Amherst, N.Y. (WBEN) - While the rivalry between the Buffalo Bills and Steelers may not be regarded as one of the more well-known rivalries, both teams have met three times in the playoffs, with Pittsburgh holding the 2-1 advantage head-to-head.
However, both teams are set to square off in the NFL postseason once again this Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. It'll be the first playoff matchup between both teams since the 1995 season when the Steelers downed Buffalo in the AFC Divisional playoffs at the old Three Rivers Stadium.
In the days leading up to the 1 p.m. EST kickoff in Orchard Park, one restaurant in Amherst is taking the rivalry to a whole 'nother level.
Papi Grande's Mexican Restaurant and Cantina, located near the intersection of Sweet Home Road and Maple Road, announced on Tuesday it has banned the sale of its Pittsburgh-style taco until after Sunday's playoff game.
"We're pulling our Pittsburgh Taco off the menu this week out of love and support for our Buffalo Bills," said Jimmy Spano, owner of Papi Grande's. "We're putting on a 'Bills Mafia' taco, and we're just trying to support the team and give them any kind of support we can, as we lead them to victory this week, and hopefully all the way to the Super Bowl."
The Pittsburgh Taco is a homemade steak taco with some Cajun seasoning on it, but Spano has taken it off this week's menu in favor of a new Buffalo twist.
"The Buffalo Taco is breaded chicken or shrimp tossed in homemade hot sauce with a blue cheese coleslaw on top of it," Spano detailed. "It's delicious, all homemade, and hopefully what the Bills need to get the W."
Spano says the decision was based solely off this week's big game in Western New York, and to have some good fun in the spirit of competition.
"We've got a couple of good customers over here who, unfortunately, are Steelers fans, so there's always a little back-and-forth with some bar guests," he said.
"That's all we're trying to do with this. Nothing too serious, just trying to see the Bills win on Sunday. That's it."
One may also think another good food option to ban ahead of Sunday's game would be Heinz, which was founded and is still headquartered in Pittsburgh.
Earlier this week, one Pittsburgh restaurant, Bubba's Burghers, called for a ban of their own of a Buffalo staple: Buffalo chicken wing sauce until after Sunday's playoff game. Bubba's Burghers happens to be owned by radio host at our sister station, 100.7 Star Pittsburgh, Bubba Snider.
"We know that Buffalo wings were created at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo. As a Steelers fan in the playoffs, there is no way I'm doing anything to support anything Buffalo at my restaurant! Period. End of story," said Snider with KDKA-TV.
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Spano is aware of the ban implemented on Buffalo sauce by Snider in Pittsburgh, and says he'd be up for a friendly wager.
"We have full support of the Bills here, and if they want to bet some food, we'll take some of their food our way once we beat up on the Steelers on Sunday," Spano said.
If the Bills happen to advance past the Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Round, there is always the fun possibility of continuing the trend and coming up with new bans of food items with ties to the opposing team. However, Spano says he's following the lead of Bills head coach Sean McDermott on this one:
"'It's one game at a time, one team at a time.' We're focused on beating the Steelers this week," he said.