Buffalo Rising Online

Oct 28th 2006, 2:44pm By Charlie Quill

It seems like our work is never done.

While most of Buffalo enjoyed the end of another work week at Friday happy hours throughout the city late Friday afternoon, Queenseyes and I made our way down to the old First Ward, continuing our relentless pursuit of the truth.

We'd been to Gene McCarthy's Pub and Restaurant, many times, but we had never tried the Beef on Weck. That was about to change.

An Old First Ward tradition, the pub, located at 73 Hamburg St., (716) 855-8948, is a favorite stop for locals and a destination worth driving to for folks like us who don't live in the neighborhood. McCarthy's is one of those places where you're likely to run into people you know, no matter who you are or where you live.

Opened in 1963 by Eugene McCarthy and his wife Mary (now retired from the business), the operation is now in the able hands of Gerhardt Yaskow. The McCarthy's do stop in regularly and, in fact, did so Friday.

My enthusiasm for Buffalo-bred culinary delicacies has been pretty well documented in Buffalo Rising these last few months. I love Texas-hots, chicken wings, loganberry, curley fries. I have favorite haunts for these foods. I take seriously my love for these foods in part because I believe they are integral to the cultural tapestry of our community and because eating these foods brings me a great deal of joy personally. And I'm happy to report that the beef at McCarthy's is about as good as any I've ever had.

These guys serve-up the classic Buffalo delicacy just right: slightly pink, stacked high, with juice on the bun. By the time we got around to ordering they had run out of kummelweck rolls (not surprising because it looked like about 300 sandwiches were consumed during the few hours we were there) but a little salt and fresh horseradish and we couldn't tell the difference. The bartender makes your sandwich right in front of you, the way it's supposed to be to done -- the way they did it at the long-gone Locker Room Athletic Club (Delaware Avenue near Gates Circle, great beef sandwich ,Aei I practically grew-up in that place eating those sandwiches) and the way some neighborhood joints still do it (Anacone's on Bailey Avenue does and their sandwich ain't bad either). The only complaint I had at McCarthy's was no dill pickles, but I hardly noticed. And the several dozen people hunched over plates at tables and at the bar didn't seem to mind either.

Although we stuck with the beef, and pints of stout, we saw quite a few folks enjoying enormous fish frys, while a live Irish trio played softly on the background and people at the bar laughed and talked.

Prices are below reasonable at McCarthy's and the beer selection is great (they just added a few German varieties). Everyone in the place greets you with a smile and, from what we here, this is the place to be for the annual Shamrock Run, the Old First Ward Parade and the Buffalo Riverfest. Probably not a bad place to go after the St. Patrick's Day parade either.