Appetizers were great, steak was not. It was over cooked and not made to simple requests. Extremely disappointing.

This restaurant was opened back in the golden age of Hollywood, my Lawrence Oliver himself. He'd just got finished insulting Marilyn Monroe in his booming British voice, and he decided to calm himself down by opening this restaurant, and the rest is history. Well, not all of it. Part of it is the future, because it hasn't happened yet. I actually didn't like fancy, expensive food, at all. The $45 chain buffet Texas De Brazil was my exception, but chains don't count. For anything. Ever. Then Maria and Alex K invited me to stop by Oliver's to see them, and everything changed. My "fancy restaurant" story was very bland until this day. Same old, same old. Underwhelming, overpriced... none of them "did it" for me (unlike your girlfriend). But then this bland tale had a twist. Provided by this restaurant. Which is why I call it the "Oliver's Twist." My goodness, I thought to myself. Every bite is heaven! No wonder it is so expensive! And I can't remember thinking that before at other expensive restaurants. I can never recall musing that food was actually "worth it", but all that changed when I went here. Every bite of every thing was exquisite. My least favourite item was the Wild Mushroom Pizza. It was a lot better than most "expensive pizzas" but it also wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. However that might just be because it wasn't my favourite choice of topping. Then again, I don't think I'd ever order pizza in an expensive restaurant. For me, pizza is something you buy by the slice. I can't get into pricy pizzas. I can enjoy them if I'm handed some, but I surely would never order one. Sure, it tasted rustic and herby and delicious, but still. Nein, danke! If I'm going to pay a lot, I want something other than pizza. My joint-favourite item was everything else. The Charcuterie... I only tried a little bit, but the Foie Gras was divine. I'd never tried it before. The meats were orgasmic. It was just a fantastic choice by Maria and every bite of it was sinfully delicious and perfect. These chefs know what they are doing. Then there were the garlic chips and oil. My goodness, who knew that little garlic chips and oil could be so exquisite? I couldn't believe Alex and Maria hadn't finished them already by the time I started nibbling. Utterly delicious. And don't get me started on the dessert. From what I can tell, all of the desserts are magical and heavenly, but the chocolate cake that I tried (and ended up having quite a lot of), was so sinful, it should have been working on a neon-red-lit ranch on a desert highway one hour out of Las Vegas. Oh look, I used desert and dessert in the same paragraph and it wasn't even intentional! Of course the service matches the food, which says a lot, because it's some of the best and most personal and attentive service you'll get anywhere. Certainly if you want a fancy meal in Western NY, and you want it to be both the most delicious food and also have the best service, then you may want to look into Olivers. And if you ever wondered what Popeye saw in his girlfriend, well then you have to understand that he liked girls' posteriors. And more than any other booty on earth, he was absolutely obsessed with Olive's RS. read more

Ahh yes... In Greek Mythology, there is a story about Oliver, the god of great food, fine wine, deliciousness and awesomeness. In the story, Oliver goes out and does a bunch of weird stuff pertaining to drunkenness, defeating cyclops's & giant people, and seducing his own family members, all while being completely naked or scantily clothed during the story... ...I don't know; I always thought Greek Mythology was strange and kind of stupid... Anyways, my experience at Oliver's the restaurant is much more classy and pleasing one than listening to the ridiculous ramblings of ancient weirdoes. However, you should expect great wine, food, and awesomeness just the same. My entrée I had was the braised short rib with a flat, rigatoni-esque pasta (special). It was satisfying, but not as impressive as I would have liked it to be. However, my wife had the filet with the greens, mushrooms & foie gras butter. The best way I can describe that steak is: illogically and laws-of-physics-defying ridiculously terrific in every way. The outer layer of steak was very charred (my wife likes steak about medium to medium/well), but the inside of the steak could be spread on bread with a butter knife like jam. We also had the Handmade Burrata, which was fried eggplant slices with roasted red pepper spread, olive spread and a basil puree. I would recommend this appetizer, but at $14 it's a little inflated. Instead, get the only thing on the menu in single digit dollar symbols: the Oliver's Original Spinach Loaf, located at the bottom of the menu for $7. It's a whole French loaf stuffed with sautéed spinach and garlic, and comes to your table hot and rolled up in a cloth napkin to keep it that way. You'll easily walk away from Oliver's happy and fulfilled, but broke. Oliver's is very pricey; expect to pay over $100 per couple for a meal and a couple glasses of wine. I guess one could add "expensiveness" to the list of things Oliver is the god of. In close, the service is fantastic. Jake, our server was a true professional. He even went out of his way to get us a dessert to split when we told him we were celebrating our anniversary. We were stuffed, but not stupid. Of course we had room for ice cream! read more

Oliver's Restaurant - Handmade Burrata - New American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Well, Frasier and Niles Crane would just love Oliver's. Why? Well because it's always less than perfect. So, while you get a perfectly fine meal, there is always at least one thing to complain about. (And, if you know anything about Frasier and Niles, you know that they love to complain but they also love high quality; it's the perfect place for them.) Unfortunately, Oliver's is not quite what it used to be and, more often than not, there's more than just one thing that isn't perfect (the last time we were there, for example, they were out of two of their three daily specials and my wife's Caesar salad was far less than unexceptional). Nevertheless, the food is high quality and the service is, well, serviceable. The Ambiance is elegant, yet relaxed and friendly and, something we like especially, mostly everyone is dressed very well including gentleman in coats and ties. So, by all means, go. Just don't expect the Oliver's of yore: it ain't no more.... read more

I would give 5 stars if all I was reviewing was the food. Had a great meal here, seared salmon was perfect as was all the food, especially the decedent dessert, it was OMG good! My only complaint was the server wasn't as attentive as I was expecting at a place as expensive as this. He took care of the table but was lacking on getting plates cleared and never brought the extra dinner rolls we asked for. Its great to not be rushed but don't leave dirty plates in front of the guests while doing so. It seems that if your a regular here, which a lot of the patrons seemed to be, you get treated a little better, just an observation. read more

Reservation made for a birthday party late on a Saturday night and the restaurant was hopping. The spinach loaf (not a meatloaf substitute like I had assumed) is fantastic - it's bread stuffed with crispy spinach and melted cheese. Do yourself a favor and order a half serving just to get a taste. There were practically no dairy-free options; every pasta dish had cream in it so the only dish our guest could enjoy was steak...and she is staying away from meat, so that was a bust. The special of the night - bass on black lentils with butternut squash mash - was good, but had no flavor on the fish. The cocktails were the highlight of the evening - the spritz was refreshing with yuzu. Paradise found was another tasty cocktail; it was not sweet despite the rum inside. For dessert, we enjoyed the trio of homemade sorbet - passion fruit, lemon, and black cherry. Overall, it was a pleasant evening but didn't give me butterflies to return. read more

Excellent upscale dining experience! Started off with a champagne cocktail with fresh herbs. The menu is a mix of small or large plates. We did just small plates. The kitchen was nice enough to split them for us. The server checked on us but wasn't too chatty and very friendly. The live piano playing was not too loud but really added to the experience. Everything tastes fresh and I highly recommend the oysters. I'll be back! read more

Oliver's WOW. What an experience. From making the reservations with Lisa to desert I can see why they are a 5 star restraunt. We started with Decadence Egg - Egg yolk crispy panchetti truffle with potato foam tasty. Next we tried Nashville fried Oysters, peewee baked poateos. On to a Oliver's spinch loaf lovely. Mike tried the roasted beet salad again can't say enough and I haven't even talked about the main course. Charcuterie think of slices of heaven with pickles and house bread, oh my. This was paired with a cheese slate oh it just keepes getting better. Our main course the guys and Nana aka Mother in law had Grilled Ribeye.They where hugh with oyster mushrooms (extra) and gorgonzola sause melt in your mouth. A saddleback potateo and greens. I had the Long Island Duck Breast with sweet potato puree spatzle with savory cabbage and bacon. My Mom had the Braised Lamb Shank. Grandma cleaned her plate. We had a cake made by Oliver's lovely pastry chef of raspberry crunched cake paired with raspberry ice cream. We all thought we had died and went to heaven. Coffees and Bailey's for Jake Alex's friend and I finished this culinary experience. The wait staff Keri and Russell went out of their way to make us feel at home. We sat at the Chefs table. We were able to watch the kitchen masters at work. It meet all of my expectations and more. read more

My first time at Oliver's and it was great! I normally don't go to super fancy restaurants like this and I was too sure about it but it was my sister birthday dinner so I was optimistic to go. We came we gave our car to valet for free parking as part of the experience. The worker (blonde woman) was very nice. I walked in and was offered to put my coat in the coat room but I declined, I like to keep my belongings with me. I went to my table and sat down and immediately was given water with my request of lemon and mint on a napkin so I can add it to my own water. The workers were faithful with refilling our glasses and I didn't have an empty glass all night. I had to wait until my table of 11 had already to order and I got chicken malinese ($32) which was very good!! It was a pretty long wait but it was worth it and the restaurant was packed. We received warm croissants with warm butter while were waiting for our food and they were good! They passed them out and did not put the basket on the table. When we finally received our food, I noticed I had the most food at the table so I suggest your order what I had. The food was very good, I'd go again! My chicken didn't really have a lot of flavor and it was kinda burnt, like a very unpleasant burnt but I didn't really mind so much. I loved the fresh salad it came with! Also I love dressing that was drizzled over my food! I was almost done eating and the lovely staff asked to put my food in a to go box, which was really nice. At the end of the night, everyone paid their separate checks and we had to wait a very very long time for valet to get us our cars. I would recommend everyone to come here! It's expensive but it's a good restaurant. read more

Oliver's Restaurant - Chicken Milanese - New American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Came here for dinner last night with a couple of friends. We arrived pretty early, close to 6pm and the place was empty. It was my first time there and the hostess wasn't exactly friendly, when one of my friends asked if they were open, she kinda just stared at her like she was crazy. For such a nice restaurant, you'd think the hostess would be a bit more friendly. We started with the tuna crudo and carpaccio, both were really tasty. I preferred the carpaccio more just because the tuna crudo didn't have anything really that wowed me in flavor and depth. We also had the NY Strip steak, filet mignon, and the braised osso bucco. The steaks were very tender and flavorful, the osso bucco was also very tasty with carrots and the veal was tender. They served it off the bone, which is fine, personal choice, I'd prefer it on the bone. The broccoli gnocchi was puffy pillows of goodness. We also had a spinach loaf which was really good but what wouldn't be good that's slathered in butter, garlic and cheese with spinach? For 4 bucks you get a whole baguette which is a good portion for the whole table. For dessert we had creme brulee, peach melba, and the roasted peaches and hazelnuts. The peach melba was surprisingly delicious, the creme brulee was light and sweet, the brulee in my opinion was a little burnted. The roasted peaches and hazelnuts on puff pastry, although tasty, I didn't really care for. Our waiter was okay, he didn't seem too friendly and maybe even a little condescending in my opinion. Service is great, they refill water and cleared plates pretty fast. The food was 4 stars but I'm giving 3 stars because of the hostess and maybe a vibe I was getting from the waiter that I didn't really like and it is a bit overpriced. read more

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Great food, drinks, and service! Our server was very knowledgeable, explained specials, answered my questions, and explained something really cool about the drink I ordered. My bf and I both ordered the 45 day aged ny strip steak. I ordered mine rare and it was absolutely perfect. My bf ordered his medium, also perfectly cooked. They were so delicious! I got the Gorgonzola cream sauce, it was amazing. My bf ordered the steak sauce, so delicious! We will definitely be back! read more

Had a family diner May 11 to celebrate my daughters College graduation. Greeted by Carl a excellent waiter. Offered excellent insight to menu choices and cocktails available. Appetizers came out quickly and were awesome. Entree's followed and didn't disappoint. Elk, veal, and Filets cooked with expertise. Dessert presentation was different but was very good. read more

Oliver's Restaurant - Osco busco - New American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Food was phenomenal, wine was fantastic. Overall I would highly recommend this location to anybody who is looking for a high end meal!

Thoughts: Oliver's is your cookie cutter American fine-dining establishment. Food: Standard American. Consistent. Ambiance/Decor: Dim, Contemporary American with elements of the 80s. Service: Polite, properly trained staff. Notabilities: The wine list here is superior to that of ANY restaurant in the city so if you're looking for high-end American or French, this is your place to go. There's some Harlan, Margeaux, etc. Fun fact: They have a valet service as well. read more

Wonderful surprise!!!! I didn't even know this place existed until my fiance took me here for my birthday tonight. The waiter Patrick was one of the best servers Ive had. The food was amazing, I will frequent this place. The steaks are highly recommended in particular the strip steak with the caramelized cauliflower. The only thing I cant believe is how dead the place was. When we arrived for our 630 reservations we were two out of about 8 customers in the whole place. Once we were about to leave a small party had arrived along with about 10-15 other customers but I thought even that was odd. With a place that has food as good as this place it should be booked solid every night.............thats ok its a buffalo hidden gem. read more

Great atmosphere, attentive staff and overall delicious food. My only disappointment was in my filet. I am very particular about how it is cooked, however will usually never send a good meal back. I prefer my filet medium rare, closer to rare, however much more gray inside than expected. Less tender but did not affect the overall flavor of the dish. Would strongly recommend to anyone looking for a nice, romantic night out. read more

Thanks fantastic dinner many times love your staff and your food. Thanks for always providing a great evening!

We decided to give Oliver's pick up service a try and we have co to yes to come BACK regularly. Their Steak sandwich and Lobster Bisque are awesome! read more

My wife and I went to Oliver's for our anniversary dinner. The price--$60+ per person without drinks--demands an occasion. As such, our expectations were high. And while everything was fine, "fine" felt a bit inadequate given the sense of pomp the restaurant affects. (For instance, they have a valet service even though the restaurant is in a suburban neighborhood with free street parking.) The food was good, but not exceptional. The quality of the ingredients is very high, but that doesn't justify a lack of seasoning. The filet mignon seemed to have been seared without any salt or pepper. It was still tasty, but I felt the excellent cut of meat was wasted. Not to condemn the head chef: the menu is well thought out and the food pairings are smart. They just weren't executed as well as I had expected. Service was excellent! The wait was proper--each course was ready just after we'd finished the previous one. Our waiter was phenomenal: he was personable without being overbearing, attentive without lingering, and just an intoxicatingly likable person. A real professional. On the whole, this is a fine dining restaurant, and our experience was "fine." We weren't wowed, but we were satisfied. Not the best meal we've had in WNY (as some claim) but certainly in the top 5. It was, however, the most expensive, hence the tepid review. As a postscript, the French press coffee is well worth the $8 price tag--one of the best cups of coffee I've had. (It's apparently proprietary and available at Premier Gourmet in Tonawanda/Amherst.) read more

My boyfriend surprised me with a date here, it was our first here and I loved it our waiter Carl was absolutely lovely. I know it was fine dining but I wish the tables were so close together. The couple next to us were so annoying half of the time I couldn't focus on my conversation because they were so annoying. But hey what can you do. The environment was so relaxing and beautiful. My favorite part besides the food and serve, was the pianist. He played beautifully all night! read more

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Absolutely exquisite evening here celebrating our first anniversary. We had the tasting menu created by Chef Ross Warhol and it was on par with the accolades the chef has received. Pairing the 7 course tasting with classic cocktails (I had the one year barrel aged negroni and my partner tried a cocktail with Pimms) was a serious culinary adventure. If I were to go into elaborate detail about each course, this review would be the length of a novella! Topping off the night was the phenomenal service provided by Charlie. He shared tales of both a personal and culinary nature and his demeanor added tremendously to our already wonderful evening. I would highly recommend visiting Oliver's on a night that the tasting menu is offered. The ambience and cuisine transports you to a high class locale in an unpretentious restaurant. Bravo! read more

Oliver's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Summary (read on for details): Food and service are well below average for the price you pay. My waitress was great but everyone else was not. The lighting is ambient. Decor is an attempt at upscale but falls short due to being dated. Environment is fancy but restaurant creates an overly pretentious and obviously elitist atmosphere. Overall feels stuffy. The majority patrons are well dressed and middle-aged or older. Would not recommend to young professionals--generally there appeared to be favoring of older patrons -- we as young professionals were not treated with the same esteem. Would recommend if you appear middle-aged or older and upper middle class or above who want to pay for an exclusive environment but do expect below average service and mediocre food at best. ---- This is my second dinner here. I refrained from writing a review following my first dine here with my wife last year. I do recall that our meal was not impressive and wait staff not attentive. But. That evening, our experience was clouded by the valet-who accidentally backed another vehicle into mine. They, the valet service, of course took care of that matter. To our surprise though, Oliver's offered nothing at the time but "there's been an event with the valet" -- no apology for inconvenience let alone any offer for dessert or anything. We let it pass as this is likely a rare occurrence and staff was caught off guard. However, considering the establishment itself you would expect the manager to present himself or herself. As such, I decided to give Oliver's a second chance due to previous circumstance. Regardless they are 0 for 2. To be clear, I rate food and as such the 1 star stands but I will include environment and service in narrative. For starters, I had made a reservation well in advance. My wife and I came dressed relatively formal; I wore slacks, an evening coat and tie and she an evening dress - perhaps being 15 to 20 years younger than most of the patrons hurt us despite. The hostess initially sat us in a corner booth across from the bar. There was a large party around the bar who she assured us would be seated in minutes. Otherwise there were only 1 or 2 other tables of 4 or less seated. After 15 minutes without anyone greeting us or offering water or a menu, a waiter presented himself and asked if we would like to move tables. 10 minutes later the hostess walks us to the corner table closest to the kitchen where staff are constantly passing-- mind you the rest of the restaurant is largely empty. The large party was not seated for another 10 minutes after this. Since we landed on a Tuesday, we decided to go with the tasting menu, which was highly recommended. - Decadent egg was fantastic, smooth rich and beautiful presentation within the egg shell itself - Crab leg presentation was nice but sauce and accompaniment were merely plotted on the dish without anything culinary actually done with the crab itself - Foie gras was completely overdone and tough - Steak left much to be desired similar to the crab - Dessert was a large portion of very starchy cake and an unmemorable ice-cream I believe in second chances, but fool me twice... read more

Love the new decor and atmosphere! Very tasteful. Very cool The Chilean Seabass was outstanding tonight. The lamb was slightly subpar. Scallops were excellent. Wedge salad was delicious. Then we asked our waiter for a dessert to share and told him we might like the strawberry thing. It's like a hard-core frozen strawberry creamsickle... You cannot share that. Sent it back and got the chocolate cake which was outstanding and perfect for sharing. The waiter needs more advanced training. We were rather disappointed with his seemingly indifference to our dining experience. When you pay that much you expect superb service. A manager on site cracking the whip might be helpful. What happened to your experienced waiters? We have generally had excellent service there prior to Covid. We know everyone is just getting back up to speed especially with experienced staff but again something management can fix with proper training and/or an on site experienced Maitre de (AKA made her day). read more

My wife and I spent New Year's Eve at Oliver's with a 9:45 reservation. Of course, our table wasn't ready and we went to the bar for a drink. The bar and the cocktails made by the expert bartenders were the highlights from Oliver's. The drinks were tasty and the atmosphere was quite nice. We appreciated the live jazz. We were seated at 10:15 - that's 30 minutes after our reservation - and it goes steady downhill from here. Our waiter, Carl, introduced himself and got our orders. After we received our appetizers, Carl promptly forgot about us for the rest of the night. Let me say that again, our waiter forgot about us. Forgot to bring my wife's glass of wine (nobody ever did), forgot to bring out our entrees (a bus boy did), and ignored us until he brought the bill. Maybe this would have been tolerable if the food was great, but it was part of the problem. My appetizer, the tuna tartare, was nothing so much as a flavorless lump of blood with a useless pear slice on it and not even a teaspoons worth of egg yolk combined with, frankly, the most disgusting cracker I've ever seen or tasted. My wife's scallop appetizer (not on the main menu) was so over-peppered it was inedible. The entrees, filet mignon and orecchiette bolongnese, because of our terrible waiter, never got to our table until 11:10, and my wife's filet plate was so hot it was obvious it had sat under a warming lamp for at least 10 minutes. The filet was, by this point, flavorless and my pasta was nothing special. Not a single time did anyone other than a busboy filling water visit our table to see how we were doing after our order was taken. This was easily the worst service I've seen in a restaurant that bills itself as fine dining. Never in my decades of dining out have I written on on a receipt for the staff to see. I wrote "terrible service" on my receipt and I meant it. The low $10 tip I left was strictly for the busboy who kept our water glasses filled while the rest of the staff did nothing. Frankly, I feel like I was robbed. Epic fail, Oliver's. read more

I was a little surprised to find that my salmon takeout order didn't have the side dishes listed on the menu. No carrot puree, fingerling potatoes, or lebanese slaw provided with the meal. Instead there was a mix of corn and edamame beans in a white sauce. Not my favorite foods. Not a great experience. read more

When I called I told the person on the phone we were celebrating my dad's 90's birthday and the Oliver's representative was all thank full that we chose Oliver's to celebrate the big dad and Oliver's looked forward to making it special. It started out fine--the drinks and salad were good (not great but good). Then came the main course--my dad had a steak he said was like shoe leather and it was suppose to be their special top steak. My lamb was suppose to be rare--it came out well and it tasted like a ton of salt on it. It took their waiter halfway through our meal how it was--our faces said it all. They redid my lamb--it second time it was raw but I was so over it by then--and they never ever acknowledged my dad and his shoe leather steak. OK I figure desert they will redeem themselves because they made such a big deal on the phone--I figured they would write "Happy 90th Birthday" with a candle on my dad's dessert plate--NOTHING!! This place SUCKS!!! read more

I am always happy to see that Oliver's is the caterer at an event I'm at. So I thought, how about Oliver's for dinner, just me and the husband? He and I share a birthday two days apart so naturally for a week or two we eat and drink happily and sometimes somewhat fancily, but seldom with the forethought of a reservation. They obliged us. That was nice. They pile the dirty dishes up on a stand by your booth. Not our dirty dishes, whoever's dirty dishes. We hadn't even eaten yet. My husband who hates to make a scene, hates when I make a scene, and considers almost anything to be making a scene, asked the busboy to move them. The busboy moved the tray but not the rack, leaving it wide open for another table's dispensed with plates. Husband then asked our waiter to move the whole thing. The waiter said he knows it's a "major weakness of our restaurant," and moved the rack over to the bar, which we could still see, but at least not smell. We heard the bartender mutter "for God's sake" when the waiter brought the rack over. Our oysters were room temperature and had chips of shell in them. And they took so long to get out of the kitchen that we'd finished the glass of champagne we'd ordered to have with them. We ordered a bottle of Plump Jack Merlot which the husband was happy to find on the list, but they didn't decant it. It's great wine, it would taste delicious in a box, with a fox, but still some deference maybe could have been shown. I had a soft shell crab appetizer which I consider the official dish of the June birthday. It was fine. My linguine with clams had corn kernels in it. Inventive, weird, I thought, and gave it a try. Not weird good. They're charging New York City prices in there. The room and the kitchen have to catch up. read more

I can't believe after so many years of knowing this restaurant is top notch, did I only just make it here. We came out for our office Christmas dinner and I was very impressed. This restaurant has been one of the best in the area for many years and I don't see that changing anytime soon. They offer valet parking, which is very nice when you're all dressed up. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. The ambience in the restaurant is warm and classic. Very rich colors and fabrics. Not over the top, but luxurious. Halfway through our dinner, a jazz band started playing live and they were great! I ordered an appetizer of raw oysters, which were delicious. For dinner I had an order of ravioli, which was amazing as well. Small little round pockets of pasta filled lightly with ricotta cheese, cooked al dente and served with a light portion of red sauce on top. It was delicious and didn't make me feel overly stuff. For dessert, I ordered a their fresh gelato sampler, which you got to choose three flavors, and I thought it was just a great sweet treat to end the evening. I will definitely be going back! read more

Didn't Oliver's website say expect delicious and satisfying? Well, I expected and they damn sure did not deliver. You know when they say that the server makes the guests experience good or not good? Well, it does! And it was awful. Dear Adam M., my darling server who didn't give a shit about us. Sure, I am young and sure, I came here for restaurant week, but that doesn't mean that you can just stand there looking down at us waiting for us to speak first. Tell us what you want! And it doesn't mean that I won't tip you well although that was what you were expecting. But then neither does it mean that you can just go through the motions of serving us and making an obvious difference in the way you serve us and everyone else. You didn't ask once how the dinner was and I spent the whole dinner thinking about to tell you how crappy dinner was. Yes, I didn't order wine or cocktails, not because I'm cheap, but because I cannot drink. And yes, I didn't order dessert because I didn't like you. Otherwise, the food for restaurant week was not great at all. The flavors were all muted and dark - nothing was contemporary or bright, which I guess should've been assumed from the creepy looking decor inside. The foie gras with the rabbit and mushroom pierogi was like mushed up lump of poop and it tasted just like that. The only thing I can commend them on is the duck leg confit risotto. The duck leg was nowhere as tender as I thought it would be, but the additional sweetness of the butternut squash and cherries was really good with the creaminess of the risotto. So, to ever step foot into Oliver's again? Absolutely not until I look the age of 50 and drink wine. read more

This restaurant is not my cup of tea. The food was just okay or even below average. It feels like missing something from the food or just didn't taste good at all. Not really great combination. The food presentation needs to be improved and the quality too. Before u consider to try new places, i would suggest to try other places first instead of put Oliver of ur top pick. So many other great restaurants out there and u would think totally worth the money. But def. not this place. read more

Oliver's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Olivers is fancy schmancy. I encountered a few minor complaints that did not deter from our overall enjoyable experience. First things first, they have valet as well as a parking lot you can try and find a spot in on your own as well as a large coat room. We had a reservation for 8 people at 6:30, but two of us arrived at 6 in hopes to have a drink at the bar. The clientele here was on the older side, at 25 years old I felt like the majority of the guests had about 50 years on me, which made me feel like these people were all regulars leading me to believe this place was going to be good! People were standing around, sipping on their martinis schmoozing and boozing. People were dressed to the nines; women were in dresses and men in their suits. I was glad I wore my good heels. We found two seats at the bar and the bartender greeted us immediately. I had a Hendricks Martini with a twist and my friend had a Kettle Martini. Drinks came to $24. Our party started to arrive so we notified the host and he brought us to a large circular table towards the back of the restaurant by the kitchen. The table was large and there was plenty of room for the 8 of us. There was a wine by the bottle menu on the table which had hundreds of different options, hundreds. We were all starving so we looked for food menus but they hadn't been brought to the table yet. We figured they would be given to us soon after sitting. We waited and waited, still no menus. We ordered two bottles of the same wine for the table and they took a while and then some to be brought out. We figured that since they had so many different wines maybe they were having trouble finding it. A woman came around and asked us what kind of water we wanted, flat tap or sparkling. Still, no food menus. Finally the wine came out, and we were given regular menus and a special menu. Everything sounded amazing and was expensive, really expensive. Before ordering, someone came around with a bread tray. There was a rosemary roll and focaccia piece and one I am unable to recall. I loved this idea. The focaccia was amazing. There was also flat thin bread on the table loaded with seeds, seasoning and flavor, so delicious. Some people in our party knew they wanted to order the spinach loaf before scanning the menu so we immediately put in two orders of that. I was told this was the most amazing bread ever. Well, the first loaf was underwhelming. The center was cool, not hot, the inside fell apart slightly when you picked it up, it was just okay. Then, the second roll came out and this was completely different. It was piping hot, crispy, held together and so good. I was exceptionally torn between the tuna crudo and the beet salad. Our waiter was pushing the tuna crudo on anyone who was unsure of what they wanted. I went with the tuna crudo while most others had the Oliver's salad. The tuna crudo was $17 and when it was brought out to me, I was wondering where the other 3/4 of it was. I was actually shocked by the portion. I looked across the way to the other guy at our table who got this dish too and I watched him scoop it up on one forkful attempt, eat it then give a look like, well that was a quick $17. I used to think that $20's at the casino went quick, well it went quicker here. The tuna was fresh but there is absolutely no justification for that price point. I wish I had gotten a salad as they tasted delicious and were less expensive. More bang for your buck. However, I learned quickly that I shouldn't adopt this mindset when dining at Olivers. Entrees were brought out in a timely manner. I went with the salmon, which was $37 (what?) that came in a buttered sauce. The flavor was great and their pairings were appropriate but the dish was a tad too salty for me. There was a pork special that someone got as their entree and I had wished I ordered that instead, it was unbelievably delicious. Everyone else at the table got the filet which was almost $50. They all enjoyed their dishes. Service was a little informal for us which we were surprised by. We were dropping mega bucks here so it was a tad disappointing. We went with one dessert which was decadent and espressos all around. The entire process was a three hour ordeal. Make sure if you are dining with a large party you plan accordingly. I would definitely come back here if I wanted an upscale dining experience, I can see why people rant and rave about it. It's high end, very expensive and the food for the most part is great. read more

Oliver's manages Marcatos at Kleinhans Music hall to compliment the BPO. The restaurant is sadly the opposite of Oliver's. It's run in a disorganized manner with inexperienced staff. The hostess dresses like she's going to a hockey game. A well prepared dinner is a crapshoot And portions are small. How much can mashed potatoes cost??? It's overpriced and not worth a visit. Go to other restaurants prior to theater. read more

This review is for their restaurant week special. I love utilizing restaurant week to visit places that are usually out of my price range, and Oliver's, with their valet parking (and almost always a BMW or Mercedes parked right in front) it was the perfect stop. Their menu sounded fabulous. My fiance and I went on Sunday, the last night of restaurant week. We splurged and got a bottle of wine, one of the specials which was nice. We also 'upgraded' the bread to their famous spinach loaf. And unapologetically finished the entire thing between the two of us! It was very good, but nothing special. For my first course I got the calamari with soba noodles. There was also a bit of seaweed salad underneath. The flavors were wonderful, it reminded me a bit of things I've tried at Seabar. But my only issue was I could faintly smell the calamari... in a negative way. At a restaurant of this caliber I would expect fresher seafood. My fiance got the lobster bisque which was very un-lobster-y.There was no lobster meat to be found and only a faint lobster taste. For my entree I got the shrimp and scallop cannelloni. It was okay, the flavors were good but I think there was one very small shrimp chopped up inside and no scallop. The shrimp also had a bit of a fishy taste. The artichoke and leek stew was very good. My fiance got the chicken pot pie. The chicken tasted almost exactly like turkey, which was sort of weird. We ended our meal with a couple coffees. Tiny mugs, mediocre coffee.... $2.50 A CUP! Ouch. Our server was alright, very rushed and barely checked back when we were eating. We also got ID'd which made me feel like a high schooler playing dress up. It was a pretty pricey meal even with it being restaurant week and overall, I wasn't that impressed. read more

My first time dining at this Establishment was Phenomenal, I was not Disappointed at all. I picked this place for Local Restaurant Week (it was either this or Osteria 166 on Franklin Street) plus I've been dying to try this place out. We got inside with the Intentions of escaping the light rain and the Brisk Chill. I went inside and said my name for the Reservation (7 PM) and they instantly remembered me (cuz I asked on Facebook if I could have 1of everything on the Specials), We had to wait 10 Minutes for Rick who was parking the Truck a block away (due to the limited Parking they have). Once he came Nicholas (with his Charming French Accent) took us to our Table on the Upper Deck, but not before Rick noticed a plate of Cookies at the Front Desk so we both took one (nothing more welcoming than a Chocolate Chip Cookie). Pretty fancy high class atmosphere and a very old Restaurant (I thought it was around for 26 Years but they told me it opened in 1936). When we sat down we were deciding on what to drink so we decided to share a Bottle of Pelligrino Sparkling Water (I also Added a little Lemon to make it like a Lemon Fizz). Still deciding what we wanted we were treated to a lovely Amuse-Bouche by our waiter Daniel, it was a slice of Fresh Mozzarella, Heirloom Tomato, Basil and Olive Oil (the appearance looked like a Sunny-Side up Egg). We also Split their popular Spinach Loaf (when it came out, I didn't expect it to be so Long. 8 pieces and you bite into it and get the Crusty Bread, Hearty Spinach and a hint of Garlic Butter in the Center, this is Popeye's Bread). It was hard and complicated for us to choose from 9 different Appetizers (everyone has their likes and Dislikes), so after debating for 5 minutes we came to a conclusion. Both Rick and Grandma got the Crab Bisque with Saffron Creme Fraiche, Tarragon Oil and Crispy Purple Potatoes (Best thing is you get to pour the Broth in yourself, When I tasted it I was blown away, the Broth was nice and Thick, Creme Fraiche gave it a Subtle hint of Smokiness, get a hint of Licorice from the Tarragon Oil I only got a bit of Crab with the Bite of Purple Potato, crispy outside with a soft Inside, not mushy nor Hard). My Appetizer was the Duck Confit Spring Roll with Braised Cabbage, Foie Gras Cream, Huckleberry Ketchup and topped with Wilted Micro Greens (I loved it, When you bite into that Crispy Phyllo Dough and you get that Juicy Rendered Duck Meat, The Cabbage gives it a Sour Note, The Micro Greens give it some Mildness and you have 2 Different Sauces to Dip it in Rich Foie Gras and some Tart (with a bit of Heat at the End) from the Ketchup, This was so Duck-ing Awesome (Pardon my Language). For our Entrees: Grandma got the Roasted Chicken (filled with a White Truffle Ricotta Stuffing), Whipped Potatoes, Turnip Greens (with Roasted Turnips) and a Marsala Demi-Glace (Chicken was Juicy with Crispy Skin, I loved the filling (at least it wasn't overflowed with it) I didn't taste any White Truffle Oil and I'm glad I didn't, Potatoes were Fluffy (but I overlooked that it had a couple Lumps), the Greens were Tasty and the Demi-Glace was Nice) Rick got the Grilled Lobster Tails with Corn Puree, Grilled Asparagus, Roasted Sweet Potato and a White Miso Butter (Presentation it looked like an X, 2 Tender Lobster Tails with a Smooth and Sweet Corn Puree, I loved those rich Sweet Potatoes, some Bite from the Asparagus and the White Miso (which was coating the Lobster Tails) had a little Nutty/Salty Mixture). I got the Braised Pulled Lamb with a Rosemary Polenta, Smoked Bacon Collard Greens and a Guinness Barbecue Sauce (The lamb was so Tender, the Texture was like Pulled Pork it be like something I'd order in a BBQ Restaurant but it had so much Finesse to it, The polenta was Smooth and Velvety (Rosemary wasn't overpowering) Collard Greens were Definitely Smoky and the Sauce (which was incorporated into the Lamb) added some Richness to it. The food was Amazing, everything was up to Par and the Quality was Superb. To finish off our Meal we shared the Cinnamon Nut Gelato (it came out in this Tall Blue Glass (about 4 Scoops) with some Fresh Blueberries and some Biscotti Cookies on the Side (which I didn't want so I gave to Grandma) The Gelato was nice and Sweet and had a Rich Cinnamon Flavor and the Blueberries gave it some Texture and some Tang (The Pastry Chef did a Fantastic Job). For an After Dinner Mint, Daniel brought over some Chocolates (that the Owner's Wife made, shes a Chocolatier). I loved it, the Chocolates had a nice Mint flavor and they looked like Seashells (what Rick noticed is that other Tables would get just one Chocolate, but they gave us 10. I guess they never met someone as Enthusiastic about Food as Me). Like I said no Disappointments here, they sure know how to pay attention to Detail. Dave, Nicholas, Daniel and the Rest of the Staff did a Good Job. I need to come back as Soon as Possible, whether its with Family, Friends or by Myself I'll be Back read more

This is just a review for their catering. I haven't actually eaten in the restaurant for years, so I'll review that after I go back in December. Oliver's did the catering for my wedding at the Historical Society. Overall I was really pleased with their service. What was important (the food) was fantastic. We did the prime rib and chicken asiago dual entree, and everyone raved. They were great about accommodating our need for a vegan option as well. Our hors d'oeuvres were all delicious as well - a flatbread, vegan sushi roll, bacon wrapped scallops. They were great about helping out with the little details all brides want at their wedding. We had guest books at each table, and they were kind enough to set them out for us, rather than having to send a family member or friend ahead to do so. I did have a few minor quibbles: 1. Sometimes it took a while for our contact to respond to emails. I think the longest was a week, which isn't that long - but when you're planning a wedding in six months, a week can feel like an eternity. 2. The meals upstairs at the Historical Society can take a while to come out just because of the lay out of the facility. This has much less to do with Oliver's and more to do with the space, but it's good to know. 3. The guest books required a special set up, which I mustn't have explained fully, because when we arrived, they weren't right. It wasn't a huge deal, but it did mean that my maid of honor and I ran around the building upon arrival to set them up. I would definitely recommend using a facility that has Oliver's as a caterer. However, if you are a high stress bride who needs everything perfect and immediate or else you flip a you-know-what, you may get somewhat stressed once in a while. Although if you're a bride like that, you'll be pissed at any caterer because I can't imagine any caterer being much more accommodating than these guys. read more

Disclosure: I bussed here during college (a long time ago) Oliver's has rich, well prepared food, and great service. I think it's that last part that's really the gem. Some of the waiters have a mastery over their wine list. If you're not asking them advice, you're missing out on what you're paying for. Another reason to go for their wines: cocktails aren't there strong point. While they have a respectable bar for an "old school" restaurant, they aren't on the cutting edge of mixology. I'd also suggest sharing. Get a few items and ask for them to be presented as a tasting menu. The portions aren't large but they are rich. It'll allow you to try more on the menu without running up a huge tab. Which brings me to price. If you're going to have wine (and you're going to, right?), be prepared for a tab that's north of $150 for a couple. It's pretty pricey. Oh, and as a favor to me: please don't wear track pants there. I don't care if you're in the family, this isn't North Jersey. read more

Dave Schuete never disappoints. Food and service were top notch. From the door to the back server and dinner was amazing. Do yourself a favor and request Fred as your server. Professional but laid back enough that he makes you feel like you're his only guests. Can't wait to dine there again! Wonderful first evening out in almost a year. read more

I asked my friend and dining companion if there was something in the water at Oliver's, as we were drinking tap. I was in the fortunate situation of having a $50 gift certificate to use at Oliver's last week. In the hands of a lesser chef, my appetizer of "fettuccine," made with fresh mozzarella, would have been heavy and sticky. It was lightly salty and amazingly good, served over a just-right summer tomato and surrounded by dabs of pesto. I can't wait to return. It will be worth every penny. Three diners spent about $120 with tax, tip and a few adult beverages (before the gift certificate). Of course, we tipped on the total. To do otherwise would be wrong. Expect to spend more. It's that good. read more

Food was terrible! Order a very rare steak and received a well steak... we order dessert and it was stale. Very upsetting Only things good was the wine and the service read more

Whenever I come to Buffalo, I try to make it to Olivers. The last time I was there, I took my mother and a friend of hers to dinner there. She loves this restauarant. We were greeted by the host, who treated my mother like a long lost relative and that set the tone for the entire evening. The server couldn't have been more friendly and courteous. The menu had something for everyone and a great selection. The specials were diverse as well. We all had appetizers/salads and each one was terrific and tasty. Two us ordered the chilled shellfish plate and they were very well done. The beef dish was also perfectly cooked and presented. Overall the service and food was perfect.... read more