Rusty Nickel Brewing Co. — Restaurant in Town of West Seneca

I kept seeing Rusty Nickel posted on my Step out Buffalo page Instagram, so we decided to check it out on a (finally) gorgeous and sunny Thursday night. When we got there, it seemed pretty busy at the bar-the bartender was pretty prompt, but you could tell he was very overwhelmed. My first 2 different wines I asked for they were both out of Pinot grigio and dry rose, my only other options were sweet whites, which was disappointing. I went with a local Reisling, which was okay, but was not worth $11 for such a small pour. When we walked to the back patio area, it was quiet. There are many seating options, and the ambiance is beautiful - definitely very welcoming with the options for high or low top tables, picnic tables, and couches. There were 6 ladies total, and when we finished our drinks, we went back inside to get another and order food. It had calmed down a bit, but the bartender still seemed overwhelmed which I don't think is necessarily his fault as I realized later on that he was the only one working- making food, getting drinks, cashing customers etc. We all ordered food - very simple orders, 3 orders of pretzel sticks, nachos with chicken, and a charcuterie board. He said it would be a bit, and he would bring it out. About an hour later, he brought out 2 orders of pretzel sticks. About a half hour later, I went up to go to the bathroom and check on the food. I went to the bar and he said "I'm just going to have to give you a refund for your food - I haven't had a chance to make it". This was extremely frustrating because we had been waiting since 7pm and it was now 8:30. I expressed my frustration and he responded that he was the only one working, I told him I understood and it wasn't fault that he was the only one working, but they should've expected to be busier on a beautiful Thursday evening. Had we known earlier we wouldn't be getting the food we would've went somewhere else to eat. He refunded the food- even though I think we were still shorted after talking to the girls I was with, I believe he took 2 of the pretzel sticks out as that we got them, but they were from another order and we never received mine- anyways, at that point we were just ready to get out of there. We all left hungry. Even though it's a beautiful place, I won't be back. I grew up around and working in the restaurant industry. I have an appreciation for when a restaurant has good service and good food - unfortunately, this one...

Well, I got canned by the creepy kitchen manager of the bar and grill a stones throw away from this business three weeks before Christmas, a couple years ago, because he wanted to plow a waitress, so I got tired of the world and stayed home and wrote a book of bard's tales, while improving my musicianship . I memorized a bard's mixture of renaissance and baroque lute music, as well as some traditional Celtic music for guitar . I figured that the Sunday open mike at the Rusty Nickle would be a good place to showcase my newly tweaked repertoire; however, I was a bit late on the play list . Early in the day, the local crowd in the back garden area were a tame bunch of hippies and hippy-files, After 8 O'clock, they had to move the show inside, where the PA system was insufficient and had no stage monitor . This would not have been a problem for me normally, but close proximity to a functional beer bar mutated the mellow Jello hippy folk into a bunch of very loud talking revelers . I tried playing a couple renaissance numbers and a Celtic tune, but the intense background noise of all that chatter made it impossible to concentrate, so I just slammed down a few old rock and roll numbers . I hadn't practiced any rock and roll for more than a year and a half, so I only recalled 80 percent of what I was supposed to play, and definitely hit a few wrong chords . The crowd was friendly and cheered anyways . I felt like I won a participation trophy . That was not what I practiced for, and it had me bummed out for a week . So now I decided that I'll just have to sharpen up on the rock as well as the classical stuff, so I can handle different crowds better . It was an amusing, but saddle soar inflicting jump back on the old horse . The draft beer...

Great setting with tasty beer choices. The indoor space is perfect for a party atmosphere or meander to the covered and open spaces out back. We visited during the 2024 eclipse and despite being packed service was good. The clearly marked place to order at the bar is a simple common-sense step that every bar should take. There are flat-screen TVs everywhere and I could imagine enjoying a televised sporting event here. The interesting features in the open-air areas add visual stimulation to the park-like setting, like a back yard done by a TV home renovation show. The nacho orders are gigantic, like a cafeteria tray barely supporting an eight-inch mound of chips and toppings. Oddly for a "Brewing Co.," the "Our Beers" part of their web site goes to a food menu. I enjoyed the Ms. Brown's Porter and the unique Vanilla Chai Tea Milk Stout. Thankfully they seem to offer a few darker beers year-round. Adding to the local flavor (literally) is their array of local and regional spirits, which will be sampled next time I visit. I live hours away, but if I lived in the area, I could see this place becoming a go-to local hangout. Definitely worth checking...