Charlie the Butcher’s Carvery opened its doors on Elmwood this past Tuesday, just in time for the polar vortex storm to hit. But according to the crew working at The Carvery, there’s never a moment that someone is not passing by the business, which is why they love this location so much.

Earlier today I stopped in to grab a hand carved roast turkey sandwich (with a side cup of cranberry-orange relish), along with a traditional Beef on Weck sandwich (with a side cup of Broadway Market Horseradish). If you’ve ever had anything from Charlie the Butcher, then you know that you are getting served up the same, consistently prepared foods, each and every time. You never have to worry about anything being overcooked or undercooked.

I got my sandwiches to go, but in hindsight I wish I had tried one in-house. The place looks great. It’s super modern and clean, easy to navigate, and quick. Basically, as soon as I placed my order, the carving station was taking care of my sandwiches. Before I knew it, I had a bag in hand, and was heading back out the door on my way home.

Before I left though, I did get a chance to check out their selection of fountain drinks, and I’m glad that I did. Not only do they carry a regional brand by the name of Johnnie Ryan, they also had a local crowd favorite – loganberry. Just this past week, I was researching the current status of loganberry in WNY, to try to figure out if anyone locally was producing the iconic non-carbonated soda (a hybrid of blackberry and raspberry). It turns out that Johnnie Ryan heads up the fountain drink version of PJ’s Crystal Beach loganberry (otherwise affiliated with Coca-Cola), which is a competitor of Aunt Rosie’s Loganberry (affiliated with Pepsi).

After popping in, and popping out, I headed home to open the two sandwiches, which I had happily tried before. While I was very happy with nice lean beef on weck, the only thing that I found desperately missing was the jus (a thin dipping sauce made from meat juices). There was plenty of horseradish, but the best beef on wecks (in my opinion) are accompanied by plenty of jus. I knew that I should have eaten the sandwich in-house! That means that the winner between the two sandwiches was the roast turkey, which was perfectly presented – moist, tender, and delicious. But honestly, you can’t go wrong with either of these sandwiches. Oh, and the large chilled kosher dill pickle was a superb touch.

The Carvery is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner (10am to 9pm). This place is going to be a big hit on Elmwood. The prices are fair, the food is consistently good, and the service is quick. There is a “sandwich of the day” ranging from corned beef to prime rib. There’s also a “dinner of the day” ranging from meatloaf to BB baby back ribs. Side orders include mac and cheese, tuna pasta, mustard and egg potato salad, and homemade soups. There are also platters, and grab-n-go sandwiches, salads, pastas, rice puddings, etc.

Elmwood is chock full of all sorts of newfangled ethnic restaurants. It’s a street that has everything from Indian and Thai to Japanes and Greek. But when it comes to the old standbys, Charlie the Butcher is a trusted and true throwback favorite that appeals to just about everyone. Welcome to the neighborhood.

Charlie the Butcher’s Carvery | 770 Elmwood Avenue | Buffalo NY 14222 | 716-939-3448