Old Man River and Mississippi Mudds - Tonawanda, NY

Old Man River and Mississippi Mudds are two hot dog / hamburger / ice cream stands located on the Niagara River in Tonawanda, NY, north of Buffalo.  A couple of weeks ago I took the day off and went with the family to visit these places during the all-too-short summer season here in Buffalo.  Those coming to Buffalo might enjoy visiting either or both of these restaurants.  Both are owned by the same company, as shown on the tray paper:
 
 

 
 
The menu at Old Man River has the usual assortment of summer food, including hot dogs:
 

 
The menu also has hamburgers:
 

 
Finally, there is the usual assortment of side dishes:
 

 
We ordered a grilled hot dog:
 

 
 
We also had a hamburger:
 

 
We had the grilled chicken sandwich, called a chicken club sandwich but not a club sandwich in the traditional sense:
 

 
Finally, the fries:
 

 
The food is not spectacular but is great to eat while watching traffic along Niagara Street and watching the park across the road, next to the river.  You can see the river from inside Old Man River or when sitting at a table next to the street:
 

 
Old Man River has a selection of ice cream, but we decided to walk the two blocks to Mississippi Mudds for ice cream.  MM also sells dogs, burgers, and fries, of course.   The sign tells you of the great selection of ice cream to be had, whether soft serve or hard packed.  Perry's is the local maker of ice cream from Akron, NY:
 

 
We ended up with the twist soft serve ice cream in a waffle cone, which came with its own cup for holding:
 

 
Very good flavor and a nice way to end a meal while watching the river across the street.  Here is the view from the outside seating area:
 

 
In the category of "that's kind of strange" is this place located between Old Man River and Mississippi Mudds: Mississippi Mudds Pizza.  I suppose if you are dying for pizza while at the river, you have a place to stop at.  However, dogs and burgers fall more into the specialty of these restaurants.  With all the good pizza places in Buffalo, you would be better off ordering from one of them.
 

 
No gourmet food at any of these places, but it is very enjoyable, no doubt aided by the sights and sounds of the Niagara River (and no ice floes this time of the year).

I spent a week in Buffalo some years ago.  People were wonderful.  Great report.

So how were the sandwiches and fries?  They look awesome, and what a cute little place.

susanll


I spent a week in Buffalo some years ago.  People were wonderful.  Great report.

Thanks for your note.  Yes, people here are very friendly and the equal of any Southern hospitality I knew growing up in NC or find on return trips there.  Buffalo is more Midwestern in nature than Eastern / Northeastern, even though it is in New York. 

Nancypalooza


So how were the sandwiches and fries?  They look awesome, and what a cute little place.

Hi Nancy,
 
I guess I should mention something about the food in the report - oops.  The hot dog was as good as any grilled dogs found at Ted's or other places in the area.  My wife had the hamburger and said it was very good.  My daughter had the grilled chicken sandwich; it had a lot of flavor, not bland like some grilled chicken sandwiches.  The fries were the ordinary frozen variety but had decent flavor.  The ice cream was very good and filling: almost too big of a cone.

great report B T.
has to be 5 years since I've been to Niagra Falls ( slowly I turn, step by step, inch by inch ) sorry 3 Stooges line.
I spent a lot of time ther in the 80's driving a tour bus out of New England & NYC.
I don't remember those places.
I spent many a night at the Hotel Niagra & the Sheraton Brock.
WOW those were good times! 

Thanks SK Bob,
 
I always knew that you are a man of discernment and good taste.  Now, of course, I can tell that you are an appreciator of fine culture as illustrated by the Three Stooges.  No need ever to apologize for mentioning the Stooges, because anyone can find the answers to many of life's questions by following the Stooges' examples.  When I am in a bind, I always try to do what Moe would do; what could go wrong?  Of course we won't ask about who is better: Curley or Shemp - that might create some debate.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that hears that line in my head.

No RB on a 'Weck?

cavandre


No RB on a 'Weck?

Hey Cavandre,
 
I have never seen beef on weck at either Old Man River or Mississippi Mudds.  Most of the menu items are either grilled or fried.  I suspect the quality would not be that great either if they were to offer beef on weck.  There are so many places with best-in-class beef on weck, particularly Anderson's, Schwabl's, and Charlie the Butcher, that you can find a good sandwich without much trouble.  Of course you would not be by the river, unfortunately.