Can you believe that I live 10 minutes over the bridge and have never once stepped foot in this restaurant until now?! I visited this past weekend and it's honestly a very nice, low-key spot to sit along the canal and watch the boats and kayakers go by. I visited on a sunny Saturday afternoon and the dining room (inside patio) and outside patio were not overly busy at all. We got a table right away and our waitress/hostess had a bubbly and inviting demeanor. I ordered the chicken souvlaki, which was grilled to perfection. My brother ordered their famous beef on weck, which arrived seasoned and juicy. The menu is not extensive, but there is just enough variety to keep you full and satisfied. 10/10 I would come back here to sit outside and write or read by the water. read more

We got there early, plenty of room, no waiting. Waitress took our drink orders as soon as we sat down and left us menus. Food was out quickly. Beef on Weck, beef was tender tasty and done well. Asked for well done fries and got fries the way I like them. Will be back to explore menu. read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Beef on Weck with fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

Swiston's is the kind of place you only end up at if you've ever been a local. People should be screaming from the rooftops about how good the beef is... but maybe it's one of those "best kept secret" kind of things. It's barely ever too busy, we always grab a table by the window near the water. I tried the chili today. It wasn't bad, but too salty for my taste. Then I had the beef and fries. My sidekick the beef with wings. I took one bite of my sandwich and no lie said "this is what dreams are made of." The picture of the meat doesn't look the best. But it literally hit just right. And they even have whole jars of Miller's right on the tables. Not to mention, who doesn't love fresh cut fries? I stole my guy's Ken's blue cheese from his wings and dipped those fries and had one of the best dinners we've had lately. We will definitely be back. All summer long. read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Beef on Weck with fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

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Stopped in for dinner a few weeks ago during Restaurant Week and was not disappointed. Enjoyed a beef on weck and French fries . The beef was delicious and so were the fries. We have been here many times and will definitely be back!!! T read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Beef on Weck and French Fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

We used to go here a lot when we had jet skis that we sold so we don't get out that way much,. Back then they had one size beef on wick with a pickle, pop corn and sometimes chili , but it was so delicious that was all you needed. Now the pop corn is gone but the menu exploded, well from what it was hehe! Now they have regular and large, which was at least 2 inches of very thinly sliced tender delicious roast beef on and awesome, seemed like fresh made Kimmel wick roll ! The beef Could have been seasoned a bit more . We got the fries and onion ring sides both were cooked perfect and awesome! The poor waitress was all alone ,even the bar tender didn't show up so she was very busy running around serving and making drinks and she was still very friendly, cheerful, warm and attentive, my drinks kept coming just as I needed them ! . Awesome service! read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

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We havn't come here for a few years because it wasn't quite as good but our plans got changed last minute and we were in need of something quick before a shoe at the Riveria. So, we came to Swistons as we know sandwiches our quick Was very surprizrd to find a menu with several items on it and not just beef! Weck rolls were fresh and awesome, beef could have a bit more flavorbut was very tender. Onion rings weere good and chrunchy. Happy hour is 4-6 and we just made it for $2.50 beers and well drinks! Of course the decor has not changed. where else can you find a working pay phone! The service is prompt and friendly. Ended up being a nice surprize! read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Beef on wreck , fries and onion rings - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

We hadn't been to Swiston's for many years, and decided to check it out. Walking in from the parking lot, I was surprised at how dark it was. We were greeted by the bartender and told to sit wherever we wanted. We chose a table by the window, overlooking the canal. Our server, Stella, brought us menus and took our drink order. It was Happy Hour, so our drinks were very reasonably priced. We ordered wings, chili, and a roast beef sandwich. Because it was Tuesday, our wings were 50 cents. The wings were cooked well, and lightly sauced, served with Ken's blue cheese dressing. The roast beef was well done but tender, on a fresh roll. Our food was good and so was the service. We will definitely be back for more. read more

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If you haven't been in a few years it's time to go back and give it a try. The roast beef is good again a long with everything else on the menu. Nice atmosphere cold cheap beers read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Menu 6-18-23 - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

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I have to be honest this is not my kind of place or my first choice of food and I don't normally like roast beef. Thay said we were hungry and they were the only place open on a Monday night so we stopped in. The rodeo beef was very very damn good and that's huge coming from me who doesn't eat this kind of stuff. It was super flavorful and had no fat at all I really was impressed! The fries and onion rings were good and the one poor bartender who served and was keeping it all together was wonderful and very friendly. They have a great patio looking over the water or creek or whatever and I'd like to come back sometike! read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - BBQ Rodeo Beef - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

I really wanted to like this place more but it was just meh. The service was great. The bartender was really nice. I ordered 5 wings medium, the wings tasted good but only 2 of them were crispy the other 3 were soggy. They were super small too. The beef on weck was dry a tad over cooked. I really liked the onion rings though! Delicious! But I probably won't ever come back. Quite the let down. read more

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Very loud in the dining room. We ordered 3 regular beef on wrecks and an order of wings and 2 orders of fries. Took quite some time for the food to get to us. No wings, 4 beef on wrecks and one order of fries. The waiter gave us the wings which was serviced after the rest of us had eaten. The food was good, but the service was poor read more

Walked in and was told to sit wherever we wanted. Waited for about a half hour and wasn't even asked what we wanted to drink. Will not be going back read more

Nice little stop off Ellicott Creek with a dock for the boating variety (that's me!). Pretty simple menu with focus on the roast beef on weck which was juicy and filling, a nice side of crispy onion rings and a root beer completed this quick lunch. Staff was super friendly and brought out water and a side of beef for Brody, great service, will certainly return! read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Beef and Brody - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

Nice spot, needs some help. Perfect for a "bar rescue"- a once busy and popular spot is showing its age. Tired food, tired infrastructure, lackluster experience. We visited on a Friday night around 7:00pm, some folks seated at the bar but the dining room was empty. Prompt and friendly service were very welcome, but the food did not back them up. (We ordered two beef on weck, one with fries) When I asked the waitress about the quality of fries she said they were hand cut, but "not the crispiest". She surely was not wrong, however the fries were not to blame. I would say they needed another 5-7 minutes of cooking, or a hotter oil- but in either case we were presented with a very limp, sad fry. The beef on wecks tasted fine; not the warmest by any means but did have a nice taste. I think the texture would be improved if the meat was cut fresh to order, and not pre-cut and waiting in a hot tray holding container. Not a bad experience by any means, but I would have no reason to come back. read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Undercooked fry - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

My family has lived in Buffalo for a long time. My dad tells me stories about restaurants and other businesses from decades ago, and I've always found it fascinating how they evolve and how tiny places like Swiston's stand the test of time but making one thing really, really well. Word just gets around and people go out of their way to come to your establishment for that one thing. Swiston's claim to fame is their beef on weck. It's my go-to for people in from out of town to try this Buffalo staple and (so far) everyone has not only loved the sandwich, but they've agreed that this is the very best version of it. We even brought some deconstructed sandwiches back to CA for some other family members to try! Mad props to the bartender who makes the sandwiches and fries, and seems to just do... everything. She even brought us some loganberry dipping sauce for our fries when she heard we had out of towners. Service was friendly and the ambiance is very welcoming and authentic. Nothing flashy or trendy about this place beyond just a really well made sandwich from a local place that has been doing their thing, and doing it well. read more

Tonawanda staple for decades. Excellent roast beef sandwiches. Cold drinks a plenty if you are eating in. But the diamond in the rough is this chicken souvlaki. Generously portioned and amazing in taste. read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Beef on weck - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

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OMG! I so miss the Buffalo Beef on Weck! Soooo delicious and not stringy. A great Buffalo standard! No tux needed as it's neighborhood style seating on the canal! Awesome service Our server Stella was hysterical!!! read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Beef on Weck!!! So tender! - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

Beef on weck was tender and juicy! Also ordered a side of onion rings which were huge! For me the bun was a little too salty, next time I'm going to get the plain roll... but it was satisfying and a great way to end a trip to Buffalo! read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Beef on weck with a side of onion rings - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

Went for lunch and we watched our waitress handle bait and fish instead of waiting on our table. She then immediately started handling our plates/food afterwards. Frequently left our table hanging for items requested in favor of hanging out on the dock fishing. The beef on weck has declined in quality. I can get a better beef on weck in South Carolina than I could here. It's no longer the Swistons we loved. read more

Great Roast Beef on 'weck and my husband had the wings with Chipotle barbecue sauce. We sat overlooking the river. Enjoyed watching all the boats floating by. Great beer too! read more

Second recent visit, last time the beef was good, this time it was off the hook awesome. Very limited menu, it's all about the Beef on Weck Service good, and the price is right. Mystery why aren't the doing more business? Take Delaware and construction won't be an issue read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

The Beatles sang a cover song about this place once. "Swiston Shout." They took a good look at the menu and couldn't work it all out. Work it all out. But the food looked so good. Looked so good. The Chili looked so fine. Looked so fine. So they huddled in a little closer now. A little closer. And they ordered beef & wine. Beef & Wine. Ahhhhh. Ahhhhhhhhh. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. The red sauce came and they shook it up baby now. Shook it up baby. Swiston Shout. And so on. So I tried Swiston's on one of the coldest days of the year. I had done enough favours for random strangers on Chippewa that I had enough spare cash to afford both the Roast Beef with red sauce, and a small Chili. Amazingly, the entire order came to around $6, which is either because I was undercharged, or because it's just amazingly cheap here. Or perhaps because the server was one of the people I did favours for on Chippewa. Idk. I also helped myself to a bunch of free vegetables and peppers which were yummy, a few of the tomatoes were old, but still it was yummy. See my pic for details. The Roast Beef sandwich was just okay. It came with Horseradish on it, I love that but you might not. It wasn't the tastiest sandwich ever, and the beef did seem like the "cheap kind" rather than the fresh sliced kind. It still tasted good though. The red sauce that comes with it is the most overrated, bland, sugary Salsa I've ever eaten. Ketchup anyone? The Chili was my fave, but even that wasn't amazing... it was a little juicier and tastier than most Chilis in town (not the horrible chain, but the dish), still, when you compare it to Wisconsin or Texas or even Hard Times in DC, it isn't even in the same ballpark. And I prefer the Chili at Dash's Market of all places, too. Still, the beef sandwich was a 4, the prices were a 5, the Chili was a 4, and the red sauce a 1, so the overall total is a 4. It's definitely worth a try if you're into this sort of food. So if the Detroit Pistons are playing, and you've taken your anti-histons-mines for the day, and read a John Gristons novel (like The Firm), then top it all off with a visit to Swiston's. And if you get the red sauce, don't forget to shake it up baby now. Shake it up baby. It still won't taste any better though. read more

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Stopped by in July 4th around Noon. Came on my bike with a back pack and loaded up 6 beef on weeks and 4 fries. Had a beer over looking the water while waiting. Food was great and fries were delicious. Cool little spot near the river. read more

I'll call this place a cool dive bar. Bartender is super friendly. Makes you feel like you belong, from 30 miles outside Chicago. Typical bar food. But, they have this sandwich called a Beef On Weck. It is amazing with each bite until it's gone!!! We could use a sandwich like this back home just sayin'. read more

We recently visited again and now they have a menu including other items besides beef on weck.

Our roast beef on kümmel wick was great, tender, not stringy and served hot. I also had onion rings which I also enjoyed. Waitress was very nice, but she was assigned the whole restaurant and bar during the lunch hour. read more

Stopped for dinner by boat. Place was empty took forever to get our order. Waitress was rude and totally didn't want to be there. Got beef on wecks and they were horrible. Beef was over cooked and chewy. Roll had so much salt it was like licking a salt lick and the top was as hard as a hockey puck. They forgot our French fries and when they did come they were little tiny pieces from the bottom of the bag and old tasting and the aujew was flavorless. The waitresses and female bartender all have potty mouths swearing about everything and anything around customers And complained about all their tables. Never again will I be back. Place has hit rock bottom Very disappointing read more

Unfortunately, Swiston's is Not what it used to be. The Beef on Weck was a wreck. Old, tough, flavorless beef on a stale bun. Fried Shrimp was from a bag. French Fries a soggy, greasy mess. I don't know what happened. read more

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The food n service was superior and the bar tender was amazing i think her name was rose, was very polite and helpful

This place is what you call a "gem of a city". There are no menus. This is simply because they serve two items. Roast Beef and Chili. I tried the Beef on Weck and it was absolutely delicious. Another patron told me next time I should try to add horseradish and mayo (not miracle whip but mayo). The people here are awesome! I was warmly greeted by Jake. I think he's the owner. Very friendly guy and ambassador for the city of Tonawanda giving suggestions for things to do in the summer time. They also give away free popcorn. Two TVs at the bar to watch games, a dart board and also a jukebox. They also have a separate dining area if you don't want to be around the bar crowd. Great place to go in the town of Tonawanda! read more

Came back again over 3 years later, what a mistake, that they might have gotten their shit together, but sadly NO!! Ordered Beef on Weck and fries...the beef had no taste and was over cooked and had the texture like it was microwaved, tough as hell. The roll was stale and way over salted. The fries looked like they were from the bottom of the bag and super greasy. Probably one of the simplest orders in Buffalo area, the place was pretty much empty, and our order took over 45 minutes...unacceptable by my standards. I will never be back and will never recommend them EVER!!! If you want a great Beef on Weck go to Charlie the Butcher, or even better the Bar Bill Tavern in East Aurora. Just Sayin... read more

I'm in between 3 and 4 stars on this one. I was warned before going that the place was a bar first and second just so happen to have good food and that was accurate. There was only a few tables and at lunch time all were already taken except a 2 seater in the corner underneath the coat rack where I had a coat hanging over my side and had to sit crooked to avoid it. I mean who wants to actually eat over their plate with a juicy roast beef sandwich? Me! The sandwich was decent but the fresh cut fries were overdone and wayyyyyyy over salted they were not enjoyable at all. At first the service was quick and food came out faster than expected but then we didn't have anyone come over to ask if anything else was needed( which it was) for quite some time. Also once we were done eating we discovered the "toppings bar " on the bar and complete other side of our table that no one mentioned to us when we got our food. Also the bathroom is very tiny so don't have too many drinks! read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

A another mistake . Why people can't follow simple directions is beyond me . No pickles no horseradish and a side of au jus even printed on receipt got sloppy ass mess . Thank you for nothing your on the list of big Never again . read more

gotta love a place who's entire menu is on the sign out front. Beef and Keg and that's it. This is THE place to go in the northtowns for the classic, only to be found within 20 miles of The Broadvay (sic)Market, ROAST BEEF ON KIMMELWECK ROLL SANDWICH. read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Beef on weck - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

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Nice little place on the water to get a drink or a snack. The wait staff was very friendly. They allow dogs. read more

Swiston's Beef and Keg - Sandwiches Near Me - Tonawanda, New York

It's a bar! Atmosphere is ok. Service wasn't top notch, didn't have any wine glasses but the drinks and food were great. Beef on Weck is the best I've ever had w the gravy...we got the regular and shared it. Long Island ice tea was extremely tasty and the root beer is delicious. read more

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Stopped in on a rainy Saturday afternoon, party of four and seated ourselves on the patio near the creek. After 10 minutes I poked my head into the bar and asked for service. The place was EMPTY, no reason for the waitress not to jump on a full table and at least ask for a drink order. Ordered drinks and beefs which came in about 20 minutes, The Beef was OK, onion rings very good, fries good. Not as special as it used to be. Poor service, OK food, gloomy atmosphere. This place is destined for the Out of Business category soon. Cross the bridge to North Tonawanda, many better choices nearby. read more

Girlfriend and her dad brought me to this old school looking bar that's been there for years next to the canal in Tonawanda. We went during Restaurant Week and ordered the beef on weck special that they had going along with an order of french fries and onion rings which were phenomenal. I love how spicy the horseradish was to put on the beef on weck. Service was great as well. Nice little spot! read more

Wings were dripping in sauce. If that's your thing then this is the place to go. Onion rings were huge and worth trying.

My Wife grew up in the Tonawanda area. We visited and went for the beef on weck. WOW! Great is the only answer I can give. Nothing like it in Florida. You gotta try it! read more