The Place — Restaurant in Buffalo

I'll start with the good and say that we've been here twice and the food is delicious. Now to my 3 star rating: poor service. We ordered our foods and waited however long for it to come out. Not a problem. When my duck arrived, it was undercooked, and while I like duck, it is not a meat I will eat rare. My food was taken back to the kitchen and 52 minutes later, I had not gotten it back. Everyone else in my party of five finished their meals and even boxed up leftovers while I was still seated and waiting for my meal to re-emerge. When it did show up, it was as though someone threw something together on a plate and brought to me. Our waitress said as she delivered my meal that they had prepared a new meal for me. One look at the meal and I realize that everything is smaller...ie. portion size was reduced. Good thing I took pictures. This is a $29 plate (before taxes) and except for a half bitten slice of duck, I returned a full plate to the kitchen. What they returned to me was not the full portion size. When the waitress did show up again, I complained about the reduced portion size and she says "the more they cook it, the more it shrinks" and ran off within seconds after she made those remarks. Every thing on the plate - from the asparagus to the duck and the potatoes - had "shrunk" in number! So, did they remake a fresh meal for me like the waitress said or did they recook the same old meal? I wish it was the latter, actually, because then I'd have received a full-sized plate back. I was so tired, hungry, and disappointed at this point that I paid the bill, got up, left the food there for them, and walked away. I didn't even have the energy at this point to ask for a manager. The waitress avoided us as much as she could during our dining and was unwilling to engage with us. We ordered refillable drinks and only managed to get one refill. The rest of the time our waitress was AWOL...no water...no refills. In fact, it was another waitress that had even taken my undercooked duck back to the kitchen. This is a fine place, but they need to address their service issues or they'll ultimately spoil their brand. Can't pay for expensive meals and terrible service. The two do not go hand in hand. I may return to this place again but it will not be...

I called a week in advance to make reservations for my mothers Birthday for 11 people, she wanted to try it as they redid somethings. Our drink order worked out fine after that everything else went down hill. The food took over an hour and a half to come out when it did come out it was very dry and flavorless, we all were extremely disappointed not to mention everyone’s meals came out at separate times. I myself ordered the linguini and clam sauce and they place four clams around the plate for you and they were raw which I don’t like raw clams and usually with linguini and clam sauce the clams are cooked. My husband ordered the chicken Milanese and his chicken was super dry and the salad they give you was also dry no dressing. My father had something quite simple chicken wings they shorted his meal by two wings and brought them out once everyone was done eating. When we all got our meals our server was so quick to drop the meals on the table and run. Every time we needed something we could not find her she did not check on us once. Once we were all done eating a blonde waitress came over to check on us, as we were all frustrated at this point and wanted out of there. We asked that checks be split three ways and of course they were wrong when the waitress handed us our checks she stated if anything is wrong I will fix your checks and again ran away. The checks were wrong so I had to grab another waitress to get her she finally comes back fixes the checks and we try to hand her the checks back with our payment and again she ran away. I was so frustrated at this point I walked to the bar and asked the blonde waitress if I could cash out because at this point our dinner turned into 3 hours of sitting there we were all tired when I asked her she acted annoyed that she had to cash us out and said yes your waitress can cash you out and I said no every time she comes over she takes off and doesn’t come back so finally she cashed me out. Needless to say terrible service, mediocre food and prices are not cheap to get such flavorless and crappy service. I will not be...

The Place" on Lexington Avenue in Buffalo, NY, is steeped in history and local culture. It began its journey in the late 1870s, initially as a saloon opened by Jacob Beier. Located in a then-rural district north of Buffalo's main city area, the establishment served as a convenient stop for both businessmen and workers. Over the years, the saloon witnessed changes in ownership and shifts in cultural influences, transitioning from German to Irish hands.

During the early 1900s, under Christoph Piller's ownership, it operated as "Piller's Cafe". Despite facing challenges like the Prohibition era, the cafe continued its operations. In the 1940s, Bernie Flynn took over, renaming it "The Place" and adding signature elements like the ruby red and India turquoise walls. Bernie Flynn introduced popular items like "Flynnie's Thinnie" sandwiches and the Tom & Jerrys, a warm holiday drink, which became synonymous with The Place.

After Bernie Flynn, the business was taken over by Edward "Buddy" Flynn, who maintained many of the establishment's traditions. The Place was known for its unpretentious atmosphere, popular tavern food, and simple drinks, drawing large crowds, especially during the holidays.

The Place temporarily closed in May 2015 but was soon rejuvenated by Jay McCarthy, Kevin Brinkworth, and Elizabeth "Betty" Brinkworth. They renovated the space, balancing the preservation of its historic charm with modern upgrades. This included retaining features like the mahogany wood walls and the original ceiling while adding new elements such as a copper bar top.

Today, The Place offers a nostalgic reflection of Buffalo's past, blending classic ambiance with old-time charm. It remains a beloved spot for locals and visitors alike, especially with its additions like a porch and open-air patio. The tradition of serving "Thinnie Flynnie" sandwiches and the Tom & Jerry holiday punch continues, keeping the spirit of The...