Wayside Family Restaurant

Wayside Family Restaurant has legions of rabidly loyal fans in South Buffalo, many of whom have been swearing by this place for decades and come so often the staff knows them by name. That may be hard to fathom given what this place is — a pretty run-of-the-mill diner that serves straightforward, blue-collar American food in a sparsely decorated dining room, with somewhat cramped booths and tables under fluorescent lighting. What's the appeal? First of all, don't let the unadventurous menu fool you: this is diner food done right, with fresh, homestyle ingredients served by warm, friendly, and quick-working waitstaff that, even if you aren't one of the scads of neighborhood regulars that are here at any given time, will treat you as if you were. It's not unlikely that you'll even meet the owners themselves, who like to show up frequently to greet their customers. Wayside's menu is dominated by sandwiches — there must be two or three dozen to choose from, from favorites like BLT, ham, and tuna salad, to a variety of subs, to melts and wraps, to mouth-watering entree sandwiches like meatloaf, hot roast beef, and breaded fish, to a build-your-own burger basket that's a hit with regulars. Also, while Wayside is not a Greek diner, there are definite nods to that staple of the local dining scene on their menu, with sandwiches available on pita bread for no extra charge and a killer souvlaki entree available with chicken or beef. There's a modest selection of heartier dinner entrees, too, including beef and turkey roasts, steak, stuffed porkchops, grilled or fried chicken, and pasta. On Fridays, beer-battered fish fry packs the house, and if you come in the morning you'll get a pleasant surprise on the bill, as all breakfast entrees include bottomless coffee. Not that you'd break the bank here anyway — this place is ''cheap'', especially given the huge portions.