4200 Genesee St., Cheektowaga, New York 14225
Web: Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Phone: 716.630.6000
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American Beef on Weck Breakfast Burgers Chicken Wings Coffee Desserts Italian
"While many airports today have a broad range of restaurants, including semi-fancy picks, the Buffalo Airport's options are getting better, but they're still extremely limited."
Planning a visit to Western New York, or a trip outside the area? You might want to know what you can eat at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, and we're here to help. Once very sparsely populated with dining establishments, the Airport has recently added a number of new restaurants - including a satellite location of the famous Anchor Bar - bringing its tally to ten options. But should you actually eat at any of them? And why are so many of these places offering Beef on Weck sandwiches and burgers? We note all of your current options and, as always, offer advice on smart alternatives.
Anchor Bar: Let's get the bad news out of the way first: the Anchor Bar's wings at the Airport aren't even close to the ones at the original location on Main Street. As shown in our photo here, they're soggy rather than crispy - arguably the only defining characteristic of the real place's wings these days - and though they may use the place's bottled sauce, they just don't taste quite the same. In other words, authenticity seekers will be disappointed; these were nothing better than we've had at dozens of other local places, and certainly not as good as Duff's - name aside, we wouldn't recommend this location for the wings. But there's a large menu of other options, similar to picks at the real place, and it has a very large bar-slash-seating area, too. The Anchor Bar is positioned just past a new food court off to the right of the terminal's security screening area.
Blue Zone (with Vito's Market): This half-bar, half-snack shop includes sandwiches from Stafford, NY's Red Osier, which has a restaurant and supplies other places with sometimes-not-so-exciting beef. Red Osier provides Blue Zone with two primary hot sandwiches - a Beef on Weck and a more expensive Bacon Blue Burger - along with four Paninis, all ranging from $7.50 to $9.25. A Grande Nachos portion is offered for $8.25, with soup or chili for $3.49. As with other locations within the Airport, a cold refrigerator unit with Vito's Market branding offers a Mozzarella, Tomato, Basil Pesto and Ciabatta Bread Sandwich for $7, plus a Chef Salad for $8, with smaller side salads and fruit going for $2-$5. Find Blue Zone in the middle of the left half of the terminal.
The Landmark Bar (with Vito's Market): A long-time occupant and past favorite, Landmark was offering wings ($10.50) and weck ($7.25) at the Airport many years before the Anchor Bar showed up there, and even touting their supposed "Best" status on a sign in front. We haven't sampled the wings in the past year or so, but we tried the weck on our way through this time, and found it to be okay - a step or three below what we recalled to be a pretty great version of the sandwich. We do, however, really like the potato wedges here, and sweet potato fries, simple sandwiches, and breakfast items are also available starting at $1.50 and reaching up to $8. it's a nice place to get a drink while you're waiting for a flight. Another Vito's Market display case offers fresh salads, fruit, and yogurts. The Landmark Bar is located in the middle of the right half of the terminal.
The Coffee Beanery (with Vito's Market): What once was a seemingly solid regional competitor to Starbucks has all but disappeared in Western New York, save for this location at the Airport and a kiosk at the Boulevard Mall. The Coffee Beanery nonetheless offers good frozen and hot coffee drinks in the $1.50 to $4.25 range, with yet another Vito's Market display case containing sandwich and salad choices similar to the ones at Red Osier, a breakfast sandwich ($4.25), and $3 desserts, plus inexpensive granola bars and fruits ($1-$1.25). It's located immediately to the right of security.
Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen: Italian food in Buffalo? Who would have guessed? But seriously, Villa is one of three food court restaurants at the Airport, specializing in "pizza, pasta, stromboli, and salads" according to its sign. Spaghetti and Meatballs and Lasagna plates are offered for $9 each, along with spinach, broccoli, mozzarella and dough crust pies ($5 per slice, or $23 whole), Strombolis ($5.19), Pizza slices ($3.49 each), Breakfast Sandwiches ($4.75) and related breakfast items such as eggs, pancakes, bacon and sausages, amongst other options.
Checkers: The closest thing to McDonalds you'll find inside the Airport (note: one's on Genesee if you need it), this chain - also known as Rally's elsewhere in the U.S., but not found elsewhere in Buffalo - offers hamburgers, cheeseburgers, "Deep-Sea" (read: Filet o' Fish) and Fried Chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, fries, colas, milk shakes and apple pies, all in the $5 or less range. It's another of the three airport food court options, located relatively centrally in the terminal.
Freshens: Another new addition to the food court, the national chain Freshens is an easy choice for desserts, offering smoothies, milkshakes, and soft serve ice cream, mostly with healthy and fruity spins, but others with candy mixed in. Prices are generally in the $5 and under bracket.
Other notes for travelers and foodies: The Lake Erie Pub is the only major option outside of the security screening area, offering dawn to dusk sustenance to those awaiting arriving flights. Mattie's Texas Red Hots is a hot dog and sausage stand far down the right side of the terminal, with a salad and wrap shop called Jake's Bistro & News nearby. Custard, lemon ice and roast beef shop Anderson's was supposed to open in the Airport along with the aforementioned new restaurants, but apparently hasn't done so yet; there's no mention of this location on its web site, either. Finally, as has been the case for years, some notable Buffalo chocolates and sweets, including Alethea's deluxe packaged Sponge Candy, can be found in the Monarch Newsstand & Gift Shop that's immediately off to the right of the security screening section.
What's the bottom line? While many airports today have a broad range of restaurants, including semi-fancy picks, express versions of large chains, and even multiple Starbucks locations, the Buffalo Niagara International Airport options are getting better, but they're still extremely limited. Most surprising is the fact that they're so focused on simple local and largely American options, without the sort of ethnic food diversity that Western New York, its residents, or its tourists might expect. If any town needs three or four Beef on Weck options in a single airport, it would be Buffalo, but seriously, does even Buffalo really need such a thing? For now, we'd generally advise visitors to use the airport's easily accessible 33 and 90 highways to access a broad array of superior nearby options if they have the time, that said, those seeking breakfast foods, sandwiches, salads, wings, and drinks at the Airport now have a number of choices, and hopefully they'll continue to improve in the near future.
