April 12, 2019
The Hamlin House
432 Franklin Street
Buffalo, NY 14202
We were greeted at the door with a vibrant “hello hello” and were seated promptly. Yes, they take reservations on Fridays!! Huge plus for sure. Eating here is like taking a step back in time in this majestic mansion. Our server Stephan was both perfectly attentive mixed with a fantastic comedic wit. He had us laughing all night. If you are looking for many choices of fish on a Friday, this is the place. Fish francais , ritz coated fish to name a few. Of course this gal went with the beer battered skinless haddock. This is where things got interesting. 3 people in our party got the same. There’s was great... mine was not. Had a strange pink hue. Keep in mind this can happen to any restaurant, and the important thing is they brought me out a new one right away. My new piece had perfectly crisp batter and nice flavor. Portion was a bit small but I give it an 8.5. Tartar had a touch of dill and appeared home made along with the sides. I detected the use of “miracle whip” or salad dressing in the Mac salad which was elbow macaroni. Mediocre with a score of 7. Coleslaw was a finely shredded cabbage with great flavor and sprinkled with paprika 9. There were many side choices to pick from. Skip the bland Mac n cheese 4, and head for the winning sweet and sour cabbage 9 if you like that sort of thing. Bake potato was fine 8, parsley potatoes were red potatoes in butter 8, French fries were standard frozen 3/8” that could have been crispier and seasoned better 6. Overall rating was an 8. Beer selection was small but did the job. The round bar is a cool place to enjoy a drink before dinner. Parking is on the street, but you won’t mind the walk with all the great historic buildings to look at. We were well taken care of and left happy. Want a place that serves fish and gives you a cool nostalgic feel? Give it a try!
