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Wing Takeout During COVID-19 Pandemic: Duff's in Orchard Park

Deliciousness TO GO! It's been wayyy too long since the dynamic wing duo had some fresh Buffalo wings. We decided to take advantage of safe social distance practices to get some takeout from Duff's in Orchard Park. We wanted to share our experience with you, and give some wing takeout tips. Note: As takeout is a completely different experience than dine-in, we will NOT be applying our traditional wing rating system to takeout experiences. Think of it more as an FYI to inform your dining choices for pandemic wingery. Let's dig in! Look at those delectable takeout wings! Overall: The wings were TASTY! A welcome hit of flavor during a time when we've been doing a LOT of home cooking. We thought the sauce was an entire level hotter than the normal Duff's medium, which is "hot" by their standards. These were more like a VERY hot. ðŸ”¥ðŸ”¥ðŸ”¥ The wings also suffered from "takeout box steam" - that is, the heat of the wings inside the closed takeout contain
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COVID-19 Update - Who's Got Wings??

Have you been dreaming of Buffalo wings like we have? The pandemic definitely has put a damper on dining experiences, but we wanted to put together an updated list of restaurants that are still offering pickup and/or delivery. This not only helps restaurants stay afloat, but this also means that we still get to enjoy some tasty wings! Comment if you visit any of these locations for wings and share what your experience was like. Most importantly, be smart and stay safe out there! Dreaming of chicken wings... Not that we eat chicken wings with a fork and knife, but you get the idea!! NOTES: We are only listing the restaurants that we previously rated from this blog, but feel free to share other wing spots you visited recently. We are not displaying the restaurants in their rank order, but rather by availability options. This is a weird time, so we're prioritizing wing availability over ratings right now. We linked whichever site seemed most up to date for each restaurant below. Wing

Welcome to the Wing Bible

Just imagine your family from out of town is coming to visit. They’ve heard that WNY is the home of the Buffalo wing, and they're supposed to be the best in the universe. But WHERE should you take them for the best Buffalo wing experience? You will be mortified if your family tells you that your favorite Buffalonian spot for wings is just “Okay” and “They ain’t as good as our ‘Unbewingable’ joint back home.” Unimaginable!!!  ðŸ˜± To save you from this fate worse than death, our father-daughter team of Jay and JP set out on a quest to taste, catalog, rate and rank 30 famous (and not-so-famous) wing establishments. Using a detailed, analytic approach, we know of no other wing rating system so comprehensive. We christen it “The Buffalo Wing Bible.” So when those family members finally arrive, you will be as cool and collected as a cucumber because you've read THE WING BIBLE and have listened to the wise ratings of THE GOODWINGS! With this sacred knowledge, you will be able to

Mr. Goodbar

Should be called Mr. Greatbar!  Final Overall Score: 4.6  Restaurant: 4.0  Classic Buffalo dive bar, possibly the pinnacle. Strong odor of cleaning solution when we arrived - not a bad thing, just pungent. Almost too on the divey side to be a regular spot to bring friends and family, but this is certainly a staple bar of Buffalo. Fun fact: Mr. Goodbar is located directly next to Cole's. Taste: 5.0  This is exactly what you want!! Crispy, succulent, lots of delicious sauce, good bleu cheese and all the fixins. Bullseye!  Sauce: 4.5  Excellent, just missing a very slight dimension of creaminess. Very close to perfect in quantity and flavor. Crispiness: 5.0  Worried at first due to difference in size between flats and drums, but every single wing was crispy, succulent, and perfectly cooked. Size & Quality: 4.5  5 and 5, but the drums are gargantuan compared to the flats. Can forgive this because they’re perfectly cooked and quality somehow didn

Scallywags Grub & Spirits

Wonderful theme and food, fair wings Final Overall Score: 3.5  Restaurant: 4.0  Omg a pirate theme! Very charming and fun atmosphere. The other food we tried on the menu was a 5/5. However, this place is kinda located in the middle of nowhere in Lake Shore and does not quite have a representative Buffalo feel. Additionally, there was no celery, only carrot sticks. Bleu cheese was watery and slightly sweet. It might be homemade, which would explain why it deviates from the norm. All of these things are not necessarily negative aspects, but we had to shave off a few points. Taste: 4.0  Overall a decent wing, but inconsistent sizes, non-traditional sweetness in the sauce, and surprisingly gummy texture did not make this wing shine. Sauce: 3.5  Slightly sweet and some sort of extra flavor that deviated from a traditional Buffalo sauce. Heat level was lip-smackingly good. Crispiness: 3.5  Outside skin was perfectly crispy but the inner meat was somewhat gummy.

Pearl Street Grill and Brewery

Awesome restaurant, not so awesome wings Final Overall Score: 3.1  Restaurant: 5.0  Good location downtown - right near the KeyBank Center and conveniently located if you're heading to a Sabres game. The restaurant is nicely decorated with a fun, boisterous atmosphere and has a robust menu and beer list. The restaurant is multi-leveled and they have a phenomenal outdoor patio balcony for warmer weather. Taste: 2.5  So very sadly gummy that the other characteristics of these wings were overshadowed. Sauce: 3.5  Not bad sauce but missing much of the creaminess and volume - this cost a large chunk of points. Crispiness: 1.5  Incredibly gummy and stringy texture. Couldn’t take a bite without ripping all the meat off the bone with it. You always know you’re in for a bad time when you can see pockmarked, pale white chicken skin through the sauce. Size & Quality: 3.0  Nice and big; however, some inconsistencies on the drums with fried mutant growths.

Cole's

A great wing from a great classic restaurant  Final Overall Score: 4.5  Restaurant: 5.0  Friendly, efficient staff. Clean, great decor. Private parking lot. Great place to bring friends, family, and guests. Located right next to Mr. Goodbar! Taste: 4.5  3 small negatives - not enough sauce, could be crispier, and sauce is on the milder side of medium. However, great presentation with all the Buffalonian fixins - carrots, celery, AND hand wipes! Sauce: 4.0  The major detracting aspect here. Not enough spice for a true medium and not enough quantity. Crispiness: 4.5  Great but not perfect. Well cooked, meat was delicious. Skin was crispy but not a 100% crunchy, crispness throughout each wing. Size & Quality: 4.5  5 and 5 but 2 oddly shaped drums with bones sticking out, and one oddly large flat. Not the worst ever but not perfect quality either. Have you eaten at Cole's? Share your own experience in the comments below. Return to the Bu