I could pretend that I didn’t care that Buffalo (and our world famous Chicken Wings) were going to be prominently focused on Travel Channel’s new Food Wars show, but that would be a lie. Honestly, how much more attention can Buffalo get for their chicken wings? For someone who loves eating in this city, I respect the chicken wing but I would love to see Buffalo on TV for something else. Sure the Anthony Bourdain Rust Belt episode was kind of depressing and the Guy Fieri clips are kind of cheesy, but I like the idea of Buffalo having more of a well rounded public image then just a chicken wing.
That being said, the series premiere episode of Food Wars wasn’t all bad. I think the host kind of sucks and I have no idea where they are getting these “die hard fans” that come across as a bit over dramatic. But I like the idea of talking about Chicken Wings in Buffalo and not only mentioning the Anchor Bar. Duffs has been long overdue for some national coverage, and while this isn’t going to be an article where I decide a winner for all of Buffalo (that would be an impossible task) I want to take this time to talk about how awesome Duff’s wings are.
Now I’m not sure if it was the combination of not eating wings for an extended period of time, being incredibly hungry, or not having Duff’s in over 6 months, but whatever it was our experience at Duff’s was fantastic. The wings were perfectly crispy: a nice crunch on the outside while maintaining a tender/juicy wing on the inside. The sauce (our favorite mild-medium) was just to our liking, not too hot and not too buttery. Duff’s fries are maybe the most underrated menu item; they are always amazing. I would liken their fries as McDonald’s fries when they come right out of the fryer. I have never had their fries when they are soggy, cold or anything less then perfectly crispy and delicious.
I’m not going to crown any restaurant in Buffalo as having the greatest wings as there are too many nominees and too many different opinions of what a “great wing” tastes like. Duff’s however has one of the best, and I would have a hard time finding someone who would absolutely tell you to stay away or have some strong negative feelings. I would warn any potential customers to get there early or prepare to wait. We arrived at 6:30 pm and they had a 55 minute wait, luckily we went down the street and killed some time at Target and made it back to only wait another 5 minutes. Over hearing a conversation from the bartender, their business has been booming since the episode. So plan ahead and prepare to have some of the greatest wings around.
Bizzle…u gotta try the Armageddon wings! They make u sign a waiver to eat em, which is a complete marketing ploy. They are spicy but not like you can only eat one. Super good.