Empire Grill is a sub-par restaurant in a great neighborhood. Â The decor is great, the staff is relatively friendly but the food is not that great. Â I've had different pasta dishes and a portabello sandwich from here and they are not worth the price. Â The portabello was small. Â The pasta is dry. Â I've also found other types of noodles and meat in my pasta dishes so I'm not sure what their kitchen is like.
They do have a cool dance party thing going on, on the weekend. Â A lot us younger people go and dance in the main bar area. Â The people at the dance parties are not trashy like some other low-key bars.
However, there are better places to go though for tastier food. Â This has the feeling of a chain without being a chain. Â Blah.
We had better service than some other reviewers but a shared experience with the food. I ordered the Gouda Burger and requested medium, but it came out well done. Another diner ordered steak and crabs, but the steak was also overcooked and fairly tough. Â Our companions ordered Chicken Piccata and a penne dish with chorizo, and both were very good.
What this place lacks, at least in terms of food choices, is anything that really stands out. Â If the kitchen picked up their game a little, this would be a nice little spot. However, as it stands, there are many better options on the same intersection.
I wanted to love the brunch at Empire Grill, I really did. Â For around $20 a person, a Sunday buffet of breakfast and lunch foods with bottomless Mimosas on Hertel Ave sounds lovely on paper!
We had reservations for 1:30pm and were promptly seated by the window facing Hertel.  The décor inside the restaurant is modern and very pleasing to the eye.  The buffet spread is in the bar area, and upon first glance there appears to be a wide array of food.  But then when you start to look closer to decide what you want to eat... the amount of visually appetizing food seems to dwindle.  Most of the food looked like it had been sitting out for quite some time.  Now, we were there in the afternoon, so maybe if we arrived in the morning, the food would be of a better quality.  There was a carving and omelet station that usually wasn't staffed whenever I walked by, so I didn't get to try any of their offerings.  My husband had an omelet that he said was ok, but lacked any seasoning.  The one thing I had that was actually very good was the vegetable lasagna.  That was yummy.  Everything else I tried was just.... eh.  Peel and eat shrimp that were small, steamed broccoli that definitely came from the freezer, steak in some sort of bland sauce that was tough and overcooked, pasta salad with salami and cheese, fried chicken that was dry with a soggy crust, dry carrot cake for dessert.  You get the idea.
Definitely a quantity over quality experience. Â They get 2 stars because of the bottomless mimosas... after a few of those, I no longer cared how mediocre the food was. Â I won't be back.
I went there with my fiancé and son after an outing in Delaware park.  We were planning on going somewhere else but when walking down Hertel we noticed this place and decided to give it a shot. The food was great, I had the pulled pork with lobster which I was hesitant to try but I'm glad I did because it was delicious! We will most likely be coming back!
Review Source:My husband and I were pleased. I've driven past this place a few times. The food was really tastey. We ordered the crab and gorgonzola stuffed peppers and a burger...can't remember which it was only that we substituted the canadian bacon for regular bacon. Both were great and and sharing between the 2 of us we were both full. The service could have been better and it was a little slow/dead...so I'm not sure the reason for the "meh" level of service. Definitely will give it another shot as it's so close to home.
Review Source:Was there for lunch just before the holidays and it must be something about being under the radar as a lunch spot. Everything is nice, neat, help is friendly and the right amount of attentive, but they are not very busy during lunch time. It certainly isn't cost prohibitive. It's a good lunch, probably about $15.00 or so by the time you are done, and you're not going to breaking new ground, just well prepared, fresh food. I partook of a great grilled chicken sandwich that was both tasty and ran no danger of falling into my lap during the business lunch I was at.
It's good food, good prices, go already.
Well. I was told by someone who worked there that they had a Sunday brunch special with cheap Mimosas. So, naturally, I decided to cal my friend and check it out.
When we got there at 1pm, the place was packed. We had to wait about 5-10 mins for a table.(They do take reservations) We were seated upstairs where we had a lovely view of Hertel Ave. Our waitress greeted us with UNLIMITED Mimosas. Yes, I said UNLIMITED.
We proceeded back down the stairs to the food and dove into the vast spread. Â Greeted by eggs, sausage, maple bacon, bagels - typical breakfast. A carving station, desserts and fresh fruit as well. So I turned the end of the buffet and came across Beef in gravy with onion and mushrooms. Mashed Poatoes, Crab Legs, Seafood Newburg, and Mac n Cheese with Chicken FIngers for the kids.
So I filled my plate with breakfast and headed back upstairs to dive in. The Mimosas were delicious. The Home Fries were some of the best I had. Bacon was too sweet for my taste and slightly room temperature. Nonetheless, still a wonderful deal.
Second helping came in form of Mashed Taters and Beef and gravy. And everything for $18.50.
I would highly recommend stopping by and checking this place out with the girls.
I went here for lunch once. It was good. OK, now on to today...
A friend text me this afternoon to see if I would like to hit the brunch buffet and she mentioned mimosas. These are my three favorite words to combine in a sentence so of course I agreed. Now, in order to truly express the awesomeness of this experience, I feel I should really write a poem. Alas, I am still kind of tired from all of the food I ate earlier so, this will have to do.
First of all, I have not seen a spread like this since my grandmother passed away. I am going to take a mental tour around the place in my head and name everything that I remember: Scrambled eggs, home fries (very good home fries), sausage patties, maple bacon, Eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, made-to-order omelet station, bagels, pastries, fresh fruit, cold salads (chef, potato, etc.), a carving station, beef in gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, BBQ short ribs, Cajun Catfish, Seafood Newburg with rice (I will be googling that recipe!), cocktail shrimp, crab-legs and a dessert station with various cakes and amazing Tiramisu. There was also a "kids station" with chicken fingers and mac-n-cheese. Every time I see one of these in my head I think "picky eater station," because that's where my ex always ate from. But I digress..
Our waitress sat us and offered us coffee or mimosas. Obviously, we went with the later. I filled my first plate with breakfast and my second with lunch. I then went back for a dessert. Everything I had was delicious but obviously I couldn't get to everything and I'm sure the contents of this buffet vary slightly each week. But my top picks were the home fries, the Seafood Newburg, the Tiramisu and of course the endless mimosas.
Wait...WHAT? Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that part. When we were offered a refill on our Mimosas I told my friend, we better ask how much these are. At that point, I didn't even know how much the buffet itself cost. Well, as it turns out, the total price was $18.95 which included endless Mimosas. Let me clarify that...they keep refilling your Mimosas just as they would coffee. When our waitress brought us the check at the end of the meal she asked if we'd like one more refill. I looked to that heavenly voice from my left and she added, "Mine as well right?" Mine as well, indeed.
Including tax and tip this fantasy brunch ran me about $25 which covered breakfast, lunch, dessert and drinks. Call ahead for a reservation if you can. Our wait wasn't long (about 10 minutes) but reservations are recommended.
I really want to like this place so I will consider this a preliminary review. Â
I had a living social or groupon and went for lunch. Â It was a beautiful, but empty space! Â (I was so nervous when I was outside that I called to see if they were even open!) Â
The food was good, we ordered salads and a wrap. Â Better than average for Buffalo. Â Nothing crazy inventive, but good. Â The waiter was attentive, but I felt bad we were his only customers. Â
I am not sure why there weren't more people there, but I hope more people go because I'd like to see it succeed and really start living up to its potential. Â There are certainly a lot worse places that seem to do better.
A couple things:
This place was DEAD on a Friday night. Â They have a nice, kind of contemporary decor going on.. But It's a little dark...it could be cool if there were more people around.
Our waitress was new (she told us she had been there 2 weeks only) and it kind of showed. Â It took her about 10 minutes to get a beer (bottled) from the bar.. When we were finished with our salads she actually picked up our used forks and said "you'll need these for your entrees" and put them on our bread plates. Â Seriously? Â We can't have clean forks for our dinner?
When I had finished eating, I put my (used) bread plate on top of my entree plate and she removed the dishes. Â A little while later she came back with a take out box and said "you had left some of your food so I boxed it up for you." Â If I had wanted the leftovers, I would have asked for a container - wasn't expecting her to take a dirty, used plate off the food and box it up... Um, no thanks.
The food was mediocre.. Was super glad we had a Groupon to use. Â Will not be going back.
Ive eaten at this restaurant a total of three times and I swore that I would never eat there ever again.
The food is absolutely mediocre and overpriced. Every time I have went there the food has been undercooked in some sort of way and has actually been cold when dropped off at the table. The waiters are extremely rude and sometimes do not even check on your table for long stretches of time.
If I was you I would save the money- there are PLENTY of better restaurants on Hertel.
This place has a great patio for people-watching along Hertel. Their interior is lovely and sleek. Their service is decent. And their price points aren't bad.
So why does it sit nearly empty during happy hour?
For me, it was all about the menu. I was turned off by the cocktails list, all novelty vodka and sugary mixers. The wines weren't much better: lots of cheaper brands, marked up per usual, nothing interesting or exciting. (The beer list is slightly better, and they make a decent gin & tonic. But who could screw that up?)
The appetizer we ordered also failed in its purported mission, which was to pique my appetite for more food. The calamari tasted fishier than it normally should, and greasy to boot. Our waitress swung by multiple times to see if we were "hungry for something else," and the only honest answer was "no."
Though I would have loved to contribute to what I'd imagine was a pretty meager tip take for our waitress that particular evening, I think that responsibility belongs with the business owners here. Restaurants that work hard to create compelling menu items and source fresh ingredients don't usually have problems attracting customers for their waitstaff to serve.
The reality is that North Buffalo has become a hub for young professionals who are looking for a cool, compelling place to hang. You look the part, Empire Grill -- now it's time to start acting like it. Replace anything ending in "-tini" with a few decent bourbons, reach out to your local beer reps to get their NY-brewed stuff on tap, and empower your chefs to experiment with cooking methods beyond the deep-fat-fryer. Your customers (and waitstaff) will thank you!
Had dinner with my husband and daughter  .  Ambiance is OK. They have a outdoor patio .  Actually the front of the restaurant opens and the inside flows into the patio.  Which made for a lot of flies inside.  They has to be a way to prevent that.  The menu Is a bit limited. they offered a full course and sandwiches .  I ordered the blacken chicken sandwich , my daughter had the buffalo chicken wrap and my husband had a hamburger.  They all come with a choice of fries, pasta salad and I can not remember 3rd choice .  We choose the fries and let me tell you....they are delicious .  The sandwich was good also.  Prices are reasonable .  Our meals were between $9.50 and $10.00 a piece.  Dinners range $17.00 to 3 course special for $25.00.
In summery this was a nice place to have dinner. And reasonable price.  Don't expect any thing to "jump out at you" .  Everything is plain and simple.  Not crowed at 6pm.  Parking is on street  and metered .
Went to brunch on a whim. Heard rumors about a buffet and bottomless mimosas. The food was fine: Â token crab legs and shrimp, a sad-looking carving station, Â enough vegetarian options, and boring store bought pastries-- average buffet fare.
Would have never bothered to write this review if the restaurant hadn't tried to swindle me and my dining partner. Our first mimosa seemed vaguely alcoholic, but with each successive refill the glass became more and more opaque with pure orange juice. After three or four mimosas, we weren't the least bit tipsy. So then, just for sport, we each drank at least ten (thousand calories in pure orange juice) to no avail. I could have driven a school bus home. I have no problem paying for my own mimosas, and I don't like being lied to. Skip the "bottomless" mimosas; a $20 brunch buffet would have been totally acceptable.
First time eating here. The food was excellent! I had the Gouda burger and my fiancé had the Cajun catfish. The burger was cooked perfectly, while the Canadian bacon was thin & crisp. The fries were great, all of them were crispy. The catfish was a good size portion, well seasoned  with a tasty garlic cream sauce. The vegetables and rice were cooked just enough. This was a good value, dollar for dollar, and reasonably priced. The only reason this isn't getting five stars is due to the seating choices. We chose between a loud group area or a drafty table by the front. But otherwise a great atmosphere.
Review Source:I just had lunch here and really thought it was great. We had excellent service and the food was quite good. I thought the waiter was very nice. He didn't see us when we first entered, so we stood at the hostess stand for a little while before he came over. But he was very apologetic and helpful getting us and out kidlet settled.
We ordered decaf coffee at 1pm on a Wednesday and they quickly made us a fresh pot. SigO thought the coffee was bad but it was better than most diner coffee so I was satisfied.
I had the salmon salad and thought it was very tasty and more than enough food for me. SigO had a weird hamburger that came with BBQ sauce and a fried egg. It looked gross to me but he said it was quite tasty. Fries were yummy too. I was a little annoyed at how small the plates were. There seems to be a sentiment that if you pile a small plate full of food it looks better than a big plate.. just makes it harder to eat.
Maybe we had such a good experience because there were so few people there, but I definitely plan on returning (for the food - not sure I would hang out at the bar here).
A visually-stunning restaurant w/ sky-high ceilings. Â Only came here for drinks so didn't experience the service that everyone is complaining about. Â They have a DJ every Saturday and every other Friday and I hear it's usually house music but there's nowhere to dance so it must be some very mellow house music...Also, it's the same owner as Toro and Faherty's on Elmwood.
Review Source:Was just here for drinks Friday night as my buddy does a DJ night there with some house music every other weekend. For a late night drinking spot in North Buff. this place is great. The space itself is very modern upscale. So provides a nice atmosphere. I ate here once a few years ago and liked it too. Had a great steak.
Review Source:Holy bad service, Batman!
Let's start with the basics. I had a group of 7, which isn't too many to accommodate in a decent restaurant with a small wait being expected. We went on a Friday night, so we thought maybe it'd be a longer wait. We called ahead and they said maybe 5 minutes. We arrived and the place had maybe 3 tables actually being used. Being the naive people we are, we saw nothing wrong with this. We were seated at a good table, with enough space for everyone to eat comfortably.
Now the trouble starts:
The waiter takes a good chunk of time to come over. We're a group of 7 college agers, between the ages of 19-21, me being the only 21 year old. When he arrives, he asks us for our drink order. Everyone orders first and I finally order. I order a cosmo. The waiter says they don't serve cosmo's in the restaurant because they don't have the stuff for it. BOOM problem #1: any bar that wants to be called a bar HAS to have the stuff for a cosmo, or it's not a bar. It's as easy as vodka, cranberry juice, and triple sec/ Cointreau/ Grand Marnier. He at least offers to show me the cocktail list. He gets the list after a few minutes (good thing we weren't completely parched) and I look at it. RAGE! Cocktail #3 on the list: (you guessed it) a COSMO! 6 of the people at the table told me to order it again and point at it on the menu out of spite. I declined, deciding to try something new, and ordered an apple martini. He didn't ID me, which is odd since I'm in a table of young looking people. The waiter had to know he took forever as he took our food orders before getting us our drinks.
After a good chunk of time, we get our drinks. I try my oddly bubbling concoction (clearly a lot of sours mix) and yup, it was basically sours mix with apple flavoring in it. I tasted no alcohol. I know it was in it, because I'm a lightweight and I got a little tipsy afterwards, but I still would give it a 1/5 on the scale because it didn't taste that good, it just got the job done. It's like drinking jungle juice at a frat.
A little over an hour later (we timed it) we got our food. You might say "you had 7 people, be nice" but there was next to nobody else at that restaurant, and the order was 4 burgers 2 salads and a wrap. The food was cold for everyone. The salad eaters didn't mind, but it's really bad when you're so hungry you'll eat your burger cold anyways. We didn't want to run the risk of sending it back and waiting another hour. We demolished our food because of how hungry we'd all become.
Afterwards, when the waiter had the gall to ask about the food, we told him it was cold. He seemed mildly interested, and said he'd talk to the manager. He came back quicker with a response than with our drinks, telling us, and I quote, "my manager is a dick, and unfortunately I can't do anything." So, my assumption is business must be really bad here, that they can't admit they just made a good amount of money by serving bad food.
The best part of the night was this group of 4 sitting by us of middle-aged women. One was so drunk she was practically yelling her life story, embarrassing moments included. We kept laughing and she seemed completely oblivious to the fact that every time she said something embarrassing we laughed. Unfortunately, this is exactly how drunk you need to be to think this place is anything better than horrible.
I will never come back here again, and I cannot beg you, the reader, enough to not go either.
The atmosphere is great, very "modern" feel. That's about all I've been impressed with though. The food is ok but should be better for what they charge. The service I've received always left a bit to be desired too. It's a fine place to eat, but nothing you'll be raving to friends about
Review Source:We are routinely disappointed when eating here for dinner. It seems their menu is more ambitious than their cook's talent. Food that sounded daring and exciting on the menu ended up tasting either crappy or bland (e.g., Jiffy Burger - peanut butter on a hamburger). While their ambiance is amazing, the food for dinner just isn't that good.
We decided to try here for brunch. The thinking being: it's tough to screw up breakfast food. We got reservations, which was completely unnecessary. (Embarrassingly so.) We got to eat on the sidewalk, which is amazing when it's 80° out.
The food was very good. Not as good as Betty's, but a step up from Kosta's. The menu is limited, so if you are picky, this may not be your place. They didn't offer many sides either, so if you are looking for something that is comparable to a Denny's Grand Slam, this is not your place. If you are looking for a good breakfast that won't leave you feeling bloated, I recommend trying out Empire Grill.
Negative review. Horrible service. Not worthy of one star! We visited here a few other times because of it's proximity to our house, but never have we had an experience like this. My husband and I will NEVER step foot in the place again. We went there around 7pm on a Sunday night because we were starving and thought it would be good for a quick bite. The dining area wasn't crowded and there were only a few people at the bar, mostly servers (read on). The food was decent, but the bun on my turkey burger smelled like stale cigarettes or an old ashtray. I ended up just eating the burger and not the bun. It took the server (James M.) 30 minutes to get our bread then another hour to get our food (when people who had gotten there long after us, but had a different server, had already gotten theirs) then he never came over to see if we enjoyed our meal, get us ketchup for our fries or refill our drinks, which were empty. I got so fed up I asked another waitress to get the manager and NO ONE EVER CAME OVER. After I finally saw the server watching the Sabres game at the bar I asked ANOTHER waiter to get us the check. We paid, left a $3 tip on $20 meal (way more than he deserved) and then wrote on the back of the check "SERVICE WAS HORRIBLE!" They didn't care anyways because the manager never came over to our table. I wouldn't recommend going there unless you feel like serving yourself.
Review Source:I'll make this short  'n'  sweet:
1) waitress was friendly (+)
2) Service was quick (+)
3) some of our utensils were dirty.. but that happens pretty much everywhere, right? (-)
4) not too many vegetarian options, however it is a grille so I should have pretty much figured as much.. but they could have tried (-)
5) I ordered my dish with out chicken, but they brought it with chicken (-)
6) they brought me my replacement dish rather quickly (+)
7) consensus was that the food tasted great (+)
I was really impressed initially by the outside look of this place but the experience could have been better. Food was good. Not amazing, but definitely satisfying. I ordered the seafood pasta and one of my pet peeves is ordering a dish like this and they scrimp on the seafood. The amount of seafood was pretty meager....Service was okay. They had whole wheat pasta on the menu but when asked about it it turns out they don't have it. Um...okay?
The only thing they having going for them is the atmosphere, if and only if, they seat you in a good section. I'm giving it a 3 because perhaps some of the other food is better and I didn't get a chance to go to the bar which looked decent.
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