Set up on Union Road just a stone’s throw from French is one of Buffalo’s best kept dining secrets: Olive Branch. The restaurant touts a stellar menu of Greek classics, iconic Buffalo dishes like the Stinger and Beef on Weck, as well as an all-day breakfast menu guaranteed to make any diner happy.
Breakfast is served all day at Olive Branch, offering an amazing array morning treats and unique sandwiches alike. Staple dishes like the Corned Beef Hash and Eggs, Ham Steak and Eggs, or any of the sausage gravy plates have that perfect balance of hearty and wholesome. Breakfast sandwiches like the French Toaster and Western are must-tries too, and always get points for such neat and clean presentation.
The cornerstone item on any breakfast menu is the big, little bit of everything country-style breakfast. One cannot go wrong with the Olive Branch Breakfast plate, the restaurant’s flagship breakfast with all the fixings, which comes with two eggs, two pancakes or French toast, two pork sausages or bacon strips, and home fries or fruit.
For other breakfast specials, the numbers one through five are all primarily omelet dishes with home fries or fruit and toast. Fans of the omelet in general will be pleased to learn of several unique Buffalo classic fusion omelets at Olive Branch. The Polish Kielbasa Omelet offers a great Polish spin on the classic breakfast dish, while the Corned Beef Omelet comes fully loaded with three eggs, corned beef, Swiss cheese, peppers, and onions, served with home fries or fruit and toast.
Moving into the later meals of the day, Olive Branch keeps a flavorful array of solid appetizers on hand. The Potato Skins have everything that one comes to expect from the infamous app: fresh cheddar cheese and bacon, served with sour cream instead of being doused with it. The French Onion Soup, Chicken Quesadilla, and Chicken Wings are all also great options as well.
When dining at Olive Branch for the first time, there are several specialty must-try classic Greek appetizers. Spanakopita comes flaky and delicious, as does the extra savory Tiropita. For just three dollars more, the Greek Meze Combo comes with four stuffed grape leaves, two spanakopita, two tiropita, two pita breads, and tzatziki sauce.
Wraps at Olive Branch offer the perfect balance of healthy and tasty. The Chicken Souvlaki, also interchangeable with gyros or beef, comes with tzatziki, lettuce, tomato, onions, and feta in the iconic grilled pita for the classic Greek plate. The Popeye Wrap comes with grilled chicken (or gyros), sauteed spinach, and feta cheese in a white or wheat for the spinach-lover. Not to be missed as well is the spicy Chicken Finger Wrap, or the Veggie Wrap for the vegetarians and vegans out there.
Melts and hot sandwiches cannot be beaten at Olive Branch. The Chicken Finger Melt comes with the namesake fingers, three strips of bacon, bleu cheese dressing, and melted American on sourdough for an amazing take on the dish. The hot meatloaf, hot roast beef, and hot turkey sandwiches all come open face, with mashed potatoes, soup, or salad for a true bite into home cooking. The tuna melt, country club melt, and patty melt on rye are all delicious, grilled options as well.
Paninis are done splendidly as well, with the Philly Steak and Turkey Bacon representing the grilled sandwich plate and the original sandwiches to a tee. The Olive Branch Panini is a must-try for lunch too, with grilled chicken souvlaki tenders, feta, grilled tomatoes, fresh spinach, and homemade tzatziki.
With dinner take out especially prevalent, one popular plate for ease and convenience is the Cheeseburger Deluxe. The half-pound burger comes with American, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle on a hard roll for a good standard burger. Other burger options include the Angus Cheeseburger, Greek Burger, Bacon Bleu Burger, Texas Burger, Baconator, Irishman Burger, Turkey Burger Deluxe, Veggie Burger Deluxe, and the monstrous Double Trouble. All burgers minus the veggie and turkey are angus beef.
While the melts at Olive Branch are exceptionally rich and tasty, the subs and variety of other sandwiches are not be outshined either. The regional favorite, Beef on Weck, comes with thinly sliced black angus roast beef on Kimmelweck with au jus and horseradish for an exceptional plate. Equally beloved, the Wings n’ Weck comes with the Beef on Weck sandwich and four chicken wings tossed in any sauce of choice.
The Chicken Supreme boasts a half pound charbroiled chicken breast, two strips of bacon, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo on a hard roll for a savory sandwich any time of day. Another Western New York favorite, the NY Reuben comes with half pound sliced corned beef, sour kraut, swiss cheese, and thousand island dressing on thick rye.
The classic turkey, tuna, or ham subs are phenomenal standard subs on their own, but the triple deck clubs are quite possibly one of the best visually appealing dishes at Olive Branch. Other specialty subs like the Chicken Finger, Chicken Souvlaki, Philly steak, and Stinger cannot be spoke highly enough of as well.
Salads and lite fare at Olive Branch keep with the Greek menu standards, as well as the enticing charbroiled features. The Spanakopita Lite features three house spanakopita and comes with a Greek salad, while the Open Chicken Souvlaki Salad highlights marinated grilled chicken tenders over a fresh mixed green with feta, tomatoes, red onion, green peppers, red peppers, pepperoncinnis, cucumbers, kalamata olives, and tzatziki sauce. The Charbroiled Chicken Breast Lite and Black Angus Burger Lite are great for dieters craving a good grilled plate.
In terms of home-style cooking, the dinner platters dominate the menu. The Turkey Dinner is as every bit wholesome as Thanksgiving Dinner, visually stunning when presented, and always around at least one table during the dinner rush. The Chopped Sirloin, Black Angus Roast Beef Dinner, and Baked Meatloaf Dinner are must-tries too.
While all the seafood at Olive Branch comes highly recommended, there are three stand out meals. The Friday Fish Fry features haddock and comes battered or breaded with choice of two sides for amazing fish fry, while the Surf & Turf features a seven-ounce sirloin steak paired with five fried shrimp. The must-try platter, the Cajun Broiled Seafood Platter, features skinless haddock with five Tiger Shrimp and five large scallops broiled in lemon wine butter.
Greek dinners like the Chicken Souvlaki Dinner, Spanakopita Dinner, and Tiropita Dinner are of the highest quality and should absolutely be one of the first dishes to a new diner. The Olive Branch Combo Platter is a great way to accomplish a lot of tasting in one place, coming with marinated chicken souvlaki, one spanakopita, one tiropita, and three stuffed grape leaves. Any Greek dinner at Olive Branch cannot be beat.
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