Things To Do

Located in an important corridor in America, risen in class during the mid 1800s as the shipping lane between Europe and the Rust Belt, and between Canada and the United States, Buffalo is rich in history.  Some of the greatest activities can be found in Buffalo's Architecture, Food and Adventures or minutes away in Niagara Falls.

Architecture

Buffalo's architecture is one of its greatest gems.  Here are some of the buildings you'll find when walking around the city:

Buffalo City Hall:  A 1930's art deco building, is among the tallest government buildings in the country at 32 stories.  Many newly weds even choose to have their wedding pictures against this buildings architectural features.  Free tours are given of the building weekdays at noon.

Guaranty Building:  Completed in the late 1800s, this early skyscraper is known for its ornament façade.  The entire 13 story building is now owned and occupied by the law firm Hodgson Russ, a firm founded in Buffalo in 1817, a few years before Buffalo was even a city.  Hodgson Russ also has three very famous former employees; US Presidents Grover Cleveland and Millard Fillmore, and the third, only slightly less famous is Caitlin, who had her first accounting job at this firm.  

Darwin Martin House:  Located on the edge of the Buffalo Zoo, this is a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.  It gains its notoriety due to its large-open concept design, breaking from his usually smaller designs.  Wright designed several other properties in Buffalo, and the attached Darwin Martin Museum acts as an anchor for these designs.

Ellicott Square Building:  Built in the late 1800s and named after Joseph Ellicott, the man who was at the helm of the Holland Land company when much of Buffalo and Batavia was sold off, this 10 story building encompasses an entire city block.  When it was completed, it was the largest retail building in the world.  Its gem is the center atrium, reminiscent of spaces in many of the former train stations of the world. 

 

Food

Buffalo is home to a lot of local chain quick serve restaurants.

Mighty Taco: Mighty Taco is a Mexican-style fast food restaurant.  Dan and Caitlin’s favorite thing to order is a SuperMighty and Nachos Deluxe to share.

Jim’s Steakout: Jim’s is a local sub shop.  Dan and Caitlin love the Stinger sub, a national award winning sub with sirloin steak topped with chicken fingers (hot, medium or mild) and bleu cheese.

Ted’s Hot Dogs: Ted’s is a chain of hot dog restaurants, that charbroils your hot bog as you watch. Known for their footlong hot dogs and super thin onion rings.  Dan’s favorite is two regular hot dogs and a side of onion rings.

Mississippi Mudd’s: While not a chain, this quick serve restaurant offers a casual beach atmosphere with rooftop dining overlooking the Niagara River.  Mississippi Mudd’s serves a variety of grilled foods like: Sahlen's hot dogs, Mighty Mudd Burgers, Italian sausage, grilled chicken sandwiches, crab cakes (dan’s favorite) and fried bologna (Caitlin’s favorite) and their sweet potato fries drizzled with warm honey and butter.

 

Some popular sit down restaurants are:

Anchor Bar: Known as the founder of the chicken wing, this restaurant serves wings and a full sit-down menu.  The original location is Main Street in Buffalo, but a few new locations are around the area.

Duff’s: Whenever the food network is in town, Duff’s wings reign supreme.  Stop in at any of their locations for any of their flavors of wings (the Depew Location is the one preferred by President Obama).  Dan and Caitlin’s favorite is to share some Hot and Garlic Parmesan. 

Wasabi: Caitlin’s favorite sushi restaurant.  This ultra cozy restaurant features what Caitlin has deemed the best in the business.

Pearl Street Grill: One of the most popular local restaurants around Buffalo since its opening, Pearl Street looks like an old New Orleans mansion, complete with its own brewery.  Jazzed up pub fare including Beef Stroganoff cooked in Beer keeps a line out the door.

Dinosaur BBQ: An Upstate NY Tradition, Dinosaur BBQ is a destination restaurant serving BBQ favorites in a down south feel.  At dinner time, Dan & Caitlin usually will order a combination platter.  For lunch, Dan loves the BBQ Brisket Blues sandwich.    

Chocolate Bar: Certainly Buffalo’s most over the top dessert restaurant, the Chocolate bar features every kind of dessert in its most exciting forms.   Located in Downtown Buffalo, right on the Chippewa Entertainment District.

Papaya: A high end Pan-Asian restaurant, Papaya’s grand ambiance sets the mood for the trendy food they serve.  Dan’s go to is the Sizzling Duck, but everything they serve is well executed!  Located right in the Chippewa Entertainment District, near the Chocolate Bar!

Baachus: This restaurant is where the parents met.  Dan and Caitlin’s parents enjoyed this award winning Wine Bar along with its sophisticated dinning menu as they got to know each other. Located in Downtown Buffalo, it’s a favorite for sure.

Liberty Hound: NAVAL PARK/CANALSIDE AREA – This modern tavern is located inside a building built to replicate a building in that location in the 1800s.  Liberty Hound features unique offerings with a large tapas menu, so its great to stop in for a drink and a snack or a full meal.

(716) Food and Sport: NAVAL PARK/CANALSIDE AREA – When a billionaire opens a restaurant, you get an over the top themed sports bar with two levels of seating and the largest big screen TV in Buffalo.  Traditional sports club fare, sandwiches and Dan’s usual, Buffalo Mac & Cheese.  716 is located in the Buffalo Harborcenter Marriott Hotel, and sometimes has its food truck parked out front of the Key Center Arena.

Mooneys: A mac & Cheese lover’s paradise.  Every kind of mac and cheese is available, and if you’d rather a sandwich, they have an equally long list of hoagies.  A half-size plate will leave you with left-overs!  With several locations in WNY, one is in Tonawanda near the Tonawanda Castle.  Dan’s favorite is the Steak and Banana Pepper.

Activities

Niagara Falls (Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds): Just 20 miles from Buffalo is Niagara Falls, the dramatic apex of the free-flowing waters of four of the Great Lakes into the Niagara River Gorge. A lot can be seen of the Falls on the US side but if you want to venture to Canada, you WILL need your passport. Visit www.niagarafallsusa.com for more information.

  • Maid of the Mist (NO PASSPORT NEEDED!): A favorite Niagara Falls State Park attraction for more than 150 years, the Maid of the Mist journey begins at the Observation Tower, where guests are given a souvenir rain poncho to wear and board the double-deck Maid of the Mist tour boat. From there, the boat ferries past the base of the American Falls, and onto the basin of Horseshoe Falls--the dramatic passage leading you through the roiling waterfall whitewater and massive rock formations. The Maid of the Mist returns guests to shore with newfound appreciation of the power and grandeur of Niagara Falls.

  • Cave of the Winds (NO PASSPORT NEEDED!): Guests on the Cave of the Winds Niagara Falls tour follow wooden walkways along Niagara River to the Hurricane Deck, just a few feet away from the torrents of Niagara Falls. Here, rushing Bridal Veil Falls creates tropical storm-like conditions. Nowhere else on Earth gets you closer to the Falls than Cave of the Winds Niagara!

Canalside: Canalside is at the heart of Buffalo’s waterfront revitalization. It’s located in the city’s downtown corridor, at the intersection of Pearl Street and Marine Drive. With hundreds of events scheduled throughout the year, there’s something for everyone at Canalside. Plus with a ton of free activities, Canalside is the place to be whether you’re looking to unwind, have some fun in the sun or ice skate on the canals. Visit www.canalsidebuffalo.com for more information.

Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park: The naval park is home to several decommissioned US Naval vessels, including the Cleveland-class cruiser USS Little Rock, the Fletcher-class destroyer USS TheSullivans, and the submarine USS Croaker. All three are open to the public for tours.

Buffalo Pedal Tours: Buffalo Pedal Tours, land and sea, is a safe and enjoyable way to explore the city of Buffalo while having a great time with your friends or family.  The pedal powered trolley takes groups of up to 13 or 15 (depending on the style of the bike you rent) on a unique ride that is pedal-powered and driven by an experienced driver who will take you where you want to go.  Enjoy historic sight-seeing, bar crawls and you can 100% customize your tours to pick the bars and restaurants you want to visit downtown. Visit www.buffalopedaltours.com for more information.

 

For additional information on things to do in the area, go to www.visitbuffaloniagara.com