Norm&#x27;s Wayside

A good place for burger and beer if you're in the Buffalo, MN area. I sat at the bar and service…read morewas fast, friendly, and they're good at recommendations based on your preference. It's a casual place to grab a beer with friends or go solo at the bar. Either way, it's a good place to try even once! They have a pool table too! It would have been a 5 star for me if they had a porter or stout on tap.

Food was great! I've always gotten burgers when I swing in here and I've never been disappointed…read more Service is friendly and efficient. It can slow down when they get busy, but that's to be expected with anywhere. Ambiance was nice, AC was blasting a little too hard though. They had a solid choice of background music and it doesn't get overly loud typically. Overall I would recommend checking it out if you want a good burger. Their drink selection is a little bit limited though.

General ambiance and pool tables

The Thirsty Buffalo Saloon is a restaurant and bar conveniently located in Buffalo Minnesota...

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Featuring great live music and an inviting atmosphere, there is something for everyone at Thirsty Buffalo Saloon...

Muffy's Basement

5.0(2 reviews)

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Very cool environment. Very romantic for valentines drinks and apps. Small dark and intimate with…read morefriendly service. Bartender was very helpful in choosing nonalcoholic drinks! We will be back again.

A hidden gem for the area. I actually am hesitant to give them a five star just to keep the place…read moreavailable for us. Great cocktails and atmosphere. In the basement of the wine bar so your party has options. Great owner and staff too.

Muffys wall

The "secret" entrance

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Really enjoyed the midwestern atmosphere great service and a great ambiance. Has lots of cool wall…read moredecor if you need ideas for your own cabin

I have only come here for breakfast and have not been disappointed. They usually only have one…read morewaitress working, so if you hit a rush you might sit a few minutes. But the food comes out pretty quick. The waitress is friendly and the breakfast food is good. And I like the location downtown and the small town cafe atmosphere. Plus, if you wanted a cocktail you could get one or if you wanted an ice cream cone you could get one!

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Mill Creek Inn

4.3(125 reviews)

3.9 mi

Went here after our friend's granddaughters had their first horseback riding lesson. All the food…read morewe ordered was good, and the girls enjoyed their kids meals too. Service was fantastic and she let the girls order their own meals. Ambiance in about what you'd expect for a bar and restaurant near a lake in Buffalo Minnesota. Good motorcycle parking near the building. This place has amazing Bloody Marys on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We'd all go back again.

Great service and 2 for 1 drink specials. Parking was easy and we were seated quickly and the…read moreservice was wonderful from start to finish. The drive there was scenic with the lake and ending the night with some beers and walleye tacos that were delicious, was the perfect combination. Their menu had some many food options, I would recommend and look forward to stopping by again when I'm in town!

Loved the local brewers represented on the walls.

Mini corn dogs

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2 for 1

Uptown Bar & Grill

4.4(35 reviews)

8.4 mi

Server was very kind and attentive. She engaged with us and we were served quickly. She genuinely…read moreseemed to care. Ambiance was so so. Dirty table, all tv's on the same channel with some obscure sporting event on, and music very loud in the bar are but nothing in dinning area so you're just getting the sound from the bar. Food was the real downside. I had the Cowboy burger with onion rings. Burger was over cooked (I asked for medium rare and it was very well done). Onions rings looked good but there was cold batter just below the crust. Sadly I was nauseous when I got home and couldn't eat the next day due to upset stomach. I waited a couple of days to write this to see how it turned out, I'm fine. I question the cleanliness of the place. I doubt very much we'll go back, there's a bad taste from the experience.

The definition of a small town bar and restaurant! Great atmosphere, friendly staff and patrons and…read morevery very very good food! Breakfast there will fill you up and the burgers..well they will make you smile! Definitely a must visit!

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A Lift Bridge Flannel something.

Hilltop Bar & Grill

4.1(18 reviews)

8.6 mi

First time here, and I was pleasantly surprised by both the atmosphere and the service. We sat at…read morethe bar, and Junior was exceptional--friendly, attentive, and full of personality. The happy hour drinks are a great value, and I appreciated that they offer weekday specials. I ordered the broasted chicken meal, which came out hot, juicy, and freshly prepared. The only reason I'm giving four stars instead of five is that both the chicken and the waffle fries could have used seasoning. That said, everything else was on point. Overall, this is one of the best dive bars I've visited in a long time.

Great reboot. It can get busy but dont let that deter you. Service is great- super friendly and…read moreattentive. The menu is small but well rounded. The hilltop burger with waffle fries and seasoned sour cream is solid. The teriyaki chicken sandwich is spot on. Highly recommended and they have plenty of tvs and bar space. New favorite local place!

Bar area

Happy Hour At the Hilly!

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Weekday Specials

Evelyn's Wine Bar

4.6(17 reviews)

2.7 mi

Absolutely wonderful food. Recently moved to the Buffalo area from CA and have tried many…read morerestaurants in the past few weeks, this was my absolute favorite by far! Can't wait to come by again soon.

Server was extremely rude when we arrived and was rude our entire experience. Pizza was cold and…read moretasted like frozen pizza. Bruschetta Bread looked nothing like the pic.

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The Liquor Lounge

4.5(4 reviews)

11.3 mi

Great ambiance for a fancy drink! They serve pizzas which we did not get. Service was super…read morefriendly and quick, but not overly in your face.

The Liquor Lounge is a cute, little, jazzy cocktail bar located in the heart of Monticello…read more This place is kind of small and could very easily be passed right by. While there is signage in both the front and the rear of the building you could easily mistake this place for a dive bar or even being shut down. I assure you, it's not. Once you walk in you notice a beautifully decorated lounge. Floor to ceiling mirrors ans drapes make the room appear much larger than it is. Nice leather chairs creating little seating areas and the bar can hold about 12 people. There is lots of music/musician memorabilia on the walls and some fun fixtures. Our party of 7 took up the last available seats in the otherwise packed house. We were greeted by a very busy, yet smiling, owner, Angie. She let us know she had a few drinks to make and would be back to take our order. She was the only one behind the bar and was struggling a bit to keep up. Had lots of hustle, though. The wait was a little longer than one would like be but not bad. The drinks were worth the wait. Our party of 7 all ordered something different and we all very much enjoyed our drinks. On top of well made cocktails, the prices were more than reasonable - all between $9-$12 a drink. I very much enjoyed my experience and would absolutely recommend this little lounge.

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Raspberry Vodka Sour

Nordic Taphouse

4.2(49 reviews)

11.0 mi

I came here for lunch after it was recommended by a co-worker. I didn't even know it had food! In…read moreaddition to a large beer selection, they also have mixed drinks and a pretty good whiskey selection too . For food I had the "Best in Town Wings" with the smoked mezcal rub. They were a little spicier than I expected, but still very good. The house fries are amazing! I'll definitely be back!

We decided to try a new place that was also seemingly newer to this part of town. The outside is…read moreinviting and has beautifully painted murals. One would expect a "Nordic" theme inside too- but it's adorned with taxidermy- everywhere and was a bit off putting. We ordered online and some options weren't user-friendly or even available (such as omitting or adding every ingredient included in that entree.) Staff were very nice upon pick up and food was neatly prepared and accurate. The veggie burger was excellent! The flat bread was a miss and the grilled cheese was just a regular grilled cheese so the name alludes to bigger hype. The mammoth cheese sticks were probably the best part. All in all it's likely better fresh and in the moment but I don't think we can sit inside that restaurant with all the animals staring at us, haha.

Entrance

Decor

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Mango woman (black currant and mango sour) & Mr Pandy (smoked pineapple lager)

Forget Me Not Café

4.6(51 reviews)

2.6 mi

Food is always incredible! Service is always so kind! I recommend the Biscuits & Gravy Burrito!…read more Thank you again Brian for your assistance when I came to pick up food on my lunch break.

Good solid breakfast…read more Super friendly staff. Ambiance is okay - it felt dark when I walked in but my eyes adjusted. Fair prices. Free parking along the street outside. Cute area in downtown Buffalo.

Dessert menu

Hot chocolate

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Outside

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12 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Deb K.

0

1

0

16 years ago

This is in response to Leslee W. of Waverly. I am sorry that she, and hubby's, experience at "Norm's Wayside" prompted her to write such a scathing opinion about our bar/restaurant. She included comments, and untruths, that I feel need to be commented on, and corrected. Leslee, and hubby, came in that evening when we were at our busiest. We had two waitresses on, an owner helping, and as she noticed, and commented about, there were many large groups at tables throughout the bar. Many tables included children, some young and some teens. We welcome families, and expect parents to watch their children. We have had occasion to ask parents/adults to please keep their children "in line", in hopes that they will be considerate of other customers and the employees. We have put the cue balls behind the bar, for various reasons, and have put the darts away so that they are not abused. (Re: comments about kids playing darts and "ewwwww!"; I would hope that if anyone sees a drink, or food, being tainted that they would make an attempt to inform someone). Things change everyday, and we make adjustments accordingly. The three pizzas that were made wrong for the" table of six" were made by me in the kitchen, and it was not the fault of the waitress. Unfortunately, Leslee, and hubby, came in the first night we went "live" for our new "POS" system, and we were still working out the "bugs". Up to that evening we were using hand-written tickets, and our new system is much more efficient for the bar, waitstaff and kitchen. Our waitstaff, bartenders, and kitchen crew work hard, and do a great job, and had alot to deal with that evening. In the last year we have made 10,000 pizzas with very few mistakes. The polite, and patient, "table of six" enjoyed their appetizers, drinks, and pizza, and left happy. They are now people who consider themselves "regulars". Our burgers are FRESH. We DO NOT serve frozen meat! Our cheese is 100% REAL AMERICAN or SWISS CHEESE, NOT "CHEESE FOOD" (If not asked what kind of cheese you want, please tell the waitress). The food order came to the table in twenty minutes, and that is the amount of time it took to cook the food. Sorry it was cold; it shouldn't have been. Again, I am disappointed that Leslee, and hubby, had such a terrible experience that she had to waste brain cells, and time, to write a long, angry letter slamming the kitchen, the waitresses, the children there that evening, and our establishment. I wish they had asked to talk to me, but I guess complaining to other people makes more sense. I have been working hard to improve a bar that was in great need of change. Though nothing is perfect, we all try to do the best we can. Unfortunately, it is impossible to please everyone. Most people understand, and appreciate, that it takes time, and hard work, to start, and run, a business. We have heard thousands of positive, and helpful, comments in the last year, and we will continue to strive for excellence. Thank you to all of you who have helped make "Norm's Wayside" a great place, and we look forward to seeing you again! Norm read more

Lisa N.

0

1

0

16 years ago

Some people go to church EVERY Sunday. I, on the other hand, religously treat myself to a pizza and a couple good beers once a week, EVERY week. I am quite the fan of both the deep and hand-tossed Wayside pies. The sauce must be homemade because it is full of flavor. The pepperoni slices become crispy around the edges...Mmmmmm...Who would not love that? It does get a bit backed up on weekends. That is just fine with me. Gives me a moment to relax and have beer (they have a rather tasty selection of beer-both tap and bottle). The waitstaff is friendly. The decor is cool. It is definitely worth the wait. Perhaps Leslee W. hit an off night. Perhaps she was having a bad day. Perhaps she had too much Happy Hour. I have always had a GREAT pizza at the Wayside. read more

Pam P.

0

3

0

6 years ago

Take your money elsewhere. For real! Used to think this place was OK. Stopped in once or twice a month with the hubby for the atmosphere. The food is so-so, service is always terrible, no matter how busy they are it seems. Rude staff. But we enjoyed the atmosphere. Now with the political garbage all over the place inside and out, no thanks! Ew. NEVER AGAIN, and will warn everyone I know,there are better local places to support that don't post ingnorant and obnoxious garbage anywhere. Also, we are in a pandemic,why are there no masks on any staff? This is exactly why we can't have nice things. read more

Lauren P.

0

1

0

5 years ago

There food is ok and our waiter was great. 1. The political signs are disrespectful and shows a huge lack of respect for customers having different political views. Since when do political beliefs have a place a public establishment? 2. Not all the servers wore their masks. Again, our waiter was awesome, but the girl who brought our food had her mask on her chin! 3. In the short time we were there, 15 people walked in NOT wearing masks. Granted, we have come a long way since the pandemic started, but it's not completely over either. read more

Cassie J.

0

1

0

8 years ago

5-18-18 Lunch time. The owner of this establishment, Norm, was a complete A-Hole to all of us. It's one thing to have poor service from a wait staff, but to be disrespected by a rude owner, well that takes a real idiot. Hey Norm, get a clue. Maybe you should go back to Detroilet if you want to treat your patrons like you do. Your wait staff did a good job and you should probably pay them more for all the apologizing they have to do for your own stupidity. If you go to Norm's you better pray you don't have to deal with Norm. read more

Candy C.

0

1

0

4 years ago

Used to be my favorite in Buffalo. After seeing all the political postings, none of us will be back. I came for the food and atmosphere, not that. Your loss Norm's. read more

Loca V.

0

44

0

6 years ago

This is an anti-mask establishment. The owner is a complete jerk. The decor is lame and the political sign just shows out of touch the owner is. read more

Jeffery W.

0

9

0

1 year ago

Best Detroit style pizza I've ever found! Great place, lots of character. Outdoor stage, popular biker stop.

Stacey S.

0

2

0

10 years ago

Best Detroit style Pizza this side of Detroit! I have eaten many there. MUST GO!

ryan m.

0

1

0

17 years ago

This establishment is now Norm's Wayside. Detroit style pizza, best I've had!

Nick O.

0

1

0

5 years ago

Owner is very rude and does not know how to treat customer!

Scott M.

0

2

0

13 years ago

Xx

Norm's Wayside - pizza - Updated September 2026

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