Did not have any food due to it's strictly just a bar scene Came here to reunite with friends I haven't see in a while since before Covid. The bartender was great he always made sure you were good and that you didn't need another drink. The place is large there is two sides to it and plenty of seating. The lights inside are pretty dim I don't think it gets bright in there at all but it's still a great atmosphere and they have a large shuffle board table ! read more

This place is great they still operating during the Cove it in my favorite cocktails get delivered was Realtree read more

Sidebar - Tynisa Frida - Two individuals are in a dimly lit room, with a decorated Christmas tree illuminated behind them, standing near a wooden table. - Lounges Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Missing J man band 1st Fridays..Tony left.town.....gotta bring in a fresh jammy.jazzy act peeps....keeping it real

there's like 15 people here and I stood at the bar for 20 minutes without getting served. Not impressed.

I often hear people putting Sidebar down like the unfortunate reviewer below me - "it's so outdated and old fashioned, keep up with the times GUYS". Yeah, ok, but Sidebar isn't for you. It's for the constant stream of regulars that live and frequent Hertel Ave. Just because a Mac's opened up beside them doesn't mean they need to "keep up" or even change. We all know that Hertel is starting to blossom and grow (blloooom and growwww forever!) - it's evident by all the new places and the crazier traffic. There are bars that are meant to be higher priced and nice - this isn't one of them. There are literally 5 bartenders. I can name all of them. They are our neighbors and friends (well, maybe not friends for all of you). Beers are cheap and a smile goes a long way. Just sayin'. read more

It's my first time at sidebar and I give it two thumbs up. This bar was not only welcoming, but also aesthetically pleasing. Emily was the bartender who served me. She was attentive, knew her drinks, and also super nice! read more

Sidebar - Love this place - Lounges Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Always a good size crowd on a weekend night, but not too crazy that you have to fight your way to the bar. The shuffleboard table is always fun. Lots of room to spread out and cushioned seats if you want to sit and talk. One of the best bars in buffalo. read more

I used to frequent Sidebar more when a friend of mine worked there but sadly she moved away to follow her dreams. I have recently come back where i still enjoyed my drinks and the staff. Greg who i have met from my previous visits is polite and attentive when you are in need of a drink. The bar is very large and wraps around so there are two sides. This place has plenty of lounge seating and is more of a "lounge" styled bar. I would say this is a good place is you're looking for somewhere to have a good one on one conversation. Prices are very reasonable and they have a good selection of beers on tap. Greg made me a specific cocktail that i used to get when my friend worked there, obviously it wasn't the same as she used to make it but i still enjoyed it! they do have bands (there is a stage) and i know there are DJs from time to time as well. Certainly recommend this place for drinks as they do not serve food. read more

Sidebar is the best bar in Buffalo. The bartenders are beyond friendly and the drinks are extremely reasonably priced. The atmosphere is perfect, the patio is fantastic in the summer, and they have jazz music the first Friday of every month. I debated giving this only one star just so people won't want to come here. I'm selfish and want to keep this place a secret. But it's too good not to share. I love this place and the bartenders so much, I made a comic strip about it. Did I mention that young sorority girl hoes and frat boy douchebags do not know this bar exists? Yeah. I think that's the best reason of all. Ps. They play 80s music and always have local sports games on. Sidebar really is the shit. read more

I came to sidebar to meet up with a friend on a Sat. night. The place was pretty dead. Besides our group there were just a handful of other people. The bar looks closed from the outside because of the tinted windows which may have contributed to the emptiness. If my friend hadn't said they were there I wouldn't have even approached the door. Even still I was quite hesitant and I thought I might have been in the wrong place. Inside the place is very casual and divey. They have a shuffleboard which is a ton of fun; they just desperately need to add sand to it. When I went there was almost no sand left. The bartenders were all very nice and the drinks were reasonable I believe I paid around $4 for a hard cider. There's a coat rack by the door which is nice in the winter months. I'd definitely come back another time if they just add sand to the shuffleboard! read more

Sidebar - a bowling alley at night - Lounges Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Easily my favorite bar. Very relaxed atmosphere. Doesn't feel like a meat market. It's great that a strip like Hertel has a variety of places. I wouldn't want to go to Hertel if everywhere was a swanky cocktail lounge where every drink has 18,000 ingredients and costs $15. The bartenders mix well and know quite a few specialty cocktails. They always give good recommendations if you don't know what you want and have a ton of beer options. The same bartenders are always around- they rock, so be nice to them. The bar offers a shuffleboard league, so they keep up with the board regularly and it's in good shape. People are good about letting people call next or challenge the winners. There's live entertainment certain nights, and when not the music's often 90's hip hop and alternative- very chill. You go there to have fun with friends. It's got the feel of a bigger dive bar that gets cleaned and kept up with regularly. A lot of the bars in Buffalo are similar- part of the charm :) Note: no food served here read more

I like the place! The bartender is super nice unlike the other abrupt ones.. they played all 80s songs when I was there! I loved that!! A teeny bit expensive than other places! But there was that zing that was missing.. can't quite put my finger on it.... read more

Always awesome bartenders. Very awesome beer selection. Needs a dart board and pool table. read more

Sidebar - One of the best beers I've found recently! - Lounges Near Me - Buffalo, New York

I've been to this bar several times, and compared to other bars on Hertel this one is one of the worst (It's better than Gabels, I'll give it that, but that's not saying much). Good luck entering the bar at night as the outside lighting is non-existent. Which may explain the emptiness. The bartenders are hit or miss and mostly have a depressed demeanor, again probably due to the lack of customers for aforementioned problems... or the next problem... The owner is a (Insert negative commentary here). I see that others have commented negatively on him as well and they're not wrong. The good- There's a shuffleboard table... the bad... it's a warped shuffleboard table in need of repair. Advice- Go to The Burning Buffalo, Public House, Geckos even... There's many other options with in walking distance. Heed the advice of other negative reviews. Edit: Reading older reviews they must have been under different management or something. read more

This is really unfortunate because I see that there are other great reviews for Sidebar. My boyfriend and I tried going here last week during the playoff games. He had heard it was a cool place and we had been at Goodbar for hours in need of a change of scenery. We walked in and were greeted with an aggressive "WE'RE CLOSED." My boyfriend asked why (the doors were open, lights were on, there were a group of guys in there drinking, and it was during a playoff game!) and the same man shouted "because I said so." Uhm, alright? We gladly left, but "theres a private party" or anything else would have been fine. With that attitude, why would we want to come back? read more

Haven't been here in months but coming back the other night brought back great memories of playing on the shuffle board table and hanging with friends. Drinks are average price for the area and the bartender was friendly. If you like a chill bar I'd recommend stopping while down on Hertel. read more

After many years, Mrs. TS stopped in The Sidebar for a few late night drinks. I was reminded why I have meant to go back, it's just that we're not in the Hertel neighborhood as often as we used to be. The atmosphere was as inviting and relaxed as ever, The Sidebar is a great place to go if you've got time to linger and hang out. On Friday night there were two jazz musicians playing and they were as good as ANYONE I have ever heard, and this made the experience that much better. The beer selection was solid and they have a full bar. I recommend The Sidebar if you are looking for a relaxing bar with a partner or friends. read more

I enjoy this bar on Hertel for a few simple reasons: the drinks are inexpensive, there is a patio, plenty if indoor space, bartenders are nice, and shuffleboard! I'm like a big kid so when you put games into a bar I'm pretty excited. I think this is a good spot to meet some friends for drinks... Especially compared to some of the other dives nearby. read more

Went in for a cocktail, this bar looks like it fell out of the 1980s. With all the improvements going on in the Buffalo bar and restaurant scene, I'm floored that a place this poorly designed and run is still open. read more

Decent place for drinks on a Friday/Saturday night. Always seems to have a good crowd.

My favorite bar in Buffalo! Nice patio, plenty of places to sit, never obnoxiously crowded, easygoing bartenders, and a shuffleboard table. I spend way too much time at Sidebar. read more

If there was a way to put negative stars I would. The bartender decided to tip himself out extra. It hurts me to write this post because I like the bar. If you go pay with cash read more