Brennan's Bowery Bar and Restaurant, located in Clarence Plaza near Main Street and Transit Road, is quickly becoming a weekend hot spot for UB students. Serving up authentic Irish meals, coupled with the tradition of Irish drinking, the atmosphere of Brennan's draws a nearly full house every night and an even larger crowd for the Friday and Saturday night party scene.
The Irish pub makes every night on the town feel like St. Patrick's Day. The pub's interior has the warm and cozy welcoming feeling of an old Irish drinking hole, sporting dark wooden floors in the entranceway and a large central dim wooded bar with shadowy wooded stools, booths and chairs.
Adorning the walls are antique Irish-style artworks of posters, pictures and crafty paintings. The d?(c)cor is mixed with modern sports paraphernalia, beer posters and televisions in the corners, making the ambiance perfect for watching sports with friends.
The ambiance alone makes Brennan's a worthwhile dining experience, with foods that leave guests with smiles on their faces, full stomachs and an eagerness to return the following week.
Brennan's prides itself on having one of the largest menus around. The appetizer selection can range from the simplicity of garlic bread to their award-winning "Brennan's Nantucket BBQ Shrimp" - jumbo shrimp that is wrapped in bacon, covered in barbeque sauce, and then both baked and grilled to perfection, accompanied by a horseradish dipping sauce. They also serve the must-have chicken wings, artichoke dip, stuffed hot banana peppers and even baby-back ribs - and these are just the appetizers.
For entrees Brennan's serves nine different variations of hamburgers, seven different selections of wraps and 12 different choices of salad, including a buffalo chicken finger salad, a buffalo Cajun chicken salad, and a Greek salad with chicken. Impressive.
Brennan's boasts almost 20 sandwich options, and some are even named in recognition of the famous attributes of Buffalo. The "Fort Erie Peameal Bacon Sandwich" is grilled Canadian peameal bacon, covered with American cheese, served on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo. The "Peace Bridge Club" is like a turkey club, except the turkey is replaced with the delicious peameal bacon. Their beef on weck is naturally a favorite, as well as their Rueben.
Brennan's holds true to their Irish pride in their sandwiches, as well. Their corned beef on rye sandwich is award-winning and worth a try.
Brennan's also offers an entire section on the menu just for chicken, a section for wings, for clams and muscles, and a homemade soup selection, as well as a kid's menu.
To make the Irish bar complete, they have a large selection of beers, offering nearly every kind. Local bands play on weekends, and occasionally customers will do the performing themselves at open-mic night.
A large outdoor eating patio and an outdoor seating area for the bar, newly renovated, is the perfect place to hang out on a warm night, and there is plenty of space for a host of people to enjoy.
Representing the best of Buffalo's Irish tradition and reputation for delicious food, Brennan's is a worthwhile experience for students from near and far. See their Web site at www.brennansbowerybar.com.
