As a transplant to Buffalo, I didn’t understand all the fuss about this city’s namesake wings before I moved here in 2019. Since then, I’ve eaten many (many!) wings and I get it. Buffalo wings—with their fierce hometown pride and many variations—really do hit differently here. But what makes a chicken wing a Buffalo wing? Generally, the process involves baking or frying a batch of wings until crisp and brown, then adding them to a bowl of peppery Frank’s RedHot and melted butter. Toss them and presto: Your Buffalo wings are ready to be eaten with celery and blue cheese dressing on the side. (Never ranch. Ever!)
Despite these parameters, which are followed by nearly all Buffalo wing devotees, the original Buffalo wing actually had a tomato-based sauce. These wings started with a special seasoned coating. After emerging golden brown from a vat of super hot oil, the wings were slathered in sweet-and-spicy mumbo sauce (a DC staple by way of Chicago, typically composed of tomato paste, sugar, vinegar, and cayenne pepper). These wings were invented by John Young, a Black restaurateur who served his version years before Anchor Bar, the establishment often credited with inventing the Buffalo wing. (Young’s restaurant, Wings N’ Things, has since closed, but his daughter, Lina Brown-Young, still does pop-ups twice a month at the historic Broadway Market; check the Facebook page in advance.)
While Young’s wings set the bar for tang, the modern-day Buffalo wing falls on a spectrum of spiciness that ranges from sweet and mild to “Why is it so hot in here?” Some restaurants give options for both heat level and sauce, or offer the choice to mix and match sauces—so be specific if you want regular hot wings versus, say, hot Cajun wings. Though all of the restaurants on this list have their version of a classic Buffalo wing, they also serve inspired takes that have drawn cult obsession and very strong opinions. If you talk to a local, they’ll probably tell you their favorite wing spot makes the best version in the city, but I’m here to tell you that there is no such thing as one wing to rule them all.
The eight restaurants on this list take creative license with their approach to the classic Buffalo wing, which makes perfect sense. If you’ve mastered the classic wing, you’ve earned the right to pave new paths to wing glory.
Duff’s Famous Wings
At Duff’s, the rule of thumb is that “medium” is hot, “medium hot” is very hot, and “hot” is very, very hot. This heat scale is kindly spelled out at the top of the menu, so you don’t burn your tongue off. If you order Super Hot Sauce and that doesn’t cut it, go ahead and order your wings with Death Sauce. Then, well, good luck.
Louise Duffney opened this corner tavern in 1946, originally as the Sheridan Patio and later as Duff’s Cocktail Lounge. Wings weren’t even served until 1969—but once they were, people couldn’t stop ordering them. When the tavern was due for another name change in 1985, there was an obvious choice: Duff’s Famous Wings. Today, Duff’s has become a mini chain of six restaurants across Western New York and Texas. The restaurant is known for extra-saucy, extra-spicy Buffalo wings, including the notorious Death Sauce wings.
