Tonawanda

Tonawanda is the name of both a city in the Northtowns of Erie County, New York, and the unincorporated suburban township that surrounds it. The incorporated village of Kenmore also makes up part of the Town of Tonawanda. All three of these places are covered in this article.

Understand

Get in

Get around

See

Do

• Canal Fest. Held on the third full week of July in the twin cities of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda a short distance north of Buffalo, Canal Fest is the largest annual festival held along the banks of this historic waterway. The live music performances the festival holds yearly at Gateway Harbor are legendary; additionally, the eight-day run of Canal Fest 2011 boasted a parade, a boat-building competition, a sack race and other activities for kids, boat races along the canal, and a fireworks finale. 
• GameOn, 3660 Delaware Ave, Kenmore, ☎ [phone]. Su-Th 11AM-midnight, F 11AM-4AM, Sa 10AM-4AM. Video gaming center with 42 gaming PCs and a variety of consoles. They also have a basic cafe for refreshments, including Bawls energy drinks. $5/hour, $20-30/day. (updated May 2016)
• 🌍 Adventure Landing. 

Buy

Eat

Budget

• 🌍 Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs, 707 Kenmore Ave., ☎ [phone]. Daily 11AM-10PM. Like the still-popular food truck that has served as the original incarnation of the Tripi brothers' operation since 2013, Frank's newly-opened standalone restaurant is a place where the hot dog is reimagined into a bevy of truly creative, upscale concoctions. You start by choosing a sausage (pork, beef, or a vegetarian dog made from lentils and rice) and then choose from a wide range of specialty topping schemes to dress it up in. Witness the fiery "Holy Moly" where the heat of sriracha sauce and jalapeños is tempered just a bit by fresh guacamole, the sweet-and-savory "Violet Beauregarde" with cheese, crunchy French fried onions, and (you guessed it) blueberry glaze, and a faithful take on the Chicago hot dog. The unadventurous needn't worry, either: if you want to stick to the standard ketchup/mustard/onion/relish scenario, they'll serve you an "Original Frank" too. Whatever your pleasure, you can rest assured that you're enjoying high-quality fare made fresh in-house from locally sourced ingredients. $10-20. (updated Jun 2018)
• 🌍 Quick One, 359 Somerville Ave., ☎ [phone]. Daily 11AM-10PM. Tucked away in a drab-looking strip mall in an anonymous suburban neighborhood, your first impression pulling into the parking lot and walking through the door is of an ordinary Chinese takeout. And you wouldn't be completely wrong: if your tastes run more toward Americanized standards like chop suey, sesame chicken, and crab rangoon, Quick One has you covered. But it's in the "home style" menu where the place really shines: from ma po tofu to twice-cooked pork to fuqi feipian, you won't find better or more authentic Sichuan food anywhere in Western New York. Organ meats, dazzlingly vibrant flavors, and friendly customer service abound — and don't be misled by the low prices; portion sizes are huge. $10-25. (updated Dec 2018)

Mid-range

• 🌍 Buffalo Roadhouse Grill, 1980 Niagara Falls Blvd., ☎ [phone]. Daily 11AM-11PM (bar open later). After Roadhouse Grill, the regional chain of steakhouses, went bankrupt in 2008, employees of the Tonawanda location decided to purchase the restaurant and re-open it in the chain's spirit. In doing so, they also added a bit of Buffalo, both to the name and to the menu (incorporating beef on weck and Buffalo wings). 
• 🌍 Mandarin Garden, 1400 Niagara Falls Blvd., ☎ [phone]. Tu-Th 11AM-10:30PM, F-Sa 11AM-11PM, Su noon-10:30PM. The building used to be a Pizza Hut, and from the outside it retains pretty much the same distinctive look. Inside is another story: the sparking white floors, vases of red roses on the tables, and tinkly piano music create almost a "romantic night out" ambience. The menu is divided between competent-but-nothing-special American Chinese fare and a much more recommendable "authentic" menu that trends heavily toward fiery Sichuan cuisine, with a few Vietnamese and Thai specialties (pad thai, pho) thrown in for good measure. Service is a cut above what you'd expect, too. $10-30. (updated Mar 2019)

Splurge

• 🌍 Sinatra's, 945 Kenmore Ave. (Metro Bus 5 or 11), ☎ [phone]. Daily 5PM-10PM. The scion of a family that traces its roots back to Vallelunga, Sicily, John Sinatra opened his eponymous restaurant in 1981, serving family recipes handed down from generation to generation. Originally named Sinatra's Trilogy in honor of John's three sons who helped him run the business, the name was shortened to "Sinatra's" when the middle son, Michael, took ownership after his father's retirement. Though Sinatra's has remained true to its original dedication to delicious Sicilian and Southern Italian food, over the years it has become more known as an upscale destination serving an increasingly refined interpretation of that cuisine. A wide range of pasta dishes are on offer, made with fine ingredients imported from Italy; the pasta con sardi is an interesting choice in this regard, topped with fresh sardines, tomatoes, raisins, fennel and pine nuts. A range of seafood dishes is also available at Sinatra's, as well as chicken and veal served in milanese, marsala, piccata, parmigiana or diavolo style. Perhaps most impressive of all, however, is the wine list: a gargantuan slate of offerings that features whites, reds and reserve selections from Italy, France and the United States. Buffalonians absolutely rave about this place. $25-65. 

Drink

Sleep

This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room:
Budget	Under $100/night
Mid-range	$100-$150/night
Splurge	Over $150/night

Budget

• Center Way Hotel (Formerly Microtel Inn Tonawanda-Buffalo), 225 Crestmount Ave., Tonawanda (I-290 exit 1 or 1B), ☎ [phone]. Fax/copy service, free continental breakfast. 
• Super 8 Kenmore/Buffalo/Niagara Falls Area, 1288 Sheridan Dr., Tonawanda, ☎ [phone]. All rooms have coffee maker, hair dryer, cable TV with HBO. Continental breakfast. 
• Scottish Inn Kenmore, 1346 Sheridan Dr., Tonawanda, ☎ [phone]. Newly renovated. All rooms have microwave, and cable TV with over 60 channels including HBO. Coffee makers and irons/ironing boards available on request. 

Mid-range

Splurge

Connect

Go next

Routes through Tonawanda

Niagara Falls ← Grand Island ←	N  S	→ Buffalo → Cheektowaga
Niagara Falls ← North Tonawanda ←	N  S	→ Buffalo → Warren
Niagara Falls ← Grand Island ←	W  E	→ Amherst → Clarence
Buffalo via Black Rock Channel ←	W  E	→ Amherst → Rochester