Gene McCarthy’s

I’ve been to Gene McCathy’s many time but held off on writing a review until I tried their food. Well, I finally ate here and it’s time to issue some well-​deserved stars. FIVE to be exact!
With Buffalo’s recent increase in development and upswing, neighborhood bars such as Gene McCarthy’s have been either disappearing or upscaling (I’m looking at you, Ulrich’s). I miss the old pub feel. Thankfully it’s a short drive into South Buffalo to experience some real comfort food, friendly vibes and cozy atmosphere.
I’ve always enjoyed their beers, especially now that they brew their own. They have some pretty unique stuff here, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Thankfully, they will let you sample their beer before committing to one.
I’ve heard their known for their fish fry but I haven’t tried it. What I did try was their reuben. WHOA. This was AMAZING. The bread was perfectly toasted, the corned beef was stacked and tender (no stringy fat, thank goodness) and the cheese, sauerkraut and sauce were in perfect proportion. It came with a choice of side. I went with the mac salad which was delicious. By accident, they also gave me a side of cole slaw. I’m not normally a fan of cole slaw but this was good!
My friends all enjoyed their meals and were particularly impressed by one of the surprising Puerto Rican appetizers. We were told the cook who put them on the menu is from Puerto Rico — not what we expected at a known Irish pub!
The service is also noteworthy. The bartenders have been here for years and are very proud of their product.

This place is great! Beer is awesome, wings are awesome, environment is super fun! We got twenty wings half hot and half Gene McCarthy’s style which was a sweet and spicy (it was pretty hot) bbq topped with crumbled blue cheese. Great fun night out. Just a tip– this place is really not kid friendly on the weekends, not sure about during the week but when we were there it was really crowded and loud. Fine for us since we left the kids at home!

Best pub in Buffalo, hands down. Gene McCarthy’s is in the Old First Ward area and screams of authenticity as soon as you walk in the front door. It’s not part of the New Buffalo, farm-​to-​table, $ 12 dollar cocktail scene… Not that there’s anything wrong with that; just don’t head here if that’s what you’re looking for!
Gene McCarthy’s has been a gem for getting great bar food from wings, to beef on weck, to fish fries for decades. Around 2014, they released their own brews made onsite by the Old First Ward Brewing Company and opened a quaint little beer garden beside the building. Their brews are really interesting. For instance, last night I enjoyed a rosemary and mint porter while my friends sipped a sour pear kolsch and red ale. We also ate some of the best bar grub I’ve ever had in Buffalo– ruebens, portobello burgers, pastallitos, and more. The service was excellent and down-​to-​earth.
I have so many great stories from hanging out at Gene McCarthy’s the past couple years. There was the time I played on a trivia team with a former Buffalo Bill. Then time the bartender turned music off and asked everyone if they owned the vehicle parked on the train tracks outside; the whole place emptied out (into a snow storm) just in time to see a train blazing through the snow-​covered South Buffalo neighborhood. My favorite story is probably from when they tapped their Old First Ward Brewing Company kegs for the first time to the public and we ran into Buffalo’s Mayor, Byron Brown, sitting at the bar.

Two nights ago, I was at a local brewery and my friend and I were craving some chicken wings. Thank goodness she suggested Sheffield wings from Gene McCarthy’s. We ordered, sent her husband out to pick them up, and then we devoured them. We didn’t really leave her husband too many wings.
I found myself talking about the Sheffield wings to anybody who would listen since I ate them. They have a dry rub with cajun, oregano and other spices. They were perfectly crispy as well. When a couple of us were deciding what to do for dinner tonight, I obviously suggested Gene McCarthy’s for the wings. They were just as delicious as the first time. They have an extensive menu but I can’t imagine ever ordering something else. I already can’t wait to go back again!

I love this place, especially for trivia. Atmosphere and most of the food and severs are 5 star. Unfortunately, we had an experience here that put a bad taste in my mouth. My dad and family have been frequenting Gene’s for about 40 or so years and we always play trivia. My dad got there early and they saved a table for the rest of us. A redhaired waitress wearing glasses with very pointy features asked him to leave the table after about 30 minutes of being there, stating she has a list of people waiting for tables. When he and his siblings arrived, they were not informed of this list and we asked everyone around us– they had not had to put their names on a list. When asked to see the list so we could put our names on it, she said it didn’t actually exist– it is in her head. So she kicked my dad out of the tables and set 2 people at his ⁵⁄₆ top. GOOD MATH AND BUSINESS THERE. You kicked a 65-​year old man who is a regular with his whole family visiting Buffalo out of his regular table. Way to make a whole family feel shitty and unhappy.
When a table finally opened up, all the other people sitting at tables in the back let us know way before the waitress offered it to us. I’m sorry but she was so rude and now basically every regular there was talking very badly about her– thought you should know.

My friend and I did a mini tour de Buffalo on a Friday night and this was one of our stops. We were at another brewery close by and we’re excited to come here next after looking at their tap list. The potential is here and it is a cute little neighborhood joint full when we walked in but we were lucky to score a couple stools at the bar next to what were clearly a couple regulars. The atmosphere is fun with a jukebox and a lively older crowd but it felt like something was wrong with the beer. I tried a Hefeweizen, a Pilsner, an oatmeal stout, a sour pear and a mango hefeweizen. Overall they all seemed to have the same taste, sort of like the taps hadn’t been cleaned in a while? It had a weird dirty taste at first that seemed to hide the taste of the beer. The sour beer was also much sweeter than I’d expect in a beer identified as a sour. Although I didn’t love the beer I’m hoping it was just a weird fluke because the variety is so promising and the staff and crowd are so friendly. I will be trying it again because of the potential and everything else being a positive. Hoping for the best next time!

Great place. So fun and laid back. Great selection of craft brews. Say hi to Mike on Fridays and Sundays — he knows his stuff.

All the feel of your classic South Buffalo watering hole. Great service, good beer, and honest food. If you’re looking to step away from the overwhelming choices of downtown Buffalo, this place is a nice change of pace.

What a wonderful restaurant. Beef on ‘weck was great, as was the fish n’ chips. Nice selection of beers. A genuine neighborhood restaurant. Oh, and did you hear the one about the Irishman who went into a bar? (Duh!)

I had a blast at Gene McCarthy’s last night. Tuesday is trivia night and the place was packed. Our server, Siobhan, was on top of her game and took very good care of us. Yes, this place gets crowded, but everyone got along and made the best of the crush. Everyone, from staff to trivia buffs to a crowd of birthday celebrators, was friendly and kind. The food was like you’d get in someone’s home, with some surprising touches. The portions are large. There is street parking and a lot kitty-​corner from the tavern.

It’s always wonderful to come back and visit Buffalo, and discover places I’ve never been to! Gene McCarthy’s is an awesome Irish Pub in the First Ward neighborhood with outstanding food and beer, and very reasonable prices. The chicken wings were out of this world! (We’re military so we have lived all over the US — no one makes wings like Buffalo!) The beef-​on-​weck and Friday fish fry were also delectable. Christina and the other ladies working there were so sweet and helpful. This will be a Buffalo favorite we come back to whenever we are in town!

When I disagree with a business’s stellar reviews, I usually take some time before posting to really think about my experience. However, this morning, I still do not think this place is deserving of any more than two stars and here’s why. First of all, the high top bar tables against the wall are far too close to one another. We got very close with the table next to us, really fast. I think the backs of our heads were touching the entire time. Having tables so close to one another like this is really not conducive to a successful trivia night environment when you’re trying to discuss answers with friends but still keep it a secret from the competitors at the table next to you. I’ll get to trivia later.
It took a while for a waitress to recognize I had joined the table and once she did, she came by with another girl who was training behind her. She asked if we were ready to order and she had a notepad to take our orders. I ordered the chicken souvlaki salad no olives, my boyfriend and his father each got an order of medium wings and they each ordered a beef on weck as well. While we were waiting for our food, a woman came around and asked if we wanted to participate in trivia. She was extremely upbeat and friendly, perhaps a little too perky for us, but nonetheless, kind and inviting. We were new to trivia and this was our first time at the restaurant so we figured we would give it a go. The trivia was a great idea, but it took forever to complete each round. We didn’t have all night to be here so it was disappointing that after two hours, the game was still going on and we had to leave to go to our Fantasy Football draft. Two hours plus is a pretty lengthy request for trivia in my opinion. It took far too long to tally up each round and start a new one. With that being said, the questions were difficult and inventive, some maybe a little inappropriate for the particular crowd, however.
It took forever for our food to come out. I thought the wings would have been out within 15 minutes or so, that’s usually the maximum amount of time it should take for wings. I see my salad come out, with the orders of the wings. We expected the wings to come out first, as they were like appetizers before the Beef on Wecks. That just would have made the most sense, so we didn’t have 7 different bowls and plates on the small circular bar table. (2 wings + 2 wing bowls + 2 beef on weeks + 1 chicken souvlaki salad = 7) Only one beef on weck came out, so when the waitress asked what else we needed my boyfriend said, «Just my beef on weck» to which the waitress replied, «Oh right» and proceeded to head into the back. She forgot it, which was evident, and should have immediately admitted her mistake and that she would ring one in on the fly. Instead, she went into the back and didn’t come back out for a good 15 minutes until the beef on weck was ready. Her response was, «Sorry we just had to wait for more fries.» Come on… we all tried to hide our smirks, it was frustrating to be lied to. Now on to the food, or should I say, incomplete food.
The chicken souvlaki salad CLEARLY stated on the menu that it came with chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, onion and feta cheese over greens with TOASTED WHOLE WHEAT PITA and TZATZIKI SAUCE. Okay, my salad came out with ONLY lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, chicken and greek dressing. There were absolutely no onions, NO PITA BREAD, NO yogurt sauce. There were shredded carrots in there however for a little surprise. You have to stick to your menu, especially when five minutes later the table next to us got the same chicken souvlaki salad loaded with warm whole wheat pita and yogurt sauce. I know it was warm because we were so close to them I could feel the heat. Okay, maybe not so much, but I got completely gypped on my salad and it was aggravating. The woman running my food was the main server, not the woman in training so there was no excuse, just like how there was no excuse as to why the beef on weck was forgotten. So, my salad was incomplete, the wings were extremely dry, the beef on weck’s had hardly any jus on the sandwich therefore lacking flavor and the fries and meat were overly salted. Other bothersome things was that the «silverware» was rolled in a napkin in a little carry box on the table without any knives. Some people (me) or my dinner guests would have liked a knife with their beef on weck or with my chicken in the salad. If I had to sum up the experience in one word it would be incomplete. Or maybe just, insufficient.
Even stumping trivia questions wouldn’t bring us back here. There are too many other places with trivia, attentive and honest servers and good food. Oh well.

I loved the place and the atmosphere but had a bad experience because they were understaffed and very busy! The poor waitress was actually running trying to keep up. It took an hour to get our food which consisted of chicken fingers and fries, a roast beef sandwich, and a cheeseburger. I had to wait another half hour to get some bleu cheese which should’ve come with my fingers. Again, not the workers’ fault, more like bad management. I would go again in hopes that we just caught them on a bad day.

On the 4^th of July, we were loooking for a place to eat. Our kids have been to Gene McCarthy’s before. It is a frequent spot for them and knew we would like it.
There were eight of us in our party, and half of us hadn’t been here before.
We ordered wings, loaded nachos, chicken salads, deep fried portabello mushrooms, panini sandwiches… We had a full table of many wonderful dishes the we shared. Everything was spectacular.
Not to mention the choice of beer.
We can’t wait to go back to try other things on the menu.
Great job chef, and girls for your service. See you soon!

I think this is one of the most underrated brewpubs in Buffalo. I think it’s interesting to note that a lot of reviews here seem to have missed the point that Gene McCarthy’s runs along the same vein as Resurgence and Big Ditch. It is before all, a place that was opened to sell its own beer. And what a brewery this place is. Old First Ward is fantastic. I had a chance to try the hefeweizen, the saison, and the oatmeal stout. The hefe and stout were outstanding and the saison was pretty good as well.
I was also impressed with the quality of the food served at this pub on top of their good brews. They offer quality pub fare including soups, salads and sandwiches along with the traditional irish dishes you would expect to find in this sort of atmosphere. The focus of this place isn’t the food, but I think it’s notable that the food they do offer is good. I happened to order wings and fries. The wings were pretty large, and by bounds better than what is offered in the more touristy places in the Buffalo area. I enjoyed the MacCarthy’s wings (BBQ sauce with blue cheese crumbles) and the thai chili sauce wings. They were both cooked to perfection and the sauces were very tasty, but they were a bit too heavy-​handed for me. The fries are also fresh cut.
The only weird thing, and perhaps this is what makes this place confusing, is that Gene McCarthy’s has other beers on tap besides OFW which I thought sent out a mixed message. I really think Gene McCarthy’s could use some PR help to get some more patronage (most people have not even heard of this place) and get some exposure at the local festivals here that celebrate beers, but then again, keeping this place quiet means more for me!

There’s something really weird about Gene McCarthy’s. I think it has to do with how it is laid out. The thing is, I walked into this place, and was instantly transported about 2000 miles to my hometown, and the hometown bar/​restaurant there. It was an eerie feeling, but not unwelcome.
We ordered a couple of beers and I got the Beer Brat, while Lee had the Reuben. Both were cooked very nicely and were tasty. The beer here is good — They also are home to the Old First Ward Brewing company. This day we tried Red Clover, an Irish Red on tap, and Hopster, which is an IPA. Both beers got high marks from both of us.
It’s kind of a grubby place, but I honestly think that’s part of the charm. The service was great, even if we were so obviously Not From Around Here that we stuck out — but it didn’t matter.
Would I go back? Absolutely. This is the kind of place I would take people that aren’t from around here to, because it is more the old, working class Buffalo that I enjoy.

What a diamond in the rough!
I don’t live anywhere near Gene McCarthy’s, but I found myself near the old first ward last Friday and I was looking for a good fish fry. Gene McCarthy’s popped up and away I went.
I was there with some friends and we all ordered the fish fry and got some beers. I went with the OFW pilsner which I really enjoyed, particularly with the fish fry, and my husband got an OFW stout which he also liked, but then switched to the pilsner on the second round. Our third friend was lame and ordered Blue Light.
The restaurant was packed, but the bar was pretty empty. Which worked fine because I went up to the bar tender for our second round of drinks since our server really wasn’t on his game (way to drop the ball, Pat), and the bartender was really fun and friendly. With his large bushy beard, he seems the type you would hope to find at a brewery called OFW (old first ward).
Even if our server wasn’t on top of his game, the food was. To date it’s my new favorite fish fry – it was so good! The mac salad wasn’t my favorite, but I don’t get a fish fry for the mac salad, I get it because I want a delicious, fresh, flaky deep fried fish! And Gene McCarthy delivered. I couldn’t even finish the half order of a fish fry, but I really, really wish I could. It was amazing.
I can’t wait to go back. I feel that there are going to be many more Spring and Summer nights at this micro brewery in South Buffalo. I’m really looking forward to it!

Just stopped in last night for my buddys birthday. I don’t know why, but I was expecting it to be a lot different than what it was (a house converted into a neat little dive bar.) Nobody in our party had ever been — so there were no real expectations.
Drinks: We all started off with a few «house-​made» brews. The selection of their beers on draught was pretty decent. Heavy on the IPA’s — which was great — but we had someone who was a basic beer drinker and they only had one Lager. The Oatmeal Stout was pretty good and the Hopster was also delicious.
Food: Birthday boy had the pulled pork and said it was good. I had an order of wings which were a little dry, but the «McCarthy» sauce (spicy BBQ with crumbled blue on top) made them tasty. Seriously, that stuff was good.
Overall the place was better than it looks from the outside. Nothing really special going on here, but it was cool for the night.

Stopped here for dinner last weekend before the Sabres game. We tried a flight of their beers… I absolutely loved their ‘Hopster IPA” and the «H.O. Oats» stout (and props to the creative flight holder that resembled a steel bridge). The atmosphere was super cozy and gave me a nostalgic feeling, even though I had never been before.
I ordered a burger with caramelized onions and portobello mushroom… I may have been extra hungry that night, but wowza that was yummy! It was the perfect winter night, despite the Sabres losing later that evening. We will definitely be back!

Awesome location, music and food!!! Micro Brew awesome selection on tap, great friendly staff
Crikwater playing great Irish music
This bar is an institution in the old first ward of buffalo