I live in Buffalo. I like Buffalo. If you're coming, ask me questions, I'll answer. Food, drink, etc.

[Kolumbo]

If I make it to Buffalo I gotta get me a good cheesesteak sammich. when in Rome!

 

[August_West]

I have no chance of getting to the Thursday game. I am humoring myself about tentative Saturday plans. My wife went to college in Buffalo and I hated that drive; I ultimately settled on taking the train from Albany most times. So that's around two and a half hours to Albany for me, and I see a 10 am train from Albany that gets into Buffalo at 3:14, with an early morning return the next day.

Aaaand, just in the time that I have been typing this post the Amtrak ticket prices have doubled. I won't know if I can go until Friday, and I'm guessing it will be sold out by then.

All of which is to say, if you are thinking of taking the train, book now!

It is the worst 6 hour drive you could ever think of. I don't mind driving at all and can routinely peel off 13-14 hour days behind the wheel (in fact Im driving to Florida in April and will do 13 to S.C. before staying the night and finishing the last 6 the next morning) . There is just something about that interminable stretch of the NYS Thruway that makes me go out of my mind. For years my band was sent about twice a year on a Thursday-Saturday run hitting Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. The Sunday drive back from Buffalo always made me miserable. the 6 hours seemed like 12. I do like Buffalo itself though, not a bad place.

 

[August_West]

If I make it to Buffalo I gotta get me a good cheesesteak sammich. when in Rome!

That is the second or 3rd best sandwich in Buffalo, get the Roast Pork, or Italian beef.

 

[huskymedic]

If I make it to Buffalo I gotta get me a good cheesesteak sammich. when in Rome!

That is the second or 3rd best sandwich in Buffalo, get the Roast Pork, or Italian beef.

Beef on Weck from Charlie the Butcher.

 

[Mr. French]

I have heard that the best wings in Buffalo can be found at a place called "Wingnutz" operating out of the Knights of Columbus on Kenmore Ave. Can you confirm?

This is confirmed.

I have a few spots, Bar Bill is definitely a king, I wouldn't include Duff's at all. Wingnutz is supposedly legendary. I personally have never eaten there.

I want to second upstater's thoughts - I am a lifelong resident of Buffalo and surrounding suburbs. I'm going to make a thread to ask advice on my plight, deciding between going to the games and not going. But I'm free to grab a beer Thursday and Friday if anyone is around!

 

[Mr. French]

Beef on Weck from Charlie the Butcher.

Delicious - Schwebl's is the goat tho!

 

[Kolumbo]

Buffalo is a great start for UCONN, remembering Uncle Cliffy.

 

[ThabeetDown]

I'm going to be in Vegas this week/weekend but @upstater you have made me extremely jealous talking up Buffalo! I've always wanted to go, might propose going up for a Bills-Pats game to appease my Pats fan wife.

 

[Mr. French]

@August_West if you're making the trip, you have a landing spot!

I'm North of the city near UB but lived my whole life south of the city and have spent years in the city as well. So I can chip in with recommendations and hangs.

 

[8893]

It is the worst 6 hour drive you could ever think of. I don't mind driving at all and can routinely peel off 13-14 hour days behind the wheel (in fact Im driving to Florida in April and will do 13 to S.C. before staying the night and finishing the last 6 the next morning) . There is just something about that interminable stretch of the NYS Thruway that makes me go out of my mind. For years my band was sent about twice a year on a Thursday-Saturday run hitting Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo. The Sunday drive back from Buffalo always made me miserable. the 6 hours seemed like 12. I do like Buffalo itself though, not a bad place.

Agreed, I like Buffalo itself; I just hate the drive.

Driving to Albany and taking the train is not bad, but I am a big fan of train travel. When I was in law school I would get a ton of work done on the train there and back.

 

[August_West]

@August_West if you're making the trip, you have a landing spot!

I'm North of the city near UB but lived my whole life south of the city and have spent years in the city as well. So I can chip in with recommendations and hangs.

Oh we're hanging. Or I will sell you out to the inlaws ;-)

 

[JohnFSilver]

There's a lot more to do near the Arena than there was the last time UConn was here in 2014.

In general, there's more to do all over town (and yes, Buffalo is a town).

OK, if you go to Buffalo go to Duff's on Orchard Park and ask for the wings double dipped. If you are a J Tims fans, and I love J Tims, these guys may have it IMO.

Don't do Anchor Bar.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Agreed, I like Buffalo itself; I just hate the drive.

Driving to Albany and taking the train is not bad, but I am a big fan of train travel. When I was in law school I would get a ton of work done on the train there and back.

I havent checked but what are flights like to Buffalo? My dad went to school at Niagara. I cant do Thursday but if we made it to Saturday. Would think about going, but like you, that drive is brutal, add snow or something and yeah..

 

[navery12]

I've got a pretty good excuse to go. My sister goes to UB, her spring break starts Friday and she has to find a way home.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Agreed, I like Buffalo itself; I just hate the drive.

Driving to Albany and taking the train is not bad, but I am a big fan of train travel. When I was in law school I would get a ton of work done on the train there and back.

It's a rough drive, but anyone who has driven to Ohio and had to Cross Pennsylvania knows the misery of I-80.

 

[8893]

I havent checked but what are flights like to Buffalo? My dad went to school at Niagara. I cant do Thursday but if we made it to Saturday. Would think about going, but like you, that drive is brutal, add snow or something and yeah..

There are no direct flights from Hartford and it looks like the fares start around $400 one way on Saturday.

 

[Stinger92860]

There's a lot more to do near the Arena than there was the last time UConn was here in 2014.

In general, there's more to do all over town (and yes, Buffalo is a town).

How many feet of snow are you expecting between now and game time?

 

[8893]

It's a rough drive, but anyone who has driven to Ohio and had to Cross Pennsylvania knows the misery of I-80.

Yep. Driving across Pennsylvania on I-80 is my least-favorite drive in the country.

 

[upstater]

Delicious - Schwebl's is the goat tho!

Haha, everyone has their favorites. Scwhebl's is overrated. I really think Charlie's is better even though it feels like going to eat at Checkers.

 

[Mr. French]

I'm seeing 50s and 60s this weekend ... and Thursday is St. Patty's Day which rivals many across the US here... so I'd expect decent weather and a pretty intense downtown, actually. Not the norm, lol.

 

[upstater]

I'm going to be in Vegas this week/weekend but @upstater you have made me extremely jealous talking up Buffalo! I've always wanted to go, might propose going up for a Bills-Pats game to appease my Pats fan wife.

Being a Pats fan in Buffalo is brutal now. I was at the playoff game and in the middle of Patriots fans, a big fight broke out, among Bills fans!! And it spilled over into the Patrs fans. I always thought that Buffalo fans liked to fight out of frustration, but now that they're on top--it's even worse than before.

I can't even begin to describe the level of degeneracy at bills games.

Now--I'm totally against $1 billion going to the Bills for a new stadium, just absolutely ridiculous, but I imagine they'll raise ticket prices and limit the amount of seats, which may cut down on the absolute crapshow a Bills game is.

 

[Mr. French]

Haha, everyone has their favorites. Scwhebl's is overrated. I really think Charlie's is better even though it feels like going to eat at Checkers.

Now that I'm north towns I eat Charlies way more often and I agree it's incredible ... I just shout out Schwebl's cuz that's a family tradition in the south towns.

 

[upstater]

How many feet of snow are you expecting between now and game time?

Here's an underrated fact about Buffalo. It's along the river, not the lake. Which generally protects it from lake effect snow. I've been downtown under sunny skies and dry sidewalks, while it was snowing 6 feet just 4 or 5 miles to the south.

The Bills stadium is situated in a town along the lake well south of the city. I'm convinced that people get their ideas about Buffalo and snow because of Bills games.

But this town is pretty stupid in some respects. The private school bus company lot that contracts for every school district is located along the lake, so even though we sometimes get no snow in town and up north, those buses get snowed in and cause delays. Really stupid stuff.

 

[Mr. French]

I have driven that stretch from Buffalo - East, and that stretch around Rochester and over, but most specifically after Syracuse, is the worst stretch of drive anywhere.

 

[August_West]

Yep. Driving across Pennsylvania on I-80 is my least-favorite drive in the country.

that's the other one. Just did a CT to Michigan at the beginning of Covid because flying was banned by company at that early time. It exceeds the tedium of the NYS Thruway. But I'm just talking bad stuff on the East coast here. If we really want to dive into this subject I-80 through Iowa and Nebraska is bad enough that you start questioning whether life is actually worth living.