Buffalo Head Restaurant

I was excited when this landmark restaurant reopened. Then I ate there. The chicken and biscuit special contained inedible, rubbery chicken which I could not eat. The manager was informed and very generously reduced the bill for the order by half. The problem is that the whole thing was bad; not half. The prices have gone up quite a bit and that would be reasonable, but not with a reduction in the quality of the food. I have been eatind there off and on for over 40 years but this experience has cost them a customer. There is a bar and grill nearby on Rt 28 that is a better choice.

The Buffalo Head is open again. Went in not knowing what to expect and was happy to find the new owners have kept it pretty much the same. A couple items on the menu have been added/​deleted, but if you were a fan before, you’ll be happy. They even have a lot of the old staff, been there a couple times since the re-​opening and love having it back!

Back open and not too much seems to have changed, the rolls are still stale, the portions are large. I’d say the prices have went up again. Several of the wait staff have returned, it’s always nice to visit.
Dessert is still the best part

Been here many times and always get decent, reasonably priced meals. Décor really could use some updating, especially booths with sagging seats. Last trip the foliage tour train dropped off several car loads of passengers. So, our quiet dinner turned into something much different. Not enough wait staff this day and we were quickly forgotten after our dinner arrived. So, find out when the trains are coming! We enjoy the pork and turkey dinners, but this time I sensed for the first time that the mashed potatoes were not «real» like usual. Good to see they added beans to the veggie dish. I always get the strawberry shortcake. But, do wish they would use more berries and juice to soak into the real biscuits and use real whipped cream. Worth a stop if you haven’t been here already!

I have always heard good things about the Buffalo Head and I love visiting the Adirondacks. I was severely disappointed with my experience and food, we went on a Friday evening on our way home from Old Forge and noticed the parking lot and restaurant was packed thinking it must be good. First the place was extremely loud, we couldn’t hear ourselves talking to each other without having to yell ourselves. The prices were ok but most things were overpriced. My wife ordered the chicken breast which was cooked in white wine and lemon juice because she is dieting, however the server felt it necessary to tell her it was bland. It wasn’t that bad just nothing special, and I ordered the broiled scallops thinking they were sea scallops at over $ 14 for a small plate, I was wrong. They used bay scallops that were cooked horribly, I couldn’t even eat them and they were like eating egg whites they were so soft and watery. For a restaurant with such a good reputation I was very disappointed, I would avoid here for better restaurants in the Old Forge area.

I had the Pork with Apples and could not eat only a few bites of it.
The pork came with a topping that was suppose to be apples. It was loaded with a topping like an apple pie ground up. Cheddar cheese on top of that.
There was so much cinnamon and nutmeg in this mixture you could not taste apples or pork at all.
My husband had a thin 8 oz filet steak, mashed potatoes and cup of soup. It came on a piece of toast. He said it was good and tender. That cost $ 24.00. The wedding soup was heavily salted. Not as good as I remembered from a few years ago at Buffalohead.
We paid $ 24.00

Eating at the Buffalo Head Restaurant is like eating at grandma’s house as a kid… before the world told her that eggs and bacon were going to give grandpa a heart attack. Buffalo Head serves sandwiches on white bread and smothers dishes in thick gravy. So if you’re in the mood for comfort food, head on over!
I followed my stomach here during a weekend road trip after spying a billboard for the Famous Buffalo Head Restaurant. There’s an anecdote on the menu detailing how the restaurant got its name and it was cute enough for me to repeat it to a friend later that day. I’ll skip it here, though, so you can discover it for yourself.
The roast beef sandwich came with a choice of potato for a little under 9 bucks. The meat was tender and throwing caution to the wind, I ate white bread in I don’t know how many years smothered in oodles of brown gravy. The waitress was friendly, attentive, and almost kept my drink glass full. I ended the meal with a mini chocolate sundae which I found disappointing that they don’t use real whipped cream (I think it was a generic Cool Whip-​ish dessert topping or some other fake substitute). All in all it hit the spot well enough.

I went here for the first time on a recent trip to Old Forge. My boyfriend and his family have been going for years. I thought the food was really good. Go in knowing what you’re getting. It’s a family friendly, classic steak and baked potato establishment and doesn’t waste time or money on bells and whistles. It doesn’t look as though it’s been re-​decorated for quite some time but has a certain rustic, mountain vibe that goes well with the area. We all had steaks, baked potatoes, salads, and rolls. Here they do not try to fancy up the meal with new variations on old favorites; however, they know how to do the classics well. Tasty! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a good, satisfying steak dinner at a reasonable price.

This rating is based solely on our most recent visit this month. We have been going to the Buffalo Head for over 40 years and it has been one of our favorite places. We have always have had excellent home cooked meals in huge portions with great service. Well, on our most recent visit we got 2 of those 3 — great service and huge portions. But, the food was down a notch. The duck was average, there were no brownies in the brownie sundae dessert, the «whipped cream» on the banana cream pie did not seem to be of «homemade quality», and there were some other quality issues. The food was all good, it just wasn’t the great food we are used to having there. I am going to chalk this one up to timing (we ate at about 1:30pm on a weekday) and an off day. We will go back and hope things return to the old standards next time.

Went here with my family after going for a quick hike. It was ok. Nothing really special. Old style décor inside, like a bunch of random items and stuffed animals and such. Food is ok as well. I had a reuben and fries. The reuben was ok. A little much on the butter side without the bread to back it up. I heard the steaks are where it is at though, but need to work myself up to that.

Its got it all — great Adirondack charm, a scenic railroad running right through its side yard and food that never disappoints. If you want to head out to a restaurant that has good down-​home food served in massive proportions, this is most definitely it. I had the roast beef and gravy and my mom had the pork and gravy and we were filled to the brim. Don’t come without a good appetite ~ I hear the desserts are excellent, but had no room to try them (next time for sure!). All waas served graciously by our attentive waitress. And just to make it a perfect visit, the Adirondack scenic railway train made an appearance ~ great ambiance.

I can’t agree more with Alison S. The Buffalo Head is a must if you are ever even remotely near Forestport. Huge steaks cooked to perfection and a beautiful setting.
All true Upstate New Yorkers know and love the Buffalo Head (even though I don’t particularly care to see THE buffalo head sticking out of the wall).

The Buffalo Head is more than just a restaurant tucked away in the Adirondacks – it’s an institution! I’ve been going there for as long as I can remember whenever I pay a visit to the «North Country». It’s a great place to stumble into after a day of cross-​country skiing or snowmobiling. There’s a giant stuffed head of a buffalo mounted on the wall of the front dining room, a large round fireplace in the center of the room, and more history than you can shake a stick at.
The sirloin steak for one is ginormous. I don’t know anyone who has actually finished it in one sitting while in the restaurant. I’ve been ordering the fried clam basket since I was, like, 5. I also recommend the hot turkey sandwich that comes smothered in gravy. You can’t really go wrong with anything on their menu. The portions are plentiful and you’ll always have some to take home.
BONUS:
If you sit on the front side of the restaurant, you may be lucky enough to see one of the Adirondack Railroad trains roll by. The place is also brimming with history. The Buffalo Head used to be an inn back during the logging days and was later converted to a restaurant. In fact, the original train depot is across the street. It’s been closed for years now (there used to be a gift shop in there) and is rather dilapitated. Yet, it’s still cool to look at and imagine what it would have been like 80 years prior.