Ruzzine’s Rock Bottom Eatery

My boyfriend is a out of Towner from Detroit and I am born and raised in buffalo. This is his favorite place to eat when he comes to town. The food is fantastic ! It’s good every single time but one thing is the service. Oh my it is bad. Lol I am server myself so I know what is expected. Our server came over maybe once. And I could see her sitting the back on her phone. Service is just always so sad whenever we go but we will continue to go because the food is sooooo good! Lol oh and the ladies bathroom doesn’t lock. You would think that by now they would fix it? Well if they read this FIX THE LOCK ON THE LADIES DOOR. Thank you :)

So glad I didn’t pay attention to the couple negative reviews this place got. We decided to try Ruzzine’s Rock Bottom as an alternative to Grover’s across the street, as we’re not impressed with Grover’s set up as far as having NO waiting area and standing in the middle of the restaurant while waiting shoulder-​to-​shoulder, and we’re not thrilled with the attitude of the owners of Grover’s. Ruzzine’s Rock Bottom was a hit with us. The food is phenomenal… soo delicious. The prices are very reasonable. The service was excellent and friendly. The atmosphere is so comfortable and pleasant, especially on a cold winter night when we ate there. This will be our new go-​to place for a great burger and anything else, for that matter… all the food is wonderful!

Where to begin! I went here with my mother in law, grandma & husband. We walked in on a Saturday night at 5:45 with no reservation and had no issue being seated right away. We were immediately greeted by Sharon, our fabulous server :) She was very helpful in speaking about the menu items and specials they were offering.
We skipped alcoholic beverages because we were headed to the movies, therefore, we dove into the menu. I ordered the pulled pork panini which came with a generous portion of chips. I passed on the fries or sweet potato fries as I am trying to make healthier choices. It was one of the BEST pulled pork sandwiches I have ever had! Just enough bbq sauce and crispy onion rings on it anx loaded with shredded pork!
My husband ordered the Southwestern cheeseburger with fries. It was one of the biggest cheeseburgers I have ever seen! He had to really squish it down to fit it in his mouth lol… he loved every bite from start to finish! Oh and course I snuk a few of his fries… so fresh and crisp!
Grandma ordered the chicken finger with fries. .huge stuffed wrap! She is 91 and sometimes picky but she told us a few times how much she enjoyed her dinner.
My mother in law ordered the chicken special dinner which came with fresh vegetables, not frozen from a bag! Her dinner also came with a side salad which she gave to me. I chose their house vinaigrette dressing, it was delicious! !
We all loved everything about our experience and are already talking about going back soon!

My friends and I consider this to be a great area dive bar. Not sure if the owners would like that review though. I’ve been there for drinks and on the patio for lunch. Haven’t been disappointed. Can’t give it a 5 because it’s not the cleanest of places and the décor is dated.

One of the best spots for clams casino. Nice bar. Good staff. Good selection of food and beer. Nice outside deck. Personally feel their burger is far bettet.

The food was pretty good i ordered the 7oz burger and fries medium well. It was perfect still very juicy. Jen ordered a 7oz burger medium with sweet potato fries. Jen enjoyed the sweet potato fries. They are crinkle cut and come with honey butter. The service was great also. The server was prompt and took care of everything. We sat close to the bar opening and the bar music was a bit loud. It didn’t bother me but, some might find it annoying.

After a bad experience at ABV, a friend and I ventured out to Transit in search of burger redemption. We decided we’d eat at Ruzzine’s and Grover’s in one night and call it Burger Battle 2015.
We split a 7-​ounce cajun patty and ordered it with the regular toppings, lettuce and tomato. We paid extra for cheese and bacon. The bacon never came but the waitress was very apologetic.
No matter because the main difference between the two rivals comes down to the patty. Grover’s is flat top. Ruzzine’s is chargrilled and it makes all the difference.
I’m still dreaming about that burger. I’m the end, it all comes down to preference.

The 70’s disco music played at a low volume and seemed to fit this vintage house turned restaurant Buffalo style.
We had the regular 7 oz burger and a stuffed pepper burger of the same size. Both were cooked to perfection and were amazing. Eat your heart out Grovers.
The server was ever so nice to us. Just the correct balance of service without intruding.
My buddy ordered the roast beef and turkey dinners in the past and certified them huge in portion and overall epic!
The prices are just right and dang, even the toothpicks were the right ones.
Keep playing that funky music. Love to love you baby.

Edited 9÷27÷15, I originally had a complaint about smokers on the patio but the owner contacted me and said that is not allowed and he will fix in future.
A solid «meh». It was my first time here, and it’s sort of a strange place. It looks like it was built in an old house? It’s kind of a neat place, it reminds me of my Grandma’s house.
I saw they had a seafood bisque on the menu, that’s what lured me in here. I ordered a cup right away, it came fast. It’s okay… a bit salty but it did have a lot of seafood in it. I like when the restaurants add the seafood last, like have a seafood bisque basic pot ready but then when someone orders it then tosses in some fresh seafood. The seafood in this did not seem fresh, it had the texture of seafood that has been boiling in a pot for hours. That’s just my preference though! How they do it is not wrong, and like I said they did give a generous portion of seafood in it.
I also had a french dip with fries. My husband had a chicken parm with a salad. He was very happy with his and said his chicken was very good. I tasted a bite of his spaghetti and I did like their sauce. The french dip was okay, the meat on it was sorta fatty but I loved the bread it was on and the dipping broth. The fries are REALLY good, very crispy and hot and salty (I like my fries salty). I got some ranch to dip them in and it made them extra awesome. I took the other half of my french dip home for my spaniels and they had no complaints about the meat in it.
I used the ladies room on the way out and heads up, the door does NOT lock. It’s one of those one stall deals where you lock the door so no one comes in on you peeing and I tried and tried but the lock was busted so I did the pee and pray where I prayed no one would walk in on me. It worked in my case, best of luck to you other women as you pee and pray.
They have a HUGE menu, I had a hard time deciding what to get. They had several things that looked appealing to me. It looks like a decent place to take someone if they aren’t sure what they are in the mood for.
Service was okay. It was great to start but then the waitress got busy and was a little slow in the end, but I think that’s simply because she seemed slammed. It wasn’t like she was trying to ignore us.

Shoulda known by the name– rock bottom!
This place sucks!
I ordered a 7−7− not too much you can jack up with that! Wrong! As the girl was bringing it to me I could tell by the color the drink was weak! Yep– first sip was all water! Yuck! It was too large a glass and too short on booze! Yea well ok.
Next I ordered the clams casino– ewwww! Bread crumbs with too many peppers and cajun spice– what??? Clams casino are supposed to be clams bacon perhaps a little onion perhaps sausage some breadcrumbs not this crap that they were serving!
Awful awful! Never again!
Oh yea this was funny– on the patio is a huge sign which says wait to be seated! Two guys are standing there when some loud mouth waitress yells at them– get the hell outta the way! lol the two guys look at her and say this is our first time here just following the sign! Her reply? Yea well go stand some place else!
Ugggg!
Love it! The owner just sent me a comment what a low class turd!
Bud stop the sexual tension between us is too much lol

I’ve been here a few times and have never ever been disappointed in their service. the staff are friendly, the food is good and the atmosphere is nothing to complain about. I highly recommend the quesadillas!

Tried the Southwestern Burger, delicious. My wife had the Avocado Burger with the sweet potato fries also very good. Our friends got the Overstuffed Pita sandwiches and they loved them.
Not a fancy place at all but right off the bike path and the food is great with good service. I give it a thumbs up …

I’ve heard good things about this place. They say you can’t judge a book by it’s cover, but the place is so rundown it looks abandoned, yet it’s an operating food establishment!
I think I’ll pass, it looks very unappealing from the outside and Grovers is right across the street and looks very welcoming.

My husband, son and his girlfriend and I went to Ruzzines Rock Bottom to try it out. We wanted to try their burgers that were voted as best burgers in WNY. I can tell you it sure didn’t come close to the best burger! My husband ordered a 12oz burger with cheddar and my son ordered the 12oz stuffed pepper burger. The burgers had no taste. They were very bland and very greasy. My son’s girlfriend got a Rock Bottom Salad… it was o.k. I ordered the Hoison Chicken. I remember this dish from when they were Shepards on Transit and Maple. I ordered that dish every time I ate at Shepards. My Hoison Chicken tonight did not come close to what it used to be like.
The place was not busy tonight, there were many empty tables but it took 25 mins to get our dinners. Makes no sense. I was at Grovers a few weeks ago and that cheeseburg was so good! Or better yet, go to The Grapevine and try their Pulled Beef Rib and Hamburg Sandwich… you will be amazed! I’m not going to be returning here to eat.

Heard really good things about their burgers. We attempted to dine there but left prior to being seated. We waited for approximately one hour and 15 minutes and were next in the line for a table when the manager/​owner decided to seat a large group that just walked in before seating us. The manager did not respond appropriately when we expressed our displeasure with being passed over. We left without eating and have no plans for attempting to dine there again

Ruzzine’s Rock Bottom… more like your burgers are rock bottom. Not the greatest and not coming back here again.
I went here once a long time ago and didn’t want to Unilocal until I tried it again because I don’t remember much of the first visit, other than a real charred taste to the burger.
Anyway, the place is set up really weird. My friend and I entered and you walk right into the bar. From that point of view, you really wonder where are the actual sit down area is. The bartender seemed to ignore us for a minute or two, seeing as there are no signs, we didn’t really know where to go. After we got her attention, she got someone to seat us.
Obviously this place was a house converted into a restaurant, but they really didn’t convert it too much. The seating areas are split into sort of open rooms and hallways, it isn’t very inviting. The waitress was sort of rude as well. It was like she was quick to get us in and out??? and after we got our food, we didn’t see her again until the check came. We weren’t checked on, we weren’t asked if we wanted anything else at the end of our meal… and it ended up being another waitress (much nicer) who noticed we were done and asked if we needed a box.
We ordered the loaded fries for an appetizer. They were pretty good. The fries weren’t as crispy as they could have been and a few were soggy, but they were the best part of the meal.
I had a 12 oz grilled burger with cheddar cheese and bacon, cooked medium. My friend got the 12 oz Southwest Burger, again medium. Honestly, had I of not gotten cheese and bacon on my burger, there would have been no taste. I asked for medium, it was very medium rare. For sure. Lately I have been eating burgers med/​rare anyway, but this being a new place, I wasn’t sure how they cooked them, so I went for medium to be on the safe side. Good thing I did, because if I asked for med/​rare, I am sure it would have been a bloody mess. The only thing I tasted from this burger was a slight charred taste and the cheese and bacon. No seasoning at all.
My friend said his burger was bland as well. It is supposed to have tobacco onions, bacon, pepper jack cheese, and sweet and smoky ranch dressing. When he lifted up the top bun to look at everything, it was like a dollop of ranch, not a lot of cheese. He said all he tasted was bacon and burger.
The burgers come with chips and a pickle. Not really a fan of chips, but whatever, it’s not something I would mark them off for… but for the burgers and service alone, I don’t need to come here again.
It was very disappointing because people have said, «If you think Grover’s is good, go to Rock Bottom, they are much better!» I would have to strongly disagree. Heck, I could go to any other burger place and have something with better flavor. Totally NOT the best burger in Buffalo. After reading the other reviews, I honestly don’t understand the 4 – 5 stars.
MAYBE they were having an off night… MAYBE they are better on weekends than during the week… but for 2 sodas, 2 burgers, and one order of fries coming to around $ 40, I am not willing to spend the money to try it again.

My family decided to give this place a try for the first time. The waitstaff was very polite, cheerful, and pleasant. Sadly that was the only good thing about this trip. If it wasn’t for our sweet waitress, we may have just left.
My husband ordered a portebello burger medium rare, I had ordered a french dip, my little one ordered a grilled cheese. We all had soup as well. The chicken noodle was bland, but not too bad. After waiting for 30 minutes for food, we got our meals. The burger was very overcooked. My sandwich was served with a tiny cup of au jus, which I could not dip my sandwich into. The sweet potato fries were the frozen ones from a bag and served with a cup of cold honey butter. Strange to say the least but not worth the extra 4 dollars a serving.
We will try this place one more time, but not anytime soon.

The grass is not greener on this side of the street. Grover’s is our go to burger joint, but it was packed and it was a no brainer to try the other local guy’s joint to spread the wealth of dining out dollars.
Big mistake. Long wait after ordering «just a burger». Over 45 minutes. When you are also waiting with your 9 year old who is
S-​t-​arrrrvvvving, you want to pull your own hair out one strand at a time.
So the final product? It was a less than memorable first bite. No seasoning and dry. Not what I was expecting after reading their sign outside of «Voted best burger».
The bun was the heavy, bulky kind you sink your teeth into (if you like that kind) and it was COLD!!! Bleh. Pop that bulky on the grill chef! Warm it up & show it some love, grill it a bit before you beef it up.
Toppings were run of the mill. The fries were awful! Seriously how do ruin a French fry? Soggy fries.
We will not be trying this restaurant again.
There are too many other places in Buffalo that make an effort to prepare good food and hit the mark!

The ability to make a burger well-​done and still have it juicy and flavorful is a rare talent indeed! And, the burger chef at «Ruzzine’s» has gotten it down perfectly.
Two of us shared dinner here. The place is a cozy converted house with a bar in the front and a deck out back and a couple of rooms filled with tables in between. The menu is quite varied with soups and salads and sandwiches and entrees… but we were all about the burgers!
The service could have been better (which accounts for the lack of a five star review). Even though at first we were the only ones in the dining room, we did not get much attention. I think our waitress was more interested in «hanging out» at the bar.
Our burgers, the «Southwest Burger» (small and well-​done) for me… topped with tobacco onions, bacon, pepper jack cheese, and sweet and smoky ranch dressing… and the «Avocado Burger» (large and medium) for my boyfriend… topped with avocado, roasted red peppers and smoked gouda were both two-​hands-​huge, juicy, flavorful, and just about perfect in every way. They were accompanied by potato chips and a pickle spear.
We wanted to try some housemade coconut cream pie for dessert, but we were just too full. Next time we’ll skip lunch to make sure we have room… because if that pie is anything like the burgers, I know it’s going to be amazing!

Can you smell what the Rock Bottom is cooking? It’s a burger. No need to wrestle with the menu here for long. Come when you are in the mood for a burger and get a burger. End of story. Some garlic bread if you’re extra super duper hungry because it’s so good.
What to get: Stuffed Pepper Burger or Western Burger (the latter is slightly better).
Also good: Garlic Toast.
I’m editing this to warn you: if you get a burger for pick up, watch out. I’ve been overcharged once, I’ve had the burger be lukewarm or cold twice, after waiting ages in the bar (with them not giving me the food that must have already been ready). This is really enough to knock off a star or two, but I like the burgers (when hot and fresh) too much to do that.
So in case you didn’t figure it out already: That’s what I recommend getting here… the burger. It’s infinitely better than the unfortunately-​more-​popular Grover’s across the street. It’s probably the best burger in Buffalo, but to be honest with you, that’s really not saying much because Buffalo (which is one of the best food cities on earth) is woefully lacking in the delicious burger department. But if you want a good one, and for that matter an absolutely monstrously enormous one, come to Ruizzine’s. Huge and delicious and the stuffed pepper burger thingy (cajun style), absolutely magnificent. Their stuffed peppers are delicious and the whole concept of putting them on a huge burger is just so Buffalonianical.
Even better (arguably) is their Western burger which has bacon and BBQ sauce and onion rings on it… nom nom nom nom. The onion rings are so delectably good and the burger is just so perfect. You really must try it.
The garlic bread is absolutely phenomenal — the burgers are very very good too. This may be the best garlic bread in the world. It’s huge and juicy and melty and delicious and dreamy and just exactly what you always wanted Garlic Bread to be. It is so good it makes you cry, and so bad for you that it will probably make you cry because of how much weight you will gain. Ruizzine’s is definitely not for the humble appetite or the weight watcher. But then what sort of food in Buffalo is? If you like delicious dreamy big burgers, and insanely good, juicy garlic bread — you must try this place.
Because the Rock said so. Or was that Stone Cold. As long as it’s not Cold Stone, that awful Ice Cream place. Ugh. Anyway. Never mind. Burger. Get it.