Restaurants in Niagara Falls

Foot-high flames erupt from a tower of sliced onions, and a collective “oooooh” leaves the lips of the patrons gathered around the table fitted with a hibachi grill. Chicken, shrimp, scallops, lobster tail, filets mignon, and veggies cook right before diners' eyes before a skilled Tokyo II hibachi chef doles out each browned piece to awaiting plates. In addition to dazzling displays of hibachi meals, the eatery houses a team of talented sushi chefs who work wonders with knives, thinly slicing yellowtail and salmon and whittling plates from the trunk of an oak tree. The staff has given rolls such creative names as Black Betty, White Lilly, and Black Dragon, and the entrees it prepares includes the May Flower, a spread of 18 sushi pieces, plus a spicy tuna and tiger roll. A handful of Thai dishes—pad thai, curry, and coconut-mushroom soup—rounds out the extensive selection of edibles.

On certain days, Papa Jake's Saloon dishes out prime rib or seafood specials, but owner Scott Leary doesn't want that to distract from the rest of the menu. As he told Buffalo Rising contributor Chao Li, “Everything's special at Papa Jakes.” Leary buys the freshest seafood available for dishes such as steamed snow crab legs served with drawn butter or clams Casino that Li says arrive in a still-bubbling sauce that seems to cook the morsels before your very eyes. For each Friday’s fish fry, chefs bread fillets of fish by hand and simmer pots of seafood bisque and New England clam chowder, whose rich scents attract both humans and sharks disguised as humans. Diners can also opt for the mainland taste of charbroiled burgers with fresh-cut french fries, washing it all down with frosty glasses of draft beers or mixed drinks from a full bar.

Inside Taj Grill, the air is thick with the tantalizing aromas of curry, ginger, and garlic, which drift languorously in from a bustling kitchen, where a single chef churns out northern and southern Indian cuisine steeped in centuries of tradition. The chef skillfully concocts more than 30 vegetarian dishes and aromatic curries spiced to taste. Marinated lamb, chicken, and seafood sizzle inside a charcoal-fired clay oven alongside rounds of unleavened naan, which the chef stuffs with seasoned potatoes, coconut and dried fruits, or mailing circulars.

Statues strike meditative poses atop Spicy Thai's front desk, as if they're contemplating each delicious scent that emanates from the kitchen. Beyond this checkpoint lies a dining room peppered with gilded masks, red ceiling tiles, forest-green napkins, and tablecloths as crisp and white as a freshly ironed snowflake. Here, friendly servers deliver colorful plates piled high with traditional Thai fare such as pad thai and panang curry with peanuts and broccoli. The chefs also prepare several house specialties, including an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet and phuket grouper, a deep-fried fish fillet accompanied by onions, green peppers, and a tangy chili sauce.

The aromas of south asian spices draw passersby into Jewel of India’s brick-lined doorway, leading them toward tables topped with saffron-colored linens. Here, they can dive into more than 100 traditional Indian dishes, including crispy pakoras, spicy vindaloos, and seafood baked in a tandoor clay oven. Like the forecasts of an easily bribable weatherman, entrees can be ordered with one of five heat levels: mild, medium, spicy, X, or hot. Raisins stud many dishes, adding bursts of juicy sweetness to lamb makhani and vegetable biryani. Brimming with chicken tikka, boti kebabs, sautéed peppers, and fresh-baked naan, the India Gate Special can feed an entire family in the dining room or fuel an off-site party thanks to the restaurant’s catering service.

Though it historically fueled passing boats and trains, the converted coal silo now fuels a different sort of machine—one that runs much better on expertly grilled American cuisine than on carbonized rock. Within the cylindrical facility, which boasts 360-degree views of the Niagara River, cooks power up their patrons with hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and burgers grilled with grass-fed, never-frozen beef from local farms. Mindful of the environment, they also use compostable plastic cups made from plant resin and send their used vegetable oil to be recycled for use in grease-driven cars. Adam Richman featured The Silo Restaurant on his show Man vs. Food for the Haystack—a pound of steak smothered in molten mozzarella and crisp hash browns, all sandwiched within a locally baked hoagie roll.