Swiston’s Beef and Keg

I have not been to this pkace in a while. But i heard that they now have a fryer– which means fresh cut fries and chicken wings! So i gave it a try. What a difference it can make adding fries and wings to a menu. The wings are really good — and HUGE. So big that you could probably kill soneone if you hit them over the head with one of the drummies. The beff on weck is classic and also HUGE. My significant other would never set foot in this place because there were no potatoes to go with the BoW. Now she loves it. All we need to do now is brighten up the bar area and we will be set.
If you have not given this spot a second chance ib a while, now is the time to do so.

Beer, beef on weck, chili, wings and decent music. Nice, clean, cheap hang out. Great view of the creek. Worth every penny. It’s a nice, inexpensive evening out. Keep up the good work.

if you make roast beef sandwiches excluding pretty much every thing else you should be great at it. The meat should be tender delicious and succulent, however it’s not. if you’re in the mood for dried out flavorless meat look no further.

you cannot get better chili anywhere and it’s served all year long and roast beef is very good

I’m really not sure how this place got rated as high as it is.
I grew up in to awards and had never been here. I heard the buzz about it since I was young.
I finally tried it with a friend. I was embarrassed that I took her there. The place is dark, dingy and had a very strange vibe. I went in knowing we were going to get beef on weck or chili. So no big deal.
We ordered our food and took a seat. We were offered to upgrade our meal to include a salad bar. In the salad bar they had sliced pickles (from a jar) and banana peppers (from a jar). I’m not kidding, that was the extent of the salad bar, which we did not get.
The roast beef was just barely ok. The chili was alright.
I’ve had better food at buffet places and make better food myself.
In my opinion, I wouldn’t waste the time or money.

Basic bar. On a canal. Good view. Only two menu items, chili and a beef on weck sandwich. Good service! Local beer on draft. Nice laid back bar with a fair sandwich.
Busy; not while there at 13:00

Hope you like roast beef or chili because that’s all they have, but both are absolutely great. Beef on weck, yes. Chili, yes. And a Molson beer too please. Dock your boat on the patio and have a seat. Cool place

Do a limited number of things, and do them very well: Swiston’s has been following this rule since before I was born. A stately old building next to Tonawanda creek, all they serve is alcohol, beef on weck, and chili.
The balcony is a great place to sit on a sunny afternoon. The roast beef is excellent, the last couple of times I have been back to WNY I have had Anderson’s and Charlie the Butcher’s and Swiston’s is better than both. I ate four, which I probably should not have but I just couldn’t stop.
The bartender made a «dandy summer shandy» for a couple of the ladies in the party, which turned out to be very refreshing and a perfect accompaniment to beef on weck. Best of all, Swiston’s has kept with the times with regard to beer selection and I was able to drink a nice hoppy IPA on draft. Overall, a real jewel: like Buffalo itself, the perfect mix of old-​school cool and new sensibilities.
If you come here in the summer of 2015, ask for a dandy summer shandy. It is three parts summer ale to one part lemonade. You might have to tell the bartender that, but we are going to make this a thing.

This place is what you call a «gem of a city». There are no menus. This is simply because they serve two items. Roast Beef and Chili. I tried the Beef on Weck and it was absolutely delicious. Another patron told me next time I should try to add horseradish and mayo (not miracle whip but mayo). The people here are awesome! I was warmly greeted by Jake. I think he’s the owner. Very friendly guy and ambassador for the city of Tonawanda giving suggestions for things to do in the summer time. They also give away free popcorn. Two TVs at the bar to watch games, a dart board and also a jukebox. They also have a separate dining area if you don’t want to be around the bar crowd.
Great place to go in the town of Tonawanda!

The Beatles sang a cover song about this place once. «Swiston Shout.» They took a good look at the menu and couldn’t work it all out. Work it all out. But the food looked so good. Looked so good. The Chili looked so fine. Looked so fine. So they huddled in a little closer now. A little closer. And they ordered beef & wine. Beef & Wine. Ahhhhh. Ahhhhhhhhh. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. The red sauce came and they shook it up baby now. Shook it up baby. Swiston Shout. And so on.
So I tried Swiston’s on one of the coldest days of the year. I had done enough favours for random strangers on Chippewa that I had enough spare cash to afford both the Roast Beef with red sauce, and a small Chili. Amazingly, the entire order came to around $ 6, which is either because I was undercharged, or because it’s just amazingly cheap here. Or perhaps because the server was one of the people I did favours for on Chippewa. Idk.
I also helped myself to a bunch of free vegetables and peppers which were yummy, a few of the tomatoes were old, but still it was yummy. See my pic for details.
The Roast Beef sandwich was just okay. It came with Horseradish on it, I love that but you might not. It wasn’t the tastiest sandwich ever, and the beef did seem like the «cheap kind» rather than the fresh sliced kind. It still tasted good though. The red sauce that comes with it is the most overrated, bland, sugary Salsa I’ve ever eaten. Ketchup anyone?
The Chili was my fave, but even that wasn’t amazing… it was a little juicier and tastier than most Chilis in town (not the horrible chain, but the dish), still, when you compare it to Wisconsin or Texas or even Hard Times in DC, it isn’t even in the same ballpark. And I prefer the Chili at Dash’s Market of all places, too.
Still, the beef sandwich was a 4, the prices were a 5, the Chili was a 4, and the red sauce a 1, so the overall total is a 4. It’s definitely worth a try if you’re into this sort of food.
So if the Detroit Pistons are playing, and you’ve taken your anti-​histons-​mines for the day, and read a John Gristons novel (like The Firm), then top it all off with a visit to Swiston’s. And if you get the red sauce, don’t forget to shake it up baby now. Shake it up baby. It still won’t taste any better though.

It’s beef and it’s chili. The roast beef on weck is great and the service is very quick. Get the red sauce– it’s delicious!

I’m not used to going to a restaurant or even a «bar» that has aspects of a restaurant that offers food and has no menu. But then again when you only offer sandwiches and Chili what’s the point, right? Well let me say that this is a jewel to have nearby my home. Having recently moved to the area, I’m trying to find my go to places for my cravings. This place definitively hits the spot when it comes to Beef on Weck. I recently took my family (visiting from NC) here since they had never had this sandwich and left wanting more. I’m glad I found this little spot and all thanks to my fellow Unilocalers for pointing me in the right direction, gracias!

I was suprised when I realized there are no menus. No sides, no variety… nothing but beef and beer… and chili for some reason. I haven’t had the Chili, but the beef was amazing. This is the type of place that you either love or hate. I think I love it. Beef and beer. My kinda place.

I remember when the place on Young St. near the end of Morgan St. and Ellicott Creek is behind the place, so if ur in a boat, u can dock right there and have a roast beef on wick! wick stands for Kimmelwick, the German for Caraway seeds! and kosher salt on top of the bun with thin shaved, piled high prime rib of beef, some horseradish sauce, a slice of kosher pickle, and some chips! how about an ice cold draught of ur favorite beer on tap to go with that? that’s all they served back then if my memory serves me right! No clock in a bar, ever notice that? bet u didn’t know that, why, so u don’t leave, you have time to have another one! and you did at Swiston’s! I think that beef on wick was $ 4 back then, 40 years ago, and the long neck beer or draught was $ 1, so get a fin out (a $ 5 bill) and that was that! it was dark in the place, tables and chairs, maybe some booths, a juke box for music, a quarter, 25 cents a song! and u had to look up to watch the game on TV, the salt made u want to thirsty and the TV up high made u lift ur mug of beer to wash it down with! Oh bar tender, I’ll have another of each! Infact I had 4 of each of them before I went home that day! it wasn’t fine dining, it was just darn good eat’in !! and on Saturday nite, u couldn’t even get near the place! packed solid! Sunday for football, packed solid, and lunch during the week, the wait won’t be too long, about 10 or 15 minutes max! I also remember John’s olé timer! it was down the street, ragtime music, Johnny Cerrito’s, I remember him! a friend of my brother Jim Fischer! Urban renewal did everything to rip down the town, and nothing was ever the same again, leave it to the government! what a mess! too bad, a lot of stores along Young St. got torn down, Lane’s jewelry, Blind man Eddy’s, Charlie’s fish market, Koenig’s hardware store, Humphy & Vandervoot insurance, the Star Theater, all lot of places! it was good place to live and work and then it all just went down the tubes! I don’t know if Jay’s log cabin is still there on e. Niagara st. the oldest bld in the City of Tonawanda! along the canal, next to Rose’s sign co!

The darkness is a plus and the food is good. Great prices. In Buffalo, that’s a win.

Horrible! -
Order at the bar — you get a huge sandwich, but the overcooked beef was dry and stringy, just dunked in au jus.
I had to wipe off a table myself. – (none were clean!)
I will never go here again. — Very disappointed — I had heard great things, but frankly, It sucked.

I remember coming here as a child and making the mistake many make when they first enter: asking for a menu. His response that day was the same as the bartender’s response today to a couple guys who wandered in: «there’s beef and there’s chili.» I can get behind that kind of simplicity.
The beef can be had on either a plain roll or ‘weck. It’s moist and piled high. The kummelweck roll was lacking in salt, but the juicy beef made up for it. No sides other than an array of pickles, veggies, etc that you can help yourself to.
The chili is tangy more than spicy, slightly thin, but enjoyable with beef and beans.
They also have draft birch beer with free refills, about eight beer taps (including a Great Lakes, Flying Bison, and Sam Adams seasonal), and the standard bar popcorn machine.
This place isn’t spectacular, but I appreciate the specialization. It’s worth a visit.

I went searching for something to eat during my stay in Niagara Falls and found this in my GPS. Don’t even bother asking for a menu. It is either a roast beef sandwich or chili. I was starving by the time I reached the place having done a bunch of hiking earlier in the day.
The meal was good. It had a local feel to it so I enjoyed hanging out with the locals watching a hockey game. I highly recommend checking out the Buffalo Brewing Co.‘s beers that include a lager and rusty chain. Both beers were smooth and tasty. The lager went well with the sandwich.

Voted among the Top 10 restaurants in the Buffalo area, Swiston’s is best roast beef sandwich you will find out here. Sometimes simple is all you need, and Swiston’s has been doing it right for as long as I can remember.
You just can’t go wrong here for lunch or dinner. The ‘weck rolls are soft and fresh. The beef is piled high and a far better value than any fast food roast beef. Dine in or carry out with a large choice of veggies (pickles, onions, peppers, beets) to dress your sandwich as you like. And I must say, there is something about the horseradish (served on the side) at Swiston’s that no one else can quite compare to. The atmosphere is quiet and comfortable, rustic but clean. The staff is always friendly, and when the weather is warm it’s nice to go outside and watch the river.
Highly recommended.

The best Buffalo style beef on weck is simple, and Swiston’s delivers a simple but delicious, thickly piled heap o’ thinly sliced roast beef on a fresh kummelweck roll. What you see is what you get. At lunchtime, just walk in, let your eyes adjust to the dim, cool space and sidle over to the bar. Not much to choose, pardner, beef on weck it is. 2 sandwiches, 1 pop (!), 1 draft beer, 15 bucks. Grab a basket of popcorn and you have a balanced meal. On a nice day, slip outside and sit above the boats in the «yacht club» bobbing near the canal. Just do it.