Santasiero’s Restaurant

Santasiero’s Restaurant at 1329 Niagara Street on Buffalo’s West Side is one of the city’s oldest and most beloved Italian institutions, founded in 1921 by Dominic Santasiero — a Neapolitan immigrant who opened a small pub on Niagara Street — and still serving old-world Italian comfort food more than 100 years later in the same unpretentious, red-and-white checkered tablecloth setting that has defined the West Side dining experience for generations. The menu is posted on the back wall rather than handed out, featuring classic dishes at remarkably affordable prices including pasta e fagioli, spaghetti and meatballs, linguine and clams, stuffed shells, ravioli, and the fan-favorite eggplant parmigiana — with generous portions that ensure no one leaves hungry and most entrees priced well under $15. Open seven days a week from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM Sunday through Thursday and until 9:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, reservations welcome. This institution has survived the Great Depression, two World Wars, and a 2015 flood to remain a cherished landmark of authentic Italian dining in the greater Buffalo area.