Buffalo, NY is well worth a trip any time of year—the second-largest city in New York boasts a sprawling waterfront, charming architecture, and an impressive art scene. Not to mention, it’s the birthplace of the world-famous Buffalo wing.
But let’s get real, people: If you’re planning a trip to Buffalo, you might as well time it around one of the Buffalo Bills home games. Whether you’re a born-and-raised member of the Bills Mafia, are harboring a not-so-secret crush on QB Josh Allen, or have always dreamed of smashing a folding table with your body, football season is the time to go, as long as you’re willing to weather the cold. Here’s how to spend a long weekend in the home of some of the NFL’s most dedicated fans.
Stay
After your long drive out (does anyone actually enjoy traveling on I-90?) you’re going to want to land somewhere welcoming and fun. Stay where Bills fans from all corners of the country stay: The Buffalo Airport Hotel, which is the official hotel of the Bills Backers of Buffalo. Obviously, there’s an onsite sports bar, and transportation to and from home games is available.
For a more polished experience in a landmark building in the heart of downtown, consider Curtiss Hotel, with its luxuriously appointed rooms, casual upscale restaurant, rooftop bar, and urban hotsprings, an oversized, mineral-infused hot tub heated to 102 degrees year-round.
Eat
When in Buffalo, Buffalo wings are a must, and you might as well get them from the place where they were invented. In 1964, while Dominic Bellissimo was bartending at Anchor Bar, he asked his mother, Teressa, to whip up a snack for his friends, and the rest is history.
Another classic comfort food that hails from this city is Beef on Weck: carved roast beef on a salted hard roll studded with caraway seeds. Schwabl’s, a historic restaurant dating back to 1837, and Charlie the Butcher, run by Buffalo’s “first family of meat,” offer particularly toothsome versions.
And then there’s Buffalo-style pizza, a lesser-known hybrid of New York City’s iconic foldable slices and Chicago’s deep-dish delicacy that also gets the thumbs-up from pizza aficionados. Go straight to Bob and John’s La Hacienda for what’s widely regarded as the best version in town.
Explore
Looking for a fun way to spend Game Day Eve? Head over to Buffalo RiverWorks, a 60,000-square-foot industrial-style complex offering everything from a high ropes course to a brewery in an abandoned grain elevator.
Also worth a visit is Stitch Buffalo, a textile center and shopping experience dedicated to empowering refugee and immigrant women through the sale of their handmade wares. One such product? The Flinstones-inspired fur hats worn by Water Buffalo Club 716 (look it up).
If you’re heading to Orchard Park for the big game, make a pitstop at Chestnut Ridge Park, home to the famous “Eternal Flame,” a naturally occurring flame fueled by a natural gas leak behind a waterfall.
And if you’re in Buffalo for football and football only, be one of the last fans to explore the current Highmark Stadium before the new stadium opens for the 2026-27 season with a three-mile tour through the stadium’s private spaces, press box, and the field itself.
Watch
Now, for the moment you’ve been waiting for. Get hyped for the home team at one of Buffalo’s legendary tailgates. If you don’t know where to go, consider getting tickets to the Buffalo Red Zone Tailgate by Gameday Hospitality, which offers all-inclusive food, drinks, live entertainment, games, and more, without the hassle.
Don’t have tickets or prefer to watch the action from the warmth of a packed pub? Head to BriarBrothers Brewing Company, which serves $5 pints during all Bills games, or Sidelines Sports Bar and Grill for its “starting lineup” of apps like Pretzel Stix, stuffed banana peppers, and fried ravioli.
But chances are, if you went all the way to Buffalo to see the Bills, you’re going to Highmark Stadium, come rain, shine, or blizzard. Just don’t forget your mittens.
