Growing up in New York State, I’ve become used to hearing people talk about the state as if it completely revolves around New York City. Whenever someone learns I’m from Buffalo, the first thing I’m usually asked about is either the Buffalo Bills or Niagara Falls. I am so incredibly grateful that I got to grow up with such big parts of New York right in my backyard, don’t get me wrong, but there’s also so much more to this region than its most well-known aspects
I’ve lived in the Buffalo area, specifically in the Southtowns, my whole life. After twenty years here, I’ve built up quite the list of some “hidden gems” that would go unnoticed unless you grew up here or had the right person guiding you, so consider this your personal tour guide to some of my favorites.
The Village of East Aurora (East Aurora, NY)
Western NY is home to an abundance of towns that have their own little villages within. I myself live in the Village of Hamburg. They typically are hotspots for a variety of great locally owned restaurants and stores. When the weather gets warm, one of my favorites to visit outside of my own is the Village of East Aurora.
Residing about twenty minutes southeast of Buffalo, East Aurora is a great area to walk around and do some shopping in when the weather gets warm. Some of my recommendations of what to check out include Elmstreet Bakery, The Bookworm bookstore, Taste Bistro, Vidlers, and BAR-BILL Tavern (which is Josh Allen’s favorite local spot for wings!)
Comfort Zone (Hamburg, NY)
Comfort Zone is my favorite local cafe back home. Located right on Main Street in the Village of Hamburg, they offer a variety of different breakfast, lunch, and pastry options, along with their homemade soups and seasonal coffees.
Every time I’m home, I always make a trip there to catch up with my friends over lunch and people-watch through the windows. If you’re ever in the area and you’re looking for coffee from somewhere other than Tim Horton’s or Starbucks, I highly recommend it.
Chestnut Ridge Park (Orchard Park, NY)
Chestnut Ridge Park isn’t exactly a hidden gem, so to speak, but I’d say people definitely don’t always know just how much it has to offer. Besides the variety of hiking trails, Chestnut Ridge is also home to The Eternal Flame Falls, one of the nine known “eternal flames” in the world, which is fuelled by a natural gas source behind the falls. It is one of my favorite hikes to do during the summer.
Just be aware that a portion of it will have you walking through a shallow creek, and it is a steep hike down, so be cautious about the weather. Besides The Eternal Flame, The Ridge also has a toboggan launch that is open in the winter and is a prime location for sledding, along with a large number of playgrounds and outdoor shelters you can rent out to host events like birthday and graduation parties.
Old Man River (Tonawanda, NY)
Located along the Niagara River in Tonawanda, Old Man River is one of my families go to summer spots when we go up to the Northtowns to visit my grandparents.
Only open during the late spring through early fall due to being mostly outdoors, OMR offers a bunch of different foods from classic hot dogs and hamburgers, to brisket and ribs at their smokehouse, to a variety of different seafoods at their seafood shack. They also have the best sweet potato fries I have ever had in my life; they are always a must when we go. The restaurant also often offers live music, making it a great spot for a night out.
Nick Charlaps (Various Location)
Another go-to summer spot for my family is the locally owned Nick Charlap’s Ice Cream. While the original resides in Boston, NY, there is an abundance of locations scattered across the Buffalo area. A few locations are only open in the spring and summer due to being completely outside (like the one in Hamburg).
But a few locations, such as the original in Boston and the one in West Seneca, are typically open from early spring through Christmas because they are indoors. Charlap’s is known for its homemade hard ice cream and is typically the main ice cream vendor for the Erie County Fair each August.
Edie’s Pizza (Hamburg, NY)
Just like how there will always be a debate on which restaurant has the best wings, there will also always be a debate on who has the best pizza. My personal choice: Edie’s Pizza. I may just be biased because this is yet another Hamburg spot, but Edie’s always delivers. Some of my menu recommendations: if you get barbeque wings, ask for them charred, you’ll thank me later.
I also highly recommend their chicken-finger pizza (I normally get the fingers medium), but you have to make sure you get it with the bleu cheese base instead of red sauce, which makes or breaks it. Finally, if you’ve never had one, Edie’s makes a killer chicken-finger sub. Make sure you get all the toppings, and the cheese has to be provolone (sorry, I don’t make the rules).
Juicy Burger Bar (Buffalo, NY)
Last, but certainly not least, is Juicy Burger Bar, located just a few blocks away from Delaware Park in Buffalo. Once again, there may be some bias here since up until about a year ago, Juicy was located in the Village of Hamburg, but it is still delicious nonetheless. It’s a scratch kitchen, meaning everything is made in-house, which I think adds to the appeal and, in my opinion, justifies how pricy it can be.
They have a variety of burgers ranging from a classic hamburger to some fun ones like the “Big Papa,” which has a whole stuffed banana pepper on it. I’m not a huge burger person myself, but my go-to has always been their homemade mozzarella sticks. I haven’t had the chance to go since they moved locations, so I don’t know if they’ve changed at all, but they were always ginormous and served with their homemade marinara. An absolute must try, at least once.