Old Man River

4.3
1015 reviews

About

Barbecue RestaurantSeafood RestaurantBurger JointHot Dog Restaurant
Seasonal restaurant open April thru Labor Day. Serving local favorites such as Sahlen's Hot Dogs, Wardynski Sausage and a variety of other summer time favorites. We have a large seafood and smokehouse BBQ menu along with a variety of beer, wine and craft beer to enjoy. Visit us Sunday thru Thursday to enjoy a wide range of live music.

Details

  • Dine-inAvailable
  • DeliveryNot available
  • TakeoutAvailable
  • Accepts reservationsNot available

Location

Old Man River
375 Niagara St, Tonawanda, NY
14150, United States

Hours

Reviews

4.3
1,015 reviews
5 stars
606
4 stars
254
3 stars
87
2 stars
35
1 star
33

What are people saying?

AI-generated from recent customer reviews

Food Quality

Mixed reviews on food quality, with some praising specific items like burgers and clams, while others criticized BBQ meats and seafood for being dry or overpriced.

Pricing

Many customers found the prices to be high relative to the quality of food, with several comments about feeling overcharged.

Atmosphere

The restaurant is frequently praised for its fun and casual atmosphere, especially with live music and a scenic riverside location.

Service

Service quality received mixed feedback; while some praised the staff for being friendly and attentive, others reported poor service and lack of response to complaints.

Consistency

Long-time customers appreciate the consistency and reliability of the restaurant, though some recent visitors noted a decline in food quality.
  • AA
    Arianna A
    Sep 20, 2025
    4.0
    I love old man River! It has so much charm and ive been going there since I was little! One of my favorite food is clams and I love to get them from there! I think it is a very cute place and it is a fun place to hangout with family and friends! The only complaint I have is the BBQ brisket and the other meat I got was extremely dry and had a very very strong smoky taste which I did not like I was not able to finish it. There are also a lot of bees which is understandable due to people having soda and food so im assuming this would be hard to control. Overall this is an amazing place and I love walking to the park across the street after I eat there.
  • MC
    Mike Conmy
    Sep 2, 2025
    1.0
    Extremely disappointed! (Woulda’ Shoulda’ Coulda’) Wish we read the (negative) reviews ahead of time, because they’re trying to warn us! Overpriced; discolored (yellow) food (especially the beef brisket); Cole slaw was beginning to go brown; Mac-n-cheese was like (bad) reheated frozen Stouffer’s; all meat was like (old) dried out & over-salted (to cover up the poor taste?); corn bread was even 😒…I could barely eat any of it, & we brought most of it home (thinking it was just our poor appetites)…Our three teenage sons refused to eat ANY of the BBQ…we had to throw away POUNDS of food! My wife reached out before writing this review, attempting to let the owner address our concerns (as requested on previous negative reviews), but we heard NOTHING, even though he’s already been on-line, thanking the positive reviews. Obviously, they just make the negative reviews go away & continue to prey on the general public’s ignorance. As one previous review stated: This isn’t a me problem, it’s a YOU problem. Based on the long history of Google reviews, clearly you’re good at what you do…but it’s definitely NOT BBQ food!
  • KZ
    Kris Z (ZiggyZ)
    Aug 31, 2025
    5.0
    Always great Live music and awesome BBQ!
  • AG
    Anita Harutjunian Grabowski
    Aug 29, 2025
    4.0
    We went to the BBQ and seafood chack in the back of Old Man River. There is outside seating. The food is good but I didnt like the taste of the BBQ sauce. It's a bit pricey for my budget. $. The BBQ 2 MEAT PLATTER is $34 (not including drink but they have beer and wine, soda at old man river)
  • MI
    Marc Isaacs
    Aug 26, 2025
    5.0
    Terrific spot for a casual meal and conversation with loved ones with an excellent view of the river.

Frequently Asked Questions About Old Man River

Does Old Man River accept reservations?

No, Old Man River does not accept reservations.

What are the operating hours of Old Man River?

Old Man River is open daily from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM during its seasonal period from April through Labor Day, reopening on April 30, 2026.