The Archer Grilled Meats and Aquatics

Last Saturday, my boyfriend and I decided to mix up our Saturday night routine and check out Archer. I’m a fan of game meat, so I’ve been wanting to visit for a long time.
When we arrived, the place was empty. This was shocking for a Saturday night. The ambiance inside was excellent, though. I loved how the space was able to make the high ceilings and open floor plan feel cozy with a Buffalo industrial sensibility.
There were two other tables, both of whom were being waited on by a server. We waited for awhile for her to come by, but eventually the bartender came over and took our order. We thought this was odd, but not off-​putting. Just strange. I ordered the elk burger, while the SO got the Bavarian beef burger. We got a couple beers and the Welsh rarebit to split.
Our food didn’t take long to arrive, but there was no rarebit. I asked our bartender/​server about the omission. A quick trip to the kitchen later, she informed us that the order had never been put in. We decided to forego the extra dollars and calories and dug into our burgers instead. By this time, the restaurant had emptied out completely. I know that it’s easy to make mistakes (I’ve been known to make one or two in my day), but when the place is that dead and there are others working the floor, it just felt disappointing and inexcusable.
Both burgers were well-​cooked and flavorful. I also really enjoyed the nicely-​seasoned fries on the side. Still, our meals were nothing special. There was nothing inherently wrong with the food, but it didn’t make a solid impression on me later. Maybe the Welsh rarebit would have, but I have no way of knowing.
Overall, with the exception of the forgotten appetizer, it wasn’t a bad evening. Our bartender/​server was friendly. The restaurant space was cool. The food was okay. But there was nothing really memorable or above-​and-​beyond. I left feeling bored and not interested in returning. I hope some changes are made because this restaurant has so much potential. I’d love to see them really step up their game (game meat? There’s a pun here but I’m missing it) and start filling their awesome space up with customers.

Great burger. Good service. Outside deck!
Food: The food here is decent, I’ve been here 3 times and have enjoyed my meal on each occasion. My favorite item is the Bavarian Burger hands down! If I could change anything… their menu would be a bit expanded.
Service: Nice staff, decently attentive but because it can get quiet on slow week nights I feel like they worry they are nagging me when I actually want one of them to come and assist.
Cost: Cost is reasonable for the serving size.
Ambiance: Depends on the time/​night and if any event is occurring downtown.
Location: Great location for riding the train!

Five of us went here for dinner last night. I arrived first and sat at the bar while I waited for my friends to arrive. «Waited» is the key word because I waited and waited to be acknowledged… at least 10 – 15 minutes… and the place was not at all busy. The bartender (who then turned out to be our waitress) was friendly enough… and the place was well decorated (in a snazzy, urban way).
Once we sat down and looked at the menus we realized that wild game meats really aren’t our thing (ha!) and we all opted for burgers… «Bavarian Beer Burgers» all around. The menu described them as a «beef burgers with beer simmered onions, dijon mustard, and melted sharp cheddar, served on a pretzel roll». They also had lettuce (field greens) and tomato slices on them, and they were served with french fries. Four out of the five of us ordered them medium rare and I ordered mine well done. The only one who was happy with how our burger was cooked was me because every single one of them came out very well done. Not a hint of pink was to be seen. No one complained, but no one (except me) finished their burger either. For a place that specializes in meat, a medium rare burger seems like it should be easy to prepare. The pretzel roll was nice and fresh and the cheese was ample and flavorful… but the onions were kind of tough and the mustard was nowhere to be found.
Perhaps the game meat selections are better than the burgers… but just based on what we had I was not all that impressed… in either the food or the service.

This review is based on lunch only. I have never been for dinner. I have dined here with a large group, ordered for take-​out several times and most recently, dined in by myself.
My first experience however, was with the Moroccan Chickpea Salad which someone had brought to an outside gathering. It was incredible and enough reason on its own for a visit. Then there is their soup and sandwich lunch special which is a really great deal and always ready for a quick pick-​up during the downtown lunch hour.
Dining with a large group, the service was spectacular — friendly and attentive servers combined with a large order that all came out together. The only minor point was that one person ordered their burger as raw as possible; there were several burger orders in our group and they all came out medium-​well. But over-​all, an excellent experience!
It seems that they typically only have one server/​bartender/​hostess working during lunchtime. As I have come to pick up take-​out, I have noticed that it never seems very busy. When I recently dined in for lunch, this all made more sense as I witnessed more people coming in to pick up take-​out than to dine in. So, I would keep this in mind if you are planning on a large group lunch. We did call ahead.

The steak was tough and the chicken pasta dish had no chicken not worth going to the restaurant

Archer is named after Jennifer Lawrence in «The Hunger Games.» Which is very appropriate, because if you have a hunger for fancy, expensive food, and wild, exotic meats (such as rabbit, alligator, and Steve Buscemi), this is the place to come and satisfy that craving.
Thanks to Alex K for bringing me here, otherwise I probably would never have come here. A little out of my price range. We shared the «Welsh Rarebit» which is basically delicious fresh-​baked Pretzel sticks dipped in exquisite rich creamy cheese sauce. I grew up about 40 miles from Wales but I’ve never heard of this before.
The pretzel sticks were certainly some of the best I’ve tasted anywhere. The thick cheesy sauce was delicious, but it’s not something I’d order again, as I could probably find something on the menu I’d like even more. I’m not a fan of exotic bizarre meats, and I don’t have much spare room in my wallet, so I’m not sure what I’d come back here for, but I do highly recommend it to those who like fine dining, unusual meats, and excellent hard-​to-​find appetizers at a fair price.
One thing I will try are the wings. They’re competitively priced, and on a game night (for any given sport), they should be well worth a try. I’ll update this review when I get to try them.
The customer service was excellent. The barista was friendly and chatty and enthusiastic, and the owner was chatty and talkative, and she knew Alex by name and made a wonderful impression on me.
For the excellent customer service, affordable appetizers and wings, and for how unique and different this place is, and the lovely décor, I’ll give it a 5, although it will remain well out of my price range.
Alex K recently told me that it is «unfair to offer a review of an establishment’s food based off of orts, off of snacks, off of nibbles alone.» So since I really only nibbled half of an appetizer and it was little more than a snack, this review, and the other 200 reviews I’ve written based on snacking, nibbling, and orts (that was a new word for me!) are dedicated to Alex, since there’s nothing I like more than inciting disapproval from my friends.
More importantly I now know what the word orts means and I orta start using it in reviews.

I’ve been here or had their food via several events now, and though I haven’t come specifically for sit down dinner, I think I can give this a decent review at this point…
Came here for an Ambush event. The atmosphere was great. Lofty feel inside makes it feel less cramped. The drinks were STRONG. I was schvitzing profusely after my first cocktail. The air conditioning, when it was blowing was GREAT, so I tried to seek out a vent to stand near. Phew!
DJ Milk was here doing his thing, and he always provides a GREAT time! His signature tune is definitely Michael Jackson’s Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough. Classic. The dance floor area they have here at The Archer is great. Plenty of room to boogey. HA!
I must recommend the Moroccan Chick Pea Salad. I’m completely obsessed with it and recommend it highly. The flavors are so complex and delicious. It’s also very filling, since it is packed with chick peas. The other menu item that is amazing is the crab bisque when they have it. It’s probably the best crab bisque I’ve ever had.
The light rail comes right to the front door of The Archer, and they have a patio/​deck out front too. My intention is to come back for a sit down meal at some point. Can’t wait! Mmmm!

The food, atmosphere, and staff are amazing! They have great gameday specials ($ 2 pints, $ 5 pitchers, and 2 beers + 10 wings $ 12) and three good sized TVs. I will frequent this joint often, so please join me!

We went here for dinner on a Friday night and did the 4 course $ 25 meal.
Started with bread: it was tasty but it didn’t come warm which was weird to me.
Then came soup: I had the lobster bisque. Or should I say broth. There was no lobster at all. Just broth. Delicious broth though.
Then came salad: small fresh mixed greens salad. Came with a slice of tomato and cucumber. Choice from 5 dressings. Balsamic was good.
Then came main entrée: I had the prime rib. Huge portion! Honestly I’ve paid 3x’s the price for similar dishes. Check out my attached picture. Great presentation, huge portion, cooked perfectly. If I were to base my review on the main entrée alone it would be a 5 star.
Dessert: I had the island blonde brownie Sunday. Beware, island means coconut shavings. I hate coconut so it sort of ruined my dessert. The lady got the red velvet cake though. Delicious!
For 2 people plus 3 alcoholic drinks total our bill came to $ 84. $ 100 with tip.
We give it a 4 star. Won’t be regulars but it’s worth checking out for sure.

Place was empty on a Monday night, but its a very nice looking place. We had Elk and Bison steaks and they were able to be cut with a fork or butter knife. The meat tasted very fresh and the menu was great. Oyster were really good and my coworker got the onion soup. Might have been the biggest onion soup I have seen.
2 things that disappointed me:
1. They server got in the weeds with 4 tables. I give her a break becuase we all got sat around the same time, but the fact she was bartender, hostess, waitress, busser, and food runner was not good. If she had a busboy life would have been easier for her.
2. The beer list was really a disappointment. With craft beer taking off and a great brewery 2 blocks away I was expecting a much better beer list.
Over all I did recommend this place to my customers I met today that haven’t heard of the place.

We were very excited to try out this new local place. They did a nice job remodeling the interior, though we sat on the booth side of this 4 person table, and the cushions were so squishy we were pretty far from the table. We were also shocked on how slow it seemed for a Saturday night.
Overall, the food was average. They start you off with sunflower bread, which was unique and quite tasty. The salad was «typical». We ordered spinach and artichoke dip to start, which came with Pitas to dip in, and it was great! It was heavier on the garlic, but that’s the way I tend to like it. My meal was fair. I ordered my steak medium, and it was medium in parts and rare in parts. My husband and our friend ordered theirs rare, and they were cooked closer to medium or well in parts. The accompanying side dishes were ok, but not really memorable.
The wait staff was very friendly and helpful. All in all it was an average experience for a more than average price.

We went had reservations on a Saturday night. The place was empty. Im hoping the snow storm during the week deterred people from going out or I cant see how the Archer can last.
Our hostess and server were both great! We started with the complimentary sunflower bread. We all loved it and the server brought us another loaf. We then moved on to the spinach and artichoke dip. It came with fresh pitas. It was delicious. The top was nicely browned and it was creamy with a nice amount of spinach and artichokes in it.
For the main entrée I ordered the black and tan strip steak. I ordered it rare and and came out medium well. So that was a bit disappointing. None the less it had nice flavor.
We finished with the island blondie brownie and ice cream. The brownie had macadamia nuts in it. I guess that what made it «island». I found ot to be average. Im not sure but the vanilla ice cream seemed to be out of a carton rather than homeade.
The have a full bar and offer handcrafted cocktails. The beer tap list was sam adams, magic hat, labatt, southern tier ipa, and hamburg ipa.
Overall the meal was fine but I was expecting more.

Got to try the Archer last night for the first time. My first observation the musical selection for the dining room. Nicelback, Creed, Gotye, Red Hot Chili Peppers. It doos not fit with the ambiance of the space.
Once we were seated, it was time to order a drink. Very limited draft list and a small selection of commercial bottles Molson, Blue, Coors, Sam Adams. Hardly a craft brewer’s mecca. We settled on a wine from the specials list that was very affordable at $ 19, it turned out to be not fantastic or terrible.
We ordered our meals and then proceeded to wait… forever. An 8 top had placed their order before ours and with just the chef cooking by himself we waited and waited. My advice to the owner is to at least get another body back there. I am sure that you can run the grill while this guy drops fries and does some garnish. Anything to speed this up, if we had tickets somewhere we probably would have left before our food was started.
The food itself was fantastic. We started with the Welsh Rarebit which comes with 4 delicious pretzel rolls. Great item to share among the whole table. For my entrée I chose the game burker of the day (Yak) which was cooked perfectly. I will give advice that the burger comes plain with lettice tomato and onion. So if you want anything else on it be sure to let your server know. Others at my table ordered antelope, steak and venison sausage. We all tried each others. Hands down the antelope and venison sausage were the best choices; everything we ordered was very good.
Overall I can only give The Archer 3 stars. The wait, music, limited beer selection and overall ambiance leave a bit to be desired. Luckily the food still makes it worth it. While I may not become a regular, I would recommend giving this place a visit to try something new.

Tonight’s dinner proves why we have always avoided trying new places during restaurant week — the quality of the meat just wasn’t there! I certainly hope it’s not like that normally and hope that they were just trying to get rid of bad cuts of meat during this promotional week??? I would have been pissed and given them 2 stars instead of 3 if we had to pay regular prices for the dinner tonight — so not worth the $$$!
Let me start from the beginning… We walked in with a reservation, there were a few empty tables by the bar area all set up, but they had us wait for a table where the previous patrons had just left and needed to be cleaned up — no big deal, we went to the bar and got a drink. The hostess was very friendly and quickly seated us as soon as the table was ready.
The architectural layout, décor and atmosphere were decent, although the tables were kind of small for the amount of items that needed to fit on it — beverage glass, water glass, large glass bottle of water for self-​refills, fake candle, wine list, bread pan, bread plates and then whatever it is that you order — ok you get the picture. The waitress seemed to have difficulty in placing things down and taking stuff away — all very awkward.
We ordered right away as we knew exactly what we wanted. We both got the bison chili as the starter of the 3 course meal — it was delicious! Lots of chunky lean bison meat, very flavorful with just the right amount of ingredients and spices. Every other table got bread so I expected to get some too but it never came. At least 5 – 10 minutes after we finished our chili our waitress was still nowhere to be seen and the hostess came and asked if she could clear our bowls. I asked if we were supposed to get bread — she wasn’t sure so I instantly felt bad asking about it. Seconds later she came back to tell us yes it does our waitress just forgot to bring it but will do so asap. It came, wasn’t really worth asking for — it looked way better than it actually tasted. I had to pile on the butter for it to taste good, which is something I almost never do.
Moving onto the bacon wrapped sirloin. The flavor, sauce, and all the sides were delicious, but the cut of the sirloin was absolutely NOT good. It was too fatty and had tendons running through it and it was very hard to chew let alone swallow. I think the sauce was an onion wine reduction — whatever it was — it was good! The smashed potatoes were also very good, as well as the grilled asparagus and squash/​zucchini.
I got the Oreo sundae for dessert and it was yummy! It had either Kalua or some kind of similar syrupy alcohol in it and made it even more tasty!
All in all, the sirloin kind of ruined the whole meal for us, as well as the lack of service from our waitress. Perhaps it wasn’t her fault and they were understaffed? I have no idea, there were maybe 10 – 12 tables with 3 waitstaff… either way I don’t think we will be heading back anytime soon. And if we were to go back we definitely won’t be getting any sirloin steaks!

A few months ago, I got an email from one of the local super-​saver coupons about a coupon for The Archer. I was ecstatic because of the awesome reviews and how delicious it sounded. $ 25 for $ 50… not bad at all. The prices are definitely up there, but it’s still saving yourself $ 25 in the long run!
Anyway, we made a reservation and arrived a bit late due to parking (there was a Bisons game and I REFUSE to pay a single penny for parking unless absolutely necessary). But really, it was no biggie. The train runs literally right in front of the place, so that’s a great option that we wish we have done had we known there was a ball game. Anyway, I digress.
The place was pretty dead for a Friday evening. We got our table, got some waters, and each ordered a draught Brooklyn Summer Ale. The interior is casual but chic, and very well done. They had large windows allowing you to see into the kitchen, which is neat and not something you see much around these parts. The menu is also very ambitious, a huge plus!
Waitress came over twice (needed a few extra minutes). We ordered the Welsh Rarebit only to be informed that they were all out. I was heartbroken to say the least. We had both been really looking forward to it. Since we had our hearts set on it, we skipped the apps and just ordered entrees instead. BF got the salmon and I tried the wild boar with apples, bacon and garlic potatoes.
A few minutes later, a table of 4 next to us places their order with a different waitress and order a Welsh Rarebit. Hmm. I ignore it, thinking the waitress doesn’t know and will come back in a few to be told they are out. Time goes by. We get our bread and salads — tasty, but a bit pedestrian, etc.
We get our entrees and then I notice the table next to us getting served a delicious Welsh Rarebit with some tasty looking warm pretzels. «Do I say anything? No, I don’t want to make a scene… I should say something.» The waitress comes back to check on the food, and I can’t hold it back. I ask about it, stating that I heard them order after us and still get one. She informs me that «they are out» and that «the chef must have found one in the back» and that she was surprised too. This really bothered us both for some reason, since we were looking forward to it way before we even sat down, and to see another group order after us and get one is frustrating to say the least.
The Welsh Rarebit aside, the food was very, very good. My boar was awesome, tender, and flavorful though some parts were a bit overcooked. The apples and bacon was fantastic and paired nicely. The potatoes and greens on the side were also tasty. The BF seemed to enjoy his salmon; he especially liked the balsamic raspberry sauce.
I really don’t want to give 3 stars, but I’m upset about the Rarebit. After I brought it up, the waitress seemed a bit distant making it a bit awkward. I guess we will never really know if they were for sure out since the whole «oh he found one in the back» seemed a little fishy. Hopefully we can return and give this place a 5, because all else aside, the flavors and food were delicious.

I love the idea of this restaurant and I’ve heard wonderful things so I had to try it!
It was game day in Buffalo so a lot of people rushing to go to the Sabres game so the server I think just assumed we were going to a game but he was friendly but I felt rushed.
I love the atmosphere of the restaurant we sat upstairs at a cute table next to the wine cellar it’s beautiful. The tables were not smooshed together, so there’s a lot of open space which I liked.
For dinner I went with my boyfriend and he got the Wildboar and I got the quail. My boyfriend is timid about trying new things, but the boar was flavorful and reminded him of pork. He really enjoyed it he said the vegetables were a little unseasoned and the mashed potatoes could have been a little hotter and maybe a little more butter.
I’m never had quail before so could be just be me but I didn’t love it. but It was cooked well and the stuffing seem to just take over the flavor of the Quail. Also the silverware seems too big to cut this little quail I wasn’t sure how to eat it but I ended up using my hands just cause it was easier to take the Meat off. It came on a bed of pasta with roasted red pepper cream sauce. To me it seemed a little dry and could’ve used a little bit more of that delicious sauce.
Perhaps I just came on and off day but next time I’ll defiantly try this place again just because of the appetizers.
We had these delicious warm pretzels and a fantastic cheese dip. Not just any ordinary cheese dip, but a beer and mustard cheese and it was phenomenal.
Till next time!

I really enjoy their ambitious menu. Serving everything from elk to quail to regular beef burgers and steaks, this is a fantastic beautiful new restaurant in downtown Buffalo. They have a gorgeous patio area that I’m sure will be booming during the summer time. There are so many destination restaurants that have recently opened up in downtown Buffalo that it’s sure to be an exciting summer!
I finally had a chance to make it over here for dinner (previously only having been for lunch). I came during Restaurant Week and tried their Wild Boar (a dish that I believe is also on their regular menu), while my friend had the quail.
Our dining experience started off with a heaping serving of delicious bread served with cinnamon cream cheese. This was delightful. Fluffy, fresh out of the oven… and the cream cheese (or was it butter?) was so soft that it instantly melted into the bread.
Our server was really nice, although a little timid, but kept our water refilled throughout the whole time and made sure that all our needs while dining were met promptly.
Next came the house salad, which was uneventful and bland (I wish they were a bit more creative for their RW appetizer) and could have used more pepper. It had fresh lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes. Given that I know how incredible their soups can be and their Moroccan Chickpea Salad which is other-​worldly divine (seriously, have it for lunch!), I was a little disappointed with the unimpressive first-​course. It’s fair to point out that their dressings are all house made which is a nice touch.
For my main course, I had the wild boar which was served with a whipping of garlic mashed potatoes, an apple bacon sautee (an amazing and bold pairing choice) as well as broccolini on the side. The wild boar was served medium and was delicious with a nice amount of peppercorn and spices to it. It was great to pair it with the apple and bacon which served as a nice complement to the delightful meat.
The broccolini was nice on the side, but could have been incorporated into the dish just a tad more. It seemed to have been more of a decorative element (which is nice), but ideally I would have enjoyed seeing a vegetable cooked with a bolder flavor to complement all the other tastes. The garlic whipped potatoes were decadent, rich and creamy, with my only small gripe being that I wish they were served more piping hot.
I tried my friends quail served over a delicious bed of pasta and it was very tender, flavorful and comforting. I like to think of quail as a more refined, smaller and tastier chicken in terms of taste and you could tell they cooked it right. I’ll definitely be ordering it next time I come in.
For dessert, we shared the cheesecake and the other chocolate offering. Both were exquisite with my personal favorite being the cheesecake. The waitress was able to accommodate my silly request to have half-​decaf /​half-​regular coffee for dinner without a problem.
All in all, it was an excellent experience with a few minor gripes that are expected during Restaurant Week. I can’t wait to come back to experience more of their regular menu (or for their awesome prix fixe Friday deals). So glad that this restaurant opened up in downtown Buffalo.

Unique menu of very tasty, interesting food. We tried the elk, quail, shrimp, sirloin sampler platter for 2 along with the Vidalia Onion soup. Everything, especially the elk, was wonderful. The Welsh Rarebit appetizer (stout based cheese dip with soft pretzels) was soooo good too… And, if you have room, try the pineapple foster!
We were seated at an interesting 4-​top with a love seat for 2 of the seats. Great atmosphere. The owner visited our table which was a nice touch.
We were pleasantly surprised… I will be coming back again to try the antelope!

We came on a weekday afternoon for a lunch with a group of co-​workers. I had been clued in to the opening via the Buffalo Paleo community — a group of people very happy to see a restaurant opening focused on naturally and sustainably raised meats.
Our server Don was polite and knowledgeable with good suggestions for us. Chef Josh was in plain view in the kitchen, delicately placing light and fluffy clouds of puff pastry on top of steaming bowls of duck pot pie. The ambiance was great: not surprisingly, very similar to the not-​soon-​to-​be-​forgotten City Grill, but dissimilar enough to have it’s own identity for sure. It’s a unique layout that I wouldn’t mess with, so that’s reminiscent of day’s past; but the place has a more modern feel with exposed structures, open air spacing, and rustic décor. I would have loved to see what a designer could do with the first floor bar, though — I always thought it was such an overbearing feature. Regardless, I felt comfortable and chic at our table.
I admittedly was a very high maintenance diner that afternoon (it being my birthday lunch, I felt unrestrained), and Don took it all in stride. I ordered one burger, prepared like another burger, without a bun. Despite my order deserving of an eye roll, it came to the table perfectly as ordered. The availability of gluten free options on the menu is commendable and current (separate fryer, too!), and Don was good about answering all my annoying questions. I’m not a big Fan of sugar so I probably would have passed on a dessert regardless, but just as an FYI to curious readers, the restaurant did not offer any «celebratory» treat at the end — if you want one, order it! The rest of our party (we were 5 in all) enjoyed their lunch as well, especially the duck pot pie (but ask for a spoon to eat it!).
I’m looking forward to returning for a dinner to get the full experience of the restaurant, instead of basing a full review on one burger. Update to come!

I don’t want to go overboard and rave over a new restaurant located in Downtown Buffalo just because it is in Downtown Buffalo. This restaurant will need to stand the test of time. My first visit was on a Friday night and the entire bar and restaurant were nearly empty. I imagine that when events are going on it will be much more packed.
If you have never been this is space the first floor upon walking in opens up to a large bar area and ample standing room as well as a small dining area that looks into the kitchen. Moving to the second floor you are presented with a larger dining room that although spacious remains intimate.
I started my meal with the baked vidalia onion soup. Quickly arriving at the table the crock was a great presentation and extremely hot! Upon my first spoonful I nearly burned my mouth. With some cooling however I was a tad disappointed. I enjoy my onion soups with well browned onions and a good flavorful broth, this soup was lacking a goof broth. I believe the bread as custom in the soup was their in-​house made bread with is far to grainy and not the correct consistency. The bread pretty much turned to much.
My main course was the wild boar tenderloin, starting with a small house salad that is truly the perfect size you are also able to choose your choice of dressing. My choice of the poppy seed was fantastic. I took my tenderloin as recommend by the waitress, medium rare and although advised it will have a gamey taste I never found that to be over powering. The braised apples and onions could have been a bit stronger in taste but complimented the wild boar nicely. The garlic mashed potatoes are whipped but not over powering with the garlic. The Brussel sprouts although not overly cooked I feel could have been cooked a tad longer so they were not so crisp and difficult to get my fork into.
Overall this was a great experience and I look forward to go back to try the duck pot pie during lunch.