Schwabl’s Traces Its Beef on Weck Back to 1837. 7 Places to Try Buffalo’s Other Famous Sandwich

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Buffalo gets credit for the chicken wing, but locals will tell you the city’s real signature sandwich is older by decades. Beef on weck Buffalo style is thin-sliced roast beef, usually rare, piled on a kummelweck roll crusted with coarse salt and caraway seeds, with the top of the roll dipped in beef juice and a side of sharp horseradish.

The oldest name in the game is Schwabl’s in West Seneca. According to Visit Buffalo, the restaurant traces its history to 1837 and has served sandwiches at its current Center Road location since 1942. The tourism agency calls Schwabl’s a Buffalo institution, and notes that Anthony Bourdain visited and enjoyed it. Visit Buffalo also says the beef on weck predates the chicken wing by decades. Its exact origin is not certain: most people believe it arrived with a German immigrant or came from a food stand at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo.

Late fall and winter are prime beef on weck season, when a hot roast beef sandwich and a cold beer in a wood-paneled tavern make sense. Here are seven places to try it.

What Makes It Beef on Weck

Before you order, it helps to know what you are getting.

• The roll: A kummelweck, or “weck,” is a Kaiser-style roll topped with coarse salt and caraway seeds. “Kummel” means caraway in German, and “weck” is a regional German word for roll.
• The beef: Roast beef, usually cooked rare to medium-rare, sliced thin to order, often from a large roast carved in front of you.
• The jus: The top half of the roll is dipped in the beef’s juices, called au jus, which softens it slightly and adds flavor.
• The horseradish: Served on the side, often freshly grated and strong.
• The sides: Common pairings include German potato salad, pickles, and fries.

7 Places to Try Beef on Weck in Buffalo

1. Schwabl’s, West Seneca

Schwabl’s, at 789 Center Road in West Seneca, is the place most people mean when they talk about classic beef on weck. Visit Buffalo says the beef is cooked to order, tender, and dripping with its juices, on a fresh, crunchy kimmelweck roll, with excellent horseradish. The restaurant also serves carved turkey and German sides. In winter, according to Visit Buffalo, the bar serves a Tom and Jerry, a holiday cocktail made with egg batter, dark rum, and brandy. Expect a wait at peak dinner hours on weekends.

2. Charlie the Butcher’s Kitchen, Williamsville

Charlie the Butcher’s Kitchen, at 1065 Wehrle Drive in Williamsville, is run by Charlie Roesch, whom Visit Buffalo describes as synonymous with beef on weck. He has appeared on national TV, including “Good Morning America” and “Food Nation with Bobby Flay.” At the Wehrle Drive restaurant, you can watch sandwiches made to order in an open kitchen. Visit Buffalo says the meat is cut thicker than most and served medium, on rolls that are not overly salted. Charlie the Butcher also runs express locations in local grocery stores and gas stations.

3. Eckl’s at Larkin, Buffalo

The Eckl family has been carving beef on weck for generations. According to Visit Buffalo, the first member of the family opened a tavern in Orchard Park in 1906, in a building dating to 1819, and the family’s hand-carved recipe was passed down through the decades. In 2017, Eckl’s moved to a large restaurant in a restored warehouse in Buffalo’s Larkinville neighborhood. The menu is bigger now, but beef on weck carved to order remains the centerpiece.

4. Bar-Bill Tavern, East Aurora

Bar-Bill Tavern, at 185 Main Street in the village of East Aurora, is a neighborhood pub with a big regional following. Visit Buffalo says a large piece of beef sits behind the bar in its own juices, and staff cut sandwiches to order in large portions. The tavern is also well known for wings. Visit Buffalo recommends bringing cash. East Aurora is about 20 miles southeast of downtown Buffalo, and its Main Street is worth a walk before or after lunch.

5. Ulrich’s Tavern, Downtown Buffalo

Ulrich’s Tavern is one of Buffalo’s oldest bars, with more than 140 years of history, according to Visit Buffalo. It keeps its original exterior sign, a stained-glass Iroquois Beer sign, and exposed brick. The menu leans German and pairs with imported European beers. Visit Buffalo says its beef is slow-cooked prime beef, sliced to order and served rare on a fresh kimmelweck roll with house-made horseradish. Check hours before you go, since the tavern has changed owners in recent years.

6. Glen Park Tavern, Williamsville

Glen Park Tavern first opened in 1887 as a stagecoach stop in the village of Williamsville, according to Visit Buffalo. Inside, you will find an original mahogany bar, hardwood floors, and hand-hewn ceiling beams. The tavern bills beef on weck as its signature dish, served from a carving station using certified Angus beef in six- or eight-ounce portions on a Costanzo’s roll, a well-known Buffalo bakery. It is close to Glen Falls and the village’s walking paths along Ellicott Creek.

7. Swiston’s Beef and Keg, Tonawanda

Swiston’s Beef and Keg, at 101 Young Street in Tonawanda, is one of the stops on Visit Buffalo’s beef on weck list. It is a casual neighborhood spot north of the city, and its name tells you what to order. It is a good option if you are staying near Niagara Falls or the northern suburbs.

How to Order Beef on Weck Buffalo Style

• Ask for it rare: Many places will cut to your preferred temperature. Rare or medium-rare is traditional.
• Go easy on the horseradish at first: House-made horseradish in Buffalo can be very strong.
• Pair it with a local beer: Buffalo has a strong brewing scene, and Visit Buffalo suggests a Flying Bison beer with your weck at Ulrich’s.
• Get a side of German potato salad: A traditional match at older taverns.
• Order a second: Sandwiches are not always huge, and many locals order two.

A Beef on Weck Day Trip

• 11:30 a.m.: Lunch at Schwabl’s in West Seneca.
• 1:30 p.m.: Drive to East Aurora and walk Main Street. Stop at Bar-Bill for a second sandwich or a beer if you have room.
• 4 p.m.: Head into Buffalo and explore Larkinville.
• 6 p.m.: Dinner at Eckl’s at Larkin or Ulrich’s downtown.

Plan for a designated driver if you plan to drink.

Where Else You Will Find It

Beef on weck is on the menu at many Western New York bars, restaurants, delis, and even some frozen custard stands. Visit Buffalo’s list includes Anderson’s Frozen Custard, a local chain famous for custard that also serves beef on weck. You will also see it at Buffalo Bills and Sabres games, at county fairs, and at local festivals.

Make It at Home

• Buy the rolls: Kummelweck rolls are sold at Buffalo-area bakeries and some supermarkets.
• Make your own weck: Brush a Kaiser roll with an egg wash or a cornstarch glaze, sprinkle with coarse salt and caraway seeds, and bake briefly.
• Roast the beef: A top round or sirloin roast cooked rare, then sliced very thin.
• Dip the top: Dip the top half of the roll in the pan juices before assembling.
• Serve with horseradish: Freshly grated if you can get it.

Getting There

• From Rochester: Buffalo is about 75 miles west, roughly 1.25 hours via the New York State Thruway.
• From Toronto: About 100 miles, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours, plus border time.
• From Cleveland: About 190 miles, roughly 3 hours.
• By air: Buffalo Niagara International Airport is a few miles from Williamsville and Charlie the Butcher.

Winter Driving in Western New York

Buffalo is famous for lake-effect snow, which can drop several feet in a single storm in some areas south and east of the city. If you visit between November and March, check the forecast, carry a winter car kit, and be ready to change plans if a lake-effect band sets up. Restaurants may close during major storms.

Why It Is Called a Weck

The name comes from the roll. “Kummelweck” combines the German word for caraway, “kümmel,” with “weck,” a regional German word for a roll, according to TableJourney. Buffalo had a large German immigrant population in the 1800s, and German bakers and tavern owners shaped the city’s food. Without the caraway seeds and coarse salt on top, it is just a roast beef sandwich. With them, it is a weck.

When to Go

Beef on weck is served year-round, but it is especially popular in the cold months, around Bills games, and during the holidays. Lunch is often the easiest time to get a table at the older taverns.

Bring It Home

Several Buffalo bakeries sell kummelweck rolls to go, and some shops will pack them for travel so you can make the sandwich at home.

The Bottom Line

Beef on weck is Buffalo’s other famous food: rare roast beef on a salt-and-caraway kummelweck roll, dipped in jus and served with horseradish. Schwabl’s traces its history to 1837, and it remains the classic. Add Charlie the Butcher’s Kitchen, Eckl’s at Larkin, Bar-Bill Tavern, Ulrich’s, Glen Park Tavern, and Swiston’s, and you have a seven-stop tour of the sandwich that came before the wing.