The Buffalo 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!!!  😱 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 ...

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 perfec...

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 m...

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 w...

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 comment...

Did not live up to the hype for us Final Overall Score: 3.6  Restaurant: 4.0  Typical divey Buffalo bar. It’s got that wooden bar going for it, but it's a tad tired inside and is a bit of a long distance from downtown Buffalo. Taste: 4.0  Very okay wings - a lack of sauce with inherently inconsistent wings made for a sub par wing experience. Too boot, there was no celery included. Sauce: 3.5  Not enough sauce!!! Spicyness level and flavor were quite good, but the lack of quantity coupled with almost no creaminess really detracted from the taste. Crispiness: 3.5 All crispy, but not consistent types of crispy. About half the wings were dry-crispy, and the other half were greasy-crispy. Not ideal. Size & Quality: 3.0 Almost all the wings very small except for one gigantic momma wing. Have you eaten at Mister B's? Share your own experience in the comments below. Return to the Buffalo Wing Bible final standings

Judi makes some saucy, sassy wings  Final Overall Score: 4.1  Restaurant: 4.0  More of a diner feel than a classic Buffalo atmosphere. Some parts are updated, some are not. Taste: 4.5  Beautiful and unique presentation in a tipped bowl with celery on a second bottom tray. Wish they were crispier and the sweetness is a drawback. Beautiful presentation- there was indeed celery underneath the bowl, even though it cannot be seen in the photo Sauce: 4.0  Finally a great quantity!! But there a strange note of sweetness that throws the sauce off its classic Buffalo game. Great heat, still very tasty, very creamy. Crispiness: 3.5  Cooked well but not approaching perfect crispy. Not soggy, but not 100% satisfying. Size & Quality: 4.5  7 flats and 3 drums. Not a disaster, but not perfection. The wings were all beautiful and nice size. Have you eaten at Judi's Lounge Bar & Grill? Share your own experience in the com...