5326 Main St., Williamsville NY 14221
Web: Spot Coffee
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Buffalo Chinese Coffee Sandwiches Williamsville
After many months of waiting and the unexpected opening of a very good competitor just down the street, Spot Coffee has finally announced the grand opening date for its Main Street, Williamsville location: Friday, May 1, 2009. Even given the quality of Coffee Culture's nearby location, the excitement at Buffalo Chow for the new Spot is palpable - we did another taste test this weekend with out-of-town guests at the Elmwood location, and everyone agreed that Spot's coffee drinks were outstanding. Given the impressive quality of the prior locations' hot meal items, and the fine to good baked goods, the only question remains whether Williamsville's storefront will meet the same standards.
Also of interest: P.F. Chang's is coming to Buffalo! Well, let's be fair: if you're a serious fan of Chinese food and have ever visited a P.F. Chang's in another state - we are, we have - you'll know that the prior sentence mightn't deserve an exclamation mark, except for the competition that it might (finally) inspire amongst downmarket-focused local Chinese restauranteurs. This Scottsdale, Arizona-based chain offers very large, clean settings with nicely dressed servers and a menu of Americanized Chinese food, essentially a slightly upscale, Cheesecake Factory-like dining experience wrapped around Chinese and Chinese-inspired dishes. Appetizers include everything from Chicken Lettuce Wraps to "Dynamite Shrimp" to classic dumplings and egg rolls, while entrees range from classic Moo Shu and Kung Paos to Lemongrass Prawns with Garlic Noodles to Wild Alaskan Citrus Soy Salmon. We're going to withhold judgment until we've had a chance to visit the Buffalo location, which will be opening at the Walden Galleria Mall this Fall; according to Business First, construction of the 7,100-foot location is slated to begin in May.
On a related note, construction continues on Eastern Pearl, the Maple Road, Williamsville replacement for Chang's Garden. Originally slated to open in February of this year, Eastern Pearl's venue has shown slow signs of movement towards completion since it was leased last September, but now bears a sign claiming a Spring 2009 opening. Eastern Pearl will supposedly offer gourmet Chinese food and impressive interior decor. We're looking forward to seeing how it turns out.
Comments (2)
I disagree with your assessment of Coffee Culture. I tried it out a week or so ago. Sandwich and coffee were both mediocre at best, the widescreen was showing Fox News, and the place was full of moms and kids -- not the same sort of place as Spot Coffee at all. It's more like a Panera Bread than a Spot Coffee. Very disappointing.
I just hope that being in Williamsville, where I live, does not suck all the spirit out of the place. Going to Coffee Culture made me miss Caffe Aroma and hope even more that the new Spot is a success.
Posted by Mark | May 1, 2009 2:48 PM
Posted on May 1, 2009 14:48
Mark, we do prefer Spot - at least, the Buffalo locations - but we'll have to see what the Williamsville Spot evolves into. It's open officially as of today (it was soft launched yesterday) and looks a lot more like a "new Williamsville" (read: clean, modern) business inside than either of the more bohemian Buffalo locations. It seems like a great space and once they have the service hiccups worked out, it's going to be a success. Coffee Culture is a different place and doesn't need to be seen as "bad" in order to appreciate Spot's greatness.
Posted by Jeremy Horwitz | May 1, 2009 2:57 PM
Posted on May 1, 2009 14:57