• 2025-07-09
• restaurant review
• review
• buffalo bills brewery
• buffalo bills beer
• hayward, ca
• hayward restaurants
• pizza
• hayward
• salads
• downtown hayward
• restaurants
• breweries
• Buffalo Bill's Brewery
• 09 July 2025

The 411 on Buffalo Bill’s Brewery #

Address: 1082 B St
Downtown Hayward, CA
Website: https://www.buffalobillsbrewery.com AND https://www.buffalobillscerveceria.com
Phone: (510) 886·9823

The Vibe: Buffalo Bill’s Brewery is the oldest brewpub in the United States, dating back to 1983. And it is next on my list of local favorites to profile!

So what does it mean to be the oldest brewpub? Aren’t there a million breweries with restaurants out there? For sure, and Buffalo Bill’s was their forerunner. Focusing on small production, craft beer was a rarity back in the 80s. Offering good food along with that beer was even rarer. In fact, operating a brewery and a pub in the same facility was illegal for a time!

Original founder Bill Owens opened Buffalo Bill’s shortly after that law changed and helped educate a generation of brewers on making craft beer. This created the first wave of more delicious beer than the industrialized ones most Americans drank at the time. Geoff Harries joined the team soon after and became brewmaster. He stayed on as the owner until Buffalo Bill’s temporarily shut down after the pandemic.

Today, Buffalo Bill’s is owned by Hayward restauranteur Alejandro Gamarra, with an assist from the city to help keep this historic location—and their satisfying food and beer—operational. Ben and I visit at least once a month, usually before strolling across the street to catch a movie.

Inside, the brewpub is decorated with old signage from Buffalo Bill’s opening days. Gawking at the price difference always entertains me. There are also flags with different Buffalo Bill's beer labels; lots of wooden booths, tables, and bar seating; and of course, giant vats where the next round of beer is brewing. Don’t forget the large patio! It’s perfect for a warm day with a breeze.

The food menu is a mix of pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches, and salads with barbeque and American comfort food influences.

My Take on Buffalo Bill’s Brewery #

The Beer: If you’re a regular reader, you know that I’m not a big fan of IPAs. So while I applaud Buffalo Bill’s continued production of the acclaimed beers they’ve been making for decades, I do wish a stout was regularly on the menu.

Especially their Black Pumpkin Oatmeal Stout, which is only briefly available in the fall. IT’S SO GOOD! Not only is Buffalo Bill’s credited with creating the pumpkin ale, period, their pumpkin stout is just plain delicious. All those fall spices AND stout’s oatmeal richness? It may be my favorite beer. But it’s gone in a flash.

In the meantime, I make do with their also tasty Black Lager. It’s not as lively as the pumpkin stout, but it has a velvety mouthfeel and the richness I want from a beer.

My husband usually opts for their Ricochet Red.

He almost always has a second. Buffalo Bill’s beers are available by the can and by the growler, if they are on tap.

The Food: Much like the beer, I’m glad that Gamarra has preserved most of the Buffalo Bill’s menu after taking over the restaurant. It’s nice to have the familiar options I’ve enjoyed there, like their Devil Mac and Cheese, which gets kicked up with sambal chili, garlic, and green onions. Go ahead, add the bacon.

I can also recommend the soft pretzel sticks with a firm crust and an army of salt. The delicious cheese sauce is enriched with Buffalo Bill’s Tasmanian Devil Imperial Lager.

One of my husband’s staple orders is the buffalo chicken sandwich, served up with bacon, pepper jack, and garlic aioli on soft ciabatta.

He always upgrades to those sweet potato waffle fries. I opt for the garlic fries, if I want to go for the upsell. Most often, we split a pizza and a salad. I give Buffalo Bill’s props for some of the best salads I’ve had at brewpubs. Yes, they have a standard caesar, but they also offer great options like the Del Fuego.

You can make any of the salads a meal by adding meat, like I did the steak to this Del Fuego. The salad pops with a spicy chipotle dressing, cotija, candied pumpkin seeds, tortilla strips, and roasted red pepper. But the more refined gorgonzola salad is also worth savoring.

That one leans in on pears and uses butter leaf rather than crisp romaine lettuce. Candied pecans, sundried tomatoes, and a rice wine vinaigrette combine for a sweet, filling salad.

For pizzas, Buffalo Bill’s makes what I’d consider to be the standard California style: lots of toppings, flavorful sauce, crusty bread that doesn’t flop. We are partial to the chorizo option, which also includes Calabrese sausage, jalapeno jam, and roasted jalapenos—yes, it does have a pleasant kick!

But the Taz—with chicken or pepperoni, fresh pineapple, and BBQ sauce—is equally delicious. Can’t go wrong with those two!

I do mourn the BBQ platter that Buffalo Bill’s had on the menu for a while after their re-opening, meant to be shared among friends.

It was a hefty feast for two and served up multiple barbecue standards: hot links, ribs, and chicken and brisket, too, I think. Luckily, the ribs are still available as a starter.

Would I Go Back? I’m probably back right now! 😄 We are happy this Hayward tradition is continuing for the foreseeable future. I need to set myself a reminder to get the Dark Pumpkin Stout as soon as it’s available this fall….

Reviewed from many visits 2013–2025.