Fables Cafe

Components of a good grilled cheese:
Fresh homemade bread, can be white, wheat, whatever, needs to be fresh
Enough cheese to cover the bread
Additional ingredients if there are enough to fill the sandwich too.
What makes a grilled cheese not as good as it could be:
Average bread
Cheese only in the middle
Too much of one added ingredient (in this case a sweet one) and too little of another (tart one) to balance it all out
Sandwich that does not hold together well.
I love libraries. And this one is no exception. Adds tremendous value to the city and the people in the city. But this lunch place inside the library should really be rethought. They just need new management.
My disappointing grilled cheese came with a side salad that was from the Wegmans salad bar I think. I think this because I know those carrots well and recognized them. The salad included some field greens that were from yesterday I believe. And three grape tomatoes that had been in the fridge for a long time, they were very very cold. And tomatoes and cold are not a good combo. There was a vinaigrette dressing of some sort that was sort of dumped on in one spot but not mixed.
It also came with a cookie that was really good. I wanted another.
I’m giving an extra star because the service was with a smile and the sandwich brought to the table and served, unexpectedly, with the side salad and cookie. But for the sandwich alone, 1 star.
They don’t take Amex. Sigh.

Ever since they switched management, I have not had a good experience. Ordering the food takes way longer and waiting for the food is even longer. I would not come back here unless they went back to the old management. Food is good but the service is unacceptable.

Too bad. Those are the first words that come to mind after visiting Fables. I used to enjoy eating here. However, after today’s visit, I most likely won’t return. To start, the menu changed. Okay, I adapt to change well. Everything changes, nothing stays the same. I get that. However, if you’re going to take off the crab cake blt, portobella mushroom with goat cheese sandwich, the green olive toothpick that accompanied every sandwich, cookies and the kettle potato chips, at least replace them with something that is of equal or greater quality. Lays potato chips, no olive, meh cookie?
Today I ordered the tuna melt. Fables was the first place I had ever eaten one in my life. It was #3 on items I ordered here aside from the portabella mushroom with goat cheese and the crab cake blt.
The tuna melt prior to the new management used to be chunky tuna, not too much mayo, firm tomatoes. Today my tomatoes were a bit mushy and the tuna had too much mayo. Also, I was supposed to get a petite side salad and chips with my order. The lady that took the order said no problem, both chips and salad at no charge. The order came and there was no salad.
With that being said, I’ll take my $ 8.50 to another establishment downtown. It’s unfortunate because I really did enjoy going here at one time.

Although my cobb salad was delicious qith nice crisp strip s of bacon I was not happy because my chicken breast was also crisp, as in overcooked and dried out and as I explained this to the manager ahe never once looked up or made eye contact she continued to write on paper while interrupting me while I spoke with what she thought I was going to say next. For $ 9.79 I expect a fully edible lunch, lesson learned Fables Café will not get anymore of my hard earned money

There are new owners (reportedly from «The Falafel Bar» in Amherst) and this place has really taken a turn for the worse. My boyfriend and I excitedly came for breakfast and I was disappointed in both the service and the food. The library opens at 8:30 and supposedly so does the restaurant. Well, on the day we were there the manager overslept (yes, he actually admitted to that) so the opening was delayed.
There is a very limited breakfast menu (four items), other than just pastries from the display case. I was really looking forward to the yogurt parfait as I waited for the restaurant manager to get himself together enough to get breakfast started… only to find out that they were out of yogurt. Ummmm… I saw you carry in a bag with sour cream and cheese and some other items. If you knew you were out if yogurt, why didn’t you pick that up too?
I inquired about the items in the pastry case and was told that the babka was from Wegman’s and all of the other items (cheese and fruit danishes, apple turnovers, baklava, cookies…) were made by a local baker. I chose the apple turnover. Local baker? Yeah right! It tasted like it was (not so fresh) from the bulk section at Aldi’s. Yuck! My boyfriend had «The Usual» (scrambled egg, sausage, and American cheese on a bagel) and said it was «just okay». We won’t be back!

Located in the Downtown Central Library, Fables Café is a neat little spot to grab a bite for breakfast, lunch, or to just sit and enjoy a cup of coffee.
The location/​café space:
— very clean, open, good for people watching
— super easy to find in the building … you just walk in the main entrance and keep going, you can’t miss it!
— good amount of seating, tables and stool chairs
— employees were super nice and answered all of my questions with a smile!
the café eats:
— menu has a good amount, standard salad, wraps, sandwiches, and soups for a café style lunch and breakfast sandwiches, yogurt, bagels
— I ordered the fatoush salad with an avocado add on for $ 1.
— the salad was so good! dressing was so great, I really want to know if it’s house made, so glad I added the avocado — a game changer for me
— serving size of salad was just right too
This was a perfectly perfect lunch and just what I expected from a café. It is nice that you can order to go and take to eat outside (which is what my friend and I did). Café also has daily specials too!

The modern grilled cheese was «the best food ever» according to my daughter. The vegan delight sandwich was delicious also. The staff are charming and the library seems amazing.

What an excellent surprise! Looking for a healthy yet delicious alternative to Weck and Wings… Stumbled upon Fables while browsing Unilocal.Arriving after the peak lunch crowd I was pleasantly surprised that the special of the day was still available. Honey Glazed Salmon on a bed of fresh spinach. with pineapple avocado salsa. The salmon was fresh and combined with the salsa an excellent combination! I would have liked more spinach. but it was fresh and good. I paired that with a delicious vegan lentil soup. and a tasty brownie… Creative yet simple menu choices planned and executed well! Perfect choice for a great healthy lunch in a very unique setting.

I’ve always loved Fable’s even before the menu changed and I feel it’s definitely better. I read the review about the prices going up and I disagree. All the specials are still the same price. A couple of sandwiches might have gone up $.50 at most but I still think it’s a pretty good deal.
They use very fresh ingredients. The salads are all huge and filling. This particular trip I ordered a B&B. It’s a Blackened Chicken and Blue cheese sandwich. The chicken was great. It wasn’t dry and it has a nice blue cheese that became slightly creamy from the heat of the chicken. It has a slight kick from the chipotle mayo but I loved it! Plus it’s served on a costanzo roll!
My friends ordered a Crab Cake BLT, which is a great option. It’s a special so it’s not always on the menu, but it’s on there enough for regulars to constantly order it. All sandwiches come with a petit garden salad and a cookie. I think we all spent $ 9 – 11 each, if you factor in beverages.
The owners are present and care about what’s coming from their kitchen and you can see that in the service and attention they show every customer. You forget you’re eating in library and feel like you’re in a small restaurant.
Tip: check there website ahead of time for the specials because they typically run out!

I am SO disappointed with Fables now that the ownership has changed. The new menu is overpriced and lacks all of the most popular items from the original fables menu, including the Quattro frommagio. The new menu is complicated and much too intense for a library café. In addition, the baked goods have completely changed, and for awhile they were taking cash only. I won’t be returning to Fables anymore. I’d rather walk an extra block and go to the Lunch Box.

I come here about once a month for their crab BLT, which is amazing! I work downtown, so it is nice to get out and venture into the Central Library for a tasty lunch date. All of their sandwiches come with a great side salad with an excellent dressing, as well as a homemade cookie! :) One cute thing that they do is give you this wooden block letter that you put on your table so that the staff knows where your order should go. It is a fun tradition that they have. I recently read that there is a new owner, same guy that owns the Falafel Bar. I’m nervous that it could change a bit, so we will have to wait and see! As long as they keep my CBLT, I will be happy.
This place is usually quite packed at noon, so my tip is to go just before noon to beat the lunch time rush. The staff are always very friendly and are happy to answer any questions you may have. Definitely put this place on your lunch list– a sure Downtown Buffalo favorite for all crowds.

The soup special — a Polish thing with meatballs and cabbage — yum. The salad was delish but I had to pick out a couple of pieces of rotten lettuce– why do restaurants so often make this mistake? But the best thing about this restaurant is, it’s in the public library!

Fables is probably one of the best lunch spots sandwiched inside a public library ever to exist.
The soups and sandwiches here use fresh ingredients. The quatro grilled cheese is a simple, but tasty grilled sandwich — but I’d recommend getting any of the turkey /​bacon sandwiches (their BLT is delightful) with a soup. You must get the soup! All of their soups and chilli’s are tasty. The staff is super nice with the only downside being how hidden away this place is.
Parking is also difficult on most weekdays, but there’s some nice spots a few blocks east toward the community center. Definitely a worthwhile choice for lunch if you work downtown!

What they said.
This has to be one of my favorite lunch places in Buffalo. The sandwiches and salads are always fresh and delicious and the soups are REALLY good.
If you’re tight on time, call in your order and tell them when you’ll be by to get it. They’re really good about having it prepped in time.
Don’t let the fact that it’s in a library keep you from coming inside. I promise no one will «shush» you while you’re eating. lol

Edit: this place has now changed owners, and the entire menu has changed. Everything mentioned in the review below no longer exists. I will update it once I’ve tried the new place. I’m in the process of tracking down the previous owners, but I’ve heard that they’ve moved into somewhere in Larkin and are serving a somewhat different, but still southern, menu of Po Boys.
Very sad news. The Ham & Potato Po Boy was one of Buffalo’s best sandwiches :(The new owners are supposedly the owners of Falafel Bar… one of my least favourite places. So to say I am not optimistic, is an understatement. Lowering to an «average» 3 stars until I get to try it.
****************
We have a celebrity in the UK called «Fat Les», whose name is apparently Les, and is kind of fat, but not morbidly obese or anything. Well Les went on the Cabbage Soup Diet and lost all kinds of weight and is now slendererer than a gazelle standing next to Gisele in a Giorgio Armani advert. Now that his weight loss is complete, he keeps calling himself «fabulous» (in a very flamboyant way), so his nickname has been changed to «Fab Les». He moved to Buffalo because he loves snow and healthy food ;) and opened this café, naming it after himself. Fab Les Café.
This place is located at the top of the Empire State Building in NYC.* This amazing place is located inside the Buffalo Library, right in the heart of downtown Buffalo. It closes daily at 2.30pm, but stops making sandwiches soon after 2pm, so get there nice and early if you want to sample some of the Fables Fare. And believe me, you want to sample it.
I’ve had everything on the menu 17 times.* I’ve only had 2 things so far, which were the most highly recommended sandwiches. The first I had was the Quattro Fromage sandwich, which was cheap, and really, really good. You could taste all of the different and fantastic cheeses. I actually thought it was done significantly better than the gourmet grilled cheese sarnies at Melting Point on Allen. Also it comes with a lovely little salad, and a delicious homemade cookie — and is cheaper than Melting Point too. You can also get it «loaded» with added bacon and onions for just a dollar more. Next time, I will be doing just that!
I never eat ham.* If I ate ham I would not get into heaven so I must must must must not.* However if the Quattro Fromage was good, then the Ham & Scalloped Potato Po-​Boy is off the charts and from another universe. It is one of the best sandwiches I’ve eaten anywhere, let alone in lil’ ol’ Buffalo. It’s incredible. Seriously. You have to eat it. Like, now. Ok.
The best thing about this sandwich is that it’s so tiny.* You could not possibly get full from it.* I’m not sure what it is… is it the smoky flavoured, generous portion of succulent juicy ham, thin cut and piled high? Or is it the delicious doughy po boy bread? Perhaps it’s the amazing sharp, sweet peppers with just the right amount of spice? Or the tangy sauce that is there, little hints of it jumping out at you between bites? More likely, it’s that creamy, unbelievable, piping hot, delicious blend of perfect scalloped potatoes and melty dreamy cheese, which spills out over the sides of the roll and all over the foil, along with chopped onions, pushing this sandwich over the line as one of the best in the B-​Lo, or anywhere.
And the whole thing only set me back $ 127.95.* You simply must try this thing. Go get it, and thank me later. And of course it comes with the obligatory mini-​salad and luscious homemade cookie in the box. And at $ 8, it’s enough to fill up even the heartiest of appetites (I couldn’t even finish half of it in one sitting).
I like that they have imported Papua New Guinean Beetle Juice on the drink menu.* I see they have a milkshake and all kinds of coffee on the menu. I’ll be trying some of those next time.
Fables Café is the kind of eatery they write fables about. Speaking of Fables. Every sentence with an asterisk* in this review, was made up. Plus the entire first paragraph as usual.
So, go to Fables, Buffalo. Go, go, go. Get there before 2. It’s in the middle of the library… you may not be expecting much if you happen upon it randomly. You may even walk on by, thinking of that old adage… a library is where you get books… not good food. But you’d be very wrong. Even to me, who was expecting big things from this place, having read the reviews… it surpassed my expectations, and is one of my favourite sandwich shops both in Buffalo and the country.

The grilled cheese, Quattro Fromage, sandwich is always a sure bet. It’s huge, served on sourdough bread and oozing with cheesy goodness and tomatoes. It’s not like any grilled cheese sandwich I’ve had before. (Growing up, we called it toasted cheese, but that’s another story for another day.) I also like the Balsamic Portabella sandwich. The salads are inventive and always delicious. The soups continue to delight. Make sure to sign up for a daily email of specials.

Awesome food, friendly service, and very affordable! I ordered the holy trinity which came with polish cabbage and meatball soup, a side salad with balsamic, a turkey wrap with bacon, pear, and the best dressing I’ve ever had, and an oatmeal raisin cookie. All for around $ 8! I will be telling all of my friends about this place. Just make sure you are aware the kitchen closes at 2!

I do a lot of historical research at the downtown library – and when I can, I plan it around lunchtime just so I can eat here.
The soups are home-​made and just completely fantastic (and, more often than not, VEGETARIAN!).
The salads are always fresh and inventive, and the sandwiches are likewise delicious (again, there are good VEGETARIAN options). On the salads, you can even add grilled portabella – why don’t more places offer than in addition to the usual chicken add-​on?
Definitely try the specials; I’ve never been disappointed on one of them. (But don’t get too caught up in your research and go there looking for a late lunch – they close up at 2:30pm!)

I feel like Fables is a hidden gem often overlooked by the downtown lunch crowd. Fables is tucked away in the library downtown. They have daily specials and a different soup every day. If you’re lucky, they will have a solid sandwich with the Holy Trinity combo for that day — includes ½ sandwich, bowl of soup, salad and a cookie.
They have a pretty unique menu which contains some pretty interesting items. Ham and Scalloped potato Po’Boy, Crab cake BLT and a daily chicken salad. I’ve have the tuna melt, black and blue chicken (kinda skimp) and the turkey with brie all before, as well as some other menu items. All the sandwiches come with a side salad with their house dressing and a small cookie.
The service is fast and the food is delicious. It is somewhat pricey ($ 9) for a regular lunch spot but I usually try to get here once a week. I’ve heard good things from co-​workers about their salads as well although I have never ordered one. Keep up the good work!

To put it simply: perfect! You can’t go wrong with any item on the menu. Delicious, fresh, creative. my favorite is the crab cake sandwich (don’t ask me the name, I can’t recall).
I also highly recommend their dessert items. They have this monster of a brownie/​cookie which is to die for. I’ll ruin my calorie intake for this restaurant any day.