Shamus Restaurant

Wonderful food, cocktails and service. They must have an amazing chef because everything is delicious!

We went for a family event. We wanted to go somewhere different. Parking was awful but, likely, for good reason. It was a packed house. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and, I found out afterwards, 2 of us had been here previously. It is a bit more expensive than most, I'd roughly estimate an additional 50% more. Whether it's worth it is subjective to your experience here.
The food was very similar to most but they put their own flair into it and it works. The wait staff was VERY friendly and knowledgeable. We were given the specials from 2 different people and the second person spouted almost verbatim as the first. The way I see it, that seemed like a "well oiled machine". Very good job there.
I had ordered the skillet of brussel sprouts and pickled red onions with extra parmesan and bacon. Made it to the table in about 15 minutes. It was slightly crispy and a bit chewy. Maybe a bit dry/underdone but quite tasty nonetheless. The pickled red onions added a very interesting zing to it. The 'extra' I asked for was noticeable compared to a separate order for one of us. Very cool. The entrée made it in about 20 minutes. I got the fish & chips. It was beer battered style. The batter could have been a bit more crispy but the beer flavor came through perfectly which, in my opinion, is pretty rare. The tartar sauce tasted homemade so that was a plus. A large wedge of lemon instead of a tiny slice was also a plus. I'm NOT a fan of shoestring fries but they were crispy on the ends and slightly soft (not soggy) in the middle, which is how I prefer them with no alternative. So that was pretty cool. They offered several substitutes for the coleslaw and I chose the wild rice. It was actually cooked properly. Everyone else makes it so poorly I expected mostly the same and almost dreaded my choice right after I made it. I was pleasantly surprised to find it mostly soft, slightly seasoned and palatable. It was NOT crunchy even once. Kudos for that!!!
My better half ordered the French onion soup and a Reuben. The soup was on par with most places and was fairly good. The Reuben had decent, thick slices of corned beef. Slightly fatty but not bad. I would say as good as any or even a tiny bit better than most. My baby ordered the macaroni and cheese. It was almost perfect! Made with campanelle, it was thick, only slightly chewy (as it should be) and good enough to give your mom's recipe a run for the money.
The soda was a local brand and was offered (ice cold) in the bottle or with a glass of ice. Made with real 'cane' sugar. Not what you'd expect. If you've never had it you're in for a bit of a shock to see how sickly-sweet soda used to taste. If you're not a fan of it, I don't recommend the orange soda. It's VERY off from what you'd be used to. You might be safer with the cola or root beer. Much sweeter than you'd expect but closer to what you'd know.
The only actual issues I had was a large metal sign (presumably the original) partially blocking the hall to the bathroom. (It was beautiful and really should be hanging somewhere. The dust shows it's been there awhile) The trash can, paper towel dispenser and TP dispenser in the men's room were not in working order but mostly easy fixes. On a positive note; The toilet paper was the softer variety so that was pretty cool. The hostess/manager (owner?) Kind of pacing/hovering by the bar. Looking anxious like you were ready to pounce and spring into action. I get it and see the concern from you. There are some people it might make nervous. There really were no serious issues to speak of. You can sit down and relax a bit now and again. I promise you, you have ALL done a good job.
We will likely return and I would recommend.

The food was delicious and plentiful. Our waitress and hostess checked on us frequently. We were offered indoor and outdoor seating. Having chosen the indoor we found it to be quiet even though the restaurant was full. We chose the Saturday night special of prime rib. Cooked perfectly, the seasoning was perfect as well as the crust on top. We both had the french onion soup and agreed it was also delicious having had many bad versions of this in the past we savored it, even scraping the crusty cheese off the rim. They gave me a double serving of vegetables since I was not interested in a baked potato. My husband and I had been staying in Niagara Falls and found this gem because all the restaurants of this caliber were totally booked. We had visited Lockport to do the Erie Canal tour and since it was only a 20 mile ride checked out Trip Advisor to see what restaurant might be offering the menu we were looking for since we were celebrating our 50th anniversary. We plan a return trip to Niagara Falls and I anticipate a return visit to Shamus.

Excellent food and restaurant!! One of the best fish fry dinners I have had in awhile. My son got the chicken finger dinner. Both were excellent. The staff is wonderful and friendly. Very nice atmosphere!

Hostess greeted us and was quick to seat us within a minute of being in the door. Options for indoor or outdoor seating was available. All the staff we encountered were exceptionally kind and gave you A+ service. The waitress was on point with a wine selection.

As for the food, even if you are low carbing it as I am....try that foccacia bread (it's fantastic). The twin tenderloin and prime rib were cooked to perfection. The seasonal fresh veggies were seasoned perfectly.