Shango New Orleans Bistro / Wine Bar

So I ate my leftovers last night while watching Top Chef in my pj’s. The food is damn good! We hadn’t been to Shango’s because it feels like every time we try the wait is an hour or more. Somehow last night we lucked out!
The minute I stepped into the restaurant all I could smell was food. It was this intoxicating smell, and it smelled like bread. There’s nothing better than the smell of bread. We made reservations using Open Table and were seated immediately. Definitely unexpected for a Friday night. Every member of staff we encounter was so pleasant and friendly and attentive. Our water glasses were never less that half full.
My boyfriend and I spilt the crab artichoke jalapeño dip and it came out sizzling and bubbling in the cast iron pan. It easily could’ve been split between three of four people and someone decided to save room for his actual meal so I had to finish it off…
For dinner I had the seafood bouillabaisse with catfish, scallops, shrimp, crab, lobster, and mussels in a tomato broth with onions peppers and toasted crostini. It was so good, I don’t think I can explain. Everything was cooked perfectly, and with the tomato broth I wanted to lick the bowl. Even after two servings I still have the broth and potatoes left to be eaten. My boyfriend had the shrimp po-​boy which he could only give nodding mumbles between bites so I’m assuming that was good. We also split a side of Mac-​n-​cheese, because I like food. There was a cheese explosion in the bowl! The other great thing about our entire meal was everything came out hot! I burned the roof of my mouth a little but completely worth it and I would do it again to eat this wonderful food.
In total we spent a hundred with a tip for our waiter. For drinks, appetizer, dinner, and a shared side dish I’d say the prices are very reasonable. With the generous portions of my bouillabaisse I would’ve expected to pay much more than we did.

Fantastic atmosphere. Great service. Lots of GOOD wine and beer. Food is fairly priced and is not your usual stuff. Best place in the area for sure. I those the fish tacos which were on special. Nice Belgium style craft brew with it. Check it out!

This place is amazing! Great staff and bartenders also the food selection was down right phenomenal!!! I always take my mother her for brunch on her birthday and I’m amazed every time!

We went here for Valentine’s day and had a wonderful time. Great atmosphere. It was very cozy with low lighting. The service was also very fast for such a busy holiday. We ordered the pork belly and sweet potato fries for appetizers. Both were very good. For our entrees we both got the buttermilk fried free range chicken with potatoes and collard greens and I have to say it was delicious! Would definitely recommend stopping in.

Everything about this place is amazing. From the moment we walked in, we knew we were in for a treat. The ambiance of the place is truly romantic. Nice dim lights and good soft music is great for an impromptu date night. Great wine selection. The appetizers were way bigger than we expected. We ordered the oysters and fried calamari. Freshest oysters I’ve had in some time. The bouillabaisse was to die for. At one point I thought our server, Jaime, was dining with us. Every moment I finished something it seemed like she was right there waiting to take the plate away. Tremendous service.

We did takeout from this highly regarded place. While I was here once before it was only for a drink. This time no drink, but plenty of food.
We had 2 apps, spring rolls and duck sausage, 2 mains, salmon and fried chicken, and a side of the Mac and cheese.
The spring rolls were terrific. They came elegantly cut on a diagonal already. With a few dipping choices.
The duck sausage arrived in a bed of fava beans.
The salmon was perfectly cooked for us, rare. Served on a bed of greens it was terrific.
The fried chicken arrived on mashed potatoes and greens. The chicken was great. We didn’t love the mashed potatoes though.
The Mac and cheese was selected solely because it gets so many shout outs. We are not a Mac and cheese crew I guess because it fell flat for us.
This fed 4 easily with enough for a meal the following day as well. Generous portions and well crafted food.
The meal came super well wrapped and with breads and dips as well.
While we enjoyed this meal greatly, it wasn’t 5 stars. A little less kick than we expected, given the creole focus, and we didn’t love all the dishes equally. But a solid 4 stars with plans to return and try other things.
Street parking.

Came here with a large group. Reasonable wine selection, but not outstanding. We ordered the ’12 chinon which was lovely, tart lots of acid. Appetizers were fried calamari (standard) nothing wrong, but also nothing special. Spring rolls were deep fried and a little too oily for our palate. Pork belly was well received, as always. We miss the fish tacos. Shrimp and grits were disappointing. We would prefer the grits to be grits and not a fried cake.
Salads were decent. Wish people would forgo dried fruits in salad.
Étouffée was good. Short ribs were also good. Fried chicken was stellar as always. Steak was ok.
We love the pecan pie. The chocolate cookie cake has a little too much cinnamon, but was good.
Overall a reliable Buffalo staple.

We had Sunday brunch there, great food and very nice atmosphere. We had pork belly and avocado spring roll as appetizer, both are amazing, well balanced flavor and texture. Entrees are porches egg over salmon, Cajun shrimp and lobster cake, nice and decent portion. If you like seafood or south food, strongly recommend to try the Sunday brunch!

Dine In for restaurant week, very good food and service! Always looking to try new places in the area… will be back soon. Heard they have a good sunday brunch?!

Had a great first experience! I got the lobster/​scallop dish. It was Mouth watering!

Had the pork belly appetizer and blackened steak po boy for my entrée and both were out of this world good!

This place was nothing more than mediocre. I was there with a few friends earlier this week. We had a 7pm reservation and right away they were out of 6 things off the menu. Very disappointing, it wasn’t even that late. I have a few food allergies which makes it hard for me to eat most places but practically impossible here, unless I just want lettuce. I asked for a plain chicken breast grilled so I could put it on my salad or possible have one of the «po boys» on the menu with chicken instead. But no that wasn’t happening, BECAUSE they don’t have ANY plain chicken anywhere in the restaurant. All of it is prepped pre breaded (which I don’t buy) but that’s what I’m told. Word of the wise Shango, a lot of people have food allergies and I’m not saying change your whole menu around but you should be a little more accommodating. I don’t like to eat rabbit food when i go out, I like the enjoy a semi normal meal like the rest of the people. On top of that it took over 45 minutes to get our food out, unacceptable. I’ve been in the restaurant industry for a long time and haven’t experienced something this Disappointing in months.
What did order was the pecan crusted goat cheese salad, nothing to be desired, it was a ball of goat cheese plopped in the middle of arugula. Not very flavorful or exciting. And the catfish po boy. Again just fish plopped on the plate wasn’t very «blackened» like the title. Won’t go back here or recommend it.

Experienced Shango for brunch today with a group of friends. We were severely hungover after a night of partying over at the Dnipro Ukrainian Center for the Prom of the Dead Candyland Halloween party, and probably should have considered the upscale and elegant nature of this place before leaving our apartment unshowered and looking a little disheveled…
We were starving and excited for a decadent Cajun brunch to help right the wrongs of our heavy night of drinking. We had made reservations for 5 in advance, first seating right at the opening hour of brunch, 11 am. We were a couple minutes late arriving, but our table was ready and within minutes we had fresh coffee and bloody mary’s on the table.
Looking around, the rest of the clientele fit the space — nicely dressed, sipping mimosas and screwdrivers, clean looking. But it really didn’t matter — our servers made us feel welcome and well attended to — we had all the bread and butter we wanted, bottomless cups of coffee and prompt kitchen service.
So, the food: exactly the kind of rich, filling deliciousness we were looking for. We started with the pork belly appetizer — 4 pieces of thick pork belly, nicely rendered, served with a tangy slaw of cabbage and carrots and segments of mandarin orange. Three of us shared it and it provided a salty-​sweet-​tangy bite.
For my main I had the salmon hash with 2 perfect poached eggs. It was served in a cast iron skillet, with jacket potatoes, red onions and sweet peppers and a drizzle of hollandaise. Two of us actually ordered this and while it was good it could have benefitted from a few less peppers and a little more hollandaise. But it was super filling and a great value at $ 13.
My husband got the flat iron steak with egg and andouille sausage. It didn’t look like a very big portion but it was so rich that my husband actually had trouble finishing it. The seasoning and andouille sausage were rich and salty — exactly what you expect for cajun steak and eggs.
The last member of our party had one of their brunch specials — poutine with poached eggs and andouille sausage gravy — with the melted cheese curds it was a totally decadent mess of melty goodness. Portion was huge too and our friend only managed to eat half.
I would say food here is reasonably priced for the quantity and quality, and I would definitely recommend them.
Last note — this place is right on Main — there is street parking right in front as well as on side streets, but no parking lot — something to keep in mind. For us, even thought there were several tables already seated when we arrived, we had no trouble finding spots.

Super excited to come across this establishment because my family is from Louisiana and we are Creole!!! I cook creole food at home so I would consider myself a pretty touch critique when it comes to other people making it.
Decided to check out this Shango’s happy hour first since I believe happy hours tell a lot about a restaurants food. I ordered a happy hour wine, it was a nice size glass of wine. Service was prompt as well! I was hungry so I decided to not to do the small plates and get a catfish poboy! PoBoy’s are a Louisiana staple so I was expecting it to be good. I was so disappointed. PoBoys are supposed to be bursting with flavor (as all creole food). This sandwich was so bland, had no flavor. It basically was fish on a bun. I literally could have made this at home for under$ 7. What was good was the sweat potato fries. They were crispy and tasted like they had honey drizzled on top. The whole meal set me back $ 14, which if the PoBoy was good I wouldn’t have minded. I will definitely not order a PoBoy from Shango again.
I was very surprised about the décor in this place and not in a good way. I understand that it targeted for a more upscale creole restaurant, however, I didn’t find anything Louisiana/​New Orleans about place. Actually, the did have a couple of mardi gras mask on the walls…
All in all, I am willing to give this place one more try in the future, I will return for happy hour and give some of the small plates a try.

Shango was a wonderful experience. The menu options are delicious and the wine is reasonable and great as well. A great place to go on a date or grab some friends for a night out!

We went here for the first time on a Sunday, Labor Day Weekend. It was the Brunch menu.
We did not have a reservation and we were able to sit outside. It was a breezy day.
Came here because it was highly reviewed on Unilocal.I read a lot about the Po Boy, but they don’t have it on the brunch menu.
Appetizer:
We got the biscuits and gravy, that was a special of the day. I am not sure what went into the biscuits and gravy, but it was delicious. The biscuits were moist and flavorful. The gravy was the right consistency (not too liquidy and not too thick). It was a bit spicy as well, could have been sausage? Best overall dish.
Entrees:
Buttermilk Fried Chicken: scramble eggs, bacon grits, Andouille country gravy. I would say the dish was the best out of the three entrees we got.
Smoked Salmon hash, Poached eggs over smoked salmon hash, cornmeal fried oysters, hollandaise sauce. I am not a fan of oysters and I did not get the dish. The waiter stated this was the most popular brunch item. I would not order this again though. I don’t like oysters, so I can’t be objective.
Sweet potato pancakes, two over-​easy eggs, house smoked bacon, maple syrup. the sweet potato pancake was above par. But, the overall dish was a typical brunch item.
Overall Impression:
We had to try it out because it was so highly rated in Buffalo. I also wanted to try the Po Boy, but it wasn’t available. I would recommend it to anyone visiting and to say they tried it once, but I wouldn’t go back for the food. I may go back to try the Po Boy, maybe…

I’ve been here 3 times, 2 for dinner and one for brunch. I expected so much more than what I got taste wise. Don’t get me wrong, the food was good but I guess I expected more. The first time I got the fried chicken and grits, the second I got the sweet potato pancakes (which were really good!) and the last time I got the lobster pasta dish. I actually took most of the pasta dish home for lunch the next day and I was extremely disappointed when I saw how much oil was in there! I honestly didn’t even want to eat it but it was the only thing I had. My overall experience was okay. Not sure if I’d go back unless someone invited me and was paying lol.

I’ve been here for dinner twice and both experiences have been fantastic! We made reservations and were seated promptly. I just noticed their most recent online menu doesn’t have the fried frog legs listed but we tried those and they were pretty froggy, I mean tasty, you know, for frogs. I’ll try anything at least once. I also had the fried calamari and a few raw and steamed clams which I felt they were a bit over priced but I expected to pay a lot here. All the apps were delicious. They also brought out a variety of bread and oil for us to share at the table. Who doesn’t love bread? Yum!
Came here to try the Po-​Boy and ordered it with Steak, I’m salivating right now, yes, I want more, give me more! I’m a meat eater who appreciates a small salad on the side but no salad was needed on this visit. I ordered the sweet potato fries with my Po-​Boy and was in Heaven. I could not finish my meal after eating all the apps, took my Po-​boy home and devoured it later in the day. Thank you Shango!
Our party shared the Banana Foster and while I do not like banana anything except having bananas in my smoothies, wow, this dessert was amazing! I would order it again to share with someone.
I hear good things about their Brunch menu and hope to stop in for Brunch sometime, until then, I have memories… delicious memories. Mmmmm Shango!

Our experience at Shango was amazing! We were celebrating my Moms birthday. It was not too loud at all, very comfortable level to talk. We stayed till about 6:45 and the atmosphere was still comfortable even though they were busy on a Friday evening. The booths may be a little tight to get into at first, but nothing a little adjusting of the table can’t fix. The décor is tasteful. The servers were very warm and friendly.
As for the food, if my stomach was big enough and calories weren’t a thing, I’d drop an entire paycheck here alone. Even the bread that they give you is amazing, and the dipping oil they give you should be a soup on the menu. We had the calamari for an appetizer, and it was cooked beyond perfect. Just the right texture, and very flavorful. For our entrées we all ordered the same thing, the Black Pepper Linguini. This dish was so good it should be a sin. And I’d gladly spend the rest of my life in eternal damnation to eat this dish again. To top it all off, we had Bananas Foster for dessert. It was huge, but so good that the waiter told us a 70 year old woman once finished it by herself.
This might not be the cheapest restaurant around, but you definitely pay for what you get. The food is delicious, well presented, and the portions are just right. I would come back many times again, and will be recommending it to family and friends.
Try Shango for yourself, you won’t be disappointed, we weren’t.

I went here for dinner with two of my friends, and we had a great time! We made reservations for a Friday night, but were seated right away when we got there. Our server was excellent, and recommended a great wine. All three of us wanted a sweet Riesling, so we went with one called «Soil to Soul,» and it was very tasty. Just the right amount of sweet.
We were then brought bread to our table, which included white bread, wheat bread, and even corn bread! That was a pleasant surprise. It came with a tasty dipping oil, as well as some olives and carrots in a red marinade. In addition, we ordered the avocado spring rolls. These were two rolls cut in half; so four equal pieces to share. They came with seaweed salad, and we gobbled it all right up!
Next came the main course. Two of us, myself included, ordered the black pepper linguini. This was a very rich dish, but very well worth the level of full that I reached. The scallops were cooked to perfection, which made me very happy. The lobster was good as well, and there was a good amount of mushrooms, tomatoes, and arugula in the mix for when I had finished the seafood that was in it. The cognac cream sauce was divine, and I highly recommend this dish! The third friend ordered the macaroni and cheese with andouille, and the portion was much bigger than I had expected! She enjoyed it very much, but had a lot to take home.
Overall, we had a great experience. Everything went swimmingly, and I will certainly be returning! I am very interested in trying their brunch.

Last weekend, I returned to Shango with my boyfriend for his birthday. New to me was my ability to make an online reservation which saved me a ton of time since Shango is only open for dinner service during the week. We arrived and were promptly seated. My boyfriend had two beers, a watermelon flavored beer (very refreshing and summer-​y) as well as a Game of Thrones darker beer. I sadly do not remember exactly what they were called but I remember he really enjoyed both.
We shared the stuffed pepper for an appetizer. It was one of the daily specials and it was amazing. It was stuffed with shrimp and a creamy stuffing that reminded me of grits (but creamier). A fresh slaw surrounded the plate which made the dish very balanced. Along with our side of bread, we really enjoyed our appetizers.
My boyfriend’s friend recommended the fried chicken, so he ended up ordering that. I was tempted to order a steak but ended up ordering the Black Pepper Linguini once more. I tried the fried chicken which sat on a bed of creamy grits and braised greens with bacon. It was also served with a side of the Andouille sausage gravy. The fried chicken was perfectly crisp on the outside and extremely moist on the inside. The cheesy grits were very creamy and well seasoned and the greens were amazing (I mean they were cooked in bacon grease, so…). Portion size was massive so there were plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day. (baked in the oven at 300 degrees til perfection or approximately 15 minutes).
That. Black. Pepper. Linguini. Specifically, That. Cognac. Sauce. I shared this dish with my friend the first time I came to Shango and was instantly in love. The creaminess of the sauce coupled with the fresh house made (I assume) linguini pasta. Top that with shrimp, mushrooms, spinach and lobster, it was just the best meal I have ever had. We indulged and shared a dessert — their banana (usually apple) bread pudding with maple bacon ice cream (I know, it’s ridiculous) and it was the perfect way to end the meal. I can’t wait for our next visit!

I love Shango for every meal of the day. I’ve been there for dinner several times. I am always impressed. Their brunch menu is equally brilliant. The chef is an absolute genius.
For dinner, I absolutely loved the chorizo mac n cheese, served in a skillet. It takes an interesting Cajun twist on my favorite meal. Although the chorizo and seasonings add a lot of spice to the dish, it is the perfect amount that it does not completely overpower the creamy cheese.
I once went to Shango with a party of 20. They gave us a whole room to ourselves. They were very accommodating and friendly. I know it must have been stressful serving a party that large, but the server did not show any signs of frustration.
Shango is also an excellent brunch choice. They incorporate seafood and Creole specialties into traditional breakfast dishes.

Ventured here for restaurant week and, as far as I’m concerned, the food was quite solid. There was a limited menu my company and I ordered from — the restaurant week specials.
I ordered the Ahi Tuna with jambalaya; my companion ordered the steak with parmesan fries. The Ahi Tuna was fantastic — perhaps a touch salty but otherwise juicy and flavorful. The jambalaya, while not bad, was too sweet and simple for my tastes. I would gladly return to Shango for this specific dish simply due to how excellent the ahi tuna was. My company’s steak was good — not spectacular (it was completely overshadowed by my ahi tuna that he forced me to share!), and I deeply I coveted his fries — they were tasty and crispy. We got a berry tart dessert and banana muffin with our meals — the berry tart was lovely without being overly sweet (I tend to take off half the frosting on cupcakes — I do not have much of a sweet tooth but this tart managed to be deliciously sweet without being offensively sugary). Banana muffin was forgettable.
The place was quite crowded but we made reservations and were seated immediately. The service was fine. Food came out relatively quickly considered how packed they were.
I want to go back and try the traditional menu sometime — particularly for the po-​boys and Banana Fosters dessert everyone likes to rave about. I will update when I do. Though it will be really, really hard for me not to beeline to that spot on the menu that says «ahi tuna.»

This was my second time visiting Shango and I was not disappointed (for either times)
Please note though, if you are vegetarian there is not a lot of options for the you so do the menu research ahead to see what you can have.
Out of my 2 visits here are the menu items I tried:
The mac and cheese! It is simply delicious and so rich. It’s a creamy extremely gooey mix of 3 cheeses (smoked gouda, goat cheese, cheddar) topped with rosemary panko crumbs. The past 2 times, me and my boyfriend have ordered this as an appetizer. Because of its richness we decided to save room for dinner and take the second half of the portion home. Best leftovers ever!
Buttermilk fried free range Chicken, cheddar cheese grits, bacon braised southern greens, Andouille sausage gravy. This was delicious and plentiful. I left with a great amount of leftovers to indulge on the next day.
I would say the bacon braised southern greens that came with the chicken are a bit sweet and almost tasted like they were pickled. I enjoyed it but perhaps if you are not into a pickled kind of taste you might not like this side of the entrée.
In regards to staff, I have had great experiences the past 2 times. All of the wait staff was very attentive and friendly.
I would recommend reservations (just in case) and I would also recommend the cute sort of nooked away booth in the main dining area to the right of the bar (if you were facing the bar). Its very cozy for a date night just watch your step getting in and out of that booth table.

We have been to Shango many times. It is one of my favorite local places, with the mix of great wine, good service, and wonderful food. Every time we go, I try to convince myself to get something different, but can’t get past how much I LOVE their macaroni and cheese. It is the standard that I hold everything else to! This creamy, thick sauce coats the pasta well, and the panko crumbs on top gives it the bit of crunch that sends this dish over the top. We’ve also had the molten lava cake for dessert, and while it takes 15 or so minutes to prepare, it is well worth the wait! The berry compote truly makes the dessert!
Last night, we went for restaurant week, and while it was a good meal, I felt it lacking as compared to their typical fare. I got the butternut squash soup which was out of this world! Creamy, and flavorful, I found that it was a great blend, without an overpowering taste. For my main course, I got penne with shrimp, scallops, and diced peppers in a Cajun cream sauce. It was good, and there was a decent amount of seafood in it, but I found it lacking as compared to the Mac and cheese. For dessert, I had the bread pudding and ice cream, which was ok, but not memorable. To be fair, I’m not a big fan of bread pudding in general.
Overall, this is a must visit in Buffalo, but I would recommend you go when they have their regular menu.

A solid five stars for this place! This place is one of Buffalo’s most popular restaurants and it is not hard for me to see why! I want to make note that I went here for dinner, however this place is also really well known for their Sunday brunch.
First, definitely plan on trying one of their wines, that’s a given. Ask your server for a recommendation, they are very helpful and informative. Considering «wine bar» is in their name you just have to sample one of their many house wines.
The food is excellent here. Enough said. They have a great menu with quite a lot to choose from. I had a tough time deciding what to order. I finally settled for the penne and a side order of their mac and cheese. You are given a complimentary basket of various breads (including sweet delicious corn bread) and a bowl of olives with a Cajun spiced olive oil. That was a great start to the meal!
The entrees came in a reasonable time. The penne was awesomely good. It included plenty of andouille sausage, fresh shrimp, and crawfish. The sauce was a Cajun cream sauce which really made the dish. I can’t tell you enough what excellent quality the shrimp in my penne were. I recently came back from a trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast (major shrimping area) and the shrimp in my penne matched up pretty well with the shrimp I had down there. I have to say that is a pretty awesome accomplishment for a Buffalo restaurant. They had that fresh out of the water taste. The mac and cheese was uniquely good, loaded with several cheeses and spices. It made a perfect side dish.
Make sure you save room for dessert here! The bananas foster is their house specialty and you can’t leave without trying it! Let me just say that this dessert is huge and even if you run out of room in your stomach you’re going to keep eating it anyways until its all gone. It was definitely one of the best desserts I’ve ever had.
The atmosphere of the place includes dimmed lighting, a large bar, white table clothed tables, wooden booths (including a few in private alcoves), and garage doors that are opened on nice days. The servers are really friendly, attentive, and all around great here. I thoroughly enjoyed this dining experience and couldn’t have asked for more. Definitely one of my new favorite restaurants!