Roaming Bison Tavern — Restaurant in Buffalo

Extremely happy to write this review because of the great experience we had here, and for what this owner / restaurant is doing for the community.

Looking from the outside as you drive through the neighborhood it is easy to assume that you are driving past another shady dive bar, and to proceed with your night without giving a second off further thought to stop in. You could not be more wrong.

We dined here Friday evening, and couldn’t be more pleased with our decision. We read the reviews online and looked at the photos and decided to give it a try in the name of good local BBQ, and we found a new top 10 restaurant experience to put on our list. Stepping through the door you instantly scan the room and take in the space; the warm greeting from the staff, the one hundred plus bourbons around the room, and the hours of work with the woodworking from floor to ceiling. We felt like we were welcome friends who had dined here hundreds of times even though we had never been here before.

We took a few minutes to go over the extensive drink menu, and once we settled on two good options we set to trying to make up our minds on which homemade BBQ we would try out. The waitress Heather made some suggestions, and we ultimately opted for a brisket dinner, and a smoked and loaded bologna sandwich. It is safe to say neither disappointed, and both were eaten almost as fast as they appeared. As a self proclaimed BBQ enthusiast, I ordered my brisket with sauce on the side so I could take in the smoke and wood flavors from the cooking process. This was genuine hand smoked meat, low and slow, pink smoke ring and peppery bark exterior- big thumbs up.

During our meal the owner came over to introduce himself, and tell us his story- you could hear in his voice the passion he has for his craft, and for fine bourbons. It was wonderful to hear how he prepares the meats, and some stories on how he curated the selection of bourbons that were available.

Ultimately we left after a much longer stay than we planned- filled with good food, tasty bourbon, and a new favorite spot to see a new friend that shares a passion for bbq and bourbon, but most importantly vision. At any point along the way corners could have been cut with the renovations inside, the menu, the bar, but he chose not to. He chose to open in a neighborhood that most people extract money from with poorly run businesses and predatory practices. He chose to open a quality restaurant, invest in the neighborhood and share his passions. A big hat tip to that; we will be back many times, with more people to...

The wife and I walked into an empty tavern, and was immediately greeted by the waitress/barkeep. Very kind and courteous, immediately brought us waters.

We ordered the sampler which came with brisket, smoked wings, corn cake, ribs, Mac and cheese, greens, sausage, fries, and beans. We ordered an extra side of brisket and ribs, just because we knew what was in the sampler wasn’t enough for the both of us… lol

Brisket: you could tell it wasn’t “fresh out the smoker”, and had been prepared hours prior to, but it was still juicy and tender. Mild smoke ring. You could tell it wasn’t sitting in some pan of juices all day. Very well seasoned.

Ribs: tender, seasoned “enough”, but not to my liking. Would I order again, yes I would. The dry rub is well seasoned. (We order both wet and dry rub)

Sausage: it very heard to mess up sausage, and they didn’t!!! Nice, plump, juicy sausage. Very flavorful.

All of the sides were very flavorful, I’ll give a 5 out of 5! The greens had a well balanced flavor.

What made me not give this place a perfect score, were the wings. They were dry, and had no flavor whatsoever so ever. Even using the tasteful sauces they gave it, just couldn’t get into them. I was disappointed. But for a 1st time visit, it was a good experience. They also have a vast selection of whiskeys. I mean a lot from all over the world. This place is definitely...

My boyfriend and I recently discovered this place about 2 months ago and it was delicious so we decided to go back. On oct 18th we ordered food to go and when we went in to pick up the food the owner was there and was talking to us about how he cooks his food which we thought was great that he took the time to be friendly and talk to us. The bill was around 36 or so which is a good price point for the quality. I tipped several dollars so the final price was around 41.... I checked my acct several days later which I always do and the ant was accurate. Today I was going thru my account again and balancing it and realized that the amt actually taken out of my acct on 10/18 from this place was 79.16. I AM FURIOUS!!! Here I am trying to support local restaurants especially during these times and I discover that the original Amt I verified when I first looked was altered and I was charged almost double. I’m furious at myself for not rechecking sooner to discover it as it’s almost been a month now but I’m even more furious...