Restaurants in Tonawanda

Chef Carlton Francis forges an authentic experience for Niagara Falls' locals and tourists with his unparalleled island hospitality and menu of traditional Caribbean fare. He welcomes the community to sample such Jamaican favourites as akee and saltfish, oxtail, and jerk chicken, all of which can pair with breezy beverages including cola-champagne or the signature Ginger Breeze.

The dining room's decor mirrors the island warmth and pride found in Chef Francis and his staff. The walls pop with tropical murals and depictions of great historical figures, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Lincoln Alexander. Additionally, on weekends guests can relax while listening to live reggae, jazz, or blues songs about running out of sunscreen.

Soaring 525 feet above the Niagara Gorge, within the Tower Hotel, executive chef Phillip Thompson floods the newly renovated Pinnacle Restaurant with the aromas of seafood, steak, and pasta. As they dine, patrons soak in panoramic views of the falls and the waiters belaying down them to refill water glasses. Chef Thompson's culinary feats have appeared in such outlets as Food Network's I Do Let's Eat and Toronto Life magazine.

Chefs at Amici Ristorante stir pots of their house made sauces to pair with linguini and tortellini or bake with their veal parimgiana. Along with their menu of classic Italian dishes, the restaurant owners also stock their bar with wines from Italy and around the world.

Inside the kitchen at Gramma Mora’s, cooks flip sizzling shrimp and assemble four-cheese enchiladas, preparing succulent entrees that earned the restaurant the title of Best Tex-Mex Eatery in Buffalo from the readers of Artvoice in 2011. Seated at tables inset with tile, diners can taste dishes made from century-old recipes passed down through the Mora family. A vibrant mural of a Mayan pyramid in a lush jungle decorates one wall, next to guests consuming pork smothered in green-chili sauce or steak chimichangas. Caramel-glazed flan and lime margaritas provide notes of sweetness for diners who otherwise would have had to carry scoops of ice cream to the table in their pockets.

Beef Baron attempts to make diners feel like the beef and oil barons of days past with its menu of sumptuous surf ’n’ turf fare, high-backed booths, cherry-wood-covered walls, and vaulted ceilings. Forks dig into hand-carved prime rib aged 40 days and lobster tail with drawn butter as patrons twirl their imaginary handlebar moustaches and talk about the market crash of aught seven. After dinner, of-age diners can head to Blush Ultra Lounge, where they flit through two stories, drinking and dancing to pulsating beats.

Wagner’s two most popular dishes are quite different, but equally delicious. Certified Angus roast beef nestles within the cushy embrace of a salted weck roll, while the Roaster chicken wings are topped with bourbon- or honey-garlic sauce and serve as a filling snack after a long day of learning how to use echolocation in a dark cave. At lunch, diners can nosh on wraps rolled with Cajun turkey or greek chicken, whereas the dinner menu introduces entrees such as baked haddock and fettuccine alfredo with chicken or crab.