The Phoenix at 269 — Restaurant in Buffalo

The Phoenix, is a local neighborhood favorite. With the potential to be one of Buffalo's best go to restaurants, and here's why. They are located in Black Rock, and it is a welcomed fixture in the area. The location is off of Amherst St, which is very busy. So to have their own parking lot is great news. The inside is small and cozy, and can be overly crowded depending on the time you come. Our reservations was for 7:30, and they were pack. I will say the seating is tight. At times other patrons have to squeeze by you, to get from and to their seats. It could get annoying, but hey it's a small place. Plus it's not like the other patrons, want to keep getting up bothering you on purpose. They do have a patio area you can be seated at as well. But this was a cooler night, so everyone opted to stay inside The service is top notch, from the moment you step inside the restaurant and through out your dinner. Also service with a genuine smile and attention to your needs, is always appreciated. It was very easy to find something to eat from the menu. We ordered the pepper dip, fish fry, the 269 burger, and the stuffed pork chop. Now here is the part of the review that I feel, if corrected can take this place to a new level. The menu- I love the small, simple one page menus. These types of menus, allow the cooks to dedicate time on really preparing a great meal. The pepper dip, with the pita bread is amazing. It has a nice subtle hint of heat to it. I like that because I am not into spicey foods, especially anything with hot peppers in it. I do not want to be at my seat wiping my forehead because it's so spicey I am sweating. The 269 burger was cook to my friends liking. The burger is a nice size burger, and you get a nice amount of fries with it. Only problem is, the fries were soggy and overly salted. The fish fry was huge. It came with fries, macaroni salad, and cole slaw. As great looking as it looked, it just fell a little short. A few tweaks though can make it better. For one, the fish was soggy and doughy in the inside. This tends to happen when you use prebattered frozen fish. Now nothing is wrong with that, but many times the batter is thicker and needs extra time to cook. If it's not prebattered fish, batter the fish not so thick and heavy. Also the fries again was soggy, as for the sides, they we're overly salted. The stuffed pork chop was my choice for dinner. As you can see from the picture, it was presented very well. I almost started eating it before I took the picture. Upon cutting into it, I was taken back a bit because I assumed it would be stuffed with stuffing. But it was stuffed with gooey cheese, I would rather it be with bread stuffing. I suggest they mention that on their menu. Also, even though it was cook just right. It had a weird funky taste to it. I want to say it was gamey, but pork is never gamey. It wasn't spoiled, because I didn't get sick. But something didn't seem right with the pork. I suggest they look into that, maybe it's how they prepare it whether it's the seasoning, or it was actually meat that was close to expiring. The drink I had was great, it was called battle of black rock. The cinnamon taste was great. There was only two cocktails listed, the drink menu had a nice size amount of wines and beer. So if your into cocktails, I suggest you ask if they can make others. Again, I think with a few fixes this restaurant will not only be around for a long time. But will be one of Buffalo's great...

I am most sure why this place was almost empty on a Saturday night…we were a party of seven and after about 8:45 and the early diners left it was empty. You all are missing out! Our service was attentive and friendly. The drinks were well balanced and priced well. I had the grapefruit Cosmo which sounds odd but it was refreshing and balanced. I had the fish fry which was a LARGE piece of fish with Cole slaw and pasta salad. Normally, the sides are kind of an afterthought. Not here. Both had flavor, freshness and weren’t put in those little paper side cups. The fry batter stayed on and you could actually eat both and the batter at the same time. I have found in Buffalo that oftentimes the batter doesn’t adhere and you eat just plain fish…not my favorite. My partner had the burge and she told me the beef actually had flavor. She asked for medium well and got it. Usually when you ask for medium well you either get medium and well done. Hers was cooked just right. My other friend got the shrimp and grits. It was huge. She actually got about 6-8 ( I didn’t count) but knew it wasn’t four which a lot of times is the standard. The were good sized and she finished the entire dish which is unusual for her. She was t was delicious. Another person for the rack of lamb and he said it was phenomenal. Truthfully I was talking so much I didn’t pay attention to the other food at the table lol. During the meal a gentleman came over and asked how our meal was and we all commented that it was great! He seemed very happy and thanked us for coming and would enjoy seeing us again. We stayed and had drinks right up until closing and never felt rushed. The bar still had patrons that I am sure are regulars and everyone seemed to be having a great time. One of the owners came over and and how we had heard of them and I told her that I used Google and Yelp and they had gotten great reviews! She went on to tell us about their great patio and to be sure and use their parking lot as well. As you are are aware parking at a restaurant in Buffalo can be challenging. Having a parking lot is a premium! We can’t wait to enjoy the patio this summer but will go back again for dinner and drinks before then! You all are missing out if you haven’t...

Elmwood Ave Vibe on Amherst St. I visited The Phoenix for the first time May 2019 with my Foodie Meet Up group. Through this group I've been exposed to restaurants in an around Buffalo that I may not have chosen otherwise. One of the benefits of this group, besides meeting new people is the opportunity to share portions of the meal with your fellow Foodies. All plates I sampled were tasty and of high quality. There was a special on bottles of wine that night as well, which just added to the enjoyment of the evening. I have since returned for dinner. The quality of the food, and the ambiance, speaks to a venue that would fit nicely on the Elmwood Strip, yet is a gem in the Black Rock section of the city. Seating has been added under a heated tent in the rear to adhere to COVID restrictions. Fun Fact, the owner used to tend bar there when it was more of a...