Restaurateur Mike Shatzel is spreading his “good cheers” to Hertel. Shatzel is teaming up with Peter Braun to open Moor Room (loaded words and a palindrome).
The Moor Room pays homage to Shatzel’s “The Moor Pat” (words are a semordnilap) establishment in Williamsville. While The Moor Pat is located in an old established setting, the objective of Moor Room is to recreate a similar vibe. That is being done by using reclaimed woodwork, large rustic wood beams, and a corrugated rust-metal paneled ceiling. The bar top is made from repurposed barn panels. In the end it’s going to have a cozy neighborhood tavern feeling, with 27 beers on tap, along with a cider.
Shatzel told me that he had been eyeing up Hertel for a while, due to its unsurpassed vitality. “Hertel is what Elmwood was 15 years ago,” he told me. There could be a lot of reasons for that sentiment, including fewer NIMBYs to deal with on Hertel, as opposed to Elmwood. But Shatzel noted that it was primarily due to a healthy mix of young parents and college students.
The way I look at it is, if you like The Moor Pat, or Allen Burger Venture (ABV), you’re going to like Moor Room.
“Very exciting to have Mike Shatzel open up on Hertel!” said Delaware District council member Joel Feroleto. “He has a big following in the beer industry both locally and nationally. Moor Room will be a great addition to an already vibrant area.”
Paying homage to the former tenant at 1535 Hertel Avenue (The Village Beer Merchant), there will be a cooler in the back, where customers can grab cold four-packs of beer to go.
As for the food, Shatzel told me that they will have the best wings in all of Buffalo (better than Bar Bill) because they are going to brine them in beer, and will apply a house made hot sauce that will be out of this world. There will be burgers (including veggie burgers), hand cut fries, salads, etc. “We’re going to play the rest by ear,” said Shatzel.
Moor Room is anticipated to be open within a month’s time. Shatzel said that they took over the space in December of 2019, but the pandemic set them way (mainly due to lack of permits). When it opens, there will be a full bar, and plenty of good food and drink, in a neighborhood that will most assuredly rally around the concept.
