April 20, 2016 – Is Hertel the new Elmwood? It sure seems that way. With a bunch of new restaurants, shops and other businesses popping up on Hertel Ave. and around North Buffalo, it might just be set to threaten Elmwood’s status as the best place to eat, drink, shop, and have fun in Buffalo.

We’ve put together a list of the most exciting recent and up-and-coming additions to the North Buffalo/Hertel area below. All of these businesses are or will be located within close proximity to our North Buffalo and Parkside apartment communities, including our Delaware Park Apartments, Tudor Gardens Townhouses, and Main Jewett Apartments.

New Restaurants & Entertainment in North Buffalo

• Lloyd’s Taco Factory: Everyone’s favorite taco truck opened up a brick-and-mortar restaurant this past winter, and it’s been a huge success. Featuring an expanded menu that goes beyond the usual truck fare, including Mexican spring rolls, wings with their famous “Rocket Sauce,” and even a bacon-wrapped hot dog, along with a full bar and unique cocktails that pair perfectly with their food, Lloyd’s will quickly become one of your favorite places in North Buffalo to grab late night drinks and eats. And it’s just a five-minute drive from all of our North Buffalo and Parkside apartments, so you can finally stop chasing the trucks all around the city.
• Block’s Restaurant: Located in the former Cafe Allegro building at 1633 Hertel Ave., Block’s Restaurant is a family-owned restaurant offering traditional comfort food favorites at affordable prices. Just a five minute drive from our North Buffalo apartments, Block’s also offers live music on the weekends, making it a fun, convenient spot for a casual Saturday night hangout. Skip the fast food chains and try one of their unique burger specials instead–there’s even one with peanut butter.
• Parkside Meadow: Located right across from the Buffalo Zoo at the corner of Parkside and Russell Ave., Parkside Meadow has established itself as a classy yet comfortable neighborhood pub, especially if you’re a Buffalo sports fan–Buffalo memorabilia lines the walls of this new restaurant and bar. The food is delicious and Buffalo-esque (we hear they make a great fish fry) and they even offer Sunday brunch for when you need to recharge after a late night out. And since it’s only a half-mile from our Main Jewett Apartments, you can walk there even on a cold Buffalo night.
• 3600 Escape: Looking for something new and different to do this weekend? Located at 1643 Hertel Ave., 3600 Escape will have you and a team of friends working together to solve a series of puzzles in order to escape a locked room. It’s only 1.5 miles from our North Buffalo apartment communities, so you don’t have to go far for a fun weekend adventure. But you only have 3600 seconds to get out of the room, so you’d better make them count! Check out the video below to learn more about Buffalo’s newest escape room.

Coming Soon to Hertel

• Deep South Taco: You can never have too many tacos–that’s why there’s still room on Hertel for this delicious taco restaurant set to open soon. Their first location opened downtown last winter to great fanfare, featuring a wide variety of unique tacos and delicious margaritas. Located in a former gas station, the 1707 Hertel Ave. location will feature a similar menu and have an outdoor patio with plenty of outdoor seating, so we’re hoping they’ll have their doors open just in time for the warm weather this summer. And with its convenient location just a mile from our Main Jewett apartments, it’s safe to say residents will be ordering a lot of takeout.

• Hertel Co-op: The Lexington Co-op on Elmwood Ave. is known for its fantastic selection of organic produce and locally made food products. And with a second location set to open at 1678 Hertel Ave. this summer, locals won’t have to go far to shop for delicious, healthy food–particularly residents in our nearby North Buffalo apartment communities, just a short 5 minute drive away. The new co-op will be double the size of the Elmwood store, with both indoor and outdoor seating, a meat and seafood counter, and expanded parking.
• The Liquor Library / Fitness Center: The former Mulligan’s location at 1669 Hertel Ave. will soon see a new life as an upscale liquor store and new fitness center. The 3,000-square-foot Liquor Library will be a “trendy and upscale retailer whose amenities will include a tasting room and a well-stocked supply of hard-to-find liquors and wines,” according to Buffalo Business First. It sounds like a unique and welcome addition to the Hertel strip, which already includes a high-end beer store in Village Beer Merchant but lacks a similar type of business for wine and spirits. The fitness center is yet to be named but will add to North Buffalo residents’ fitness options (and be a good place to work off those purchases from Liquor Library).

Which new or upcoming business are you most excited about? Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below.