Loved it. Great music. Pleasant bartenders. Cool regulars. We'll be back. Would love to try the food. read more

Sterling Tap & Wurst - a reflection of a man in a mirror - Gastropubs Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Under new ownership, some things have changed and some things haven't... Service in general is still not very good. Still full of regulars that at time make it kind of an unpleasant place to grab a beer. Music is kept right at that inconvenient volume where it's too loud to have a conversation. What's changed? The food went from being very solid to pretty buns overnight. Sterling chicken fingers used to be fresh, hand breaded, cooked to perfection. Now you get the exact same quality you'd get from Tyson in your air fryer. Wings were not very good either. read more

This was the first time I've been in here ,after seeing it there for years !! My little bro & I came here to visit Danny ,the bartender & hang out for awhile. It was a lot better inside than I pictured. It's bigger than I thought, lots of seating, a patio, a great bartender, 2 electric dartboards & a juke box. They also do have food, but I did not eat anything, but it smelled good. Sorry , but unfortunately I can't remember much else, lol. I know I had fun here though & I will definitely go back again. read more

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These loaded tots aren't loaded & they're overly deep fried and taste awful. This was the second batch they brought out and they taste like deep fried hotdogs. The service is always great. The ambiance as well. I've always had great food here. I hope they aren't going downhill. Might be the staff but I know Julian rocks and he wasn't morning tonight. read more

Sterling Tap & Wurst - This is loaded tots (just cheese that's dried & fried). - Gastropubs Near Me - Buffalo, New York

This is for 2 weekly visits. First time got the banana pepper soup and a burger with fries. Second time had banana pepper mac and cheese. Everything was good. Fries were a little overdone but they appear to be cut in house which is good. The soup tasted great but was very thick, more like a dip. Great beer selection both on tap and bottles and cans. read more

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We stumbled upon this spot after grabbing a casual bite to eat. We were planning a night cap before heading home and this place was open and close to where we parked. It's a local divey kind of spot for locals to chill. We ended up there on karaoke night and there were just enough people there so it was a little busy but not at all crowded. Young and fun crowd made the time fly. Lots of great songs performed and the MC was awesome. Drinks were reasonable, tons of options on tap. Service was good. read more

This was my second time at Sterling. It's a great casual spot with quick food and drinks. Lovely and open, with nice covered outdoor seating for the summertime. I got the same thing both times, the mac and cheese burger, which I love. But i've heard their crabcakes and other food is good too. I've had better fries, but I'm not complaining. Service was amazing, our waiter was super quick, attentive and friendly. We were offered free shots due to a delay in the kitchen. Also, The drinks are awesome here! Everything I got was very strong, so beware. But definitely try their specialty cocktails if you have the specials menu. Their bartenders know what they're doing! The prices are super reasonable. You can have a great meal here on a budget. Also, it wasn't crowded either of the times I went. We had no problem finding a table. Try the mac and cheese!!! :) read more

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Cute little patio bar on Hertel Ave. I came here to grab drinks with a couple friends for a birthday. I ordered two shots of tequila and a sex on the beach. The sex on the beach was pristine. The strawberry syrup really brings it all together and makes it delicious! The perfect amount of alcohol to make you feel warm and cozy. The music selection didn't appeal to me as I am apart of the younger crowd and didn't know many songs played. There is no jukebox, but still a nice team! Would highly recommend the drinks! read more

Sterling Tap & Wurst - sex on the beach - Gastropubs Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Stopped in last night for the first time in a while after their offensive Facebook tirade since my friends from out of town wanted to go. The bar at times is still reeling from that. It's easy to see when other bars are filled and this one isn't, but there's other major issues. I ordered the #6 Draft which was a Hefeweizen. I smell it and something is slightly off. I taste it and gag. I have a kegerator. This keg, was sour. For you non beer people, a Hefeweizen isn't a sour. It was infected with bacteria. Either the line hasn't been cleaned in who knows how long, or the keg is like 1 year old maybe more. After 3 months kegs start to die. I told the bartender the keg isn't right, and he did let me get another beer which thankfully tasted like it should. What upset me is the bartender didn't put a cup on the line or take it down. I bet you if I walked in today I'd still be able to order a beer that would make me sick. I'd give .5 a star to the bartender for not arguing with me, but when you serve me bacteria infested beer and no one who worked at the bar is aware of that, nor fixes the problem, something isn't right. read more

Not yummy. The food was very salty and hard to eat. We spent $50 and left still very hungry. I would however come back to drink. read more

I am officially a Sterling fan! I have been meaning to go for a while and I finally went for dinner and drinks on a Friday night. The Sterling is a perfect place to meet with friends for a casual evening out: relaxed atmosphere, delicious food, great variety of menu options, excellent draft list and flights, and friendly service! My favorite part of the menu was the Mac n Cheese section. I decided to go with a flight of beer and the Wardynski Wurst Mac n Cheese. I could not have been happier with my selection. The beer selection was excellent, lots of local and seaonal options! The Wardynski sausage was absolutely delicious in the EXTREMELY cheesy pasta. I especially loved the Gouda! If you don't feel like a sit down meal, there is also a bar and outdoor seating. I will definitely be returning to try the other menu items. Everything looked delicious! read more

Sterling Tap & Wurst - Gastropubs Near Me - Buffalo, New York

I've been here at the bar a few times. It's crowded always. The outdoor patio is nice. We came for dinner recently and I got chicken sandwich that was very good. They have the good ranch here. Hand cut fries are so so In general. The craft beer selection is pretty good and even has a few reds on tap which is my favorite. read more

Sterling Tap & Wurst - Gastropubs Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Stopped in for a cocktail at Sterling on a Friday night. Its a smaller place but has garage doors that open to make the place feel bigger. The drink prices are a little above average. They only have a single bathroom for women and one for men. Not a great setup because they were packed and the line was crazy! It's a decent stop on a Hertel pub crawl but not a place I would plan to go to. read more

Sterling never blows me away, but we keep coming back for two reasons. 1. The patio is a nice size - it extends from Hertel over onto the side street, so it's one of our go to places when we're looking to meet at a sit down place for food and would like to bring the dog with us. Staff is always dog friendly and brings her a bowl of water which we appreciate. 2. My best friend is a mac and cheese aficionado, and he's obsessed with the mac at this place. Ringing endorsement from him on the mac and cheese front. In terms of the rest of my experience here, it's very average - service is fine, food is standard type and quality for a gastropub, prices are pretty typical for this type of establishment. Overall not somewhere that I'd bring anyone I'm looking to impress, but a perfectly satisfactory lunch locale. read more

The Health Department would be scared! This place is absolutely disgusting. Dirty glasses, you stick to the floor. Noone cleaning the tables. Bathrooms that smelled, were dirty and had no soap. Even the beer was warm. Why don't the owners care? Assuming the kitchen is the same? read more

I would drink here but not eat. We arrived about 8:00 on a Thursday. The waitress told us karaoke would start later, we were hoping to get out as soon as we were done eating. We had a table of 4. We waited till about 8:55 to get one out of the two appetizers we ordered. The beer refills were slow to arrive. The bar was busy but as I looked around it seemed like most people were drinking not eating (maybe now I know why). So a busy kitchen didnt explain the delay. The first app we got was the beer cheese and tater tots. The tots were big and bland on the inside, the cheese didn't provide a big flavor boost. At 9:10 the second appetizer came. Then a few minutes later all the food came out. So the pacing of the meal was off. I got lobster mac and cheese. I don't know what sort of canned or frozen lobster that was but it was fishy and that's not how lobster tastes. read more

Sterling Tap & Wurst - Beer cheese dip with tots - Gastropubs Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Friendly bartender and a good craft beer selection. Beers were a bit on the warm side and the place smelled like a dirty dish rag. The entire time we were there, the only music played was Dave Matthews Band. As much as I like DMB I don't want to hear it nonstop unless I'm at his concert. read more

Sterling Tap & Wurst - #11 of 16 on the craft beer menu. - Gastropubs Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Friendly staff here and good drinks. We only stopped here for a drink or two, but I am very glad we did. We liked our very attentive bartender. Great conversation too. Definitely going to go back the next time we are on Hertle. Their menu looked great, so I will go there for dinner most likely, and I doubt I will be disappointed with my meal. I recommend! read more

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The Sterling is the perfect spot on Hertel to watch a football game. The ambience is ripe with Bills Mafia excitement on game day. It can fill up quick, so try and get there earlier on Game Days. This is the spot if you like beer (19 Drafts and 20 Bottles). You can purchase a growler or bring your own for a fill, on your visit. The kitchen is open as late as the bar now, due to the mandate, which is great because there's not many spots on Hertel which offer late night eats. The chicken tenders are freshly breaded, crispy and huge. The Mac and cheese is great in half size, as it's very rich. The garlic Parm wings are very garlicky, huge and crispy. Great deals during sporting events on double orders ($20 for 20 instead of $15 for 10). The fries are hand cut and burgers are fresh and huge. The bacon Jam is delicious. Can't wait til they bring back karaoke! read more

Sterling Tap & Wurst - Chicken Tenders, Garlic Parm Wings, Half Lobster Mac - Gastropubs Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Open again, and still good! Got lucky and had Stephanie as our server again, she remembered us! How nice it is to be out again! read more

The worst experience of my life, terrible racist service, DO NOT RECOMMEND! I was there with the 6 of my friends with 2 waitresses for a completely full restaurant. She took 20 minutes to bring our drinks to the table, she literally smashed our drinks, menus, and yell at my friend for not sitting at a high top table when there was not chairs available, and making a nasty comment to my one black friend for standing when MANY other people were standing around the restaurant. I tried to talk to a manager for several times with no response. The last thing she said before bringing the check was we were f***ing a**holes, I'm really thinking go to the authorities for this poor behavior. On top of this, I called the next day to talk to either the owner or manager and they hung up on me immediately. read more

They definitely know how to make a tasty Mac n cheese! Pierogi and kielbasa not so much. Grilled chicken sandwich was decent however the fries were underwhelming. Even with the less than stellar review, I have to say that the corona was rather refreshing. The corona was solid. Sterling was kind enough to cut me a fresh lime and exquisitely place it on the rim of my glass. Pairing the drink with the view really really made this experience worth it, therefore my three star review. read more

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I swung by here for happy hour drinks. They were quite reasonable. The staff was very nice and attentive. I had no trouble finding street parking on a weekday (free after 5pm). The open patio would've been more enjoyable, had the weather been more cooperative. Nonetheless, it was a great experience. read more

The drinks are by far the highest priced not only in Buffalo by far. I made the mistake of not asking how much my drink was. When the bill posted to my bank account I was absolutely appalled . One thing I can say is that the clientele that I met there were really kind and welcoming. read more

I went here for dinner on a Saturday night. The restaurant didn't appear to be all that busy but service lacked despite the slower crowd. I can't review on the beer selection, but I was overall underwhelmed by my visit. We waited a while for any menus or even to order drinks. I understand this is a bar, but they do serve for meals. So, when you get two plastic cups for soft drinks that they'd serve you on a patio bar, it seemed more hot dog stand less restaurant. Food: I got the mac and cheese burger and french onion soup. My boyfriend got the chicken and waffle sandwich but substituted a pretzel roll. Their french onion soup IS definitely great. Good portion, lots of croutons, cheese, and onions. Also not just salty actually has the rosemary flavor. The chicken sandwich was alright. Two tenders as opposed to a big piece, and their tots are homemade, and a little over fried. The Mac burger is kind of flavorless. It's just a regular burger patty with average mac on it. read more

I loved this place when it first opened, every time I come back the food is progressively worse. I order the sausage platter. Supposed to come with two sausages, sauerkraut, sautéed onions, 3 pierogis and your choice of a grainy mustard or a Sriracha aioli. I received the above minus the onions, minus the mustard, and minus a pierogi. Not per my request, they just decided to leave it out. You might be wondering why I just didn't send it back if it was so bothersome. Well the food had taken about 45 mins already so I really didn't have the patience. Anyone that has had a pierogi plain knows that it's fine, but it's exponentially better with some sauteed onions.. also why put "3" pierogi's on the menu if you are gonna give out 2? Just keep it vague, say "comes with pierogi's". That way people like me can't complain. I miss when the sausage platter actually had a variety of sausages you could choose from, it used to be the best thing on the menu. Hope they turn things around. read more

Had a burger and it was dry. The beer was on the warm side. Wings (Medium) were very mediocre. Getting our check was a hassle when the waitress never came back to our table. I wanted another beer but was so irritated. read more

Thought i'd give this place a second chance, now i can confirm i will not return to give them my business. Staff had us waiting at the door for 10 minutes, no greeting to show us our table. Waitress was unprofessional and seemed under the influence (also complained to us about having to work. Both times I have come here food has taken no less than 45 min to arrive even during slower hours. Food isn't even worth the wait, tastes like a mediocre frozen tv meal. Waitress slapped food down on table and never came to ask how we were doing, had to flag her down a few times. Just save your time/money and go literally anywhere else on Hertel Ave to eat! read more

My boyfriend, son and I visited for dinner about a month ago. After about 35 minutes the server (no fault of his own) told us the kitchen lost our ticket, so we said no big deal can you just pack everything to go. About 30 minutes later he brought our food packed to go but one meal was completely different from what we had ordered and my sons meal was missing entirely (not on the check though and we weren't charged for it). The server took off two drinks from our check. I messaged the restaurant the day after asking if anything could be done to remedy the situation and they said they would handle it within the week. A few weeks later, I messaged them again, to receive no answer. I work in the restaurant industry myself and 100% understand mistakes happen but the lack of attempting to remedy the situation is disappointing. read more

I have to say that I was a huge fan of the Sterling Tavern back when they were a small family owned burger place. I was very skeptical to hear they were closing down and reopening a bar on the spot, but the new bar hasn't disappointed. We've been here three times now and each time I've been extremely impressed with the beer list (you'll notice the beer list is a constant mention in my reviews and I'm not always very impressed with them, but I was here). It's probably one of the best features about this place. The bar itself is also a great spot in the summer when they roll up the doors. I've yet to try the food here but I look forward to it some day. read more

Sterling Tap & Wurst - Chicken and waffles sandwich - Gastropubs Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Only go for the wings. Over priced drinks, mediocre food and really unsanitary bathrooms. Tables were extremely sticky, the women's bathroom was a flashback to college dive bars with a broken toilet, no paper towels or toilet paper and the sink itself was broken. I used the mens bathroom which was only slightly better. Not a broken toilet but smelled like a 3 week old port a potty but they did have both toilet paper and paper towels. When I told the waitress about the bathroom, she told me there's a way to twist the handle ect but that shouldn't be a normal thing anyways. The handle falls right out. For the prices they charge how hard is it to hire a plumber or clean the place? Waitress was very nice, hence the 2 stars. Gross, unless you want to relive the sticky and unsanitary mess of drunk college frat days. read more

I've admired the glorious patio seating of this place during the summer. They have beautiful huge garage style doors that open up the storefront during the warmer months and always seemed to be packed. Went here for lunch and def wasn't disappointed! I ordered the sterling burger. Came with hand cut fries. Super delicious! My friend ordered the pulled pork mac & cheese that was out of this world! Tons of selections of beer. The cook came out and talked to us and made sure everything was good! Super friendly! He told us they have live music several times throughout the week and that its usually poppin lol read more

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This was our 1st time ordering food here. Went in Sunday afternoon. Ordered a Bloody Mary it was great, my husband ordered a beer. So my husband and I decided to order appetizers. We ordered the stuffed peppers and the beer cheese dip with French fries. AWFUL!!! Everything was room temp, almost cold!!! The stuffed peppers were so crunchy (not cooked) the cheese on top was so coagulated it came off in one whole piece. The beer cheese dip was like water. We couldn't even dip the French fries. It was so watery. With no taste. We spent $50 on cold watery dip and under cooked cold peppers. Very disappointing! read more

I love coming to the Sterling. Sometimes you just get a craving for some amazing Mac and Cheese and this place comes to the rescue. They have a great outdoor space, they're dog-friendly, and the wait staff has always been really friendly. The only downside is how hot it gets inside in the summer. They have the doors open to help create the indoor/outdoor flow, but without a/c inside it's sweltering. If all the outdoor tables are taken, or it's way too sunny/hot out, and you really want that Mac and Cheese...it's almost too hot to bear inside. Plus the music is insanely loud when you're inside. But seriously...get the mac and cheese. read more

The bartender A A ron was wonderful! Very attentive and made the best signature shot. Will definitely be back. Very welcoming!

Poor Management, Slow Bartenders, and So-So Karaoke at Best I went to the Sterling for karaoke on 6/13/19. I was with some friends who were ordering food. There was only one server on for some reason, which I'm willing to forgive, but so many other things went wrong I'm not willing to go back to the Sterling. For example, my friend's food took 45 minutes to come out, and even then the chef came out with two dishes that didn't belong to our table. He had to come back out and ask what my friends ordered and then brought them their food a few minutes later. These things are important to mention because if you read the other reviews, you'll see this isn't the only time they've been understaffed on really busy nights. The karaoke had a good atmosphere, but it also meant the place was completely packed. The bartenders served drinks with no rhyme or reason. Instead of just moving down the line of customers and then going back to the beginning and starting over again, they moved randomly from one customer to the next, from one section of the bar to the next. For my first round of drinks I ordered a beer and a mixed drink. The mixed drink came right up, but the beer I wanted was out, so I had to pick another. He started to pour another, and that keg kicked, and instead of asking me what my third choice would be, he just went to the next customer in line. The one bonus here was that I tried to pay him for the drink, but he was so out of it he wouldn't make eye contact with me, so I just picked the mixed drink up and walked away from the bar. My credit card was overcharged for the drinks that I did buy. Now to the karaoke. It only goes for three hours. The DJ has a system where you text in your requests, which is neat. The order of the singers shows up on the screen he has. I sang once at the beginning, then didn't sing again for the rest of the night, despite the fact that I was there early, put my songs in, and waited patiently. Three times (yes, three) I saw my name come up in the queue and all three times my name mysteriously disappeared. I put my second song choice in at 9:30 and never got to sing it before the end of the night. I followed up politely with the DJ about it, but he ignored me. He also was the first person to sing and sang several times throughout the night, which of course delays the paying customer's ability to sing. I used to like the Sterling, but after this experience, I'd never go back. read more

We decided to stop in to try out the Sterling for Saturday lunch. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. Since we went in the early afternoon, the restaurant and bar were both pretty empty. We sat ourselves and the bartender doubled as our waitress. There was one other table - a family with kids who enjoyed "playing" the piano. They weren't there too long after we sat, so it didn't get to the point of being more than mildly annoying, but it certainly could have if they were there longer! But I digress... The space is well laid out, with the dining area and bar clearly defined. The decor was pretty cool - masculine and alcohol related antiques (punching bag, old advertisements, tools, beer tap handles, aforementioned piano, etc.). Overall, the ambiance was pretty cool. The beer menu has a good variety of choices, both draft and bottle. The bartender/waitress was able to provide good recommendations based off of our typical beer choices. The menu is pretty much limited to appetizers, salads, mac & cheese, burgers and sausages, with a few other items. Which is fine by me - stick to what you know you're good at. I got the bacon jam burger, which comes with a fried egg on top and (I think fresh cut) fries. The egg was perfectly cooked for a burger topper - not too runny, but not over done. Although a little challenging to eat, it was really yummy! The other diners got the mac & cheese burger (very cheesy and tasty, but somewhat muddled flavors) and the sausage platter (enjoyed the variety of sausages and sauerkraut, but not the jalapeno slaw so much). I would definitely come back for lunch, dinner or just the bar. read more

Sterling Tap & Wurst - Bacon jam burger. Nom nom nom! - Gastropubs Near Me - Buffalo, New York

I've come here a few times over the past few months as I live in the North Buffalo area and this is a relatively easy bar to get into on a nightly basis. The renovations that were completed after the sudden closing of Sterling Tavern were swift and significant. The restaurant/bar area are now one in the same and there is no longer a wall separating the two. They also added a garage door that allows for patio seating in the late spring/early summer. I've mainly came here to drink their selection of craft draft from various areas of the country with nearly half coming from the Western New York area. The bartenders are very friendly and the owner/manager (not sure which) is the man. He does not put up with BS from a-hole customers and will let you know to your face that you are not welcome if you are being a blatant d-bag. One time when i came here that had a live band playing which was a pleasant surprise and kept me there for much longer than I expected. The food is the only area that I think is lacking here. I get that it's a bar menu and isn't very extensive, but there really isn't too many options (possible expansion?). I ordered a sausage platter which came with 2 or 3 different sausage and your choice of 2 sides. The sausage was decent, but the sides were average at best. There was this mustard potato salad type thing which was basically home fries tossed in stone ground mustard. Not my cup of tea and I barely touched it. I will continue coming back here for the bar, but I doubt I will order any food other than fries in the future. read more

Sterling Tap & Wurst - Sausage and weird mustard potato salad thing - Gastropubs Near Me - Buffalo, New York

This place has potential but till they up their game, I'm not going back. Great location, good ambience, fantastic beer selection but still manages to scare us away. The food was ho-hum at best. Of our 4 entrees, only 2 were satisfactory and none really pleased. My chicken waffle sandwich was above average but didn't inspire much emotion, one way or another. The MIL's beef on weck wrap would've been better if it didn't have so much gristle. You'd think $12-14 would get you decent meat. My FIL was served limp, cold fries with bratwurst that was cut open length-wise which dried it out. The husband's sausage were underwhelming at best and coleslaw was dry as well. If this review was based solely on their beer selection, they'd get 5 star. But their terrible service and cook that needs some extra training makes me never want to go back. Or maybe just for the beer. read more

Sterling Tap & Wurst - Duck fries - looked great, but were cold & limp - Gastropubs Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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A group of my friends and I went to the Sterling last night and had an absolutely fantastic experience. Our server (Wynter) was super nice and was extremely attentive and very knowledgeable, made us feel right at home. We will definitely be requesting him next time we are in!! read more