When it was founded more than a decade ago by a group of owners that included Left Bank proprietor Mike Christiano, Mes Que was born out of a passion for soccer and a desire to establish a bar in Buffalo for fans of “the beautiful game.”

However, Mes Que—which is Catalan for “more than”—has evolved into something greater than a place to watch soccer. Thanks to the people behind it, the bar has become a space that takes the cosmopolitan nature of a global sport and blends it with elevated hospitality to create a unique, diverse cocktail.

Passion is the primary driver behind the bar’s evolution into something greater. General Manager Franklin Hagler says an enthusiastic and knowledgeable ownership group has attracted like-minded employees. Building on the multicultural nature of soccer, the Mes Que team have added a reputation for some of the best cocktails in the city, along with top-notch service.

“Our owners want to provide something to Buffalo’s community and grow as the community grows,” Franklin says. “I think when you have a combination of passionate owners, passionate workers and customers who came together because they care about something in common, it becomes this thing that’s very mold-able, which made Mes Que what it is now.”

A seasonal cocktail program is central to the bar’s character. Bartenders are regularly pouring liquors and tinctures into metal cocktail shakers that are deftly agitated to create exquisite elixirs. The coup de grâce for most cocktails involves a dried citrus wheel placed on the rim or a tiny garnish applied with tweezers.

When I walked in on a hazy, hot July afternoon, the cocktail menu included several tantalizing house creations, along with a few standards. While my wife opted for a classic daiquiri, I went with the Doc Holliday, a pink drink made with bourbon, huckleberry, lemon, ginger and mint. Like the bar itself, my simple-looking cocktail imparted a complex flavor profile that brought together various elements: tempered refreshing citrus and berry with a slight medicinal quality.

Staff expertise is critical to crafting complex cocktails; feedback from customers is just as important. Franklin says the drinks we ordered, like the 15 other cocktails and the three nonalcoholic cocktails on the current menu, are all based on what staff is hearing from customers.

“Getting feedback on our cocktails is a very important part of what we do,” he says. “For example, we’ve received a lot of feedback about having non-alcoholic options. So we’ve been dedicated to putting the same kind of craft that we have in our alcoholic cocktails into our NA cocktails.”

A menu of small plates, flatbreads and entrees neatly complements that cocktail program. On our visit, we opted for the cheese and charcuterie board, which is generous and well-sourced. Arguably, flatbread pizzas are the most popular. The oval-shaped pies come topped with everything from barbecue chicken to goat cheese and asparagus pesto to soppressata and fresh mozzarella.

While the food and drinks play together beautifully on their own, they are provided with the kind of professional service you’d expect based on Mes Que’s fine-dining pedigree. In the evenings, arriving guests are promptly provided with menus and a glass of ice water. That might sound like a minor detail, and it is. But it’s that small detail that softly articulates the passion so foundational to Mes Que.

The bar’s elevated cosmopolitan nature has made it a North Buffalo neighborhood fixture. Add in the covered dog-friendly patio during warm weather, and the bar has become a go-to place for drinks and a few bites throughout the week.

“Most of our clientele is from North Buffalo,” Franklin says. “Many people are walking around the neighborhood, and they don’t know what they’re doing for their night. Maybe they’re walking their dog, see the patio is open and just jump in.”

Make no mistake, passion for soccer is still vital to Mes Que’s identity. In 2020, the Travel Channel highlighted it as one of its “10 great American soccer bars.” Scarves from various teams around the world adorn the walls, and games from the biggest leagues in Europe are regularly played on the bar TVs. The bar often attracts people who have come to Buffalo from other countries, whether they have moved here or are just visiting.

It isn’t uncommon to bump into people from Europe, the Caribbean or Africa enjoying a cocktail, snacking on charcuterie and watching their favorite team play a game thousands of miles away. Many who come to watch soccer will linger or come back again and again to experience the bar’s hospitality.

“I hope people understand how welcoming an environment that Mes Que is and how diverse it is,” Franklin says. “We’re more than a soccer bar,” he adds quickly. “We’re a neighborhood bar that’s a second living room for a lot of different people.”