Buffalo Food Diary | A “Second Visit” Story

Buffalo Food Diary | A “Second Visit” Story at an Italian Restaurant 🤨🍝 Today’s spot is Frankie Primo’s +39—an Italian restaurant with two locations in Buffalo. My experience with this place has been a bit of a “high to low” journey…😅 The first time was at their Downtown location. I casually ordered the Mushroom Pasta, and with just one bite—I was blown away!✨ The pasta was perfectly al dente, the mushroom sauce rich and smooth, with a hint of truffle oil… Every bite felt like, “This is how pasta should be!” I even told my friend: “We’re coming back here for sure!” 💯 So for the second visit, we brought another friend to their Tonawanda location—and wow, what a letdown! 😰 The same Mushroom Pasta came out soft and mushy, the sauce was thin and bland, the mushrooms unevenly chopped, and the plating looked rushed… It felt like a totally different restaurant (or maybe a different chef? 👨🍳). My friend took one bite and quietly put down the fork: “So… this is the ‘amazing’ pasta you talked about?” 🥲 We also tried the New York Steak, which was on another level of “tasteless” 🥩❌. The meat was dry, the seasoning barely there, and even the sides seemed carelessly thrown together. Compared to the lovely memory from the Downtown visit, it felt like playing “spot the difference” in restaurant form… The only decent item was the Fried Calamari—crispy outside, tender inside, with a nice dipping sauce. But one appetizer alone couldn’t save the meal 🦑👌. After this experience, I’ve quietly concluded: The quality control between locations is just too inconsistent! 💔 Same brand, yet the taste and service feel like a lucky draw—Downtown was the “hidden gem,” while Tonawanda was more like the “common pull”… Next time I go, I’ll stick to the Downtown location for sure. Good food memories deserve to be preserved, not ruined by the “branch curse”! 🛡️🍴 P.S. Have any of you had similar “different location, bad experience” moments? 😢 Share your stories in the comments! #BuffaloFood#ItalianRestaurant#FoodDiary#LocationMatters#WhatToEatToday#StudyAbroadEats#FoodReview