Where to get the best wings?

[AlfaBill]

Hey fellas I’ll be visiting the Niagara Falls area and might make my way down to Buffalo. Wondering where the consensus best wings are? Non breaded, med sized hot wings. I hear a lot of Bar Bill. Any suggestions?

[Bermuda Triangle]

Bar-Bill or Nine-Eleven Tavern in S. Buffalo

[Doc Brown]

Pizza Hut

[Steve O]

Another shameless plug for my brother's restaurant. Be sure to check out The Craft Kitchen and Bar when you're in the Falls, corner of Third and Ferry. Most underrated pizza in Western New York according to WYRK. Wings are good as well.   https://wyrk.com/ixp/17/p/underrated-pizza-buffalo-wny/

[Process]

Bar Bill and Elmos are consistently ranked near the top. Can't go wrong with either. 

 

Gabriel's Gate is more controversial, personally they round out my top 3. 

 

Nine eleven, kellys corner, duffs other considerations

[The Jokeman]

On 6/6/2024 at 11:32 AM, Process said:

Bar Bill and Elmos are consistently ranked near the top. Can't go wrong with either. 

 

Gabriel's Gate is more controversial, personally they round out my top 3. 

 

Nine eleven, kellys corner, duffs other considerations

Ahem it's Kelly's Korner but I agree, great wings and beef on wick. 

[BullBuchanan]

Nine eleven are the best wings in the country (cash only btw), but they are unique against other buffalo area wings. Bar Bill are the pinnacle of the traditional buffalo style wing.

[Bermuda Triangle]

6 hours ago, BullBuchanan said:

Nine eleven are the best wings in the country (cash only btw), but they are unique against other buffalo area wings. Bar Bill are the pinnacle of the traditional buffalo style wing.

I think the complete opposite - for traditional ("Buffalo style") wings, I think Nine Eleven is the best around, with Bar-Bill a close second, and for the flavored wings (e.g. hot BBQ, Cajun Honey Butter BBQ, etc.), Bar-Bill is in a league of its own.

[BullBuchanan]

36 minutes ago, Bermuda Triangle said:

I think the complete opposite - for traditional ("Buffalo style") wings, I think Nine Eleven is the best around, with Bar-Bill a close second, and for the flavored wings (e.g. hot BBQ, Cajun Honey Butter BBQ, etc.), Bar-Bill is in a league of its own.

Nine eleven isn't a flavored wing, it's just not a traditional buffalo style wing. different sauce.

[JP51]

Bar Bill, Duffs, Gabriels Gate, Elmos and of course Anchor Bar for me. 

[hondo in seattle]

Last time I was in Buffalo, I stopped by both Bar Bill and Duff's.

 

Maybe Bar Bill was having a bad day because the Duff's wings were much better.  

[JP51]

7 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

Last time I was in Buffalo, I stopped by both Bar Bill and Duff's.

 

Maybe Bar Bill was having a bad day because the Duff's wings were much better.  

Were you at the one on main near the airport or in Orchard Park. I would also say that bar bills wings for like different flavors, Sicilian, Garlic parm stuff like that are great. But for me an traditional wings... I am going Duffs, Elmo's Anchor...  Gabriels gate is also good. 

[hondo in seattle]

5 hours ago, JP51 said:

Were you at the one on main near the airport or in Orchard Park. I would also say that bar bills wings for like different flavors, Sicilian, Garlic parm stuff like that are great. But for me an traditional wings... I am going Duffs, Elmo's Anchor...  Gabriels gate is also good. 

 

I went to the Bar Bill in Clarence.   Next time, I'll try the East Aurora location which I've heard is better/more consistent. 

 

Sometimes on trips back to Buffalo, I stop at the Anchor Bar.   They may not have the best wings but they started it all.  It's like coffee fans going to the original Starbucks in Seattle when another Starbucks, serving the very same products with a much shorter line, is only a block away.  You gotta honor beginnings. 

 

So far, my favorite wing place in Buffalo is Duff's though I like to try one new place each visit.  

[Doc Brown]

13 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

I went to the Bar Bill in Clarence.   Next time, I'll try the East Aurora location which I've heard is better/more consistent. 

Yeah.  Go to the once in East Aurora.  It's smaller so it's easier to nail them every time.  Just be prepared to wait unless you go on off hours.

[hondo in seattle]

16 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

Yeah.  Go to the once in East Aurora.  It's smaller so it's easier to nail them every time.  Just be prepared to wait unless you go on off hours.

 

Thanks for the recommendation.

 

I went to college in the late 70s at a school with a very diverse student body with kids from all over  America.  One time, a group of us were sitting around eating pizza when I said something about wishing the pizzaria had wings.  The other kids all looked at me like I had a genital organ growing out of my forehead.  I didn't understand  what the confusion was about.  

 

One kid from Long Island had to explain.  He said he'd been to Buffalo and didn't like it.  There was nothing there, he claimed, except bowling alleys and beer bellies.  Even the woman had beer bellies, he said, but then went on the extoll the virtue of the "Buffalo Wing."  Until that moment, I didn't know they were called "Buffalo Wings" and that people outside of Buffalo didn't eat chicken wings independently of chickens.  

 

In the 1980s, Buffalo wings started appearing on menus across the US, though the wings were often small and the flavor profile was off.  

 

But since then, I've had many good "Buffalo Wings" outside of Buffalo and many great wings made from Thai, Korea, Brazilian, and other recipes.  I hate to say this, but the best wings I've ever had were probably at an Asian restaurant, not in Buffalo.

 

I do wonder, though, did these other countries always have chicken wing recipes?   Or did Buffalo popularize wings and then the world's chefs added their own native flavors and flair?  

 

 

[mrags]

If you want your typical Buffalo hot/med/mild wing, then Duffs is the best. If you want a flavored wing, it’s Bar Bill. As someone already said, the Cajun honey butter bbq are incredible. And I will give them a huge bit to their hot. It’s not just a franks red hot. It’s different imo and very good. 

[Ned Flanders]

On 6/6/2024 at 11:32 AM, Process said:

Gabriel's Gate is more controversial, personally they round out my top 3. 

Why the controversy here?  They make a great wing and always my first stop when in town.

[Draconator]

Was at Wingfest today. My band plays it every year. The wings from Wing Army from Mexico were mighty tasty. 

 

The owner of Wing Army also asked our band to come to Mexico to play a couple of music festivals. I gave him our card and said if he paid for transportation, lodging, etc, we would do it. He said he would, so we shall see what comes of it.