Top Guru Rated Wings – Buffalo

Grubmaster visited Adolf's Old First Ward Tavern in South Buffalo. This traditional Irish themed pub dates back to 1934 when Adolf Baron opened his tavern in the heart of Buffalo’s Old First Ward neighborhood to service the many Irish immigrants who flocked to the neighborhood for work at the grain silos along the Buffalo River. Today much of the original interior remains and is purposefully preserved by the new owners wherever possible. As for the food, Grubmaster visited several weeks ago for a fish fry and was so impressed that a follow-up visit was in order to sample the wings, which turned out to be a very smart decision. For this visit, orders of Hot Garlic Parm and Old Bay Rub were ordered. The orders were delivered piping hot and cooked to a perfect crispiness while remaining juicy inside. The Old Bay was as expected, amply covered with the popular seasoning. The Hot Garlic Parm were as good as you can get and could actually be called Hot. There have only been a few establishments where this flavor stands out and Adolf’s has joined that list. For those that prefer their wings more on the larger side, you will not be disappointed here. Another surprise was the option to select standard blue cheese or house made. Of course, Grubmaster chose the latter. Extra thick and flavorful with plenty of blue cheese chunks, you could patch drywall with this stuff. A very good option. Overall, a great experience with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere with the Old Bay wings getting a 4.0 and the Hot Garlic Parm getting a strong 4.25. A hidden gem.

Grubmaster visited old faithful - Bar Bill, East Aurora, NY. After a prior visit not living up to the consistency and high expectations, this visit reassured the master that Bar Bill was back on track. Hot & Spicy BBQ and Cajun were the choice. Both orders were cooked to crispy perfection with ample sauce & dry rub coverage. The blue cheese had great flavor and passed both the celery stick stand up challenge and the pour test. This visit rates about as good as it gets with a 4.75 out of 5 rating. One note for regulars is that this location is no longer a cash only establishment. For anyone that needs to be reminded what really good wings are supposed to be like, plan a trip to The Bar Bill.

Grubmaster visited Belt Line Brewery & Kitchen located in the Buffalo, NY Larkinville District. Having heard good things and bringing along some additional reviewers, orders of Dry Cajun and special sauces of All-Dressed, Honey Cajun BBQ and 716 were placed. All orders were delivered piping hot, cooked to a nice crispiness and adequately coated with sauce. First the Dry Cajun - that had a generous coating of cajun spice however the consensus was that it was just a little too salty but still very good and got a 4.0. The All-Dressed had a thick coating of sauce with a mild-to-medium heat level which was very tasty but no particular flavor really stood out and earned a 4.0 as well. The Honey Cajun BBQ were also coated with a nice thick sauce and had a mild to medium level of heat that was slightly more than the All-Dressed. The sweetness of the honey was the predominant flavor and got a 4.25 rating. The favorite was the 716 sauce which was thick and creamy and had a combination of flavors including Franks Hot Sauce and Blue Cheese. These had the highest heat profile at a strong medium level heat and topped the ratings at a 4.50. The house made buttermilk blue cheese was super thick and flavorful and passed both the celery stick stand up and the pour test. All in all a great visit and it should also be mentioned that their in-house craft beers were very tasty as well. A visit to Larkinville and a stop at Belt Line should definitely be on your to-do list.

Grubmaster visited The Blackthorn Restaurant & Pub in the heart of South Buffalo. This establishment is a staple in the South Buffalo Irish Community with great history and tradition. Recent expansion has allotted for a huge outdoor patio space and stage to enjoy those summer nights. With a limited selection of sauce options (Hot, Medium, Mild & South Buffalo), Hot and South Buffalo were ordered. The wings were served steaming hot and were cooked to just enough crispiness. The Hot were not quite to the level of heat that you would expect. The South Buffalo sauce ( formerly known locally as Smitty's sauce) was the better of the two with a more complex flavor profile and a bit more heat. The blue cheese was outstanding and passed a double stand up challenge and the pour test. Plus getting both carrots and celery was a bonus. For ratings, the Hot were no more, no less than what you would expect from any local pizza joint earning a 3.5 while the South Buffalo wings kicked it up a notch earning a 3.75. Although the sauce options are limited, Blackthorn remains a top choice due to the other local favorites on their menu that are exceptional, including their beef on weck,

Grubmaster visited the Boston Hotel in Boston, NY. After the original establishment was destroyed by fire several years ago, a new location was eventually able to be established directly across the street. Not to disappoint the loyal followers, the popular seafood options including clams and lobster dainties remained along with a nice balance of more formal entrees as well as all the popular Pub Grub staples. Although there was a huge temptation to indulge with some clams casino, bang-bang shrimp or lobster dainties, wings were the focus for this visit. With your typical options for flavors available, Dry Rub Cajun and Hot Garlic Parm were the winners, and winners they were. Both orders were cooked to an extra crispy texture and steaming hot while managing to remain juicy on the inside. For the Cajun, if there was anything to criticize at all, it would be that the rub was just a tad salty and could have benefited from a little more heat or smokiness. All-in-all very tasty. The Hot Garlic Parm wings were amazing. They had a good heat profile with both the garlic and the parmesan fighting for dominance. These were arguably in the top 3 for hot garlic parm wings that the Grubmaster has come across so far. When you scrape the leftover sauce into the to-go container, you know you have a winner. The blue cheese was your standard out of the bottle variety and failed the celery stick stand up challenge and the pour test. A very impressive visit gets the Cajun a 3.75 and the Hot Garlic Parm an awesome 4.25 out of 5. The price is right too, and they have daily specials. Definitely worth a visit.

Grubmaster visited Buffalo Creek Bar & Grill in West Seneca, NY, formerly the Nickel Creek Cafe. With a fresh new look inside, a lot of old favorites remain, including the spacious patio area that is a summertime delight. For this visit orders of Wet Cajun and house specialty Sweet Heat were the choice. Upon arrival, the presentation was likely the best display of a wing order that Grubmaster can recall. Served on a real dinner plate and perfectly aligned with an equal pairing of flats and drums, along with carrots & celery and blue cheese, the hope was that the wings themselves lived up to their delivery, and they certainly did, delivered piping hot and cooked to a nice crispiness. The wet cajun wings were as expected with a sauce that would be considered hot my most,  along with a definite cajun kick. The Sweet Heat wings were the bomb ! A nice thick coating with a hint of traditional BBQ along with possibly some molasses and/or honey and a perfect medium-hot heat profile. Make sure your hands are clean when you dive into these wings because you will be licking them from your wrist to your fingertips ! There is an upcharge for this flavor but worth it. The blue cheese was exceptional as well and easily passed both the pour test and the carrot stick stand up challenge. A return visit will definately be in the cards to come back to enjoy the patio and check out some of the other flavors. As for this visit, the Wet Cajun get a 4.0 while the Sweet Heat earn an easy 4.5 out of 5. Buffalo Creek Bar and Grill should be on your must visit list.

Grubmaster visited the Colden Country Inn, a popular location serving all varieties of pub grub with a nice selection of craft beers. With a moderate selection of flavors to choose from, Hot Garlic Parm and a house specialty of Hot Horseradish were the pick for this visit. The wings were cooked to just enough crispiness. The Hot Garlic Parm had good flavor but could have been slightly hotter. The Hot Horseradish was a nice change for something out of the ordinary. They also could have been slightly hotter but the uniqueness made up for that. If caraway seeds and some rock salt were to be added to this flavor, they could be called Beef on Weck wings and they would be over the top. The blue cheese was flavorful but failed the celery stand up challenge and the pour test. Overall a really good experience with the wings earning a 4.0 out of 5 rating. Definitely worth the drive to Colden for a visit.

Grubmaster visited 40 Thieves on Elmwood in Buffalo. Wings were 4.5 out of 5. Crispy, saucey and full of flavor. Beef on Weck wings... 😳. If someone was coming to Buffalo, wanted Weck and some Wings,but could only have one... then the Weck wings are the only choice.

Grubmaster visited the Hamburg Tap Room in Hamburg NY. This location has a large bar area with plenty of TV’s and a very nice outside patio area. It is also a Just Pizza establishment. With a large selection of sauces to choose from, Saucy Cajun BBQ and Hot Garlic were the choice. The wings were cooked to a nice crispiness and both flavors were covered nicely. The blue cheese was Ken’s Blue Cheese and passed both the celery stick stand up challenge and the pour test. Ken’s is typically a good choice if going the retail route. The Hot Garlic wings had reasonably good flavor but fell short on heat coming in at more like a medium level. The Saucy Cajun BBQ wings had a nice thick coating with more of a heat profile than the Hot Garlic. The sauce was flavorful with good balance of Cajun and BBQ. All in all, a really good visit with the Hot Garlic earning a 3.75 while the Spicy BBQ getting a 4.0 out of 5. With many different craft beer selections, lots of space and a large patio area, and not to mention a Just Pizza presence, the Hamburg Tap Room is worth a visit.

Grubmaster visited Kodiak Jacks Bar, Grill & Cove in Marilla, NY. Located on the outskirts of East Aurora, this country setting offers live music in their expansive grove during the summer. They are also located directly on the NY state snowmobile trail system which makes for a great winter destination as well as drop-off catering all year long. This visit was two fold, to listen to some great music outdoors on a beautiful summer night, and chicken wings. The selections for this night were Hot Cajun and Sriracha BBQ. Both orders were served steaming hot and cooked to a nice crispiness. In fact, crispy enough to hear an actual crunch when going in for that first bite while still being moist & tender. The Cajun Hot were covered nicely with the sauce and had a heat level of straight Franks. The only issue here was that the sauce was a bit salty due to the combination of flavors that are salty on their own. Possible a little less salt in the cajun mix and a dash of cayenne would do the trick. The Sriracha BBQ had a really nice flavor profile. A little sweetness, a little BBQ, and a little heat. A great combination and balance. The blue cheese had good flavor and passed both the celery stick standup and the pour test. For ratings, the Hot Cajun scored a 3.75 while the Sriracha BBQ earned a very respectable 4.25. All in all a wonderful summer night in the grove. Anyone looking for a drive in the country should put Kodiaks in the GPS.

Grubmaster visited Nine Eleven Tavern in south Buffalo. Often mentioned as a place to go for wings and a stop on the Buffalo Wing Trail, it was time for a visit. The atmosphere is your typical local pub with limited seating in the bar area and is a cash only establishment. It was noted that it seemed everyone there came for wings and fries. Taking a look at the menu, it was a little disappointing to find they only serve 3 flavors : Hot, Medium, Mild. Wanting to get a sense of the differences between the flavors, orders of Medium and Hot were placed. After a modest wait, the wings arrived. At first glance, the presentation was appealing and the sauce coverage was perfect. The wings were cooked to a light crispiness and were cooked through and juicy. The sauces had a reasonably good flavor profile, however the heat level was not in line with their category. The medium wings were what would be a perfect mild and the hot were barely a medium. It was tempting to ask for additional straight Franks Hot Sauce to be able to enjoy a truly 'hot' wing. The blue cheese appeared to be house made and did barely pass the pour test and the celery stick stand up challenge. All in all, the wings were what would be expected from any Buffalo area pub, nothing more, nothing less. That being said, this visit earns a 3.75 out of 5 rating. Nice place, friendly atmosphere... bring cash.

Grubmaster visited O'Neill's Stadium Inn in the shadow of the Bill's Highmark Stadium. This location has ample parking and outside patio area and what got the Grubmaster's attention was their 50 flavors of wings. After careful consideration and consultation with a couple staff members, orders of 'Everything' and Caribbean Honey were chosen. The wings were served piping hot and both orders were cooked to a perfect crispiness. The heat profiles for both were a true medium level. The 'Everything' was what you would expect by the name with several of the flavors coming through. The Caribbean Honey had a nice jerk flavor and heat and was a great pairing with the honey. The only drawback was the blue cheese which was runny and not even as thick as typical bottled brands and obviously failed the standup challenge and the pour test. Both flavors of wings earned an easy 4.0 which actually could have gone to a 4.25 if the blue cheese would have been better. All in all a great visit and location and a definite return visit is in order to take a run at the other 48 flavors. (BYOBC)

Based on a WingTip from a fellow guru, Grubmaster got its hood-rat on and ventured out to the Old School Tavern ‘Fine Jugs and Mugs’ on Clinton Street in Buffalo. The place was your typical neighborhood bar-cheap beer, welcoming staff, friendly patrons and definitely 420-tolerant 😅.
The wings were unexpectedly amazing! There were plenty of flavors to choose from. Grubmaster ordered the Hot Garlic Parm and Siracha. Neither were particularly hot but the flavor was good, the wings were crispy and the sauce really stuck to the wings. 4.0/5 stars. Price wasn’t bad either ~ $1/wing.

Grubmaster visited Potter's Field Restaurant & Pub in South Buffalo. The establishment has recently changed ownership so it was time to see what the new owners have to offer. Some minor improvements were noted with the traditional Pub style menu remaining intact with a few new items added. For this visit wing orders of Habanero-Mango BBQ and their new house specialty sauce - Murphy's Style were placed. Upon delivery the first thing noted was that the sauce covering was thick and plentiful and adhering nicely to the wings. Both flavors had a medium level heat profile. The Murphy's Style had a traditionally Buffalo style medium flavor with a hint of tangy sweetness. The wings varied in size and were cooked through but not to a point where you could call them crispy. The blue cheese had ok flavor and was most likely straight out of the bottle and failed both the pour test and the carrot stick stand up challenge. A couple more minutes in the fryer would have made a big difference as the sauces had a nice flavor profile and would be appealing to anyone who prefers wings in the mild to medium category. At $1.50 per wing and a higher than average price for domestic beverages the final bill was higher than normal for a rating adventure and earned a 3.75 out of 5 rating.

Grubmaster visited the Steel City Pub in Lackawanna, NY. This establishment could be a poster child for your typical neighborhood corner bar. The menu featured all the usual pub favorites. The wing selections for the visit here were Hot Garlic Parm and Honey Sriracha. Straight Garlic Parm was listed on the menu but a request was made to add Hot to the order. What a fantastic request that turned out to be. The orders were crispy and in both cases the sauces were extremely full flavored and had a perfect heat profile. Not to overshadow how good the Honey Sriracha was, the Hot Garlic Parm wings were over the top ! Perfect heat profile of straight Franks and bountifully covered with grated parmesan cheese and garlic. Finger lickin good. The Blue Cheese passed the pour test and just barley passed the celery stick stand up challenge. For this visit Grubmaster happily gives these wings a 4.5 out of 5. Scores in the 4's don't come easy. So congrats to Steel City Pub. Another trip will be in order to check out some of the other flavors.

Grubmaster visited Wallenwein’s Hotel & Saloon in East Aurora, NY. This location has been known for being consistently rated one of the best fish fry’s in Western NY. However, for this visit it was about the wings. There is a somewhat limited selection of sauce flavors but enough to satisfy any craving so Hot Bourbon and Hot Garlic Parm were ordered. Just a note the Hot Garlic Parm was not a menu item however there was no issue requesting adding the Hot to their Garlic Parm sauce. The wings were served cooked to a crispy to extra crispy finish. The wings were amply covered and both sauces had a good flavor profile but the heat level fell short of being classified as Hot. The blue cheese passed the celery stand up challenge but failed the pour test and would have failed a carrot stick stand up. Both orders weighed in at a 4.0 out of 5. If you like ‘em crispy, then Wallenwein’s is the place to go. Also, they have a wing special on Tuesday’s with a double order coming in under 20 bucks.