Buffalo

Steakhouse

Buffalo Chophouse

A prime steak and seafood dinner for the night before the game.

Details & address

Dining room Mon–Sat 5–9 p.m. No Sunday hours are listed, so don’t count on it after a Sunday game.

282 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY 14202

Brewpub

Big Ditch Brewing Company

A two-level, family-friendly taproom with beef on weck, wings and a kids’ menu.

Details & address

Mon–Thu 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Fri 11 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sat noon–11 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

55 East Huron Street, Buffalo, NY 14203

Beef on weck and traditional Buffalo fare

Schwabl’s

Hand-carved roast beef on kümmelweck with German potato salad, a classic Buffalo lunch.

Details & address

Open Tue–Sat 11:30 a.m.–7:30 p.m. Closed Sundays and Mondays, and on Thanksgiving, so plan it for the day before.

789 Center Road, West Seneca, NY 14224

American

The Mansard

A chef-run dinner about 1.4 miles from the stadium, with steaks, pasta and a raised deck.

Details & address

Wed–Sat 4–10 p.m.; Sun 3–9 p.m.; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Abbott Road closes to cars near the stadium on game days, so check your route.

3365 Abbott Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127

Beef on weck

Charlie the Butcher’s Kitchen

Buffalo’s roast beef on weck, about a mile from the airport.

Details & address

Mon–Sat 10 a.m.–8 p.m. The page lists Sunday as “11:00 pm to 8:00 pm”, so call (716) 633-8330 to confirm Sunday hours. Closed Thanksgiving.

1065 Wehrle Drive, Williamsville, NY 14221

Walking directions Plan a Canalside visit

Make more of the trip.

Pubs, late food, walks and local experiences for the whole weekend.

Explore the day before

Day before · choose a game date

Walking route

Walk the Canalside waterfront

Stroll the boardwalk and lawns on the edge of Lake Erie, past the children’s museum to the Naval Park ships.

CanalsideFree walk

Free outingWaterfrontFamilies

Canalside, Buffalo, NY 14203

Canalside and the Outer Harbor are open daily from dawn to dusk; hours may be extended for events.

The Boardwalk at Canalside
Explore & More Children’s Museum
Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park

About 20–45 minutes

Before you go

Free outingWaterfrontFamilies

Canalside, Buffalo, NY 14203

Canalside and the Outer Harbor are open daily from dawn to dusk; hours may be extended for events.

The Boardwalk at Canalside
Explore & More Children’s Museum
Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park

About 20–45 minutes

A daylight walk the day before the game; Canalside is open dawn to dusk.

Free public access and free parking at Canalside. The museum and Naval Park charge admission.

Start on the boardwalk, pass the children’s museum and finish at the Naval Park. The stops come from the waterfront’s own Canalside guide; use it to get your bearings, not as turn-by-turn directions.

Seasonal kayaks, bikes and outdoor food may not be running in football season. Check the events calendar for closures.

Walking route

Loop the new stadium on the Highmark Trail

A 1.7-mile loop around Highmark Stadium with mile markers, a 40-yard dash, a broad jump and photo stops.

Highmark Stadium; the trail starts across from Family Circle on Abbott RoadFree walk

Stadium visitFamiliesFree outing

Highmark Trail, starting across from Family Circle, Abbott Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127

The Bills say the trail is open to the public year-round; no daily hours are published.

Family Circle, north entrance
Highmark Trail loop and activity stations

1.7 mi published route

Before you go

Stadium visitFamiliesFree outing

Highmark Trail, starting across from Family Circle, Abbott Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127

The Bills say the trail is open to the public year-round; no daily hours are published.

Family Circle, north entrance
Highmark Trail loop and activity stations

1.7 mi published route

Walk it the day before, when the lots are quiet. The Bills say it serves game-day fans too.

Free.

The trail begins across from Family Circle by the stadium’s north entrance on Abbott Road and loops back with blue mile markers.

Game-day road closures, lot rules and the security perimeter can limit access on game days. Check the trail map in the Bills app before you go.

Walking directions See the Highmark Trail map

Things to do

Board the ships at the Buffalo Naval Park

Self-guided tours of the largest inland naval park in the United States, including USS The Sullivans, on the Canalside waterfront.

8.5 mi straight-line from the stadiumSelf-guided: adults $23; ages 5–12 and seniors 65+ $18; veterans $16; 4 and under free. Prices can change.

HistoryFamiliesWaterfront

Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY 14202

September: daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. October: daily 10 a.m.–4 p.m. November: weekends before Thanksgiving, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. After Thanksgiving: weekends 10 a.m.–3 p.m., guided tours only.

Before you go

HistoryFamiliesWaterfront

Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, 1 Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY 14202

September: daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m. October: daily 10 a.m.–4 p.m. November: weekends before Thanksgiving, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. After Thanksgiving: weekends 10 a.m.–3 p.m., guided tours only.

A daytime outing the day before. Last tickets to the ships are sold an hour before closing.

The park can close the ships for safety. Winter visits are guided tours only.

Directions Check Naval Park hours & tickets

Night before the game

Night before the game · choose a game date

Bar / pub

Steins at Hofbräuhaus Buffalo

A Bavarian beer hall near the waterfront with house-brewed beer, German food and live entertainment.

8.1 mi straight-line from the stadiumSee menu for pricesLate food nearby: Late subs at Jim’s Steakout, Allentown, 1.6 mi straight-line

Downtown baseBeer hallGroups

Groups of 20+: reserve ahead

Hofbräuhaus Buffalo, 190 Scott Street, Buffalo, NY 14204

Wed–Thu 3–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat noon–midnight; Sun 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Before you go

Downtown baseBeer hallGroups

Groups of 20+: reserve ahead

Hofbräuhaus Buffalo, 190 Scott Street, Buffalo, NY 14204

Wed–Thu 3–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat noon–midnight; Sun 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Good for a Saturday night before the game; on Sundays it closes at 8 p.m., early enough to matter after a late game.

Menu prices apply. Private events have their own terms.

The published hours are food-service hours; a separate bar closing time isn’t listed. The stadium is a separate trip.

Directions See the beer hall’s hours & menus

Bar / pub

A brewery round at Resurgence

A two-story brewery and restaurant in the renovated E.B. Holmes Machinery building, south of downtown.

7.7 mi straight-line from the stadiumSee menu for pricesLate food nearby: Late subs at Jim’s Steakout, Allentown, 2.1 mi straight-line

Craft beerDowntown baseFree parking

Resurgence Brewing Company, 55 Chicago Street, Buffalo, NY 14204

Tue–Wed noon–10 p.m.; Thu noon–11 p.m.; Fri noon–midnight; Sat 11 a.m.–midnight; Sun 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; closed Mondays.

Before you go

Craft beerDowntown baseFree parking

Resurgence Brewing Company, 55 Chicago Street, Buffalo, NY 14204

Tue–Wed noon–10 p.m.; Thu noon–11 p.m.; Fri noon–midnight; Sat 11 a.m.–midnight; Sun 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; closed Mondays.

Open until midnight on Friday and Saturday; closes at 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Menu and tap-list prices apply.

A Sunday closing of 7 p.m. may not leave time after a 1 p.m. game once you’re back from Orchard Park. Its seasonal Canalside location is closed until 2027.

Directions See Resurgence hours & taps

Bar / pub

Meet Chiefs Kingdom at Casey’s Black Rock

A Black Rock sports bar and arcade that local news describes as the city’s Chiefs backers bar, with one Bills shelf and one Chiefs shelf behind the bar.

484 Amherst StreetSee menu for prices

Chiefs fansSports barArcade

Casey’s Black Rock, 484 Amherst Street, Buffalo, NY 14207

Tue and Thu 11:30 a.m.–midnight; Wed 3 p.m.–midnight; Fri 11:30 a.m.–2 a.m.; Sat noon–2 a.m.; Sun 3 p.m.–2 a.m. Monday hours aren’t listed.

Before you go

Chiefs fansSports barArcade

Casey’s Black Rock, 484 Amherst Street, Buffalo, NY 14207

Tue and Thu 11:30 a.m.–midnight; Wed 3 p.m.–midnight; Fri 11:30 a.m.–2 a.m.; Sat noon–2 a.m.; Sun 3 p.m.–2 a.m. Monday hours aren’t listed.

The Chiefs visit on Thanksgiving night, Thursday Nov. 26. Check holiday hours before you go.

Menu prices apply.

Black Rock is north of downtown and a long way from the stadium. Thanksgiving hours aren’t published.

Kansas City Chiefs fans meet here · listed by spectrumlocalnews.com · Spectrum News 1 Buffalo, Jan. 23, 2025: “Vinnie Garofalo owns Casey’s Black Rock, the lone Chiefs backers bar in the city of Buffalo … Garofalo hosts members of ‘Chiefs Kingdom’ living in Western New York each weekend.” No Chiefs Kingdom club directory entry was found.

Directions See Casey’s hours & menu

Before kickoff

Before kickoff · choose a game date

Bar / pub

Watch the build-up at Prohibition 2020

A sports bar on Southwestern Boulevard beside the stadium, with 20 craft taps and wings. It calls itself an official Bills Backer chapter.

0.37 mi straight-line from the stadiumSee menu for pricesLate food nearby: Late food near the stadium at Jim’s Steakout, Orchard Park, 2.4 mi straight-line

Stadium sideBills BackersLate hours

Prohibition 2020, 3847 Southwestern Boulevard, Orchard Park, NY 14127

Mon–Fri noon–4 a.m.; Sat–Sun 11 a.m.–4 a.m. The site doesn’t publish separate kitchen hours.

Before you go

Stadium sideBills BackersLate hours

Prohibition 2020, 3847 Southwestern Boulevard, Orchard Park, NY 14127

Mon–Fri noon–4 a.m.; Sat–Sun 11 a.m.–4 a.m. The site doesn’t publish separate kitchen hours.

Open late every night, so it works the night before, before a game and after it.

Menu prices apply; the site doesn’t publish game-day cover charges or minimums.

Expect crowds and road closures around the stadium on game days. Kitchen hours after midnight aren’t published.

Buffalo Bills fans meet here · listed by prohibition2020op.com · The bar’s own site says: “An official Bills Backer Chapter.”

Directions See Prohibition 2020’s hours & menu

Things to do

Tailgate in a Bills lot

Set up behind your car in a Highmark Stadium lot, under the Bills’ tailgating rules.

Highmark Stadium; your lot is printed on your passNeeds a parking pass bought before game day; the Bills don’t list prices on the parking page.

TailgatingDriving inBills tradition

Highmark Stadium parking lots, Orchard Park, NY 14127

Lots open four hours before kickoff and close two hours after the game ends.

Before you go

TailgatingDriving inBills tradition

Highmark Stadium parking lots, Orchard Park, NY 14127

Lots open four hours before kickoff and close two hours after the game ends.

Lots open four hours before kickoff, and tailgating ends at kickoff.

Keep everything in the 9 × 10 foot area behind your car. No stakes, glass, oil fryers or portable PA systems; grills must sit at least 6 inches off the ground. Nothing may be towed in.

Directions Read the Bills’ tailgating rules

Late-night food & drinks

Late night after the game · choose a game date

Late food

Late subs at Jim’s Steakout, Allentown

Buffalo’s late-night steak-sub counter, open into the small hours.

9.7 mi straight-line from the stadiumSee menu for prices

Late foodSteak subsAfter the bars

Jim’s Steakout, 194 Allen Street, Buffalo, NY 14201

Thu–Sat 10:30 a.m.–4 a.m.; Sun–Wed 10:30 a.m.–2 a.m. Online ordering and delivery can stop before closing.

Before you go

Late foodSteak subsAfter the bars

Jim’s Steakout, 194 Allen Street, Buffalo, NY 14201

Thu–Sat 10:30 a.m.–4 a.m.; Sun–Wed 10:30 a.m.–2 a.m. Online ordering and delivery can stop before closing.

Walk-in food orders are taken up to the posted closing time; phone orders stop 15 minutes before.

Menu prices apply; delivery fees depend on the service.

Allentown is north of downtown, a separate short trip from the Theatre District hotels.

Directions Check Jim’s hours

Late food

Late food near the stadium at Jim’s Steakout, Orchard Park

The Orchard Park branch of Jim’s, open until 2 a.m. even on Sunday nights.

2.7 mi straight-line from the stadiumSee menu for prices

Late foodStadium sideTakeout

Jim’s Steakout, 3185 Orchard Park Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127

Thu–Sat 10:30 a.m.–4 a.m.; Sun–Wed 10:30 a.m.–2 a.m.

Before you go

Late foodStadium sideTakeout

Jim’s Steakout, 3185 Orchard Park Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127

Thu–Sat 10:30 a.m.–4 a.m.; Sun–Wed 10:30 a.m.–2 a.m.

Walk-in food orders are taken up to the posted closing time; phone orders stop 15 minutes before.

Menu prices apply; delivery fees depend on the service.

It’s a drive from the stadium lots and from both Orchard Park motels; postgame road closures can slow the trip.

Directions Check Jim’s hours

Choose your game and build your weekend

To the game and back

Choose a route from the area you’re staying in.

Walk from the Red Carpet InnOrchard Park / stadium sidewalk

Getting there: Walk from the motel on Southwestern Boulevard to the security gate for your seats. Security gates open three hours before kickoff and ticket entries two hours before.
Getting back: Walk back the same way. Big Tree Road closes to one direction of traffic after the game, so expect crowds and follow traffic staff at crossings.

The Bills publish no pedestrian route from nearby motels. Leave time for road crossings, crowds and metal-detector screening at gates B–F.

Drive from Orchard Park or West SenecaOrchard Park / stadium sidedrive

Getting there: Buy a parking pass for a named lot before game day, then approach that lot the way the Bills describe. Lots open four hours before kickoff.
Getting back: Lots close two hours after the game ends. Big Tree Road (Route 20A) closes to westbound traffic from Fieldhouse Drive to Route 219 after the game.

No parking is sold on game day except in the accessible lots. A pass is valid only for the lot printed on it, one car per space.

Game Day Express from downtownDowntown Buffalo / Canalsidetransit

Getting there: Board NFTA Game Day Express route 253 at the Metropolitan Transportation Center, 181 Ellicott Street. For the Sept. 27 Chargers game (1 p.m.), buses leave at 8:00, 8:30, 10:20 and 11:20 a.m. Fare $5 each way, exact cash or Token Transit.
Getting back: Board at the stadium transit center near Abbott Road and Southwestern Boulevard. For the Sept. 27 game, route 253 returns at 4:30 and 5:00 p.m.; if the game runs long, the first buses leave about 30 minutes after it ends.

NFTA posts each game’s schedule the week before and says times can change. Service is limited and demand is high. Metro passes aren’t valid, and eating and drinking aren’t allowed on board.

Rideshare from downtownDowntown Buffalo / Canalsiderideshare

Getting there: Plan the drop-off around the game-day road closures: Abbott Road is closed to cars between Bills Drive and the White ADA Lot.
Getting back: Leave through Entry 3 and Gate B and cross the ECC South Campus to the rideshare zone at its eastern end.

The Bills warn that Western New York doesn’t have enough rideshare drivers for a quick departure, especially after night games, and ask fans to have a backup plan.

Drive from the airport areaAirport / Williamsville–Amherstdrive

Getting there: Drive to the lot printed on your advance parking pass and follow the Bills’ approach for that lot. Abbott Road is closed to cars six hours before kickoff.
Getting back: Walk back to your lot. Lots close two hours after the game ends, and parts of Big Tree Road run one way only after the game.

No game-day parking sales except in the cashless accessible lots. Game Day Express route 254 serves Eastern Hills Mall, but neither hotel is within walking distance of it.

At Highmark Stadium

Buy parking before game day

Every Highmark Stadium lot needs a parking pass bought in advance; game-day sales are for accessible parking only. A pass is good only for the lot printed on it. Lots open four hours before kickoff and close two hours after the game.

Tailgating rules

Each space is a 9 × 18 foot stall with a 9 × 10 foot tailgating area behind the car. Tents are allowed if they stay out of lanes. No stakes, glass or oil fryers, and grills must be raised at least 6 inches. Tailgating ends at kickoff.

Game Day Express bus

NFTA runs express buses to the stadium transit center from the Metropolitan Transportation Center, University and Utica stations, Thruway Plaza, Eastern Hills Mall and Niagara Falls. $5 each way, exact cash or Token Transit. Schedules are posted the week before each game.

Rideshare pickup

After the game, leave through Entry 3 and Gate B and cross the ECC South Campus to the rideshare zone at its eastern end. The Bills warn of very long waits, especially after night games.

Bags — Bills

One clear bag up to 12 × 6 × 12 inches or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus a small clutch about 4.5 × 6.5 inches. Strollers, umbrellas and seat cushions larger than 15 × 15 inches aren’t allowed.

Gates — Bills

Security gates open three hours before kickoff and ticket entries two hours before. Everyone goes through a metal detector, and there’s no re-entry.

Tickets & children — Bills

Children under two don’t need a ticket and sit on an adult’s lap; everyone older needs one. Add tickets and parking passes to your phone wallet before you arrive, and transfer each guest their own ticket.

Cashless stadium

Concessions and stores inside Highmark Stadium are cashless. Reverse ATMs that turn cash into a card are inside Entry 9 and by the Guest Experience booth at Section 341.

Access & help — Bills

Accessible parking is in the Blue ADA and White ADA lots, first come, first served, paid on arrival. Golf carts run from Bills lots to the gates; call 716-312-8933 or text 716-588-1960. There’s no storage for wheelchairs inside.