Buffalo food by neighborhood: Elmwood, Allentown, Hertel, Broadway

Buffalo is famous for chicken wings and beef on weck, and both deserve a plate. But the city's eating is wider than its two best-known dishes, and it is organized by neighborhood in a way that rewards a little planning. A Polish market that fills before Easter, a food hall that shows off the city's newer immigrant communities, a boulevard of cafes and a long strip of international restaurants each tell part of the story. Each area has its own character and its own best hour.

What is Elmwood Village like for eating?

Elmwood Village runs along Elmwood Avenue, north of downtown, and is the neighborhood most visitors are pointed to first. Locally owned cafes, restaurants, bakeries and boutiques fill a walkable stretch, with a mix of brunch counters, pasta kitchens, burger places and coffee shops. It is a good area for a long weekend breakfast or a relaxed dinner. Parking is on the street and in small lots, and weekend evenings can be tight, so allow time or take a rideshare.

What is Allentown known for?

Allentown, just west of Elmwood and north of downtown, is an arts district with galleries, old houses converted to shops and a long-running nightlife scene. For diners that means pubs with kitchens, late-night pizza and wings, and live music rooms where food is part of the evening. It is lively on Friday and Saturday nights and quiet earlier in the week. Check whether a bar has a cover charge on music nights.

Where do you find international food on Hertel Avenue?

Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo is a diverse district with international restaurants and new openings. It is a street to walk and read menus, with a mix of old Italian bakeries and delis, newer cafes and restaurants from different traditions. It suits a casual lunch or a family dinner, and the bus line runs along it. Because restaurants come and go, look at recent photos and hours before you commit.

What is the Broadway Market?

The Broadway Market on Buffalo's East Side is a traditional public market, known for Polish food, with butchers, bakers and sellers of pierogi, sausage, horseradish and holiday specialties. It is a working market through the week, with days and hours that change near holidays, so check the market's own page before you go. The weeks before Easter are the busiest, when butter lambs and Polish treats sell out. Go early on a weekday for a quieter visit.

What is the West Side Bazaar?

The West Side Bazaar is a food hall and small business incubator that showcases Buffalo's immigrant communities, with vendors serving dishes such as pho and empanadas. The vendors change, so look at the market's own page before you visit. It is a good place to try several cuisines in one stop and to support new owners. Seating is limited at peak times, so avoid the noon rush if you are with a group.

What should you eat besides wings?

• Beef on weck: roast beef on a salted, caraway-topped roll with horseradish.
• Pierogi, kielbasa and paczki from the Polish bakeries and markets.
• Pizza in the Buffalo style, with thick crust and cup-and-char pepperoni.
• Sponge candy, a crisp honeycomb toffee coated in chocolate.
• Friday fish fry, a Lenten and year-round tradition at taverns and churches.
• Pasta and cannoli from the Italian bakeries in the older parts of the city.

How do you manage winter?

Buffalo winters are long and snowy, and restaurants carry on. Lake-effect storms can close roads for a day, so check forecasts and call ahead. Many restaurants close early on storm days. Dress for the walk from the car, and expect lines at cozy places on cold Friday nights. A warm bowl of soup or a fish fry on a snowy night is part of the experience.

How do you get around?

A car is easiest for Hertel Avenue and the East Side. Elmwood, Allentown and downtown are connected by bus and, downtown, by the light rail. Rideshares are common on weekend nights. Parking costs less than in larger cities, but read signs for winter parking rules, which can require you to move your car during snow.

What about prices and tipping?

Buffalo is generally less expensive than New York City. A meal out is cheaper and tables are easier to get. The state sales tax and the county rate are added to the check, so the total will be higher than the menu price. A tip of 18 to 20 percent for table service is customary, and counters and bakeries often have a tip jar.

How do you remember what you tried?

A day moving between a market, a cafe and a tavern makes for a long list. Mosey is a food-first app where diners find places by dish, mood and neighborhood and rate what they actually ate. Rate each pierogi and each fish fry, and Mosey shows you where to go back to first. A list for the Broadway Market and a list for Elmwood keeps a big Buffalo weekend straight, and you can send either to a friend with an invite link.

More guides to read next:

• Long Island seafood guide: Montauk, the South Shore and clam bars
• Rochester Public Market guide: days, hours and where to eat
• Syracuse food guide: Salt City Market, Regional Market, North Side
• Buffalo Broadway Market food guide: pierogi, Polish sausage and more

More in the US food guides and the ranked lists of places.