables. This is one of the few city bars that still has coin-op pool tables--and on weekend nights it's usually full of folks from Buffalo State College and the neighborhood. In a neighborhood that's definitely trending farther and father upscale, McGarrets is a bit of an anti-fussy, anti-stuffy stronghold--just a decent place to meet with friends and sip a beer. read more

This bar is located on the corner of Bidwell Pkwy and Elmwood Ave, Just across the street is Buffalo's Bidwell Park, that gets a lot of attention from hippies and yogis during the warmer months. The bar itself serves a demographic without discernible borders. I would describe the music there on most nights as mostly modern jam bands, Grateful Dead, Santana, and the occasional outlier power rock ballad/show tune/ pop song to keep the patrons guessing. Their staff DJs are limited in scope when it comes to requests. I am a college student so I love to go to this bar on 2-4-1 PINT TUESDAYS!!! This bar has a wide variety of seasonally updated beers on draft as well as an ample selection of liquor in stock. This means 2 Pints for $4.50 You can do some damage and embarrass yourself here, like I do, with 12$ (Not including the 1$ cover) if you want to tip the friendly bartenders a dollar fifty/ 2 beers (My M.O. usually). They do have other drink specials throughout the week. They also have an area for live music other nights of the week on occasion. The bar is a hot spot for Canisius/Buff state undergrads as well as peace advocating baby boomers, and all walks of life in between. read more

It's a running joke that no one knows what this bar's name is because the McGarrets sign is so tiny and hidden. Lots of people think it's just called "946" because of the bright sign outside. Came here last night and had a great time. A quiet, relaxed atmosphere. It's never very loud, which a big plus if you want discussion. For college-aged patrons, it's more of a "pregame" bar where you can hang out before going someplace a little more energetic. But for a more mature crowd, the perfect place to spend the night playing darts, pool and talking with friends. Popcorn was free but cold, though it still tasted great because they serve it with a salt shaker. We had fun- just be aware the bar won't blow you away with anything seismically exciting. Chill, drink, have a good time. read more

I'm a fan of dive bars, and this one's pretty damn dive-y in it's inner appearance. It sends that message quickly with it's sparsely furnished space, concrete floors, and cash only policy. However, there were a few things that make it not so dive-y. It's in Elmwood. They have more than 3 beers on tap. The bartender was friendlier than most dives. And here's the kicker, they were charging a cover on the Friday night I was there. Blasphemy! The cover was presumably for the band, but I can't imagine how loud that band would have been, especially since the environment was annoyingly loud (likely due to concrete floors & sparse furnishings) even though there were only 10 people there. The prices were cheap. My rocks drink was fine, but my friends vodka-something was awful. I would go again for the cheapness and simplicity, but hell no if there's a cover. read more

Holy dive bar. I love a good neighborhood bar that you can stroll into wearing your sneaks and a tee. I also love darts and beer and they have all of these things. On Tuesdays they have buy one get one bottles, I'll take two please. They have pool tables and two dart boards with some really buttery popcorn for whomever. The bar is circular-ish located in the center of the place and they have a significant amount of beers on tap. The bartenders are pretty mellow, music is decent. I thought for sure that they served food because there are a lot of tables and chairs, but they don't. I like this place because there are a lot of areas you can be with a big group, but there are also little nooks and crannies you can find if you are looking for a more intimate quiet setting with someone. The bathrooms are standard bar bathrooms, nothing special. Just be careful after consumption, as the lighting in this place is extremely dark and you may think you're talking to someone you're interested in but then you step into the light and may think otherwise....! Just saying! read more

I love this place. I mostly go there Thursday's because the music is great. I've added more songs to my spotify playlist from Thursday nights at McGarret's than any other bar. And the bartender is this hilarious bearded man named Eric. I've been there other nights and had a great experience. Definitely a place to check out if you're in Buffalo. read more

Best ice tea in town! The music on Thursdays is the tops! 10/10 would revisit. The vibe is great and the booze is always flowing. I come here even when the winds of winter are blowing. But seriously, come to this bar. I guarantee that you'll buy a drink. I even saw someone decide to get a divorce here once. read more

Good beer selection. Cheap by Elmwood standards. Patio!