Over 130 beers on the menu at this upscale bar, restaurant, and live music venue in the heart of Allentown. Menu is inventive pub fare--and VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY with some delicious options, including eggplant wings, quesadillas, fancy grilled cheese, and well-prepared salads. Walk in through the long, narrow-ish bar area and the place opens up into a fairly large dining area looking onto a cool stage decorated with 1970s oil paintings on black velvet. Continuing back to the rear of the building, there's a small triangular patio with covered bench and table seating. The happy hour shows on Friday (6-9pm) are a don't-miss.
Review Source:This review is ONLY for the music and atmosphere of Duke's. Â This is NOT a review of the food there.
The live music is great, there seems to always be a friendly crowd, and the owners aren't shy about helping out when it gets busy either.
Saturday night jazz is my favorite (6p-9p). Â However, Tuesday nights are awesome when they have live soul music (7p-10p). There is live music almost every night, usually starting around 10pm for the heavier stuff, and different themes each night of the week. Â Check out their calendar on their website for more info.
Some may scoff at my five star rating for Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar but let's compare apples to apples.
Allen street opens its doors around 5pm each night to a bevy of regulars and newcomers alike. Â Each of the restaurants and clubs in Allentown offer their own special version of cuisine, music, ambiance, noise, dance, alcohol and...style. Â That's what Allentown is all about, right? Â My case for the five stars is that Duke's offers it all.
It's a Bar! Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Open 'til 4am and they have specials practically every day!
It's a Restaurant! Â Yup! Â Bar food, munchies, wings, burgers and on and on.
It's a Club! Â Â Â Â Â Â There's Jazz, Soul, Funk, Punk, Country, Dubstep, Swing, Open Mike and even Ladies Night goin' on here on any given night!
It's a Sports bar! Â Just try and get a seat in here on a Sabres night.
Vegan? Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â You bet!
There are 14 tables in the Duke's dining room and they're booked almost every night of the week. Â Owners Pat and Gabby [et. al.] are working diligently to morph the old bar they purchased 2 years ago into an exciting and entertaining restaurant and cabaret.
Taking over the reigns from Chef Malik Saint is Chef Michael "Red" Frank (Olivers, Bambino) who is working with Pat and Gabby on the restaurant's new directions.
Very shortly they will be pairing their nightly specials menu's with the entertainment offered each night of the week. Â They're also revamping their pub food menu to add new creations and will offer - this Summer - Seafood, Clams, Oysters, Steamers and BBQ. Â Said Patrick "We want to create something fun, hip and different."
Dukes Bohemian offers both the expected and the unexpected, the standard and the Avant-garde. Â In their food, their music and their staff you'll find what you're looking for - all under one roof. Â Apples to apples? Â It's an easy five stars.
Do you remember that guy in High School that was a bit scuzzy, and you didn't think would amount to much? Â Let's just call him Duke (don't want to get sued by Super Chef Daniel Boulud for calling him anything else*). Â Sure everyone loved Duke, he was a lot of fun. Â During your college years, you and your friends would go out and get drunk with Duke. Â That was Duke, the fun loving, scuzzy guy who was always ready to party. Â As years progressed so did he, a bit. Â Duke would only drink microbrews; he had great taste in local indie music, and a penchant for dub step (try to find penchant and dub step in the same sentence in any other review). Â Yet deep down he was still that same ole scuzzy Duke, and as you matured, got a job, started a family, he continued to party till the wee hours of the morning. Â So you went your separate ways, occasionally saying hi, but with the smug sense of suburban superiority. Â
Now, imagine that one night Duke invites you over for dinner. Â Now initially, you would scoff at the idea of eating dinner with Duke. Â Duke's not the kind of guy who would appreciate a fine meal, in fact you always figured he's the kind of guy who drank his supper. Â But Duke's always been a lot of fun and you go waaay back, so you give it a shot for old time sake.
Imagine your surprise when Duke presents you with perfectly roasted Bone Marrow topped with buttery, seasoned bread crumbs. Â Think beef flavored butter on crostini; it's one of the best things in the world. Â How about his smoked chicken wings where the smoke imbued to the discolored bones creating tender deliciousness? Â What about the dish he named Ole Leonard's Chicken and Stuff?(Greatest name for any dish in Western New York) Â He takes shredded chicken on a cardamom flavored Waffle topped with cheese and nut stuffed dates, and drizzles a beautiful chicken veloute (that's French for velvet) sauce over the top. Â Really?! Duke's speaking French now!! Â However, the real shocker is when Duke decides to prepare a vegan dish with aloo tikka (Indian potato fritters), falafel (we all know falafel), spiced mango salad, vegetable pakoras (think veggie tempura Indian style), daal saag (Indian Lentil Soup) and jelabi (sweet fried Indian funnel cakes) with dates. Â Sure it's not the best Indian food you've ever eaten, but it's...Duke...and he's worldly now?? Â What the hell happened?
We (as the collective denizens of Buffalo who share a long history with Duke, formerly known as Staples) have to face the facts, Duke is not the same old Duke he used to be. Â Sure Duke will still party till the wee hours of the morning, and sure he's still scuzzy, but thanks to Chef Malik Saint he can cook now. Â It is time we all stop underestimating our old friend Duke and realize that he has grown and matured considerably. Â Perhaps, in time Duke will even become a role model for his neighbors on the Bend. Â Who knows, maybe soon his German neighbor Friedrich (Nietzsche's if you haven't figured out the metaphor) will feature an artisanal wurst plate with locally sourced schnitzel? Â One can only dream!! Â
*Last year DBGB's (now Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar) got sued by Daniel Boulud for trademark infringement because his NYC megalith of the same name felt threatened. Â I can totally see how someone could confuse the two! [Insert healthy amounts of sarcasm here]
I'm finally going to weigh in on this place, once and for all. I have been here 3 times, and even in rock/paper/scissors two out of three is enough to lose.
The first time I went here I had an amazing meal, and a great time. I had clams casino, a dish called "animal farm" ( veal and rabbit, yum!!), a couple great beers and tapioca pudding for dessert. There was live music, and I had a fantastic time. I met the owner, learned about the concept behind the place, and went home raving about the place to family and friends. I thought it was great that I found a place where you could have good food, good music and an extensive drink selection.
A few weeks later, I was excited to bring my wife here on a date night, and we happened to stop in on Mardi Gras night. They were busy, and had a buffet. This visit was a disaster from start to finish. We waited a very long time for drinks, and then to order. My wife ordered a cup of french onion soup, and was  told they were out of it. About a half hour later the waitress said that they did have some. We had one taste, and you could tell that what the "chef" decided to do was throw some grilled onions in some left-over broth. We mentioned this to the waitress, and she told us he was "just trying to throw something together." Our meals came late and they were really awful. The steak was over cooked, and all the food was cold. When we told the waitress, she leveled with us and said that the chef was bent out of shape because he had to tend to the buffet, make lots of wings for the Sabres game, and make dinners as well. The bill came to over 100 bucks and a 5 dollar cover charge for each of us. Frankly I was surprised to even be charged for this disaster. There simply wasn't one aspect of this visit that wasn't a disappointment. I came home, and left a very negative review on yelp.
A few days later the owner called me after he had looked up my info. from my credit card. He even called my relatives trying to get my phone number. I wasn't sure weather this was stalker-creepy, or good business. I told him how I really wanted to like this place. My first visit was phenomenal! Despite the fact that he had tracked me down, and knew so much about me kind of creeped me out, I was impressed that he cared so much about his customers to try and make good on a bad experience in his place. He said he would refund the meal, or send gift certificates for another visit. Because I was impressed with the effort, I thought it was only right that I give the place another try. I took my post down, and decided to keep an open mind.
I had to send an e mail, but we did eventually receive gift certificates for 75 dollars ( we spent over 100 on our visit, but whatever).
Last night we decided to go, and give this place another shot before the Louis C.K. show. This joint was slaaaamed. I think they had one girl working the floor, and she was training another. We had a girl who was working her first day in the place. She was really doing her best. She was juggling a bunch of tables, and had a great attitude, but just couldn't keep up. No water, no drinks without running up to the bar myself. I ordered a beer...FLAT. When I went to the bar to ask for something else, the couple next to me said their beers were also flat. The bartender said that "the lines needed work." Done, that is where I finally draw the line with this place. I was willing to just decided to never eat here again, and think of it as a fun place to grab a beer, but with an extensive beer list, you can.t be handing out warm, flat beer. By 7:20, we still had not received any of our food. Finally, our clams came. I choked down 5 or 6, ( not very good at all)...and we left with our dinners in a bag, so that we could make the show on time. The manager accepted the gift certificates for "the meal" even though the bill came to about 100 bucks (waaaay overpriced), I gave our waitress a tip (who did a great job despite an extremely challenging first day) and we left.... Later that night, I ended up grabbing a steak sandwich  at The Pink. I think I gave this place a chance, but this town has way too many places that have the equation figured out to waste 100 bucks a pop in this joint. I have heard that the patio is going to be awesome. Maybe, I will have to pop in with a couple cold beers in my pockets and check it out when the weather is as  warmer. The owner is a really nice guy...I think this place will be great, but it's just not there yet...It is a work in progress, but at 100 dollars a visit, I can't afford to go along for the ride.
There are two things that make this place a 5-star LOCK. Â First, great service. Â You can tell that this place is making an effort to ensure that you feel welcome. Â Number 2, and this is a bold statement, the wings made my eyes glaze over. Â They are smoked, and then grilled or something with sticky, sweet, and a little spicy BBQ sauce. Â Just a hint of heat, meaty, tender, juicy... just perfect. I will go back simply for the wings. Â And then I will take my parents there, and make them eat the wings. Â
There is also a really good variety of beer, so that is nice, since I do like beer, but seriously.. those wings! Â
Good live music, and 3 (three!) Bathrooms, that I dare to say are the cleanest on the Allentown strip. Â In fact, the next time I am at The Pink, I am going to remember the bathrooms at this place if nature calls. Â And then I'll probably just get a beer... and order some wings.
Back when DBGB was Staples it was a tight-quartered, sweaty, dirty mess. Â DJs would cram the bar full of their friends on Fridays and Saturdays and it was a nightmare for a guy that just wanted to have a cheap beer and play Big Buck Hunter. Â Nobody expected it to be anything more than a dive bar, but it was a really uncomfortable and claustrophobic dive bar so I didn't head there often.
Now that Staples has become DBGB, they've cleaned the joint up, kept the electronic music and dirty pictures on the bathroom walls, renovated the tiny but comfy patio, and added a New American menu that's just killer. Â I'm totally addicted to their eggplant wings (Buffalo style, natch) and truffle fries. Â Friendly bartenders pour generous samples of new, unheard-of beers for you to sample. Â Apprehensive friends become believers pretty quickly, and it's a great place to start a fun night.
It's nice to see that the new owners have taken 253 Allen back from the brink of Buffalo gin mill anonymity and turned it into a pretty respectable place to hang out. Â Allentown traditionalists can still pick up $2 PBRs at Nietzsche's and the Pink, but locals should be thrilled to have a newish bar & grill in the neighborhood that's more Blue Monk than Brick Bar.
The bar is ok but the blonde douchebag bouncer couldn't be any more of a cheese Dick. He cut the lock off someone's bike that was locked to the outside railing so he could put a table there even though bars aren't supposed to put outside seating beyond the rail. It was crowded and hot so we went outside on the patio for some air he yelled unless you're smoking cigarettes you need to go inside or leave. The bike ended up being one of the waitresses that worked there and lucky for her it didn't get stolen even though he leaned it against a parking meter away from where it was. The bartenders were very attentive and friendly. The band was amazing. I believe it was the Andrew j reimers country punk extravaganza album release party. I hope that they don't fire that guy so I can lock my bike to the rail that has  no sign that says not to lock up there and punch him in the mouth. Other than that the place is awesome.
Review Source:I've been here a handful of times, and every time I show up I end up seeing someone I know there as well. It's always a great surprise seeing people you didn't expect to see (the ones we like that is).
My friend Milk DJ's here a lot, which I've been there to see him before we even became friends. Milk is very talented individual who knows how to get a crowd interested and staying that way. Check him out you might even hire him yourself for something after you hear him spin.
The bartenders here have always been fast, and friendly. The prices here aren't bad at all, and you'll get a good pour if you are drinking liquor. I've left there only paying out about 40 dollars for the night and feeling pretty good.
I have yet to eat here, and would like to at some point. I unfortunately don't ever think of this place when I am thinking of places to eat. I will make more of an effort to do so next time i'm in town so I can taste the food and add onto my review.
When I think of DBGBs I think of music, beer and late nights. Eating dinner here is not my first thought. But I saw a Groupon listed for this place for food and I was intrigued.
My man and I stopped in right after work on a Thursday. It was still pretty empty and low key. They were playing awesome music. We sat at the bar and decided to order some food with our drinks. I got a pasta special; orecchiette, squash, tomatoes, cheese and olive oil. My fiance got another special, seared salmon on a bed of greens.
The bartender/waitress was very attentive and even had placemats and a candle set up for our meal which was a lovely touch. Our food was okay, nothing spectacular but it really satisfied my hunger. Great beer list and even beer cocktails which isn't something I'd ever seen before! I'd be interested in going back to try the wings (chicken and eggplant!) and more pub-style food. The waitress also recommended the clams and oysters so maybe they will be in my future as well...
The patio here only about 4 tables, but if you can get a table it's a great place to have a unique dinner. They have live music playing inside, which is the perfect volume to listen to from the comfort of an outside table. They also have eggplant wings that are absolutely amazing! I also had a homemade macaroni and cheese that you can get with/without lobster in it which was extremely rich and I could never finish in one sitting.
They had some very original drink specials- I think I had a "Mariposa Martini" which was an orange vodka with chocolate swirls in the glass. All of this was much fancier than I would have guessed for a random bar on Allen, but it was all pretty good and the prices weren't bad.
The service was fantastic and I felt like we were the only table the waitress had. She was very friendly and accommodating when it came to our questions. She around 11 to go home, so we closed out our tab and got drinks from the bar. All in all, a very positive experience and I cannot wait to go back to get more of those eggplant wings!
This review has been written in dubstep: wub wubbbb wub wub wub wubbbb wubb wu wwwubbbb wuuuuuub
Translation: DBGB (formerly known as Staples) is a great place to get your wub- I mean dubstep on. Now I'm not really sure what dubstep is, but I do know that it has a lot of wubs in it, and DBGB has a lot of it on the weekends. They also have a pretty fine selection of drinks to partake in when you need a little refreshment after wubbing on the dance floor. I got really excited when I found out they served my favorite cherry lambic. They  pour into a champagne like flute (kudos to them for knowing their glasses), which makes me feel like a total BAMF because it looks like I'm drinking a swanky drink instead of a fruit flavored beer like drink
I stopped here on Superbowl night. Had a great time till I cashed out and I had an extra beer on my tab. I totally understand how these things happen, and talking to the owner hoped to explain how this might have happened. He grabbed my card out of my hand, then threw the book at me with one beer taken off. Indignant, because I was certainly *not* trying to cheat this man out of anything, I tried to talked to him, but he ignored me and treated me like a thief. Will *never* go back to this establishment again.
Review Source:Stopped here on Saturday night and caught some Drum N Bass. My first time here since no longer being Staples Same atmosphere and vibe though, so this place was a pretty good time. Lots of people dancing to the tunes. Great beer selection, with a ton of micro brew choices. All in all a nice alternative spot besides Hardware to hit up in Allentown. Little dark and dingier, but not in a bad way, just different.
Review Source:The first time I went to Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar, I couldn't find it. Â We spent a few freezing minutes late one Friday night (or early Saturday morning, whatever you prefer) in January running up and down Allen, both trying to find the place and to stay warm. Â Then, it hit me: Â Oh, it's probably that place with all the people hanging out the door and that filthy dubstep pulsing out into the night.
Duke's is hands-down my favorite club/bar/spot in Buffalo. Â You'd never guess it from the bar's facade, but the interior of the place is pretty roomy, with a narrow bar that leads into a larger dance floor and stage. Â The bathrooms are (as expected) gross but have some of the best graffiti I've read. Â They also ALWAYS make me a delicious White Russian. Â Like, really delicious. Â And in a huge milk glass. Â Trust me, it's the best.
In general Duke's is dark, dank, and dreary, until Friday night when the glowsticks come out. Â (Parking of course is awful as it is anywhere in Allentown on a Friday night. Â Take a cab, the metro, a bus, or park far away and prepare to walk. Â I usually park down College or beyond.) Â Seems like DBGB hosts something different most nights of the week--alternative, reggae, dance--but Friday is given over to DJs spinning dubstep, often hosted by Queen City Cartel. Â I've seen some amazing local acts there (AreHouse, Big Basha...), definitely worth checking out, if not for the music then at least to see people dancing their asses off. Â
But seriously, go after midnight, or else you might be caught raving on the floor alone.
DBGB's (formally know as Staples) is my new favorite bar in Allentown! Although I enjoyed Staples, DBGB's had done some things to the place to make it better. First, they made the bar longer and took out all the useless crap that was up front by the window. Its less cave-like now. They made the entrance to the rear part of the bar bigger so it actually feels like part of the main area. They also put in a sound system and a stage so that they can have bands play. Besides all that, they continue to have a pretty decent beer selection with about 8 micros on tap and probably like 30 different kinds of bottles. I hear they're going to be adding a few more taps in the future and that they're going to be serving food and opening up a patio in the back. We'll see!
All in all, its a great local bar with a good beer selection, lots of good specials and a very fun and friendly staff.
Definitely a good addition to the wicked Allentown scene.
Duke's Bohemian Grove Bar is larger than it appears, since it is L-shaped with a DJ/dance area away from the bar. Music was new alternative last night (The Yeah Yeah Yeah's, etc.) Beer selection is interesting. They have lots of bottles. This included every international stand-by you can name: Blue, Guiness, Dos Equis, Imperial, blah, blah, blah. The micro brews were unexpected and interesting...Harpoon Porter but not IPA. Southern Tier's raspberry beer but not the IPA or Phin and Matt's. I didn't know what to do, so I tried a fantastic Saranac Lager-Lemonade mix. I wish I knew about it 2 months ago. I'd say the beer selection was extensive and interesting...and I learned something...so overall I had a good night at DBGB.
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