Best Wings in Buffalo

[teef]

1 minute ago, Watkins90 said:

I find it comes down to the sauce and what state the wings are in when they are fried. Frozen, no matter how long you keep them down turns rubbery about two minutes after you out the sauce on. 

maybe that's it.  i assume the take out pizza places for the most part use frozen, because they have that chewy texture every single time.  i just assumed they were always rubbery, with or without the wing.

[Irv]

I prefer Duff's, but I really like the inside of the Anchor Bar.  When I went to UB a hundred years ago and was broke, PJ Bottoms had 5 cent wings and they were damn good.  

[SoMAn]

27 minutes ago, First Round Bust said:

been-done both and what really is the difference other than a bad batch or sauce selection ?  Is a wing a wing, or am I missing the secret sauce here ?

Your perception of wings is part of the reason there are so many inferior wing places. 

 

The sauce is only part of it.  It starts with quality poultry.  The sauce is supposed to compliment the chicken-y flavor, not mask a bland piece of tasteless meat.  Also, the oil should be fresh, or well-filtered, and not used for fish or other products (especially breaded items.)

 

The wings should be crisp. They need to be drained over the fryer for a minute or two. Some wing hacks think they get crispy by frying for an extra 20 minutes. No. All that does is remove any trace of natural juice and flavor.

 

If they're taken from the fryer, still dripping oil, and thrown into a bath of sauce, they'll lose the crispiness.

 

The simple answer to your question is there are multiple ways wings can turn out bad. It's a lot more than just sauce. Of course, bad sauce is another issue for which there is no excuse.

 

[Watkins90]

1 minute ago, teef said:

maybe that's it.  i assume the take out pizza places for the most part use frozen, because they have that chewy texture every single time.  i just assumed they were always rubbery, with or without the wing.

I worked at pontillos in Rochester for a short time. We always thawed the wings before they were fried. Always stayed crispy. I work at a bar here in NORTHEAST Iowa, the wings are fried frozen and they have never gotten rubbery after putting sauce on them. The skin, for whatever reason, never stays crispy. So, I have been just getting them naked with sauce on the side for that crispy factor. 

[teef]

2 minutes ago, SoMAn said:

Your perception of wings is part of the reason there are so many inferior wing places. 

 

The sauce is only part of it.  It starts with quality poultry.  The sauce is supposed to compliment the chicken-y flavor, not mask a bland piece of tasteless meat.  Also, the oil should be fresh, or well-filtered, and not used for fish or other products (especially breaded items.)

 

The wings should be crisp. They need to be drained over the fryer for a minute or two. Some wing hacks think they get crispy by frying for an extra 20 minutes. No. All that does is remove any trace of natural juice and flavor.

 

If they're taken from the fryer, still dripping oil, and thrown into a bath of sauce, they'll lose the crispiness.

 

The simple answer to your question is there are multiple ways wings can turn out bad. It's a lot more than just sauce. Of course, bad sauce is another issue for which there is no excuse.

 

this is beautiful.

[Blainorama5]

Sauce and preparation is everything.  Period.  The location is incidental.

Damn - wish I had a plate full in front of me right NOW!!!  🥰

 

Oh and don't forget GOOD blue cheese with non-wilty veggies!

 

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

 

50 minutes ago, TheBrownBear said:

I love Duffs, but you can get similarly GREAT wings (compared to the rest of the country) at every other local bar in Buffalo.  I no longer live in Buffalo, but my parents live right by UB and their local wing spot is a little place in a strip mall called Elmo's and they have unbelievably good wings too.  

 

And as much as Buffalonians love to crap on the Anchor Bar, their wings are still dang good and will also blow the minds of out-of-towners who haven't been exposed to much beyond Buffalo Wild Wings.

I don't get it. Whenever out of towners I know try wings in Buffalo, they're just...wings. Maybe the wings in the mountains of western Maryland are good for some reason...

Edited July 26, 2021 by Giuseppe Tognarelli

[dorquemada]

14 minutes ago, Irv said:

I prefer Duff's, but I really like the inside of the Anchor Bar.  When I went to UB a hundred years ago and was broke, PJ Bottoms had 5 cent wings and they were damn good.  

 

and dont forget the $1 32oz drafts on Tueday nights

 

my liver hasnt forgotten.  I still have a couple of those big green cups around somewhere

[Blainorama5]

This thread is a perfect example of how "over" we all are with the damn offseason already.  Disagreements on who makes better wings really needs to get replaced by some good quality camp position battles and brawls to get things going again!!

[Enemarty]

33 minutes ago, teef said:

i always loved gabriel's gate wings, but i'm partial because i lived a block up.

This was my go-to back in the day ... and when I say back in the day, I mean the Kelly years.    

[Gugny]

9 minutes ago, SoMAn said:

Your perception of wings is part of the reason there are so many inferior wing places. 

 

The sauce is only part of it.  It starts with quality poultry.  The sauce is supposed to compliment the chicken-y flavor, not mask a bland piece of tasteless meat.  Also, the oil should be fresh, or well-filtered, and not used for fish or other products (especially breaded items.)

 

The wings should be crisp. They need to be drained over the fryer for a minute or two. Some wing hacks think they get crispy by frying for an extra 20 minutes. No. All that does is remove any trace of natural juice and flavor.

 

If they're taken from the fryer, still dripping oil, and thrown into a bath of sauce, they'll lose the crispiness.

 

The simple answer to your question is there are multiple ways wings can turn out bad. It's a lot more than just sauce. Of course, bad sauce is another issue for which there is no excuse.

 

 

the crispiness of the skin is important.  But what's also important is the moistness of the meat.  If a restaurant's method to crispy skin is frying the ***** out of it, you better believe the meat will be dry.

 

I've tried multiple methods and finally landed on double frying.  A long (20-30 minutes), low-temp fry to gently cook the meat.  Then in the fridge overnight.  Then flash fry those little mother ***** to crispy perfection while keeping the meat moist.

 

The challenge that restaurants face is demand and oil temp.  The oil has to be at temp or the wings are fuct.  

 

Sauce quality is obviously huge .. but the AMOUNT of sauce is also key.  

 

Getting a dozen wings drowning in sauce is disgusting to me.  Bush League.

 

Bar Bill brushes/paints their sauce onto the wings.  Always the perfect amount. No puddle left when you're done.

 

[Virgil]

The poll is updated.  Again, I only started with the main two and the plan was always to add restaurants as people mentioned them.  This isn't also meant to be a fight, but more as a reference for people coming up for games that want to try new places. 

I've never been to Bar Bill, but I will make sure I go when I come up for the Season Opener now

[The Dean]

18 minutes ago, Irv said:

I prefer Duff's, but I really like the inside of the Anchor Bar.  When I went to UB a hundred years ago and was broke, PJ Bottoms had 5 cent wings and they were damn good.  

 

Do you remember Rootie's Tap Room? That was near the Amherst campus. Great deals and terrific wings.. I miss that place.

 

17 minutes ago, SoMAn said:

Your perception of wings is part of the reason there are so many inferior wing places. 

 

The sauce is only part of it.  It starts with quality poultry.  The sauce is supposed to compliment the chicken-y flavor, not mask a bland piece of tasteless meat.  Also, the oil should be fresh, or well-filtered, and not used for fish or other products (especially breaded items.)

 

The wings should be crisp. They need to be drained over the fryer for a minute or two. Some wing hacks think they get crispy by frying for an extra 20 minutes. No. All that does is remove any trace of natural juice and flavor.

 

If they're taken from the fryer, still dripping oil, and thrown into a bath of sauce, they'll lose the crispiness.

 

The simple answer to your question is there are multiple ways wings can turn out bad. It's a lot more than just sauce. Of course, bad sauce is another issue for which there is no excuse.

 

 

Outstanding post.

 

15 minutes ago, Watkins90 said:

I worked at pontillos in Rochester for a short time. We always thawed the wings before they were fried. Always stayed crispy. I work at a bar here in NORTHEAST Iowa, the wings are fried frozen and they have never gotten rubbery after putting sauce on them. The skin, for whatever reason, never stays crispy. So, I have been just getting them naked with sauce on the side for that crispy factor. 

 

What I tend to do these days here  in Florida is take out naked crispy wings and sauce them myself at home. I used to bring in my own sauce to some places and ask them to use my sauce for the wings. Strangely I rarely had an issue with the staff. I also brought in extra sauce so they could have some, too. 

 

And unlike Gungy I like my wings served wet. Another plus for Duffs in my book. Under-sauced wings don't do it for me. I can deal with a little puddle if need be,

[Virgil]

54 minutes ago, Mrbojanglezs said:

Duffs if I had to choose between the two but neither would be in my top 5

 

That's the point of this, to expand the poll.  Read the OP.  Let me know your favorite place and I will update the poll. 

[3rdand12]

I Live in Rochester area.

Country Sweet  had the biggest juiciest wings back in the Day. But the sauce was love it or leave it.  They had the required crisp. which is key !
 I know a place that has the best sauce great size but over priced and last time was not as crisp.
Little  Pizza Shop in town makes the most consistently cooked wings and has a fine pizza, So  go to for me.
These days I make my own more often than not. get the wings from local meat market. and cook fresh.
  keep sauce on the side , if at all.

 Often just use dry seasoning with cayenne.
and yes, yes I do keep  Blue cheese nearby
 Rico I took notice of your comment

LOL

[Virgil]

25 minutes ago, The Dean said:

I agree too many places serve great wings for a two restaurant poll. This has already been done to death---typically by clueless outsiders (Food Channel, for instance), It's easy and mindless, IMO.

 

With that said, I much prefer Duffs, whose style is most like the flavor of most of the area's great wings, IMO. Anchor is "different". I suppose if you prefer that difference, you'd take Anchor.  Another reason is I like my wings SCREAMING hot (but still with the traditional Buffalo wing flavor). On that Duffs delivers while Anchor falls flat.

 

Outside of WNY (and to an extent in WNY too) the size of the wing really isn't a huge issue to me. I'll take a scrawny wing, properly cooked and sauced over a big flabby undercooked mild or off tasting wing any day.

 

I only used Duff and Anchor to get it started.  I was more curious to get a list of all the best places for those of us coming up there a few times over the next few months and expand our options.  I think that Duffs has become too commercial, but the kids love it and it's close for a post game stop.  I'm doing a few games without the kids and staying the weekend, so I want to see all the other places people deem legit

[The Dean]

2 minutes ago, Virgil said:

 

That's the point of this, to expand the poll.  Read the OP.  Let me know your favorite place and I will update the poll. 

 

 

I believe Gabriel's Gate and The Gate are the same place. The Gate is just shorthand.

[Virgil]

8 minutes ago, Blainorama5 said:

This thread is a perfect example of how "over" we all are with the damn offseason already.  Disagreements on who makes better wings really needs to get replaced by some good quality camp position battles and brawls to get things going again!!

 

I know a lot of people are planning their visits.  Just trying ot help the cause.  Not trying to make disagreements, but moreso share best recommendations

Just now, The Dean said:

 

 

I believe Gabriel's Gate and The Gate are the same place. The Gate is just shorthand.

 

I wondered that but was too afraid to ask

3 minutes ago, 3rdand12 said:

I Live in Rochester area.

Country Sweet  had the biggest juiciest wings back in the Day. But the sauce was love it or leave it.  They had the required crisp. which is key !
 I know a place that has the best sauce great size but over priced and last time was not as crisp.
Little  Pizza Shop in town makes the most consistently cooked wings and has a fine pizza, So  go to for me.
These days I make my own more often than not. get the wings from local meat market. and cook fresh.
  keep sauce on the side , if at all.

 Often just use dry seasoning with cayenne.
and yes, yes I do keep  Blue cheese nearby
 Rico I took notice of your comment

LOL

 

Is Country Sweet in Buffalo?

[The Dean]

1 minute ago, Virgil said:

 

I only used Duff and Anchor to get it started.  I was more curious to get a list of all the best places for those of us coming up there a few times over the next few months and expand our options.  I think that Duffs has become too commercial, but the kids love it and it's close for a post game stop.  I'm doing a few games without the kids and staying the weekend, so I want to see all the other places people deem legit

 

 

While I haven't been there in awhile, I always thought the Sheridan Drive location was better than the OP spot. 

[Virgil]

26 minutes ago, SoMAn said:

Your perception of wings is part of the reason there are so many inferior wing places. 

 

The sauce is only part of it.  It starts with quality poultry.  The sauce is supposed to compliment the chicken-y flavor, not mask a bland piece of tasteless meat.  Also, the oil should be fresh, or well-filtered, and not used for fish or other products (especially breaded items.)

 

The wings should be crisp. They need to be drained over the fryer for a minute or two. Some wing hacks think they get crispy by frying for an extra 20 minutes. No. All that does is remove any trace of natural juice and flavor.

 

If they're taken from the fryer, still dripping oil, and thrown into a bath of sauce, they'll lose the crispiness.

 

The simple answer to your question is there are multiple ways wings can turn out bad. It's a lot more than just sauce. Of course, bad sauce is another issue for which there is no excuse.

 

 

That read like porn.  Well done

Just now, The Dean said:

 

 

While I haven't been there in awhile, I always thought the Sheridan Drive location was better than the OP spot. 

 

Agreed.  We have a 6 hour drive home after the games.  We can usually get out of the parking area quick and be seated at the closer Duff's before the end of the 1st quarter of the 4p games.  They also have arcade game for the kids.  It's become more about convenience than food quality honestly