After Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Buffalo, lunch was required. Or dinner. Or whatever meal it happened to be. Destination: Pearl Street Grill & Brewery.

We arrived at the nearly 20-year-old restaurant and brewery — in the 135-year-old four-story building — shortly before 5 p.m. and were sat at a first-floor booth. We ordered a couple beverages — Don Cherry Cherry Wheat for me and Sabres Edge for her — and awaited the arrival of our friends.

When our friends Patrick and Lisa arrived, we got the Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip for the table. Served with fresh veggies and soft fresh pita wedges, the restaurant’s top appetizer didn’t disappoint. The only minor disappointment was that we ordered it with extra pita wedges in lieu of the broccoli that usually comes with it, then got it with the normal amount of pita wedges. Good news: The server corrected it without question and fairly quickly given how busy the place was.

For our main course, Patrick got a Black & Blue burger with fries, while his wife Lisa got a Reuben with homemade chips. Michele and I split a Reuben and fries.

SCOTT: Okay, first of all when this thing came out, I was amazed at how much corned beef was on it and wondered if I’d be able to finish my half. I was also immediately more hungry than I was 13 seconds earlier and wondered if I should regret my decision to split this pile of meat, sauerkraut, and swiss cheese between two slices of fresh marble rye with Michele.

Then I took a bite. And looked at Michele with a glint of jealousy. Why would I have made the horrible decision to share my tasty sandwich with her? What was I thinking? But as chowed down on this oh-so-perfect Reuben — taking minor breaks to eat some of the pub fries — my jealousy waned because I’m not sure I could have eaten the whole thing.

I’m pretty sure that Pat and Lisa enjoyed their dinners, as well, but to be honest, I pretty much blocked out anything that wasn’t made of corned beef for the duration of my dinner. After another beer (or two), we declared Pearl Street a success (as usual) and headed out the door in search of more St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans.

MICHELE: The atmosphere at Pearl Street Grill was welcoming and what you would expect from a well-known restaurant with an established reputation; consistent service and excellent quality.

We were greeted with smiles in spite of the large volume of patrons seated before us. Our wait did not take long, we were even welcomed to have a seat while Scott and I waited for our friends to arrive. In the meantime, we looked over the beer menu (our meal was already decided; Reuben and fries, of course). Making a decision based on a Buffalo “thing” such as Sabres, Bills or others which make WNY great has never let me down, in this case, a Sabres Edge Double IPA, which was excellent and flavorful.

Since I wasn’t too hungry at the time and all I really wanted were fries, Scott and I split. His Reuben was wonderful and our fries were crispy and delicious — of the steak variety. The dish was completed with a side of fresh, yummy, pickle slices. We had no problems devouring every bite and washing it down with more beer.

Our waitress was very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the restaurant’s beer and food selection and availability. She was eager to assist us with our requests and make us feel at home.

Pearl Street was a win stop on our parade adventures, which is sure to be a stop on adventures to come.