Restaurant Depot in Buffalo, New York, is the worst Restaurant Depot I have ever shopped at. The customer service is horrible, and employees often act as though they have an attitude. Today, I urgently needed ice for my business because I have events today and tomorrow. The ice cooler contained mostly busted bags, and I was told that more ice would not arrive until the 27th. Since I needed ice immediately, I began putting the usable ice into another bag. When I reached the counter, no one offered to help me. Then an employee told me not to take all the ice because they needed a bag for the staff to use in their drinks. When I went to check out, management told me I had to pay full price for ice from damaged bags. This was extremely frustrating and unacceptable. I understand that employees have policies to follow, but customers should not be charged full price for a product that was already damaged. Management should take responsibility for this decision and for the consistently poor customer service at this location. I am not sure whether there is upper management beyond the front-end management and cashiers, but this situation needs to be addressed. read more

Restaurant Depot - Damage ice bags - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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I love this place. My husband usually does all of the shopping here but every now and then when time is limited he'll have me go and get supplies. This store is great. It has everything you could imagine. It reminds me of Sam's club but kicked up a notch. We have a food truck and we need a lot of things. Fortunately most of the things we need, we can get at this store. It's not a close drive for either of us but worth it. The prices are great and so are the options for so many products. The employees are very friendly and helpful. It's a great restaurant supply facility. read more

Love it. Great place to supply the restaurant or get all the stuff for a spaghetti dinner for the church. Employees are friendly and helpful. Always a good experience when I go. Prices are very good too. read more

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It is business only, they have a large supply and I found everything I needed for great prices. Staff was nice and helped me find what I was looking for. read more

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Everyone is super friendly! The selection is crazy! So many items, and the price is consumer friendly!

Great choice of meats and good prices too! Staff was very helpful and polite. Loaded with tons of products.

Picture Sam's club, or even the old Tripifoods warehouse that was in Niagara falls. That's what Restaurant Depot would be, one of the differences is the fact. You have to be a business owner or Church associate. Not to familiar with the requirements of being with the church, but there are a few other ways to be a member. Best way to find out the details is on their website. Once you are a member, you have available to you all the food/supplies that the actual restaurants use. For example, paper products, baking goods, meats, beverages and so much more. Again, all restaurant quality products. The prices are very good, and reasonable. Well worth finding a way to shop here. read more

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During the pandemic this has been one of my favorite places to frequent They have been well stacked and very helpful when in need. They also allowed non members to get a day pass , which was cool. From. Fresh seafood to frozen the selections one is able to make is awesome It is like a warehouse and if you decide to venture into the refrigerator section, you may need a coat. The management is great and the shelves stayed pretty full. read more

I'm always here. COVID has ruined my fresh seafood experience here, but they are my go-to spot for bulk foods. It's not a fancy shopping experience, but they have a lot of variety and the prices are good if you need bulk. From meats to produce to cleaning supplies, utensils and carry out boxes-they have what you need for bulk food prep. read more

This is the store where restaurants shop. You need a special card to be able to buy stuff here that proves you're a business owner, but it's not too hard to borrow one ;). You can think of this as a BJs on steroids. There's "I have a family of 4" bulk...and than there's the "I have to feed 200 people tonight bulk!!" Obviously, the Depot falls into the latter category. I've come here before events and it has bailed me out: - hundreds of 8oz cups - ice, ice, baby. - even table covers (albeit the non fancy plastic kind) for both banquet and bistro tables - 8.5x11" plastic inserts...now this is where this place lost major points for me. These stand up plastic molds cost like $8-12 each. I needed 12. I didn't anticipate spending hundreds of dollars on these things, as I'm sure they cost 10 cents to manufacture. Not sure how they get away charging $10/each for these things, but oh well. There's a big freezer in here with huge amounts of meats and frozen food in bulk, but prices aren't that much better than your typical BJs/Sam's Club. Anyway, for cups and some supplies this place is a godsend. You can even get a Vitamix (older models) for under $400-500 which is a steal, considering they retail for $700+. OK experience, bit overwhelming. read more

Restaurant Depot - Where restaurants shop ;) - Wholesale Stores Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Decided to order from here since they opened it to lowly, non-restaurant owners people like us to due to COVID. Not a place to buy a batch of bananas, they come in 10 pounds per order. Husband decided to try cook something new so he ordered a whole octopus and over 5 pounds of tripe. We also ordered some fresh produce and a box of macarons of 72 for about $45. The items were fresh upon arrival from Instacart. Just found it weird that the iced lime juice was not found but the octopus was, super clean and in one piece too. The price for strawberries and other fruits were comparable to other supermarkets. It'd be nice if we could purchase the items in less quantities but like I said, it's not meant for peasants like us. read more

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Back to the take out thing during this whole 'rona episode. I read Trang's review and decided this would be my next take out venture. I did indeed shop at a restaurant supply establishment on Clinton Street. In Buffalo. They shut their doors several years ago. I don't need stock however I do enjoy the option. This was - for lack of a better term - a test run. It worked. I have paid more for some items however it suits my needs. I bought a case of 500, 2 saltine cracker, individually wrapped packages. It works. My grand-daughters open up whole sleeves from boxes which I eventually throw away. The sleeves are never resealed as they should be. This solves my problem. They grab a few packs and they are done. Let's not get started on breakfast sausage patties - which they ADORE!! I don't eat these things. Doesn't much matter. I am no longer running out several times a week looking for these screwy patties. I have a large case!! Yes! Hubby not happy - he had to find room to store them. We got rid of our large freezer several years ago. Oh well. There are other items. Plugra butter blocks, whipped cream . I'll stop right here. Decent purchase. Sale went though Instacart. Very pleased with outcome. read more

5 out of 5 simply because there is no place to compare this to, it is unique as far as I know in the Buffalo area. This place is where the resturants go to shop. You are only allowed into the store if you are a business owner. The membership is free, however like I said you need to own a business. They literally have every single thing you could possibly think of if you own a resturant. They have eveything from food, to utensils to take out containers (which I didnt even know so many different kinds existed before walking in here) The prices for the most part are well below Sams club and BJ's however the quantities are much larger. In some cases I found thinks like Chibani yougart to be a mere .08 cents a case cheaper than Sams club. read more

I absolutely love this place! If you like to cook at home and are sick of horrible quality pans and cooking utensils this place has it all. Not to mention all the different kinds of foods one could need. Restaurant Depot is not open to the public and you must have a membership card the enter. This is the Sams Club or BJs of the restaurant industry and it is glorious! The only downside to this store is that you must apply and own a restaurant/catering company to get a card... or work for someone who will give you a card. I love the feeling I get when I walk into this store. Picture a kid waking up early on Christmas morning and smelling breakfast being made. As he makes his way down the stairs he peaks around the corner and gets a glimpse of the Christmas tree and all the presents underneath it... thats how this place makes me feel :) read more

This is my go to place for my restaurant needs. However, some things need to be looked into. Let's start with the rats running across the isles. Not to mention the bread that they are chewing through. The parking lot is full of trash & garbage. Every time I go there, it looks like it is getting worse. Out of the entire staff, there are two gentlemen that go out of their way to help me when I need something. I know the 1st gentleman's name is Alan. Super nice & is ALWAYS willing to lend a hand. There is a 2nd gentlemen that I am not sure what his name is, but he is usually in the cooler area with long hair. He too will go out of his way to help me find what I am looking for. Unfortunately there is a female manager, I believe, that makes me feel as if I am inconveniencing her when I ask for help. Not very customer service friendly. She is usually located in the middle of the store just before you check out or hanging out by the exit door with another female manager. Don't ask them for help, your better off looking for it yourself. I wish this place would be cared for a little better as it does have great potential. This is located in Buffalo, NY area near the Galleria Mall. Good luck restaurant owners! read more

We are weekly shoppers here always happy with the price and quality. Went yesterday after I checked the hours on the webpage. We arrived at 2:50, and we were told they were closing at 300 and they did not allow us in. The website stated 4 PM. very disappointed. A wasted trip! read more

Love this store. Customer service is excellent and there is free coffee too ! However the most important feature is that they have HALAL chicken, lamb, goat and beef. They also have numerous types of spices which the Muslim community and the south Asian community consume. And did I mention Yogurt ( Dahi ). However, in the Fish section, which is relatively new , the people are not very helpful. For example, they will not scale or clean the fish. Carts are somewhat unwieldly and difficult to handle. read more

I used to shop at Restaurant Depot for a business I was involved in when I lived in LA. Having been able to compare that experience to the location on Duke road in Buffalo, I have to rate it 3 stars. The Buffalo location is kind of out-of-the-way and hidden back behind a series of stores, where you actually wouldn't expect to look. They do have a large covered parking area that allows some spots (and drive-up loading) to stay out of the elements. This area alone is worth 1 star, especially if you have a lot of loading to do on a rainy or snowy day. The staff at this location weren't very friendly, didn't seem to want to help, and I actually wasn't greeted with a hello until it was time to spend money at the checkout. It felt very sterile, cold, and unwelcoming. At one point I walked into an open freezer area and was told "I wasn't allowed here". This area had no signage that indicated it was not open to the public. I guess they can get away with the poor customer service, because if you are shopping for things you need to stock your business (or for resale), you really don't have many choices in Buffalo. BJ's being the consumer version of this industrial-like experience. Still, without help or guidance I managed to find everything I needed without much of an issue. I really disliked their carts. The large flat carts take up a great deal of the isle and it is difficult to navigate some parts because items were laying on the floor or things had been tossed about and not cleaned up. Something like U-carts would make much more sense, as they can be stacked vertically instead of horizontally (or high instead of wide) and take up much less isle space If you are buying meats you may want to bring your own boxes. There were no free boxes on the way out so meats will have to sit on your vehicle floor. They didn't have every brand or item I expected to find but they had most of what you would need to operate a kitchen. Sauces, meats, cheese, produce, frozen foods (chicken, wings, tenders, mozzarella sticks, etc), pasta, cooking oil, cups, to-go containers, cooking utensils, aprons, knives, etc. Everything is offered in huge bulk quantities. Where BJ's might stock bags filled with 8 cups of cheese, this place will have bags filled with 32 cups of cheese. Prices were much higher than I expected. I guess that is the difference between shopping on the West Coast where everything is local versus shopping on the East Coast where items are trucked in. You are suppose to check in your club ID when you enter but no one was asking for it or greeting. So you could probably explore this place without a membership. However, you'll need one if you want to checkout and buy anything. Most business with a proper tax ID can qualify for a club ID. You don't need to be a restaurant or in the food service industry to shop here. Some additional product choices (instead of the generic ones I saw), better customer service, and improved cleanliness would raise my rating of this business. read more

Was on my lunch break and have always wondered what this place was like, so I stopped in. Basically it's a Sam's Club or BJ's for restaurants. Bulk quantities of food, cooking, and cleaning supplies. I had a feeling you had to be a member to purchase here and wasn't sure how it worked. Reviews below mention its free but have to own a restaurant or catering business. If I did I would definitely shop here sometimes as prices were pretty cheap. read more

Traci is the best!! She has been a fabulous resource for us while opening our new business! She is always available to help and is doggedly determined to find exactly what we need! read more

Usually love shopping here. Went in alongside my boyfriend and we had an account problem. He owns a Mexican Restaurant & his relative was the previous owner. He has taken over the restaurant & renewed the lease in his his name. He needs to contact the DBA and fix this problem but during the process of figuring this out, the manager in Restaurant Depot did not believe that we have zero contact with his relative (previous owner of his restaurant). I'm quite offended about the way she went about the situation, basically saying we weren't being truthful about not knowing the relative's whereabouts ect.. Mind you we shop here once a week & never had this problem until now, as he has owned the restaurant for about a year. Very disappointed. read more

Very unpleasant shopping experience - aisles are crowded with crates, customers and the worst carts I've ever pushed or pulled. Besides being incredibly difficult to "drive" - every cart I saw was dirty. Employees in the aisles and departments were pleasant and helpful; bad-tempered and unhelpful ones were working the checkouts today. Good prices and quality - but not worth the aggravation. read more