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223 Allen St
Categories: Nightlife Bars Dive Bars Restaurants American (Traditional) Dive Bars, American (Traditional) [Edit]
223 Allen StBuffalo, NY 14201
Neighborhood: Allentown
(716) 884-4338
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 4 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- DJ
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Has TV:
- Yes
22 reviews for 223 Allen St
Review Highlights
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"The Old Pink (223 Allen Street) is the best damn bar in..." In 5 reviews -
"...heard Nirvana, and ate the best Steak Sandwich I have ever..." In 3 reviews -
"Music tends to lean towards punk but also they play a lot..." In 3 reviews
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22 reviews in English
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Review from Wes D.
Brooklyn, NY
3/1/2012
Annual pilgrimage back to Buffistan for wings, football, and beer.
On our way to an early lunch at Gabriel's Gate, we pass an old victorian house painted up like some sort of satanic circus with a beer light on. We decide to check it out after our wings.
Highlights:
- It's 11:45AM, yet there are empty beer cans and dirty glasses strewn everywhere, apparently from the previous night.
-It's winter in Buffalo, and their heater is not working. It is freezing.
-We inquire about the jukebox to break up the incredibly awkward silence of the cold, smelly bar. We're told it doesn't work, but a white-haired man at the bar, wearing a homemade, hand-knit Buffalo Bills sweater (epic) volunteers to play some records out of the closet/DJ booth.
If you had told me he was gonna play a mix of bizarre 80's elecro, I'd have called you a liar.
-I order our party a pitcher of Molson and a screwdriver for the lady. I hand him a twenty and he gives me back fourteen. WTF?
-The men's room features a Ralph Wilson Stadium styled piss trough, and on this occasion there was a giant turd resting in/on the toilet.
-While shooting pool, we attract some unwanted attention. After some brief hellos and failed attempts at ignoring him:
Derelict Man: "Man if these walls could talk..." looks around nostalgically.
My Brother: "They'd probably say [makes indistinguishable drunk mumbling noises.]"
The man then appears to consider attacking my brother, but instead decides to leave, making lewd remarks to both my girlfriend AND my sister on the way out, for bonus points.
-I order a shot of Jameson for myself and the bartender joins me with a shot of Rumple Minze (yikes) claiming, "If I'm going to get fired today I may as well be drunk." Touche, sir.
He then tells me that the building was once the first bowling alley in Buffalo. A quick glance around would suggest that he's lying, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Lowlights:
-NONE!
So if you're in town for a game or just visiting, DO NOT miss out on The Stinky Pinky. Get there before noon, that's when the fun starts! -
Review from Kristen T.
Buffalo, NY
3/10/2012
hands down, my favorite place for a night of debauchery. nothing good can come of a night that ends at this place, and i LOVE that.
old and thoroughly worn, this dive is an institution full of local character and life. the music is never pretentious and neither are the bartenders or patrons. whether its quiet or brimming, this is the best place to take a time out from life...
if you're lucky, you'll catch an opportunity for some of the best fresh cooked steak and chicken sandwiches to come off a grill in all of wny... -
Review from Rebecca D.
Buffalo, NY
2/8/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Now, I'd definitely been to The Pink before the Yelp happy hour. But usually I'd roll in, after having a few drinks, with a posse of friends around 2-3am. Wandering in here at 6pm just seemed weird but I was so excited to try the food that everyone raves about.
To be honest, this is not a place I'd order food from unless I got a recommendation. But the grill in there is 20 years old or something and the whole place smells of its charred delightfulness. I got a burger with cheese (regret not getting the peppers & onions) and it was damn good. I was so sad when I ate the last bite.
Even though there were some drink specials for the event, the regular happy hour prices were the bomb. Now I know where I'll be coming if I find myself in Allentown craving some meaty goodness off an awesome grill. -
Review from Ryan W.
12/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Full disclosure: my brother DJs a monthly event here, so my experiences have been mostly shaped by his soundtrack and his buddies, all local 20somethings who come here for the cheap booze, the pool tables, the friendly bartenders and the chicken sandwiches.
Over time, I've come to realize that this place, known more commonly as The Old Pink or just "The Pink," isn't so much a dive as it is a living performance art piece evoking the The Idea of The Dive. It's self-aware about being the kind of place that serves PBR in a can and tasty steak sandwiches at 3am, without being too painfully self-conscious or self-righteous about it.
The Pink has been reviewed in glossy magazines and boasts giant green flames down the side, yet it still remains fairly under-the-radar, at least among non-locals (and even locals, if they're over 40). You'll almost never head here intentionally before 11pm, but you'll rarely end a proper night out in Buffalo without a beer here, either, at least if you're with the right people. -
Review from Dan K.
2/8/2012
Man you gotta love The Old Pink, as it is dive bar perfection at its best. I mean it has been a mainstay in Allentown for years and hasn't changed a bit. I've finished up countless nights of drinking here and always run into a random someone I know but haven't seen in awhile when I do. Holiday times allows you to also meet your friends who are back visiting as they also are drawn to this buffalo staple for the last couple of hours of drinking when in town.
Last night might have been the first time I was here before the 1-2am mark and was only time I ate there. Went for the first ever Buffalo Yelp happy hour and they made for gracious hosts. The burger was amazing mainly due to it being cooked to perfection and then topped off with the most delicious onions and mushrooms (which the bartender was kind enough to let me know was due to them being soaked in Guinness in a slow cooker for 4-5 hours) They are famed for their steak sandwich, which after the burger I will make a point to go out of my way to try.
Thanks Yelp, I knew this was a great place to drink, but now know the food kicks ass as well. -
Review from mike t.
Brooklyn, NY
Proper dive bar. Killer NY strip steak sandwich and 2 bud bottles for $14. Locals are super friendly as is the surly-on-the-outside bartender. Stoked to have made you acquaintance 223.
Oh yeah, approached on my way in by a gentleman claiming to be the local "candy man". My kind of neighborhood bar. Easy drive back to BUF . -
Review from L D.
Buffalo, NY
8/26/2011
S'okay, I guess.
Took my out of town buddy out here for a little drink-aroo and the crowd was nice. A little hipster and one lady I held the door for said "Thanks, girl". Last time I was called "girl" it ended with "you'll be a woman soon" and then somebody named Vincent Vega came at me with a really big needle. Everything went black after that.
The bartender than night looked like a tired Conan O'Brien, so that was a perk!
Otherwise, the crowd was nice, not TOO out of control and the place had enough room so you don't feel like your playing elbow hockey with everyone else.
Two Blue Moons were $8 which is okay and parking on a weekend is a nightmare. Make sure you wear your most comfortable Cha-cha heels for the hike between the car, the bar, and Jim's Steakout down the street. -
Review from Ria S.
Buffalo, NY
11/3/2011
Even though I know I've royally increased my chances of catching an STD just by walking into this place, and I never really want to go, I still find myself there and never cease to have a good time. It's the dive of all dives. I've shut the place down, I've day drank there (THAT'S a sight), I've brought out-of-town friends there as part of my personal Buffalo tour, and I always run into a mix of good friends and scumbags. All under one roof. This is the type of place where, if you spend too much time there, you might find yourself contemplating what direction your life is going. But you'll always have an entertaining night.
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Review from Derrick C.
Buffalo, NY
2/8/2012
It took the first unofficial YEE for me to finally get into this place. Last time I was here, we were denied at the door b/c our friend forgot her ID. But forget drinks, I was here for the food. The steak sandwich ($10) is unlike any other I've had in my life. First off, it's made on a grill that's right behind the bar and it took 15 minutes to make but it was well worth the wait. Other steak sandwiches, you think strips of steak or shaved like a Philly. Here, they don't mess around w/ that - a full slab of steak between a toasted sub roll piled with onions and peppers. You don't often get to eat steak like that b/c even when it's on a plate, you're fork/kniving it but there's something special about chowing down on a whole piece like that. The place is a little dingy and the TVs need serious updating, but there's a certain charm that goes w/ this place and I'd go back for the steak sandwich anytime.
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Review from sam i.
Buffalo, NY
3/4/2012
Best burger. Best music. Beers so cold they hurt. What more could anyone want ?
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Review from Dean Z.
East Brunswick, NJ
12/6/2011
This place is perfect. I came up from New Jersey for two nights, rolled in here after seeing the great Billy Joe Shaver at the overly bright and spiffy Sportsman. The just-paint-it-black punk rock interior of the Pink was just what the Dr. ordered... We pulled up next to a charming woman at the bar named "Molly". I was skeptical when she said it was "her bar", but damn it, I do believe it was, quite literally! She had a lot more hair than I do (which is saying something), and she bought us shots... so if she ended up with my skulls-and-spider-webs scarf (which I left there), she totally deserves it! Rock on, Molly and the Pink!
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Review from Joshua L.
Buffalo, NY
8/10/2010
The Pink is an Allen St. institution and is one of the great dive bars of America. This place has always been a late night bar destination and the crowd is diverse - guys in suits to guys with mohawks.
This bar is dark, dank and crammed from corner to corner with stickers and Elvis paraphernalia. The bar area smells and the bathrooms are only slightly upgraded from Trainspotting territory. Lots of late night drunken humor scribbled on the walls.
Drop something during a late night visit to the Pink and that shit is gone forever, say no more - I would only go after large bills and car keys. Still though, they do have some of the most amazing bar food. There is something odd and magical about the grill in the Pink - they do churn out one of the best steak sandwiches you'll ever find, not to mention hand cut grilled bologna sandwiches.
Bartenders are cool and good at what they do. Music tends to lean towards punk but also they play a lot of indie - I've always dug what they play. Drinks are not unreasonably priced. You haven't been out late night in Buffalo if at some point you haven't been through the Pink's doors. -
Review from Tiffany F.
Manhattan, NY
12/27/2009
Ohhh The "Pink"...
This is a place where you: will wander into after a night of drinking in Buffalo, might not want to drink directly from any of their glasses, the bathroom is likely to have at least a half inch of water covering the floor at any given moment, will meet a lot of idiots.
The bouncers are pricks, the bartenders are decent, and the crowd -- although they look like punks -- are nothing more than a bunch of pussies who happened to get a lot of piercings, tattoos, and give themselves some radical hairdo.Listed in: Best and Worst of Buffalo
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Review from Gwen F.
5/3/2008
Don't let the name fool you - this place is The Old Pink, and it's a true experience to be had.
This crazy looking bar sits on Allen St. in Buffalo, and it's really the people that make it what it is, though the cheap, strong drinks don't hurt.
Eclectically decorated, sticker slapped, and graffitied to wazzoo, it's never boring. The bartender, a woman in her 40's with a smoker's cough, took one look at my (male) friend and asked, "hey, did I do you?" When he remarked later that he used to work nearby, she inquired, "which corner?" It was all in good humor, and I honestly liked the lady.
Even the regulars are characters. As I sipped my Jack and Coke, I was regaled with tales of a dog jumping through a plate glass window (he lived) and men wearing tutus. At that point, the bartender pointed out that The Old Pink would always be gay friendly, motioning to me and saying, "even that chick over there has a penis!" How did she know? I kid.
The bathroom was covered in signatures and various mantras of pee-ers who had come before me. I noticed with amusement that someone had scrawled, "PETER CETERA 4-EVA! GLORY OF LOVE, BITCHES!" on the bathroom door. I had to take a picture.
Let's face it - if you're inspired to photograph the latrine, it's got to be an interesting place.
Yep, it's a dive bar. It's rough, and I recommend visiting during the day. But I loved every second of my visit.Listed in: Duh, Winning!, Exploring Western NY
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Review from Michael S.
Denver, CO
8/19/2009
The Old Pink (223 Allen Street) is the best damn bar in America. The End.
OK, I'll elaborate. This one time, single lane bowling alley, is a dark, smelly hole in the wall where you can get the best steak you've ever had in your life. There's usually 70s punk rock (the good stuff, pre-new-wave) playing. And the bartenders, Drew, Brian, Joey and Jay are the best in the business. Well, maybe not, but they're great guys, every last one of 'em.
Post 2 am (Buffalo bars are open until 4 am, after all) the place turns into an odd, drunken, meat market. It's usually pretty crowded. Personally, I like it a little earlier, when you can chill out and chat with the staff.
I miss this bar more than any other thing in Western New York except for my family that's there. The cheap but tough cocktails, the best Steak sandwich on all the planet, great music, super cool staff, and flirty punk rock girl customers make it exactly what my lead in said. This is the best bar in these United States.Listed in: American Barstool, Go Alone But Don't Feel That…
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Review from holly h.
Boston, MA
10/6/2010
I make it my duty to go to as many dive bars across the states, and I'm glad I added this one to the list. Dirty, dark, cheap, great.
Bartender ruled and gave us a whole bunch of free booze.
I tend to ignore most of the other people that are in bars, but I found it weird that there was some type of bachelorette party going on in there - my memory is ridiculously horrible from that night - but I remember that my bf was getting a little creeped out.
I'll definitely be back. -
Review from Hanan H.
San Francisco, CA
7/28/2009
This place is an institution. It's awful and crowded and disgusting but magical and wonderful all at once. Everyone ends up here between 3-4am. I could have a great time, just kicking it in the bathroom, and have on many a night, because that's a party in itself. It's so dark and dank in here, it's like its own world, like the lion, the witch and the wardrobe.
I love the summer nights when everyone gets kicked out at closing time but the party gets continued outside. The one bartender hooks drinks up for me because he likes my hair. -
Review from Dan K.
Chicago, IL
4/28/2009
The Old Pink, (as opposed to the New Pink, which no longer exists, kind of the like the New Coke if you think about it), is the epitome of the dive bar; kind of scary, kind of dirty, but a place you ultimately feel warm fuzzies about stumbling into at 3 in the morning.
I was terrified the first time I went there, but afterwards couldn't get there enough. You will mysteriously loose hours in this place but it won't matter. This place is awesome.
You can't buy the character this place has. Oh, and the Steak Sandwich! OMG, you would never expect it, in fact the thought of eating food here might blow your mind, but trust me, its heaven on earth. -
Review from Brett M.
8/8/2008
The Old Pink is as good as it gets for a dive bar.
This is where I first heard Nirvana, and ate the best Steak Sandwich I have ever had.
If you want to hang out, drink beer and listen to good music, start or end your night here. -
Review from Laura G.
Chicago, IL
12/27/2009
OK- what's with the stupid new name?
I wouldn't enter this place now without rubber gloves, antiseptic wipes and non-skid shoes.... and couldn't stay long enough to risk using the facilities. That said, when I was 17 (legal age 21) and Mohawks were in only their first come-back- this place was where it was at,
Now - I go to bed at 11pm and only drink in establishments that have children's menus. -
Review from Sean W.
9/7/2010 1 photo
The best bar in Buffalo, which is to say the world.
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Review from Spencer S.
Lemont, IL
5/17/2010
I got stuck in Buffalo for an evening (emergency landing on NY - CHI flight) and ended up wandering in this joint after asking a regular ol' cab driver if there was a punk bar anywhere in town. Luckily, the cabbie had been a former regular at The Old Pink and dropped me off there. It was exactly what I had hoped for, though I wish they had a covered area to smoke under since it was pouring that night.
