About seven weeks ago, I published a post about our road trip to Buffalo to eat at a restaurant featured on Guy Fieri’s cable TV show, “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.” That experience didn’t turn out anywhere near as well as expected (see here). As we disappointedly began our drive home to Rochester, we passed Schwabl’s on Center Road. Ah, Schwabl’s! THAT’S where we should have gone. We have eaten at Schwabl’s maybe ten times over the past fifteen years and its my wife’s FAVORITE restaurant, bar none.
After our disappointing experience, my wife was absolutely jonesing for some Schwabl’s, so a couple of Sundays ago she twisted my arm to make the 60-minute trek after church. It was a cold, rainy, and windy day in Western New York and a treacherous drive to Buffalo along the New York State Thruway, but we made it to Schwabl’s in one piece.
Schwabl’s doesn’t have an extensive menu. It’s known for its roast beef and when people visit Schwabl’s they generally go there for the “beef on weck;” sliced roast beef on a salted kümmelweck roll (photo below), a Buffalo favorite.
As we settled into our chairs and defrosted, my wife and I purveyed our menus. I usually order the beef on weck, but the salt and carbs didn’t appeal to me that day, so I ordered the roast beef plate; sliced roast beef (medium rare for me), and my sides were cole slaw and french fries topped with gravy. Not to be outdone, my wife (never a cheap date) ordered the fried shrimp and scallops plate AND ALSO a full plate of sliced roast beef!
The roast beef at Schwabl’s is indescribably good. It almost melts in your mouth. With my wife’s itch finally scratched, we contentedly drove back to Rochester. If you ever get to Buffalo, Schwabl’s is a MUST.

Thank you, Lord, for enjoyable food and for all of your many blessings! Temporal blessings pale in comparison to salvation in Jesus Christ and spiritual blessings.
Oh my goodness. I just love Schwabl’s and beef on weck. When I lived in Syracuse, I went to Buffalo to our office there and almost always would go there. It is the best.
There are lots of things I don’t miss about upstate NY but the food is the best (and the snow the first couple of months!).
Thanks for the memories. Maybe I can have them fly some down south!
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Thanks, Michael! Glad you also had the opportunity to enjoy Schwabl’s! It’s interesting that we don’t have anything comparable in Rochester just 60-miles down the Thruway. I’ve traveled to Buffalo A LOT more than to Syracuse over the years, but I have enjoyed the Reuben sandwiches at Danzer’s.
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Going to read this when I have a break at the museum!
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👋🏻 Careful! This post might put you in the mood for a couple of Big Macs! 🍔
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😳Wow…I just had a burger for lunch at the museum!
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🤜🏻 🍔 🤛🏻 LOL, good guessing on my part!
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Lol. Burgers though is something I missed after my trip since I can’t have beef there!
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Although my doctor wouldn’t approve, there’s few things as tasty as a good burger.
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Amen! And pass the fries
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Yeah, a burger and fries is the perfect pairing, but anticipate a statin prescription in about 20 years.
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lol
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I started cooking dinner but now I only want this Schwabls – 367 miles away!
Thanks for sharing your trip and tasty meal! 😀
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Thanks, Lisa Beth! A dinner at Schwabl’s is well worth a 367 mile drive. Well, maybe if you subtract 300 of those miles. I imagine your home-cooked meal is pretty good, too! We’re having Marie Callender’s frozen Pub-Style Steak and Ale Pie which is several steps down from Schwabl’s.
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Wow sounds good! Glad it was a hit compared to the first place a few weeks back
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Thanks! Yeah, my wife was happy as a clam. Her father operated a neighborhood butcher shop/grocery back in the 50s and early 60s and she was raised on a steady supply of steaks and chop. Most husbands get flowers and candy for their wife, but I learned early to come home with a thick steak. 🥩
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Wow wished my wife wanted steak for her birthday
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I do grumble about my wife frequently ordering $urf-and-turf or ridiculous amounts of food when we go out to eat, but some men are married to wives who have a hankering for jewelry!
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My wife can go a whole week without eating meat…if she ever ask for steak we be very shock lol
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My wife always talks vegan, but she’s a steak girl at heart.
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=)
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Great that you both enjoyed it . I like the humour in your post 😆
I don’t eat meat otherwise I would say it looks delicious !😊
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Thanks, Crissy, and thanks for noticing my feeble attempt at a bit of humor! My wife is trying to prepare more vegetarian dishes, but she’s a meat lover at heart.
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