Buffalo, NY – June 24, 2025 – Taste of Buffalo presented by Tops Friendly Markets returns to downtown Buffalo for its 42^nd event on Saturday, July 12 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 13 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. This year’s festival features 40 restaurants and food trucks, four New York State wineries, live local music, and more along Delaware Avenue starting at Chippewa Street and continuing into Niagara Square.

“Buffalo and Western New York have a burgeoning and diverse food culture, and the Taste of Buffalo showcases that eclectic mix with our participating restaurants and menu items,” said 2025 Chair Matthew Reis. “Whether the Taste is a July calendar staple or it’s been a while since you’ve been down, now is the time to join us! Sample some of the region’s newest restaurants on the scene, indulge in your culinary favorites, or try a few of the new food items veteran Taste restaurants have added this year.”

Twelve rookie restaurants are participating in their first Taste and include AJ’s Kitchen, Caribbean Taste, Dimples Pancakes, El Coquito, Genesee Brew House, Is That Grandma, It’s Pierogi Time, MAC Lady Catering, Mexico City, Nickel City Vice, Roaming Bison BBQ, and World of Desserts.

Admission to the Taste is free. Food and beverage tickets can be purchased at the festival in $7 sheets. Cash, Visa and Mastercard are accepted.

Plan ahead and save on food tickets by purchasing pre-sale food ticket vouchers at the registers of participating Tops locations now. Vouchers are available in $10 and $60 increments and are redeemable for food tickets at the festival ticket tents. Each $60 voucher also comes with four free Coca-Cola beverages at the Taste.

“The Taste is also about giving back to the local community that has supported our event for more than 40 years. As you eat your way through the Taste, you’re not only supporting the participating restaurants with your purchases, but you also make donations to local charitable organizations and high school scholarships possible too,” added Reis.

For the 22^nd year, Tops is the presenting sponsor of the Taste of Buffalo. Located right in the heart of the Taste, at Niagara Square and Delaware Avenue, you’re invited to stop by the Tops tent to satisfy your summertime cravings with a delicious menu of Tops hamburgers with toppings including Mt. Olive Pickles, Sahlen's hot dogs, Hanzlian's chicken Italian sausage (mild or hot), corn on the cob, fruit cup, strawberry shortcake, side salad with Craisins, and spin the prize wheel for just $1. All food and prize wheel proceeds will benefit The Arc Erie County New York.

Check out more Tops fun inside Niagara Square and pick up a free sample of Tops Brands products! While you're there check out information about Tops Pharmacy and learn how to earn free money for your local school through Tops in Education!

“The Taste of Buffalo is a beloved Western New York tradition that continues to bring together thousands of enthusiastic visitors to celebrate the incredible flavors and culture of our region,” said Ron Ferri, president of Tops Friendly Markets. “We’re honored to once again sponsor this iconic event that showcases the heart of our community and the richness of our local culinary scene.”

A spicy new addition to this year’s Taste is a collaboration with the popular internet TV show “Hot Ones” and its parent media company, First We Feast. Five Taste restaurants, which include D.A. Taste, Avenue29 Foods, Babcia’s Pierogi, Carruba’s Chicken Pit, and Lime House Sushi and Ramen, are teaming up with “Hot Ones” and First We Feast to create exclusive, heat-packed dishes utilizing the show’s legendary sauces. In addition, festivalgoers can visit the Heat & Greet Pop-Up tent where Buffalo’s own, Camera Guy Bill (Bill Drexler), will be serving up spicy selfies and daring tastings of “Hot One’s” iconic Last Dab hot sauce from 2 – 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. He’ll also serve as a celebrity food judge to determine which of the five “Hot Ones” exclusive dishes deserve the Taste of Buffalo x “Hot Ones” Award.

During Taste of Buffalo weekend, local and national sponsors will offer interactive activities along with plenty of entertainment and fun. Here’s a taste of some of this year’s lineup:

• The Rockstar Kitchen Pop-Up is back and in a single location on Delaware Avenue near New Era Cap featuring some of Buffalo’s most prominent chefs, including Ryan Fernandez of Southern Junction BBQ, a two-time James Beard finalist, each selling a signature dish for a three-hour period. A complete schedule is available in the digital festival guide at tasteofbuffalo.com.
• Enjoy refreshing Coca-Cola beverages at five convenient locations throughout the event.
• For festivalgoers 21 and older, Genesee Brewing Company is back with four locations including a walk-in beer tent at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Niagara Square where they'll be hosting their Mango Peach Beach activation. The Mango Peach Beach vibe will be in full effect. Snap a pic at the insta-ready photo op. To help everyone get in the summer spirit, from 1 - 5 p.m. both days, Genesee will have refreshingly cold samples of Ruby Red Kolsch and its companion Mango Peach Kolsch and there'll be samples of Sun Cruiser too. Don't miss Happy Hour with special pricing, giveaways and live music on Saturday from 3 – 5 p.m. Stop by, soak up the sunshine, and enjoy a cold, refreshing taste of summer.
• KidZone presented by Masterson’s Garden Center and Fairytale Farms KidZone Pollinator Party. Come visit the bees and see why they're such an important part of a food festival. Play a pollen toss game, try a fun craft to learn how bees see, and find out what kinds of flowers they like best. Kids will get to make a seed ball to take home to grow some "bee food." Live honeybee colony on display.
• Pick up a free sample of Sweetarts Gummy Halos and original Cracker Jack inside Niagara Square, while supplies last.
• Get out of the sun and enjoy your food comfortably in one of the Shade Tents located throughout the festival grounds and compliments of Tony’s Chocolonely, First Student, and Tops Markets.
• Stop by Hartman’s Distilling Company for a seltzer or craft cocktail.
• Enjoy a refreshing locally crafted Blackbird Cider next to the Resurgence Brewing food tent.
• Traveling Tipsy Trailer will be serving up their Signature Tipsy drink pouches!
• I LOVE NY invites you to discover your next New York State getaway. Get a free printed photo with the oversized I LOVE NY suitcase for a photo op of epic proportions. Those feeling competitive can race against the clock and test their New York State knowledge by playing the Empire State Explorer game to win free I LOVE NY swag!
• Catch live, local music and new this year – our community stage featuring the talents of local dance and entertainment groups performing all weekend long. The complete schedule of entertainment can be found at tasteofbuffalo.com.
• Visit the NY Pork Producers for recipes, giveaways, and meet with New York pig farmers. This is your invitation to discover everything pork can do. Try a delicious pork menu item. Look for the logo on restaurant menus. They are also a proud sponsor of the RockStar Kitchen’s Southern Junction BBQ segments.
• Paisano from Chef’s Restaurant of Buffalo, a founding Taste of Buffalo restaurant, will be roaming around the festival to meet and greet.
• Stop by the Mobile Dairy Experience to explore how milk goes from farm to fridge with a life-size model cow. Try your hand at milking, test your dairy knowledge, and grab fun giveaways. Learn how farmers care for their animals and the environment, discover careers in dairy, and get the scoop on where your food really comes from. It’s a fun, hands-on ag literacy experience for all ages.
• Batavia Downs is back to let you know where the entertainment continues after the Taste. Check out the giant digital boards at the festival to see the summer music line-up planned.
• Buffalo Architecture Foundation will be in Niagara Square on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Enjoy free family-friendly activities, coloring books, and a chance to learn more about the architecture that shapes our city. 
• Uber Eats will be in Niagara Square with giveaways and a special promo code for just for Taste of Buffalo guests. They'll help you download the Uber Eats app and answer questions about how to use it. 
• Pop into the First Student tent to learn all the benefits of becoming a school bus driver. Hop on their school bus, color the giant coloring sheets, and pick up some cool swag.  
• Head to the Verizon truck to take advantage of their special "event only" promotion!
• Additional Taste sponsors include McDermott Consulting, Bond Schoeneck and King, New Era Cap, New York State Troopers, NFTA-Metro, Pillsbury and 360 PSG.

City of Buffalo Mayor Christopher P. Scanlon said, “As a proud Buffalonian and lover of food, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our city’s incredible culinary scene than the Taste of Buffalo. This festival brings together everything that makes Buffalo special — diverse flavors, local talent, and a strong sense of community. It’s a summertime tradition that supports small businesses, uplifts local chefs, and gives back through scholarships and charitable donations. I encourage everyone to come down, try something new, and experience the best of what Buffalo has to offer.”

Visit tasteofbuffalo.com to view and download the digital festival guide featuring participating restaurants and menu items, the festival site map, the Rockstar Kitchen Pop-Up line-up, live music schedule, and more.

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About Taste of Buffalo

The 42^nd annual Taste of Buffalo presented by Tops will take place on July 12 and 13, 2025 along Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo. Named winner of USA Today’s 2023 10BEST Reader’s Choice Travel Award Contest for “Best City Food Festival,” the Taste is a not-for-profit organization with more than 1,000 volunteers helping to put on the annual event. More than $600,000 has been raised at the festival for local charities in addition to scholarships awarded annually to local high school seniors pursuing a culinary and hospitality-related degree. For more information visit tasteofbuffalo.com and find us on Facebook and Instagram.