Readers name Brickyard 'WNY's Best Place to Watch a Game'

By Joshua Maloni

GM/Managing Editor

It could be unfair to include Ken Bryan’s and Eric Matthews’ signature spaces in the “WNY’s Best Place to Watch a Game” reader contest. After all, their Center Street in Lewiston campus has two restaurants – the iconic Brickyard Pub & BBQ and the stunning Brickyard Brewing Company; three large bar areas to watch sporting events – and that’s not including two second-floor patios; heck, they even make their own beer – beverages that are sold at DiMino’s Lewiston Tops and in stores across the region.

If this contest were merely based on aesthetics, one could, perhaps, put up an argument in opposition.

But the truth is, for every competition the Brickyard wins (and that includes past titles for “WNY’s Best BBQ” and best stew), voters continually point to the fact that the staff at this restaurant – and its sister site – simply outworks other eateries. From customer service to in-house menus to offsite catering, the Brickyard continues to set the standard for WNY restaurants.

As one voter aptly put it, “Delicious beyond belief; very remarkable prices; many specials; owners and staff very friendly and accommodating.”

“We try to bring consistency to our food, our atmosphere,” Chief Operations Officer Steve Matthews said. “We've, over the years, tried to craft almost like a ‘Cheers’-like vibe, where it's warm, receiving. Our staff forms really nice friendships with the customers over the years. You can't say enough.

“I think that translates into longevity, and people sticking up for us in the long run, consistently.

“Eric and Ken and myself have always been a big proponent of making sure that the experience somebody receives is consistent from 2005 to 2025, and I think it shows.”

Between the two restaurants, the Brickyard employees roughly 60 people.

“I can't give enough credit to our staff,” Matthews said.

“Most of our staff – of course, there's always newbies – but you have your tenured veterans that have been here for anywhere from eight to 18 years. We have one bartender that's been with us for, I think, 26 years at this point – came over all the way from Tin Pan to Brickyard and whatnot. They know how to handle slow days. They know how to handle overwhelming days. They can calm the greener staff.

“I'd say it comes down to experience and having what I consider one of the most experienced staffs in the village. They've been here so long, they know how we do things, they know how we want things to get done. And I feel like it translates. They're great ambassadors of our brand. I can't say enough about our staff.”

The Brickyard. (Image courtesy of the Brickyard)

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Now, when it comes to the two sites, “Brickyard Pub & BBQ, it's a landmark. The building's a village landmark, and we've tried to keep it that way. When we designed Brickyard Brewing Company … we've always tried to sort of do something slightly different than what we had. … We're trying to offer a different experience,” Matthews said.

“As far as Brickyard Brewing Company, the layout is different. We just integrated a sort of a gaming area to be a little more family-friendly, kid-friendly. We're trying to add some video games in there, more arcade-like, many big TVs. It's a whole different feel than next door.

“If you want to a small-town pub vibe, you can come over here. If you want something that's a little more open and spacious, you can come over to the Brickyard Brewing Company side.”

It’s on the BBC side that the beer is crafted.

“We've been doing our own brewing since 2017,” Matthews said. “It's all brewed on site. We've been through a couple of brewmasters – Rudy Watkins being our current brewmaster from 2023.

“I feel like we, over the years, have consistently leveled up from ingredients to operating procedures, and I think it reflects in the, again, consistency of the product.

“I can't say enough about Rudy and Tyler (Bagwell), our brewing team back there, consummate professionals. Rudy comes from Thin Man Brewing and Community Beer Works. So, in his own career, he's leveled up, and he's done everything from small pub brewing to pretty much large-scale operations of Thin Man and everything in between. When we acquired him in ’23, he was essentially looking to get more back to his roots and brew for fun, be creative. I feel like it was the right place at the right time, getting him in, and he's done nothing but really hone our off-site.”

Matthews explained, “Our sphere of influence has grown a little bit, and we've really made it a point to not bite off more than we can chew with expansion. It's been about really managing growth, because I've seen plenty of places that they do really well. Let's say their first year is gangbusters. They get a reputation, and then they sort of over-expand, and then the house of cards sort of falls back in on itself.

“We've made it a point that we have special cask offerings we try to do every Thursday. So, essentially, whenever he has a new batch coming up, he spins off a cask, either adds flavors or adjuncts to it, makes it a unique recipe, and we release those every Thursday.

“You can come into Brickyard Brewing Company, and there might be a few beers on tap of ours that are not next door. So, if you're searching for something a little different, it sort of just gives people a reason to, ‘Hey, I want to go try that new beer that's not anywhere else in town,’ even next door. Again, we just try to almost give two separate environments.

“But as far as consistency goes, I can't hammer that phrase enough, and I feel like our brewing team really has nailed – at least for our size and our output – they can maintain batch to batch, so the customer that comes in knows what they're going to get.”

The Brickyard Pub & BBQ is located at 432 Center St., Lewiston, and online at https://www.brickyardpub.com/. Brickyard Brewing Company is next door, and at https://brickyardbrewingcompany.com/.