providence social

good tapasrestaurant(with plenty of room for improvement). upon entering we thought the decor was cool, very unique. seemed to be going for the industrial age or something. layout of the bar was nice, and the big windows into the dining area opened it up while providing a sound barrier for diners. the bartender was kind of rude when we walked in and asked about our reservation, responding "there's a hostess if you'll wait a minute". whatever, maybe a bad day, but all that needed to be said was "the hostess will be right with you".

after being sat by a server we browsed through the menus. drink lists were good, unique cocktails and an above average wine and beer selection. one thing to note is that for a tapas place the menu is very small. if your menu consists of small plates there should be more options than the 16 or so in my opinion. most good tapas places i've been to have upwards of 30.

the fries/breadstick thing brought to the table to start was straight up weird. cold shoestring french fries arent really a great substitute to bread, olives, etc... but ok. the tapas was very good with the exception of the beef on weck meatballs which were dry, and probably not prepared that day. everything else we definitely enjoyed. service was alright.

i'd like to check out the outdoor patio once it gets nice out, but unless they really impress me on my next visit i probably won't make this place one of my favorites in buffalo. as of this visit it's good, but there's plenty of places better.

on tuesday of localrestaurantweek, 5 yelpers met at providence social under the reservation ‘yelp buffalo book club’. when we planned this event the previous month while wrapping up our first book at toro, we completely forgot about lrw, but it actually worked out perfectly! providence social is a nicerestaurantin a converted historical home on rhode island st just inside elmwood village. blessedly in this messy muck of a winter, providence social has their own parking lot directly across the street. the hostess sat us at a wrap-around booth so we could all hear each other discuss our book of the month: orphan train by christina baker kline.* i would love to discuss the book in further detail, but let’s just stick to providence social, shall we? we fit comfortably in the booth with room to spare, and could hear each other and our server fine. our server totally understood that we wanted to talk, so he gave us plenty of time to discuss our book, inserted himself into the conversation politely, and was all around enjoyable; we all really liked him. along with the attention of the busser and watching the other servers, it just looks like providence social has a really good crew on board, and i love seeing that! our server mentioned providence social’s cocktail menu (libations), and i had to take a look. each cocktail is $10, for good reason. ps definitely serves up some quality cocktails. their elmwood  caught my eye: absolut mandarin, aperol, hand pressed grapefruit juice and house-made sour? oh. yeah. my husband’s eye was drawn to the social sting (how do you do) made of cognac, creme de menthe, egg white, and ginger beer. the best news? providence social’s lrw specials went as such: choice of 3 featured plates or house-made desserts 20.15 add 22oz beer, or 2 beers, or 2 craft cocktails 30.15 or add 1 bottle of house wine 40.15 we could get 2 cocktails at essentially half price? uh, yeah, we snatched that deal up! i was a little uncertain about splitting a dinner

good food & questionable management. i have dined with friends here on more than one occasion. the shroom stack , tomato bisque, and poblano peppers were all very good. one companion raved about the bone marrow. service at this place has been consistently "good" whether at the bar or enjoying a meal in the dining room. drink are way overpriced as others have mentioned. a friend and i ordered french gimlets with hendrick's gin one night and we were charged $14 a drink. this is not manhattan, people. it's the west side of buffalo. each time we have been in there therestauranthas not been very busy and neither has the bar. no wonder considering the exorbitant price of drinks. i love the atmosphere and art deco decor. understated and welcoming, yet sophisticated. i can't justify drinking here though, which is a shame.

providence "anti-social". went out for drinks with friends. overly priced for the specialty drinks we ordered and they were weak.restaurantseemed nice but was empty, so we hung out at the bar. the only thing colder than my drink was my service! don't appreciate the bartender who was on his phone texting all night and too busy to make his weak drinks. if you're in this part of town do yourself a favor and walk over to the left bank.

i had an amazing time and the food was delicious! i will definitely be back. all of the food was different and i love that the portions are small so that you can get a taste of everything! although the service standards are not consistent with the quality of the food. the fine dining atmosphere did not reflect the quality of service. my husband and i ordered 2 dishes we wanted brought out first which was the bone marrow and panko crusted goat cheese. the server brought out three other dishes we ordered and then the other server working that night came over to our table and pushed two tables together and brought out our remaining 6 dishes before we even began eating our appetizers. i asked the server before ordering how fast the food would come out and if it was possible to do the meal in courses. as this was my first time in i had no idea how the meal would go. he told me yes we will bring your appetizers out first and then follow with the remaining dishes. it was impossible to get to each dish while it was still warm. i would consider this server error and see it as a lack of communication between kitchen and front of the house employees. therestauranthad 4 tables and 2 servers and i waited 15 minutes to get coffee with my dessert. i was extremely excited to see bone marrow on the menu but when it arrived it was very dry and hard to scrape out. other than that the rest of the food was delicious! i cannot wait to go back and try the rest of the menu and get the pork belly that they sold out of! i love supporting local restaurants and will definitely give it another chance. as a server myself it is extremely important to be knowledgable of the menu items which the server i had was not.... thank god the chef can produce delicious food!!! i love therestaurantand i love what they did with the place!

social club. went for appetizers and drinks before the hockey game on friday. place was packed for happy hour. new owners really remodeled the place. rick martin memorabilia and old buffalo pictures decorate therestaurantalong with stained glass windows of the buffalo skyline. unique square chandeliers with branch light lighting are in the dining room. large patio off the side of therestaurantwith couches and chairs along with tables. it will be nice to use in the summer and warm weather. bar offers signature drinks besides wine and beer. i ordered a chenango which had tequila st. germain and a sprig of rosemary. delicious even though some people thought it was too strong. we ordered the beef carpaccio, oysters, duck nachos and portobello stack. all of the food was very good and enough to share with our party of 4. the beef carpaccio and the duck nachos were our favorite items. service was a little slow for only ordering appetizers. will have to come back for entrees when we aren't in such a rush.

charming atmosphere. i dined at providence social last night for a light late dinner. i have heard many good things about the place so i decided to check it out. the bar is incredible and boasts an amazing aroma. i had the special grilled cheese soup- delicious. i also had the lobster mac and cheese, great as well. i love the banquettes that make the dining experience more intimate and private. presentation on the food was creative and inviting to match the incredible aroma and taste. there is something for everyone on this menu; well thought out and truly one-of-a-kind. service was great too. try the chocolate trio dessert! yum! after dinner i stepped outside to the patio, which i predict will be a hit starting next summer. the outdoors setting is relaxing and embodies both class and charm. thank you josh for being a gracious host. thisrestaurantis a great addition to the top dining options in buffalo. i will definitely be back.

providence social is a newrestaurantwith an old idea – people sharing food. as one member in a family that needs to try everything on the table, i love this concept. at providence social it’s not about serving family-style, where the bring you a large serving that feeds the whole table, it’s about an abundant selection of sample plates. the rhode island street eatery (corner of chenango) is located in the beautiful old victorian that once housed roseland and most recently prime 490, down the street from left bank. step in the front entrance, immediately into the smartly decorated bar area, and you’ll notice a completely refurbished interior. the bar is an inviting space with a neighborhood feel, highlighted by new stained glass windows. through the bar area is a handsome dining room with a banquett along two walls, and majestic booths on another. a small dining area awaits beyond. an exciting addition to the floor plan is a charming garden/patio off the back, complete with tables, co