Love the location, and the relaxed attitude of the layout. It's almost always busy on summer evenings, particularly on the weekends (naturally), and you'll probably have to wait 10-25 mins for a table, unless you want to sit inside - there are always tables inside. Beautiful view of the river & Grand Island. Food is decent - not bad enough to stop us from returning, but not the best food in the NT. Fries look/taste frozen (not fresh), sweet potato fries are a little too thick & would be better served with honey mustard instead of that thick butter sauce. The burgers are decent, definitely huge, so probably the best value on the menu. The seafood menu is a little pricey, but we've tried the Friday cod, both fried & broiled Cajun (fried was better - broiled was a little overcooked) & the coconut shrimp is quite good. I do wish a side salad or a seasonal veg was an option for a side, instead of pasta salad, fries, or coleslaw. I suppose you could ask, but I try not to be too fussy with ordering off menu. A weekly special, just to mix things up, would be great too. The menu is not terribly limited but not exciting enough to have me coming back every week. It's really worth it to dine on the river at sunset, and obviously we don't hate it because we go at least a couple times per summer. It is seasonal, though, so get there before Winter Comes!
(3)
Karen B.
Great Place. Great food,reasonable drink prices. Great music. If you haven't been there you should go while its still nice out. The outdoor patio and view are amazing!!!
(5)
Erica B.
The place was ok. Not the worst but not the best. I called ahead because I was bringing in a large party, just to make sure they could accommodate us and they asked if I wanted to sit on the patio or inside. I told them if it is a nice day the patio would be nice because the view of the water but if it rains stick us inside. When we got there the hostess said she had us all set up on the patio, when we got to the patio we waited 10 min while she and the server put tables and chairs together. We just stood there and watched. It wasn't a nice day either so I made sure to ask the server if they would be able to move us if they had to because it had been raining off and on all day. And of course right before dinner was served we had to all hustle inside and watch them set up more tables because it began to rain. The rain is not their fault, I know this, but they should have had us set up inside to begin with. The food was just ok also. My boyfriend ordered a seafood trio and everything was deep fried, it didn't say that it was and it was not what he expected, he doesn't normally eat scallops deep fried, to us it seemed like a frozen fish. I got the lobster ravioli and it was swimming in the sauce and there wasn't actually lobster in the ravioli, there was just a few chunks in the sauce, it seemed more like a ravioli soup. We got the Maryland crab cakes as an appetizer, they were very good but very small. My boyfriend and I spent $100 on a mediocre dinner. The food was definitely over priced for the quality we received. Everyone else that came along was also not impressed by their experience here and wished we had gone somewhere else...
(2)
Bethany M.
Three stars is definitely an accurate review of this place. Location: awesome. It's a weird drive in, but once you get there, there's a huge amount of outdoor seating (seriously, we were surprised at how much there was when we got up and looked around), a tiki bar, a little stage in front of a nice lawn overlooking the river, a great view across the river (not buildings! trees and water, and one hotel tucked behind some more trees) and boat slips giving you that summer-y feel. They were playing steel drum music in the background all night. Food: the fried food was up to par with Buffalo standards (husband had the chicken finger sandwich with fries), the "real" (un-fried) food was VERY overseasoned but cooked okay (i had the mahi mahi which was on special and salted beyond belief, and didn't come with a healthy side option). Drinks: a little overpriced (side note - I HATE when drink prices aren't on the menu and the waitress says "umm, like $7, I'll have to check") but not unexpected for waterfront. Agree with other reviewers though that the beer selection is atrocious. I feel like it isn't that difficult to keep a few cases of a mid-range beer around! Service: She was nice, but everyone seemed rushed for some reason even though it wasn't really that busy. She also took way too long between visits to our table and we sat with empty glasses, or worse, our check with a credit card sitting in it, for way too long. Hostess didn't make much eye contact. I think a huge part of the problem was that they didn't appear to have server sections... this is restaurant 101 but we saw about 7 different waitresses visit the 6 tables around us. It's too hard to wait on tables effectively when they're spread in all corners of the restaurant!
(3)
Christina H.
They get an extra star solely on the location - probably one of the coolest spots in WNY; located on its own island, overlooking the river. They have a stage for live music (and they get some good acts here), slips for lots of boats, a spacious bar area inside, a huge patio and a cool little tiki bar (no bar service, have to carry it down from the bar yourself) right on the water. So promising, right? WHY OH WHY must they have such a horrific beer selection and mediocre service??? I am a beer snob, no doubt about it. But this place would offend even the most average beer drinker. This place has two beers on tap - yes you heard right, TWO. Add insult to injury: they are Miller Lite and some other blah beer. And FURTHER insult to injury: on a Saturday night they were out of BOTH. So only bottles of beer. The bottled beer selection is likewise meager. I settled for a Mich Ultra and quietly stewed. If you come here, ask for their "bucket of beer special." This is how the conversation will go: "Excuse me, can you tell me what your bucket of beer special entails?" Waitress: "Oh, we give you a bucket with ice in it to keep your beer cold." ..... I kid you not. The service is average - I am not faulting our poor waitress who was stuck working a busy Saturday night on her very first shift (poor management - give the girl some more training first). What I *am* faulting the place for is their somewhat underhanded tactics. We had 5 people at our table and they added 18% gratuity. Not cool. I always tip 20% but when you are forcing us to tip 18% you're not getting anything extra. A 5 person gratuity is uncommon and unnecessary. Also, it took them probably 20 minutes to figure out how to split our check. I went to a restaurant the following day and they split the check in less than 5 minutes - it's really not that hard, I promise you.
(2)
Don H.
Nice view of the water and enjoyed the Caribbean music but that's about it. We thought that on a sunny Friday afternoon it would be a good place to start off the Labor Day weekend. Wrong. We wanted to have 'steamers' for an app, at a cost of 14 bananas! They didn't have any. How can you be out of clams on a Friday of a holiday weekend in Buffalo! Our server claimed the 'clams casino' were very good. Wrong. The stuffing was so-so but the clams were like chewing gum. That will be 12 bananas. We now needed a drink. Well for 7 bananas you too can have one, in a small plastic cup. On to the entree. The fish sandwich was OK. It consisted 3 breaded fish strips, lettuce and tomato on a hard roll. That will be 12 bananas. You can have that with fries, coleslaw or pasta salad. I wanted the coleslaw. Wrong. They're out of it. Hello, again it's a Friday of a holiday weekend in Buffalo! I didn't want fries or pasta salad so I had to get the sweet potato wedges. They're priced at 2.75 bananas up charge. The Taco Salad was of good size, average quality, and priced at 12 bananas. Total bill for Lunch, just over 60 bananas, plus tip. It was a nice water view but .... that's a lot of bananas. FYI, here's some other item costs on the menu: rib eye steak; 26 bananas, Maryland Crab Cakes; 19 bananas, Chicken Parm; 19 bananas, Friday Fish Fry; 13 bananas. Oh, sick of hearing about bananas yet? Me too but their menu items are priced in 'bananas'. But they are kind enough to also give you the conversion of 1 banana = 1 dollar. I guess this is so you don't try to pay with bananas instead of dollars.
(2)
Waddah A.
Simple and refreshing Caribbean-style seafood restaurant. Luckily we went there on Friday and they have the fry fish special which was very good. The grilled salmon was very delicious but needed a LOT of salt (definitely because of the average age of the people that were there which was 70 and up). The view is nice, the music is cool, the service is good. A little pricy but not too much for seafood restaurant.
(4)
Kevin E.
I had the Jamaica burger and my woman had the Turkey Burg. Veggies on the side. Both were Delirious. Outside dinning, perfect.
(4)
Russell A.
Like to come here with my boat. The gas dock is the best on the water. The property is awesome. ....the food is horrid.
(2)
Hania A.
What a wonderful view, service was reasonable.. very chill nice atmosphere with nice music.. food was super good, the bang bang shrimp was crispy, spicy with a touch of sweetness, the entres were very delicious also, the burger was tender, juicy, nicely chargrilled and flavorful.... cant wait to go back.. such a happy place
(5)
Mark W.
They charge $2.75 per soda and charge for each one. I wouldn't have a problem with that if there was someplace on the menu that a) told you how much sodas were and b) the fact that there were no free refills. We has a party of six and had 13 sodas between us adding almost $40 to our bill.
(1)
Jennifer H.
When we walked in, we saw that there was a 60th birthday party being celebrated in the dining room. That tells you the age of the crowd. We also had to walk through the party to get to the bar, which was a little awkward. It would have been nice if they had left a walkway through to the bar that didn't involve interrupting the party. It then took us a few minutes to get a beer, an unusually long time considering that they weren't that busy and there were three bartenders behind the bar. We were waving $10 bills to try to get the attention of the bartenders. When they finally did come over to us, there was no greeting. They actually just stood there and waited for us to say something to them. I asked for a Canadian Light. They didn't have that. Miller Lite they had on draft... only. They did have bottles of Blue Light. Better than nothing, I suppose? The view here is very pretty outdoors, and they did have a stage being set up for some kind of live music. However, we didn't stay for more than just the one drink. I'd happily bring my own alcohol and pay a corking fee for the view, but the restaurant doesn't allow it.
(2)
Samantha Y.
We visited here on a weeknight so it wasn't too busy. We were seated right away. The service was great but the food was not. We were a party of 4, and only one of us was satisfied with their meal. First, they charge $2.75 for a plastic cup of pop and offer no refills, even when we pointed out that this person was our designated driver. The server was friendly and seemed excited about their 'new' menu. The offerings seemed decent enough - there is a variety of options to choose from. I had the 'Jamaican Burger'. There was not one thing 'Jamaican' about this. It was a 4 or 5 oz preformed frozen patty (honestly- how does anyplace offer burgers not use fresh beef??), that had a lot of those hard white gristle/bone/I-don't-want-to-know-what-it-is bits in it. It was served with a slice of white cheese (no flavor - I think it was supposed to be provolone), some white iceberg lettuce and a lovely slice of unripe pink tomato. The fries were okay - a bit soggy but okay. There was supposed to be bleu cheese and bbq sauce on it but they never made it to the plate. They charged $14.00 for this 'meal'. A friend ordered a Crab and Shrimp sandwich. I can't believe she didn't send it back. The menu said 'lump crab and shrimp' but it was the texture of a tuna sandwich. They ground all of the ingredients, including the vegetables, together into this paste that looked horrid. We asked the server about it and he said they made it in the food processor so it would be completely mixed. A food processor!! Why would anyone in their right mind put expensive protein like lump crab meat and whole shrimp into a food processor?? My inner chef died a little upon hearing this... The sandwich came on a white plate, all alone. No fries, no chips, no pickle...just this white bun filled with pinkish looking 'seafood salad'. It was horrid. $16.00 (!!) worth of horrid. A second friend ordered a salad with grilled chicken. The greens were fresh but the chicken was burned and dry. We did have two appetizers that weren't too bad - the Stuffed Banana Peppers and the Sweet Potato Wedges. The beer selection is less than stellar. The bar offers the standard mixed drinks and a few pre-made frozen cocktails. The crowd was definitely on the older side. It was a sea of grey hair and white New Balance sneakers. Everyone in our party is approaching 50 and we were by far the youngest people there. I'm not sure how it is on a weekend night. The atmosphere is good, and they usually have a band. I'd maybe (MAYBE) go back just to have a beer under the stars, but there are far better establishments with outdoor entertainment within a mile of this place.
(1)
Kelli D.
The only reason they get 2 stars instead of 1 is because of the scenery. We had to wait 35 minutes for a table. That wasn't too bad as there was a band and the outside area is gorgeous. I went to the bar to get a beer for the wait and the bartender was really awkward and kind of rude. We finally got our table. The waitress ignored 2 of the people at our table while she was getting our drink orders. They forgot one of our appetizers. They had apparently run out of the crab cakes but didn't bother to tell us. I had the seafood trio; it was fish, scallops and shrimp. EVERYTHING was fried. I expected the fish to be fried but the scallops and the shrimp?? They should mention that on the menu. Also not on the menu: the sides. The waitress seemed kind of annoyed when we asked what they were. I would possibly go back but only for drinks and music.
(2)
Adrienne B.
This was a great little place to go for lunch on a sunny afternoon. I like that it's boater friendly, it has a place to dock while you come in and eat, but we chose to dock our boat at our place not too far and just drive over the bridge. We sat ourselves outside and did wait almost ten mints for a waitress to come out. We decided to sit at the stander patio table. I would have preferred if there were umbrellas in the center of them but I understand the reality of placing a dozen umbrellas in patio tables every morning for a weekday lunch crowd in North Tonawanda. I ordered a watermelon martini, which was strong but not too sweet either so that was good. The waitress did seem to disappear for periods of time, however I get the feeling they had a smaller staff on because it was a Monday lunch. My Jamacain burger was more or less like a fancy rodeo burger. Onion rings, provolone, BBQ sauce, ranch on the crown of the bun with lettuce and tomatoes. I got a little side of coleslaw with it, though I wish it had been bigger. The people who got the side of mac salad definitely had bigger sides. The menu was not extensive, nor were there specials, but this place was laid back, had a breathtaking view of where the Erie Canal meets the Niagara River and my food and rinks were good. Not great, but good. My parents pressured me into getting dessert. You can't really mess up a Pineapple Upside-down cake. We pretty much mastered that as Americans. It was good. I mean it's hard to create variation in that recipe. I wish I hadn't have got it because it teetered me over the edge from "comfortable" to "full," but who's fault is that? Besides my own?
(4)
Hilary B.
Having never been here before I checked out the reviews to see what to expect. Based on those reviews, I wasn't expecting much, but there was nothing I could do as I hadn't picked the place. I was very pleasantly surprised. It was a beautiful Friday night, yet we were seated, outside, as soon as our entire party had arrived. We were a large party (10) but we were greeted right away by the friendly, attentive (and good-looking I might add) waiter. He made sure everyone had drinks all night long. He took our order promptly and the food came out without any significant wait even though the restaurant was very busy. He even took the time to take our group picture! I had a fried fish sandwich with pasta salad Sandwich was hot and good, pasta salad was very tasty. My husband had the fish fry with sweet potato fries and thought they were very good. He also ordered little neck clams which he said were "ok". Everyone else seemed to be happy with the food; I heard no complaints. The waiter also brought out a brownie sundae with a candle in it for my friend's birthday. All of the "extras" done with a smile in a very good-natured way. The bill came to about $70/ couple and this included a not-insignificant number of drinks. I thought the bill was reasonable. It is a casual waterfront restaurant and if you go in with that expectation you will be happy; if you expect gourmet you won't be. I plan to go back with my kids, it would be a great place for them. I never went up to the bar but my husband did and because of the other reviews I asked him about the experience. He said the bartender was NOT friendly. So that might be something they could work on.
(4)
Geri S.
Lovely view and the band was great but we had a table of 25 people who left not very happy. We visited Shores already this season and were able to get separate checks. Last night they wanted to put everyone on one bill. At first they said they would break it down into 4 bills but then thought it was too much work. Mass confusion and not a great way to end a lovely evening. The waitress was also very snippy with us from the get go and said we should have had someone responsible for collecting all the money. Maybe we would have if we had known this was going to be the case or we wouldn't have gone there at all. Another group was told they couldn't have a table if they didn't order alcohol with their food. They don't seem to care if you are not happy with their service because they have lots of other people who will come and take your seat. Wouldn't recommend anyone going there with a large group again.
(1)
Ria S.
This place will make you feel like you've escaped to some Caribbean resort (okay, you might have to have a semi wild imagination, but it's really not THAT much of a stretch!). I love theme restaurants/bars, and I never knew this place existed until today. It's on Tonawanda Island (which I guess is a real place!). I really like it. You will immediately feel like you're no longer in the city when you step onto the "island." Caribbean style music plays and the atmosphere makes you feel like you're actually on the beach (and hey, it's actually on the water!). It's really cute, and I think it's very date-worthy. Everything is priced in "bananas" (so you're not actually getting 16 bananas with your fish fry -- 1 banana = $1) and they offer cocktails that you'd normally find at a beach-y resort (and even a Tonawanda Island Iced Tea). The specialty seems to be fish, with some Italian and Mexican style dishes thrown in. The sweet potato fries were amazing! The shrimp and lobster ravioli was SO good. I was with a party of 11 and we all loved it. The waiter was a little disorganized. He forgot an order, kept giving everyone the wrong plates, and he ended up overcharging us in the end. But he was a sweet guy. Bonuses: There's a volleyball court, which my younger cousin and her friend enjoyed. There are "adults only" huts -- a couple of straw huts where you can go have a drink right by the water. There's also a boating dock nearby. Ample seating, indoor and outdoor. I love finding "off the beaten path" places like this in Buffalo. I would definitely come back here! It's a great place to dine, relax and escape from "city life" :)
(4)
Jamie W.
You definitely come to Shores for it's location. And, the Caribbean music is excellent. They do have some live music, but it loses some of it's good Caribbean vibe since the local musicians seem to be more from a bad cruise. The menu fits the vibe and is prepared average. The service and the drinks are the weakness here. The service was painfully slow and random. The tropical drinks are all served in very small plastic cups. We had several that were cracked and leaking, which is a bummer when they are small and expensive. How about throwing in some fruit on top and maybe a drink umbrella?
(3)
Patrick D.
The server was amazing!!!! Funny, very helpful and took our order completely on memory. He memorized all 6 orders and never let any of our glasses get empty. I would have to agree with previous reviewers the alcohol menu is far from the best ive ever seen but they have most of the basics which was fine. You must try the pretzels and the stuffed bananna pepper soup!!
(5)
Mariah B.
I was all about this place last year when I had their amazing crab cakes and super yummy sweet potato fries. I was so excited to take my boyfriend there last night, I had purchased a deal offline ($15 for $30 towards food). I bragged to him about good their food was. Unfortunately, they didn't prove themselves not only to me but to him or my daughter either. We ordered the Spinach Artichoke dip, which left a lot to be desired for $11. It pretty much consisted of a bowl of cream cheese with some spinach and artichokes mixed......not very flavorful or tasty. I ordered the open steak sandwich ($14) which was over cooked and had a ton of fat and grizzle around it and a side of sweetpotato fries ($1.50 extra) which were undercooked and very greasy. My daughter ordered the chicken alfredo, minus the chicken (which still cost full price without the chicken at $17). It was acceptable but definately not worth $17! My boyfriend ordered the seafood trio ($17) which came out looking like and tasting like the fish sticks you buy in the frozen food section at the grocery store. The coleslaw tasted a bit sour, and our soda's were over $2 a piece, served in plastic cups and do not come with free re-fills. So a bill I expected to be around $75 or so dollars plus tip, was much more. They decided that since I had the gift certificate that they would automaticall add the gratuity into the bill at 18% which came to $17 (service was not good) and no where on my certificate did it say that was part of the deal. So the total I really saved was $13 and the total bill before I used my certificate........over $90!!!!! For three of us to eat there and we all left unsatisfied. I had to feed everyone dinner a second time once we got home. We will definately NOT be returning!
Averill E.
Love the location, and the relaxed attitude of the layout. It's almost always busy on summer evenings, particularly on the weekends (naturally), and you'll probably have to wait 10-25 mins for a table, unless you want to sit inside - there are always tables inside. Beautiful view of the river & Grand Island. Food is decent - not bad enough to stop us from returning, but not the best food in the NT. Fries look/taste frozen (not fresh), sweet potato fries are a little too thick & would be better served with honey mustard instead of that thick butter sauce. The burgers are decent, definitely huge, so probably the best value on the menu. The seafood menu is a little pricey, but we've tried the Friday cod, both fried & broiled Cajun (fried was better - broiled was a little overcooked) & the coconut shrimp is quite good. I do wish a side salad or a seasonal veg was an option for a side, instead of pasta salad, fries, or coleslaw. I suppose you could ask, but I try not to be too fussy with ordering off menu. A weekly special, just to mix things up, would be great too. The menu is not terribly limited but not exciting enough to have me coming back every week. It's really worth it to dine on the river at sunset, and obviously we don't hate it because we go at least a couple times per summer. It is seasonal, though, so get there before Winter Comes!
(3)Karen B.
Great Place. Great food,reasonable drink prices. Great music. If you haven't been there you should go while its still nice out. The outdoor patio and view are amazing!!!
(5)Erica B.
The place was ok. Not the worst but not the best. I called ahead because I was bringing in a large party, just to make sure they could accommodate us and they asked if I wanted to sit on the patio or inside. I told them if it is a nice day the patio would be nice because the view of the water but if it rains stick us inside. When we got there the hostess said she had us all set up on the patio, when we got to the patio we waited 10 min while she and the server put tables and chairs together. We just stood there and watched. It wasn't a nice day either so I made sure to ask the server if they would be able to move us if they had to because it had been raining off and on all day. And of course right before dinner was served we had to all hustle inside and watch them set up more tables because it began to rain. The rain is not their fault, I know this, but they should have had us set up inside to begin with. The food was just ok also. My boyfriend ordered a seafood trio and everything was deep fried, it didn't say that it was and it was not what he expected, he doesn't normally eat scallops deep fried, to us it seemed like a frozen fish. I got the lobster ravioli and it was swimming in the sauce and there wasn't actually lobster in the ravioli, there was just a few chunks in the sauce, it seemed more like a ravioli soup. We got the Maryland crab cakes as an appetizer, they were very good but very small. My boyfriend and I spent $100 on a mediocre dinner. The food was definitely over priced for the quality we received. Everyone else that came along was also not impressed by their experience here and wished we had gone somewhere else...
(2)Bethany M.
Three stars is definitely an accurate review of this place. Location: awesome. It's a weird drive in, but once you get there, there's a huge amount of outdoor seating (seriously, we were surprised at how much there was when we got up and looked around), a tiki bar, a little stage in front of a nice lawn overlooking the river, a great view across the river (not buildings! trees and water, and one hotel tucked behind some more trees) and boat slips giving you that summer-y feel. They were playing steel drum music in the background all night. Food: the fried food was up to par with Buffalo standards (husband had the chicken finger sandwich with fries), the "real" (un-fried) food was VERY overseasoned but cooked okay (i had the mahi mahi which was on special and salted beyond belief, and didn't come with a healthy side option). Drinks: a little overpriced (side note - I HATE when drink prices aren't on the menu and the waitress says "umm, like $7, I'll have to check") but not unexpected for waterfront. Agree with other reviewers though that the beer selection is atrocious. I feel like it isn't that difficult to keep a few cases of a mid-range beer around! Service: She was nice, but everyone seemed rushed for some reason even though it wasn't really that busy. She also took way too long between visits to our table and we sat with empty glasses, or worse, our check with a credit card sitting in it, for way too long. Hostess didn't make much eye contact. I think a huge part of the problem was that they didn't appear to have server sections... this is restaurant 101 but we saw about 7 different waitresses visit the 6 tables around us. It's too hard to wait on tables effectively when they're spread in all corners of the restaurant!
(3)Christina H.
They get an extra star solely on the location - probably one of the coolest spots in WNY; located on its own island, overlooking the river. They have a stage for live music (and they get some good acts here), slips for lots of boats, a spacious bar area inside, a huge patio and a cool little tiki bar (no bar service, have to carry it down from the bar yourself) right on the water. So promising, right? WHY OH WHY must they have such a horrific beer selection and mediocre service??? I am a beer snob, no doubt about it. But this place would offend even the most average beer drinker. This place has two beers on tap - yes you heard right, TWO. Add insult to injury: they are Miller Lite and some other blah beer. And FURTHER insult to injury: on a Saturday night they were out of BOTH. So only bottles of beer. The bottled beer selection is likewise meager. I settled for a Mich Ultra and quietly stewed. If you come here, ask for their "bucket of beer special." This is how the conversation will go: "Excuse me, can you tell me what your bucket of beer special entails?" Waitress: "Oh, we give you a bucket with ice in it to keep your beer cold." ..... I kid you not. The service is average - I am not faulting our poor waitress who was stuck working a busy Saturday night on her very first shift (poor management - give the girl some more training first). What I *am* faulting the place for is their somewhat underhanded tactics. We had 5 people at our table and they added 18% gratuity. Not cool. I always tip 20% but when you are forcing us to tip 18% you're not getting anything extra. A 5 person gratuity is uncommon and unnecessary. Also, it took them probably 20 minutes to figure out how to split our check. I went to a restaurant the following day and they split the check in less than 5 minutes - it's really not that hard, I promise you.
(2)Don H.
Nice view of the water and enjoyed the Caribbean music but that's about it. We thought that on a sunny Friday afternoon it would be a good place to start off the Labor Day weekend. Wrong. We wanted to have 'steamers' for an app, at a cost of 14 bananas! They didn't have any. How can you be out of clams on a Friday of a holiday weekend in Buffalo! Our server claimed the 'clams casino' were very good. Wrong. The stuffing was so-so but the clams were like chewing gum. That will be 12 bananas. We now needed a drink. Well for 7 bananas you too can have one, in a small plastic cup. On to the entree. The fish sandwich was OK. It consisted 3 breaded fish strips, lettuce and tomato on a hard roll. That will be 12 bananas. You can have that with fries, coleslaw or pasta salad. I wanted the coleslaw. Wrong. They're out of it. Hello, again it's a Friday of a holiday weekend in Buffalo! I didn't want fries or pasta salad so I had to get the sweet potato wedges. They're priced at 2.75 bananas up charge. The Taco Salad was of good size, average quality, and priced at 12 bananas. Total bill for Lunch, just over 60 bananas, plus tip. It was a nice water view but .... that's a lot of bananas. FYI, here's some other item costs on the menu: rib eye steak; 26 bananas, Maryland Crab Cakes; 19 bananas, Chicken Parm; 19 bananas, Friday Fish Fry; 13 bananas. Oh, sick of hearing about bananas yet? Me too but their menu items are priced in 'bananas'. But they are kind enough to also give you the conversion of 1 banana = 1 dollar. I guess this is so you don't try to pay with bananas instead of dollars.
(2)Waddah A.
Simple and refreshing Caribbean-style seafood restaurant. Luckily we went there on Friday and they have the fry fish special which was very good. The grilled salmon was very delicious but needed a LOT of salt (definitely because of the average age of the people that were there which was 70 and up). The view is nice, the music is cool, the service is good. A little pricy but not too much for seafood restaurant.
(4)Kevin E.
I had the Jamaica burger and my woman had the Turkey Burg. Veggies on the side. Both were Delirious. Outside dinning, perfect.
(4)Russell A.
Like to come here with my boat. The gas dock is the best on the water. The property is awesome. ....the food is horrid.
(2)Hania A.
What a wonderful view, service was reasonable.. very chill nice atmosphere with nice music.. food was super good, the bang bang shrimp was crispy, spicy with a touch of sweetness, the entres were very delicious also, the burger was tender, juicy, nicely chargrilled and flavorful.... cant wait to go back.. such a happy place
(5)Mark W.
They charge $2.75 per soda and charge for each one. I wouldn't have a problem with that if there was someplace on the menu that a) told you how much sodas were and b) the fact that there were no free refills. We has a party of six and had 13 sodas between us adding almost $40 to our bill.
(1)Jennifer H.
When we walked in, we saw that there was a 60th birthday party being celebrated in the dining room. That tells you the age of the crowd. We also had to walk through the party to get to the bar, which was a little awkward. It would have been nice if they had left a walkway through to the bar that didn't involve interrupting the party. It then took us a few minutes to get a beer, an unusually long time considering that they weren't that busy and there were three bartenders behind the bar. We were waving $10 bills to try to get the attention of the bartenders. When they finally did come over to us, there was no greeting. They actually just stood there and waited for us to say something to them. I asked for a Canadian Light. They didn't have that. Miller Lite they had on draft... only. They did have bottles of Blue Light. Better than nothing, I suppose? The view here is very pretty outdoors, and they did have a stage being set up for some kind of live music. However, we didn't stay for more than just the one drink. I'd happily bring my own alcohol and pay a corking fee for the view, but the restaurant doesn't allow it.
(2)Samantha Y.
We visited here on a weeknight so it wasn't too busy. We were seated right away. The service was great but the food was not. We were a party of 4, and only one of us was satisfied with their meal. First, they charge $2.75 for a plastic cup of pop and offer no refills, even when we pointed out that this person was our designated driver. The server was friendly and seemed excited about their 'new' menu. The offerings seemed decent enough - there is a variety of options to choose from. I had the 'Jamaican Burger'. There was not one thing 'Jamaican' about this. It was a 4 or 5 oz preformed frozen patty (honestly- how does anyplace offer burgers not use fresh beef??), that had a lot of those hard white gristle/bone/I-don't-want-to-know-what-it-is bits in it. It was served with a slice of white cheese (no flavor - I think it was supposed to be provolone), some white iceberg lettuce and a lovely slice of unripe pink tomato. The fries were okay - a bit soggy but okay. There was supposed to be bleu cheese and bbq sauce on it but they never made it to the plate. They charged $14.00 for this 'meal'. A friend ordered a Crab and Shrimp sandwich. I can't believe she didn't send it back. The menu said 'lump crab and shrimp' but it was the texture of a tuna sandwich. They ground all of the ingredients, including the vegetables, together into this paste that looked horrid. We asked the server about it and he said they made it in the food processor so it would be completely mixed. A food processor!! Why would anyone in their right mind put expensive protein like lump crab meat and whole shrimp into a food processor?? My inner chef died a little upon hearing this... The sandwich came on a white plate, all alone. No fries, no chips, no pickle...just this white bun filled with pinkish looking 'seafood salad'. It was horrid. $16.00 (!!) worth of horrid. A second friend ordered a salad with grilled chicken. The greens were fresh but the chicken was burned and dry. We did have two appetizers that weren't too bad - the Stuffed Banana Peppers and the Sweet Potato Wedges. The beer selection is less than stellar. The bar offers the standard mixed drinks and a few pre-made frozen cocktails. The crowd was definitely on the older side. It was a sea of grey hair and white New Balance sneakers. Everyone in our party is approaching 50 and we were by far the youngest people there. I'm not sure how it is on a weekend night. The atmosphere is good, and they usually have a band. I'd maybe (MAYBE) go back just to have a beer under the stars, but there are far better establishments with outdoor entertainment within a mile of this place.
(1)Kelli D.
The only reason they get 2 stars instead of 1 is because of the scenery. We had to wait 35 minutes for a table. That wasn't too bad as there was a band and the outside area is gorgeous. I went to the bar to get a beer for the wait and the bartender was really awkward and kind of rude. We finally got our table. The waitress ignored 2 of the people at our table while she was getting our drink orders. They forgot one of our appetizers. They had apparently run out of the crab cakes but didn't bother to tell us. I had the seafood trio; it was fish, scallops and shrimp. EVERYTHING was fried. I expected the fish to be fried but the scallops and the shrimp?? They should mention that on the menu. Also not on the menu: the sides. The waitress seemed kind of annoyed when we asked what they were. I would possibly go back but only for drinks and music.
(2)Adrienne B.
This was a great little place to go for lunch on a sunny afternoon. I like that it's boater friendly, it has a place to dock while you come in and eat, but we chose to dock our boat at our place not too far and just drive over the bridge. We sat ourselves outside and did wait almost ten mints for a waitress to come out. We decided to sit at the stander patio table. I would have preferred if there were umbrellas in the center of them but I understand the reality of placing a dozen umbrellas in patio tables every morning for a weekday lunch crowd in North Tonawanda. I ordered a watermelon martini, which was strong but not too sweet either so that was good. The waitress did seem to disappear for periods of time, however I get the feeling they had a smaller staff on because it was a Monday lunch. My Jamacain burger was more or less like a fancy rodeo burger. Onion rings, provolone, BBQ sauce, ranch on the crown of the bun with lettuce and tomatoes. I got a little side of coleslaw with it, though I wish it had been bigger. The people who got the side of mac salad definitely had bigger sides. The menu was not extensive, nor were there specials, but this place was laid back, had a breathtaking view of where the Erie Canal meets the Niagara River and my food and rinks were good. Not great, but good. My parents pressured me into getting dessert. You can't really mess up a Pineapple Upside-down cake. We pretty much mastered that as Americans. It was good. I mean it's hard to create variation in that recipe. I wish I hadn't have got it because it teetered me over the edge from "comfortable" to "full," but who's fault is that? Besides my own?
(4)Hilary B.
Having never been here before I checked out the reviews to see what to expect. Based on those reviews, I wasn't expecting much, but there was nothing I could do as I hadn't picked the place. I was very pleasantly surprised. It was a beautiful Friday night, yet we were seated, outside, as soon as our entire party had arrived. We were a large party (10) but we were greeted right away by the friendly, attentive (and good-looking I might add) waiter. He made sure everyone had drinks all night long. He took our order promptly and the food came out without any significant wait even though the restaurant was very busy. He even took the time to take our group picture! I had a fried fish sandwich with pasta salad Sandwich was hot and good, pasta salad was very tasty. My husband had the fish fry with sweet potato fries and thought they were very good. He also ordered little neck clams which he said were "ok". Everyone else seemed to be happy with the food; I heard no complaints. The waiter also brought out a brownie sundae with a candle in it for my friend's birthday. All of the "extras" done with a smile in a very good-natured way. The bill came to about $70/ couple and this included a not-insignificant number of drinks. I thought the bill was reasonable. It is a casual waterfront restaurant and if you go in with that expectation you will be happy; if you expect gourmet you won't be. I plan to go back with my kids, it would be a great place for them. I never went up to the bar but my husband did and because of the other reviews I asked him about the experience. He said the bartender was NOT friendly. So that might be something they could work on.
(4)Geri S.
Lovely view and the band was great but we had a table of 25 people who left not very happy. We visited Shores already this season and were able to get separate checks. Last night they wanted to put everyone on one bill. At first they said they would break it down into 4 bills but then thought it was too much work. Mass confusion and not a great way to end a lovely evening. The waitress was also very snippy with us from the get go and said we should have had someone responsible for collecting all the money. Maybe we would have if we had known this was going to be the case or we wouldn't have gone there at all. Another group was told they couldn't have a table if they didn't order alcohol with their food. They don't seem to care if you are not happy with their service because they have lots of other people who will come and take your seat. Wouldn't recommend anyone going there with a large group again.
(1)Ria S.
This place will make you feel like you've escaped to some Caribbean resort (okay, you might have to have a semi wild imagination, but it's really not THAT much of a stretch!). I love theme restaurants/bars, and I never knew this place existed until today. It's on Tonawanda Island (which I guess is a real place!). I really like it. You will immediately feel like you're no longer in the city when you step onto the "island." Caribbean style music plays and the atmosphere makes you feel like you're actually on the beach (and hey, it's actually on the water!). It's really cute, and I think it's very date-worthy. Everything is priced in "bananas" (so you're not actually getting 16 bananas with your fish fry -- 1 banana = $1) and they offer cocktails that you'd normally find at a beach-y resort (and even a Tonawanda Island Iced Tea). The specialty seems to be fish, with some Italian and Mexican style dishes thrown in. The sweet potato fries were amazing! The shrimp and lobster ravioli was SO good. I was with a party of 11 and we all loved it. The waiter was a little disorganized. He forgot an order, kept giving everyone the wrong plates, and he ended up overcharging us in the end. But he was a sweet guy. Bonuses: There's a volleyball court, which my younger cousin and her friend enjoyed. There are "adults only" huts -- a couple of straw huts where you can go have a drink right by the water. There's also a boating dock nearby. Ample seating, indoor and outdoor. I love finding "off the beaten path" places like this in Buffalo. I would definitely come back here! It's a great place to dine, relax and escape from "city life" :)
(4)Jamie W.
You definitely come to Shores for it's location. And, the Caribbean music is excellent. They do have some live music, but it loses some of it's good Caribbean vibe since the local musicians seem to be more from a bad cruise. The menu fits the vibe and is prepared average. The service and the drinks are the weakness here. The service was painfully slow and random. The tropical drinks are all served in very small plastic cups. We had several that were cracked and leaking, which is a bummer when they are small and expensive. How about throwing in some fruit on top and maybe a drink umbrella?
(3)Patrick D.
The server was amazing!!!! Funny, very helpful and took our order completely on memory. He memorized all 6 orders and never let any of our glasses get empty. I would have to agree with previous reviewers the alcohol menu is far from the best ive ever seen but they have most of the basics which was fine. You must try the pretzels and the stuffed bananna pepper soup!!
(5)Mariah B.
I was all about this place last year when I had their amazing crab cakes and super yummy sweet potato fries. I was so excited to take my boyfriend there last night, I had purchased a deal offline ($15 for $30 towards food). I bragged to him about good their food was. Unfortunately, they didn't prove themselves not only to me but to him or my daughter either. We ordered the Spinach Artichoke dip, which left a lot to be desired for $11. It pretty much consisted of a bowl of cream cheese with some spinach and artichokes mixed......not very flavorful or tasty. I ordered the open steak sandwich ($14) which was over cooked and had a ton of fat and grizzle around it and a side of sweetpotato fries ($1.50 extra) which were undercooked and very greasy. My daughter ordered the chicken alfredo, minus the chicken (which still cost full price without the chicken at $17). It was acceptable but definately not worth $17! My boyfriend ordered the seafood trio ($17) which came out looking like and tasting like the fish sticks you buy in the frozen food section at the grocery store. The coleslaw tasted a bit sour, and our soda's were over $2 a piece, served in plastic cups and do not come with free re-fills. So a bill I expected to be around $75 or so dollars plus tip, was much more. They decided that since I had the gift certificate that they would automaticall add the gratuity into the bill at 18% which came to $17 (service was not good) and no where on my certificate did it say that was part of the deal. So the total I really saved was $13 and the total bill before I used my certificate........over $90!!!!! For three of us to eat there and we all left unsatisfied. I had to feed everyone dinner a second time once we got home. We will definately NOT be returning!
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