Very easy to book online. Staff is very helpful and friendly. They helped answer any questions we had. Getting the kayak into the water couldn’t have been easier. Staff at the launch helped fit you for a kayak and got you safely and comfortably into the water.they did all the hard work in loading the kayak onto the launch. No issues getting back to the launch and onto shore. Their store is also well stocked for kayaking accessories and they have lots of “buffalo-centric” apparel and gifts for visitors to buy. Highly recommend!

Had a great time kayaking with out of town guests. First time any of us went kayaking. Liked that Elevator Alley rental is 2 hours for $30. Also appreciated that they called me to suggest that we change our start time to later because of the thunderstorms that were passing through. We changed our time to 1 hour later and had sunny skies. Both the owner at the store and the fellow at the dock were very helpful. I’d definitely recommend Elevator Alley.

Well organized, knowledgeable staff. Not the best kayaks weve ever used, but functional for the conditions.

My 19 year old daughter and 16 year old son and I all went kayaking along Elevator Alley. We were sent on our way to explore and it was fantastic! My only regret is we didnt bring our phones to take pictures. It was a fabulous trip with a lot to see, old and new. The smell of cereal all around us was an added bonus. A 10 out of 10 ~ the three of us highly recommend taking this trip if you are in the Buffalo area for sure!

Had a great time. Everyone was very friendly & helpful. Very easy to book online.

My family of 7 and I had a wonderful day thanks to Elevator Alley Kayak. This is probably the 10th time we have rented from this company. They are easy to work with, and very practical when it comes to making a determination about the weather.Jason is a great guy. Use this company for a day of fun for your family or business outing.

Owner was SOO helpful and nice! I was running about 10 min late and my partner came straight from work about 20 min late and it was the last time slot of the night the other day and he still was going to give us our 2 hours in the water. We didn’t want to keep them longer than they needed to be there so we still came in at 7pm. But they were so sweet and nice to us! The nicest, cleanest kayaks around at the cheapest in the area. 10/10 will come back!!!!-Shelby & Frankie!

We had such a great time! There are other options for kayaking, but we have found Elevator Alley to be our favorite! Very professional and friendly staff, very thorough info, VERY wonderful launch facility, and you cant beat the location.

We had a great morning paddle.Elevator Alley cheerfully refunded the price of a kayak rental when one of our party couldnt attend. They were concerned about the weather, and said it was fine to reschedule if we were concerned. Moreover, they had a plan in place in case the weather turned severe. It ended up to be fine (no rain/thunder/lightning).I would rent from them again, it was a great experience.

These guys were great!! The young man who helped us was very courteous, carried the kayak right to the launch point and help to launch it, and was right there and when we got back. This is a really nice place to launch from, because it gives you the options of going to tiff nature reserve, kayaking among the green elevators, or heading up to canalside. I would recommend it to anyone.

This may be my favorite kayak rental in Western New York. It was about $50 for 2 hours, tandem kayak. The kayak was great quality.The location is fantastic, though the water does tend to be a bit busy here. Lots of boats. But its great scenery, paddling past the silos as well as Buffalo River Works.The staff was wonderful. Very helpful. It was a breeze checking in and getting the kayak in the water.We will be back!

First time kayaking, me and my son took advantage of the family fun night, and had an amazing time. A little tricky at first and the wind didnt help, but will definitely be back again. Great time, highly recommend.

Excellent experience! Super easy to book online and find. The guys did everything for us and were really helpful. They made our little adventure so enjoyable. We will absolutely be back!

The reservation process was simple. The check in was quick and efficient. Nate who helped us at the water was perfect. We could not recommend more highly. We had a great time on the water. Thank you!

So much fun! Everyone at Elevator Alley is very friendly and helpful. I totally recommend them!

Very friendly staff explained process of getting properly equipped and trained for a safe paddle on the river. Very helpful in getting us launched. All equipment worked as expected. The owner assured us that if the river was too choppy from the wind, we could return and reschedule at no additional cost. Awesome experience!

Super easy! You go in to fill out a form, watch a quick video about safety and then drive down and get right in! They put the kayak in the launch for you, very easy to get in and out! Reasonably priced, 2hrs for $25… cheaper and easier than canalside.

Went kayaking at Elevator Alley last Sunday for the first time . …. Had so much fun ! The kayaks r very high quality and the staff is amazing . They were all so friendly and VERY helpful !!! Can’t wait to go back !

Very easy to book. The kayaks and paddles are nice - and its very easy to board and de board kayak on their dock. Great spot on as well to kayak

It was a very efficient rental process which included a safety video. The person who assisted with the Kayak delivery was very helpful. Will definitely rent from you again!

Had a fantastic time! Kayaks are great, staff is knowledgeable, location fun! Cant wait for next time!

Have used Elevator Alley before..... awesome place! Several relatives in town for a celebration and took them for a Kayak ride. They SO loved it. Highly recommend.

Always enjoy renting from Elevator Alley Kayak. Clean kayaks, friendly staff and reasonable prices.

Great experience from start to finish. Easy online purchase, friendly check-in, great kayaks and great staff.

Wonderful people. Made my first experience a great one. So much fun.

It was a great morning. The folks are very nice and we had a great time

Great experience for a reasonable price. 5 STARS Would recommend.

They make it super easy and fun to get out on the water. Even during a very busy time, they took the time to help us navigate the crowd and safely get back on land.

We had a great time renting kayaks down at Elevator Alley. It was so cool to check out the grain elevators and make our way down by Riverworks and Canalside. Easy check in process and they help you load and unload. We will definitely be back soon!

Worked out great for a Saturday kayaking trip along the Buffalo River, the launch and setup was very easy! Would definitely return

Thank you for a great experience, highly recommend!! I will definitely rent again.

A great place to rent. The kayaks were top quality and they have a great launch point down river.

Easy to schedule, good kayaks, helpful employees. The launch is in a stretch of the river that isnt overrun with boats.

Great experience. Everyone was helpful and attentive!

Great experience. Pleasant and helpful staff.Thank you!

Easy online rental & a great price for 2 hours, which is plenty of time to see a ton!

No stress booking, friendly employees, great overall experience.

Kayaks were ready to go, no fuss, no muss! A great time!

Great customer service, great Kayaks and great place to launch from.

Amazing experience, friendly service. Only kayak rental place in town that I would ever go to.

Great people. Great time. Highly Recommended.

Great couple hours on the water

One of Buffalos must do activities. Elevator Alley Kayak is best place to rent kayaks. Their boats are excellent quality with comfortable upgraded seats and they are cheaper then the other rental places. We paid $25 for two hours. Their location is perfect as you can choose to paddle downstream through Elevator Alley or upstream through more naturalized areas.

Went to elevator alley to check out their used kayak sale. We were extremely pleased with the service and attention to detail we were given. Jason did a phenomenal job advising and passing on kayak knowledge. We ended up purchasing a tandem for our family and couldnt be more thrilled with the experience shopping here. Kayak kid approved. Thanks again!

Great fun! Recommend to anyone

First time kayaking. The staff here was friendly and helpful. Made it easy to reserve kayaks. Convenient location. Had a wonderful time and would definitely do it again. Also, rental prices were great!

Bought my perception there, owner was cool

Staff is always helpful, friendly, and efficient.

The guy was super nice. Was in and out super quick. The lady at the dock was very friendly. Made sure we were okay and didn’t have any questions and met us as soon as we got back. Nice to see that they spray the kayaks after each use also. Very good company to rent from!

Have rented from here numerous times and now purchased kayaks...always outstanding customer service! Jason and his staff know their stuff and are always ready to be sure you are informed on safety and best practices when on the water. Highly recommend this awesome local business!!!

Awesome experience and quick service. Rescheduled easily due to weather. We will be back again!

Great staff very friendly and knowledgeable

The staff were Professional, patient, and helpful. And kayaking up river (with very little effort) was very interesting and beautiful. Floating back down was Relaxing and gained different perspective and views of scenery. Elevator alley kayak rentals made it very easy to explore the canal and see all the old grain elevators and subway terminals. Plus a very bold great blue heron, and lots of ducks and geese. Once you checked in at barrel city, you watched a 2 minute video of how to be safe and not litter, you signed a waiver, and then we left to get on with our adventure. Because there is limited parking, you have to walk a little ways to get to the kayaks. Out the door, to the left, at the stop sign, take a right until you get to the water. About a one block walk. Once near the water, there were 3 very helpful employees that get you a fully cleaned and sanitized kayak, paddle, and life jacket. They help you get into the kayak and into the water and are....very patient and helpful. Even if you have bad knees, or are handicrapped, or overweight. They won’t judge or say anything, just wait or help, whatever you need. Very professional. It’s extremely easy to get into the kayaks, and they will take care of you. Kayaks are all perception, so very durable, good load bearing, and glide through the water well. I would highly recommend this kayak rental place. The view is amazing, and the owner and employees are friendly and down to earth. Plus the business is located in this really cool renovated warehouse, with lots of cool stuff to look at it. Overall fantastic experience! Thanks!

After looking around for a great date adventure for my girlfriend and I, we chose Elevator Alley. We couldnt have been more happy. Online reservations were simple, the staff was helpful and friendly, and the recommended route was perfect.We were a little late for our 2pm reservation, but had no trouble getting checked in and on the water. It was her first time kayaking, and there were a lot of boats on the water, so we went a little slow. Two hours was still enough time to get from the launch to the Canalside area and back.We saw lots of other rental kayaks on the water, and they were simply not the same quality as Elevator Alley. These guys use quality gear and keep it in good condition.Parking at the shop was plentiful despite sharing the building with a couple other businesses. The boat launch is about a block or two away from the shop, but its an easy walk. There is some parking by the launch, but it fills up quickly.All in all, it was a great day on the water.

Awesome views, great rate, friendly staff. Has a fun first time kayaking.

First time kayaking and it was a fantastic experience. Jason and his crew were great, organized and patient with this newbie. We did the tour which was great and Jack the kayak “wrangler” I call him helped make sure the group was safe and mindful of the boat traffic. Can’t wait to do it again!

I absolutely loved kayaking here! The manager was fast to answer any and all of our questions and even accommodated our request to turn a tandem kayak into a single by sliding back the seat. Such a great time! Great customer service!

We took the downtown elevator alley kayak cruise and really enjoyed it. The docent was knowledgeable and fun. The weather was pleasant. The paddling was easy. We would go again for their other tours or to rent boats from them. Beautiful.

I couldnt have picked a better place to experience kayaking for the first time. Everyone at Elevator alley kayak were extremely knowledgeable and made it an amazing day. Will definitely be going back.

Awesome experience! I went kayaking with my father on a Sunday afternoon. The staff were very patient with us, answered all questions we had, and gave us advice on how to make our experience as fun as possible.I look forward to returning next year.

This place is amazing... the owners fantastic.. he was so willing to work with me and my ridiculous request.. I planned a sunset paddle boarding proposal for my fiancé with fireworks!! The owner stayed open later than his regular hours for me met me multiple times and even gave advice on where would be the best spot for the proposal... IF YOUR GOING KAYAKING GO HERE .. when I contacted the people at canal side with the same request they shut me down immediately.

Highly recommend renting from Elevator Alley. Jason was great and gave us skill based instruction... It was my first time so I needed a lot. Rental process was easy and was out on the water in no time. Shop is really cool either everything from souvenirs and sunscreen to beautiful kayaks and all the equipment you would need if you were going to take it up as a regular hobby. If I lived in Buffalo, I’d go there again and again.

Went there yesterday for fathers day and it was a great experience. There was six of us and they were very accommodating. The kayaks were mostly brand new and they were smooth on the water. Ate at the little restaurant there and the food was excellent. Would highly recommend them. Another plus is its not super crowded like at canalside.

Visiting from PA and we had an awesome time renting from elevator alley. The staff were kind and courteous and their system was easy to follow and fast (always a plus)!!Their shop had great items and the location was perfect. I would highly recommend using their services!We paid $30 for two hours ($15/hr). We had a reservation for 11:45 but got there late and they didnt penalize us -- we were able to use the two hours from the time we got there instead of our reservation time. Again, very kind!

From Donna Grace: I went kayaking for the first time a few weeks ago at Elevator Alley. From beginning to end, an absolute pleasure. Nice dock set up, easy to get into your kayak and into the water, and help if you need it from the friendly, professional staff. I made my reservation and payment online, so check-in was a breeze. After the staff gave me a brief but thorough set of instructions, I strapped on my life vest, climbed into the kayak, and set off for an enjoyable, and relaxing, two hour paddle down the Buffalo River. Ive since been back a second time, and plan to go again and again.

The primest

We had a great time kayaking the Buffalo River. I cant compare this to other outfitters but we had a great experience with Elevator Alley. Easy online reservations, lots to see along the river, friendly staff. We also liked that we had two hours to explore so we didnt feel rushed to get back.

Great service and helped us with the kayak and all the equipment needed

Very helpful answered our dumb questions as first time kayakers

Elevator Alley Kayak is in a great location! The staff are great and extremely accommodating ! I had to cancel and reschedule my visit a couple times and they assured that I was able to use my reservation (promo code given at cancellation) without a problem! Thanks for giving my friend and I a great afternoon!

Jason the owner was super accommodating. He kept his business open so we could kayak longer. Kayaked for 2 hours and cant wait to go back. Elevator Alleys office is located in an old Buffalo barrel factory being renovated with a restaurant and other businesses to come. Very cool industrial decor inside and out!

The worst experience ever. Went to purchase kayaks and was basically confronted with a very nasty person. We went into the store where he was not in the store because we were to magically know he was not in there. •Do not rent do not purchase.• I was even accused if we stole something. If you knew me you would know that this is a laugh in your face statement! I have never been so insulted! We were with our son even! This was supposed to be a great experience and purchase for his graduation. Never will I ever go back.

Nice place. Friendly and helpful staff. Great experience.

- Shockingly rude management- Bad equipment- Bad service- Fraudulent charges on my credit cardThe owner should be ashamed of how he does business. He made rude and extremely passive-aggressive comments to us during check in because we didnt want to sign his waver to be recorded.While on the water, the kayak paddle was defective and left black stain marks on the palms of my hands where the black plastic paddle rubbed against.No one was there to help us when we returned with the kayaks, we had to pull them in and carry them ourselves.When I told him about the paddle he said my hands were probably like that before.Also, he falsely accused us of smoking pot in his kayak and charged us $10 on my card without my knowledge. When I called to confront him about this and asked it to be refunded, he said his staff smelled pot when we returned the kayaks.. but no one was there to receive us when we returned so how could that be true? Apparently the black marks on my hands were from the ash. That just cracks me up. This is not a man you want to do business with.

I rented three times this summer and just bought a used kayak from Jason! Really great customer service whether it was the owner Jason I was dealing with or any of his staff (Chelsea, Helen, Kyle). They take the time to give you a lesson before sending you out, make sure your life jacket fits safely and securely, and theyll do the heavy lifting for you getting the kayak to the water and back (but it doesnt hurt to lend a hand).I highly recommend renting through Elevator Alley Kayaks!

Bit of a hassle to actually get into the water and the whole building smelled like kombucha and butts.edit in response to owner reply: Review was posted recently because Maps asked for reviews, actual experience was last summer I think. The hassle was nothing earth-shattering, the safety video was just a little long(if Im remembering correctly) and there a bit of a logjam getting into the water at the park. The actual kayaking was fine. I just really hate kombucha.

Ive rented from Elevator Alley before because I like their launch location, down the river from all the Canalside traffic and a calmer pace for a relaxing paddle. My most recent trip, however, was totally different. Drove down with my kayak on a rack (it was supposed to be a friends first ride out) and, long story short, nearly became a traffic hazard on the 190 because my kayak rack went wonky. Jason spent so much of his own time helping me out, helping me piece the rack back together, fixing the cradles, showing me the right way to do things. Im blown away by how nice, patient and concerned he was, taking the time to show me what to do and why. I cannot say enough about him and this business. Plus, $25 for two hours? Its a steal! Check this place out -- youll be renting from people who care not just about your business, but your overall kayaking fun and safety.

AWESOME, BEST in the area that weve tried, Thanx Jay, great time, well be back.

Father in law went to check out the store, asked some questions of the proprietor about a spray skirt. After letting him know that my father in law was new to the sport and had a starter Kayak. The individual then proceeded to berate and mock his kayak and make fun of him for purchasing it, then rudely kicking him out after my father in law stood up for himself. Seems like a great way of insuring that we will never spend a cent with this arrogant and pompous individual. If we could give negative stars we would.

Awesome time! Amazing service. Highly recommended!

Beautiful day on the water. Two in our group rented here. Easy pay ahead process, staff was super friendly and helpful and its a great spot to get in the water especially if some people are bringing their own kayaks.

Fantastic tour of the Buffalo River and Elevator Alley. Our guide was extremely friendly and knowledgeable on the history of the alley. I grew up in Buffalo and learned many new things about this neglected part of Buffalos history. Must do when in town.

Super friendly, professional and a really cool shop to get goodies like shirts, hats, gear and buy kayaks. Ill be returning and recommending to others!

We went early and beat the rush, good time, price was right

Super friendly and helpful staff, great kayaks, highly memorable trip through elevator alley and beyond. Don’t miss it!

Awsome boats. Great employees wonderful pricing. Cant say enough good things about this place

I love the art! They did a great job renovating the building!

My son and I rented kayaks there for a weekend paddle up the Buffalo River. The rental kayaks were great, the staff was very helpful, and the whole experience was excellent.

Our favorite place to rent kayaks. Great boats and friendly people

I am a veteran of the sport but decided to take my niece with me who is a newbie!! They have a instructor named HELEN who was Amazing funny and patient with my niece.ALL the staff were very friendly & assisted with the handling of the kayaks into and out of the water.definayely would recommend to anyone especially if its ur first time!!!!

Affordable, friendly and a great time. Cant wait to come back.

Very nice staff definitely do it again

Great selection and knowledgeable service.

Great launching spot

Nice place great stuff

Great kayak rentals.

Good people, great fun

Quick and efficient.