Exploring the Holy Trinity of Buffalo Calories
On a stretch of highway in the town of Tonawanda, just north of the city of Buffalo, three dining spots that serve some of America’s tastiest regional food specialties greet passing motorists. Within a few hundred feet, visitors can feast on charcoal broiled Sahlen’s hot dogs, Mineo & Sapio sausage, beef on weck sandwiches, creamy frozen custard, and Paula’s famous peanut sticks.
No exploration of classic Buffalo fare is complete without a stop at this stretch of Sheridan Drive between Belmont and Ashford Avenues, a spot one local wit dubbed “the holy trinity of Buffalo calories.”
Here’s our guide to making this iconic gastronomic pilgrimage.
Ted’s Hot Dogs
2312 Sheridan Drive, Tonawanda, NY
When visitors first approach this portion of Sheridan Drive, they’ll often notice the smoky aroma of charcoal grilled hot dogs hanging in the air. That smell has been a mainstay of the neighborhood since 1948, when Ted’s Hot Dogs opened its first location outside of the city of Buffalo. The Sheridan restaurant is the “mothership,” according to Ted’s president Thecly Ortolani. It’s the longest-running location in the chain and sought out by out-of-town visitors when they visit Buffalo.
Some thought Thecly’s grandfather, Theodore “Ted” Liaros, was crazy when he purchased a plot of farmland out here all those years ago to build this location. But his decision to move here ultimately changed the course of Buffalo food history. In its earliest years as a hot dog stand underneath the Peace Bridge, Ted’s grilled its hot dogs on a flat top grill. It was only upon moving to Sheridan that Ted’s son, Spiro Liaros, noticed that a couple of other nearby roadside stands, Pat’s and Scime’s, grilled their hot dogs using charcoal. Ted’s adopted that method as well, ultimately outlasting its competitors and creating “the niche that differentiates us from the rest of the country,” Thecly Ortolani said.
Customers line up to place their order at the front grill, then watch as Ted’s grill masters deftly sear Sahlen’s hot dogs, footlongs, burgers, chicken, and Mineo & Sapio sausage over an open flame. Some order their hot dogs “extra charred,” as the charcoal grilling causes them to darken and snap open with an extra smoky flavor. Ask for the “works” on your hot dog – including Ted’s signature, housemade hot relish – and complete your meal with an order of onion rings, a recipe Ted’s modeled after a now defunct local restaurant, Garlock’s. Then wash it all down with a loganberry drink for an unrivaled experience of American roadside food.
Anderson’s Frozen Custard
2235 Sheridan Drive, Tonawanda, NY
Soon after Ted’s expanded to Sheridan, another roadside stand opened across the street and instantly developed its own following by selling creamy, frozen custard.
Carl and Greta Anderson saw the potential Sheridan Drive held when they opened their stand in 1953, according to their daughter, Holly. The pair had previously operated a stand along Kenmore Avenue, but business boomed after relocating to Tonawanda, as “America was getting built along Sheridan Drive,” Holly Anderson said. Families loved taking a Sunday drive back then to Sheridan for a cone, and to this day, lines often stretch out the door for a chocolate/vanilla twist made from Anderson’s special custard mix, a scoop of one of 32 homemade hard ice cream flavors, and roast beef sliced from a top round and served on a kummelweck roll, a kaiser roll covered in coarse salt and caraway seeds, that’s always referred to as “weck.”
Anderson’s proximity to Ted’s ultimately influenced its menu. When the Andersons were looking to expand beyond custard, they decided to avoid hamburgers and hot dogs since Ted’s had a lock on those items down the street. Instead, they started serving roast beef sandwiches in the 1960s, with Carl hand-slicing the beef himself for decades to make sure every sandwich was just right. In the six decades since, Anderson’s has carved out a niche as one of the region’s go-to spots for one of the Buffalo’s region’s iconic local dishes, beef on weck.
It’s no coincidence that Ted’s and Anderson’s can be found near each other throughout Erie County. According to Holly Anderson, Anderson’s often selected its new locations based on where Ted’s succeeded. A visit to Anderson’s flagship location, which has preserved and expanded its original 1950s structure, is a must for anyone who wants to experience a great American roadside custard stand.
Paula’s Donuts
2319 Sheridan Drive, Tonawanda, NY
The first thing visitors notice when they walk into Paula’s Donuts is the sweet aroma of frosting, fry cakes, and coffee. Then their eyes naturally drift to the multi-level shelf behind the front counter that holds nearly three dozen different varieties of donuts. There are red velvet donuts for sale here, and headlights, and honeydips, and powder angels, and powder chocolate angels, and coconut cream, and sour cream, and angel cream. And then there are the peanut coated fry cakes that Paula’s has become renowned for: the peanut stick, the peanut cream, and the peanut jelly doughnut. Paula’s has become the torch bearer for the peanut stick, a Buffalo specialty popularized by longtime (and long-gone) Freddie’s Doughnuts generations ago.
This shop completed the trinity a little more than a decade ago, when owner Paula Huber moved her business from its original location on Kenmore Avenue to a new spot in a shopping plaza in between Ted’s and Anderson’s. Its hours, beginning at 7 a.m. daily, brought a breakfast crowd to this formerly lunch, dinner, and dessert centric stretch of highway.
From morning until night, the holy trinity of Buffalo calories buzzes with customers who converge on Sheridan Drive to try some of the tastiest and most unique foods found in Western New York.
Ted’s Hot Dogs
2312 Sheridan Drive, Tonawanda, NY
tedshotdogs.com
Anderson’s Frozen Custard
2235 Sheridan Drive, Tonawanda, NY
andersonscustard.com
Paula’s Donuts
2319 Sheridan Drive, Tonawanda, NY
paulasdonuts.com
