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    Old Man River

    3.3 (128 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Old Man River Photos

    Business Info

    OLD MAN RIVER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Old Man River

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    Inside
    Travis S.

    We love coming to Old Man River! It's such a fun restaurant in a great location on the river. They have a good-sized menu here. The food is very good! You can customize whatever you order, which is really convenient. Great burgers and hot dogs. However, their sweet potato fries are game-changing! Trust me, they're a must get! The staff is great and so helpful. Come when the weather is nice and sit outside with a view of the river. Or, take it to go and walk the riverfront. Either way, it's a great spot!

    Chicago Dog
    Laura S.

    First visit of the season yesterday. The weather was one of those perfect days... warm enough to eat outside, and not too hot to eat outside. My other half was craving a Chicago dog from his time in the Windy City and he insists OMR is the only place to find them comparable locally. I was craving a basic Sahlens. I also got greek fries. They were worth every penny. So much feta and greek dressing. The fries on the bottom even had the delicious toppings. The Chicago dogs lived up to the expectations. The service was great! I'm all about free loganberry refills. The only downside was that my foot long bun was a bit stale. Otherwise, it was great. Next time I'll be back to visit the seafood shack.

    Steven C.

    What makes this place extraordinary is the location and the ambience. The food is good, they have fried whole belly clams, which is tougher and tougher to find in 2025, and the prices are high but not insane. The quality of the service depends upon how busy they are as one might expect, but even when they are packed, the lines move at an acceptable pace. Perfect for a date, or a quick bite, or to grab and go and walk along the beautiful Niagara River, this place does not disappoint.

    Virus E.

    The burger fries were amazing the like the food there was incredible Nice little thing for water for dogs. That's pretty nice. The service was pretty good. It took like two or three minutes, but they didn't really give it to us. They kinda did it ourselves, but it's pretty good about her, but the wine wasn't that good

    Kevin M.

    Old Man River is a must stop for us when we are out riding bikes near Niawanda park in Tonawanda. We put our bikes in the convenient bike rack just outside of the restaurant and went in to look at their extensive menu... hot dogs, burgers, ten different chicken sandwiches, a variety of sausages, fried bologna... there is a lot to choose from. The staff was friendly and we didn't have to wait too long for our order. I had the Roasted red pepper sandwich ... large piece of grilled chicken... with provolone cheese... roasted red peppers and a garlic mayo... soooo delicious!! My wife enjoyed their Fried Bologna sandwich as well. The French fries were also good. I also like that they have a soda station so you can refill your soda after building up a thirst biking the trail. Outside of the restaurant you will find their Seafood Shack and BBQ house for more delicious food choices including some hearty sides of BBQ beans, corn on the cob, coleslaw and cornbread. They no longer serve ice cream here... so you should go just down the road to Mississippi Muds to satisfy your sweet tooth. Old Man River also has free live music on Wednesday evenings! Very enjoyable being near the water and listening to a live band.

    Old Man River
    Diane H.

    With beautiful views of the water, you can enjoy your dining experience here. Speedy service and a smile brought me a delicious Malibu garden burger and sweet potato fries with honey and butter. Everything was so tasty. You can get hot dogs, hamburgers, salads and fries.Plus many choices of ice cream or lemon ice for dessert , so refreshing when it's hot outside.

    Captains plater it's not good.  My stomach hurts.
    Niema K.

    The food was awful. Dreadful. Well let me not say I wouldn't recommend the place. The place seemed cool. There was a live band playing. The place was crowded outside and pretty packed inside as well. The seafood I would not recommend. I saw chicken sandwiches and hotdogs topped with different things and burgers that all looked good. I would go back to try those items. The seafood however was horrible. Every tasted like it was directly out of the freezer. The calamari was rubbery. The shrimp was awful, there was nothing seasoned. They tasted freezer burnt. Some of them were soapy on the bottom. How when nothing on my plate was wet??? The macaroni was all types of dry. It was flavorless and dry. It was reminiscent of macaroni out the box like craft or something but after it's sat out all day on the stove. Then you add a little after to reheat it and serve it. That's what it tasted like. The crab cakes were nasty, they seemed old and dry. They tasted fishy as if they were left out then refrozen. There was no flavor other than fishy and blah. I tried using the sauces the provided. The cocktail sauce was good however it did not help the seafood. The tarter sauce was nasty and watery. It tasted like mayonnaise and not a good brand. Like it was to mayonnaisey. The orange sauce tasted like tarts and cocktail combined. I tried the hot sausage and still the food was not good. The potato wedges were very good though. I'd get those again. The service was fast. And the customer service was decent. I'll go back again with people so we can try different dishes to review. Did I mention this was $38? Absolutely not worth $9 let alone almost $40z To the owner. Listen baby don't ever come at me telling me that I shouldn't have made a review about your business on a platform that is made for reviews! Make that make sense! Are you serious? I should have told management and not come on social media???? you have got to be kidding. Listen one thing for certain NIEMA is going to tell the truth. I made positive comments about your establishment and even said I would return to try other items. You felt it made sense to tell me me my actions in writing my review were incorrect. Yeah don't ever do that again. I wrote what I wrote. None of the food I had was fresh. Stop lying!!!! Not only was it not fresh but definitely frozen it tasted freezer burnt like I said. It was nasty. I do NOT recommend the seafood at you r establishment period!!!!! Don't ever come at me negative for doing what I'm supposed to do, what I have the right to do and I'm not paid to do it. I do it because it's real and people would love to know. Now what you can do is go take my commentary as advise and upgrade your seafood or take it off the menu. Either way learn to accept Criticism especially from me. I'm going to be honest every time. Now go and enjoy your day .

    Sweet potato fries and riverboat burger

    I've always loved this place since I was a kid. And I mean way back to when there was an actual boat to climb on. I don't quite know what was so magical about that wooden vessel but it was everything. I def can see why they removed it, added seating and the seafood shack with stage for music. The food is always very reliably good. It's fresh, hot and tasty and but holy geez the prices really are going through the roof. Now I can't blame this place alone bc we are seeing it all over but these two plates were right about $30. If you get water front seating and really soak in the beauty of it, it's totally worth it. But if you are just trying to have a quick lunch bite, be prepared to open your wallet. Despite the cost, I know I'll be back bc I just can't stay away from those sweet potato fries with butter and honey!!!

    Old Man River
    Denise H.

    With fast and friendly service I ordered the malibu garden burger and sweet potato fries. My food was real tasty and I was able to take in the beautiful scenery of the area.Lots to choose from here including burgers, Hot dogs, French fries and salads.Plus save room for dessert like ice cream or lemon ice, the perfect treat on a hot day.

    Clams and Salt Potatoes from the seafood shack
    Alex L.

    Amazing outdoor summer spot with a smokehouse seafood/BBQ shack outside and more of a traditional burger/fries joint inside, but ALSO with a robust VEGAN menu which is impressive. When I came, I enjoyed some live music and got some sweet potato fries (with honey and butter), some poutine and a dozen clams with salt potatoes. Wow, I ate a lot of food. The vibe was great and the atmosphere with the live music just screamed an enjoyable summer evening, only the ones Buffalo can provide. Definitely come here in a warm, sunny day to enjoy the live music. They no longer serve ice cream here in 2021, but they do have ice cream in their sister location a block or two down the street (and I'm sure you could probably bring it over).

    River Burger & Clam Strips
    Kaitlyn M.

    Amazing as always. Still continues to be one of our favorite spots to eat at. Such a wonderful experience every time right by the water. Food came out in an instant and the people are always so polite and friendly.

    Lobster roll
    Courtney M.

    I had not been here in many many years!! Had to order seafood of course but they offer so many options!! Love the view of the water- perfect summertime spot. They also had live music outside which was so fun. The food was good and a little pricey (yes keeping in mind it's seafood). The alcohol was also super pricey!!

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    Page 4 of 4

    Ask the Community - Old Man River

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    The Dockside Bar & Grill

    The Dockside Bar & Grill

    3.3
    (408 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Great food and great service. I especially enjoyed the prime rib on Weck. One of the best I've…read moreever had!

    We visited to celebrate my birthday, and unfortunately the evening got off to a less-than-stellar…read morestart. Our server checked my ID when I ordered a drink, which was perfectly fine, but didn't even acknowledge that it was my birthday. Not a huge issue, but it would have been a nice touch. Service was also inconsistent. My mom's Diet Pepsi was forgotten when our drinks were brought out, although the server did bring water for the table, which I appreciated. The appetizer was delicious and was honestly the highlight of the meal. Unfortunately, my entrée was where things went downhill. I ordered the twin filets cooked medium, but both arrived very well done. I mentioned it to our server, who took them back for a remake. When the replacement came out, it was served on a piece of lettuce for presentation, but the steaks were still not cooked correctly. One was medium rare, which I was willing to accept at that point, but the other was once again well done. I brought it to the server's attention a second time, and I was told a manager would be stopping by our table. That never happened. Instead, the entrée was simply removed from the bill. While I appreciate not being charged for a meal that wasn't prepared correctly, I was disappointed that no one came to speak with me or offered an alternative entrée so I could actually have dinner. The impression I was left with was, "We'll take it off the bill and move on," rather than making an effort to fix the situation. It's unfortunate because the two guests dining with me thoroughly enjoyed their meals. Sadly, I ended up leaving hungry on my own birthday. That's not the experience I was hoping for, and it's why I can't recommend Dockside Bar & Grill based on this visit. To make matters worse, after sharing my experience in a comment on the restaurant's Facebook page, my comment was deleted and I was blocked from their business page. Rather than addressing customer concerns or attempting to resolve issues, they chose to silence feedback. In my opinion, that's not good business practice and only added to my disappointment with the overall experience. Constructive criticism should be an opportunity to improve, not something to hide from potential customers. EDIT TO ADD AFTER MANAGEMENT RESPONSE: If you truly wanted to take full ownership of the situation, then either you or a member of your management team would have come to my table last night to speak with me, as our server advised would happen. Simply removing an item from the bill does not constitute fully taking ownership of what you referred to as a "human mistake." As for being blocked from your Facebook page, that's fine. Based on both my experience at your restaurant and your response afterward, I have no intention of returning. What is particularly disappointing is that after I posted my initial comment about my experience, no one from management attempted to contact me privately. You could have easily sent a Facebook message to discuss what happened and address my concerns. Instead, my comment was deleted and I was blocked from your business page. Your handling of customer feedback demonstrates a lack of hospitality and professionalism. Had there been better communication when the issue occurred, I likely would not have felt compelled to leave a negative review in the first place. The problem was never just the food or the mistake itself--it was how the situation was handled afterward. I can now better understand why other reviewers have commented on management's reactions to criticism. Word-of-mouth remains one of the most powerful forms of advertising. Unfortunately, negative experiences and poor customer service tend to spread much faster than positive ones. Since you chose to remove my feedback, block me from your page, fail to follow up after I had already attempted to address the issue while still in your establishment, and suggest that simply taking an item off the bill was "taking ownership," I will be sharing my experience with others and recommending that they think twice before choosing your "on the water" dining experience. You asked why I wouldn't call you to discuss making things right. The answer is simple: you had the opportunity to do that last night. I was already there, willing to discuss the issue, and was told that management would speak with me. That conversation never happened.

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    The Dockside Bar & Grill
    Turkey bacon sandwich and Hand Cut French Fries *
    Turkey bacon sandwich and Hand Cut French Fries *
    The Dockside Bar & Grill

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    The Shores Waterfront Restaurant

    The Shores Waterfront Restaurant

    2.7
    (105 reviews)
    0.7 mi
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    Kind of like River Grill, but better. Newer, cleaner, more infrastructure.. better seating, set up,…read moreand views. Lots of seafood options, but the non-seafood options do not taste or smell like seafood, which is a huge bonus in my opinion. YAY For Live music on the water. Few restaurants can offer that especially with this type of class.

    You're paying for the water view. Lovely place to sit by the water and sip a cold one on a hot…read moresummer day. The Niagara River and boats in front of you. Grand Island in the distance. 5/5 ambience. They have live music Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The band that we listen to tonight provided adequate entertainment. Not top-notch. We still enjoyed it. Food is meh. 2-3/5. Nothing fantastic. And I must say skimpy in quantity for the high price tag. I ordered the mahi-mahi tacos priced at $21.99. What used to be three tacos was reduced to now two tacos. This I can verify from previous experience coming here a year ago (quality of this place has come down ) and previous reviews on Yelp. Tacos with fries on the side. Strange combo. Not Mexican anyway! A very small amount of mango salsa given. Had to put a lot of salt on my fish to make it taste good. My friend ordered the taco salad $18.99. Just ok. One mojito cocktail was $13.25. I would've loved to have another one, but not at that price! Our waitress friendly and attentive. Don't know if I'll be coming back anytime soon.

    Photos
    The view!
    The view!
    The Shores Waterfront Restaurant
    The Shores Waterfront Restaurant

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    Old Man River - hotdog - Updated June 2026

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