Smoke On The Water

Sat out on the patio with my girlfriend and daughter on a Sunday night. Pretty busy for 5:30. We had to wait for a table for about 20 minutes, which I’m fine with (had drinks at the bar). Service was great! Food cam out relatively quickly. I had the pull pork and brisket combo with Mac n cheese and fries, she had the grouper with sweet potato fries. Everything was delicious and cooked properly and the portions were huge. Had lunch for for the next day as well. I will definitely be coming back!

Awesome! Went here for lunch with my mom! Got the Memphis sandwich, split the «wings» and my mom got the tuna tacos! Everything came out super fast and was super enjoyable!

Food was great, not healthy, but very tasty. Drinks were good. But hang on to your credit card receipt. Someone added $ 8.00 to ours — even after a generous 22% tip.

Real deal BBQ ! Really enjoyed this place and its vibe to the point that it made me want to Unilocal ! I will be back.

This is my new favorite place for BBQ in buffalo, the chicken was even better than the ribs. The smoky flavor permeated the meat and was sooooo good. I want to go back when it’s nice out so we can sit on the water next time!

Consistently delicious. We’ve been here 4xs and each time has been perfect. The servers buzz around d like worker bees never missing a beat or more importantly a table/​patron. From the brisket to the ribs and pulled pork, you won’t be disappointed. The sides pack a punch full of flavor they deserve a stage all their own. Take my word for it and go try the place yourself.

I can’t believe I haven’t been here until recently, so so amazing!
I love how it’s right on the water, it makes for a relaxing dinner if sitting outside.
The food is simply out of this world! I got the pulled pork, sweet potato fries & Mac and cheese, with a side of corn bread. The portions are huge, I had left overs for about 3 days.
The corn bread is the best I’ve ever had, the mac and cheese is fun because it has gold fish on it!
I can not wait to come back here! This is a must go.

Went to sotw tonight, the service was exceptional, the food was amazing, the bbq pulled pork and brisket was so good! the side dishes were also high quality, I would highly recommend this place for a wonderful meal and a great view, I will be coming again soon! thank you!!!

Not ashamed to admit I am a Smoke on the Water regular. If someone suggests grabbing dinner or drinks, Smoke on the Water is always my first suggestion. Great food, great atmosphere.
I have been a handful of times for dinner, which is always exceptional. The BBQ is always fresh and flavorful, and the sides, for me, are the best part. I especially like that they offer a daily side special. My favorite has been the watermelon slice drizzled in balsamic vinegar, innovative! The best part of SOTW for me is that giant lower deck where you can sit right on the water and enjoy a beverage on a hot day. Their beer menu is stocked along with an extensive cocktail menu.
Note that the interior of SOTW is very small. I would definitely suggest eating here on a nice day when you can sit outside on the patio. They also are always closed on Mondays, and only open Sundays starting in May.

First time here, the verdict: decent BBQ along the Tonawanda Canal.
We sat on the patio and split the pork belly tacos and a $ 25 sampler. The pork belly tacos were delicious and very juicy. They were beautifully presented with a lime and some ginger on the side.
For the sampler, we got a ¼ rack of ribs, the brisket and the smoked turkey. We also shared the mac and cheese, tater tots and sweet potato fries with the honey butter.
Highlights: turkey, brisket and the sides: definitely the sweet potato fries with the incredible honey butter. Also really enjoyed the tots, whole mac and cheese was alright. Didn’t necessarily dig the goldfish with them.
The ribs were decent for Buffalo, but I still prefer Suzy Q’s. The brisket was delicious though and super tender. I want some more right now :).
All in all; a great place on the water to hang out and enjoy decent food.

Phenomenal and unexpected are the words that come to mind when I came here tonight. Came here for my mother’s birthday dinner with a party of 5. Wanted to check it and had it on my local restaurant bucket list. Walked in, thought it was rather small and tight but the patio being open made it seem bigger. Very tranquil atmosphere with many locals. Everyone ordered their meals and drinks. The waitress brought out a Pulled Pork Quesedilla ”on the house”. I asked her what the occasion was and she said ”sometimes the cooks whip up something additional and will bring it to large parties”. Still thinking there was a catch (besides a larger tip), we dug in and each had a Quesedilla slice. Holy moly it was phenomenal. Definitely something different and unexpected. Got brought our food within ten minutes it seemed and we each enjoyed our dinners. I got the Cubano (pulled pork sandwich with ham, pickles, and a mustard and bean sauce) and it was better than your average pulled pork sandwich. Mightve been the ham, mightve been the ham. My my miss American pie it was great. Waitress then came and removed our remnants fairly fast. Before we could think about how much more to tip, the cook came out and presented us with two plates of deep fried ice cream sandwiches ”on the house”. 1) Damn son. 2) Are we being punked? (do I get to meet Ashton?). 3) We weren’t asked if we wanted desert we were brought it. 4) Phenomenal presentation on a ”on the house ice cream sandwich”. Made the Donald Trump executive decision to tip them triple. They earned it. It’s the little things that count. Oh, forgot to mention they had live music… a gentleman wearing a country-​style fedora played some blues that you can definitely nod your head to. Good on ye, Smoke on the Water. There’s more where that came from.

Love this place for a quick bite and if I don’t have time to eat in, I’ll call ahead and grab and go on my way home. Their voodoo fries are deliciously seasoned. The Cubano sandwich is my go to order, absolutely fantastic. Big portions and I have never left hungry or disappointed.

WOW Where do I start. Firstly, If you have never been here– GO !!! One of my favorite spots to visit in the summer time. The outdoor seating, along the water, the décor and music playing transports you to the Bayou. The cocktail menu is snazzy (delicious and interesting), and you can always find cocktail specials as well with new and different creations. The staff is simply wonderful. I truly appreciated the friendliness and the attentiveness– our water glass was NEVER even half empty! People checked in on us often to see if we needed anything, even despite the busy crowd. Now the important part, the food! wow. I keep coming back for more and try to get something different every time because the flavors are out of this world. I find myself wanting a whole bow of the Torches Ravioli. The Hand Grenades are delicious and you must split so you have room for dinner! The Grouper always tastes fresh and well seasoned, as with the Shrimp. All of the sides are winners. The starters could be a meal in and of themselves I can not wait to try them all, I hear amazing things about the Hog wings and can tell you from experience the pork belly tacos do not disappoint. Excellent job Smoke on the Water.

Been meaning to get here for a while and picked here when other reservations fell through. Came around 7 and there was about a half hour wait on a Wednesday night. Was able to grab a bar spot and sat right down. Menu is your typical bbq fare with an average beer selection.
Ordered a pulled pork dinner with a side of Mac and cheese and sweet potato fries. Wife ordered pulled pork sandwich with their voodoo fries. Meal came out quicker then I expected. My pulled pork was a solid helping and very delicious. The Mac and cheese was solid but I was not a fan of the goldfish crackers in them, I thought it was not needed. The sweet potato fries are what you would expect but came with an excellent melted butter which I thought made the fries so much better. Refreshing to see real butter when so many places use an inferior dipping sauce or fake honey.
My wife liked her sandwich and loved the roll. She was not a fan of the voodoo fries, said they were too spicy. I did try one and thought they were probably over seasoned.
Definitely worth a trip here, but come early or make reservations, the place is quite small. Solid food and the bartender was very nice. Prices are a little high but the quantity of food makes up for it. Will be visiting again.

You know me, I’m a lover of all things BBQ (Grilled/​Smoked Meat that’s fall off the bone tender smothered in a good amount of BBQ Sauce). I found out that this place is a 12 minute Drive from where my Dad works and I decided to come here for Local Restaurant Week with my Brother Nathan and his friend Sam. Just about a Half Hour drive and overlooking the Ellicott Falls Creek, we walked in and it was steady (not that Busy). This was the other restaurant that I went for Local Restaurant Week (Fiero was the 1^st).
We were sat in the Back right behind the Bar and our Waiter (his name was Mike I believe) came over and took our order, while we were deciding between the specials we got some Drinks (Me and Sam got Cocktails and Nathan got Beer) I got the Cinnamon Apple Jam (PB&J Vodka, Amaretto, Rumchata, Apple Cider, Milk and a Dash of Cinnamon) First time getting a Cocktail served in a Mason Jar (that’s how they serve Drinks down in the South, plus I had 2 of them) So sweet and refreshing, it was like Spiked Milk. Sam got the Mexicana (Caza dores Tequila, Triple Sec, Strawberry Purée, Fresh Lemon & Lime Juice and Coronita Split) This would be a Cocktail to enjoy sipping somewhere Tropical like Jamaica or Cancun. Nathan got a couple Labatt Blues.
Nate & Sam chose the 3 Course Tasting Menu (Way to leave your fate in the hands of the Chef). For there Appetizers Nate & Sam got the Greek Chicken Wings with Cucumber/​Yogurt dipping sauce (Wings were juicy and topped with crumbly pieces of Feta Cheese). For their Entrees they got the Surf n Turf (Half Rack of Ribs with Shrimp, also with Coleslaw and BBQ Mac n Cheese for Sides). The Ribs were Tender (Nate thought it could’ve used just a bit more Seasoning) Shrimp were perfectly cooked, Coleslaw was amazing (the Ratio of Slaw to Mayo was spot on and it had some nice Crunch) but the Mac n Cheese fumbled a bit (I didn’t like the Goldfish Crackers crumbled on top and I thought the BBQ sauce in it made it too rich). For Dessert they got the Apple Pie but it was shaped like a Cigar and it came with a glass of Hot Bourbon Cider (so warming to drink, especially on a really cold night).
This is what I got, for my Appetizer: BBQ Soup (it sounded strange when I first heard it, I thought it was gonna be a bowl of BBQ sauce with stuff in it). I was wrong, it was a Tomato Based Soup with Different Meats in it. It had a Big ol’ Rib in the Center with chunks of Pulled Pork, Chicken and Brisket (I loved all the meatiness in one bowl, the smokiness was from Liquid Smoke. the only thing I didn’t like about it was too many Onions, I wanted more Meat). My Entrée was the Oktoberfest Pork Schnitzel with Sour Cream & Onion Mashed Potatoes, Sierra Nevada Beer Cheese Sauce and Sweet & Sour Cabbage (Pork had a good amount of breading and Pork was cooked perfectly, not dry at all. Potatoes were fluffy, Cheese sauce was great but that Cabbage was an amazing bite). Mike thought that I wasn’t to be able to finish it (he says that everyone else who ordered had to take half of it home) But I proved him wrong.
Everything here was amazing, Service was great, food was great. Nathan & Sam mostly treated (they told it was my B-​lated Birthday gift to me since we came here a Month and a Half after my Birthday). Next time we come here it’ll be during the summer so we can get a Table on the back Patio overlooking the Water.

Awesome food and great environment! The staff was nice and very informative. Great experience and definitely going back!

Went to lunch today. Food and service was exceptional! Had the Turkey Bacon Brie sandwich with sweet potato fries. Truly amazing.
Then to top it off, the upside down pineapple cake with fresh berries was picture perfect and tasted better than it looked.

Smoke on the water is by far one of my favorite places in tonawanda. Right on the water with a nice view.
This place is small so if you go during dinner hits there will most likely be a wait if it’s a nice day.
I usually order the appetite special, last time I went it was a shrimp one I’m not sure what it was called but it was fantastic.
The cocktail list is long and delicious, I go for the same thing every time it has gin and Saint Germaine in it (I forget the exact name)
The grouper sandwich is my go-​to it’s super flavorful and filling.
The prices are a bit high But the quality is worth it. My friend didn’t care for what she ordered last time and they were very nice about it and allowed her to order something else… I think it just wasn’t what she expected, not that it wasn’t good.
Highly recommend this place, I wouldn’t recommend bringing a large group though.

I will breakdown my review into key elements so you can understand why I have given smoke on the water only two stars. My benchmark is sticky lips in Rochester, so if you don’t like sticky lips you can disregard this review.
Great bbq is served of paper plates, good bbq on ceramic.
BBQ: (**) why?
–pulled pork: which you think would be smoked? couldn’t really taste it. Was very porky, and that was the only note of flavor I could detect.
–fish: for once was spicy and actually blackened but overcooked and rubbery. –Ribs, dry I can deal with, burnt to a crisp I cant. they were burnt. Pink ring of smoking? nope. Just pink and black.
Sides: (*) why?
–french fries:(*) so limp, toss them in corn starch before you fry them so they are not a lumpy mess, but other than that ok.
–Mac N cheese: (-**) To sum it up, it was cheese but kinda the box watery cheese not a think cut home grown mac n cheese very big chain mac n cheese. so much potential here chef. the gold fish on top? making a point about being on the water maybe? I suppose I get that, but maybe take it a step further, crush them up? toast them? switch to cheese-​its which have a more salty cheese flavor than gold fish.
Corn bread: (***) This was a toss up. It was a very cake like corn bread light, fluffy. If you like your corn bread dense and pure corn meal you wont like this.
Service was good but I go to bbq for the bbq. The plates are plastic!!! they scoot around the table as you try and eat. So much potential And it was a lot in the details, but it always is.
Disclaimer: I would have said something about the fish and the ribs. But having not eaten anything all day I could have been eating saw dust with bbq sauce and enjoyed it. I came from another restaurant that had an hour before being seated and your place was only 20min. So I ate it. I wont be returning.

I came here on a sunny day for the outdoor seating overlooking the Erie Canal/​Tonawanda Creek. It’s so nice to have a beer and some bbq and watch the boats go by.
I got the pork belly tacos, and the meat was very tender and flavorful. However. I have to admit I had a little diners remorse when I saw my lunch partner’s choice, and kept stealing bites of brisket off his plate.
My beer was refreshing, but after glancing at the drink menu, I wish I’d ordered a cocktail. I was able to steal a sip of the Cider Mule, which was very refreshing, and I’ll be back to sample more.