Buffalo Rising Online

Dec 10th 2006, 7:49pm By queenseyes

This morning we went out in search of Sunday brunch. We decided to head over to Niagara Street to look for something that looked open, and it was Frenchy who spotted a place called Boomerangs. We were greeted with a blast from the past... '70s music like Abba, Foreigner and Cher played on the speakers, with the occasional holiday song thrown into the rotation. A long bar is located towards the front of the place and a fairly large back room looks to seat around thirty or so. This morning there was some sort of celebration taking place in the back room, so we opted to sit at the bar. By the time that we sat down Frenchy had already discovered that Boomerangs featured Tom and Jerry drinks, and before we knew it she was sipping on one and reminiscing about the upcoming holiday on Amherst Street. RoBear was also busy at the bar perusing the menu, which we discovered was quite extensive.

Even though there were no breakfast offerings, the selections ranged from raspberry boneless pork chops (RoBear ordered) to a cheeseburger salad (Frenchy ordered). I went for something a bit more down the middle of the road... a fried bologna sandwich topped with saut/(c)ed onions on a toasted roll. Basically, we figured that since we couldn't get breakfast, why not go for some selections that were as far away from morning food as possible.

I had never heard of a cheeseburger salad, and I couldn't remember the last time anyone I was with had ordered pork chops, which was fine because we were all in the mood for something a bit out of the ordinary. RoBear's pork chops looked like they came right out of a recipe book. They were golden brown and were served up with mashed sweet potatoes. Sadly, he opted to forgo the blue cheese topping, but the chops looked so great that it ended up not mattering.

Frenchy was delighted with her salad selection. I wondered if she had made the right decision when she ordered it, but it only took one bite before she exclaimed how much she liked it. There was definitely a lot going on with her meal... I guess it's kinda like an American version of a taco salad. The 8oz burger was char-grilled and topped with shredded cheddar. I'm glad to know that a meal like that even exists, because it was a first for me ever seeing anything like it.

My fried bologna sandwich was served just the way I like them. A lot of onions and a toasty bun with one big slice of juicy bologna... perfect. The sandwich was one of the biggest ones that I had ever had, and it was completely covered with dripping American cheese. My oder came with a huge serving of well-crisped fries. Actually, the portions at Boomerangs are quite something, especially when the menu boasts items that fall between the price point of five and ten dollars. There are a few specials that are a little more, but anything that you find on the regular menu is pretty darn cheap.

Boomerangs is a great place to watch a ball game too. There are six TV sets playing in the establishment at any given time. As we ate our meals we watched New England and Miami duke it out, while totally obscure tunes played... songs that we couldn't help but smile when they came on because we had not heard them in a long, long time.

All of the food at Boomerangs is homemade seven days a week. They serve up fish fries on Friday and also feature the biggest homemade desserts in the city (as far as I have ever experienced). Before we left we ordered a slice of key lime pie, an apple pie with cinnamon ice cream and French got a piece of chocolate cake that looked like it was a small mountain. Honestly, I have never seen a slice of cake served even close to the size of the piece that was presented to her. Boomerangs has been around for two years now, and in that time they have developed an excellent customer base. As a matter of fact, reservations are highly suggested on Fridays and Saturdays. Open for lunch and dinner... there is even a steady business lunch crowd that has discovered the place.

Boomerangs Bar & Grill. 995 Niagara St Buffalo, NY 14213. (716) 883-0408