Best bar for live music (Southtowns) 189 Public House
Sure, it won last year, too – but the more we see what’s up at 189, the more we love this cozy, quirky two-floor-with-a-hole-in-the-middle roadhouse with the friendly music-centered vibe of a neighborhood nightclub in New Orleans. The shows – a surprising number of which are free—feature some of the best acoustic players in WNY, along with a few jaw-dropping touring acts (Iris Dement! Greg Brown!). As a bonus, it’s even got a nanobrewery on the premises.