Russell’s Steaks, Chops, & More

Tonight my husband and I had a wonderful evening. We got the hotel jacuzzi package at Russells that included dinner and still to come breakfast. This restaurant was exactly what the commercials say. Russell was at the entrance of the restaurant and picked our table. Everyone from the waiter to the person who poured our water was so nice and professional. The place is beautiful. But the food… ooh my God the food. Probably one of the best meals I have ever had. Our shrimp cocktail for 2 came lit up with glowing ice. Our dinner was so perfectly cooked I didn’t want to stop eating. Tender… flavorful. .perfectly cooked. .hot and a treat to even just look at. STUNNING SERVICE .FOOD AND AMBIANCE. Thank you Russell. you must be so proud. Bravo!

Consistency is the word! As always the food at Russell’s was excellent! Steaks and Rack of Lamb were cooked perfectly and our waiter (Cory) provided great service! Also, really cool
tropical fish tank in lobby!

Absolutely the best dinner I have ever had! From start to finish, every thing was perfect. My honey and I chose to eat in the lounge so we could watch the Patriots/Bronco’s game while we ate… We were not disappointed by our meal or the Bronco’s!!!
We chose the surf and turf for our dinners, succulent lobster tail and Filet Mignon. The lobster was huge; so delicious and served with melted butter with their own little sterno’s… The steak melted in your mouth. Foodgasms… totally.
I ate steak and lobster and watched the Patriots lose. Really doesn’t get any better…

My colleagues and I went to Russell’s for dinner and we all enjoyed ourselves. Upon entering the restaurant, we were very impressed by the very classy ambience. We were told there was a forty-​five minute wait, but Mr. Salvatore himself came over to say hello and informed us that a table was immediately being prepared for our party of six. We all ordered different steaks and they were all outstanding! Garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables were also excellent. The restaurant is on the costly side, but reasonable and well worth it! I would definitely go back and so will my colleagues…

Russell is by far one of most amazing steak places in Western New York. From their amazing sausage bread, to Wedge salad or Caesar salad to the meat is by far the best food in the area. I suggest getting the garlic mashed potatoes or baked potato mashed potatoes as a side. If you order the steak or pork chops it just melts in your mouths. The staff is on top of things and extremely professional. If your in the area this is restaurant you want to stop in and eat at. 5 stars all the way around.

First of all, the only way I could get water w my meal, was bottle water… so annoying. I had the ordered the lobster Mac and cheese and the ½ rack of lamb. We did the Tuesday special menu so there were small portions of food, so I’d recommend and appetizer w you meal. Even though the Mac and cheese was $ 5, I wasn’t impressed with it, I could hardly taste the lobster. For my meal, the green beans seem fresher but under seasoned, the waiter recommend the lamb to be medium, but I would prefer it medium rare, cause it was slightly over cooked, and it also need seasoning. The menu mentioned pistachio crusted, it didn’t really do anything for me w the dish. The mashed potatoes were seasoned and tasty. Not sure if I’d come back for the full menu.

My husband and I had the pleasure of dining at Russels last night! We enjoyed an overnight package that included dinner and a stay in a suite. The room was beautiful with a jacuzzi tub! We had a short wait in the bar and enjoyed drinks prior to dinner. I had the seafood bisque, very rich and flavorful, then a fillet with mashed potatoes and green beans, best meal I’ve had in a long time I was unable to finish it, probably due to the soup! My husband had the pork chop which also was a generous portion and he took some home too! If you decide to eat here prepare for it make your reservation in advance as they are very busy and it’s impossible to get a reservation same day!!!

First things first, if you want to come here on a Saturday night (particularly around the holidays) be sure to make your reservation a few weeks ahead. I learned that the hard way when I called on a Tuesday thinking I could get a reservation for that Saturday and they told me they were booked several weeks out. No big deal, I waited my turn and got my Saturday night date night here. Just a heads up that this place is rather popular. We just came back to Buffalo this year after 8 years away, I had no idea.
We had a 5pm reservation and got here early so we had a drink at the bar first. Oh Lord, the fun we had sitting at the bar playing, «spot the THOT looking for some old man to buy her a drink». Lotta cougars, lotta butter face, lotta push up bras. The bartender was excellent, very friendly and gave us prompt service. I had a bellini at the bar. It was very tasty but not very boozy. A good start to the evening. My husband had Blue Moon all night because he’s a dude and all he drinks is beer.
Russell himself was working the greeting station, telling the hostesses what tables to take people too. I’ve never spoken to him but every person I’ve ever heard talk about him only has kind things to say. This place made us miss Seattle. People who come here generally get really dressed up. We played the part, we know better than to mess with that people expect. In Seattle you can go in to the fanciest restaurant still wearing jeans and no one looks down on you. Here, you can come dressed in a t-​shirt and jeans. We saw one couple do it. They were seated in the BACK of the restaurant, like as far away from everyone else as possible. So wear what you want, but know you will be judged for it.
So, the important things: dinner was great. I started with the seafood bisque, it was f-​ing delicious! Full of seafood, well worth the $ 11 price tag. My husband had the french onion soup. It was okay, it tasted like every other french onion soup. No complaints. The steaks!!! We both had the 10 oz filet cooked medium. It came with some green beans and we split a loaded baked potato. Honestly, this was one of the (if not the best) filet I have ever had in a high end steakhouse. I’m talking better than El Gaucho and Daniel’s Broiler in Seattle. It was so tender I could cut it with my fork. Just melt in your mouth PERFECT. I ate every bite of my 10 oz and then ate some of my husband’s steak too. I don’t think many people would expect the 5’4″ woman to out eat the 6’6″ man, but when it comes to a good filet I can put it down! I only had two bites of the potato because I was concentrating on the steak. They also give you bread for the table, it was very good but I didn’t have much of it because I knew to save room for the amazing stuff. I had a french pear martini with my dinner, it was good and very boozy. For dessert I had my only disappointment of the evening. I had the apple crisp. It tasted like someone took a can of apple pie filling (like, from the grocery store), dumped it in a skillet and heated it up and put a scoop of ice cream on top. It was a very «meh» experience and I would not get that again. Can I suggest something for the menu? Chocolate soufflé. The Buffalo market is desperately missing a good chocolate soufflé, Russells should fill this void.
Service was excellent, the busboys are on top of making sure your water glass stays filled and every crumb out of your way. The waiter was present but not too pushy. I noticed this place only seems to hire male waiters and busboys. That’s kinda funny, very old fashioned. The restaurant patrons were mostly of an older generation. My Dinner was expensive but actually not that bad, far cheaper than other big city steakhouses but the steak is perfection. We will return. Hope the desserts are better next time.

Solid 5 stars. From the greeting to the meal to the exit the experience was outstanding.
Started with stuffed banana peppers, which were very tasty and then on to a bowl of onion soup. The flavor is great and, unlike many other restaurants, the temperature was perfect to eat and enjoy.
The table entrees were the bone in ribeye and the NY Strip. Both were cooked perfectly and flavorful.
Our waiter, Bob, was very attentive and knowledgable throughout the evening.
Upon leaving, Mr Salvatore was still there directing his restaurant. We made sure to thank him for the great meal. He is always such a gracious host and no matter how busy seems to find a few moments to talk.
Highly recommend Russell’s for a great experience

I’m going to keep this review short and sweet. I’ve been here a handful of times for birthdays, anniversaries, parties, etc. My steak has always been perfectly cooked to temp every single time. And that’s why people come here, right… for the steak!
The wait staff treats you like a king. Come with low expectations and prepare to be blown away.
The desserts are a little disappointing but if you fill up on apps and dinner, you won’t have room.

So I’m going to start with the way I was booked for my reservation. I called in hoping to make a reservation that night and was told they were booked. I understand, and I would have come back another day. Instead I was offered the lounge and declined because it was my husband’s birthday. Suddenly they had all these reservation times available when they previously told me they were booked.
When I got there they were not really able to honor my reservation well and I wound up sitting in the «lounge» to avoid a long wait. By the way, the lounge is a nice looking bar. That said I still was seated in a noisy bar with eighties rock. Since I was splurging on my meal with no qualms, I wanted a little ambience to go with it. Well I could have said no to the bar, I would have been waiting quite a while for a table and they probably should not have given me a reservation in the first place if they couldn’t have honored it. They don’t blame that on anyone other than the person who booked it and if anyone instructs him to book it like that.
Now, onto the food… my filet was magnificent. I would say it’s one of the best filets I’ve ever had in my life. My husband’s steak was very excellent, but didn’t floor me as equally.
Bread? Good, not the same wow factor as the steak
Sides – au gratin and asparagus. Very good, great. Again, not even the same wow factor as the steak.
French onion soup? Honestly, I’ve had much better.
So all and all. I would come here again, but plan more carefully (reservations), not buy so many apps/​sides because they’re nothing spectacular, and ask my waiter for his/​her suggestions. No one knows a place better than the staff. I’m torn on how many stars to give because I really enjoyed my filet, so 4 will have to do.

Usually when an establishment hits us consumers repeatedly in the face with advertisement like it’s trying to justify an invasion of Poland and be welcomed as «peacekeepers», or something equally ridiculous, it’s because it’s a terrible place to give business to and is trying to throw money at that problem to fix it. Russell’s Steaks, Chops & More however, is an exception. Russell’s continues to deliver hands-​down one of the best overall dining experiences in Western New York.
STEAKS
All the steaks here are rubbed down with a mixture of cracked peppercorn/​spices, which adds flavor without detracting from the overall taste of the steak. I’ve had the filet several times and it’s always cooked perfect.
CHOPS
Lamb is typically a very gamy meat. For whatever reason, Russell’s rack of lamb is the least gamy I’ve had. I’d get it more often if I weren’t always ordering steak.
& MORE
There’s seafood and something called «free range chicken» listed on the menu. Could’ve fooled me, because every time I head to Russell’s I’m lucky to make it even to the «Chops» section on the menu before I succumb to my intense yearning for actual meat.
Sadly, the food isn’t the best part of a night at Russell’s; the service is. The place is full of suited-​up or dressy vest clad servers hustling to and from, and always with a polite demeanor and a smile on their face. You should expect nothing but the best service you’ve ever experienced in a restaurant at Russell’s and you’ll get it. After all, Russell will normally greet you and welcome you his self when you first walk through the door.

Went to Russell’s on Tuesday for the specials, with my parents who love it here.
It’s always super busy on Tues for their specials, so when we got there we put our name on the list, and were given a buzzer for when our table would be ready.
well luckily we were seated within 10 mins. Our waiter was super nice. I ordered peppercorn pork chops, which was only 10.00 and spinach bread for 5.00. My parents got Rack of Lamb 10.00, and my Mom ordered mussels, they were only 5.00, seriously can’t go wrong. All of it was delicious, high quality of meat.
I was very impressed. Will be back again for the specials.

Fucking yum. I am a lady, and I swear a lot. Get over it. This place is so delicious. They have super cheap prices on Tuesdays, not sure about other days because I usually only go on a Tuesday (goin’ up on a Tuesday, duh).
I had a Caesar salad, which was fucking yum. And then I had steak in the grass sliders which were seriously so good I would be okay eating those for every meal the rest of my life. No fat on them, which, thank god, because if there is one ounce of fat I want to just throw the whole thing out.
The atmosphere is very sophisticated and there are always a lot of rich old men hitting on me, but I expect it there, so it never comes as a shock. It’s generally an older crowd, (probably because there aren’t many young people in Buffalo who can afford to frequent Russell’s), but it’s super classy and delicious. The drinks are phenomenal and they have a lot of options!
Will definitely be going back and would recommend it to others! I would love to try one of their hotel packages sometime and be able to comment on that as well!
…not sure why I didn’t give this 5 stars before. Five stars.
X’s and O’s!
J

I went to Russell’s last night to celebrate a birthday with a group of nine friends. I was beyond impressed with all aspects of our experience! I was in love with the restaurant as soon as I walked in. The outdoor and indoor decorations are beautiful and extravagant. The restaurant’s upscale, yet welcoming atmosphere makes it an ideal location to celebrate a special occasion.
My sister and I split the «Dinner for Two» special. We decided on the Surf n Turf special, which was pricey, but worth it. We each got a soup or salad, our own plate of surf n turf, and a dessert.
I chose the Fall specialty soup, which was cream based and seemed to be made of primarily pumpkin and squash. It was very good! My friends at the table all loved their different salads as well. My one friend got a an arugula salad with goat cheese croutons that looked delicious!
My Surf n Turf plate was one of the best I’ve ever had in my life! The lobster tail was cooked perfectly. The filet was divine. It was the perfect «Medium Rare» cook and the flavor was out of this world. The sides of grilled vegetables and mashed potatoes were also very tasty.
Even though I was stuffed, my meal came with a dessert. Our server recommended the homemade banana pudding. Although this may sound like a boring choice, it was so good!
In addition to the phenomenal food, our service was excellent. Our servers were extremely friendly and accommodating. They brought the birthday girl’s dessert out with a sparkler in it. It was very sweet. They did a great job making her feel special on her birthday.
I can’t believe that I had never been to Russell’s until yesterday. It truly is one of the best places for dinner in Buffalo. I hope to go back soon to try the other menu items!

I went here for a late dinner last night (October 13) for my sister’s birthday with a group of 9 ladies, including myself. We originally made the reservation for 12 people, but a few backed out and Russell’s was very accommodating to that.
We arrived a few minutes prior to our reservation time and only 4 of us had arrived at that point, but they sat us at our table anyway. I thought this was very convenient, because most places will not seat large parties until at least half (or sometimes all) of your party has arrived. We were given a drink menu when we sat down, and our waters were filled almost immediately. Lovely service!
Several of the girls ordered wine and my sister ordered cocktails, but I stuck with water so I cannot attest to how the drinks are. Once all of our party had arrived, we placed our orders for our meals. My order consisted of the arugula berry salad and a side of lobster macaroni and cheese. Other’s orders consisted of salads, filets, appetizers, and surf & turfs.
While we were waiting for our food, our friendly server brought out bread and different butters and a spread. There was a white bread and a cinnamon raisin crostini, and there was a pink honey butter, plain butter, and a red pepper spread to top off the breads. The white bread and plain butter were average, but the red pepper spread and the pink honey butter enhanced the plain white bread. The pink honey butter was also a delightful addition to the cinnamon raisin crostini, which I recommend trying even if you are not a fan of raisins (I told girls at my table to try it even though they hate raisins, and I regret that, because that was less crostini for me to eat).
My salad came out first, and it was fantastic! It consisted of all arugula as the greens (a neat change up since such salads usually consist of mixed greens), and it was tossed in a blackberry vinaigrette with shaved fennel, strawberries, warm goat cheese croutons and toasted pecans finished with our peach-​habanero glaze. The «goat cheese croutons» were actually more similar to fried goat cheese balls, but being an avid goat cheese fan, I am not complaining about that.
Next came the lobster macaroni and cheese, and it was about as good as I expected! Not mind blowing, but an average lobster macaroni and cheese. The portion was a good size. If you order it as a side, it would suffice for two people. As an entrée I think it is a good small meal. I ended up taking half of it home because I was already stuffed from the salad and what was essentially an entire loaf of bread that I ate prior to my salad.
I was also able to try some of the lobster from my friend’s surf & turf, as well as a few bites of banana pepper from another one of my friends. The lobster was very good! Not overdone and not undercooked, but just right. The stuffed banana peppers still had the seeds in them, so they were more on the hot side-​be wary of that when you order them! However, they were still delicious.
Finally, a few girls ordered dessert including the birthday girl. She received her chocolate cake with a sparkler on top and I thought this was a nice touch.
To comment on the service-​everyone was very personable and helpful! Our server, as well as the other gentlemen working with our table, were all more than willing to help with any accommodations and were very attentive to our needs. Our water glasses remained full, plates were cleared, and leftovers were boxed up efficiently.

We went here for a family dinner this past Saturday and had a wonderful time. We enjoyed drinks, appetizers, the meal, and desserts — so I feel like we really had the full experience.
Our server (I wish I remember his name), was fabulous — friendly, attentive, knowledgeable, AND quite humorous. The team in general was flawless with keeping water and wine glasses full as well as plates cleared. The various courses came out timely and yet, with appropriate pause so that we all felt relaxed and not rushed. Everyone in our party commented favorably on this, in addition to our immense satisfaction with our meals.
My sister and I began by sharing a bottle of wine. We all shared the Bruschetta and sausage bread as an appetizer along with the complimentary bread which was served with two different butters and an olive tapenade. Then it was time for soup and salad. Everyone that had the seafood bisque agreed that it was incredible. For the main course, my father and step-​mother, as well as my sister and her husband, chose the dinner for two option. I felt this was quite a fair price for what it included. My brother and I each ordered a steak dinner with a side. I choice the Filet Neptune and a baked potato. For desert, I went with the cheesecake which came beautifully plated with a mixed berry compote. Delicious.
We all had such a great time and my father couldn’t have been happier to have his family together for such a perfect dining experience. Across the board, 5 stars — very nicely done! Thank you, Russel’s.

One of the best steaks i’ve ever had! I’ve been to most of the higher end steakhouses in buffalo and Russell’s is definitely in my top two. Whenever i’m asked for a recommendation for a nice dinner, i almost always suggest Russell’s. Everything about it is great and makes you feel like family. Every single time i’ve gone, i’ve been greeted at the hostess stand by Russ Salvatore, whether its on a Tuesday night or a Sunday night. Never have i ever been greeted by the owner at any other restaurant, so this is something that i really commend and appreciate. The food is just outstanding here. Steaks are flavorful and cooked to perfection every time. Their french onion soup is one of my favorites in the area and their clams casino, stuffed banana peppers, and artichokes francaise are just a few of my favorite appetizers. You really can’t go wrong with any of their steaks, and all of the sides that pair with it are also amazing. They have a dinner for two special as well for 42 $ a person which really is a nice bang for your buck.
The service is outstanding, so tentative and professional and polite. You can tell Mr Salvatore expects perfection when it comes to his workers, and thats definitely what you get.
I’ve also done their over night hotel and dinner package. My boyfriend and i actually book it every year for our anniversary. For just 220 $, you stay in one of his beautiful jacuzzi suites, you receive a $ 75 credit for their dinner for two menu (which includes: two soups or salads, two steaks, two sides, and two desserts!!!), and all you can eat breakfast in the morning. So so so amazing.
Russell’s is one of my favorites and i can’t wait to be back!

We went here for our anniversary. The restaurant was very beautiful inside.
To start I ordered a pear martini. A little sweet but definitely not light on the liquor which I like.
The house breadbasket was okay. the sugary raisin bread crisps were way too sweet to be in the bread basket before a meal. The butters that accompanied the breadbasket consisted of one plain butter, honey butter and an olive tapenade. while all were good, the honey butter was pink for some reason and did not taste of honey.
We ordered the crabcakes for an appetizer. I was underwhelmed at a place like this. I was expecting big white chunks of crap in the crabcakes but they were formed into balls and they used shredded crab. it was almost like a tuna texture and it had a very slight fishy taste. The best crabcakes I’ve ever had out was at Ruby Tuesday’s believe it or not. go there and get theirs-​delicious!
Next my husband ordered the ribeye. It was done perfectly and it was delicious. I ordered the Chilean Seabass that too was good but lacked flavor. The best Chilean sea bass I had was at Bonefish.
we decided to order the garlic mashed and lobster mac & cheese for sides. Like other reviewers have said, the lobster mac & cheese was average and did not taste of lobster. Nor could you see any lobster. I was really disappointed with it.
We decided to get coffee and a dessert at the end of our meal. The coffee was delicious! We ordered crème brûlée which came out with a sparkler in it and a plate that had happy anniversary written on it. We were very surprised since we did not let the restaurant know it was our anniversary but then I did remember when I made the reservations online through OpenTable it did ask if it was a special occasion and I did put that it was our anniversary so they actually read those and actually knowledge your special day. That was a very nice surprise.
Overall great dinner great experience great service. We also thought the bill would be way more than it was so that was a pleasant surprise too.

One word — OUTSTANDING! Russell’s never fails! They meet every expectation we have. My husband and I went with another couple for dinner last Friday night 1÷9÷15. When we were being seated Russ himself complimented my husband and thanked him for dressing up (he had a nice suit on). Russ said he really appreciates it when people dress up to dine at his restaurant. For dinner 3 of us ordered the Filet Ala Russell and my husband ordered the Sea Bass. Everything was cooked to perfection. I was so excited to eat my food that I forgot to take any pictures :(
If you go I highly suggest the dinner for 2 deal. For $ 39 per person, you get a salad, main course with sides and a dessert! That night I ordered the peanut butter pie which was listed as their special dessert for the evening. It was very light and tasty! After dinner we moved up to the bar and had a few drinks there. Great service, food & atmosphere!