Who Remembers This Old Restaurant in Amherst?

Living in South Buffalo is pretty cool. There are a few bars within walking distance from my place, it has amazing food, and it's a short drive to either downtown Buffalo, as well as suburbs such as West Seneca, Lackawanna and Orchard Park.

However, while I live in South Buffalo and spent nearly five years in Hamburg, I spent the first 20 years of my life in the northtowns. More specifically, north Amherst -- a short drove from Wheatfield.

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My old stomping grounds were E. Robinson, Niagara Falls Boulevard, Sheridan Drive, Sweet Home Road and Maple Road.

Amherst and North Tonawanda changed a great deal over the years, since I was a kid. I remember when there was a Chase Pitkins across from Wegmans on Alberta Drive, which was part of the Wegmans family.

Chase Pitkins was no more by the mid-2000s, and the same can be said for an old restaurant that used to be on Maple Road, just down the street.

Does anyone remember Bennigan's?

Bennigan's was an Irish-American restaurant and tavern that was on Maple Road, near to Sweet Home Middle School. It was also near the old GCC Cinema 8 movie theater, which was also on Maple Road.

The location is now Kyoto Japanese Restaurant.

My dad used to take me to Bennigan's all the time. We would get burgers, and he let me get an IBC root beer, which was a very big deal for a kid back then.

Restaurants in the late '90s and early 2000s had this "flair" type of decor; Applebee's, Chili's and T.G.I. Friday's all had a very dark but homey type of vibe inside, and Bennigan's was the same.

Bennigan's left by the mid-2000s, but there are still some locations around the country, just not in Western New York.

Who else went there?