Marinaro’s Larkin Tavern

One of the best kept secrets in buffalo! A historic spots bar, with tons of vintage and current sports memorabilia! even some genuine stadium seats from Yankee stadium, the rock pile, and the aud! It is just minutes away from downtown buffalo, and walking distance to Larkinville! It’s a really nice family run and owned business. They have one of the best Burgers Ive ever had, the cowboy burger ! Mango Habanero BBQ, Fresh onion ring on top, oh and bacon!!! So good ! They have awesome bartenders, usually one of the owners behind the pine, or a family member. They have a great selection of beers too! Their prices are next to none, especially with their quality of food ! Stop in, I promise it will be worth it !

Not real pleased with the service. Out with friends and the bartender was real gem. I had 2 drinks, the fewest amongst our group and she was snotty and told my friends I would have to leave. Definitely not the place for going out for a good time. We will not return. Basically the worst.

«If you want to get your lunch in 5 minutes head to your nearest drive through at Mcdonalds.»
This was the response the owner had to my complaint of a 45min wait for food during lunch.
So first, let’s backtrack — Marinaro’s is a mere block away from Larkin at Exchange Building, Larkin Center of Commerce, and multiple other companies located in the resurgent Larkin District. It’s an ideal location for those looking to grab a simple work day bite yet receive table service. In fact, it’s only one of two sit-​down options in the area.
The restaurant itself is charming. Sports memorabilia is located throughout. It’s clear that although this business has been operating as Marinaro’s for only the past four years, the location has been a bar for a long time. There’s a cool Buffalo vibe here — classic old school bar, tin accented ceilings, etc. Very comfortable.
Onto the food. I’ve been here for food a total of four times. The first visit was with my wife on a Thursday night approximately 3 years ago. We came in at around 5:30 and was told only fryer food was being served. No explanation given why. Disappointed, we left to go elsewhere.
Fast forward to the past few months. My coworkers and I have visited for lunch three times. The first couple of visits were decent. We’ve had either the beef on weck or fish sandwich. The beef on weck is really good, seasoned well and tender, but under portioned for the price. You’ll leave hungry. The fish sandwich is the only item I’ve ordered myself. The first two visits the fish was a good portion and fried perfectly on a nice roll. One issue on our first visit was the surprise upon receiving our check that the place is cash-​only. Nowhere did we see a sign or receive warning about this. I cannot claim for sure there’s not a sign anywhere, but for four college educated professionals, if there was any, it wasn’t obvious to us.
Unfortunately there were some additional issues with our last visit. We all ordered the fish sandwich — Pretty basic right? Fry the fish and toss it on a roll. However, it took upwards of 45minutes to get our food. This is a significant problem when you’re on lunch during the work week. At no point did our waitress apologize for the wait. When the fish arrived it wasn’t what we had expected based on prior visits. This was a piece of fish that had been cut in half (or perhaps less) after fried. The portion size was considerably smaller than normal, but for the same price. This is where the waitress needs to say something to the effect of «Sorry, we ran out of our normal fish portions we use for the sandwiches» or something to that effect. This did not happen.
Fast forward to this week. I had some interaction with the owner via another media platform. Rather than accepting constructive criticism I was told that if the 45 minutes wait was too long then perhaps I should go to McDonalds instead. It was also offered that it’s best to arrive earlier if time was an issue and suggested 11:30. This was precisely when our last visit was. The owner also insisted that his employees always «bend over backwards» for customers. For the first few experiences the service was decent, but for our last visit the waitress hardly bent over backwards during our 1:15 visit. Finally, the owner insisted the fish sandwiches we ordered are the «normal sandwich» they’ve done for years. This is either untrue or the first two experiences weren’t the «usual» sandwich.
So overall this is a 3 star place. But I have no tolerance for owners who are defensive and dismiss constructive feedback. This has left a sour taste in my mouth and I will not be back. Definitely avoid if you have limited time for lunch. Disappointing.

Was visiting my beloved hometown of Buffalo when I stopped in here to meet a friend. I was very impressed with the hockey and football displays on the walls. Met the bartender (Chris) who was a very polite guy. I ordered the Buffalo wings which Chris told me are way better when ordered «crispy» and boy was he right. The wings were quality in size and taste. The cup of bleu cheese was some of the best I ever tasted and don’t be afraid to ask for an extra one. The place was super clean and the service and food was outstanding. This place is a perfect ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ mix of being a corner tavern and a great sports bar all at once. Whenever I come back to Buffalo, this is a must stop on my must stop list. Great place!

Stopped in for lunch, had a sandwich I can best describe as a Royal (sausage, cappicola, something else, and a stuffed hot pepper). It was good. The other food ordered looked tasty, I’ll definitely be back. A nice place to pop in for lunch or dinner.

Excellent food and inexpensive drinks! They serve lunch quickly and are situated close to Larkinville. My favorite dishes here are the stuffed banana peppers (not on menu but available daily), summer salad (VERY good vinaigrette), baked italian fish (available on fridays, healthy but has a lot of taste, with mixed veggies and rice), and pizza logs for bar food in the evening. My mother says the fried bologna and beef barely soup is awesome! At night they double as a sports bar with very nice bartenders! Also a plus, the owners keep the place super clean. Great hangout close to downtown but where you can catch up with friends! I am planning on stopping down wednesday nights during the summer after Live at the Larkin; the bar will be having bands playing 8 – 11 weekly!

Came here for a quick lunch, since it’s such a quick walk from work. This is a hidden gem in the Larkin district.
I had the special, a mushroom Swiss burger, and my friend had the chicken finger sub. Definitely recommend the burger! The bun was pretty phenomenal! A bit crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside. Delicious!
Con:
Seemed like there was only one waitress for the entire lunch crowd, so although the food came out relatively fast after we ordered, there was some significant delay time. Not so helpful for getting back to work on time.
Will definitely pop in to check it out again!
PS — cash only!

My favorite place to grab dinner and a beer (or a few beers!) after work. The food is great, the draft beer selection is pretty decent and the owners are super friendly. I’ve had both lunch and dinner here and have never been disappointed. Plus it’s a short walk from my office. Love it!

Was here over the weekend for a private party and have to say this place was alright. It’s a pretty laid back bar atmosphere filled with all sorts of sports memorabilia. Had some decent beers on tap. And for food the party had some roast beef sandwiches with pasta as a side. Both were good. Definitely could see this being my local watering hole if I lived in the immediate area.