Brennan’s Bowery Bar & Restaurant

I’ve recently found myself here time and time again for the Harvest Salad and the friendly service. It’s a menu staple and it always impresses — the portions are generous and everything always tastes super fresh. I wouldn’t expect Brennan’s to have a fabulous salad but definitely give them a try!

Very dissapointed. Tried to go and grab dinner with a friend of mine on a Friday evening after a tough day at work and was denied entry by a rude burly bouncer because my friend was not «of age» all we wanted was some dinner and we were denied such a pleasure. We took our business elsewhere and will continue to do so in the future. Also people were really annoying outside. Not a good look. Maybe get a less neanderthal-​ish door person because he was dreadful.

Good atmosphere if you like the dive bar type and a reasonable selection of draft beer. I had wings (since I was in Buffalo) and they were pretty good. Cooked well with good flavor. Service at the bar was a little slow and it seems like they have a crowd of regulars since the bar staff seemed to spend a lot of time talking to customers… just a general feeling.

This was actually our third choice of places to eat last night because various college graduation ceremonies were taking place and every place we wanted to go was booked solid, but we left feeling satisfied overall.
In fact, the salted caramel cheese cake almost put them over the top for me.
Almost.
The green letters and clovers suggest the menu is about as Irish as anyone sporting green clothing on St. Patrick’s day. Not a sticking point with me, but I know it’s a pet peeve for others.
My husband made inappropriate noises when he bit into his wings because the skin was crispy just how he likes it. However, the medium was more like mild and the mild lacked flavor. My calamari and garlic aioli dipping sauce were excellent, but I wish one or the other had something added to give a little kick… not too much, just a little.
Mixed drinks were around the $ 7 range. I tried their Bowery Sorbet. The flavor kind of reminded me of a hurricane, but, like, a stage 1 or 2 hurricane. I mostly tasted orange juice.
Service was excellent. The ambiance was just okay.

Brennan’s is the perfect place for happy hour or a drink on a Friday night. I have never eaten here before, however I know they’re linked with Coles so I was expecting good things, and that happened.
Their food and drink menu isn’t as big as Coles however, they do have a lot to choose from. I enjoy the overall atmosphere and it’s a spacious place for a group.

We were in a wings mood, and I have heard great things about Brennan’s, so we decided to give it a try.
This is a slightly unassuming location on Transit, in a strip mall. Not necessarily the place you expect a pub type place to be, but here it is, little Guinness flags flapping in the wind as we went inside.
2 in the afternoon is sort of a weird time to get lunch or dinner. It took a few minutes for us to get seated, but we were steered to a very nice booth. The whole place looks a lot like Cole’s in Elmwood — lots of wood and brass. This feeling is emphasized by the fact that there are Cole’s placemats and glassware, so this is a bit of Cole’s West.
Beer selection is great, a lot of choices with mostly micro IPAs, but a lot of variety overall. We wanted some wings, so we put in an order for ‘em.
They were great — crispy, not too saucy, just the right level of heat for Lee (a bit mild for me, but that’s fine, Lee is more sensitive to spice.)
So we went for mains, and I think that’s where things stumbled a tiny bit. I decided to go for one of the specials — Celtic rarebit. It was good, but it was just not quite enough for what I really wanted. I ended up wanting more. Lee had the opposite problem — his burger was gigantic and a bit too much for what he wanted. The fries were great, and I snagged several of them to finish off my meal.
So overall, a great place, the issues that we ran into were mainly our own fault. I’d definitely go back!

I had not crossed the threshold of this Irish themed pub in literally years. But memories quickly filled my brain as I entered … Ready for a Friday Fish Fry challenge.
The menu almost spoke Gaelic with all of its Irish themed options but for the two of us we went fish and chips.
Ok, before my moments of criticism I have to commend the outstanding service! Each Brennan’s staff member deserves 5 stars!
Now, I need to accept that when you see fish and chips on a menu … Well think about those Brits and their love of cod. I just shook my head which was filled with many memories of enjoying haddock on the Emerald Isle not cod the fish that makes a Brit happy.
So, while disappointing an Irish Buffalonian who hungers for Haddock every Friday we put in our order adding a cup of New England clam chowder.
Lots of great beer options by the way …
The chowder came in a coffee mug uhuh cup and my friend since our junior high days sampled it first. Her yummm was a good indication of the tasty soup loaded with bacon and potato with a nice oniony touch … A really tasty creamy soup with bacon, potato, and onion … Not many hints of clam. Remember we ordered the New England CLAM Chowder but really were served an excellent potato chowder.
It was easy to serve our entrees since we each ordered the same thing. Huge slab o’cod! Looked delicious and that first forkful revealed a well prepared fried fish. Moist, hot and tasting like cod … I was missing my haddock. The chips were dusted with some nice seasoning and were hot from the fryer. The cole slaw was pedestrian … I think my dining companion left most of hers.
The most noticeable element of the dinner was the uhuh rubber biscuit … Ok it couldn’t bounce because it was as close to stale as a roll can get.
My friend tried to calm me by sharing stories from her days working in restaurants telling me tricks of the trade for breads and rolls but I do not understand the need to add a stale roll to fish and chips.
So, I will probably be back for the Irish options but will skip the cod w/​stale roll.
We missed the music but Brennan’s is a good option if you like the Irish and some good food all enhanced by great service!

Came here with a party of 5. Our service was great. I had the Reuben Brennan with onion rings instead of fries. The food was very good. This was my first time ever here. I will be back very soon. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Very disappointing evening. This was a family «go to» spot, but the service and the quality of the meal fell far short tonight. We waited over forty– five minutes at our table for a fish dinner and a burger, both of which finally arrived over-​cooked. Kudos to the waitress for taking the well done (I ordered medium rare) burger off of our bill, but shame on the management for letting her bear the brunt. Good management is proactive; in this case, silence speaks volumes.

Came here for a quick bite to eat and beers for a late night dinner with my boyfriend. I have been here in the past, but have not vised in quite some time.
We sat at the bar, we were greeted bu the bartender who was very helpful and friendly.
We both ordered the grilled cheese soup, it was amazing! who doesn’t love a grilled cheese and tomato soup.
I know its something super simple, how could someone mess this dish up. The dish was also very large for only around 5 – 6 bucks it was well worth it.
the beer selection is also great as well, lots of options on tap, if you are a beer lover you will enjoy this place. The menu offers something for everyone as well.
I’m positive we will be back soon, it’s close to where we live so there’s no doubt that we will be back to visit.

If you’re looking for homemade comfort food this is a great place. Brennan’s has been as much a part of Buffalo as chicken wings have been, and for just as long. Speaking of chicken wings, theirs match up to any of those «famous» places in Buffalo. Crispy and saucy… just like we like ‘em. And if you think you can’t become addicted to fries and gravy I dare you to try it here. This is the first place I ever tried it and it was love at first bite. Brennan’s has a wide variety of sandwiches and pub style food. All delicious homemade comfort food. I have tried almost everything on the menu and have never had a bad meal. This is also a great place to meet up with friends for a pint and the patio is great in warmer weather. Slainte!

This place was really packed on a Friday night but my date and I had no trouble snuggling up to the bar. The wait of fifteen minutes hardly seemed like any time at all. Everyone was helpful and friendly; the atmosphere warm and inviting.
First thing you must try is their baked artichoke and spinach appetizer with fresh baked bread. I sincerely thought I had died and gone to heaven. Truly, I could have made a meal of just that. I’ve dreamed of it since and I must go back…
We both had the Black and Tan Fish Fry, well, of course, it’s Friday night in Buffalo! The fish was cod and my choice would usually be haddock but I have to say it was enormous and tasty… finished it for lunch the next day. I enjoyed the Cole slaw, as well; it lightened things up with its bright, creamy texture.
I must go back there and try that Shepard’s pie and one of those desserts…

Went here for a trivia night after an event. HUGE place and rightfully felt like an Irish joint. Their extensive beer list and great food was definitely a major plus. We sat at the bar so naturally were waited on by the bartender — really nice and pretty chill dude, he was.
I got the only thing on the menu for me — the portobello mushroom burger. Utterly delicious and super tasty. The mushroom was perfectly cooked, the seasoning was just right and their fries were the talk of the town!
Although we didn’t do too hot on the trivia, we managed to enjoy the experience nonetheless!
Great time! Definitely repeating!

I come here all the time.
Imagine if you will an Irish pub & restaurant that actually serves decent food. One that acknowledges Buffalo’s rich, albeit disappointing, sports heritage. Imagine décor as overwhelming, but not as tacky as say, the Tilted Kilt, & you’ll have Brennan’s Bowery Bar. With ample parking provided by the strip mall it’s situated in, this expansive but dimly lit establishment has a pretty impressive menu & the food doesn’t disappoint, at least in terms of pub fare. Service is generally on point & regulars are bound to see someone they know.

So, this is a restaurant/​bar and the most important thing should be food and drink. Drinks are good, made just right. This used to be one of my favorite places to eat too. But I’m thinking they’ve hired new cooks or someone came along and changed all their tried and true recipes and now… very, very disappointing.
One of my all-​time favorites used to be the Spinach Artichoke dip. Most places make it the same, but Brennan’s used to add sauerkraut and let me tell you, it was SO good we used to get 2 – 3 orders just so we could take some home. Each order came with two good sized loaves of freshly baked bread and the portion of the dip was more than enough for the amount of bread you had. Now, you get one loaf and a very small portion of dip. It’s the same old, same old that you can get anywhere… nothing special and frankly, most places make it better.
Let’s discuss beer cheese. It’s supposed to be cheese with beer in it. What they served was more like watered down beer with what looked like maybe parsley (wasn’t sure), and the teeniest sprinkling of cheese. All you tasted was beer and it was bitter and so runny it didn’t really stick to the pretzels like beer cheese should. I wanted to go into the kitchen and school the person who made it. Butter… flour… whisk… add small amt of milk… whisk… a little more milk… whisk. Add salt, dijon mustard, dash of cayenne, dash of pepper, beer… tons of cheese… boil till bubbly and add more milk to thin. THAT is beer cheese. We told the waitress that it wasn’t good and did not get anything off our bill, no offer for a dessert, or maybe a drink on the house.
Then came my specialty salad. The chicken was pink inside… raw. Had to send it back and i have a feeling they kept the same salad and just put the cooked chicken back on top. Contamination.
My friend had the fish fry… both fish and fries, dry as a bone. Fish had no flavor.
I could go on about the food but it sure isn’t what it used to be… and should be.
Atmosphere… eclectic, but what you’d expect for a pub. I kind of like the huge animal heads (even though it normally would gross me out) and all the things hanging around the bar area. The bathrooms are super clean, the bar staff are great… but oh, the waitresses are never really very nice or friendly… barely even smile. They look like they don’t want to be there. Never used to be like that either. Smile! It’s inviting to a customer… you are the restaurant’s ambassadors!
I don’t know what happened, but things have changed. I would love to see some great Irish bands playing and adding some sing-​a-​longs like they do at the Irish Center or at Shenanigans.
God I would love to send Taffer (Bar Rescue) to do a redo of this place… it’s a great location, plenty of parking, but needs help!
All in all, the only thing that really would keep me from going back, is the food. And if you’re going to draw patrons, gotta hook um with something. The food won’t do it like it used to and I’m not seeing anything really inviting except the fun bartenders, and the coziness of the bar area.

I came here after a dinner with my friend Meg to meet a guy. I got here first. Used the bathroom, (very clean, much appreciated), and then had a seat at the bar.
The bartender that helped me was a girl, she gave me the list and naturally I asked about the IPAs. They had a large selection! She talked me into trying the seasonal beers… the one I had literally tasted like apple pie. They rimmed the glass with cinnamon and sugar which just made it twenty times more awesome. Without asking, she gave me two beer tastings in a smaller glass for free! «These were the two you were going to get but didn’t!» They were okay, but super glad she talked me out of it!
I don’t love going out by myself so when I got there before my date I appreciated that the bartender was so friendly and helpful! I haven’t had the food so I cannot yet review on that. However, great beer selection and well drinks. Also, pretty cheap! I got a tall jack and Coke (not for me) and my specialty beer and it was only about $ 10.
Great place to meet new people or just come for a few drinks with friends! I would like to try the food eventually, so stay tuned.
X’s and O’s!
J

Decent eatery with outdoor seating.
Décor: ²⁄₅ Renovation should be considered as the inside of the restaurant feels very dated.
Noise Level: ³⁄₅ Normal noise levels for lunch crowds.
Food: 3.5÷5 I tried the special today (the mesquite grilled salad with bacon and gouda) portion sizes are very large, food is nicely seasoned and comes out promptly. I’ve also tried their burger with sweet potato fries… good burger, large portions and nicely seasoned.
Service: ⁴⁄₅ Every time I’ve visited service has been very prompt and appropriately attentive.

I ate here last night as a spur of the moment decision, and boy was I not disappointed!
My boyfriend and I came here because we were starving, and he remembered their extensive beer list. We sat on the outdoor patio, and were greeted almost immediately. The waitress took our order for the spinach dip appetizer and beers right away. I ordered the Ithaca Pumpkin beer and it was delicious, and my boyfriend ordered a Ruination and fell in love with that.
Our beers and appetizer came out very quickly, and the spinach dip was great! Very creamy, and it had big chunks of artichokes in it, which I loved. The bread that came with it was soft with a nice crunchy crust.
For dinner, I ordered The Georgetown sandwich. This consisted of Angus beef, cream cheese, red onions, and horseradish. Normally it comes on pumpernickel, but I had it on white bread (I am not very adventurous when it comes to breads). I loved it! I was so full that I only had a few bites, but I ate it for lunch the next day (today) and it was still delectable.
Overall, I would highly recommend this establishment. The service was quick and efficient, there is an extensive beer list, and the food was great.

Thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Brennan’s last Saturday afternoon. It was a sunny day and we wanted to sit outside and have some lunch along with a Bloody Mary or two. Even though Brennan’s is in a plaza with other large stores, it’s appealing and easy to see with the patio overhang and large shamrock. It gives an inviting vibe so I was surprised upon walking in to see how dark the inside was. The floor, booths, bar and tables were very dark in color matched with dark lighting. The only light came from the string of green decorative lights scattered throughout the restaurant. I knew one thing was for sure, I did not want to sit inside. It definitely nailed the Irish vibe but needed a little bit of brightness, it was slightly depressing in all honesty. I used the restroom in the back while my boyfriend asked the hostess for a table outside. When I came out, I asked the hostess where he was and after the two women standing there sized me up, one told me he was outside and to the right. I was wearing a nice dress that day… anyways!
The tables were fairly close to each other outside, I could have grabbed a fry off the plate of the woman at the table next to me, but I decided to wait for my own meal. The chairs were flimsy. They were like plastic chairs you have in your backyard that you leave out during rain storms because you don’t care if they get damaged or blown away. We were given food menus, drink menu and a specials menu. Our waitress came over a few minutes after we were seated to ask about drinks. She was great, attentive but not too much, really kind, stayed on top of bringing more drinks and did a nice job training the new girl. There’s nothing worse than watching a new server go through training and hearing the waitress point out what she’s doing wrong in front of guests. This was not the case, they were both super enjoyable servers throughout our experience. I asked for a spicy Bloody Mary and spicy it was, so delicious. I have a hard time when servers don’t automatically bring you waters, we had to ask for them here. Now, scanning their menu, they have many more menu options besides Irish fare. The menu consisted of Tuna Tacos, Beef on Weck, Elk Burger, Chicken Sandwiches, Mahi Mahi, Salmon and salads. There was a small section of Irish specialities like Shepherd’s Pie, Guinness Stew, Fish and Chips and Irish Cod, not sure what makes Cod Irish though. This didn’t bother me at all, but someone looking for Irish food and Irish food only may be a little surprised after checking out this menu.
I always have a hard time finding salads that sound good, but there were a lot of options here. I went with the harvest salad and it was good. The apple vinaigrette was light and delicious, chicken cooked really well, the candied pecans tasted a bit old but the apples and dried cranberries were a good addition. The salad was pretty big too, very reasonably priced for $ 11. My date got some sort of chicken sandwich with cheese and banana peppers. It was freaking INSANE. So good, quite possibly the best tasting chicken sandwich I have had in a long time. Bill came to $ 48, with those two dishes, two bloodies and two corona lights. Very reasonable. Overall it was a nice afternoon, good service, tasty food, we will be back!

I went there on a Friday night around 6 PM with my boyfriend and we were seated right away without reservations. Our waitress was fantastic and brought water and extra napkins with our meals without asking (this pro-​activeness is very appreciated). The Bacon Jam Burger was perfectly cooked and very tasty. In terms of comparison, The Griffion Pub has a better quality of meat but Brennan’s was still very good. This place gets 4 stars due to the extremely great service we recieved.