A new restaurant called The Rose Bar & Grille has opened inside the historic Fairmont Creamery building, which formerly housed The Mahony Bar and Eatery. Latisa “Lisa” Roosevelt is the proprietor of the new establishment, which she says is known for its friendliness, a diverse crowd, good service, and good food. She hand picked chef Rob Jackson, who has plenty of experience putting out delicious comfort food, including “the best prime rib in Buffalo” (served on Wednesdays), according to Roosevelt. The menu ranges from turkey burgers to quesadillas, but mostly caters to old school, tried and true Buffalo favorites such as beef on weck, burgers, suicide wings, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parms, and sliders.
Roosevelt says that she has been on the quest to find the perfect restaurant space for over four years. In that time, she almost signed up for other spaces, but due to lack of parking, and lack of build outs, she never committed to anything. When she first walked into the Fairmont Creamery building and saw the restaurant space, she couldn’t believe her good fortune. She knew right then and there that she had found her dream restaurant.
I asked Roosevelt whether the large size of the restaurant was intimidating at all, and she told me that the way that she looks at it is this: Any restaurant can be warm if the staff is efficient, courteous, responsive, and warm. And she’s going to let the food speak for itself. “Between the food and the service, I know that people are going to love it,” Roosevelt tells me. “My goal is that every customer feels that he or she is the most important person. I’ve been working with the staff, to ensure that everyone is taken care of, from water when they sit down, with a proper greeting, with a big smile. If the customer feels important, then we feel important. The’s just the way that it works.”
The Rose Bar & Grille is currently serving up dinners, with a full bar. But Roosevelt tells me that she hopes to be open for lunches by the end of summer. In the meantime, she’s getting down to business, by perfecting dinner service, and says that people have to come in and try the homemade soups that are the best around. “They will blow your mind,” she tells me. “I always believed in blessings. This place is a blessing, and I want to share it with everyone.”
The Rose Bar and Grill | 199 Scott Street inside the Fairmont Building | (716) 424-2007 | Facebook
Lead image courtesy Ellicott Development