(Above: Coconut curry noodle soup, Family Thai).

By Andrew Galarneau

Did you see the legions of hoarfrost-crusted Minnesotans marching in Minneapolis? 

Did you wonder why tens of thousands would risk actual frostbite on a day the high reached -9F, putting their bodies on the streets to chant “ICE out”?

Can you imagine being so pissed off at your government? What would it take for your blood to boil such that you leave the warm comfort of your home to join neighbors in the streets?

How far away is Buffalo from Minneapolis?

Buffalo has not seen a local mom shot dead by masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after dropping her son at school. Learned ICE stopped a doctor from helping while she bled out, then seen her declared a domestic terrorist by the president, whose Justice Dept. would investigate her widow while exonerating the shooter.

Then seen ICE agents kill a Veterans Affairs hospital nurse, after taking his holstered legal pistol. Hear the U.S.’s top cops lie about what happened, and why, declaring that the shooters were the real victims. Who’s to blame? Minnesota officials who refused to cooperate with ICE, said the Veterans Affairs secretary, the nurse’s boss.

As you watch the reports from Minneapolis, glad that’s not Buffalo, let’s review the current situation.

With the biggest budget of all U.S. law enforcement agencies, ICE focuses on arresting immigrants and convincing them to leave the country or be jailed. Most people jailed are law-abiding new Americans who have spent years working, paying taxes, checking in with authorities, following all the rules. 

The first time a local restaurant owner told me ICE came by and arrested his entire staff, leading them away in handcuffs, I asked, “So they didn’t have their papers?”

“That’s the thing. They did,” he said. “My guys were trying to show their visas and papers, but the officers, they didn’t even bother to look, they didn’t care what your legal status was.”

Months later, most of his cooks and dishwashers are still incarcerated in the overcrowded Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia. So far, immigration attorneys he retained have been able to free one employee, who left the country immediately. 

In the meantime, the restaurant owner has been able to keep his business going by hiring a replacement crew. Their wage requirements have gone up, because it’s a riskier business now. The owner is also sending money to the families of his incarcerated workers, families that depended on those New Americans’ paychecks.

The owner’s books are a mess of red ink. Making money from a restaurant is a dicey enough proposition these days without the U.S. government sabotaging his business, deliberately or not. 

But for now at least, his sense of moral obligation to his workers is stronger today than his fear of bankruptcy. So every day he turns on the OPEN sign out front to welcome customers, he says a prayer that today is not the day ICE comes for him, and for all the new Americans whose families his business feeds.

How many of our Buffalo neighbors are facing the same dire straits? That’s not clear, because in 2026 the U.S. federal justice system is operating under a new set of rules.

For 35 years, I have covered criminal cases in U.S. district courts in New Hampshire, Florida, Massachusetts, and New York State. When the federal government took a person into custody,  as a rule, its agents would acknowledge that fact, as state and local police do. 

Today, ICE can keep its list of prisoners secret from the public. When immigration lawyers manage to track down their clients and confirm where they are being held in the federal immigration detention system, ICE frequently moves that prisoner to a different state. Then another state. Being forced to find and re-establish contact with their incarcerated clients slows down an already overburdened immigration court system.

As a journalist, for decades I felt a professional obligation, a duty owed, to draw attention to cases where government officials hurt people by not following their own rules. Today, a reporter publishing a story detailing what a restaurant owner is going through at the hands of federal agents could make matters worse. Because in 2026, federal immigration enforcement policy seems to include “speak up and you’ll get a fat lip.”

Ask the Minneapolis toy store owner whose daughter criticized ICE in an interview. Hours later, ICE agents showed up at the store with an audit notice asking for federal employment forms, payroll records, and the names of past and present employees.

In Buffalo, ICE arrested about twice as many people in 2025 than in 2024. But compared to the scenes from Minneapolis, Buffalo seems all quiet on the ICE front.

The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. One of the reasons it’s quiet in Buffalo is we can’t be sure exactly what happened to neighbors suddenly gone.

This is your notice that some of them are in federal cells. Some in Batavia. Some at the Peace Bridge, Rainbow Bridge, or the Border Patrol station in Tonawanda, or shipped to another state. People who bet their life on America’s promise, Bangladeshis and Italians, Somali, Mexican and Irish.

We are not allowed to know their names. From that perspective, Minneapolis does not seem all that far away.

In Buffalo, one thing we can do to help our new neighbors is spend money in their businesses. With that in mind, here’s some of my favorite immigrant-owned restaurants: 50, a nice, round American number. There’s so many more, you might already have different one in mind.

Words are nice, but also thank workers with your wallet. Maybe get an extra dish to have for dinner Wednesday, or use their menu to cater a dinner party. Tip on takeout, even though it’s completely voluntary. You might be surprised how many megawatts of smile an unexpected $5 bill gets you in Buffalo, a city made of immigrants.

Bun bo hue, 99 Fast Food

99 Fast Food

3398 Bailey Ave., 99fastfood.com, 716-836-6058

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday.

Buffalo’s Vietnamese veteran scores with reliable pho and bun noodle salad bowls, grilled pork on rice, a hefty pad thai, and the best fried pork-mushroom-noodle stuffed rolls (“Vietnamese egg rolls”) ever. Spicy curry stir-fry and teriyaki chicken plates are also justly popular.

Veggie combo, Abyssinia Ethiopian Cuisine

Abyssinia Ethiopian Cuisine

617 Main St., abyssinia-ethiopian.square.site, 716-563-6602

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday.

Get your kik alitcha and doro wot fix at Buffalo’s only Ethiopian restaurant. Zelalem Gemmeda has served Buffalo since 2011. Vegan and carnivore-pleasing dishes arrayed on flapjack-like injera bread are the stars here, along with crispy beef sambusas in thin-skinned pastry.

Tandoori fish, Alibaba Kebab

Alibaba Kebab

900 William St., alibaba-kebab.com, 716-800-2222

Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

827 Military Road, Kenmore, alibaba-kebab.com, 716-919-1111

Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight daily.

1100 Southwestern Blvd., West Seneca ,alibaba-kebab.com, 716-608-3333

Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight daily.

Kebab wraps in fresh-made bread, and rice boxes sporting your choice of protein over basmati pilaf, lavished with garlic mayonnaise, lead the board. Alibaba’s tandoori wings, marinated in spiced yogurt then fired to a crisp in the tandoor’s blast-furnace heat, are another great Buffalo wing.

Charcoal chicken, lamb gallaba on hummus, bread, Almandi

Almandi

797 Broadway, 716-853-1090

Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.

Yemeni family restaurant offers grilled chicken and fish, and lamb haneeth, oven-braised to lushness, traditionally eaten by the handful on a platter of rice. Saltah and fahsah stews arrive bubbling, topped with fenugreek foam, best eaten with fresh bread. Enjoy complimentary broth, a traditional welcoming gesture, and “red tea,” made of black tea, cardamom, and lots of sugar.

Rotisserie chicken, Almaza Grill

Almaza Grill

9370 Transit Road, East Amherst, almazagrill.com, 716-276-8080

Hours: noon-9 p.m. daily.

Peruvian-marinated rotisserie chicken with garlic mayonnaise and zippy herb sauce is a main draw, takeout or dine-in. Then there’s the Lebanese side, with kofta, kibbe, and loubie bzeit, green beans braised with garlic and tomato. Check out the cake case for dessert ideas.

Cardamom buns, Anastasia’s Artisan Bread Bakery

Anastasia’s Artisan Bread Bakery

236 Zimmerman St., North Tonawanda NY, anastasiasbread.com, 716-906-4135

Hours: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday-Monday. Closed Tuesday.

Dark rye beloved by northern Europeans, cardamom knots, baguettes, financiers, and much more comes out fresh every morning in North Tonawanda. A couple of Russian engineers with a home-based baking enterprise went brick-and-mortar in November.

Shrimp puri, As-Salam Diner and Kabab House

As-Salam Diner and Kabab House

1389 Bailey Ave., Buffalo NY,  assalamkababhouse.com, 716-725-0603

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday,

11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Sunday.

Cheery servers at Bangladeshi family restaurant bear platters of sizzling lamb shashlik, vats of curry, and six types of made-to-order bread. Appetizers worth meeting include sauteed shrimp tucked into puffy puri bread, and a smashed potato samosa pastry with tamarind and yogurt sauces.

Wonton mee noodle soup, Bamboo Ridge

Bamboo Ridge

244 Allen St., Buffalo NY  bambooridgethai.com, 716-235-8951

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday, Saturday, noon-10 p.m. Sunday.

3574 Walden Ave., Lancaster, 716-288-7800

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Burmese restaurateur Hla Thu brought his Thai, Burmese, Malaysian, and Chinese playbook to Allentown in November. Thai beef salad, Burmese biryani, coconut curries, and crispy whole fish are among popular offerings. Then he opened a second place in Lancaster, offering the same menu.

Lamb rogan josh, Buffalo Tikka House

Buffalo Tikka House

948 Main St., Buffalo NY, see menu, 716-240-9324

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m.- 1 p.m., 4 p.m.-10 p.m.

Full-force Bangladeshi Indian restaurant across the street from the Buffalo Medical Campus is an oasis of fragrant curries and fresh-made bread. Notable dishes include paneer tikka, chicken achari, and garlic chili lamb. My favorite Indian restaurant in the City of Buffalo.

Sweet-and-sour pork, China Taste

China Taste

1280 Sweet Home Road, Amherst NY, chinatastebuffalo.com,716-568-0080

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. Closed Thursday.

First-rate Chinese Chinese from a highly trained chef makes lacy dumplings and sweet-and-sour pork must-orders. With complimentary peanuts and kimchi, attentive servers, and a speedy kitchen, this is a well-run outfit. Cold Korean noodles, sea cucumber, and West Lake beef soup beckon.

Chicken boti kebab, Clay Handi

Clay Handi

3054 Delaware Ave., Kenmore NY, clayhandibuffalony.com, 716-877-7797

Hours: 9 a.m.-2 a.m. daily.

Pakistani kebabs, curries, and braises, all served in clay vessels. In fact, everything is – order a jug of mango lassi for the table and everyone gets clay cups. Haleem, a savory mash of lentils, grain, and meat, comes in lamb, chicken, or beef. Vegan triumphs include deeply caramelized bhindi (okra) masala, and smoky eggplant baingan bharta.

Vada, Colombo Spice

Colombo Spice

265 Kenmore Ave., Tonawanda NY, colombo-spice.res-menu.com, 716-810-1282

Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.

Sri Lankan cooks now dispense life-sustaining meals where Jagat Seth and his brother Jai Raj once reigned as kings of the $.99 breakfast with a side of sass. Besides terrific lentil doughnuts, the dish that’s really caught my attention is the special dolphin kothu. Cheese, chicken, bread, and a weapons-grade level of chile heat all in one irresistible package for those who dare.

Tea leaf pasta, Cozy Thai

Cozy Thai

39 Evans St., Hamburg NY, cozythaihamburg.com, 716-648-1016

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday,

4 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Family-run restaurant updated after the pandemic with a sleek dining room. Classic curries and salads hit the spot, including whole fried fish. But consider pho, Vietnamese beef noodle soup, and seafood and ramen noodles with tea leaf sauce, inspired by the cooks’ heritages.

Vegetable stew , Crave King

Crave King

2693 South Park Ave., Lackawanna NY, 716-783-9743

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday-Monday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday.

Fresh bread and vegetable stew stirs the soul at this lowkey Yemeni restaurant. There might be one cook on duty, but you will have his full attention. Ful medames, grilled kebabs, and chicken gallaba, sauteed chicken breast on hummus, are also standouts.

Bandeja paisa, Dulce Hogar Bakery

Dulce Hogar Bakery

448 Oliver St., North Tonawanda, dulcehogarbakeryny.com, 716-525-1010

Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Closed Monday.

951 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst, dulcehogarbakeryny.com, 716-529-9225

Hours: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Closed Monday.

Try Colombian dishes like bandeja paisa, a carnivore Disneyland: fried pork belly, Colombian sausage, morcilla blood sausage, and steak, plus plantains, eggs, beans, and rice. Seafood stews, empanadas, and an entire lineup of baked sweets like caramel-cheese buns await.

Chicken schnitzel plate, Falafel Bar

Falafel Bar

3545 Sheridan Drive, Amherst NY, thefalafelbar.com, 716-436-7000

Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday.

Best-in-show falafel, hummus, and chicken shawarma from Oded Rauvenpoor, the only Israeli chef in town. Crispy chicken schnitzel speckled with sesame seeds and hummus with lamb are standouts, but this restaurant a mile from UB’s Amherst Campus is also a vegan haven, with four eggplant dishes alone.

Beef kebab plate, Falafel House Grill

Falafel House Bakery and Grill

1150 Hertel Ave.,Buffalo NY, see menu, 716-259-8743

Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday, Saturday. Closed Monday.

Beef kabab plate with rice and pickles and beef shawarma plate are my favorites at this Palestinian-Syrian family restaurant. Loaded chicken shawarma fries are a worthy stoner snack, while falafel, babaganoush, and hummus feeds the need for plant-based life forms.

Owno koksware, coconut chicken noodle soup, Family Thai

Family Thai

150 Babcock St.,Buffalo NY, familythai-restaurant.com, 716-322-1102

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, Friday-Sunday. Closed Thursday.

863 Tonawanda St.,Buffalo NY, familythai-restaurant.com, 716-783-9285

Hours: 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, Friday-Sunday. Closed Thursday.

Try Burmese dishes like tea leaf salad, coconut noodle soup, and egg curry, Thai specialties like larb, coconut curries and yum woon sen seafood salad, and Chinese soups like the pork-laden wonton noodle soup or milky fried fish noodle soup. The dining rooms are homey but the flavors never fail.

Daily baklava assortment, Fresh Arabic Sweets

Fresh Arabic Sweets

560 Amherst St., Buffalo NY, 716-768-3826

Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.

Ten kinds of buttery baklava land in the display case before noon most days. By late afternoon the kataifi, salty cheese sandwiched between layers of shredded phyllo, baked until golden and drenched in syrup, is usually gone. But the pistachio-centered art of Syrian baker Mohammed Altaleh remains a complete steal, just $11.99 a pound at deadline.

Xi Hu beef soup, Golden Hill

Golden Hill Asian Cuisine

4001 Sheridan Drive, Amherst NY, goldenhillasiancuisine.com, 716-631-7198

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Saturday, noon-10 p.m. Sunday. Closed Tuesday.

Menu includes solid Thai and American Chinese dishes, but its glory is the Chinese specialties. Standouts include crispy chicken with fresh spicy pepper, cold beef and tripe with hot oil, and boiled fish with pickled cabbage. Or enjoy a soothing bowl-for-two of West Lake Beef Soup.

Paneer burger, Holy Feast Truck

Holy Feast

3198 Main St., Buffalo NY, 716-579-5412

Hours: 6 p.m.-midnight Sunday, Monday-Wednesday, 6 p.m.-4 a.m. Thursday-Saturday.

Halal fast food from a truck in a gas station parking lot hits the spot deep into the night in University Heights, including until 4 a.m. Thursday-Saturday. Try the paneer burger, a hefty slab of cheese battered, deep-fried, sauced and served on a bun.

Congqi Little Noodle, Home Taste

Home Taste

3106 Delaware Ave., Kenmore NY, 716-322-0088

Hours: 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. Closed Monday.

Dumplings, noodles, and potatoes are strengths of this Northern Chinese restaurant, but salads are standouts too: try the celery with tofu skin. Crispy fried cod, noodle soups, shredded potatoes with chile and vinegar, and pork-stuffed omelet all offer ways to expand your Chinese culinary vocabulary.

Jasmin Thai mee krob

Jasmine Thai

1330 Niagara Falls Blvd.,Tonawanda NY, jasthai.com, 716-838-3011

Hours: noon-8 p.m. daily.

Area’s longest-tenured Thai restaurant hits with standards like chicken in peanut sauce, duck curry,  and pad thai, but also offers the only mee krob in town, puffy rice noodles wok-fired in caramel until they’re like Cracker Jacks for adults.

Roast lamb dinner, Kosta’s

Kostas Family Restaurant

1561 Hertel Ave., Buffalo NY, kostasfamilyrestaurant.com, 716-838-5225

Hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.

Grand-daddy of Buffalo Greek diners still offers Hellenic soul food like horta, dandelion greens, and reliable roast lamb dinners. Pancakes, salads, omelets, and gyro-souvlaki combos are probably the most popular items. Still the most Greek restaurant in Buffalo.

Kuni’s sushi assortment

Kuni’s

226 Lexington Ave., Buffalo NY,  kunisbuffalo.com, 716-881-3800

Hours: 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday, Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday.

Want sushi Japanese style? Go see Thaviesak “Vic” Nachampassak, who worked with Kuni Sato before the founder retired. Sushi plus dishes like: hamachi kama, grilled yellowtail collar, or gintara, black cod marinated in sweet miso and grilled. Even a fish fry, in panko crumbs, with gossamer slaw.

Stew chicken dinner, La Casa De Sabores

La Casa de Sabores

1 Letchworth St.,Buffalo NY, see menu, 716-370-1484

Hours: 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. Closed Wednesday.

Dominican take-out restaurant offers savory rib-sticking meal boxes dished up to order on the buffet line, or cooked-to-order selections. Tres golpes, “three hits,” tops mashed plantains and pickled onions with fried salami, fried cheese, plus a fried egg.

La Divina Quesadilla

La Divina Tacos

2896 Delaware Ave., Kenmore NY, 716-447-8989

Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.

617 Main St., Buffalo NY, 716-248-2622

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday.

Kenmore taco standard opened downtown at International House. Both locations offer tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and nachos in al pastor, birria, and pork. Plus a salsa bar where you can personalize your purchases to your liking, and a rainbow of Jarritos.

La Oaxaquena carnitas quesadilla

La Oaxaqueña Taqueria

4152 W. Main Street Road, Batavia NY, see menu, 585-219-4108

Hours: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday, Thursday-Sunday. Closed Tuesday, Wednesday.

One mile from the Batavia Thruway exit, Nancy Rosario’s restaurant offers an array of tacos, with al pastor (chile, pork, pineapple) and carnitas (roast pork) among standouts. Posole, pork-hominy-tripe-chile soup, is a weekend special. Also shop Monte Alban II, a Mexican grocery, in the same plaza, run by the same family.

Thai sausage lunch, Lin Asian Market

Lin Asian Market

929 Tonawanda St., Buffalo NY, 716-948-9235

Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.

Burmese and Southeast Asian market with lunchtime grab-and-go meals of grilled meat, noodle dishes, and mohinga soup at cash register. Extensive freezer selections of meat, fish, and vegetables, plus fresh vegetables and herbs.

Eggplant in garlic sauce, Mahar Moe

Mahar Moe

3668 Delaware Ave., Tonawanda NY, maharmoeasiancuisine.com, 716-331-3336

Hours: 11 am-10 pm Tuesday-Saturday, noon-10 pm Sunday. Closed Monday.

Owner Ping Fa Li dishes up tickets to Hong Kong, Chengdu, and Kuala Lumpur, alongside rock-solid bargains in General Tso and the usual suspects. Plenty of Sichuan Chinese and American Chinese Rare-for-Buffalo Malaysian dishes like kam heong fish or chicken, and Hong Kong Typhoon Shelter Style, shrimp hidden in a drift of savory breadcrumbs.

Sopes, Maizal

Maizal Mexican Kitchen & Mezcaleria

4840 N. French Road, East Amherst NY, maizalmexicankitchen.com, 716-428-5683

Hours: 4 p.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday.

Oaxacan chef Leonel Rosario has more moles on his Maizal menu, foreshadowing his Day of the Dead dinner featuring seven versions of the Mexican simmer sauces. Two moles, poblano and verde, are on the menu year-round. Standouts include birria eggrolls, skillet-bronzed queso fundido, a mezcal library, and Oaxacan tlayudas.

Carne asada queso fries, Manito

Manito Taco Shop

3958 Lockport Olcott Road, Lockport NY, see menu, 716-697-6085

Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Closed Monday.

Taco fillings basic and advanced (cecina adobada, lengua, tripa) that you can doctor up at an extensive toppings bar of salsas, herbs, and pickles. They’re served up by a hustling team led by Manito Gonzalez, a cheery taquero with a personality as big as the flavors. My spot when I feel like hammering some queso carne asada fries. Honored as Top 100 Yelp spot in 2024.

Ceviche, Nana Peruvian Kitchen

Nana Peruvian Kitchen

21 Prospect St., Fredonia NY, 716-401-3048

Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday, Tuesday.

Fredonia got a real Peruvian restaurant when Nana opened in a former tavern off the main drag. Brilliant ceviche spiked with lime, chile, and cumin, aji de gallina creamed chicken, and lomo soltado, a stir-fry of beef, tomatoes, french fries, and more, with thrill Peruvian fans, and impress just about everyone else.

Chili paratha, Nellai Banana Leaf

Nellai Banana Leaf

4303 Transit Road, Clarence NY, nellaibananaleaf.com, 716-276-3786

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday.

Chettinad Indian cuisine, with more sour, garlicky character, plus South Indian specialties like dosa, idly, and uttapam, rules here. Standouts here include eggplant in tamarind garlic gravy, marina beach sundal chickpea-mango-coconut salad, and chilli parotta, stir-fried croutons in smoky sauce.

Thai beef salad, Nine & Night

Nine & Night Thai Cuisine

414 Amherst St., Buffalo NY,  nineandnight.com, 716-541-7963

Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Thai favorites like fried-egg-topped pad ka pow and bracing green papaya salad are enough reason to visit. Restaurateur Htay Naing also offers specialties worth meeting like black pepper beef and fried ramen coconut noodle, plus mango sticky rice for dessert. 

Tea leaf salad, Pattaya Street Food

Pattaya Street Food

617 Main St., Buffalo NY,  pattaya-street-food.square.site, 716-335-6816

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday.

Elizabeth Sher brings her Burmese and Thai cuisine back to 617 Main St. as International House. That includes coconut milk curry chicken noodle soup, green papaya salad, tea leaf salad, and lotus flower cookies.

Poached spicy pork slices, Peking Quick One

Peking Quick One

359 Somerville Ave., Tonawanda NY, 716-381-8730

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Wednesday-Monday. Closed Tuesday.

The Chinese-American and Chinese Chinese menus both hit here. Try the slip cucumber, poached tripe in chile oil, or crispy sliced fish. Chinese omelets and shredded chile potatoes may expand horizons. Your food will arrive in takeout containers, but that just makes it easier to bring the rest home for lunch tomorrow.

Bun cha, Pham’s Kitchen

Pham’s Kitchen

2940 Union Road, Cheektowaga NY, phamskitchen716.com, 716-901-7663

Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday.

My favorite Vietnamese place for baking banh mi loaves fresh every morning, filling them with pickled vegetables, liver pate, mayonnaise, and three types of cold cuts, all housemade, for $7.75. The pork chop plate and bun cha with pickled green papaya are definitive.

Goi ga chicken salad, Pho Dollar

Pho Dollar

322 W. Ferry St., Buffalo NY, phodollarvietnamese.com, 716-768-0049

Hours: 11 a.m.-8:45 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7:45 p.m. Sunday.

Solid Vietnamese place with praiseworthy pho, bun bo hue, and goi ga, the salad of chicken tossed with gossamer shredded cabbage and carrot. Get the grilled pork and egg on rice for a real diner-level stick-to-the-ribs meal.

Pork sisig with lumpia and garlic rice, Pinoy Boi

Pinoy Boi

617 Main St, Buffalo NY,  pinoyboibuffalo.square.site

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday.

Buffalo’s only Filipino restaurant reopened at International House, 617 Main St. in April, along with its companions. That means pork sisig and lumpia, beef kare-kare, lechón roast pork belly, and ube Basque cheesecake, for starters.

Adeni coffee, Raha Coffee House

Raha Coffee House

370 Amherst St., Buffalo NY, rahacoffeehouse.com, 716-615-5555

Hours:  8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-midnight Friday, Saturday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday.

Yemeni coffee operation serving full lineup of standard lattes but also Arabic blends involving cinnamon, cardamom, coffee hulls, and other twists. Honeycomb pastries and more sweets are available. Pots of coffee meant for lingering over with friends and a cozy interior has made Raha a late-night magnet for people who want to hang out in a non-alcohol-centered third place.

Barbari bread in white, left, and whole wheat at Sahar Bakery

Sahar Bakery

2784 Sheridan Drive, Tonawanda NY, 716-314-0116

Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Afghan couple in low-profile bakery offer barbari, the tray-sized finger-dimpled loaves also known as Persian flatbread, in white and whole wheat, $5 for two loaves the size of skateboard decks. Plus roht, cardamom-scented semi-dry cake meant to be eaten with coffee or tea. Persian and Middle Eastern groceries line the retail space, slightly larger than a minivan.

Lamb maejuga, Shah’s Food

Shah’s Food

2487 Niagara Falls Blvd., Amherst, shahfood.com, 716-260-1613

Hours: 10:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. daily.

Lamb fans should know where this Afghan place is for two specific dishes you can’t find elsewhere. Lamb eggplant kabab, skewers of lamb kofte interspersed with eggplant, and lamb maejuga, a jumbo minced lamb patty chargrilled on the outside, with a heart of oozy cheese and chiles. Afghani kebabs and pilafs anchor the menu here, but there is a falafel plate. 

Iskender kebab, Sofra

Sofra Restaurant and Bakery

38 Patrick Lane, Depew NY, sofrarestaurantandbakery.com, 716-901-7200

Hours: noon-9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Closed Monday.

Buffalo finally has a Turkish restaurant. Enjoy beyti kabab, grilled seasoned beef grilled in lavash dough. Other made-to-order bread-based dishes like lahmacun, pide, and karadeniz yagli, plus a full-scale dessert bakery counter have been drawing folks to Patrick Lane, just a mile from Buffalo-Niagara International Airport.

Quesobirria con consomme, Taqueria Los Mayas

Taqueria Los Mayas

3525 Genesee St., Cheektowaga NY, taqueria-los-mayas.co, 716-906-3730

Hours: 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday.

Best-in-town tacos start with housemade tortillas, and add carefully seared toppings. Then customers make it personal with a 25-choice toppings and salsa bar. Real cheese in the choriqueso, bacon and jalapenos in charro beans, and lard in refritos, helps it stand out from the Mexican crowd.

Pickled mustard and pork soup, Thai House

Thai House

5246 Transit Road, Depew NY, depewthaihouse.com, 716-601-7114

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Between the Thai, Burmese, Malaysian, and Japanese dishes on the menu, everyone can find their own favorite. Standouts include pork and mustard green soup, Malaysian-style roast chicken, and Burmese claypot biryani with cashews and fried garlic.

Masaman curry, Tiny Thai

Tiny Thai

27 Chandler St. Suite 212B, Buffalo NY,  tinythai.biz, 716-335-0474

Hours: 3 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 3 p.m.-8 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, Sunday. Closed Monday.

Kae Baramee is a Thai native who grinds her own curry paste for coconut curries, one of the touches that make her takeout spot and truck a beacon for fans. Standouts include gai yang grilled sticky chicken, chicken-and-peanut-stuffed chor muang dumplings, shaped like blue flowers, and hat yai fried chicken.

Juicy pork buns, Wok & Roll

Wok & Roll

5467 Sheridan Dr, Amherst NY, thewokandroll.com, 716-631-8880

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Solid American Chinese menu with a strong sideline in Cantonese specialties, including a notable assortment of dumplings and other dim sum dishes. Its “juicy buns” aren’t soup dumplings, the Shanghaiese xiao long bao, but they’re close enough to take the edge off.

Stir-fried pork and kimchi with tofu, Korea House

Woo Chon Korea House

402 Evans St., Amherst NY, woochonkoreahouse.com, 716-626-5980

Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday.

Best-in-show Korean restaurant holds area’s only barbecue tables, inset with gas grill so diners can cook their own barbecue. The array of banchan, side dishes, rivals Koreatown, and the japchae, peppery stir-fried sweet potato noodles, hits the mark.

Jollof rice and chicken, Yalley’s

Yalley’s African Restaurant

290 Kenmore Ave., Buffalo NY,  yalleys.com, 716-322-1012

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-midnight Saturday.

Ghanaian place that might inspire hankerings for African chow after your first visit. Here I’d try the fufu and peanut soup, jollof rice, and “red-red,” black eyed peas simmered in palm oil. Buffalo and Ghana cuisine both appreciate fried poultry odds-and-ends: one Ghanaian specialty served here is deep-fried marinated turkey butts.

Koobideh kababs, Zereshk

Zereshk

704 Maple Road, Amherst NY, zereshkny.com, 716-458-0081

Hours: 1 p.m.-9 p.m. daily.

New Persian restaurant offering made-to-order kebabs like the classic koobideh and stews like ghormeh sabzi, lamb with greens, kidney beans and tangy dried lime. Opened August 2025 by a couple who met down the road at UB’s Amherst campus, it’s not fast food, but worth the wait.

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The post 50 great restaurants in Buffalo, a city of immigrants appeared first on Four Bites.

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