photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Karl R. Josker | all galleries >> Buffalo >> The Bars Of Buffalo > The Blackstone
previous | next
06-APR-2004 Karl R. Josker

The Blackstone

223 Allen St. Buffalo

Was this the Blackstone? It was also the Pink Flamingo. Seems like it's been there forever, and I haven't been in it since 1968 or so. Doesn't look like its changed, either. This was the place that introduced me to blacklights and posters. Psychedelia; far out man.

Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel
1/200s f/9.0 at 28.0mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time06-Apr-2004 08:56:49
MakeCanon
ModelCanon EOS DIGITAL REBEL
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length28 mm
Exposure Time1/200 sec
Aperturef/9
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias
White Balance (-1)
Metering Modematrix (5)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Program
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original auto
comment | share
Jackson 26-Dec-2018 04:01
Great place. Been there since it was Birdies, but the Blackstone I remember was on the other side of Allen. It wasn't hugely popular as bikers and 'heavier' people often did transactions and settled scores. Bar (or backroom?) was down a few stairs which also helped make it interesting. May have been where Frizzy's is now. Burned? Rotted?
beth 25-Jun-2018 06:32
I love this bar and always will
EricM 02-Sep-2015 18:23
Spent a good bit of my misbegotten youth there in the early 80's. Still my favorite bar in Buffalo.
Tim Montgomery 20-Mar-2012 00:32
I have a picture of my Uncle Jimmy standing in front of his bar. Would you like me to send a copy to you? I would also like to try to contact John Oates who left a message about the bar. Did he leave an email address? Thanks.
Guest 03-Mar-2012 09:23
I bounced there in the early nineties. This job more than any other taught me patience, as the scumbags from the street were limitless, and the folks inside were out of their minds from too much drugs and alcohol. The bikers would park their harleys on the wide sidewalk and the cops left them alone, except for one small black cop with a short guy complex, he'd come by a few times every month and ticket them all. It was good I got out of there, because it was just too damn easy to go there every night, smoke killer weed, do some blow and sip cocktails till 4, then go to an after hours party somewhere. Would have several steak sandwiches a week, and had my network of easy, sloppy sex. The crowd was indeed freaks and a little too fag-liberal for my taste, but I felt more comfortable there than at coles or brick bar and had a good time, every time. Great crew; Terry and Rich blending great music, Lisa, Randy, Danny, Brian and Patty A slinging drinks, Mike at the door with me busting heads of guys coming in showing no respect to the crowd or the place. Good cops as backup hanging in the joint on fridays and saturdays. And the regulars loved that place and you knew it just by being their. St Patricks day would bring in the once a year crowd, identifiable by the vomit on their shirts after 2 shots and 2 beers. It was a good place to be a part of, especially as an industry guy. Especially as a twenty-something.
Chris Schlichte 30-Aug-2011 03:58
This Is the sight of an old time bar (forgot the name)and it had a Clam Stand attached to it,where I would go eat like a barbarian before a night of debauchery at Mulligans Brick Bar with Bobby Hens, Patty Abalone,Monk Man and Jay Bird !! Then it was the sight of Birdies 19th.Hole run by Jay Bird Benson, with Don Doctor holding court behind the bar..I worked there during those days as a bouncer,with Jake the Snake...then it was the original sight of The Buffalo Bar and Grill, run by Phil Degeserie, and after Phil left town for parts unknown,it became the Locker Room Allen Street (which I managed for several years,before I left to be the Night Manager of the Hotel California)...then it was taken over by Big Mike and became the Pink Flamingo....I loved Allen Street back in the late 60's and all through the 1970's....I have many great memories of those days !!
John Oates 24-Nov-2010 00:35
This was my uncle Jimmy Oates' Gentleman's Club way, way back. Jimmy was a well known man about town - had his own radio show and sang songs outside of sheet music stores. He was also once a singing waiter in a Chinese restaurant in Buffalo. Jimmy was one of nine children. He could make you laugh for hours with the stories of his and his brother Dennis' youth. - John Oates
Brown 04-Jan-2009 15:11
The Allentown Cafe...Birdies 19th Hole.
The joint was SUPREME!
1975. Jaybird Brown, Sparky Brown, Kevin Maguire Brown, and Bobby Hens Brown behind the bar pourin the cocktails and laughin their asses off at us.

Lurch Brown in the sound booth spinnin them rockin Blues. Big Marty Brown at the door. The clam stand out front.

Charlie Brown diggin the whole scene...
Ohhh lord help us PLEASE!!
Andy Grayson 02-May-2008 21:27
THE blackstone was on the other side of Allen street across from gabriels Gate.
jack fate 14-Mar-2008 16:53
It's official name is now The Allen Street Bar & Grill
Paul 01-Nov-2007 01:31
I live in Milwaukee, WI and this place reminds me a lot of my favorite places here. I happened upon it on a random rustbelt tour I took in 2005. The steak sandwich was unbelievable. The atmosphere was terrific. It is the main reason I will try to make it back to Buffalo in the near future.
Henry 01-Sep-2007 16:37
I started going there in the late 70's when I lived on Mariner street for a while. I seem to recall it being named something like the Buffalo Bar & Grill at that time. In the early 1980's Mark and Mike Supples (sp?) and maybe one other fellow bought it and renamed it to The Pink Flamingo. The Continental new wave/punk crowd adopted it as their Sunday night hangout shortly thereafter. I closed that place many many times from 1978 to about 1994. A lot of good memories...
Guest 17-Jan-2007 21:00
The old Pink... yep, they opened the new pink around '90, not sure if this place changed hands or names when that happened.

We always referred to it as the Old Pink.
Gene S. 12-May-2006 15:44
It was voted "Best Dive Bar" in the latest issue of Buffalo Spree.
Guest 07-May-2006 08:29
AAhhhh----------The Old Pink, Wish I could say it brought back memories - Always lost my memory there - I always remembered walking in, but never remembered leaving. I sometimes would go there between classes (good intentions of going back to class) at Buff State - As I said, always remembered walking in, but never out.
Guest 12-Apr-2006 14:04
Prior to the Old Pink this place was Birdie's 19th Hole.
Mario M 01-Apr-2006 02:14
I remember closing this place on many a night.It was first bar I got into with a fake I.D.I was 16 in 1975 it was called the allentown cafe.and right in front of the mural on the allen street side was franks clam stand.Ah the memories.
Gene S. 14-Feb-2006 17:16
Don, you are so right about the "ol pink". i also closed it down many nights in the late 80's, early 90's. i used to order the big fat hamburgers they made on the little grill behind the bar. the owner was active in the annual "artists & models affair". you could listen to velvet underground, wayne newton, and jonny cash on the cheap and loud sound system. robby takac of the googoo dolls would come in to spin vinyl occasionally. those were the days. (hey, you should take a picure of the bar on hertel and starin, formerly "rude boys", now a restaurant.)
rbmorford 16-Dec-2005 02:23
I BELEIVE THAT THE PLACE YOU CALL THE BLACKSTONE IN THE 40,S WAS CALLED JIMMY OATES PUB AND HIS SLOGAN WAS WALK SLOW I LIVED IN THE ALLENTOWN I LIVED ON WADSWORTH'ALLEN 'COLLEGE ALSO MARINER ST,I WORKED AT THE ALLENDALE SHOW ALSO THE NUWAY MKT. THERE WAS KISH'S REST.ED WINTERS BARBER SHOP KINGS LAUNDRY HUTTONS BAR KLIENS MEAT MKT. JAMESTOWN BAR. ALSO DECO ON THE CORNER OF ELMWOOD AND ALLEN GEORGES ICE CREAM PALOR TONY'S SHOE REPAIR. THE WHITE HORSE REST. TOM INFANTINO DRUG STORE THERE WERE OTHER PLACES IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED EMAIL ME AND I WILL TELL YOU IF I KNOW.
Don S. 27-Oct-2005 15:33
In my humble opinion, this is one of the greatest of all American dive bars. Known to most vampires as the 'Old Pink,' it can be found in the phonebook under Allen Street Bar and Grill. Back in the day (early '90s), my friends and I would close this place at least twice a week. Good beer selection, great jukebox/DJ's, and the best steak sandwich I have ever had!
Gene S. 04-May-2005 20:53
Yes, this was the Pink Flamingo from at least the mid 80's until some time in the early 90's when it moved to Main St near Central Park Grill. After that, this location on Allen St. was known as the Old Pink (and still is, I think).
peter giullari 23-Apr-2004 03:43

I knew this earlier under a different name a fraternity brother (Phi Psi @UB} eddie conneta(sp) took us there but I can't remember the name.It was a class place then formal dressed waiters etc.