Originally established through a partnership with Denver’s Wynkoop Brewing Company, Pearl Street Grill Buffalo quickly became a local favorite. Within just a couple of years, local investors took full ownership in 1999, propelling the brewpub towards its iconic status. Over time, Pearl Street Grill Buffalo expanded, thoughtfully renovating and opening multiple floors to accommodate its growing popularity and offer diverse dining and event spaces.
Today, Pearl Street Grill Buffalo boasts an impressive layout spanning four floors and a basement, featuring nine bars and a vast array of tap handles. Each tap proudly pours craft beer brewed in-house, directly from holding tanks located in the building’s basement. This commitment to on-site brewing is a key part of what makes Pearl Street Grill Buffalo a unique destination in the Buffalo culinary landscape.
The building itself, which houses Pearl Street Grill Buffalo, has a fascinating past dating back to 1870. Its first chapter was in fashion, as the premises of a dressmaker, Mrs. George Palmer. Later, in 1891, H.O. Putnam, another dressmaker, took over the business, continuing the location’s association with dressmaking for nearly half a century until 1919.
In 1919, the building transitioned to a new commercial venture when the R.C. Neal Co. established a hardware store. For the next 60 years, the R.C. Neal Co. hardware store was a fixture at this location, serving the Buffalo community until 1982. Interestingly, even during the hardware store era, the building had a culinary presence. Mac Garry’s restaurant operated from the basement from 1927 to 1963, offering dining experiences below street level. A change in street grade due to expressway construction in 1963 led to Mac Garry’s closure, as its windows became submerged below ground level.
It wasn’t until 1983 that another restaurant, Garcia’s Irish Pub, opened its doors in the building, marking a return to dining and hospitality. Garcia’s operated until 1996, paving the way for the arrival of Pearl Street Grill Buffalo in 1997, which ushered in the modern era of this historic location.
One of the most striking features of Pearl Street Grill Buffalo is its multilevel, New Orleans-style wrap-around copper-roofed patios. These patios, adorned with hundreds of blooming hanging baskets, are a visual landmark, easily seen from the I-190. They offer stunning views of Lake Erie sunsets, the Buffalo cityscape, and the waterfront, enhancing the dining experience at Pearl Street Grill Buffalo. Located at 76 Pearl Street, Buffalo, NY 14202, Pearl Street Grill Buffalo invites visitors to become part of its ongoing story in the heart of downtown Buffalo.
