Meister’s Restaurant
426 Hertel Ave., Buffalo
by Mike Niman & Laura McClusky,
Buffalo Gazette Culinary Arts Critics

Summertime brings trips to the countryside. And with trips to the country comes that monotonous drive through suburbia — that 5 mile ring of strip malls that chokes us like a noose.

Lately I’ve noticed cookie cutter suburban restaurant chains building signs proclaiming their businesses "neighborhood grills." But where’s the neighborhood? And how can this be a "neighborhood grill" when thousands of them all over North America are identical? And what kind of "neighborhood grill" is traded on the New York Stock Exchange?

Fortunately for us in Buffalo, we have the real thing, and lots of them. Meister’s, at 426 Hertel Avenue in Black Rock’s cobblestone district, is one of the city’s best neighborhood grills. The food is great, the people are friendly, the drinks are cold, and everyone seems to know everyone else, yet strangers are made to feel welcome.

Meister’s is a meat and potato kind of place - a neighborhood steakhouse. Buffalo is so rich with ethnic restaurants that occasionally we forget about classic American cuisine. When it’s done right, however, it’s just as exciting as the most exotic foods our neighborhood restaurants have to offer. And Meister’s does it right, as they have been doing since 1944.

We sampled their Pork Chop and Chicken combo (Chick and Chop $8.95), Strip Steak ($10.95) and Halibut Steaks ($8.95).

The "Chick and Chop Combo" is a 1" thick juicy fried pork chop, very tasty and two pieces of fried chicken, delicious! The combo comes with tossed salad, a side vegetable, in this case, a bowl of corn and your choice of potato salad, french fries or mashed potatoes. Baked potato is extra ($1.50) but good. You can also get a "Fin and Feather Combo," which is fried chicken and fish ($8.95).

The steak is thick, tender and juicy, cooked to perfection. The Broiled Halibut Steak was not quite up to par with the rest of the food we sampled, but we still recommend it. Coupled with a baked potato and salad with dressing on the side, Meister’s Halibut dinner is one of Buffalo’s healthiest restaurant meals, low in fat and sodium but rich with flavor.

Other menu choices include: Chicken in the Basket (1/2 deep fried chicken, fries, and salad for $6.50), 8 oz. Black Angus fillet ($10.95), Broiled boneless skinless Chicken Breast ($6.95/$9.95) and deep fried Scallops ($8.95). There’s also a host of appetizers from shrimp cocktail ($5.25) to Breaded Fried Mushrooms ($4.95/$5.95), and a kids menu for folks under 12 years old.

All dinners come with salad and a choice of potato. The tossed salad is on par with other restaurants, but not particularly exciting. It’s mostly iceberg lettuce with a hint of red onion, cucumber, and tomato, smothered in bottled dressing. But it comes quick and keeps you busy while your meat and potatoes are being cooked. The peppercorn dressing is actually quite good, creamy and peppery. The baked potato is also a winner - large, moist and full of flavor.

They also cook up the traditional Buffalo bar foods such as Chicken wings and fingers ($6.95), Boneless Chicken Breast Sandwiches ($5.95) and a ½ lb. ground sirloin "Meister Burger, served with french fries for $3.75 ($3.95 with cheese). Fish Fry’s are always available for $6.50. Meisters also offers a host of soups (ranging from $1.45 for a cup of the day’s soup, to $4.95 for a bowl of Seafood Bisque) and assorted dessert specials. Drinks, of the alcoholic variety, are also available. The bartender is always on hand happily mixing up a wide array of mixed drinks, from Martinis to Strawberry Daiquiris.

If you are on a budget, but feel you deserve a steakhouse dinner, stop by on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, when Ron and Nina Meister offer a 6 oz. NY Strip Steak Dinner for $6.95. They assured us it’s the same quality steak they serve up every other night — only smaller.

So whether you’re looking for that neighborhood bar where everyone knows your name, or that "neighborhood grill" that’s got a steak with your name on it, check out Meister’s in the heart of Buffalo’s Black Rock neighborhood. It’s the real thing, owned and operated by the Meister family for 56 years!