Anchor Bar ★ 4.2
Anchor Bar on Main Street is the birthplace of the Buffalo chicken wing, invented by Teressa Bellissimo in 1964 for her son Dominic and his friends.
Signature: Original Buffalo wings, Wing sampler
History
Teressa Bellissimo of Anchor Bar at 1047 Main Street fried a batch of chicken wings late one Friday night in 1964 for her son Dominic and his friends. She tossed them in butter and Frank's RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce and served them with celery sticks and blue-cheese dressing from the salad bar. The dish spread from Anchor Bar to Duff's (1969 wing addition) and then nationwide, becoming an American institution.
Common allergens: Egg, Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken wings, split into drumettes and flats
- Vegetable oil for deep frying, about 6 cups
- 1/2 cup Frank's RedHot Cayenne Pepper Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Celery sticks, to serve
- Blue-cheese dressing, to serve
Method
- Pat the wings completely dry with paper towels. Dry wings fry crispier.
- Heat oil in a deep heavy pot to 375 F (190 C).
- Fry the wings in batches for 10 to 12 minutes until deep golden and the skin is crisp.
- Drain on a wire rack set over paper towels.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then whisk in the hot sauce, vinegar and Worcestershire.
- Toss the hot wings in a large bowl with the sauce until evenly coated.
- Serve immediately with celery sticks and blue-cheese dressing.
Tip from the editors. The double-fry trick (fry 6 min, rest, fry 4 min) gives the crispest skin. Authentic Buffalo wings are unbreaded.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat buffalo chicken wings
Buffalo chicken wings in Buffalo
Duff's Famous Wings ★ 4.5
Duff's Famous Wings at Sheridan and Millersport opened in 1946 and started serving wings in 1969, the hotter Anchor Bar rival Buffalo locals have defended for decades.
Signature: Medium-hot wings, Beef on weck
Gabriel's Gate ★ 4.5
Gabriel's Gate on Allen Street in Allentown is the local-favorite wings tavern, with crisp jumbo wings ranked among Buffalo's best by Buffalo News and Spree.
Signature: Wings, Burger
La Nova Pizzeria ★ 4.2
La Nova on West Ferry has slung Buffalo-style cup-and-char pizza since 1957, with slices and pies that anchor the West Side budget Italian-American counter.
Try: Buffalo-style pizza slice
Bocce Club Pizza ★ 4.3
Bocce Club Pizza on Bailey Avenue serves the canonical Buffalo cup-and-char pepperoni pizza since founder Dino moved in next to UB South in 1959.
Try: Buffalo-style pepperoni pizza
More cities are in research. Want buffalo chicken wings covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.