4 Best Bars in Niagara Falls and Western New York, New York

Known as something of a pickup spot, Mother's has an eclectic clientele that ranges from suited lawyers to baseball-capped B-boys. Its low-beamed ceilings and stone walls give it a wine-cellar feel. The patio is open seasonally.

Jazz, blues, country, and reggae musicians perform at grungy Nietzsche's in Allentown. There's a show most nights.

A glitzy lobby with Seneca Nation–inspired hieroglyphs and green-lighted endemic-stone walls marks your entry to the Seneca Allegany Casino. The 22,000 square feet of gaming space encompasses around 2,300 machines, 40 table games, a bar and high-rollers' lounge, as well as a separate poker room, which is the only portion still owned by the Seneca Nation. The mega-complex has a hotel, a salon and spa, and several restaurants, including the requisite buffet. Big-name acts from the Goo Goo Dolls to Brooks & Dunn have played the big stage.

The 82,000-square-foot Seneca Niagara Casino complex, which includes a hotel and performance venues, is owned by the Seneca Nation. The 24-hour casino is in a giant airplane-hangar-style space with a large stained-glass mural at one end, and has more than 3,200 slot machines and 100 table games, including baccarat, craps, roulette, and several styles of poker. Unlike Canadian casinos across the river, free alcohol is served on the gaming floor, and smoking is allowed (though the smoke is not cloying, it's noticeable). Big acts like Michael Bolton perform at the events center; smaller performers occasionally take the stage at the 443-seat Bear's Den.