Another day, another chapter for Turning Bridge Tavern

In November 2019, I wrote about the arrival of Turning Bridge Tavern, owned and operated by Joe and Maureen Jacobi. At the time, the couple lived upstairs and worked to bring the old tavern back to life. Although much of the bones of the tavern were still intact, much work remained to be done. Fortunately, they weren’t in a big hurry, because they also had to renovate the apartment.

It took time to complete the work on the tavern, which changed hands (and names) many times during its life. The neighborhood owes a lot to Joe and Maureen for restoring the tavern, which had seen better days. Today, intact/restored taverns are quite rare, as many of them have been destroyed, while others have been converted into more modern establishments. Still others are waiting… waiting for the right person to come along and find their original character.

That’s exactly what happened with Turning Bridge Tavern, located at 1797 Niagara Street (corner of Niagara and Bridge Street, near the Unity Island two-span swing bridge). Joe and Maureen discovered this abandoned structure from North District Councilor Joe Golombek, who told me in 20019, “I was the one who pushed Joe and Maureen Jacobi to buy the building. Joe had been my salesman at the Riverside Men’s Shop, but he told me that one day he wanted to open a pub. About 6 years ago, the couple lived across the street from the zoo. I introduced them to the building at 1797 Niagara Street, they liked it, they sold their house and moved to the second floor. Downstairs was an old bar that had existed, in various forms, for over a century. When I was young it was called Babe and Tess’s, then Mcnally’s and finally Mixers. The mixers closed about ten years ago.

On a recent visit to Turning Bridge Tavern, I was pleased to find that the place was fully operational, with Joe and Maureen at the helm. Joe served cold beers and Maureen chatted with customers while her ribs cooked in the kitchen.

I quickly learned that there were some house favorites, including Red Stripe beer, bright purple alliums at the bar, Dead-folksy music, and whatever Maureen was making that day (like ribs and hash browns, spaghetti with parm and salad, Gondola). tortellini and cream sauce, and slow-cooker corned beef and rye (“there are some excellent rye bakeries in Buffalo”), Turning Bridge Tavern is simple, but that’s the way it is. everyone I like it.

From the horseshoe bar to the two performance “stages” (one indoor and one outdoor), Turning Bridge has it all. It’s got history, lively banter, personalities, and super cold beer. I could say after just one visit that this place is already a big hit with anyone who wants to experience an almost forgotten slice of life.

“The people who lived in the neighborhood There is always I always talk about Babe and Tess, Joe told me. “They were a smaller couple, which is why the tavern door leading to the upstairs apartment is miniature. We wanted to keep the door as it was, so we have to bend down when we go upstairs. People still talk about the old cigarette machine that cost a nickel. When we bought the building in 2012, it was about to be demolished. I couldn’t even get through the back door to get into the building. The people who owned it were basically walking away from it. I walked in here and there were squirrels living there. I arrived as soon as possible and turned on the heating to start saving it.

The next step, according to Joe, was to remove all the trash, load it into dumpsters, replace the doors and install a security system.

“When the inspector took one look at the building, I laughed,” Joe told me. “But he came back and said the bones were good. It looked like a disaster, but it was salvageable: the water was good, as was the foundation. Today it’s a nice little place to hang out. We serve a meal menu that changes from day to day, and we’re open three days a week currently, or four at some point. We want people to discover Black Rock and explore this part of town. When the bridge turns, people can’t believe it. We want people to sit down, relax and talk to people. Few people are on the phone, which is good. There were so many places like this… these places are so beautiful – we are lucky to be here… we have fun with it, even if on Sunday we are tired (laughs).

Joe made a point of mentioning that the signature drink is called the Naughty Niagara (fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and Appleton rum). “It’s like being in the islands, especially when people are sitting on the terrace.”

This Friday, Workingman’s Dead is playing on the back patio – it’s a sold-out show. But it shows that people are now discovering this local, almost lost, treasure. It took vision, passion and dedication, that’s for sure. Today, it’s yet another chapter in the story of a bridge tavern, run by a couple dedicated to preserving a part of Buffalo’s old world that everyone should enjoy from time to time.

Swinging Bridge Tavern | 1797 Niagara Street, Buffalo, NY 14207 | Open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.