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Osteria 166 - Steakhouse in Buffalo, New York

Osteria 166

4.5 (850 reviews)

166 Franklin St, Buffalo, NY 14202

Italian restaurant
Pizza restaurant
Restaurant

About Osteria 166 - steak house in Buffalo, New York

In buzzy, warm digs, this eclectic Italian grill serves wood-fired pizzas, pastas & wine.

Customer Review Summary

Osteria 166 is a family-owned Italian restaurant with a well-rated reputation. The chicken parmesan and pasta dishes received high praise, with one reviewer highlighting the attentive and friendly service, especially for those with dietary restrictions. However, some guests experienced long wait times for appetizers and main courses, leading to negative feedback about service efficiency. The ambiance is described as romantic yet somewhat mismatched, with a lively bar atmosphere at the entrance. Most reviewers commend the delicious food, though a few noted that pricing might feel slightly high for the portions. Overall, many plan to return, praising the quality of food and service, while some expressed concerns about management policies impacting customer experience.

Key Features

Service options

  • Outdoor seating
  • Curbside pickup
  • No-contact delivery
  • Delivery
  • Takeout
  • Dine-in

Highlights

  • Fast service
  • Fireplace
  • Great beer selection
  • Great cocktails
  • Great coffee
  • Great dessert
  • Great wine list
  • Live music
  • Sports

Popular for

  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Solo dining

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair accessible restroom
  • Wheelchair accessible seating

Offerings

  • Alcohol
  • Beer
  • Cocktails
  • Coffee
  • Comfort food
  • Food
  • Happy hour drinks
  • Happy hour food
  • Hard liquor
  • Healthy options
  • Late-night food
  • Small plates
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wine

Dining options

  • Dinner
  • Catering
  • Dessert
  • Seating

Amenities

  • Bar onsite
  • Restroom
  • Wi-Fi

Atmosphere

  • Casual
  • Cozy
  • Romantic
  • Trendy
  • Upscale

Crowd

  • Family-friendly
  • Groups
  • LGBTQ+ friendly
  • Tourists
  • Transgender safespace

Planning

  • Dinner reservations recommended
  • Accepts reservations

Payments

  • Checks
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • NFC mobile payments

Children

  • Good for kids
  • High chairs
  • Kids' menu

Parking

  • Free street parking
  • Paid parking lot
  • Paid street parking

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

4.5 out of 5
5
582
4
152
3
68
2
26
1
22
Based on 850 reviews

Mark Tevis

4 months ago

Looking for a family owned Italian restaurant and found this place through Google search. It was rated well and did not disappoint. The chicken parmesan was delicious. Our server was friendly and attentive. Definitely recommend Osteria 166 as a great place for Italian food.

Sofia Ruffo

Went here for valentine’s day, even though they were packed they took wonderful care of us! I have celiac disease and the waiter was very knowledgeable! They came to tell us that someone accidentally put bread crumbs on my pasta and offered a round of drinks on the house. Pasta was delicious & wine was the perfect pairing. I felt so safe eating with an allergy & will be returning/recommending to a friend!

Julia DiPasquale

Came in with my family after convention took over an hour to get our appitizers. We only ordered the stuffed pepper and bread and spreads shouldn’t take that long. We had to get our main meals to go because we knew it was going to take way too long. We only ordered kids spaghetti, Caesar salad and pizza . It shouldn’t take that long. The single stuffed pepper was good not good enough to wait an hour for. Be prepared to wait long time for your food!

Crystal Smith

12 months ago

9 of my friends went for my birthday dinner it was so good we are still talking about how amazing the food was. Service was wonderful as well! We are making plans to visit again soon!

Earsh

8 months ago

Best to have reservations! The ambiance is romantic. A little pricey but delicious! They had their limited chicken lasagna, which was different. I would’ve order again.

Mark Saling

1 year ago

I don't think the restaurant knows what it is or at least I definitely don't. You walk into a rowdy bar and then get seated at a romantic restaurant in the back. The service was good and they kept our drinks refilled and a very nice young man with an ankle injury was very friendly and knowledgeable of the specials. I ordered the chicken parmiangiano and my wife the bolognese. It was more acidic than I'd like and very sparse on the sauce. Slightly overpriced and table was small. I'd say probably not the best Italian food in Buffalo.

Kathryn Mendolera

In the past we have had great experiences with Osteria. The food is wonderful, and we have enjoyed lunch and after work drinks here due to their great convenient location. However, management should reconsider having a "reserved" bar spot for patron Dan Jasen, especially after members of our party were recently verbally accosted by him and his wife, for simply sitting at the bar, even after exiting the one seat where the plaque is placed. Although I am sure the establishment has the plaque as a recognition of how often Mr. Jasen is at the bar, I think management should not allow members of his party to accost fellow patrons for being in the area of "his seat". This has put a terrible taste in our mouth for the restaurant unfortunately, and although this restaurant has great food and is a block from our place of work, we will likely not be returning.

Beach Pig

1 year ago

Enjoyed a lovely New Year's Eve dinner here. First, the bartenders were fantastic. Very friendly and engaging with patrons. Had the focaccia al forno while at the bar and it was served fresh and hot. We were seated 10 minutes early for our reservation. (Slight hiccup, I asked the hostess to move us to a different table and she declined saying there was a similar seating reservation at the same time. That table was never occupied until we left 90 minutes later.) Our server was spectacular. She made contact with us shortly after seating and shared the specials, but also commented on the ones she recommended. We ordered the "coccoli" off the special appetizers. This was a deconstructed app of dough, cheese, prosciutto and giardenera. It was incredible. For dinner, Mrs BP combined a salad and appetizer stuffed peppers. I opted for shrimp pomodoro. The shrimp were cooked well and not fishy or chewy. The pasta also was in just the right amount of sauce. The manager was actively assisting wait staff with food delivery and checking on patron's experiences. The decor is quant and I would highly recommend the restaurant for dinner or drinks and an appetizer if in the area.

Location

Contact Information

Hours of Operation

Friday 5–10 PM
Monday Closed
Saturday 5–10 PM
Sunday Closed
Thursday 5–9 PM
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 5–9 PM

Price Range

$30–50