Review of Nietzsche's Bar in Buffalo, NY

Don't let the enigmatic name throw you off - Nietzsche's, the iconic Buffalo bar, is all about gathering all sorts of quirky folk to imbibe and revel in the city's slammin' local music scene. A few weekends ago, I braced myself against the frightfully frigid January air to check out a Pink Floyd cover band (the band's name was Relic, and they rocked!) I'm not certain how I've managed to live in Buffalo my entire life without a single visit to Nietzsche's. But I will say this: more visits will be made in the future. Sooner than later, I hope.

First - the parking. OK. It's Allentown. On a Friday night. Plan to park a good distance away. We chose a residential side street and walked. It was cold. Dauntingly cold. But not so foreign (or even unwelcome?) to a hardy Buffalonian.

The decor/atmosphere. The front half of Nietzsche's is taken up with the bar and a couple of small tables for two. Huge papier mache heads hang from the ceiling, which is covered with amusing graffiti. At the back of the bar there's an elevated stage where performers play above an eclectic audience (who may or may not dance and volley balloons amongst each other in free-spirited, musical camaraderie). Two balcony-esque rows of chairs and small tables flank either side of the audience. We snatched a table within a few feet from the band. Overall, the vibe was pretty chill and calm. Which may have been on account of the type of crowd that a Pink Floyd cover band will inevitably draw. The bar wasn't overly crowded, and it didn't take long to order drinks.

The people? More guys than gals, a lot with beards, most seemed to be in their late 20's to mid-30's. The dress code was very casual: jeans, flannels, typical Buffalo winter wear.

On to the beer. I paid $4 for every beer I tried, which is pretty standard for most comparable bars. I had a Smithwicks, a Guinness, and a Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout (my favorite). On draft, Nietzsche's also offers Pilsner Urquelle, PBR, Blue Moon, Magic Hat #9, among others. For bottled beer they offer Labatt, Sierra Nevada, Coors, Budweiser, Molson, Heineken, and many others. The bartender was incredibly laid-back. A TV above the bar played Comedy Central (although I couldn't hear it).

I don't know what the cover charge situation looks like on a daily basis, but we paid $7 to get in. A little pricey, but not deadly.

Nietzsche's also hosts an open mic on Monday nights with Mike Meldrum (9 pm) as well as a comedy night on Tuesdays with Kristen Becker (7:30 pm).

As a final plug for this hip Buffalo bar, I'd like to remind all interested parties that Nietzsche's was visited by mu man Anthony Bourdain for his Travel Channel show, No Reservations. A fact that, in my opinion, raises this bar's cool factor at least one notch.

So, do I recommend Nietzsche's? To those looking for a unique, spirited night out in Buffalo, why yes. Yes I most certainly do.

Nietzsche's is located at 248 Allen St. Buffalo, NY 14201-1324/
Website: http://www/nietzsches.com