Found this place from the DDD show. Â If this is you, resist the urge to get the Triple D Platter and get the French Onion Soup instead of the beer cheddar soup. Â I'm assuming the beer cheddar is good, but I get French Onion every time it is on a menu, and this is perhaps the best French Onion Soup I've EVER eaten. Â A+
Good assortment of beers on tap, nice hometowny atmosphere, friendly local patrons, really nice restaurant experience. Â Had the beef on weck, it was very good. Â Only thing I was disappointed in were the jalapeno cheddar tater tots that came with the sandwich, I didn't think they had much flavor and had an odd texture. Â
Seriously, FRENCH ONION SOUP!
Stopped in without knowing too much about the bar. Nice spot for regulars with an enjoyable family atmosphere for a locally owned establishment.
Bartender was pretty new and was learning how to mash fruit for cocktails for the first time made it entertaining. A heavy handed bourbon pour made up for that.
The Triple D Platter gave a nice look into the best of their foods. Would of paid a bit more for them to be actual sized unread if mini.
- beef on weck was you standard buffalo sandwich without much addition, but why mess with a good thing.
- jalapeño tater tots were a nice option, but three just wasn't enough.
- the soup was the highlight of the meal, but would of loved some spice to it.
Overall a nice experience that locals can enjoy, and worth the visit for anyone that has not been.
I'm a true foodie. Â So with that comes my obsession with the Food Network. Â I really enjoy Diners Drive-Ins and Dives because it demonstrates small-er town America.... and this place was brought to my attention simply because of Mr. Guy Fieri himself. Â I can't say everything in here will blow you out of the water but the consistency with the meals is great. Â The wings are decent, the burgers good, the tator tots are GREAT (brings me back to childhood), the beer-cheddar soup is soooo yummy, fresh made potato chips are awesome.... need I continue? Â I definitely recommend this place for some stellar pub grub.
Oh I forgot to mention the french onion soup is so far the best I have found in Buffalo. Boom. Said it.
I have trouble writing 3-star reviews. Usually I'm solidly a 4 or 2 but for Blackthorn I'm really stuck in the middle. Some of the food is fantastic but some really leaves something to be desired. For example the other night I ordered a portabella sandwich, which is a go-to for me when I'm looking for a healthier option. I asked for the pesto mayo to be served on the side and the waitress says that's how it comes normally. I missed that there was blue cheese on it or I would have asked for that on the side as well. When the sandwich arrived I was a bit disappointed because instead of a full mushroom cap (like you get at somewhere like Papa Jake's on Elmwood) it was sliced pieces of mushroom with slices of peppers - and really not much at that. There was way more blue cheese than I would have added myself and a lot of butter on the bread. Needless to say, not a particularly healthy choice. I'm always disappointed when there aren't solidly healthy choices on the menu other than salad because, let's be realistic, I could make a salad at home and most of the times the salads restaurants serve really aren't that healthy. The service was good; we had a reservation and were seated promptly; and, as I said, I've had other things that were good. But overall, I'm kind of so-so. Not in any way a bad choice, just maybe not my first choice.
Review Source:Cozy and warming atmosphere, awesome service, great food with a pretty extensive menu at affordable prices.
We went for the Triple D platter (mini beef on wreck, irish chedder beer soup, tater tots, crabcake). I went for "Kevs" sandwich (corned beef and turkey piled between toasted rye with tater tots on the side) which was incredibly tasty. we even ordered an extra cup of the chedder beer soup cause it was just that good.
Blackthorn definitely deserves much more recognition than it already has.
The first time I came here I had the triple d platter which was composed of everything Guy had on diners, drive-ins, and dives. The cheddar beer soup was so good followed by the mini beef on weck and their unique homemade tater tots. Everything was so good except for the crab cake. I was a little disappointed with it.
Review Source:I want to love this place. Â I really do. Â It has a great atmosphere. Â You really feel like part of the neighborhood when you dine here. Â It has a great history and an overall great feel. Â That's why we keep going back, despite the problems that would normally have me scanning Yelp for another suggestion for dinner.
There are certain dishes that are great no matter how many times we order them. Â It's when we venture from our usual that trouble starts. Â Consistency is an issue. Â I've ordered the fillet 3 times and had it prepared 3 different ways - one time coated in peppercorn and smothered in sauce. Â Another time, no pepper and sauce on the side. Â The last time it was smothered in sauce without pepper. Â I gave up on ordering the fillet.
I can't recommend the stuffed chicken breast. Â It looks like they removed the chicken meat and filled the skin with stuffing. Â We were told that the chicken meat is mixed in with the stuffing but without a microscope, we were unable to detect any alleged chicken meat. Â The greek salad with chicken has significantly more meat, but it's drenched in a very vinegary dressing that makes it completely inedible. Â You can skip the wings too - the "South Buffalo" style has cinnamon and nutmeg???
The service here is also hit/miss. Â The night I ordered the salad, the waitress commented on me not eating it. Â I told her there was way too much vinegar in the dressing for my taste and she said "Oh". Â She didn't offer to take the salad away or to take it off the bill. Â She just wasn't that interested.
Don't get me wrong. Â We have also had awesome service here and the seafood dishes we order are a definite crowd pleaser. Â It's these moments that keep us coming back because we KNOW that Blackthorn can be a great place, it just has bad days like the rest of us.
Could someone please tell the owner that there is no such thing as a blue fin crab or a Roam tomato? *shakes head sadly*
after watching DINERS, DRIVE INS AND DIVES!! i just had to visit this place. Â From their cheeseburger beer soup, and sliders, to their jalapeno poppers and the Rueben sandwich, this place, though like your typical pub has a culinary secret surprise waiting to excite your taste buds. Â The waitresses are very kind and courteous, and always willing to help you make those tough decisions when trying to order....overall, the place is cozy, and very homey.....a destination in Buffalo for your foodys~......only thing that worries me, is that the beer cheddar soup can get a bit bitter..but that's because of the CERVEZA in your SOUP! :)
Review Source:triple D platter has it all: mini beef on weck, irish cheddar beer soup, tator tots, and crabcake.
cheddar beer soup appeared light and had a light beer flavor with chunks of potatoes. Â tater tots were delicious with cheese and a tad of spiciness from jalapenos. Â beef on weck comes with nice salted bun. Â crabcake was the least favorite-heavy in mayo but nice crunch from celery.
nice pub to enjoy the game with some beer.
Blackthorn is such a great little gem in Buffalo. The place is cozy and old school, has a solid beer list (including crispin cider on tap, awesome) and the menu is extensive, with something for everyone at prices everyone can afford.
I regularly order off the specials but always, ALWAYS, get the tots. There's no other side dish on that menu that can compare. Crunchy on the outside... tots-y on the inside, with cheese and a mystery amount of jalapeno. Why mystery? Sometimes they're super spicy - and sometimes just a little bit of heat. They're one of the only foods in the world where I welcome the inconsistency... not only does it re-affirm the home-madeness of them, but it's like opening a mini potato present every time I bite one!
The service is top-notch and you can't beat hanging out in a place that is still filled with a bunch of Irish dudes drinking and cracking jokes all night.
The Blackthorn is a solid place to eat in South Buffalo. It has a great staff, above average food with below average prices in comforting pub style atmosphere. What more do you need. Wish I knew about it sooner.
Went here on Saturday during dinner time with the family and had a great meal. When we first got in hostess said it would be a few minutes for a table. Figured I'd grab a beer while we wait. Noticed some good local beers on tap right away. (Southern Tier Pumking, Ellicottville Pale and Blueberry, Flying Bison Rusty Chain to name a few) So props there. Bar area is not too bad either; with some TV's playing sports games.
Got seated quickly after getting a beer and went over the menu, had quite a few things I wanted to try (Shepard's Pie was one and heard their Beef on Weck is good too), but went with the Kev, which has corned beef and roasted turkey with melted cheese and onions on rye. It was a tasty. My wife on the other hand ordered the meatloaf sandwich and I have to say I was jealous after it came out as it looked sooooo good. Meatloaf, wrapped in bacon, with melted cheese and gravy on toast. Luckily she gave me a couple bites as it tasted even better than it looked. The gravy was really the topper for it. We also started with the beer cheese soup which was awesome, first time I had it with potato chunks which just makes an already hardy soup even hardier. Also my sandwich came with their jalapeno tater tots, which were delicious. I am not a jalapeno guy, so for me they were perfect, not spicy at all, but just a hint of flavor to them.
For the kids we split some grilled cheese and chicken fingers. Even those came out cooked proper. Fingers were hot and crisp, with good breading. Grilled cheese was cooked nice and toasty. Sometimes when you order off kids menu, stuff comes out weak sauce, but the fact that even their food was as good as it was, tells me the people at the Blackthorn know what's up.
Now stuff above would normally get four stars, but this place is slightly cheaper than some other places around town, and then they get a bump for how good our waiter was. Friendly, helpful and just totally on point with asking to get us anything right away, bringing soups, drinks and food all over quickly, while also treating other tables just as well from seeing him help them pick some stuff off the menu. All around fantastic job from him which I gave him a fat tip for. You'll definitely see me back here again.
Definitely DDD material.
beer cheddar soup, corned beef and cabbage egg rolls, "the pub" sandwich (kev= normal size, guy= fatman size). Â split it. Â delightful and satisfying. Â i like the homemade tots- they could use a little more jalapeno though- i didn't really taste any heat.
i got the all new seneca st which to me looked and smelt better than it tasted. Â not terrible but i wouldn't recommend it.
i love the neighborhoody, irish feel and our waitress was very sweet and helpful.
good value for money, tasty grub....why not 5 stars you ask? it was good, but it didn't knock my socks off.
I was here yesterday for dinner with two other people. As we planned this dinner beforehand, we opted to make a reservation. However, we arrived earlier than we anticipated, but that was not a problem. We were promptly seated.
I ordered the Irish beer cheddar soup, as well as the liver and onions, as I had no clue how to make both of these items. Both items were okay. Yes, there's a reason why I used the word "okay", because, they weren't bad, but they weren't spectacular either. Sure, they did it correctly, but there isn't anything that made me feel like they were above the rest.
Perhaps the word I would use to describe this place is that this is a funky restaurant. They are a local establishment, and because of that, I like it, but at the same time, I have a hard time seeing why they are different from the other local establishments. To put it in a different perspective, based on the menu items alone, I think it would be hard to find an answer, if I were to ask, "Why would I be a fan of Blackthorn Restaurant and Pub?"
To put it short, as much as I enjoyed my dinner, nothing compels me to drive all the way from the Northtowns to South Buffalo just to eat here. Like I said, I have difficulty seeing why they are better than the others, that it would be worth driving 20 minutes for.
Came here for lunch with my sister who was dying to try the Irish Beer Cheddar soup she saw on DDD. She got her soup and the beef on weck while I went for the Triple D special which was a mini crabcake, mini beef on weck, small cup of soup and the homemade tator tots. The soup was very good with big chunks of potato and you can definitely taste the beer. Beef on weck was ok- but for Buffalo I've definitely had better. The crab cake was very tasty but super small for the tiny plate. The tator tots were my fav and the absolute hero. Oversized pillowy fried delicious potatoes with cheesy goodness and a bit of kick at the end. Yes, please I'll have another.
Extra kudos for having Crispin cider on tap and served with ice cubes as it's supposed to be. Bummer points for the beer on tap not being cold when served- my father and sister were a bit disappointed.
Overall it was a good experience, but I wasn't totally over the moon.
I dont understand all the hype. Their beer cheese soup was average at best, the stuffed peppers were not bad. But their "maryland style" crab cakes were an absolute DISGRACE.  Blackthorn owners: You never, ever EVER EVER EVER put ANY type of vegetables in your crab cakes. NEVER!! Also, the shredded crab meat is a huge no no too.  Have you ever heard of JUMBO LUMP CRABMEAT ??   All you need in a crabcake is the above-mentioned FRESHLY PICKED jumbo lump crab meat, a TINY speck of egg and that's it. I grew up near the ocean, I know crab cakes. and  yours were terrible.
Review Source:I've been here twice so far.
The first time, I went for lunch with my parents. My dad, being from Rochester, had researched different places in Buffalo to eat. Because he loves Grovers I told him he needed to find someplace different. He found Blackthorn.
I got the "Triple D Platter" which included a mini beef on weck, mini crab cake, and a cup of the Irish beer soup. Everything was delicious and perfect for lunch. I ate everything. The beer soup had the perfect amount of "hop-y" taste. My dad got the "Kev's Favorite" sandwich and said it, too, was very good.
The second time I went was for lunch with my boyfriend. This time I got the Sheppard's Pie. When it first came out it was too hot for me to eat and I kept burning my mouth because I could not wait to eat it. It was absolutely delicious. I would definitely order that again.
The only down side to this restaurant is that it's a bit of a drive for me. Living in Amherst, it takes about 25-30 min to drive there. I will keep going there. A great, Irish atmosphere and great food!
My friend from out of town wanted pub grub and I have never visited this place, so I had to give it a shot. Â Besides it makes a better story for him when he goes back to say he ate at a place where DDD once filmed.
It was in the afternoon so we sat right at the bar and ordered a drink and got a menu. Â The bartender was polite, and as our time went on he talked a bit more and seemed like a great guy.
The first thing you notice is the great woodwork on the bar, it has an old feel to it. Â However if you start looking around you notice the carpet and ceilings aren't in the best condition, and the layout seems like a hodge-podge of things. Â Of course lots of stuff on the wall, mostly local things from the neighborhood. Â I assume this place would be characterized as a dive, so I'm cool with that.
We both ordered burgers, I got bacon, cheese, LTO, and bbq sauce with a side of homemade tater tots. Â Not sure what my friend got casue I stuffed my face, all I know is that he loved it. It didn't take long to get our meals, and we promptly dove in. The burger was cooked perfect (Medium) and of course the bacon and cheese were um well bacon and cheese, so of course they are fantastic. Â After a few bites I ditched the tomatoes; tomatoes are really the biggest waste on a burger. Â However the real star of this dish were the tots. Â They were larger then a normal tot and filled with cheddar and jalapeno peppers. Â I probably would give the burger on it's own 3 stars, but the tots are what really did it for me. Â I would go out of my way for the tots on a weekly basis if I actually had a decent metabolism.
This is another review of a run-of-the-mill fish fry enjoyed at Blackthorn Restaurant and Pub, where a group of ten dined on Friday night. We were seated upstairs along with ~20 other guests who shared a single server. Our server was responsible for drinks, taking orders, busing tables, and every other facet of our dining experience. To say the service was slow is less than an understatement. Our meal, which consisted of soups and 80% fish fries, lasted from 6-9 P.M. I do not blame the slow service on our waiter--but rather management at the Blackthorn.
I started with a cup of the New England clam chowder, which was pretty tasty; the clams were prevalent throughout the dish, and the potatoes were tender and chunky. The fish fry was ordered with a side of coleslaw and tater tots. The tater tots were the best part about the meal: They were about six times the size of a traditional tater tot and featured jalapeno and cheddar cheese; the exterior was crunchy while the middle was moist and flavorful, with the jalapeno being the headliner. The fish fry was lightly battered and fried. It wasn't great; it wasn't bad; it just was a run-of-the-mill fish fry that one could find anywhere in WNY. The coleslaw was subpar, but it did appear to be made in house, which is a plus. The only prevalent flavor was mayonnaise, which is nothing to get excited over. The meal also came with tuna salad. I do not enjoy tuna salad, so I will not be reviewing it--just an FYI.
At the end of the meal, another member of the staff talked to our table (I believe the manager) and told us about their encounter with Guy Ferrari and Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. She was friendly, and apologized for the delays that evening. Everyone at the table seemed content that they at least acknowledged the poor service. I wouldn't consider Blackthorn a destination, but it is a decent option if you are in the neighborhood. I would recommend going on an off night."
We had a family get-together in Buffalo recently. Â Although we are all natives, over time we have scattered all over. Â For some it was the first time home in over 40 years. Â What memory of our youth did we all share and want to recreate? Â Beef on Weck! Â And for those spouses and children who had never been to Buffalo, we were excited about sharing this Buffalo tradition with them.
So, of course, we choose Blackthorn. Â Would Guy Fieri steer us wrong?
We arrived 10 minutes before they were ready to close and, with a large group, were disappointed that we would miss out on getting our Beef on Weck fix. Â But, no problem for the lady who greeted us at the door ... they were having a group event upstairs and the kitchen was still open, so "come on in" (treating everyone like family is another Buffalo tradition).
We made it easy on the server - we all ordered the same thing - Beef on Weck. Â Our server was friendly and knowledgeable and never made us feel rushed. Â Of course we didn't experience what some others have observed to be long waits; we walked right in and sat down just as most of the other diners were leaving.
Our beers took a long time to be delivered, almost 20 minutes. Â We all understood that the bartender was trying to take care of the large group upstairs and I don't want to criticize them for this, but if he had just poured off a quick round of beers we would have been ready for a second round by the time our food order was delivered. Â Seems like a missed opportunity for Blackthorn, I mean after all, it doesn't take long to pour a beer.
Cutting to the chase ... how was the Beef on Weck? Â Perfect! Â It set the gold standard of how this simple sandwich should be made. Â If you've never been, do yourself a favor and look up the Triple D segment on YouTube and you will learn that they don't just open a package of pre-sliced beef and throw it on a roll. Â Far from it. Â The beef is made from scratch and slow simmered with a variety of vegetables and spices. Â The kummelweck rolls are made in-house and individually dipped in salt and caraway seeds. Â The beef is NOT sliced tissue thin, but rather the way we made it at home with hearty slices which are so tender they melt in your mouth. Â Everything about the way it is served screams "tradition", including a perfectly tangy fresh ground horseradish, dill pickle spear and the au jus on the sandwich not in a bowl (which would make the whole thing a French Dip). Â The traditional serving of French Fries is available but most of us opted for the jalapeno potato poppers, also made from scratch, and also awesome.
Looking over the other menu items my only thought was that I have to get back to Buffalo again soon so I can try everything on the menu. Â Everything is reasonably priced.
The bottom line for me at any restaurant is always "how good is the food?" and "how good is the service?" Â Blackthorn rates a rock solid 5 stars on both counts. Â If sometimes you have to wait in line for the best remember the choice is always yours - you can get your food much faster at the golden arches down the street and probably save a few bucks too.
This place is fabulous!
Food: Â Everything we had at our table was great.
 - Beer cheddar soup. Nice zing from the beer, great flavor.
 - Jalapeño and cheddar tater tots. Large, crunchy outside, great flavor.
 - Beef on Weck. Juicy and flavorful meat with a nice crust of caraway and salt on the bread. Very tasty. Basically melted in your mouth.
 - Portobello mushroom sandwich. With roasted red peppers. Excellent.
The service and staff were great. This seems to be a truly family- run place Â
Eat here!!
Love the blackthorne, love it even more that it is two blocks away from me in south buffalo, so during the summer its a short walk away.
I always, always, always order the firehouse burger. The burger is obviously hand made, and has a great spicy seasoning to it. Cooked perfectly, blackened slightly, but still juicy. The jalapeno tater tots are absolutely delicious, and giant. For a of pace, i decided to try the pulled pork quesadillas, and they were absolutely terrific, and different.
Always going back...we visit probably on a monthly basis
Such a neat place! I love the old-world pub feel. The beer-cheddar soup is out of this world. Food in general was very tasty and low cost - I got a portabello sandwhich (not typical pub fare I know, but very good), my table mates sampled various meat dishes they seemed happy with including beef on weck (sp? I always spell this wrong - sorry I'm not a B-lo native and I never heard of this 'til I moved here). Nice atmosphere, decently kept up and clean, prompt & friendly service (and my then-boyfriend's mother did not make being a nice waitress easy, sadly). I didn't get a chance to check out their bar selection, but the food was definitely enough to bring me back. A serious gem in the middle of a rather desolated area.
Review Source:Last week was my first experience at Blackthorn and it will definitely become one of many! Blackthorn was delicious. I started off at the bar with a pint of EBC Blueberry Beer while waiting for friends. The bar area is small but has a nice cozy vibe for an irish bar in south buffalo. For dinner I had the Triple D. The Triple D Platter Features the items selected for the Food Network show Diners,Drive Ins, and Dives (hence the name Triple D). Triple D platter consists of a mini beef on weck, mini crab cake, small cup of Irish beer soup and 2 jalapeno cheese tater tots. The platter was perfect portion and delicious. HOWEVER the soup was AMAZING! it was better than the Pearl Street Grills smoked gouda ale soup! MY ADVICE GET THE SOUP FROM BLACKTHORN!
Review Source:We were looking for a casual place with fine food in the Southtowns, since we were going out for drinks in West Seneca afterwards. Â I hadn't been to the Blackthorn in years, but I vividly remember loving a shellfish & pasta dish I had there so it seemed like a good choice. Â I am sad to say this experience was not as good. Â Not bad, but nothing special.
Had 1/2hr wait for a table (which we were expecting) so we had a beer at the bar. Â In my continuing quest to try new beers, I ordered the Irish Cream Ale on tap (Kellcary? Â I looked it up but can't find the brand name.) Â I should have gone with a red or Irish - this one started out OK, but I liked it less & less as I drank it. Â Oh well, drink & learn.
We were seated after about 20-25 min. Â Our table & seating area was the smallest I've ever seen! Â I had to ask the woman behind me to scootch in & I was still practically on top of the table. Â We decided to think of it as cozy & romantic, lol. Â It was not easy extricating myself from my chair to go to the bathroom, but I managed. Â There was a distinct cold breeze blowing right on us, but we couldn't tell where it was coming from. Â It was bad enough that I had to put my coat back on. Â Old building in So. B-Lo - whattaya gonna do?
I was intrigued by several appetizers, and we chose to start with the deep fried bleu cheese-stuffed tomatoes with balsamic. Â These were tasty but I think they're probably even better had tomatoes been in season. Â The aroma was a bit off-putting; smelled, quite frankly, like B.O. Maybe just the bleu/balsamic combo but it was not pleasant.
My New England Clam Chowder was great! Â Huge chunks of clams & nicely seasoned. Â Hubby's salad was fine. Â Bread was...not great. Very "white bread" & floury. Â
I had heard great things about the Irish filet (topped w/Jamison Gaelic sauce) but I didn't want something so heavy since we were going out afterwards. Â What I ordered is not on the online menu & I can't recall the exact name. Â It's blackened chicken, scallops, shrimp & bell peppers over linguine. Â When she brought it out, I was mildly surprised that there were 5 pieces of Mandarin orange on the dish (that was not listed on the menu.) Â I thought "oh, maybe the chef decided the dish needed some acid or something..." and dug right in. Â Well, an ice cold orange on a warm pasta dish is not enjoyable. Â Very weird. Â As I ate, it became apparent that something in the dish was waaaaaayyyyy overseasoned. Â Realized after a few bites that it was the chicken - salty!!! Â So much so that I couldn't eat any more of the chicken; I stuck with the shellfish & noodles. Â I did take my leftovers home. Â I'll see if I have the same opinion when I eat it for lunch in a couple days.
Husband had the stuffed chicken (bone-in breast stuffed with ricotta, hot peppers, and prosciutto, over a red pepper cream sauce.) Â I did not taste it (my palate was trashed at this point - don't think I could have tasted anything else) but he said it was "alright." Â Chicken was a tad dry. Baked potato was dry as well. Â He took part home, so I will try to snag a bite because it did sound good to me.
So not the best dinner ever (considering it was my birthday, that made it even more disappointing.) Â I think we would have been better with a sandwich & fries, or maybe the scallops w/linguine? Â I really, really wanted to love it & give a rave review, but I just didn't think it was all that great.
Came here with the family driving out of the way due to its TV review. Â This restaurant has been featured on the Food Channel show Diner, Drive-ins & Dives and the featured Irish Beer Cheddar Soup, Crab Cakes and Beef on Weck looked great. We came in at 7 pm and had a 35 minute wait in the bar. Â Although my daughter is underage it was not uncomfortable waiting in the bar. Â We were seated by a hostess and greeted by the waiter. Â We were given menus and he took our drink orders. Â He returned and asked if we were ready to order, we weren't and he said he would be back. Â I wish we would have ordered because he didn't return for quite a while. We ordered the Triple D special, which included smaller portions of each of the 3 mentioned dishes, a strip steak and a bowl of seafood soup. Â
The steak came with a choice of potato and soup or salad. Â I chose the aforementioned Beer Soup. My bowl was delicious, good cheddar taste with a hint of beer. Â My wife had another bowl of the soup which was overpowered by the beer taste. Â The mini Beef on Weck was delicious but the Kummelweck bun had too much salt. The crab cake was great and in retrospect we should have ordered a full order of the crab cakes instead of the Triple D special.
All in all it was a OK meal not a great meal. Â Doubt I will out of the way to eat here again..
I always find great places to eat when I am out on the road, especially if it was featured on Triple D. Â But there are a few places that totally exceed my expectations in every way. Â Blackthorn Restaurant in Buffalo is one of those places.
The place was easy to find and we were greeted very cheerfully by the older gentleman at the bar, who I believe is the owner. Â The decor and the atmosphere were that of a great local hang out spot, which was what I wanted. Â
I already knew what I wanted from watching the show.  I ordered the Irish beer cheddar soup and the Beef on Weck.  The soup came out first and it was amazing!  Very tasty and incredibly creamy!  Then the sandwich came out, accompanied by jalapeño cheddar tots, which were the absolute biggest and tastiest tots I've ever had!  The sandwich itself, which consisted of top roast beef on a fresh roll that was adorned with their own spices on top.  It was absolutely wonderful!  Just melted in my mouth!
I would say this was one of the best little dives I've ever eaten at! Â If I lived in Buffalo I'd be a regular for sure. Â It seemed especially like a great place to go hang out and watch a Bills or a Sabres game. Â Definitely check it out if you are ever in town!
Last February we were coming home from the pond hockey tournament downtown. My sister and her husband live in West Seneca so we decided to shoot down Seneca Street and see who would serve us food. We were famished from a long day of drinking Labatt Blue.
We pulled into Blackthorn because it looked inviting, and had a lot, so it was also easy to pull into. The last time I had been to Blackthorn, I was a kid and with my grandparents, and Blackthorn was under its previous ownership. My grandparents went there a lot for fish fries because they lived right up the street on South Ryan. I remember that I liked the place, and that they did too.
This time, we stumbled in and immediately recognized about half the people hanging out in the cozy barroom. My old co-worker Bill was there, with his buddies from college. They were huddled around the corner near the television. Bill told me they meet up every year for a Canisius College basketball game and that this was their afterparty. I forget if the Griffs won or lost.
One of the guys Bill was with was my fourth grade teacher's brother, and we all talked and reminisced about what a great teacher his sister was. Her brother told me that one of her old students who went onto Stanford and spoke at that school's commencement mentioned my fourth grade teacher in his address. We were going on and on. My old co-worker Bill was horrified by how drunk with excitement and booze we all were.
And then Bill's friend who I never met taught us what a Bloody Beer is. It's his routine to order a Bloody Mary and sip it. He also orders a Bud and all the while pours some of the beer into the Bloody until it is fully diluted. He sips and goes through beers until the stuff in the glass is all beer and no more blood. Then he knows it is time to go home. At least that is what he said. Maybe he keeps drinking sometimes.
At this point we needed food, and badly. And because we were in South Buffalo we texted my Uncle Charlie and his new wife because we know they always hang out around the corner from Blackthorn. At first they resisted, but we wouldn't relent because we were so drunk and annoying from the Labatt Blues at the pond hockey tournament.
Eventually my uncle showed up. We were already seated. So were Bill and his buddies, at a table across the dining room from us. But when Charlie got to our table, with his new wife, I shouted to Bill that my uncle was here and that he and his new wife were expecting a child in the summer. My uncle was embarrassed because I just acted like a drunk idiot, but Bill was excited to hear the news. And anyhow, we all felt very comfortable because Blackthorn is that kind of place. You feel comfortable there.
I ordered beef on weck and it was fine. But the place and the ambiance and the company made the night special. Since then we keep returning to Blackthorn. We love the beers on tap -- including McSorley's, which usually is just served at an Irish pub in New York called McSorley's. And we love that the bartender keeps remembering us. He lets us order really late (around 11pm or so), and keeps an eye out for the table we like to sit at if it is occupied when we come in.
Last week my sister and two of her friends stopped in to watch election returns. They all work for the county, and so were paying close attention to Election Day results. They got to chatting with the bartender, and my sister learned that he works for a local politician. She told me today, and I asked "our bartender?" and she said "no, another kid." So that means Blackthorn has, at least, our bartender and also a bartender in politics. Sam Malone + Woody.
Blackthorn is such a great place. It feels like Cheers. But it's better because Cheers is fake and you can actually go to Blackthorn. And all this stuff happens there, and you think "oh this could be a tv show," and then you remember it's real life and it makes you kind of happy.
An unexpected pleasure to visit here for lunch during a walking visit to the old neighborhood. Different than I'd remembered it, but that was 40 years ago! But something was familiar, maybe it was the air inside. Old places have a certain character that new paint or mirrors cannot change. Several interesting sandwich choices appeared, but the beef on weck jumped off the menu at me and I couldn't resist.
Excellent choice. Wow! Tender beef sliced not too thinly, fragrant horseradish and a tasty kummelweck roll. The side was..... interesting.... cheddar jalapeno tater tots....a little heavy and loudly flavored but a nice complement still. Great service, a dill pickle and a cold beer. Â Life is good. And life goes on in this little part of the world where a kid spent his youth and had one more chance to retrace his steps decades later on a gloriously sunny afternoon. Blackthorn Pub. I'm glad I went back and I hope I'll get a chance to do it again. Â If you get a chance, go. You'll get a taste of real food served by real people who will treat you like family, maybe better.
Dropped in tonight for a beef on weck. Our inspiration was DD&D. Thank you again Guy.
The sandwich was great. The best beef on weck I have ever had. The beef was tender and the bun was nice too. My wife had the crab cakes. They were well seasoned and very tasty. The surprise was the tater tots. Didn't see that one coming. They had a crispy coating however the inside was nice and light. They also had an underlying kick of spice that was great.
The service was very friendly and quick. The decor was pretty good too. I felt that the inside had a real UK flair. The smell of the kitchen made it all USA.
Stopped by here during the Christmas shopping season. Â I heard about Blackthorn and wanted to try it out before Guy Fieri was even in the picture...so I feel a bit like a schmuck going after he did. Â
The place is good. Â
They serve a delicious Guinness, their Triple D platter is a perfect sample of some pretty iconic Buffalo grub, and the service is welcoming. Â I love how they serve crinkle cut fries (not many places do) that are not the least bit soggy after a few minutes on your plate. Â I gobbled them right up!
Try the pulled pork nachos, if you're looking for an appetizer to feed a table of 4. Â
I am heading back there tonight for dinner to try something else!
I have to admit that we had originally aimed to hit Schwabl's on the way back from Holiday Valley but they were closed.  Blackthorn was our backup having heard of it from Guy Fieri's DDD (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DyWT6ViWltQc&s=d98131dfa228501fe1715f708b751fc2b9d87993eec03bcfb617a0a8e39d9a2d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>).  Luckily, there was no letdown. Â
On first impression, at that hour, it was definitely a local hangout spot at the bar with up to 20 customers socializing. Â The kitchen was supposed to close at 11p but we got there around 10:50p, the owner Pat said he'd wait on us and serve us. Â His service throughout the night was the best I've had in recent memory - he was just super friendly and making conversation with us.
I went with the Triple D Platter which featured a mini Beef on Weck, a mini crab cake, a small cup of Irish beer cheddar soup, and homemade tater tots. Â My only complaint was that for $9, all the mini portions didn't fill me up but the quality of the food made up for it. Â This was my first taste of Buffalo's famous Beer Cheddar soup and I'm a fan - it has a very unique flavor and I'm already scouring recipes to try to emulate it. Â Both the Beef on Weck and the crab cake were good and I wish I had gotten full orders of each. Â And last, the homemade tater tots surprisingly stole the show - made w/ Jalapenos, cheddar, and who-knows-what, these were best tater tots I've ever had. Â If you're ever in the area, Blackthorn is definitely worth your stomach space.
If you are ever in Buffalo (which will probably be never), then take the drive over to Blackthorn. Â Trust me when I say that if you ask a native Buffalonian about the place that they may not know about it. Strangely most people don't venture to south Buffalo.
They were featured on the food network. Â You know I couldn't resist going to try the beef on weck there since it was featured on DDD. Â They even have a platter made up of the Beef on Weck, Tots, Irish beer Cheddar soup named after the show.
Strangest thing though. Â The owner is one of the nicest men I've ever met. Â Was really accomodating to outsiders. Â He even knew about the Three Dollar Cafe in Buckhead (which shocked me when he asked me about it). Â
We ended up becoming friends with two local fellows at the end of the bar and they ended up buying us beers. Â We stayed and talked for a few hours with everybody. Â They clued us in to life in Upstate New York and told us some tall tales. All in all a great place to spend the afternoon.
we heard about Blackthorn through food network and while on vacation back home, we decided to stop in. Â The soup was delicious and so was everyones sandwiches. Â I also got the stuffed banana peppers appetizer; you can add the peppers to any sandwich for a small fee and I really wished I had, they were delicious!! Â My husband and parents ordered and loved the Irish beer Cheddar soup and holy crap, was it delicious! Â They have homemade tater tots and they were amazing too. I had never heard of this place before the episode on DDD but I'm glad we did, the restaurant is amazing!! Â It's definitely worth a trip!! I'm sure we will be going again our next trip back to Buffalo, NY!!
Review Source:SIMPLY AMAZING!!!!! Watched an episode of Diners, Drive-ins, & Dives and simply fell in LOVE with the food. I started out with the beer cheese soup which was off the charts. Simply astounding. Then we had the stuffed banana peppers. I think it was stuffed with cream cheese but again simply amazing. Then to polish it all off I had The Pub "The Big Guys Favorite". Â Corn-beef and turkey piled high on rye with a side of home made tater tots. My father in law had the steak sandwich. After seeing that I was very jealous an wished I had gotten that. Oh well, I guess it's just another reason to come back.
Review Source:
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