Shango New Orleans Bistro is tucked in the middle of a dense cluster of businesses on Main Street near UB. When you walk inside, it feels very comfortable with cozy, warm light, an inviting bar area and lots of seating around the restaurant. Upon a recent visit, the servers greeted us and sat us in a window seat, which allow plenty of light into the restaurant while offering great visibility out onto the street.
Fortunately for me, I went with my mother, who had been there before, so she already knew a few menu items that were considered “delicious” and “must haves”. The menu is eclectic and unique with a New Orleans/Cajun twist. We ordered some wine and pondered the menu. I love appetizers, so it can be tough for me not to order several. We narrowed it down to avocado spring rolls and the pork belly appetizers.
The spring rolls were fried but still light and crispy with a rich avocado filling and corn and sun dried tomatoes. They were accompanied by a spicy chili sauce and a vibrant cilantro pesto.
The pork belly was nicely balanced with fennel and oranges plus the right amount of acid and pickled onions.
The choice for a main course was so hard because I was informed that the mac and cheese is a ‘must’ and I really wanted to try other options. I was torn but luckily my mother agreed to order that and share. In return, I ordered the black linguine with seafood. The mac and cheese was amazing and I had no regrets not substituting it for something more “interesting”. It was served in its own little crock, as it was baked to order, topped with rosemary panko. So it came out bubbly and cheesy. Could be because it had smoked gouda, goat cheese and cheddar cheese in it. YUM!
The seafood linguine was equally as good. I must have been craving creamy sauces that night because both of our choices included some yummy butter and cream components. However, the linguine dish was surprisingly light with bold, with excellent flavor. The lobster, shrimp and scallops were perfectly cooked with wild mushrooms, arugula and tomatoes, then topped on a bed of lovely black pasta, also perfectly cooked. The hint of cognac and citrus made the dish especially flavorful without overpowering the individual seafood’s sweetness. I can’t wait to see what Shango does with their seafood place, Oshun, opening down on E. Huron Street soon.
After dinner, we were pleasantly full and had some leftovers to take with us. I think we just did not want the evening to end at Shango, which is why we opted for dessert. I wanted the apple bread pudding with caramel bacon ice cream. My mother thought I was crazy to get bacon ice cream, until she tried it! The bread pudding was stacked high in a rich custard-like consistency and the ice cream was a terrific complement. It was probably a million calories, but when you are eating it, all that worry goes right out the big giant glass windows because you just don’t want it to end.
Shango
3260 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14214
716.837.2326
Open for Lunch Tuesday -Fri day 11:30 am-2:30 pm
Dinner Tuesday – Thursday 5pm – 10pm, Friday & Saturday 5pm – 11pm
Brunch Sunday 11am – 3pm