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Remembering The Old Pink and its famous steak sandwich

Theo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Loving The Old Pink meant loving the people, the music, the late nights and the bar’s famous steak sandwich.

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Sam Soltis

The steak sandwich at Old Pink in Allentown was one of the many things people loved about Buffalo’s favorite dive bar.

“Just a legendary sandwich, just one of those things that everyone talks about,” Maxwell Korzaniewski of West Seneca told 7 News anchor Jeff Russo.

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WKBW

Maxwell Korzaniewski of West Seneca went to the Old Pink on Allen Street in Buffalo for a steak sandwich around 1 a.m. Monday, just hours before the bar burned down. “I was a little bit in shock, I couldn’t believe I was there, and it was the last one,” Korzaniewski said.

The promise of that steak sandwich lured Korzaniewski and his hungry friends to The Old Pink around 1 a.m. Monday.

“It was pretty quiet in there, no one was getting food, no one else. We asked for three steak sandwiches and they agreed. I didn’t think it would be the last time I placed an order like that.” , Korzaniewski said.

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Dima Maddah

A photo of the steak sandwiches ordered by Korzaniewski and his friends around 1 a.m. Monday.

Korzaniewski says he was shocked to learn that just hours after leaving the bar, The Old Pink had been destroyed by fire, meaning his steak sandwich was one of the last ever served at the interior of the Buffalo establishment.

Crews demolished The Old Pink Monday afternoon after the massive fire, 7 News spoke with the co-manager of The Old Pink. An Allentown owner and others who shared their memories of the bar

‘My heart is broken’: Crews demolish The Old Pink in Buffalo after massive fire

“It’s kind of like the end of an era,” Korzaniewski said. “It’s just a little bittersweet. It makes the one from last night taste a little better.”

“Everything about this place was special,” said Steve Cichon, a Buffalo historian, standing outside The Old Pink Monday afternoon.

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WKBW

Steve Cichon is a Buffalo historian and says “Everything about this place was special” when describing The Old Pink.

Cichon says he remembers The Old Pink as a place where everyone was welcome.

“It’s a place where a whole segment of Buffalo culture has become accessible to everyone,” Cichon said. “This is a huge cultural institution and the loss of this place will be felt for a very long time.”

Just down the street from Old Pink, the owners of Nietzsche’s opened their bar early so people could gather and share stories about what many consider a fallen friend.

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WKBW

Dana Scott is one of the owners of Nietzsche’s on Allen Street. She opened her bar early Monday for those who wanted to share stories about The Old Pink. “Everyone went to the Pink, everyone loved the place,” Scott said.

“It’s been a real center in the Allentown community for many years. Everyone went to the Pink, everyone loved the place,” said Dana Scott, owner of Nietzsche’s. “I would say a large, if not a good percentage of all Buffalonians have memories of The Pink, of good times, of friends made there, of late nights and great music.”

A GoFundMe has been created to help raise money for the family business.

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