10 Best Cafés in Buffalo, New York

10 Best Cafés in Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York and known for its Buffalo wing, an unbreaded chicken wing section (flat or drumette) that is generally deep-fried and then coated or dipped in a sauce consisting of a vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce and melted butter prior to serving.

Don’t forget to try the Buffalo wings special in the 10 best cafés in Buffalo, New York, as the majority of the cafés feature them as a main menu item.

1. Tipico Coffee

Tipico Coffee – WGRZ

Tipico Coffee was founded by Jesse Crouse in 2015. Peter Herman joined Tipico in 2012 as a co-ownerwith the opening of the café’s roasting facility on Buffalo’s West Side. The café is located in the Elmwood Village of Buffalo.

Tipico’s meticulous roasting protocols, and knowing exactly who they are buying coffee from, allow them to create coffees that highlight their inherent traits and deliver a product that stands above all the rest.

The café is surrounded by stately houses in Buffalo’s lower west side, the vibrant decor inside creates a playful space perfect for sipping Tipico’s perfectly crafted coffee drinks and munching on their freshly cooked goods.  

Popular food items include coconut milk latte, avocado toast and grilled cheese sandwiches.

2. Remedy House

Remedy House – Flickr

Remedy House is an all-day coffee bar offering an extensive menu of coffee, food, and hard and soft beverages for every mood, hour, budget, condition, affliction, affection, and need.

Not only does the café have a great vibe for hanging out and working, but it offers a nice variety of coffee, tea, food options and way weirder wine.

The popular food items on its menu are sandwich with the garlic aioli and prosciutto.

3. Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons – Flickr

Tim Hortons Inc., commonly nicknamed Tim’s or Timmies was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade.

On July 13, 2009, Tim Hortons opened stores in New York City at former Dunkin’ Donuts locations operated by the Riese Organization. One of the stores is located at Madison Square Garden, where Horton played as a member of the New York Rangers from 1969 to 1971.

Tim Hortons original blend coffee is made with 100% premium Arabica beans and freshly brewed every 20 minutes.

Their frozen white-hot chocolate and Timbits are a must-have during summer.

4. Undergrounds Coffee House

Undergrounds Coffee House – Buffalo Raising

The Undergrounds Coffee House is a female-owned business located in Old First Ward neighborhood, Buffalo. The shop opened in a former funeral home, and the café pays homage to what the space used to be through its quirky layout.

At Underground Coffee House, they offer freshly roasted coffee that is produced weekly right in the lower lobby of their café. They small-batch roast each and every week, and offer a variety of beans that range from medium to dark roasts.

Don’t forget to try their crazy combo of Rose Cardamon, Lavender Honey, Rose Vanilla, Raspberry Rose White Mocha and Blackberry Lavender White Mocha.

5. Dunkin’ Donuts

Dunkin’ Donuts – Flickr

Dunkin’ Donuts LLC, also known as Dunkin, was founded in 1950 by Bill Rosenberg in Quincy, Massachusetts. Just five years later, a franchise legacy was born.

The chain began rebranding as a “beverage-led company”, and was renamed Dunkin’, in January 2019. In July 2013, Dunkin’ Donuts opened its 500th restaurant, in New York City.

With approximately 12,900 locations in 42 countries, Dunkin’ is one of the largest coffee shop and donut shop chains in the world. Its products include donuts, bagels, coffee, and “Munchkins” donut holes.

We highly recommend the Frozen Chocolate Covered Strawberry Drink and Sweet Black Pepper Bacon Sandwich.

6. SpoT

SPot – Buffalo News

SPoT offers the highest quality coffee and handcrafted cuisine in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The original SPoT Coffee Café and roastery have proudly stood on the corner of Delaware and Chippewa in Buffalo, New York since 1996.

SPoT’s micro-roasting process uses only the highest quality ingredients and state-of-the-art equipment. Their small batch roasting process ensures that each batch is roasted and brewed to perfection, and each cup, be it a velvety chai, a creamy latte, a rich hot chocolate or a cool blended treat with a caffeinated zing, is handed to you with confidence and care.

While at SPoT try their Mike’s breakfast sandwich and cortado with 1/2 &1/2 milk.

7. Daily Planet Coffee Company

Daily Planet Coffee Company – Daily Planey Coffee

Daily Planet Coffee Company opened in 2014 with the belief that they could serve great coffee and food, provide excellent customer service, create a nice environment for the community to gather, and do something nice for the planet every day.

No, the name was not inspired by the superhero newspaper but by the idea that we should, all, think about the planet daily.

The café offers a nice variety of coffee, tea, and food options, with the Sweet Vanilla Chai being highly recommended.

8. Public Espresso + Coffee

Public Espresso + Coffee – TripAdvisor

Public Espresso + Coffer is located in the historic Hotel Lafayette in downtown Buffalo. At Hotel Lafayette the café offers an all-day menu featuring an in-house pastry program and scratch-made breakfast, lunch and dinner along with weekend brunch.

The café offers cool vibes with coffee drinks ranging from typical cappuccinos to more exotic options like the Bali espresso tonic.

The must-have at Public Espresso + Coffee is the sweet potato and avocado and turmeric tea.

9. Starbucks

Starbucks – Flickr

Starbucks Corporation is an American multinational chain of coffeehouses and roastery reserves headquartered in Seattle, Washington. It is the world’s largest coffeehouse chain.

Starbuck’s locations, including in cities such as Seattle, Buffalo, Rochester, Ithaca, Kansas City and Manhattan.

Located at 235 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202, the café is known for its signature roasts, light bites and Wi-Fi availability. It serves hot and cold drinks, whole-bean coffee, micro-ground instant coffee, espresso, caffe latte, full and loose-leaf teas, juices, Frappuccino beverages, pastries, and snacks.

There’s a lot to love about Starbucks, but the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew acks all the punch of a good cold brew.

10. Sweet_ness 7 Cafés

sweetness-7-cafe – TripAdvisor

Sweet_ness 7 Café was located in an old Victorian building on Grant Street, in the heart of the historic West Side of Buffalo, between the Elmwood Village and the Niagara River. It was opened to the public in 2008.

The café offered a wide range of cuisines, from Spanish to Irish, with reasonable prices. They also include daily specials, as well as fresh house-made soups. The interior of the café is colorful and fun, giving off a sixty’s vibe.

However, with the outbreak of COVID, the café was closed down. Today the building is on sale, but we could not fail to pay homage to one of the greatest café in Buffalo.