Hamlin House

We were all in the mood for a classic fish fry and the Hamlin House didn’t disappoint. I ordered my fish fry beer-​battered. This was the crispiest I have ever had. I’ve never had a fish fry that was this well-​prepared.
It comes with your standard macaroni salad and coleslaw, both of which were welcome additions. You also get to choose what kind of potato side you would like with your fish fry. I opted for the French fries while others did the parsley potatoes. My one regret of this meal: I didn’t get those parsley potatoes. While the french fries were great and matched the crispness of the fish, the parsley potatoes were out of this world. Small whole potatoes, smothered in butter, covered in parsley and seasoned to perfection.
This is a no frills type of place where their food does the talking. The atmosphere is classy, but a little dated. It shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the food though.

I have always enjoyed going to the Hamlin House… love having lunch on that front porch…

Hamlin has been a staple for work week lunches for myself and my co-​workers! The atmosphere may be a little dated compared to other local restaurants but the food is consistently good, and cheap. I’d recommend their burgers, macaroni salad, and fish fry to anyone.

My hsband and I had our wedding reception here, chosen because of its uniqueness and historic look. We had the best experience and the most wonderful staff! They even worked with us to make our chosen foods included in the buffet! We had gone to all the lavishly expensive places, but honestly, there could have been nothing better than Hamlin House. Now, this was eight years ago however we’ve been to many, many receptions and never experienced anything close to as wonderful and organized as our reception. Everyone had fun! I’m only sorry I didn’t post this years ago. Check it out before those other places!!! You will NOT be sorry!!!
Jason and Rebecca Gusmann
Married 5÷17÷07

I eat lunch at Hamlin House at least once a week with friends from work and we are always more than satisfied. But lunch today was the best ever! The Grilled Veggie Salad with chicken was awesome. The seasoning on the chicken and veggies was delicious as was the balsamic dressing. The salad was served with a garlic breadstick that was mouthwatering! Service is always friendly and if you scan the QRS code you can check the weekly specials, sometimes including food discounts or free dessert! What more can you ask?

An update to a previous review. Had Sunday brunch here this afternoon. I was very pleased. The pancakes were absolutely perfect as were the eggs, sausage and bacon. Nothing worse than greasy limp bacon (unless your into that sort of thing). The service good as always, prices very reasonable. My only complaint… the coffee… weak and Luke warm. The bar is now open for brunch a plus and Nancy the mixologist knows her stuff! And again very reasonably priced.

Took a nice walk with my friend and ended up at the Hamlin House for lunch.
Grilled Boneless chicken breast with spinach and provolone cheese $ 5.50
It was good. Nice history to the place.

Alex K gets it wrong again. He should stop going to this kind of establishment. Why he constantly goes to «greasy spoons» then complains that they are greasy only shows that he’s a complainer looking to bully places that simply aren’t his style.
You want to go to Hamlin House if you want to be a real American and have a beer with an old Vet. If you understand that «divey» doesn’t mean «dirty» or «bad» but means «Classic Americana» then stop into Hamlin House and eat a simple burger and hang out with some retirees that may share an old story or two if you’re lucky.
Do not go to Hamlin House if you are expecting Rue Franklin or need constant reassurance from the wait staff on how much of a great person you are.

I feel this is a hidden gem for banquets. Reasonably priced, accommodating staff, great downtown location. Been to a wedding and a couple showers here. Historical building with character.

Step into Hamlin House, and you step out of Buffalo through a wormhole in space and time to lunch with your grandmother on a mid-​March Sunday afternoon post-​church in Malone, Elmira, Wilkes-​Barre, Waterbury, Middletown, or Appleton. What I mean is that the atmosphere of the building in general and the main dining room in particular is such that it cannot help but conjure memories of Reader’s Digest abridged novels, lace doilies, your grandfather’s pipe. It’s the gargantuan front windows, as much as the fusty wallpaper, the overly large, absurdly comfortable armchairs, the paintings and knickknacks adoring the walls, and the not exactly efficient, not quite professional, but in every welcoming airs of the wait staff that together preserve Massena circa 1988. I could sit in Hamlin House for a year and a day. Alas, lunch is only served until 3:00.
Unfortunately, much like any of those restaurants your grandmother would take you to in any of those small villages, the food isn’t exactly good. Ingredients are medium to low quality. Dishes are improperly spiced, if spiced at all. The French fries taste egregiously of too-​long-​used oil, McDonald’s in texture but vaguely swampy in taste. Burgers may have been made with «real» meat, but flavor is nowhere to be found. Buns are unimaginative, tasteless things sometimes slightly stale. Cheeses are low quality school cafeteria quality. «Bleu cheese» is dressing and should be avoided.
With fare like this, the operative word is value. At a McDonald’s price point, Hamlin House might be a compelling option. With recent price increases still not yet reflected on the restaurant website, the establishment becomes a distinctly bad value and a place to be avoided at almost all costs…
… unless you’re a sucker like me who every once in a while wants to plunge himself back into a world of Chutes and Ladders, a world where I watched Tom and Jerry while the adults laughed as they drank foul-​smelling liquor out of ornate snifters while playing cribbage. So sometimes I do find myself back at Hamlin House just for that, despite the unpleasantness of the food.
5 stars for atmosphere
2 stars for food
2 stars for value
2 stars overall

What an old school Buffalo joint in a beautiful old building. We came on a Friday with reservations, waited a long time but it didn’t matter. The food was great, we were outside, the servers were fun people who make it fun for you.

Came here for the Friday night fish fry with my sister, brother and his wife. Old timey atmosphere with all the familiar smells of what neighborhood restaurants used to be. I had the regular breaded haddock fish fry with fries and home made cold slaw. One of the best I’ve ever had and I’ve had plenty. And they have a lot of different variations of fish frays to suit all tastes. Everything here is hom made and the staff is very friendly and welcoming. Although you should make a reservation. We didn’t have one and got stuck in the back of the restaurant where nobody else was sitting. But we were never ignored and had great service. BTW. This is a American Legion Post so it has all the color and atmosphere associated with this type of place. And GREAT value.

I came here for a fundraiser event and I was happy with the layout. They have a nice ballroom with a stage and dancefloor and a bar. Being in the Allentown district they are lgbt friendly. I wouldn’t mind coming back to try the food. Apparently they have a kitchen/​restaurant too.

I had a nice solo lunch here. Since it was a Friday, I got the fish sandwich, which allowed me to try my first Great Lakes-​style fish fry. It was $ 5.95 and came with an enormous piece of light, beer battered cod. The size of a skateboard. Absolutely perfect. Compared to southern-​style fried catfish, this was light as air. Magically, no grease.
The ambiance of the place was also very nice. Ultra classy.
I’m surprised by the lack of reviews for Hamlin House since it’s astounding prices would provoke one to share the miracle that is its quality. Make no mistake, this place is too good to be true but is.
A note: this establishment is the ancestral home of Harry Hamlin of L.A. Law fame.

Had the pleasure of attending a benefit for Autism with the ICOB the other day and had one of the best times I’ve had since moving here. Being it was a benefit, I didn’t get to order anything off their regular menu, just got some quick snacks to share with friends over a few cocktails. I have to say Nancy is now one of my favorite bartenders in Buffalo and am looking forward to going back. I will give a better review once I have the pleasure of an actual dining experience.

Wednesday Happy Hour, 4 to 7:00 PM, is one of those not well known great things about the city in general and this post in Allentown in particular. Nancy is an awesome bartender who creates a warm & welcoming atmosphere and makes great drinks! You do not need to be a member or a veteran to participate in 2 for 1 cocktails-​just a willingness to be open and engage with those around you as the TV is not on.

It’s a mansion settled into a quiet street. Apparently they have events in the back of the venue as well. I went there once for breakfast and once for dinner. Loved the fillet mignon, it was well made and the price was awesome! It’s a quaint simple place with friendly service. It’s got a nice homey feel :).

The Hamlin House is a mansion located on Franklin st. that has been in the Buffalo landscape since the Revolutionary War! It claims that it’s a restaurant, but it is definitely set up for more celebrating life events than everyday dining. I had gone here for a wedding, but had previously walked by here several times with curiosity as you could hear a pretty good party inside.
The wedding was a ‘younger’ couple, so a lot of close friends and college acquaintances were in attendance. This contributed to the bar maids simply being over whelmed early on and was for the entire night. We hear they ran out of pint glasses, because they didn’t expect that many beer drinkers. REALLY? So when I ordered a beer for during dinner, and was promptly told no, I was shocked! No glasses so apparently no beer however, I suggested to her if I could have a plastic cup, and after she realized they had those, I got my beer.
The dinner was buffet style and you went up based upon when the servers gave you a plate. Surprisingly enough the same overworked bartenders were also the dinner servers, making their night even longer. The Hamlin House having expertise in event planning, should have dedicated staff for each part of the event. There was a cutting station of roast beef that was a little tough, the rest of the common weddding meal, salad, ziti, veggies, pork were plain. However, the slightly breaded chicken was a homerun and I had several pieces.
The wedding must had been 225+ guests, and it was very tight with the 26 dinner tables in this venue. It also forced the very large wedding party sit cramped up on stage. I did enjoy the balcony overhead, allowing for a nice throwing location for the bouquet. Finally, the deck like porch outside, allowed us a good spot for wedding cigars! Even though it’s a historic building, the staff took a little away from their special day. But it was their special day, that helped me look away from too many of the flaws.