Living in Buffalo several years now, I've never been out to Hertel Ave to grab food and drinks -…read moreSurprising, I know! Thanks to a Yelp Elite event on Hertel Ave., I FINALLY changed that with a fantastic late dinner at The Burning Buffalo Bar & Grill.
One of the main reasons I don't like to go out in Buffalo is parking - I'm always anxious about finding a spot that's close to where I'm going, as well as not having to pay for it. It was 7:45pm on a Tuesday, so street parking was free so one obstacle down, and amazingly, I managed to park right in front of The Burning Buffalo Bar & Grill, but across the street - I'll take it! Upon walking inside, there were a few tables outside full of people having dinner and drinks with one waitress managing all of it. I walked in and was surprised how big, spacious it was. First order of business though was hitting the restroom, which was on the small side, but clean. After that, I grabbed a seat at the bar. The bartender was a young, pretty woman who was very personable. Unsure of what to grab for a drink, she asked what beers I usually go for and with that, she was fired off a few beers on draught I might like. I settled on the Jack's Abby Post Shift Pilsner and enjoyed sipping on that the rest of the night. She handed me the food menu and took care of a few other customers while I figured out what I wanted. I got it down to two items and I asked her for her recommendation, which was excellent and how I'd order, if and when I make it back. But similar to what other reviews on Yelp say, the atmosphere was very much like a neighborhood bar and grill, where everyone knows each other and if they don't know you, they're still more than willing to let you hop in and out of the conversation. I felt very comfortable sitting and listening to the "regulars" chat, watching a baseball game on the TVs behind the bar.
So for dinner, I decided on ordering their Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich which is topped with lettuce, tomato, sriracha mayo, and cheddar cheese, with pickles underneath between a soft, brioche bun with a side of hand cut fries and a pickle spear on the side. The bartender recommended swapping out the cheddar cheese with pepperjack cheese, an awesome swap! The size of the fried chicken breast was HUGE by itself! I was so impressed how the well the sandwich held together as I devoured it. The chicken was hot, not greasy at all. The lettuce and tomato tasted fresh and looked crisp, there was plenty of that pepperjack cheese on top the chicken and pickles underneath. The sriracha mayo was excellent, albeit I would've liked more of it, I think more would've made the sandwich messy and hard to handle, so it really was the right amount on there. The hand cut fries were great as well; Crispier on the ends and softer in the center but plenty hot and not over seasoned. If you've seen other reviews of mine, you'll get the sense I have a pretty big appetite so I was able to demolish the sandwich but I couldn't finish all my fries, so that should be enough to tell you the portions here are HUGE and AWESOME! At first glance, the prices look expensive but I think they're justified as the quality and portions are phenomenal, I certainly felt I got my money's worth.
I'm so happy that after several years of living in Buffalo, I made it over to Hertel Ave. finally! I'm also glad I chose The Burning Buffalo Bar and Grill for dinner. The quality and quantity of food, the friendly neighborhood atmosphere, the personable staff, what more can you ask for? I can't wait to come back and grab another Southern Fried Chicken Sandwich or maybe give their North Buffalo Cheesesteak a try!