Martin Cooks

Just heard Martin Cooks is closing the end of May… I’m not surprised.
Being such a great restaurant, in such an awesome environment, and serving up such perfect culinary delights, many must be wondering why? Perhaps owner and chef, Martin Danilowicz’s arrogance, nastiness to customers and staff, and those outrageous prices have something to do with it?
Looking forward to seeing when and where he’ll once again disgrace WNY with his poor business practices… if at all.
Au revoir Martin… you won’t be missed by everyone.

This place is unbelievable. We have been meaning to come here for so long but never got around to it until today. We went for Sunday brunch and it did not disappoint. The place itself is so cool. Everything from the decorations to the way the tables are set up. We sat a communal table. At first I was nervous about communal table idea but it turned out to be very cool. Our waiter was very prompt and very helpful with helping us order our meals and drinks. We ordered the bloody Mary and a vodka drink which both were very delicious. For our meals we ordered the biscuits in gravy and asparagus risotto with salmon. Both of these dishes were absolutely awesome. The presentation was perfect and the taste was even better. We got there just in time because after us there were about 30 People waiting for tables. It was really cool they offered free champagne to those people waiting for tables. I would highly recommend trying out Martin cooks for brunch and any other meal. I look forward to going back for dinner one day.

I can’t thank everyone who was working yesterday enough for my amazing birthday brunch. You were so kind to our group, the food was incredible (as usual), and we had such a great time. I am so grateful! I had a number of first-​time diners with me and they could not get over how beautiful the space is and delicious the food was. They will definitely become regulars moving forward. Thank you all again, so much. Xo

Walked in one day to see what they had and I noticed they had empanadas on the menu so I asked the chef if I could see one out of curiosity. He was the rudest person you could ever talk to he was talking down to me like if I was some kind of peasant. I have no idea why but I know I would never spend my money there. Just one of those people that thinks there better then everyone else.

This was a very unique and memorable dining experience! You’re greeted by the wonderful severs with a glass of champagne. I really enjoyed not having to make any decisions. The food was fantastic. We chose to do the wine pairing and that was worth it. The soup/​salad starter was out of this world. The pasta dish was my favorite. Being able to watch Martin cook was really nice too. His intensity and perfection was fascinating to watch.

If you typically order the same meal at a restaurant or look for recognizable menu items to play it safe then Martin Cooks is probably not in your wheelhouse. However, if you’re curious and seriously interested in a unique culinary experience and seeing how different ingredients can make a meal come alive… well look no further.
The menu changes, so to give my take on specific meals wouldn’t be very helpful. We have been here for brunch, lunch, wine tasting and dinner… and feel fortunate to have found a place like Martin Cooks.

All of the 5-​star reviews before this are worth it… A lot has been said so let me sum it up quickly here:
1. Martin’s cooking is memorable and incredible. 2 years ago, I had the pleasure of coming here for a private dinner for Valentines day. That was the last time and the only time before I came here before yesterday AND I can still describe and remember everything I ate in detail.
2. The atmosphere is very warm and friendly. Its an open layout situation which I love. Upon our arrival for our dinner; the staff all had smiles on their faces. They took our coats and gave us a glass of champagne.
3. Parking in this area will always not be ideal however its not that bad in comparison to any place on Allen and or Hertel or most places in the city. So I am not sure what the fuss is about.
4. Martin Cook’s donates the profits from their merchandise to the Buffalo Animal Shelter.
5. I love his inspiration and that the food is so vague in description. What are snacks? Snacks are anything Martin wants them to be and they are delicious.
Just go and try for yourself.

Buffalo was in desperate need of a place like this to compete with other foodie cities: a trendy restaurant with creative, tasty, beautiful, seasonal food and cocktails. The dinner is a price fixe 5 course always-​changing menu with optional wine pairing and every course was more innovative than the last.
Their weekend brunch menu is also a great culinary experience!

Hated it!
Somebody is trying way too hard. The flavor combinations were terrible. Maybe I just came on a bad night but I wouldn’t go back to this restaurant EVER.
It started out with a one bite appetizer that was a chocolate egg with tequila. Sorry, but I don’t want to start any dinner with chocolate or tequila, disgusting. This was followed by a tomato soup that had chills and jalapeños. The soup was so spicy that my mouth was burning for 5 minutes after I was finished. It wasn’t served with bread or crackers to take the burn away.
The poor flavor combos continued with a fish taco that had goat cheese and radishes. I love fish tacos but goat cheese doesn’t belong anywhere near a fish taco. The main entrée looked like a plate of poop. It was a tempura fish with a black batter that really was not appealing from the moment the plate was set in front of me. The combo of corn and potato again was not appetizing.
It wasn’t just me that had an upset stomach after eating this meal. This meal gets two big thumbs down for being over-​priced and frankly nauseating.

Been to brunch here a few times after going to the Horesfeathers Winter Market on Saturday’s. The communal seating and the open kitchen are really well done at this restaurant– great concept and it’s definitely working at attracting people to that area of the city.
The food is fantastic and cooked to order. The kitchen can get a little backed up but be patient; it will be worth the wait. The highlight this past time was the cod and scallops — ordered by the couple next to us. They shared their plates with us and vice versa. First for me and not a dish I would have had ordered.

As I have not yet attended a regular dinner here, my review is for special events at Martin Cooks. The two private parties I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing at Martin Cooks were really outstanding. In addition to marvelous food and cocktails – both crafted with clear love and attention to detail – the pure pleasure of being in such a lovely space is a welcome part of the whole experience. The industrial space feels perfectly repurposed with just the right balance of cool and whimsy and warmth to make you want to settle in for a great day with friends. The good cheer and conviviality of the whole staff is the cherry on top. Highly recommended.

Food was excellent !! Came with a group of 6 for my girlfriend’s birthday. The place has a great atmosphere. We were greeted and offered champagne. They have bar style seating which was cool but not conducive to socializing with our entire party. The wine list could have offered more but what we had was good.
Aside from all that what we really came for was the food and it was spectacular! The menu appeared to be created just for me. All my favorites with the most interesting preparations. Not at all disappointed ! It was a fun experience and we will be back.

Simply put, this place is sensational. The food is some of the best I’ve tasted in Buffalo.
Went here on a Saturday morning for brunch with my parents. You have to go in the side door, which opens up into a coop kind of place with other little eateries inside. The brunch menu featured about 12 entrees and a dessert. The waitress (who, simply put, just did her job) mentioned that they change the menu every week. A FULL CHANGE. EVERY WEEK. They also had a good selection of alcoholic brunch beverages for consumption. Coffee was great (and bottomless).
I ordered the crispy lamb and Greek potatoes. It was divine. It was filling, fresh, well made, and presented well. It was the perfect amount of food. I was hooked from the first bite.
Although it’s not the cheapest place to dine, it is awesome. Right down to the décor. Also a great date spot! I will be back.
Go in confidence.

My new favorite restaurant in Buffalo. This is the kind of restaurant that Buffalo has been needing for a long time to take its restaurant scene to «the next level.»
*This review is for dinner only*
From the second I walked into this restaurant and they handed everyone a complimentary glass of champagne, I knew I was in the right place.
Martin Cooks creates a new 5 course prix fixe menu each week, which it serves only from Wednesday-​Saturday. You will need to make reservations several weeks in advance, so please make sure that you’re not going with a picky eater. The food here is inventive, with creative (but absolutely delicious) mixtures that you never would’ve considered (i.e. Squash soup with pomegranate seeds and tapioca balls), and it’s laid out like art on your plate. They only allow ~15 people to eat there at a time because they seat everyone at the bar surrounding the kitchen, so you can peer into the kitchen at all times and see how they’re cooking (get the best seat you can!).
I highly recommend that you talk to Martin and his staff as much as you can during your dinner. They are more than happy to talk with you and answer your questions. Martin told us all about his life story and how he came to open this restaurant, which was very interesting. We learned about how they source their food/​drinks, how/​when they come up with the menu each week, etc. Ask them questions and your meal will be that much better. The staff couldn’t be more friendly and attentive.
Finally, since I have moved from Buffalo to NYC recently, I could not believe I could get this type of meal (rivaling similar top prix fixe restaurants in NYC) at prices like this. Absolutely a must go.

Maureen M couldn’t be more wrong. Martin was both a gentleman and a scholar as he carefully guided me down Culinary Delight Lane this eve. The food was careful and loving pontificated, sourced and prepared with great care through loving eyes. The ambiance and staffing was epic.
Will surely return

I came here once with a friend by chance for brunch (the other places we want to go to were either closed or super packed). It was a pleasant find for a Sunday morning!
The staff were pretty friendly and the décor was cute. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was the metal chairs that were pretty too look at, but not comfortable to sit on. Staff was pretty attentive and wanted to make sure you were taken care of. It wasn’t jam packed but tables did not stay empty for long.
The food took a little longer than expected to arrive. If you opt for a bar seat, you can see the kitchen workers working hard to prepare your dish. Ordering a mimosa or two definitely helps the wait, although I almost wished they offered something to nibble on too.
We shared the risotto and burger, which turned out to be perfect. If you had to choose one though, I would opt for the burger. The risotto was creamy and tasty. The burger was juicy and a combination of sweet and spicy which totally my thing.
The only thing is they use two thin patties instead of one, so you won’t get your burger cooked to the temperature you desire. I’m usually a medium rare kind of gal– as I find anything more cooked to be inedible. But in this case, the juiciness and flavor was not compromised and I would even order it again!

Stunningly delicious brunch. Unaccompanied by alcohol until noon but then the owner came around with tiny amuse bouches cocktails to celebrate Happy Minute at 12:01 pm. We ordered a bottle of Russian River rose to follow. Delicious. But what we ate: burritos in a pool of green mole that stuffed with tender scrambled eggs and goat cheese and then grilled and decorated in edible flowers and greens that tasted like popcorn. We also had the grilled halibut and salmon on a bed of soft spaghetti shaped zucchini and green vegetables dressed in minty green goddess. (Vegetti! I have a maker have yet to use. Inspired and yet defeated because how could mine be half as good?) This dish too came adorned by in edible flowers and popcorn flavored greens and a dear, tiny radish and carrot.
All of this makes it seem too precious. It is not. It is hardy and unpretentious. There’s so much more I want: spicy shrimp ramen. Pork belly BLT. That mac and cheese…

Was recently in Buffalo for a bachelorette weekend, and the bride told us how good her dinner was at Martin Cooks. She made us a reservation for 15 for a Saturday brunch and Martin said he would make us a family style meal, which we were all very excited about.
The start of the brunch was a little awkward, as we had one more person than planned, but we easily were able to add a chair and fit just fine. If I’m being honest the staff seemed less than thrilled to serve us, but the food literally was a 10, so I can’t dock a star.
For drinks, we chose: mimosas, bloody marys, white sangria and cherry mules. All were fantastic, but I especially loved my spicy bloody and the white sangria was to die for.
Platters upon platters of food arrived and I’m pretty sure tears of joy streamed from our faces. There were: poppyseed muffins and bacon jalapeño cornbread, a bounty of cold Asian noodles, a green salad with radishes, red onion, and a killer green goddess dressing, spicy chicken thighs, and THE MOST AMAZING breakfast sandwiches with biscuits, pimento cheese and homemade sausage patties.
I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever seen a spread so spectacular. They also boxed up our leftovers and we enjoyed them after our night out. Go there now.

One of the best Saturday morning decisions I have made in some time. I had heard about this place from friends when I moved to Buffalo; open kitchen concept, new menu each day, killer Bloody Mary’s, so I had to see what all the commotion was about. Was this place really that extraordinary? The answer my friends, is yes, yes it most certainly was. So we make the rookie mistake by trying to walk in the doors facing Connecticut Street. Don’t be one of those people, they don’t open and everyone inside is probably looking at you like you don’t know what you’re doing, use the side door. Inside, its hopping, mainly because there are other businesses within the Horsefeather’s Market, not just Martin Cooks, don’t allow yourself to become distracted, walk straight to Martin Cook’s and fast because they are BUSY. We were greeted by a very kind hostess. We wanted to sit at the bar so she escorted us to two available seats and gave us menus. Having no idea what to expect, since the menu changed regularly, I was a little worried. My fear of not being able to find anything on the menu that I could have enjoyed quickly turned into a worry that I might order everything on the menu. The options were inventive, extremely different from any other brunch menu I’ve seen lately and all sounded UN-​freaking-​believable.
I’ll back up a second, sitting at the bar was totally cool because it was as if we were at a table dining with another couple because they were seated at the bar on the other side of us. We could also see directly into the kitchen and it was crazy. They were all doing their thing, keeping their cool, making great food and so on. First, we started with Bloody Mary’s, extra spicy please, and spicy they were. So delicious, served in mason jars (YES), and strong to say the least. They were pretty perfect. The bartender was cool, laid back yet professional, down to earth and knowledgable, everything a bartender should be. After a painfully long deliberation, we settled with the Pork Belly BLT and Green Mole Chicken Burrito. The food came out about 15 minutes after ordering and was delivered to us by Martin Cook himself. I freaking loved that. How cool is that, the chef owner of the restaurant hand delivering your food. Not only did he bring it to us, he came to box up leftovers for us afterwards. But I’ll get to that. As we are waiting for our food, we are people watching. There’s a lot going on in this place. We talked to our neighbors to our left and to the ones sitting across the table from us. Everyone was in a good mood here, it was weird but awesome. The place has some high top tables and regular tables, definitely enough space for larger parties and there are tall window/​doors everywhere so the interior is really bright and lively. If I had to pick a perfect Saturday morning ambiance for brunch, it would be Martin Cooks. Our food comes and not only are the portions massive, but they are so beautifully plated I had to be one of those obnoxious picture takers that people nearby always make fun of but secretly wish they didn’t care enough what people think to take their own pictures of their beautiful food too. The Pork BLT was sensational and came with potatoes that were perfectly seasoned. I had the green mole chicken burrito. There are actually no words. I am literally having difficult finding words to describe how delicious this dish was. I think I may have eaten it with my eyes closed, which explains the green mole sauce all over my shirt, but that’s neither here nor there. The sauce was light, so it didn’t overpower the dish but had the perfect spice. The burrito was DELICIOUS and I could only eat half, again portions were huge. There was so much going on, beans, chicken, seeds, radishes, carrots, cabbage and more. VERY reasonably priced for the quantity and quality. Bloody Mary’s were only $ 7! Total bill came to $ 47 or so. As I mentioned earlier, we were checked on by the bartender in the middle of meal and Martin Cook came by to make sure we were satisfied and took the liberty of wrapping our food to go. There were people dining with their friends, significant others, larger parties and other people sitting at the bar solo with a laptop doing work or with a book enjoying their Saturday morning. This venue serves a multitude of clientele. The service couldn’t have been better, food couldn’t have been better. I cannot wait to come back.

Im not understanding the rave reviews here. Ive been 5 times now, and not once has Martin done more then a cursory «Hello» (and that only 3 of the 5 times). Now it would not matter to me overall if he did not walk around and be visible. At that point each guest should get a greeting.
Each meal has indeed had good food. As it should be at the price served. One of my dining companions had the Bolognese for lunch one day, and it was VERY salty. Super salty. I had the grilled cheese once, and each element was good, but coming together it was a miss. The bread was cut too thick and was flavorless. But when I ate the parts alone they were great. Sadly that’s not the idea of a grilled cheese. I had a nice soup there, although I don’t remember what it was called. I liked it. The vegetable curry a few weeks ago was good, but again, for the price should have been great.
One evening we had the tasting menu, no wine. I did hear from others the wine that evening was good, again, as it should be for the $ 40 upcharge on it. While we enjoyed it, we just did not get the «best food in buffalo» we have been hearing and reading about effect. It was fine. Tried a little too hard to be «creative» perhaps. I don’t know. We are not yet sold.
Ill be back because people want to try it, and I want to like it. I waited on this review for a long time because I kept thinking that it must be better than what I had experienced.
But overall Martin is not the most pleasant guy, his staff looked a little fearful of him, and once when I was in Horsefeathers Market I heard him talking to other vendors in a very condescending manner.
I’m hoping Ill be able to increase stars at some point. But for the ambiance created by Martin, the price and then the food, its just not a «match». For the price the food should be out of this world and the ambiance should be welcoming to all.
Reading this review back, I guess my overall issue is the price vs taste. For the price I want something out of this world. If I was getting a dinner meal for $ 40, I might have been happier. Or a sandwich for $ 6 – 8. Whatever. But for me the price does not match the taste or combinations. And the unsmiling staff and owner only add to that irritation.
The wait staff is OK.
Parking here is a disaster.