8/13/2009 I went here last week while on vacation with the family. Our visit was on a Tuesday evening for a late dinner. We were there at about 8pm and the place was quite busy, we got one of the last tables in the dining area. It was a long day of yelling at the kids in the car and I needed an attitude adjustment badly. The place is separated into two rooms the one on the right houses the bar area and to the left the dining area which also has a patio for outdoor seating towards the front. The beer menu was about the same size as the food menu and had about 30 taps most of which were stellar. Many great bottles on the menu as well. I had on tap ST Choklat, Weyerbacher Heresy, and a Big Rock Chophouse Sour Cherry Tripel. All were excellent. I had a steak and my wife had a sandwich. My steak was good, my wife’s sandwich was as well. The kids split a sandwich. Points off for no kids menu! Our waitress was slow but attentive. She took the kids meal that they split and put it on two plates without being asked, that was nice. I wish I had more time in Buffalo because I would have loved to work my way through the tap list. Oh and as a tease they listed Oak Aged Ten Fidy as coming soon on tap, they suck :)

Don’t frequent this place as much anymore because of the Blue Monk opening which has a far superior selection of beer IMO, but Coles still has a good American selection if that’s what you’re into. Food is good. Gets way too crowded in there at night, with yuppies. Not my kind of place to just hang out in. Don’t always use proper glassware either. Some of the prices can be high on the beer, so you may want to ask how much it is before getting it with a 9 dollar glass of beer.

Cole’s is a must-visit beer destination in Elmwood Village. It has an awesome Cheers-style ambience with a large, busy bar adjacent to some wooden tables and booths and a bright, open dining room. When we first came on a Sunday afternoon, we were seated with a bunch of college kids who seemed to be grabbing their hangover breakfasts. The atmosphere was quite loud, almost raucous, but we rolled with the punches and ended up having a great time. Second visit was much more laid back, we sat at the bar and received quick, affable service from a middle-aged man who knew a lot about the brews he was pouring. Beer selection is 35 taps and a massive 100+ bottle list of mostly U.S. micros. Over two days I had Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA, Tröegs Hopback Amber Ale, Bear Republic Old Scouters Barley Wine, and Clown Shoes Hoppy Feet Black I.P.A. on draught and Green Flash West Coast IPA in the bottle. The bartender also gave me a small sample of Harpoon Island Creek Oyster Stout. Unfortunately the food was mediocre: my eggs were overcooked, the hash browns were soggy, and my girlfriend’s salad had way too much goat cheese in it. However, Cole’s is simply a fantastic place to drink in with the best selection of American craft beer that I’ve encountered thus far. And similar to Blue Monk, its lively and approachable vibe appeals to beer geeks and non-beer-drinkers alike. We really enjoyed ourselves here and we’ll be back on future trips to Buffalo.

First time at coles. Counted 36 taps. Mostly boring stuff... what you’d expect to see in any decent craft beer bar. MacGregors in Rochester puts this place to shame. Having said that, if i lived in the shit hole that is Buffalo, I would probably go here often. Food was good.

Cole’s for me is where my love for craft beer started. always going there for dinner with the family when i was younger always keep me interested in the beer. then when i was able to drink it was game on. if you enjoy great food and a awesome American style beer selection look no further than coles

Old sort of dive bar with a crusty dude working behind the bar. Lots of locals in here chewing the shit. The beer list is pretty awesome in here though. They knew what they were pouring but they weren’t really interested in chatting about it. Still, I managed to kill a few hours in here and I would come back here in a heartbeat. Food is basic pub grub - cheap but tasty.

Pending a revisit

Laid back feel, above average tap selection and some bottles too. Food has been excellent each trip. Only thing that doesn’t hold up to the rest of the establishments positive attributes is the service at the bar a few times was less than spectacular. Day shift both times. Night crew even when getting slammed seems to be much more familiar with the selections available.

kind of a crummy looking place. the beer selection was awesome, many american craft brews, had Southern Tier’s Unearthy. didnt try any food. would love to go back just for the beer selection

Very nice bar. Man was alittle slow serving us, but it was busy, he did a good job of pouring our pints. Lots of beers to choose from. Recommend a trip here for any beer lover.