Last night, a few of us were on our way to dinner at Sinatra’s on Kenmore Avenue. As we were en route, a friend asked if there were any interesting places to stop along the way, considering that we got an early start and had some time to kill. I suggested that we swing by The Foundry Lounge for a cocktail and a game of pool. It was interesting that my three companions had no idea what I was talking about, and it’s times like that when you know that you’re in for an adventure.
Walking into The Foundry, past all of the beautiful works of art by Peter Fowler, I couldn’t help but notice that my guests were impressed with the decor and the general industrial vibe of the early 1900s manufacturing plant turned boutique hotel and banquet center. As we walked toward The Foundry Lounge, I could tell that everyone wanted to drift in different directions to explore the various amenities. But by the time we ended up in the lounge, all eyes were immediately trained on the room… it was is if they still didn’t believe me that the place even existed, sort of like a mirage. They were equally surprised that the place was staffed by a skilled bartender on a Sunday evening.
Within seconds we had a drink in one hand and a pool cue in the other. I can’t remember the last time that I walked into an establishment where I didn’t have to put a load of quarters into a slot to play a game of pool. Not only was the table free to play, it was also in beautiful condition. Unfortunately nobody warned me that the guy that I was with was once considered a “shark” back in the day, so I had my work ahead of me. But even losing in an atmosphere such as this is not such a bad thing. Luckily, the low-light, moody atmosphere was a bit of a crutch for me, and I ended up holding my own in the end.
By the end of the second game, we realized that we had let the time get away from us. So we called our destination restaurant and warned them that we were running a tad late. The Foundry Lounge can do that to you – it’s easy to lose track of time. That’s because the place feels like it’s your own swank club, the way that it’s set up with lounge furniture, bistro tables, and a beautiful bar that looks like its been there for a hundred years. The only thing missing was a wood burning fireplace.
Even though it was the first time that I made it into The Foundry Lounge since writing about it when it first opened, I can assuredly say that I will not make that mistake again. For some reason, it took me a while to get my butt over there, but now it’s going to be a ‘go t0’ on my list of evening outings in Buffalo. Our bartender took great care of us, and we got to play a couple of rounds of pool, which is something that I wasn’t even aware that I was missing in my life.
Even though we didn’t order any small plates, I did see (online) that The Foundry Lounge offers the following drink and food specials:
SMALL PLATE SUNDAY offering $6 small plates
MARTINI MONDAYS $6 Martinis and Crafted Drink Specials
BLUE TUESDAYS $5 Sky Vodka Drinks & 2 for$5 Labatt’s Blue
WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS 1/2 Price Glasses of Wine
THROW BACK THURSDAYS $3 Draft Beer
HAPPY HOUR FRIDAY Drink Specials and Complimentary Buffet
And I also managed to track down the small plate menu:
The Foundry Lounge is open nightly starting at 5pm. It’s situated in close proximity to Hertel Avenue, Amherst Street and the Elmwood Village. Another interesting tidbit is that when there is not an event taking place in one of the banquet rooms, guests are invited to take their cocktails out into the courtyard (see here) when it’s warm out. That’s another great reason to check this place out. But don’t wait until the warm weather returns… do yourself a favor and take your guy or girl here for romantic night on the town. You’ll be happy that you did.
The Foundry Lounge | 1738 Elmwood Avenue (Formerly FWS) | Buffalo, NY 14207
Office: (716) 874-5400 | info@eventsatthefoundry.com