Encore

What a pleasant surprise! I’d only been to Encore prior to my recent meal for late night drinks. Given my prior experience and knowledge of Encore being only somewhere to go out and drink, I was shocked when my sister recommended going here for a celebratory dinner.
We were seated upstairs, where the layout was a tad awkward and the room was quite chilly despite the fireplace near our table.
Between the four of us, two ordered the unlimited sushi, one ordered a burger and I ordered the chicken lettuce wraps. The sushi was creative, and while not authentic, well prepared and fresh. The burger was cooked to perfection and the lettuce wraps were just as described.
Thumbs up to Encore for not only being somewhere to go out at but also a convenient place to grab a decent meal!

I came here for the first time last night for the all you can eat sushi for 20.95. I have been a bit hesitant due to some mixed Unilocal reviews but i wanted to give this place a shot!
We came in at about 8:45 and decided to take a seat at the bar. Joe was the bartender and was very attentive and polite. Asked us want we would like to drink, I then realized they still had Pumking on tap and he offered a special on that… I assume they are trying to get rid of it considering it’s December.
I informed him we were thinking about trying the all you can eat sushi, as we were conversation he had asked how i heard about this place because i had told him it was my first time in and i had heard about them through other Unilocalers, Step out Buffalo and that I saw they had posted on Facebook that tonight was Sushi night!
We started off with two rolls each that are photographed in my photos below. I also took a photo of the menu for everyone to view the secretion. Honestly it was so hard to choose what ones I wanted to try, my friend and I never got the same rolls, always tried something different.
I’m quite shocked at any negative reviews below in regards to the sushi. Obviously no this is not AUTHENTIC sushi, it is Americanized sushi and that’s what makes it so great, it’s completely different!
I didn’t have one roll that I didn’t like, all together I think we tried 9 different rolls. Each and everyone had its own taste and something unique to offer.
I HIGHLY recommend coming here, like I said we sat at the bar but there are tables available. The entire place does have more of a romantic feeling but is still great to come to and watch the games while enjoying a fantastic meal. I honestly can not wait to come back!

What a fun night! Who doesn’t love $ 3 cocktail specials? My Cosmo was perfect, as was the Moscow Mule a bit later. Our dinner was a grazing tour the charming owner, Dale, created for us. Yummy calamari, two kinds of sushi rolls, duck wings, short ribs and homemade pappardelle, short rib stew, lobster pot pie, gelato, ice cream sandwiches… I know I’m leaving something out, but you get the idea, we taste tested our way thru the menu, and Dale made it a great experience. Delish! It’s a great stop, we’ll be back!

Stick to what you know. Call the taxi to come and pick you and your friends up at 11 p.m., pay that cover fee and hang out with the Buffalo Bills in the back tent. Why did Encore step out of their territory into the sushi zone?
Things Encore should continue to do: heat the outside tent, dim the lights as low as possible
Things Encore shouldn’t continue to do: make sushi.

We decided to visit this restaurant last night for Buffalo Restaurant Week. The drink was wonderful, and was a mixture of baileys, pumpkin spice, and a bunch of other good stuff. The spicy crunchy crab sushi was pretty flavorful, though not overpowering. The beef tips were done just right. The flat iron steak was good, though a little too charred. The horseradish salmon and fried rice was TERRIBLE! Awful to the point to where I took a few bites and couldn’t eat any more. The fried rice tastes like the instant mix, which lacks flavor, and where they don’t even bother using traditional jasmine rice, but that generic Great Value brand rice. The salmon was terribly fishy, and tasted like it has been frozen for a while. The waitress was extremely friendly, and efficient, though kept running all over the place as it was busy. She did a great job considering how busy it was on a Wednesday night.

When people hear «Encore» they typically think of the over crowded bar downtown. What a lot of people don’t know is that they actually have really good food! I’ve eaten here twice, once just for sushi (they have really good sushi which you would never think) and the second time this past Monday. This past time I came with a girlfriend for restaurant week because their menu looked amazing. For their restaurant week special you got to choose two items from four different flights (1^st flight had specialty cocktails, second had soups and salad, third had appetizers, and fourth had desserts) plus an entrée for $ 20.15. We each got the caprese salad and then we each ordered our second flight item from the appetizers. I ordered the calamari and she ordered the Kobe beef tips. Everything thus far was spectacular! The caprese salad had more of a balsamic reduction on it rather than just balsamic vinegar, which makes it thicker… something I appreciate. The calamari was perfectly crunchy and they give you a chipotle dipping sauce of sorts. The Kobe beef tips were also amazing and came with a cheese dipping sauce. Yum.
For our entrees I ordered the flat iron steak which came with chipotle mashed potatoes and broccoli. She ordered the seafood tortellini which came with crab and lobster meat in it. I couldn’t believe how much seafood they put in it! Both of our meals were fantastic and my steak was cooked perfectly. We were seated upstairs, which was a nice change of scenery. Although it was rather dark, it made for a cozy sophisticated feel. I definitely recommend coming to Encore for dinner!

Two years ago, my husband and i had our jack and jill party here. It was epic !!! Everyone has a good time there. We paid for a set of price that they provided open hours for drinks and food which inculded a few types of sushi rolls and they’re thoughtful provided vegetarian sushi and pasta. And they even had rost beef sandwiches for us!!! We had the party outside we would able to play beer pong. Everyone remember the food there and still talk about it’s wroth the price.

I’ve been to Encore for a total of 3 times in the past 6 years or so, all on Tuesday nights for their all-​you-​can-​eat-​sushi special for $ 20.95. The service has always been good and I’ve never experienced the long waits that some other reviewers have said, but perhaps I just got lucky.
Each roll has 8 pieces, and you’re allowed to order 2 rolls/​person at a time. The server usually asks to take your next order as he/​she brings you the previous order, which works out well because they come back with those just as you’re finishing up.
The sushi was mediocre, nothing amazing but decent enough. I like the variety aspect of it and the ability to try different combos that you otherwise wouldn’t get from traditional sushi restaurants. If you like AUTHENTIC sushi, don’t come here. There were a couple of rolls that we did not like at all and the server quickly offered to take them away and for us to place another order of rolls.
I can’t remember all of our favorites, but I do remember liking the smoked salmon, rock shrimp, don jr, pep something roll, and the blue crab roll. We stayed away from anything with cream cheese because I simply just cannot accept that cream cheese has any place in Asian cuisine.
The biggest complaint of the night would be that it was disgustingly humid! It was a rainy summer day, so it wasn’t super hot, but it was humid! They did not turn the AC on at all, which meant that I was sweating through my entire dinner, and that fruit flies were EVERYWHERE. It was extremely uncomfortable, and there were ants crawling on our table! One of them even crawled onto my friend’s hand and bit her! I’m not sure if this is a cleanliness factor or a weather factor, but either way, I feel like they should have paid more attention to it because now that I think about my two previous visits — i remember being uncomfortably hot and having to deal with fruit flies or mosquitoes as well.
Maybe I will return in the winter time and give it another chance. Maybe.

Went here on a Tuesday «all you can eat sushi» night for $ 20.95. The sushi was very good, I tried many of the rolls offered. The atmosphere is nice enough, feels like an upscale bar. They have interesting special rolls like buffalo chicken and blue crab with tuna too. Had it not been for the following, would be 4 – 5 stars…
The service was unbelievably slow. I am not kidding, we waited 20 minutes to be greeted, and then 20 to be asked our order. Then we waited 30 minutes for our first rolls, and 30 minutes for each order after that. it should be called «all you are willing to wait for» sushi. We ended up at this restaurant for over 2 and a half hours for two orders of sushi rolls. We were only given a refill on drinks when we asked after the first hour. Worst service I’ve ever had.
If you have a ton of time to kill, the food is great. No food is good enough for that long of a wait in my opinion though. Good luck

Was not allowed in for wearing boots while it was snowing out… Highly questionable.

We had a wonderful dinner before a show at Shea’s.
A few tips before the review
1. you can make a reservation on open table. I would suggest a week + before for show nights
2. Do not pay the outrageous parking rates if you can avoid it. Encore does not have its own parking so you have to pay for the private lots. You can park one block south after the pizza place on the right for $ 5 in the garage. Yes $ 5 vs. $ 20+.
The restaurant is dark with darkly painted brick that brings back the days of Buffalo past, when it was a bustling, dangerous frontier city. Paintings and murals adorn the walls. It has a cool vibe.
We arrived a little late for our 545 reservation, but there was not an issue. The restaurant was about 75% filled. That soon changed. We had prompt service. We both ended up going with the 3 course show menu. I started with vegetarian chili which was spicy and good. Then I had the flank steak which was amazing. The fries were delicious. I finished with the peanut butter pie, which was also very good. My wife got the dual chicken breast which was moist and tasty. She started with the house salad which was awesome. She finished with the cheesecake, which was strawberry. She loved it.
Overall, we had a great time. The proximity to Shea’s is wonderful. The food is some of the better food in Buffalo. Prices are a up there but reasonable given the quality and taste. We will definitely be back. Next time I want to try the sushi.

I’m not really sure what to make of this place honestly. I came here for the very first time recently with my frat brothers for an initiation after party. It was really only us in there for the party so I’m not sure what its like in here on a usual night. When I was here it was a Friday night and they were running an open bar special from 7 to 10 PM for $ 25 using bottom shelf liquors (no Captain Morgan for you rum and coke aficionados) to make mixed drinks. Most of us took full advantage of that special. Haha. Anyways, I don’t know if thats a special that they normally run but it would be something to look into if you’re here. As for the food they had various appetizers out for us to try including crab dip, fries, wings, and oddly enough sushi. This place seems to be big on making sushi. I checked there menu after coming here and they have an all you can eat sushi special on Tuesday nights. As for the atmosphere it came off as a typical downtown Buffalo bar. Dimmed lighting and exposed brick the usual. It was a pretty cool place to hang out but it definitely came off more as a bar than as a restaurant to me however, they must be somewhat of a culinary destination for theater goers as they are located directly behind Shea’s and advertised a special theater night menu.

So many good things to say but where to start!!!
I had a dinner date with a few girl friends of mine and man did we choose the right place!
We started out with Drew at the bar! Great bartender who knows how to make tasty drinks! Our favorite drink of the night was their «stiletto» martini — we kept him busy as we ordered several! After we had a few drinks at the downstairs bar, we were taken upstairs to our table. Taylor was our waiter and he was very attentive, super fun and friendly!
The appetizers that we ordered were fabulous! We shared the calamari, lettuce wraps and the arancini. All were perfect portions. I am not a seafood lover at all but they were raving about the calamari so I had to try it, I actually loved it! The batter was just enough crispness and good flavor. For dinner 2 of my friends went with the scallops and they both said that they were the best they had ever had. Another friend ordered the steak frites that came with a huge side of truffle Parmesan fries — OMG those fries were AWESOME! Fresh hand cut friesI kept eating them on her lol. I ordered the Asiago stuffed chicken breasts that came with risotto and I substituted the asparagus for roasted brussel sprouts. The portions were plenty and everything was fabulous! Compliments to the chef!
We were so stuffed we couldn’t even look at the dessert menu which means I will have to go back again!
If you haven’t given Encore a chance to impress you, I suggest you go soon!

Went here on Valentine’s Day with my date and some friends– they have an outdoor enclosed and heated bar area for dancing.
I love to dance but my night was ruined by an asthma attack due to all the smokers. By law it is a bar area and smoking is illegal in such an area. These clubs in Buffalo should be wary of lawsuits. If I had to go to the hospital you better bet they would be footing the medical bills. If you need to smoke– step outside where the smoke can escape.

From the amazing décor to the quick service the restaurant is awesome. We had the sesame tune and the 3 course with the flat iron steak. The house salad is really amazing and full flavored. If I could give a 6 I would. We are from the hamburg NY and it’s worth the drive.
Joe and Renee Schaus

I went to Encore last night with 3 friends for their «all you can eat Sushi «special. This was the first time that any of us had been here for this special. We came right from work and were promptly seated a little after 5:00 pm.
As always the restaurant is pretty dark and they had a nice mix of music playing but it was FREEZING in there. My one friend never took her coat off it was that cold.
Our waiter’s name was Brian and he was a super nice and funny guy. He must have just finished training and a server was with him (for support?). He introduced himself but didn’t talk much. Since it was our first time, Brian explained the way that the special works (everyone can order 2 rolls, 2 rolls and then 1 roll at a time). Brian took our first order and we just chatted and had some wine.
We waited and waited and waited. We were sitting in the booth closest to the bar but the way the restaurant is set up it’s really difficult to see how many other people are in the restaurant and they also offer upstairs seating.
Anyways, we waited around 25 minutes for our first 8 rolls. One of the orders was wrong and we had to flag our waiter down to let him know. He took the plate and promptly returned with the correct order. All of the rolls were really delicious. I ordered a blue crab roll and a spicy tuna roll (I believe, we kind of just shared everything).
It’s weird because they literally bring you your first rolls and ask you if you want to order and we didn’t because we just wanted to dig in. Brian was awesome and he was pretty attentive. Eventually we ordered our second set of rolls and we got another glass of wine.
This time we WAITED! I mean we waited close to 45 minutes. I think we all finished our glass of wine during this time, it was that bad. Brian came over to offer us a glass of wine on the house and said there was a party of 10 upstairs. Come to find out, someone in this group of 10 is the manager/bartender’s roommate (so obviously they are more important).
The sushi was just as good the second time and we asked for our bill. I really liked the sushi and my friends and I had a nice time but we didn’t leave Encore until 8:00 PM! This is really ridiculous and I honestly won’t return because on a Tuesday night when it is 0 degrees out, that is way too much time to be waiting.

I have been here before to drink and hang out with friends and it was ok, nothing to amazing.
Last night I tried to get into this bar and they were charging a $ 10.00 cover.
First: If you are a bar downtown charging cover (unless you are Skybar or Lux in which you are actually paying for something, i. e to be outside or a DJ, you shouldn’t be charging cover.)
Ok, so not a big deal right? Well I had no cash, and wasn’t about to go to the ATM so I asked if security could cut me a break. They literally laughed at me and told me to leave and not come back. I guess that if I can’t «afford» a 10 $ cover I can’t afford them.
Also, friends if mine said they paid 5 $. So… what? Now you are changing your cover price as the night goes on? Does it vary by person? or are just pocketing some for yourself?
Looks like I won’t be spending money at your bar or restaurant. Ever.

I’d like to say that the critical nature of this review is due to binge watching Gordon Ramsay on Netflix over the past few days, but they deserve this.
This was my third visit to Encore for the Tuesday special of «all you can eat sushi». The first time was excellent. Unknown to me that appeal would wear off of what I can describe only as a shiny turd. The second time was fine, we didn’t stay long but we just weren’t that hungry.
Last night I made a reservation for 2 at 6:45pm. We arrived a little early and the host was glad to seat us without a problem and even made sure we got the seating that was requested on Open Table. Although I noticed a sizeable hole in the ceiling above our table the host promptly got us our menus and we shared a laugh. I figured the exposed wires hanging from the ceiling wouldn’t be a big deal. Now was time to wait for our server.
Our server, who did not give us his name, was quick to bring water as requested and we asked for a moment to decide which rolls we would start with. He gave us exactly a moment and came back to take our first order. The first plate arrived and looked wonderful. The rock shrimp roll is always the best one they offer IMO.
Upon delivering our plate the server asked if we would like to place an order for our next round. We did and began to eat. Everything was fine, good cuts of fish, neat rolls, good stuff. Once we finished it was time to wait for our second order to come and wait is exactly what we did. It took what seems to be an eternity for the second order to arrive. When it finally got to us it looked okay. The quality certainly went down from the first plate and we began to eat. Taste, not great. The vegetables didn’t taste fresh and were not cut properly or distributed right either. The nori had a funny smell and taste to it as if it were old. Very disappointed in this plate but decided to get another as it went fairly quick.
The wait time on the third plate wasn’t as long as previous. It was almost as if we were being rushed at that point, despite the restaurant not being busy. The third plate was a telltale sign of us having worn out our welcome. It screamed «pay and get the fuck out».
The fish looked as if it were scrap from what they hadn’t used earlier and the cucumber encompassed 70% of the roll. We did not even put a dent in this plate, not from lack of hunger but from sheer disappointment.
Our server was inattentive, the host had to refill our water for us and get our check. The server spent more time flirting with the girls in the booth behind us than doing his job. Never asked once how the food was.
We will not be going back to Encore.

This review is for the restaurant portion only.
**Tuesday nights, after 5pm, all you can eat sushi is wonderful! I have went a few times with my girlfriends and we sat at the bar. The bar staff is really helpful when it comes to choosing rolls and they let you order two at a time. We wanted a drink with cucumber and the bartender created a drink for us, with fresh cucumber, it was delicious. The service and food is great and the price is reasonable. I am not going to vouch for the authenticity of the sushi because I’m pretty sure I saw every ethnicity except for Asian in the kitchen.

This place is just like an exclusive lounge/​club on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles… oh wait, no it’s not.
The drinks: Surprisingly, not that bad at this awful place…
Service: Prepare to wait for those drinks…