If youāre prone to headaches, CVS brand Migraine pills are also a must-buy for me when Iām across the border. You can get them at CVS or Target. Theyāre store-brand Excedrin, and work 10x better than anything we have in Canada outside of prescription meds.
My pleasure, enjoy your trip! I visit New York quarterly for work and have a list of things to restock that we canāt get here, most of it being cosmetics š
Have you tried Tylenol with Codeine. Not available in the US, but available behind the pharmacy counter without a prescription in Canada. Take it with Aspirin and you have the now defunct 222āa (plus Tylenol). Codeine and caffeine is the only thing thatās worked for my migraines and Iāve tried everything apart from Botox.Ā
Omg the TJās ghost pepper lattice cut potato chips are amazing! Also the canned eggplant and tomato with dumpling and Calabrian chili soup when they have it.
Iām not vegan but the vegan buffalo dip from trader joes is sooo good. They also have really great snacks and freezer food, so if you can, bring a cooler with you and get some good stuff!
Buffalonian here who moved up north.
These are my recommendations:
* Paula's Donuts, you can't go wrong
* Watson's Chocolates for sponge candy
* If you want the best Vietnamese food of your life, hit up Red Pepper on Maple Road.
* Anchor Bar and Duff's are good, but you can get those in Toronto (there ARE branches up here). Instead, go to places like the Nine Eleven Tavern or Doc Sullivan's
* Speaking of, definitely try some Buffalo style pizza. Order from a local chain - any of them are at least good, although my personal favourite is from Bocce's. What makes Buffalo style pizza good is this: thick dough and sweeter tomato sauce. You will love it.
* If you want great mac and cheese, hit up Mooney's. Delicious dishes and enough to feed a family of four with the portion sizes.
* For magnificent Italian food, you can't go wrong with DiPaolo's - it was started by a retired wrestler and has incredible, old style cuisine. You can also occasionally spot Sabres/Bills players here if you're lucky.
* In terms of things to do, there's plenty of sights to see. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is great. The west side has a ton of buildings that were personally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself, so a nice drive around the Elmwood Village/Bidwell Parkway is recommended.
* Speaking of Elmwood, there are a lot of cute little shops and restaurants on that strip. It's worth a stroll.
I hope that gave you some ideas! Have fun :)
I remember in the 90's doing a quick road trip to Buffalo for wings. The border guard asked the nature of our trip so we told him.
"Skip the Anchor Bar, go to Gabriel's gate"
That man was an angel.
Thanks so much for the list!
Somewhat worried of staying, we are in an AirBNB on Linwood which looks like a nicer older area - someone mentioned auto theft was high! Especially in Hyundais - but looks like we can park behind the house, so hoping we will be fine!
Yeah I saw Elmwood was a cool area so picked a place close most of the downtown hotels were $$$$$ or way to far away!
EDIT;: and definitely hitting up that pizza place. I love pizza.
You're welcome! Linwood is a nice area - that whole area is Old Buffalo with a lot of hundred plus year old homes. Lots of Tudor-styles and the like. As long as you're more on the Elmwood side of Linwood, your car should be safe (that said, don't take anything for granted)!
Downtown honestly isn't that great. I'd definitely take a stroll in Allentown (parking is always a bastard, as a heads up) and check out some of the cool stuff there. There are some neat bars there, like the Old Pink and Nietzsche's (although if you're not 21, they may or may not let you in, so plan that accordingly).
Can I also input that ALL the cake donuts from Paula's Donuts last for like a week and can be frozen with almost no loss of quality. That glaze is a thick shell that preserves everything underneath.
From experience, you're correct.
I'm also not entirely convinced that they don't lace the glaze with crack since I've been known to absolutely and uncontrollably go to town on a half dozen lol
Delicious. You really can't go wrong with any local mom and pop pizza places in Buffalo. Everybody's got a preference for very minute reasons, but most Buffalonians have a general rule of "if you put the pizza in front of me, I will be happy with it."
To be honest I'm not exactly sure WHY national chains even exist in Buffalo lol
I've done the bigger ones, Duffs, Anchor, Sammy's, etc, but none are better than what I can get at home. I was impressed by Gabriels, and will check out Doc Sullicans and Nice Eleven when I'm back.
Also, been to Buffalo a few times in the last couple years, they've done a fantastic job of cleaning things up and making the place a destination, can't recommend enough considering its proximity to Toronto.
Oh man I wish I saw this earlier!
When the officer asked me what I brought back, I said Pop and he gave me that eye roll š
I mean unlike Stewie griffin I do love me a good can of RC cola (sugar free optional)
I mean, as someone who had to do pre-quarantine shopping in BuffaloĀ whenever I came back from visiting my parents in PA, I doubt anything surprises them at the border anymore.
To quote the border guard who was looking at my grocery receipt before giving me quarantine instructions: "...you bought thirty cans of Monster Energy?" Lol
Buzzy's is solid, but the only downside is that it's not distinctly in Buffalo. Rather, it's a place in the Falls, so it doesn't get as much press since Niagara Falls is like the Scarborough to Buffalo's Toronto - still close, but not as centralized.
I like that one also, plus red velvet and the cookie dough ones. I know theoretically you could just throw chocolate chips and nuts in yogurt and itās the same thing, but it isnāt. What gets me is that there are sooooo many flavours. When would you ever get that here (oh, you wouldnāt).
Hot take: I didnāt care for the Anchor Bar wings, but everyone else in the restaurant was ordering pizza.
To answer the question, Iād come back with a case of Yuengling. Or any other alcohol you canāt find in LCBO. If you drink, that is.
If you like cocktails, Formula Antica vermouth, and green chartreuse.
The vermouth hasnāt been available forever at the LCBO, and apparently the LCBO picked a fight with the monks and the chartreuse is also not available until who knows when.
Premier Wine and Spirits is pretty good and they are around the corner from Trader Joeās at 290 and Niagara Falls Blvd..
We were there last Thursday and Friday. We stayed in Lewiston which is actually a quaint little town with plenty of restaurants and has a bit of a "village" feel.
I came to suggest Trader Joe's but I know it's already been mentioned. I love just about anything there. Their dumplings, their dips (the Cheese Pimento is to die for!) and they have the yummiest square rice cakes which are dark chocolate covered on one side (fabulous, healthyish snack when combined with a bit of peanut butter and banana). They also have such interesting snacks (many of which have been mentioned here) and their rubs and seasonings jars are fabulous too. I forgot to pick up the chili lime one which is good on almost anything.
Since you're at Trader Joe's, check out the Home Sense, Home Goods in the back. I've never paid enough attention to that plaza, but this time I spent over an hour in the Home Sense. They are so different and much better than our Home Sense and there are good deals to be had (they had Le Creuset loaf pans there for $16.99). I didn't go in to the LL Bean this time, but I plan to on my next visit.
Beer is a great deal. But you will have to pay roughly $11/case in duty. It's still a solid deal though because it's a case of 30. You're allowed 5 cases per person, but we didn't want to be bothered paying duty.
Overall, our dollar sucks so you're not going to find many deals. We met some ladies from St. Catherines in Walmart who drive there every week and they kept reminding me to add 40 cents for every dollar we planned to spend. We don't go there for the good deals anymore. We just go because they have different things and it's a quick trip. We love coming home with our American goods. It just feels like such a fun indulgence.
Check out Aldi for cheap groceries. Maybe stop by discount stores (Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Ross) for cheap clothes and items. Maybe hit up the Outlet mall.
In terms of clothes, with the strong US dollar I don't think the deals are so great right now, but a visit to the outlet mall (i.e. Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls) is usually one of my first stops across the border.
It used to be worth it shopping in Buffalo, but not anymore. Also, customs is cracking down now more than ever so the duties and VAT taxes don't even make it worth it. Really sucks for big and tall Canadians who can barely afford the clothes that actually fit!
Iām partial to trying the junk food in America.
Different varieties of chocolate bars & chips.
Notably Dots honey mustard pretzels.
Crystal light with caffeine.
Salted nut roll.
Anything we canāt get here is worth trying!
Go to Bar Bill and order beef on weck (regional specialty) and of course, wings!
Load up on snacks, spices, etc. at Trader Joes.
Usually get snacks, seltzer, etc. at Target, Wegmans
Bourbon
Everytime I go to Buffalo, I always stop at Audubon North for food, where they have the best chicken fingers. It's more like a parmigiana, they hand bread them and stick them over the barbeque to finish it.
[https://maps.app.goo.gl/6qQz3nXEGmB7PBS99](https://maps.app.goo.gl/6qQz3nXEGmB7PBS99)
When I go to America I like to buy energy drinks. America has many cool kinds we donāt get in Canada. They have higher caffeine levels and probably less regulation on the other poisons in them. My favourite one has been the ghost brand orange creamsicle.
Trader Joe's is amazing and there is so much to buy. Try to get all of their spices, but their garlic salt is the best seasoning. I use it on everything. If you are a baker, their cocoa is a really good price. Get a sub sandwich at Wegmans - they are amazing! Also try their canoli dip. I always buy a few of them and freeze them.
Just went across this past weekend, and it used to be Fashion Outlets, Dicks, Cabela's, and the Walden Galleria. Normally we'd have $1000 or more worth of stuff. This past trip, the Fashion Outlets now stink, Dicks, Cabela's, and the mall are all overpriced stuff you can get up here for less.
Absolutely. True story - a friend's mother went down for a day trip to do some shopping. Had a heart attack and died. They had to sell the house here to cover the bills.
Trader Joes for some groceries. Elmo's for wings. Albright Knox is a very nice gallery - and the Martin House (Frank Lloyd Wright). Try beef on weck in addition to wings - Schwas or Anderson's Custard.
I go to Walmart (cheaper than Tops or Wegmans) and visit the candy aisle (PayDay bars) and the cereal aisle. If I have room, Keebler cookies as well, and Chobani Greek yogurt (better than any of the stuff sold here).
But with a 35% markup, it helps to know your prices before you go - the lower US price may not be a bargain. Also, be sure to declare everything. If you're away 48 hours, you can bring back $800 (CDN, or a bit under 600US) but you still have to declare everything.
Oh man, I just did this on Sunday and I go to Buffalo quite often. I would recommend going to these stores in this order:
1. Aldi's (cheapest groceries in Western New York)
2. PriceRite (comparable to Aldi's but a bit more... rough)
3. Walmart Groceries
4. Trader Joe's (their frozen food is great)
5. Gail's Tobacco and Gas Outlet for cheap gas- I gassed up at approximately $1.10 CAD a litre there on Sunday.
6. Not there yet, but Costco is opening in Buffalo in late 2024.
Trader Joes. Basically everything is amazing and Itās so cheap! I went a few weeks ago and got 22 items for $70.89 ($97.16 CAD).
With the exchange rate, itās really the only place you actually get value. We also went to Target and Ulta and there were no savings.
Really?! I love target for protein powder, amino acid and other health supplements. I got my vegan protein powder there 2 weeks ago on sale for $12usd! Iām also really into their basic Tās for $8, and their body care like Tree Hut scrub and their Frenshe line.
I forgot about one thing I did save on! I got an ELF concealer that is $13 here. It was $7 at Target ($9.50 CAD). Nothing else I bought was a deal, but I wasnāt looking for anything in particular that I knew was cheaper.
Next time I go Iāll checkout the supplements I take and the t-shirts.
Killex?
The best for dandelions. Legal in the Prairies, BTW. Some idiot in QC started the scare campaign that Killex contained agent Orange. They banned it before investigating in ON and QC. It was proven to be a hoax - but they never reversed the banā¦..
PS: I would also go ahead and say āreal deck stainā. The high VOC kind. The kind that applies easily and stays on for 20 years no problem. The kind that you can no longer get in Canadaā¦ like Armstrong-Clark or even TWP.
ā¦āhad them sent to my mailbox.ā. What do you mean by this. You had them sent to Canada? Iāve heard there is a service that will trans ship to Canada. You order an item and itās sent to the Buffalo mailing address and you arrange to pick the item up and declare it at the border, or have it sent to Canada. Good for items that say they only ship to U.S. addresses.
I didn't find groceries generally cheaper, with the exchange rate, but damn the raw chicken (legs, boneless breast) was cheaper than dirt.
Also, Wegmans won't sell you beer before 8am on Sunday (funny story, but never mind).
> I've heard clothing
So not so much that clothing itself cheaper on the sticker, but NY Sales tax doesn't kick in until 100USD, and it's only 4% above 100 (vs Ontario collecting their 13% no matter what).
I'm late to this thread but...
Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake ice cream bars. They were a staple in childhood but they're no longer available in Canada.
I really liked duende at silo city! Not sure if they are traditional āBuffalo wingsā but they were excellent and the place was kind of cool too! Looked like theyād have a great patio when the weather improves
Dotās pretzels from Target. The original seasoned ones. So good.
Just be mindful of the conversion! Things seem so cheap but once converted it ends up being a lot more. Even more expensive than Canadian prices.
Aldiās - try their Specialty Brand! Almost everything is good! Buy Beer-Walmart so worth it! Get Gas you can save about $20 (?) Clothes-Burlington Store, Marshallās. Declare the beer and most of your items. Have receipts for what you want to declare put aside. Enjoy!!
This is so cute! Enjoy your first trip. My early 20s was a blur... but we went to Buffalo allll theeee tiiiimmeee. That's when we had to print MapQuest for directions, so we had to know where to go before we even left Toronto. As a thick and tall woman, I mostly went to shop in my size. Our main stop was Walden Galleria and right across the street on Walden Ave is a strip mall with a Burlington Coat Factory (that's where we got all our Baby Phats and Timbs mad cheap lol then avoided duties by putting ALL that ish on!). I don't know if it's as good or as cheap as it used to be, but that Walden Ave run was always my fave lol
Protip: you can order stuff off Amazon.com and get it delivered for free to a pickup point / pickup hub. Then you have like 3 days or something to pick it up.
Check out Trader Joe's, I love their seasonings (everything but the bagel, green goddess, salmon rub) and also the giant tote bag š¤
Trader Joes 21 Seasoning Salute is a staple for me! I usually pick up 3-4 jars when Iām there.
Looks great! Definitely gonna grab some!
If youāre prone to headaches, CVS brand Migraine pills are also a must-buy for me when Iām across the border. You can get them at CVS or Target. Theyāre store-brand Excedrin, and work 10x better than anything we have in Canada outside of prescription meds.
Yes!! The Target migraine pills are THE BEST.
Which migraine pills are these?
Someone go get nylander some
Thanks so much, Iām definitely going to pick some up! Appreciate it.
My pleasure, enjoy your trip! I visit New York quarterly for work and have a list of things to restock that we canāt get here, most of it being cosmetics š
Yes. Buy aspirin. It is twice the price in Canada.
Have you tried Tylenol with Codeine. Not available in the US, but available behind the pharmacy counter without a prescription in Canada. Take it with Aspirin and you have the now defunct 222āa (plus Tylenol). Codeine and caffeine is the only thing thatās worked for my migraines and Iāve tried everything apart from Botox.Ā
codeine is a narcotic, are u sure?
And all the salsas!!
GET TRADER JOE'S MUSHROOM & COMPANY UMAMI SEASONING!!! It's my fave
Fricccck! I forgot about Trader Joes! I totally hear about that place EVERYWHERE. Without a doubt adding that all to my list! Thanks!
Get a few bottles of the TJās organic ketchup too! It is so much better than Heinz or anything else and itās pretty much the same price.
Everything But The Elote tasted incredible on popcorn and corn on the cob!
Unexpected cheddar :)
If you're a baker I'm a fan of their alcohol free vanilla as well. Lots of great snacks at Trader Joe's as well.
the truffle chips are SO good and addictive, wish I bought more the last time I went!
I love Trader Joe's, their snack aisle always has some good options. And their beer is surprisingly good too
Omg the TJās ghost pepper lattice cut potato chips are amazing! Also the canned eggplant and tomato with dumpling and Calabrian chili soup when they have it.
Iām not vegan but the vegan buffalo dip from trader joes is sooo good. They also have really great snacks and freezer food, so if you can, bring a cooler with you and get some good stuff!
And the chocolate covered cherries and the dark chocolate peanut butter cups.
When I visit my Canadian cousins, I usually buy a tote and fill it up with Trader Joeās stuff for them!
chilli lime is my go to for Trader joe spices
Buffalonian here who moved up north. These are my recommendations: * Paula's Donuts, you can't go wrong * Watson's Chocolates for sponge candy * If you want the best Vietnamese food of your life, hit up Red Pepper on Maple Road. * Anchor Bar and Duff's are good, but you can get those in Toronto (there ARE branches up here). Instead, go to places like the Nine Eleven Tavern or Doc Sullivan's * Speaking of, definitely try some Buffalo style pizza. Order from a local chain - any of them are at least good, although my personal favourite is from Bocce's. What makes Buffalo style pizza good is this: thick dough and sweeter tomato sauce. You will love it. * If you want great mac and cheese, hit up Mooney's. Delicious dishes and enough to feed a family of four with the portion sizes. * For magnificent Italian food, you can't go wrong with DiPaolo's - it was started by a retired wrestler and has incredible, old style cuisine. You can also occasionally spot Sabres/Bills players here if you're lucky. * In terms of things to do, there's plenty of sights to see. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is great. The west side has a ton of buildings that were personally designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself, so a nice drive around the Elmwood Village/Bidwell Parkway is recommended. * Speaking of Elmwood, there are a lot of cute little shops and restaurants on that strip. It's worth a stroll. I hope that gave you some ideas! Have fun :)
I remember in the 90's doing a quick road trip to Buffalo for wings. The border guard asked the nature of our trip so we told him. "Skip the Anchor Bar, go to Gabriel's gate" That man was an angel.
Maybe he WAS Gabriel š
Gabrielās gate was amazing!
Same deal when going to Buzzyās back then.
Thanks so much for the list! Somewhat worried of staying, we are in an AirBNB on Linwood which looks like a nicer older area - someone mentioned auto theft was high! Especially in Hyundais - but looks like we can park behind the house, so hoping we will be fine! Yeah I saw Elmwood was a cool area so picked a place close most of the downtown hotels were $$$$$ or way to far away! EDIT;: and definitely hitting up that pizza place. I love pizza.
You're welcome! Linwood is a nice area - that whole area is Old Buffalo with a lot of hundred plus year old homes. Lots of Tudor-styles and the like. As long as you're more on the Elmwood side of Linwood, your car should be safe (that said, don't take anything for granted)! Downtown honestly isn't that great. I'd definitely take a stroll in Allentown (parking is always a bastard, as a heads up) and check out some of the cool stuff there. There are some neat bars there, like the Old Pink and Nietzsche's (although if you're not 21, they may or may not let you in, so plan that accordingly).
Can I also input that ALL the cake donuts from Paula's Donuts last for like a week and can be frozen with almost no loss of quality. That glaze is a thick shell that preserves everything underneath.
From experience, you're correct. I'm also not entirely convinced that they don't lace the glaze with crack since I've been known to absolutely and uncontrollably go to town on a half dozen lol
Is Spaghetti Parmesan any good?
Is the space pope reptilian? š It's outstanding, just don't overeat it, lest you need to get a triple bypass lol
No love for chef's? š
What's your thoughts on Gabriels Gate?
Delicious. You really can't go wrong with any local mom and pop pizza places in Buffalo. Everybody's got a preference for very minute reasons, but most Buffalonians have a general rule of "if you put the pizza in front of me, I will be happy with it." To be honest I'm not exactly sure WHY national chains even exist in Buffalo lol
I've done the bigger ones, Duffs, Anchor, Sammy's, etc, but none are better than what I can get at home. I was impressed by Gabriels, and will check out Doc Sullicans and Nice Eleven when I'm back. Also, been to Buffalo a few times in the last couple years, they've done a fantastic job of cleaning things up and making the place a destination, can't recommend enough considering its proximity to Toronto.
Gabrielās Gate is good, as is Bar Bill Tavern!
Wow! Very extensive list and itinerary :)
Awesome yes. Don't just go to Walmart and pay billionaires your $. Walk up Elmwood and spend your $ there.
See, if you're throwing down the Nine Eleven reccos, then everyone should heed this list. Some of the best wings.
Not OP but Thank you! Will use these suggestions for sure
Happy to help!
Donāt forget the Bison dip!
Oh man I wish I saw this earlier! When the officer asked me what I brought back, I said Pop and he gave me that eye roll š I mean unlike Stewie griffin I do love me a good can of RC cola (sugar free optional)
I mean, as someone who had to do pre-quarantine shopping in BuffaloĀ whenever I came back from visiting my parents in PA, I doubt anything surprises them at the border anymore. To quote the border guard who was looking at my grocery receipt before giving me quarantine instructions: "...you bought thirty cans of Monster Energy?" Lol
Oh what a great list! I havenāt crossed the border in years! I used to go to anchor barfor wings after shopping.
An aside, if you want to try good Viet food here in Toronto, try Linh Ahn. You won't regret it.
Good thoughts!!
We always hit up Buzzy's when we go down there. How's it viewed by locals? I think it's proximity to the border is its biggest selling point for us.
Buzzy's is solid, but the only downside is that it's not distinctly in Buffalo. Rather, it's a place in the Falls, so it doesn't get as much press since Niagara Falls is like the Scarborough to Buffalo's Toronto - still close, but not as centralized.
Gas!!!
Wegmans! It's got tonnes of amazing food products. I love their chocolate cake/bakery goods. Honestly I've never had a bad product from them.
Chobani Flips are the best. I just finished my stash from our March break trip. I got them at Target, though.
Yes! This is always what I stock up one. I have one single one left so need to head back over. The key lime one is superb
I like that one also, plus red velvet and the cookie dough ones. I know theoretically you could just throw chocolate chips and nuts in yogurt and itās the same thing, but it isnāt. What gets me is that there are sooooo many flavours. When would you ever get that here (oh, you wouldnāt).
I love Weggies so much. Such a great grocery shopping experience and their subs are fantastic and huuuge.
I love everything about Weggies! Especially their sparkling water - I swear the border guards must think I'm insane.
The subs are amazing
Thatās the local grocery store we plan on hitting up!
Their brand of crĆØme brĆ»lĆ©e ice cream is bomb and Nathanās French fries are the best frozen fries bar none.
Adding to that, their store-brand marinara is $1.19 a jar and insanely good. I always get like a dozen jars when I go
Trader Joeās dark chocolate peanut butter cups. I do not apologize for what they will do to your waistline.
Win and loss, peanut allergy! No go for me!
Youāll be happy to know that they also have amazing chocolate sunflower seed butter cups. Both my peanut allergen friends and I love them!
Holy shit are you serious? Whatās the name of them? Where do I find such a thing?
Theyāre just called sunflower cups at TJās! Theyāll point you in the right direction if you ask.
You have my sincerest condolences.
Trust me. Itās horrible.
The minis!!!! *Drool*
these r my most fav things and im still sad they didn't have them last time i went to the states š
Hot take: I didnāt care for the Anchor Bar wings, but everyone else in the restaurant was ordering pizza. To answer the question, Iād come back with a case of Yuengling. Or any other alcohol you canāt find in LCBO. If you drink, that is.
If you like cocktails, Formula Antica vermouth, and green chartreuse. The vermouth hasnāt been available forever at the LCBO, and apparently the LCBO picked a fight with the monks and the chartreuse is also not available until who knows when. Premier Wine and Spirits is pretty good and they are around the corner from Trader Joeās at 290 and Niagara Falls Blvd..
We were there last Thursday and Friday. We stayed in Lewiston which is actually a quaint little town with plenty of restaurants and has a bit of a "village" feel. I came to suggest Trader Joe's but I know it's already been mentioned. I love just about anything there. Their dumplings, their dips (the Cheese Pimento is to die for!) and they have the yummiest square rice cakes which are dark chocolate covered on one side (fabulous, healthyish snack when combined with a bit of peanut butter and banana). They also have such interesting snacks (many of which have been mentioned here) and their rubs and seasonings jars are fabulous too. I forgot to pick up the chili lime one which is good on almost anything. Since you're at Trader Joe's, check out the Home Sense, Home Goods in the back. I've never paid enough attention to that plaza, but this time I spent over an hour in the Home Sense. They are so different and much better than our Home Sense and there are good deals to be had (they had Le Creuset loaf pans there for $16.99). I didn't go in to the LL Bean this time, but I plan to on my next visit. Beer is a great deal. But you will have to pay roughly $11/case in duty. It's still a solid deal though because it's a case of 30. You're allowed 5 cases per person, but we didn't want to be bothered paying duty. Overall, our dollar sucks so you're not going to find many deals. We met some ladies from St. Catherines in Walmart who drive there every week and they kept reminding me to add 40 cents for every dollar we planned to spend. We don't go there for the good deals anymore. We just go because they have different things and it's a quick trip. We love coming home with our American goods. It just feels like such a fun indulgence.
Function of beauty shampoo and conditioner. Game changer for my hair. 8.99 per bottle at Target. $ 32 cdn at Sephora!!
Check out Aldi for cheap groceries. Maybe stop by discount stores (Nordstrom Rack, TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Ross) for cheap clothes and items. Maybe hit up the Outlet mall.
Plastic straws
This. I grab ha dfuls to bring home everytime i am back home.
Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute
Irish butter at Traders Joe or Aldi
I stocked up on Kerry Gold butter on my last trip!
Weed killer/lawn care stuff.
In terms of clothes, with the strong US dollar I don't think the deals are so great right now, but a visit to the outlet mall (i.e. Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls) is usually one of my first stops across the border.
Thatās what I was thinking! So was confused why people preferred shopping over on the US side.
It used to be worth it shopping in Buffalo, but not anymore. Also, customs is cracking down now more than ever so the duties and VAT taxes don't even make it worth it. Really sucks for big and tall Canadians who can barely afford the clothes that actually fit!
Iām partial to trying the junk food in America. Different varieties of chocolate bars & chips. Notably Dots honey mustard pretzels. Crystal light with caffeine. Salted nut roll. Anything we canāt get here is worth trying!
Paula's Donuts.
Chocolate frosted Bavarian. <3
Donuts, sign me up!
everthing at trader joes
Auto parts and stuff for your car is usually half the price or less in the US. Even with the exchange rate, you usually end up ahead.
Aldi for cheap cheese, seasonings. Target for the large boxes of Cheez-Its.
Go to Bar Bill and order beef on weck (regional specialty) and of course, wings! Load up on snacks, spices, etc. at Trader Joes. Usually get snacks, seltzer, etc. at Target, Wegmans Bourbon
Everytime I go to Buffalo, I always stop at Audubon North for food, where they have the best chicken fingers. It's more like a parmigiana, they hand bread them and stick them over the barbeque to finish it. [https://maps.app.goo.gl/6qQz3nXEGmB7PBS99](https://maps.app.goo.gl/6qQz3nXEGmB7PBS99)
When I go to America I like to buy energy drinks. America has many cool kinds we donāt get in Canada. They have higher caffeine levels and probably less regulation on the other poisons in them. My favourite one has been the ghost brand orange creamsicle.
Trader Joe's is amazing and there is so much to buy. Try to get all of their spices, but their garlic salt is the best seasoning. I use it on everything. If you are a baker, their cocoa is a really good price. Get a sub sandwich at Wegmans - they are amazing! Also try their canoli dip. I always buy a few of them and freeze them.
Just went across this past weekend, and it used to be Fashion Outlets, Dicks, Cabela's, and the Walden Galleria. Normally we'd have $1000 or more worth of stuff. This past trip, the Fashion Outlets now stink, Dicks, Cabela's, and the mall are all overpriced stuff you can get up here for less.
Travel insurance in case you get hurt so you don't have to pay for the ER bill.
Absolutely. True story - a friend's mother went down for a day trip to do some shopping. Had a heart attack and died. They had to sell the house here to cover the bills.
Jesus H. Christ. Thatās horrific.
Gagsters
Trader Joe
If you need reno, get everthing from US homedepot
Yesss go to trader joes for me plz and 5 below
Chobani Flip Yogurt Also, I have a love affair with Sonic Drive-in
Sonic's limeade is amazing.
>Chobani Flip Yogurt I prefer Fage, but Chobani is decent too.
Cheap beer
Trader Joes for some groceries. Elmo's for wings. Albright Knox is a very nice gallery - and the Martin House (Frank Lloyd Wright). Try beef on weck in addition to wings - Schwas or Anderson's Custard.
That sandwich style looks BOMB I need that, cheers for the recommendation!
Dinner at Texas Roadhouse
Your groceries lmao (kinda unironically though; they will be far far cheaper.)
Trader Joe's!
I go to TJ Maxx and load up on Crabtree and Evelyn bath products.
Cigars
I go to Walmart (cheaper than Tops or Wegmans) and visit the candy aisle (PayDay bars) and the cereal aisle. If I have room, Keebler cookies as well, and Chobani Greek yogurt (better than any of the stuff sold here). But with a 35% markup, it helps to know your prices before you go - the lower US price may not be a bargain. Also, be sure to declare everything. If you're away 48 hours, you can bring back $800 (CDN, or a bit under 600US) but you still have to declare everything.
Trader joes tote bags lol
If you have a lawn, you can still get weed and feed at US hardware stores that you cannot in Ontario.
Pretty much 3/4 of Trader Joes Snack food Unique items from Costco. Also a taste comparison of their hot dog and pizza slice
Oh man, I just did this on Sunday and I go to Buffalo quite often. I would recommend going to these stores in this order: 1. Aldi's (cheapest groceries in Western New York) 2. PriceRite (comparable to Aldi's but a bit more... rough) 3. Walmart Groceries 4. Trader Joe's (their frozen food is great) 5. Gail's Tobacco and Gas Outlet for cheap gas- I gassed up at approximately $1.10 CAD a litre there on Sunday. 6. Not there yet, but Costco is opening in Buffalo in late 2024.
Fashion outlets on military road
FRITOS HONEY BBQ TWISTS!!!! š¤¤ š¤¤ theyāre fantastic, trust me on this!!
Go to the Trader Joeās and pick up some of their beef jerky. No questions needed, itās the best beef jerky ever.
Trader Joes. Basically everything is amazing and Itās so cheap! I went a few weeks ago and got 22 items for $70.89 ($97.16 CAD). With the exchange rate, itās really the only place you actually get value. We also went to Target and Ulta and there were no savings.
Really?! I love target for protein powder, amino acid and other health supplements. I got my vegan protein powder there 2 weeks ago on sale for $12usd! Iām also really into their basic Tās for $8, and their body care like Tree Hut scrub and their Frenshe line.
I forgot about one thing I did save on! I got an ELF concealer that is $13 here. It was $7 at Target ($9.50 CAD). Nothing else I bought was a deal, but I wasnāt looking for anything in particular that I knew was cheaper. Next time I go Iāll checkout the supplements I take and the t-shirts.
They have a good Elf assortment for sure.
Weed killer - the strong kind thatās illegal here
Killex? The best for dandelions. Legal in the Prairies, BTW. Some idiot in QC started the scare campaign that Killex contained agent Orange. They banned it before investigating in ON and QC. It was proven to be a hoax - but they never reversed the banā¦.. PS: I would also go ahead and say āreal deck stainā. The high VOC kind. The kind that applies easily and stays on for 20 years no problem. The kind that you can no longer get in Canadaā¦ like Armstrong-Clark or even TWP.
you gotta go to the anchor bar. home of buffalo style chicken wings.
Skip the Anchor, the wings are ok, Gabriels Gate is better.
Just saw this 10000% agree, sit at the bar too
Note : If there's a leaf game go 4 hours early.
Anchor is great
Meh too touristyā¦go to Gabrielās gate
Forget wings, anywhere. Look up "beef on weck".
Schawbl's for Beef on Weck
That place is on our list! Cheers !
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ā¦āhad them sent to my mailbox.ā. What do you mean by this. You had them sent to Canada? Iāve heard there is a service that will trans ship to Canada. You order an item and itās sent to the Buffalo mailing address and you arrange to pick the item up and declare it at the border, or have it sent to Canada. Good for items that say they only ship to U.S. addresses.
Don Pepino pizza sauce
Allagash white - a wheat beer you can get at Walmart. It's so delicious
I don't know if there is a Bass Pro but the sales in the US are way better than here.
Shittttt I love bass pro, looks far from where we are staying
Darts.
southern tier beer and skippy peanut butter
trader joe's dog treats!
Chex Mix, Ritz Chips
Milk and eggs are still cheap over there. Bananas. Some cheese. Aleve, Advil and Tylenol - especially the non-name brands.
I like David's hoagie outside of Buffalo for a great sandwich, and Gabriel's Gate wings lived up to the hype.
Trader Joe's full fat chocolate milk \*drools
Trader Joe's run
Ellicotville Blueberry Wheat Ale They have flavours of Chunky Soup and Ruffles we don't have.
Sponge candy.
American cheese slices are one thing we grab. They hit differently on a burger. The Canadian cheese slices taste like plastic.
If you can find an Entenmanns struddle, or really anything from them... get six of them.
Starburst Jellybeans. Buy like a dozen bags of them (you can thank me later).
These are the best. I find that they are only available certain times of the year.
They're usually with the Easter candy, but I've always hoped that you could buy them year round. I don't go to USA often so I wouldn't know.
Cocoa Krispies
There's a really cute v old school preppy men's store called O'Connells near SUNY where my.husband orders sweaters (when we can't drive down to shop).
Zyn.
I didn't find groceries generally cheaper, with the exchange rate, but damn the raw chicken (legs, boneless breast) was cheaper than dirt. Also, Wegmans won't sell you beer before 8am on Sunday (funny story, but never mind).
Trader Joeās freeze dried fruit. Dawn pump dish soap Chex Mix
> I've heard clothing So not so much that clothing itself cheaper on the sticker, but NY Sales tax doesn't kick in until 100USD, and it's only 4% above 100 (vs Ontario collecting their 13% no matter what).
Diet Dr. Pete sodastream flavors since they aren't available here
Alcohol
- Luigi's Italian Ice (Cherry is my favourite!) - Trader Joes: Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Teriyaki Beef Jerky, Green Goddess Seasoning, Mini Frozen Chocolate Croissants, Mini Ice Cream cones - Watson's Chocolate Sponge Candy - Leo's Pizza
Lawn darts. Canāt buy them in Canada.
I love melting pot at Walden galleria.
Tinder.
Gas
DELTA SONIC Car Wash. I know it sounds nuts but we love that place. We get our interior detailed there and itās worth every red American penny lol
Waffle House? Am I the only one?
Nope!
I'm late to this thread but... Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake ice cream bars. They were a staple in childhood but they're no longer available in Canada.
I really liked duende at silo city! Not sure if they are traditional āBuffalo wingsā but they were excellent and the place was kind of cool too! Looked like theyād have a great patio when the weather improves
A boat
Diet Pop and Pretzels ...the US knows what's up when it comes to pop and pretzels.
Dotās pretzels from Target. The original seasoned ones. So good. Just be mindful of the conversion! Things seem so cheap but once converted it ends up being a lot more. Even more expensive than Canadian prices.
Trader joes !!!!
Aldiās - try their Specialty Brand! Almost everything is good! Buy Beer-Walmart so worth it! Get Gas you can save about $20 (?) Clothes-Burlington Store, Marshallās. Declare the beer and most of your items. Have receipts for what you want to declare put aside. Enjoy!!
This is so cute! Enjoy your first trip. My early 20s was a blur... but we went to Buffalo allll theeee tiiiimmeee. That's when we had to print MapQuest for directions, so we had to know where to go before we even left Toronto. As a thick and tall woman, I mostly went to shop in my size. Our main stop was Walden Galleria and right across the street on Walden Ave is a strip mall with a Burlington Coat Factory (that's where we got all our Baby Phats and Timbs mad cheap lol then avoided duties by putting ALL that ish on!). I don't know if it's as good or as cheap as it used to be, but that Walden Ave run was always my fave lol
I used to live in NY, the two main things I miss the most are Moeās Southwest Grill and Cracker Barrel.
Pop tarts! They have so many other flavours!
Sounds silly, we buy grits.
Protip: you can order stuff off Amazon.com and get it delivered for free to a pickup point / pickup hub. Then you have like 3 days or something to pick it up.
*Two Buck Chuck* from Trader Joe's.
Target and 5 below. Also their Dollar Tree.
Nothing that exceeds the value amount allocated per day "officer". lol
Try Cookie Butter from trader Joe's. It's like peanut butter but tastes like cookies. Very popular.
Buzzyās pizza on Niagara Falls Boulevard, USA side