Sportsmen's Tavern

Live with the Albrights.

One of the most unique venues to go see live music.  A rustic old double in Black Rock, gutted and modified to be a pub/concert venue.

You can take in the show from the upper balcony, or go even further and stand the platform above the balcony, on the outside of the structure.

The bar has a decent variety of beer and other alcoholic selections.  The menu is limited, but decent for bar food.  Don't go there for the food, but eat if you go there.  Check out their lineup of local bands and take in a show.

Owned by a musician and with an acclaimed recording studio next door, this is where Buffalo's musicians go to hear live music, and that's a big endorsement. The sound is always great and the lineup features a well-cultivated range local and national acts (mostly in the Americana vein). Often, it includes national bands you'd never otherwise get to see in a venue that seats a couple hundred people rather than a few thousand. There's great music every night of the week and the cover is often as low as $3 (for national acts, tickets range more into the $20-$40 range).

Floor and balcony seating is comfortable and offers great sight-lines. Additional outdoor seating is available on a covered second-floor patio that wraps around the building, and the walls are open to the interior, so you can pull up a stool and look right down at the band. Bars are staffed on both floors.

The environment is very casual friendly. You'll see everything from twenty-something hipsters to neighborhood octogenarians who have been occupying these barstools for decades and seen the bar grow through many stages to become the premier music venue it is today.

A recent addition to the venue's offerings is the Grille at Sportsmen's Tavern. The food far surpasses standard bar fare and is reasonably priced. For VEGETARIANS, there's a grilled caprese panini served with fruit salad, but I'd recommend splurging on the fries, which are some of the best in the city. Universally, their wings get rave reviews. Often, the chef even tailors the menu to the music (offer Louisiana-style dishes on nights when there's a Cajun band, for instance).

Ample parking is available across the street at a supermarket parking lot.

It is a hidden gem inside a progressive music club. More than you would expect, this is not a place where you would expect more than just bar food. The fare does contain Wings and Poppers etc. However you will be surprized to see what those that frequent already know. The Menu contains a diverse selection from flatbread sandwiches to premium burgers, to one of the best Chicken Soulvakis around town. They also boast homemade bleu cheese for the famed "Greg Wings".  Also homemade soup and crab cakes, and a Friday Fish fry with a nice portion of Mac Salad and Coleslaw with the famous fries. You can listen to a band have dinner or grab a quick bite. Either way your sure to be happy.