SportsQuest
All games

Week 11, Sun, Nov 22, 1:00 PM local

Miami Dolphinsat Buffalo Bills

Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park. Fly into BUF.

Build the quest

Kickoff slot

Early

Lots open before breakfast.

Lots open

8:00 AM

Local time on game day.

Where to stay

In the city

Tailgate from 8:00 AM, then the game.

The matchup

Form, ESPN's model and the stat leaders
Form

The Dolphins are 0-3 after 3 games, 4th in the AFC East.

They have lost 3 in a row.

They are 0-2 on the road.

The Bills are 3-0 after 3 games, 1st in the AFC East.

They have won 3 in a row.

They are 2-0 at home.

What we know about Highmark Stadium

Where visiting fans stay

Checked at the source
  • Downtown Buffalo. 35 min. NFTA Metro Game Day Express bus, $5 one way. The Bills do not play in Buffalo. Highmark Stadium is in Orchard Park, about 12 miles south of downtown. Parking lots ring it off Abbott Road. There is no rail service of any kind. Downtown Buffalo has the hotels, restaurants and bars. The NFTA Metro Game Day Express picks up downtown at the Metropolitan Transportation Center and at Utica Rail Station on the Metro Rail line. It costs $5 each way. Stay downtown and take the bus.
  • Buffalo Medical Campus / Allentown / Elmwood Village. 40 min. Metro Rail to a Game Day Express pickup point, then the express bus. This area sits next to downtown, with better bars and restaurants than downtown itself. University Station is a Game Day Express pickup point on the same Metro Rail line. It beats the downtown convention hotels as a base for two nights.
  • Orchard Park. 10 min. walk or short drive. Near the stadium there is not much. The Red Carpet Inn Orchard Park is 0.4 miles away. The Stadium View Inn is 1.9 miles away. Almost nothing else is nearby. Only worth it if you have a car and want to be first into the lots. A carless fan gains nothing, since the Game Day Express does not serve Orchard Park.

Around the stadium

From a specialist guide
There is no hotel cluster and no bar district here. Two motels sit within two miles: Red Carpet Inn at 0.4 miles, Stadium View Inn at 1.9 miles. For drinks before the game, try classic roadside taverns on and around Abbott Road and Southwestern Boulevard: Big Tree Inn, Danny's South, O'Neill's Stadium Inn. These are institutions, but they sit along a suburban strip, not a walkable district. New development is underway near the stadium; Danny's South was listed for sale as building speeds up. This could change in coming seasons.

Getting in from the airport

From a specialist guide
Buffalo Niagara (BUF) is about 20 minutes from Orchard Park and 20 from downtown by car. No rail.

Getting to the stadium

Checked at the source
NFTA Metro Game Day Express. Drops at the stadium. There is no rail service of any kind.

Tailgating

Checked at the source
Stadium lots require a car and an advance-purchase parking pass, and tailgating must stay inside your marked space until kickoff. But Gameday Hospitality runs the Red Zone tailgate at 3904 Abbott Road, right next to the stadium property, a 3-5 minute walk from most gates. No car or game ticket needed, just a tailgate reservation. It runs three hours, with a buffet of Sahlen's hot dogs, chicken fingers, subs, and pizza. The VIP tier adds wings and beef on weck. Prices rise the closer you book to game day; a season pass covers all home and playoff games. Times shift with kickoff, for example 10:00 to 13:00 for an afternoon game, or 16:30 to 19:30 for a night game. Gameday Hospitality runs the Buffalo Red Zone Tailgate. Pricing rises closer to game day, with GA and VIP tiers and a season pass option. No car or ticket required. It runs for three hours, timed to kickoff, for example 10:00-13:00 or 16:30-19:30.

Getting in

Checked at the source
  • Bag policy: Bags must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC, no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, or a small clutch about hand-sized, 4.5 by 6.5 inches. You can carry the clutch along with one clear bag. The policy names no exception for medical items, diapers, or nursing supplies, which could be a real problem if you carry medication.
  • Re-entry: Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the stadium. There are no designated smoking areas, and re-entry is not allowed either.
  • Prohibited items: Banned items include umbrellas, strollers, all tobacco products, outside bottles, cans, and thermoses. Also banned: cameras with lenses over six inches, video cameras, tripods, noisemakers, laser pointers, oversized or modified seat cushions, selfie sticks, and drones. Smokers get no break area and no re-entry, so plan around that.

Touring the stadium

From a specialist guide
The Bills offer a Gameday Tour for the new stadium: a VIP pre-game walk behind the scenes as teams prepare for kickoff. Book it at thehighmarkstadium.com/tours. Pricing and availability are not listed yet. Confirm both before selling this to anyone. The Rally Day Tour runs the day before a home game, a self-guided look behind the scenes as the stadium gets ready. Other options: the Bills Mafia Tour, 60 minutes, guided, covering the locker room and field level, and the Bills Mafia Elevated Tour, 90 minutes, VIP, adding the Gallagher Founders Club and National Broadcast Booth. Prices and availability for all three were still being set when announced. Book at thehighmarkstadium.com/tours.

One thing to avoid

From a specialist guide
Don't book at the airport or in a random Southtowns suburb hoping to be close. Without a car, anywhere outside a Game Day Express stop means a $60-plus one-way taxi. Don't assume the old stadium's layout either. The gates, lots, and address all changed for 2026.

Bars near the stadium

Checked at the source

  • Big Tree Inn

    4277 Abbott Rd, Orchard Park, NY 14127

    This bar opened in 1950 as a neighborhood spot and turned into a sports bar under new owners in October 1980. From there, it became the players' bar.

    Away fans: mostly home fans.

  • O'Neill's Stadium Inn

    3864 Abbott Rd, Orchard Park, NY 14127

    Rick and Peggy Cerrone opened this bar in 2010. It is the most family-run spot in the Abbott Road group.

    Away fans: crowd is mixed, leaning welcoming.

  • Prohibition 2020

    3847 Southwestern Blvd, Orchard Park, NY 14127

    This bar is a 1920s prohibition-themed sports bar. It is the one Orchard Park venue that is an official Bills Backer chapter.

    Away fans: crowd is mostly home fans. It is an official Bills Backer chapter venue.

  • Kettle's

    3719 Abbott Rd, Orchard Park, NY 14075

    This is the roughest bar on Abbott Road, a true Buffalo dive. The crowd skews older, with live music most nights.

Sidequests in Orchard Park

In the order they happen. Each one earns points.

  1. Photo25 points

    Niagara Falls State Park day trip

    The American side of the falls is a state park, open 365 days a year, no entry fee for the grounds. Prospect Point gives you the standard photo. Half-day trip from Buffalo.

    Free. The day before

  2. Tour100 points

    Highmark Stadium behind-the-scenes tour

    Legends runs tours of the new stadium's locker rooms and premium spaces, booked through Ticketmaster or an inquiry form. No prices, days or game-day availability listed. Email [email protected] first.

    $$. The day before. Bookable

  3. Eat65 points

    Schwabl's beef on weck

    Family restaurant open since 1837, in this building since 1942. Roast beef on kummelweck, carved to order. Open Tuesday to Saturday, 11:30am to 7:30pm, closed Sunday, so go the day before.

    $$. The day before

  4. Landmark65 points

    Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House

    Wright's 1903 to 1905 Prairie house complex in Parkside, fully restored with pergola, conservatory and carriage house. The 75-minute docent tour runs $25, $10 for students, free for kids 8 and under. Reserve ahead.

    $$. The day before

  5. Landmark65 points

    Buffalo AKG Art Museum

    Modern and contemporary art museum on Elmwood Avenue. Open Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday 10am to 5pm, closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Adults $24, youth 5 to 18 $10, under 5 free.

    $$. The day before

  6. Landmark65 points

    Canalside on the Buffalo waterfront

    Free public waterfront, open dawn to dusk. Heritage Carousel, kayaks, the Naval Park's USS Little Rock, and the Explore & More children's museum. Good for families the day before the game.

    Free. The day before

  7. Eat65 points

    Anchor Bar, original Buffalo wings

    The Main Street bar where Teressa Bellissimo fried the first Buffalo wings, March 4, 1964. Open Sunday 11am to 8pm. Go for dinner the night before or after the game.

    $$. 19 hours before kickoff

  8. Drink25 points

    Pearl Street Grill & Brewery

    Downtown brewpub with four floors, nine bars and copper-roofed patios near the waterfront. Open daily from 11:30am. Good meeting spot before or after the drive back from Orchard Park.

    $$. 18 hours before kickoff

  9. Tailgate100 points

    Red Zone walk-in tailgate

    Gameday Hospitality sells per-person tailgate entry a 3 to 5 minute walk from the stadium. The answer for anyone who flew in.

    $$$. 4 hours before kickoff. Bookable

  10. Eat65 points

    Charlie the Butcher, Orchard Park

    Counter-service beef on weck from the Buffalo carvery chain. The Orchard Park shop on North Buffalo Road sits minutes from the stadium. Good pregame lunch before you park.

    $. 4 hours before kickoff

  11. Drink25 points

    Danny's South on Abbott Road

    Abbott Road bar and restaurant, a short walk from the stadium lots. Normally closed Sundays, but it opens for every Bills home game. Fills fast with pregame crowds.

    $$. 3 hours 30 minutes before kickoff

  12. Ritual25 points

    NFTA Game Day Express bus from downtown

    Express buses run from six transit centers, including the downtown Metropolitan Transportation Center, to the stadium transit center near Abbott and Southwestern. $5 cash or Token Transit each way; times post during game week.

    $. 3 hours before kickoff

  13. Tailgate65 points

    Pregame Plaza between Gates C and D

    Inside the new Highmark Stadium's secure perimeter: mini field, games, music, photo ops. Security gates open 3 hours before kickoff; plaza closes 30 minutes before. Need a ticket, don't need a car.

    Free. 2 hours 30 minutes before kickoff

Seats and views

Where each part of Highmark Stadium sits, and what you see from it.

100 Level, end zone100 Level, corner, home side100 Level, home sideline100 Level, corner, home side100 Level, end zone100 Level, corner, visitor side100 Level, visitor sideline100 Level, corner, visitor sideClub and suite levels, end zoneClub and suite levels, corner, home sideClub and suite levels, home sidelineClub and suite levels, corner, home sideClub and suite levels, end zoneClub and suite levels, corner, visitor sideClub and suite levels, visitor sidelineClub and suite levels, corner, visitor side300 Level, end zone300 Level, corner, home side300 Level, home sideline300 Level, corner, home side300 Level, end zone300 Level, corner, visitor side300 Level, visitor sideline300 Level, corner, visitor sideHomeVisitors
100 Level101 to 155Club and suite levelsC221 to C233300 Level301 to 349Tap any part of the stadium to see its view.