MARISSA BURR
Opinion Editor
Transferring colleges is hard enough, between having to learn a different campus, make more friends and join new clubs.
Adding in the fact that your school is in a town you’re totally unfamiliar with can increase that feeling of isolation many students fear come the start of a new semester.
I am lucky enough to be transferring to my hometown, with my childhood home a mere half mile from campus.
I’ve spent the majority of my life in Fredonia, and while there’s not an exorbitant amount of things to do around town when you’re bored, there’s a decent array of food options.
There’s not much variety in cuisine, but certainly enough individual businesses that it can be hard to decide where to get dinner from.
Plus, taste doesn’t vary too much between locations of chain restaurants, so this list is specifically locally-owned businesses. So, as someone who had nothing to do in her teenage years—and the academic breaks that she spent in the area as well—I have taken the liberty of compiling a list of local restaurants near campus, and have given my opinion on why you should, or should not, go there.
Upper Crust Bake House- 27 E Main Street, Fredonia
This is a fan favorite around the area. It has very aesthetic cafe vibes, and the food’s taste matches the cool atmosphere.
Looking for the freshest sandwiches, salads and soups? You’ll wanna head down to the little storefront right across from Barker Commons in the center of town.
It’s a great place to study, catch up with friends or just relax on a rainy day. It tends to be a little expensive, so living on the lavish side may only be in the budget once a month or so, but I still highly recommend Upper Crust.
Their pastries are to die for—which happens to be pretty accurate for people with nut allergies like myself, because while they offer a lot of healthy and fresh options, many of their products include nut products.
This is a more recent change to their menu that has caused me to not be able to eat there anymore, but my friends still rave about how good the food is and how I’m missing out.
Trust me, I know.
Their double chocolate chip cookies were a family favorite for the first seventeen years of my life. So, if this review sends you in their door, do me a favor and order a few to go with a “Wally Sandwich.”
Ellicottville Brewing Company Fredonia (EBC West)- 34 W Main Street, Fredonia
Just down the road from Upper Crust and the M&T Bank is the corner restaurant, EBC West.
Now, my parents have raved about this place before and said that it’s always been good when they go out with their friends after work.
I don’t know if it was because I went on a Wednesday evening or if something in the kitchen changed, but my most recent trip there was abysmal. It’s not a large restaurant, with maybe a dozen seats at the bar and the same amount of tables close by, so it’s semi-understandable why they’d only have one person working the bar as well as the floor.
Nonetheless, all aspects of our service took forever.
This would’ve been easy to put aside if my best friend and I’s food didn’t taste like garbage.
The “truffle fries” on their menu were just cold, flavorless fries covered up in old parmesan cheese–definitely not worth the eight bucks.
The chicken wings weren’t cooked all the way and their sauce that should’ve been similar to a parmesan garlic was not actually a sauce, more of a dry rub of that same cheese and a few bits of garlic.
My chicken club had a few shriveled pieces of bacon and two of the most dry and unappetizing chicken tenders I’d ever seen.
It was so bad I had to send it back after choking down two bites. I’ll give them credit though, they took the sandwich off of my bill and were very apologetic but the whole experience just left a sour taste in my mouth.
Save your money and go spend fifty dollars on a meal for two elsewhere—hopefully someplace a little less mediocre.
Lena’s Pizza- 18 Canadaway Street, Fredonia
Now, between the Fredonia and Dunkirk area, you’ve got your choice of about thirty different restaurants that sell pizza, wings, chicken fingers and breadsticks.
Every Fredonia native has their favorite, and I’m sure I’ll get messages on Facebook after this is published but Lena’s has always been my favorite.
Their wings are always cooked really well and served with just enough sauce. Their mild, medium and hot sauces are all a standard heat scale for the Buffalo area, meaning their medium isn’t what I would normally consider less hot than a mild.
You’re getting what you’re ordering, and I like that because with so many places–even just in this area, it’s hard to know. Their pizza is also really good, with a nice sweet sauce and plenty of cheese.
It’s everything I want from a pizza place, and they get my business every time. Reasonable prices, friendly service and delicious food are necessities when you’re in such a competitive area like ours, and I can say confidently that Lena’s won’t let you down.
Big Dipper Ice Cream Parlor- 950 Central Ave, Dunkirk
Like Upper Crust, this is another staple in the community where everyone goes during the summer when they want something sweet.
Big Dipper has a ton of flavors, cone options, sundaes and toppings. They’re always adding something new onto the menu, whether it’s ice cream, cookies, cakes, cake pops and so much more.
I’ve been to ice cream shops almost everywhere I have traveled and it is still one of my favorite places. They recently underwent a remodel that added more doors, tables and space overall to accommodate their booming clientele. It’s got the hometown feeling of a local, vintage ice cream parlor that brings joy to everyone who walks in and sees the pastel colors.
They’re also pet friendly with a lot of picnic tables outside that you can eat at with your dog while they enjoy a “pup cup” dog-safe edible bowl filled with vanilla ice cream.
My brother’s dog, Buddy, tears one of those apart in seconds and highly suggests that you hit up Big Dipper next time instead of running to a gas station for a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.
DP Dough- 13 E Main Street, Fredonia
This business has changed hands—and names—many times since it first opened its storefront.
I remember it being called “Zonies” and then “Calios” only to settle on D.P. Dough for the past few years.
Unfortunately, the names aren’t the only things that have changed, the service and food quality has severely deteriorated.
The menu features calzones, wings, breadsticks and other fried confections. They’re all a pretty reasonable price, and the fact that they’re open late into the night is ideal for college students.
We all get a craving for something salty at 2:00 a.m sometimes, and luckily they’re still serving at that time.
A piece of advice though, they’re on DoorDash but they do not ever check it. They’ll receive the orders, make them, and then they will never get delivered. If you do pickup, they won’t update the pickup time on the app when it’s done so it’s up to you to call and check for it. If you’re gonna order from them, just call the store directly and figure it out from there.
While I used to love their garlic knots and fried oreos, the last few times I’ve gotten them they’ve been dry and disappointing.
I’d suggest not bothering with D.P Dough at all unless it’s early in the morning and nothing else is open.
64 On The Rocks- 64 W Main Street, Fredonia
This is one of the newer restaurants in the area, and because of their limited hours, I have only been there a few times. They aren’t open Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, but during the weekends it is a hotspot. The modern design is appealing to a younger crowd, as is their extensive alcohol selection.
If you’re going to get a drink here, be sure it’s one that you know that you love, because cocktails and other alcoholic beverages are way too expensive here for you to not enjoy them.
As for the food, it’s hit or miss.
Like the drinks, you’re not going to get away without spending an arm and a leg, but the portion sizes tend to compensate for that.
Sandwiches are at least $16.00, which is a lot for most college students to spend on a weekly basis, but it can be worth it to head over when parents or friends come to town.
Based on what my friends and I have tried, the fries are average at best, the grilled chicken sandwich is good as long as you like that charred grill taste that is usually reserved for burgers or hot dogs.
The chicken wings are really tasty but not all their sauces are actually saucy and they’re closer to dry rubs—which is not specified on the menu so definitely have your server clarify—but they’re worth ordering.
My favorite item on the menu is “The Cowboy,” which is smoked turkey, bacon, greens, tomato and chipotle bacon ranch; it was a pretty large sandwich which I loved because I wanted like three of them after taking the first bite.
Overall, it’s a cool atmosphere, but walk in knowing that they’re up-charging you for that “experience.” They also have a location by the lake called 64 On The Pier, which follows the same formula as their original location.
They’ll also advertise live bands that will play, but that tends to be a rare occurrence, as made clear by their spring schedule of events having only three events on it.
If you’re looking for advice, I’d say try it once on someone else’s dime and experience it so you can form your own opinion without losing much in the process.
Sullivan’s Charbroil- 3590 E Main Street, Fredonia
Even though the address says it is on the same street as many of these restaurants, it is a little farther out past the traffic circle, but it is definitely worth the drive, bike ride or walk.
This is the best place to eat during the warm weather, with the perfectly greasy and crispy grilled food always hitting the spot.
They’ve got burgers, chicken sandwiches, curly fries, hot dogs and even grilled cheese. The portions are large, which is good because it is a little on the expensive side, but again the food makes it all worth it.
If you’re new to the Western New York area, they’ve got regional staples like beef on weck sandwiches and their own version of a “garbage plate.”
They also have many flavors of ice cream, slushies and milkshakes that are great on those hot August days that none of us want to spend in a dorm.
Indoor and outdoor seating is plentiful, and their new remodel has added a lot of new amenities to the already-great business.
If there’s one place I would recommend in the Fredonia area, it is Sullivan’s Charbroil.