Buffalo food is more than chicken wings. Many will argue (probably correctly but I’m not getting into that) that chicken wings weren’t even invented at Anchor Bar as the legend goes, but regardless, Buffalo is synonymous with chicken wings.
We do damn good wings here. I have few favorites (Duffs, Bar-Bill, Mr. Eds/Ponys in Middleport, Elmos), and each has a unique take on their wings and sauce.
But we also have a lot of Buffalo staples besides chicken wings, and the Indian Falls Log Cabin has one of the most Buffalo menus I’ve seen.
First, a true Buffalo restaurant must have French Onion soup on the menu. I have no idea why it’s so popular here (and neither does Google, apparently) but I have a theory. Buffalo is super cold and largely working class, and French onion soup is hearty, warm, filling, and relatively inexpensive to make, making it the perfect starter or meal. It must be piping hot, full of onions and soft, smushy bread, and topped with a thick but not too thick cheese, perfectly broiled on the top, and not too salty. Some even come with a pair of scissors to cut the cheese, and I personally appreciate that.
I always order medium wings as a baseline at new (or in this case, first time in over a decade) restaurants. If you can do a medium wing with just the right heat, crispy outside and moist inside, the rest of the wings should be good. People locally talk about how good these wings are. While delicious, the bar is really high in WNY, and they weren’t anything spectacular.
Another local favorite is the beef on weck. It’s thinly sliced roast beef with au jus on a kimmelweck roll and a thin layer of coarse horseradish. I don’t generally eat red meat but it’s hard to say no to a beef on weck.
Another random sandwich found on local menus is fried bologna. I don’t like bologna so I can’t say much about it, but my family really liked this one.
Obviously not unique to WNY, but a good turkey sandwich is also on most menus. The one at the Log Cabin was really tasty. It was light and fresh and came with the obligatory mac salad.
The restaurant itself isn’t fancy. It’s exactly what you would expect at a bar/restaurant in the middle of nowhere. But the view is wonderful. It’s set next to Indian Falls (hence the name) and has a great view of Indian Falls and the Tonawanda Creek. The enclosed back patio and outdoor open patio are perfect for a meal with a view in the few months the weather is nice.
If you find yourself driving down the 90 between Batavia and Buffalo and hunger hits, I highly recommend getting off in Pembroke and checking out the Indian Falls Log Cabin.