Amazing burgers and sides. Probably one of the best burgers in buffalo. And they have an enormous beer selection. On the down side there are a pretty good amount of servers there that are not great. There are some good but not many. Almost every time we go they get out drink orders wrong or they are made incorrectly. So incorrectly where we didn't even have to taste them to tell they were messed up. We still go all the time because the food is so good though. It's definitely worth it for quality delicious food but not for the service.
Review Source:Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer! Yes...that's why I'm here. I came into Buffalo from Canada to pick up some bottles but had an evening free. I tried to find a place downtown but they were all closed. So I decided to head up Elmwood and chanced upon Coles.
Wow. What a selection...there were 40 taps, with most of them being craft, with some standouts I've never seen on tap, like Goose Island Sophie. The bartender was friendly, quick, and helpful and the crowd was friendly and I really enjoyed my time here.
I hear the food is good, but I didn't get a chance to try it...too bad. Whenever I'm in Buffalo, I'll make a point to come to Coles for some beer and hopefully try out the food menu.
Today, I went to Cole's with a friend who is moving out of town b/c she wanted to go there one last time before she left. Â For some reason, the service and the food were both awful today. Â First of all, the waitress ignored us for most of the time we were in there. Â What we wanted to be a relatively quick lunch when we had other things we wanted to do ended up taking nearly 2 hours. Â The restaurant was not busy in any way. Â She acted like we were inconveniencing her. Â They gave us those awful kind of french fries, but they were listed on the menu as "hand-cut fries" but are not even close to being hand cut. Â My friends fries were supposed to come as "Sanfrancisco Style" but they brought out the wrong ones. Â When her replacement fries came out, they were just sprinkled with a little cheese, not worth paying extra for! Â Our sandwiches were subpar. Â I have a feeling I won't be back here to eat for a while.
Review Source:My boyfriend booked a private brunch for me for my birthday and I had an amazing time. The service was awesome and we didn't have to worry about anything. We had one of the private rooms upstairs and a whole bucket of endless mimosas, but we didn't even have to worry about refilling our glasses up ourselves, because our server was on top of it, oh and coffee too ;) The food was great and we barely had to wait. They were very friendly and accommodating to us when we booked, when my boyfriend came to set everything up and while we were there, I would highly recommend booking any kind of event here, because they were great. I was never a huge fan of Coles, because I thought it was more of a college bar, but after the few times I have been there, and my great birthday experience I would highly recommend it!
Review Source:THIS REVIEW IS FOR BRUNCH ONLY!
I really, really hate to give them this 2 star review, because I have been here many times for dinner, and their tasty burgers and beer warrant a solid 4/5. Â But this brunch experience was just not good.
We got there right when they opened at 11, but stupidly forgot that you can't serve alcohol in NYS until noon, so we didn't get to have the $10 bottomless mimosa special, which is partially the reason we decided to come here. Â Anyway, I ordered the eggs benedict, because I am trying to find the best eggs benedict in Buffalo. Â Let me tell you, this is NOT it.
When the plate came out, it looked good, but sadly, it was not very pleasant. Â The english muffin was REALLY hard to cut. Â The bottom was so tough, that I was sawing at it for a while just to get a bite! Â The peameal bacon was fine, albeit a bit on the fattier side -- though not a big deal. Â But the egg. Â Oh god the egg. Â Now I am not an egg expert, but I KNOW that poached eggs are supposed to have a runny yolk (which is why I like them). Â This egg must have been cooked in the strangest contraption ever. Â The whites were pretty runny (runnier than usual) but the yolk was over-medium/over-hard consistency. Â Yuck! Â It was so gross. Â One of the best parts of an eggs benedict is when you cut into the poached egg and the yolk oozes out and mixes with the hollandaise sauce. Â This was not the case. Â I pretty much scooped all the egg yolk off to the side, because it was that bad. Â The hollandaise sauce was also pretty bad. Â It had started to congeal on top of the yolk, which was really unappetizing. Â I pretty much just ate the english muffin, the peameal bacon, and part of the egg. Â This was NOT a winner.
And the potatoes. Â I mentioned that we got here at 11 when they opened, because you would think that the potatoes would at least be fresh. Â They felt stale and rubbery. Â The tasted okay, but it felt like they were reheated from days ago, which was the opposite of what I would expect. Â One of the other people at my table felt the same way about the potatoes, but overall they both enjoyed their dishes.
All in all, maybe it was just a bad experience, but I am crossing Cole's off my brunch list, and I will probably just be sticking here for dinner and beer from now on.
Cole's has a fun atmosphere - then again, I've only ever been to it during Wednesday night trivia. They have a wide selection of beers and their food is pretty good as well. I had a black and bleu burger, which was made well - though perhaps not the best burger I've had, it definitely hit the spot.The service has always been good when I've gone, even during the craziness of trivia night.
I definitely recommend coming here during trivia night with a couple of friends, especially if you've had a pretty dull Wednesday night, just to spice things up a bit. Some of the trivia is catered to a slightly older generation (being a 90s kid myself), so make sure you have a few people from every generation on your team if you want a shot at winning. If you are in Elmwood, give Cole's a shot.
Hello, I once lived a few blocks away. Now am out of state. I recently flew to Bflo to visit family and friends. Some of us met up at Coles which we used to frequent all of the time.
Wow what happened to the place? The menu items are now outrageously priced. The Beef on Weck was a much lower standard from a decade ago. When did the fru fru beers go on tap?
And what happened to the staff? Where did the classy white button down oxfords with neckties go? Even Polo shirts would be better than the tasteless T-shirts the staff was wearing.
Now for the bar. We ate in the dining room and then off to the bar which reeked of stale beer, mold and mildew. What the heck happened to the cleaning staff?
The place smelled like a college Frat house on a Sunday morning, to include the old gym shorts somewhere...
We were only able to have a very quick beer before running for the door to not vomit.
What ever happened to the upscale Public House that was Cole's for decades that had decent blue collar prices yet boased college professors, attorneys and accountants?
So the prices have escallated and the total atmosphere has dropped to that of a corner tavern dive bar with a stench.
I can see why my friends and family no longer are patrons. They had warned me, but we chanced on it anyway.
I recommend closing for 2-3 days, scrubbing the entire place from top to bottom to include getting the dust off of the fixtures and artifacts, teaching the wait staff to learn and reccomend the specials, training the bar staff to keep their eyes open as we had to wait 4 minutes while they were all on their I-phones, putting everyone back into the uniforms that once defined the Pub and going back to the prices that people can afford.
We currently reside in a higher priced economy than that of Buffalo and our prices are not as high as Coles. Our Pubs are also cleaner.
Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide craft beer selection (price goes up along with deliciousness though), old local sports memorabilia, gotta love Cole's. Â Something about that calamari with that honey mustard is just delightful. Â Saw a review about the French Onion Soup being awesome, its pretty good but I'm still waiting for some 5 star French Onion in Buffalo.
Review Source:My husband and I have been here several times to eat and drink. This place is good so lets get right to it.
Pros:
-small but substantial menu (burgers are good, fancier dishes are good as well) must try the ahi tuna salad and the calamari!
-wide beer choice (although a little more than other joints)
-music is good (its oldies, like 50/60s hits which I LOVE!)
-never had terrible service, always good and if anything ever (food given to another table by accident) happened they were apologetic (which honestly is what people want if a mistake happens because shit happens!) or they took it off the bill
-they're pretty good about not serving minors so I've never seen any 19 year olds being a pain
-good people watching because a bunch of different types go here
Cons:
-Once while sitting near the windows (winter time) it was cold so ask for another table
Definitely worth a stop for dinner and drinks. Food is definitely better caliber than chain restaurants!
Cole's is Cole's... If you spent any of your undergraduate (or perhaps high school years for some of you rebels!) years in Buffalo, you probably spent at least one drunken night stopping at Cole's.
Last night, it was so loud in the bar side of the building that after a couple of hours, I felt disoriented. After a delicious purple haze beer too of course (it was very good!)... I'm old now, and ear drum busting loudness and drinking aren't what they were 10 years ago... Met a small group here for Geeks Who Drink trivia night. It was actually a lot of fun! I recommend trying it out some Wednesday with a few people- preferably who know a good deal about sports, music, movies, and other random pop culture. We all had something to add to the table which was cool and good reason to have a diverse group of teammates!
I didn't order any food, but the menu looks good. I was particularly intrigued by both the poutine and the ahi tuna nachos on the menu. The dessert beers sounded intriguing as well. I love a tasty lambic! Without trying any of the food, I can't judge but next time I drop in for trivia, I'll make sure I don't eat dinner before hand so I can indulge in something delicious sounding on the menu.
Now that I don't live in Buffalo I always remember the food. Seriously you may or may not know what your missing but I'm missing the food. UGH the FOOD. Cole's is so yummy. The staff has rarely kept our parties waiting. The food comes out hot. I have had the salad to the burger regular and Kobe, french dip mexican taco deep fried things, mimosas, pistachio muffins are the best if you ever are lucky enough to have the option. I hear they are made by some adorable old woman in her house who knows her stuff and way around the kitchen apparently.
Atmosphere is loud but its just that kind of place. A place to get together and hang with friends and eat good food. Good portion size. You never leave hungry.
the reason its not receiving 5 stars from me is this...
The last two times we were there the two beers on the beer list we ordered were not here.
AND the sister restaurant Brennan's has a better French dip.
Brother's own each restaurant but I do notice some things are better at Brennan's. They do stuff a little differently obviously.
GO TO BOTH
I'd like to think of myself as a French Onion Soup connoisseur. Let me tell you, Coles has by far the BEST FRENCH ONION SOUP IN BUFFALO. So delicious. I would definitely say go here for a nice dinner with friends or family. The bar is a little small and very crowded to hang out in on the weekends and usually filled with some fine college kids. But it's all worth it for the French Onion Soup.
Review Source:This was my second visit to Cole's, the first being birthday drinks with my manfriend, so nothing could really go wrong. Great selection on tap, friendly bartenders-A++.
Just went back with a few friends for dinner-totally different experience. The hostess was super friendly-may have just been that we were happy to be out and have a beer at the bar, but initially all good. Then came the actual having of the dinner. The food was very good-everyone seemed to be enjoying it and there were no major complaints (except if you put 'avocado' as one of the things coming on the burger, guacamole is not an acceptable substitute. Just because it's the main ingredient doesn't make it the same).
But the service. Hooooly crap the service was mind-numbingly terrible. We had an older female server who seemed to be everywhere but at our table. When our last guest arrived (just a minute after we ordered), she (the guest) waited at least 10 minutes and finally went up and got a menu from the hostess, and had to ask our server to come back. When she did it was all 'honey sweetie blah blah' and that kind of overeager backpedaling continued the rest of the night. For 4 of us to eat we were there for almost 2.5 hours, and not because we wanted to be. All told, we had to ask 3 other people for things/to please find our server. The real kicker came when she dropped our check and then came over not 5 minutes later to pick it up. It's 4 ladies with drinks-it's gonna take a minute. We should have hurried, because when we saw her next she was having a drink with her friends at the table directly next to us. And when we sorted the money and left it on the corner of the table, she still sat and hung out. We waited almost 20 minutes and finally went to find another server to please cash us out. Cue the 'honey sweetie' show.
I know that we can't expect people (in general) to be on their game all the time, and sometimes it's an off night, no matter what industry you're in. But this was over-the-top. I'll be back for drinks only.
Cole's is a quintessential Times Square, New York City-style Irish pub, replete with ample seating, a jumbo-sized menu, and enough beer choices to intrigue. Â Situated at the head of the Elmwood strip, its location means that people who just happen to be in the neighborhood will always stop on by. Â A visit to Cole's isn't out of the way of anything. Â It's on the way to so much.
Like those pubs in Times Square, Cole's knows that it has a virtually endless client base. Â Like those pubs in Times Square, Cole's knows that all it has to do is maintain the status quo it has upheld for decades to maintain a steady profit. Â Like those pubs in Times Square, Cole's has no incentive to vigilantly guard the quality of the food it serves, has no incentive to focus on the customer service experience. Â So it doesn't. Â So it stays the same, and it fails.
Service-wise, Cole's is a mess. Â If arriving for dinner, you must first determine which of the girls loitering near a podium is the actual hostess. Â (Sometimes, this question seems to confuse them as well.) Â If a wait is required, be sure to provide both first and last name, and be sure to wait close to the podium (rather than at the bar). Â The hostesses at Cole's seem to have an astounding ability to forget the likenesses of customers. Â If arriving for drinks, I should add, you may have to knock other patrons over in order to be served. Â Cole's is by no means busy compared to even moderately busy neighborhood bars in New York, Dallas, San Francisco, and so forth, but the bartenders are incredibly inefficient, ambling helter skelter like headless chickens. Â Be warned -- should you manage to successfully secure a seat at the bar, a table, or a booth, your wait for food will likely be long. Â My two most recent waits at Cole's were 44 minutes (for burgers at 2:00 PM, well after the Sunday brunch rush had ended) and 36 minutes (for a salad on a Wednesday night at 7:00 PM). Â
Food-wise, the only word I can think of in reference to Cole's is "meh." Â Burgers, wings, fries, chicken sandwiches, salads, and other pub stables are roughly T.G.I. Friday's caliber. Â Out of the box options (i.e. the Andouille burger) are borderline atrocious. Â I suppose none of this would be a problem if it weren't for 1) the Elmwood markup on all of their menu items and 2) their local reputation for excellent pub fare. Â You'd be better off heading across the street to the Blue Monk for Elmwood-priced fare or visiting a Grover's, a Vizzi's, a Gene McCarthy's, or so on for cheaper food and a better experience. Â
Beer-wise, Cole's does offer one of the better beer line-ups in Buffalo, but the price points are high, and I have reservations about the quality of their facilities. Â Specifically, I wonder how often they clean their taps. Â Some of the craft beers that they do serve that I am more intimately familiar with, Goose Island and Ithaca in particular, lacked the distinct taste I had come to love when served at beer Meccas in New York. Â (Parenthetically, the Chimay tasted fine. Â Maybe it's the shorter run/rarer items?)
So would I recommend Cole's? Â No way. Â Will I expect people to end up there anyway? Â Probably. Â After all, it is sitting right at the head of Elmwood Avenue.
I'm pretty sure Cole's mission statement must say something about creating the perfect Sunday morning brunch experience. I've celebrated birthdays here, brought the family, eaten with friends and watched many a Bills game here.It's a Buffalo classic if you live nearby or are passing through the neighborhood. The beer list is great & the food is just as good. Â Ive always had very friendly service & would recommend coming here for any casual occasion. My perfect Sunday would have to start at Cole's.
Review Source:This is one of our favorite places to go in the city. We have not had a bad meal here yet. If you are looking for a cool, down-to-earth bar/restaurant with a great atmosphere and awesome food, this is the place to go. For me, they have the best stuffed peppers in town (and that is saying a lot for someone from Buffalo). Service ranges very good ( Like we had last night ) to subpar but the food and atmosphere always make up for it. The place in nearly always packed by 7 pm.
Some other menu items that we have tried and loved:
French onion, Seared Tuna (salad and the entree), Risotta Balls
This place and the other restaurants that he owns (Blue Monk) never disappoint. This and his other establishments make it so easy to support local! We will keep coming back
I've been here numerous times and have never been disappointed with anything other than dropping $8 on some wild beer I've never heard of. Â That's half the fun of the place though I guess? Â Local beers, samplings and the ability to try need brews makes this place a great time. Â There is a bar and restaurant side to give you some space from the loud ones. Â I think the bar is a good place to go for a casual night out. Â When it comes to eating I generally stick to a really small food box here... damn, I've had the lamb burger the majority of the time when coming here... it's delicious! Â I recommend it to pretty much anyone... even if you've never had lamb! Â Definitely have tried other things but nothing has seem to match that. Â I guess that makes me a terrible reviewer. Â But hey, stick to what you like, eh?
Review Source:To me, Cole's encapsulates the "Elmwood vibe" perfectly.
Their bar area is great fun to be in (nice architecture) and the beer list is varied, extensive, and fairly priced. Always a wait whenever we go and the bar is always crowded, but we're still serviced swiftly and with courtesy by the friendly bartenders.
Food is absolutely amazing, as well. I always make it a point to get the Crabcake Po' Boy. Crabcakes are huge and flavorful and the roll is always fresh. Other appetizers (Buffalo shrimp, Chicken finger rolls, etc) are fantastic, as well.
I know that Cole's and Brennan's are under the same umbrella, but I'd choose Cole's over the latter any day of the week, easily.
I went to Cole's for essentially a pre job interview dinner. Basically it was an abbreviated menu and I didn't foot the bill so I can't say anything about the prices.
That said, I ended up getting the jalapeno, chicken, and cream cheese wantons as an appetizer. They were delicious and the only downside to them was that you only got three wontons. They were good and crispy and served in a sweet and spicy sauce that complimented the jalapenos and cream cheese very well.
For an entree I had the pot roast sandwich. "Wow" is what I have to say about that. Honestly it had never occurred to me before to put a well cooked tender pot roast on a nice bun and call it a day (there was technically a horseradish mayo served with it, but I don't like horseradish so I omitted it). The meat itself, if not perfectly cooked, was pretty darn close and the drippings that soaked into the bun seasoned the whole sandwich in that subtlely great way that the au jus on a beef on weck does. Once I started eating it I couldn't put it down, good manners be darned.
Other than that the fries were good, though underseasoned and the service was adequate for a large party (about 15 people). My coffee was never empty very long and no finished plate stayed by a diner more than a few minutes.
My only criticism was that the entree really could have used a side salad or coleslaw, something fresh and chilled to contrast the warm sandwich and fries. We had the option to substitute the appetizer for a salad but then you don't get an appetizer and who wants that? Perhaps it was just because of the limited menu, I guess I'll just have to go back another time and order off the regular menu.
Cole's has really delicious food. Â I actually have been going here a lot lately for their Burgers and wings (I'm low carbing). Â I'd say it is one of the best places to go in Blo for a burger! Â They also have really good salads, sandwiches, and specials. Â Most people go exclusively for their beer selection. Â This is, without a doubt, one of its strong points, but do not overlook the high quality food. Â I have to admit, if you go later on in the night, it can get really loud, especially if you are sitting on the bar side. Â If you don't like lots of background noise, request to sit in the dining room. Â Its always busy, and that alone says a lot for a restaurant!
Review Source:A great pub with an excellent section of drinks, delicious food and a cozy atmosphere. Cole's is a great place to hang out with friends, stop in for lunch and has some of the most amazing burgers that Buffalo has to offer. I recently had the pot-roast burger and my mind was absolutely blown as my taste buds exploded with delicious flavor. Their burgers really do inspire that sort of passion. After reading some of other reviews, I can't wait to come back and try some of the other burgers as well (Huey Loui Andouille? yes please!).
Protip: ask to substitute the fries for a German Potato Salad. It is also one of the most delicious potato salads I have ever tasted. And for those that don't know, a German Potato Salad is not cold and does not have a mayo-base. Instead, hot potatoes are coated in a delicious beef broth with bits of bacon on top. Yum.
With some great menu options and a decent atmosphere, Cole's is a great place for a lunch, dinner or to just drop in after work. You'll find a lot of Buffalo locals here, with the lunch crowd being particularly older than the night time crowd. You can choose to sit at the bar or walk to the adjacent dining room area, which has some great natural lighting when it's sunny. Not a bad place to people watch either.
Hit this place up Friday night after starting happy hour next door at Mister Goodbar. By the time we got there the house was packed and it was wall to wall people but we were still served really quickly at the bar (both shots and beer). My aforementioned (see Mr. Goodbar review) beer snob friends enjoyed the selection here quite a bit and didn't have trouble finding something they wanted to drink. Despite the large crowd the wait for a table was only about 20 minutes, a nice surprise after the quoted 30 or so from the hostess.
I was with four other people and we decided to split some appetizers rather than ordering full meals. Everything was delicious and I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of choices on their menu. We chose the Buffalo Egg Rolls, the Baked Artichoke & Spinach Dip and the Pesto & Bruschetta bread. The bread was by far my favorite, but I am a sucker for pesto. Put it on pretty much anything and I'll devour it. I thought it gave a nice light flavor to what could have been a really heavy appetizer. The egg roll was pretty tasty, too - loved the crispy shell and the chicken had just the right amount of kick. The dip was good, but nothing extraordinary - just a solid artichoke spinach dip you could get anywhere.
I took one star off because of the noise level, which was REALLY loud. I thought that after we were seated the dining area might be a little less noisy than the bar. I thought wrong. That said, it was the only down side to this place. Nice drink selection, friendly staff, good service and yummy eats. I'll definitely be back!
Cheers: Outstanding beer board in dining room. Every table is presented with a brew list, excellent descriptions, and BA rankings. A Buffalo legend in terms of their Bloody Marys. Bar area made to look like an alpine lodge. Tap selection has really come around: you can tell they put some thought into it besides just throwing on some taps. Finally some NY brews other than Brooklyn and Flying Bison: Lake Placid, Southern Tier, Middle Ages, and Ellicotville. Thanks!!! Consistent rotating seasonal tap selection. Ever expanding selection of bottles in well displayed microfridge to keep you occupied if the taps don't intrigue you. Bartender is 100 % business, shirt and tie. All regional Brewing News are available here.
Fireplace in "garden atrium" room. Servers attentive. Unlimited H2O and coffee refills and they're serious about refilling you. FREE muffins with breakfast. Food is outstanding. Standard Buffalo pub fare, plus some original goodies. Older, more refined crowd during the day, most likely hiding out from spouses or bosses. Younger Canisius College crowd at night. All in all, a well behaved, mild mannered place to spend an evening, where the biggest disagreement that you will see is collar up, or collar down.
I spend at least $50 every time I come here, let's just say that you might need to sit down in order to read your credit card statement. Last time I was at Coles, I ran a $120 (with tip) bar tab... great f'ing times! Thanks Mike, Dan, and Joe :)
Note: Goodbar and Coles seem to be competing with each other in terms of the number of handles on. Coles is the clear winner in terms of atmosphere, sanitary conditions, and service. My advice: Go to both. Both are filling a well needed niche.
When I usually come here it's pretty crowded, and the way the restaurant area splits off makes it difficult to stand anywhere near the bar. If you are going to come here you should do it when it's less busy to get a seat or spot before the crowd gets here.
Tuesday's is ladies night with specials as usual. The people who frequent here are nice people and the bar staff is quick and helpful as well as nice. If you're looking to see some Buffalo Sabres this is the place to do it, especially on Tuesday night when Derek Roy would frequent here every Tuesday with his brother. After the Sabres lost this past season they all met here on a Tuesday before heading out to their respected hometowns. That was a truly epic night going upstairs in their party and drinking with them, fun times.
The food here is pretty good, I'll be honest that I have only ate here a few times but it wasn't bad food at all, and the prices are respectable.
Check the place out, if you get there at the right times you'll have a good time, if not you're better off trying again on a different night or earlier next time. Have fun! Cheers!
The layout stinks. The service is spotty. It's a bit... dank. And I hate the dining room separate from the bar area. It feels like you've left the pub and entered a diner. Oh, and I also hate places with random things all over the walls. I mean, come on. Be creative. (My apologies if Cole's started this trend, but I doubt it.)
That said, Cole's holds a special place in my heart. It offers what remains to this day to be the greatest burger I ever had: the Huey Louie Andouille -- a mix of ground beef and andouille sausage with cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, and remoulade. For me, they don't come close to this one.
Let me put it this way -- I still remember every bite as if it were yesterday. In fact, in the days that followed, I held it in such high esteem that, during my next visit to Cole's, my second Huey Louie Andouille fell so short of my ridiculously over-inflated expectations, which had only grown exponentially after my first. The second burger left me disappointed, but the third one brought me back to Earth and was almost as good as the first one. Every subsequent Huey Louie Andouille has been memorable. If God served up burgers, he would serve up the Huey Louis Andouille.
Cole's holds a special place in my heart for another reason -- the best date I ever had in my life. This was a different day from that fateful encounter with the Huey Louie Andouille. We ate in the dining room area -- the one that makes you feel like you've left and entered a completely different restaurant. After we finished eating, we headed to the bar area, and we spent 8 hours there. Literally, 8 hours. I've never been in the same bar for 2 hours, let alone 8. Didn't get drunk either; just had a blast. Awesome atmosphere. Incredible beer selection. I'll be coming to Cole's for the rest of my life.
I'm in agreement with lots of other reviewers, the service is spotty at best and can really ruin your evening here if you're in a hurry or expecting great service. If you have time and don't mind hopping up to the bar for a drink or two while waiting, Cole's is a great time.
Extensive beer list, solid menu with lots of choices, and comfy wooden seating. I LOVE in the warmer months (or March when it hits 68) when they open up the giant garage door wall and bring the outdoors in.
I've had lots of trouble here with various promotions, so if you're showing up with a certificate or other discount that you're counting on, check on it with your server before you order.
Enjoyed Cole's for dinner the other night. Â We got there early so it was pretty quiet. Â We were directed to the windowed side of the building and were encouraged to sit at a table, but with a bit of cajoling we were able to get a booth. Â I guess they prefer not to seat parties of two at the big booths, but because it was just us and the other early diners (seniors and families with kids and babies) we were able to grab one.
We started with the Buffalo Shrimp, which I enjoy, but I find that the sauce is a bit too strong for the delicate taste of the shrimp.  I ordered the Bahn Mi burger which I had been thinking about ever since I first heard it mentioned here on Yelp.  The burger itself was well cooked, and the pickled veggies were nice and refreshing... for it to be closer to a Bahn Mi, however, it needed cilantro and a few jalapeños...  maybe I'll bring my own next time.
We also tried the Jiffy Burger, with Bacon and Jiffy Peanut Butter. Â I have to say, I was a skeptic, but now a convert... a fundamentalist even. Â The peanut butter gave the burger that umami flavor... it is a special right now, so you should go right out and try it. Â It will change your life.
Now... I just wish they would do handcut fries... I would probably go more regularly if they did. Â Where is the suggestion box?
Cole's has become our go-to place. Â As everyone mentions, it has a great beer list (they're very good about letting you taste before ordering). Â
If I have something bad to say about it, it's that at times there service is glacial. Â I once waited almost 90 minutes for lunch to come out. Â Granted, it was a nice day and we had beer so it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't the greatest thing from a work standpoint. Â
My favorite menu item has to be the Buffalo Shrimp: shrimp battered, fried, and sauced.
This place is an Elmwood staple, an old-man bar that seems to draw an all-ages crowd -- perhaps because they're working hard to serve customers well and stay relevant on a hipster-fying strip.
Last time I visited, we had a GIANT party of family members and friends, and they seated us without issue, even finding an extra table and chairs for a few latecomers so we could all sit together. So nice!
I also had a friend with me from out-of-town, and when she wasn't mowing down on her first beef on weck (so delicious here!), she was staring at the decor: old posters, signs and carousel horses mounted above the booths. Love it!
Cole's doesn't appear to have brunch on Saturdays, or at least they're not sellin' it very hard, because we only received the lunch menu at around noon on a Sat. That said, the lunch menu is solid, with a nice mix of the expected (burgers), the twists-on-an-old-staple (stuffed banana peppers with marinara), and the whoa-that-is-actually-a-brilliant-idea (lamb burgers with feta and arugula, "banh mi" pork burgers with ginger, scallions and pickled vegetables).
I do wish they had more interesting salads, and maybe more than one kind of tea, but this is obviously not a health-food restaurant. And this is Buffalo, so even at midday on a weekend, the most popular beverage was craft beer, coming out mostly in sample-paddle form from the bar. However, I gotta say, I was tempted!
I'll be brief. Food was good...very good for American pub food. Fries are double fried deliciousness. Fish & chips were great, and I could actually taste the Guinness beer batter. Mmm!
Now to the ugly, service was pretty terrible. We went for lunch on a Friday, and it took over 2 hours to complete the lunch. We even saw tables leave after not being served for 30-60 minutes. Who knows if it was under staffing or bad service, but it was ridiculous. It's a shame because honestly, the food was enjoyable. However, I cannot return to this place until I know the service is better equipped or more attentive. If the food were piss poor than it would be 1 star...since it was good food I'll be generous and give it 2 stars.
Cole's is an old-school Buffalo establishment that has, in recent years, become the go to beer bar in the city. Yes, you can go to Hardware or Fat Bob's and find very good beer. Yes, you can even (gasp) go next door to Goodbar and find beer that isn't crappy. Still, there is no other place in Buffalo that has such a wide variety, meant to cater to people who either know what they like and have discerning tastes, or people who are honestly curious about the beer world beyond Yuengling, Labatt or Bud Light.
They always have a number of very good beers on tap, and they constantly rotate new beers in to keep things fresh and interesting for the seasoned boozer. Cole's also has, on occasion, various beer tastings and other beer related events that bring together boozers of all stripe. One of the things I love about this place is the diversity of the crowd - salt and pepper, if not straight up salt, OG's who have been getting drinks there for decades, college aged proto-beer snobs getting their first sips of the good stuff, white collar types, beer hippies, et cetera.
I hear there is a restaurant here too, but I wouldn't know!! Just kidding. I've eaten here before on a number of occasions and haven't absolutely hated it. I dig their burgers.
My one complaint as a customer at the bar is that I don't have 110%, absolute rock-solid confidence in the bar staff. I don't believe every one of them knows the beer that Cole's serves. I suppose when I'm at a real beer bar, I expect the staff to know what their customers are drinking. I'm looking for a certain level of expertise, some level of beer education. This isn't a universal complaint, as they do have some good bartenders. Still, I trust my own judgment more and probably always will.
Don't let that bit of awful snobbery on my part bother you. Seriously, this is the best beer bar in the city, that is until Blue Monk opens and Buffalo *finally* gets a bar where you are served your beverage in the proper glass!!
Cole's is a fantastic beer bar. If not the biggest, the beer selection...bottled or draft...is high on the list. And they serve only quality domestic and foreign beers. The drafts are mostly american micro-brews, including Southern Tier, Stone, Harpoon, Anchor Steam, and Victory, to name some of the better known selections. They specialize in bottled Belgian beers, which is an entire page in their beer menu. Â
I'm also a big fan of the food. Their Black & Blue Burger is my standard for this sandwich. For those who don't know, this is a blackened hamburger with chunky blue cheese and a wedge of red pepper. The fries are great too.
I just realized I've been going to Cole's (read: drinking at Cole's) for nearly half my life. Â "But he looks so young?!" Â Exactly.
I'm gonna split the difference on this one... Cole's beer selection is insane-o. Â If you're a beer nut, like me, this is the place to go. Â Prices on certain brands are a bit high, but I don't mind... it's worth it.
The food is your standard pub fare. Â They try to dress up their entrees all fancy-like... A for effort i suppose. Â Burgers are big, messy and usually on point. Â Sandwiches are pretty good as well.
I've never had good service here. Â You usually have to wait for ages to get your food... regardless of the time of day, year, etc. Â The waiters/waitresses seem a bit listless to me as well. Â The last time I was here, the waitress spilled half my beer all over the table - and didn't offer to (at the very least) fill up the glass! Â That rubbed me the wrong way. Â Bad service on ONE occasion can turn someone off altogether... but when it happens EVERY time, that's a problem. Â If it wasn't for the afformentioned beer list, I'd probably never come back.
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