Opening in 1964, Anchor Bar is the birthplace of the chicken wing.  After arriving in Buffalo, NY, we immediately headed towards Main Street to sample America’s most authentic chicken wing.

All it takes is one step inside Anchor Bar to know that you are in the wing zone.  Among the antique license plates on the wall are numerous signs telling all comers that Teressa Bellissimo invented this fried staple of American restaurants in 1964.  The kitsch can be a bit nauseating and the oversized dining room does little to ease the headache.

Despite the campy atmosphere there is a glimmer of hope—the smell.  A deliciously spicy aroma immediately attacks your nostrils as you enter the dining room.  As we walked towards our table in the back of the restaurant I noticed another good sign; every single patron was chomping down wings. 

After finding our table we ordered a pitcher of Genesee Cream.  I can’t claim to be a fan of Genny Cream, but I was trying to keep this experience as authentic as possible.  Unfortunately (or perhaps, fortunately) Anchor was out of Genny so we went with the next most local brew, Labatt Blue.  A bucket of 50 wings—half hot, half mild—completed the order.

After only five minutes the wings came out.  The “bucket” was really a pizza pan covered with a mound of lightly sauced wings, celery and bleu cheese.  The chicken emitted a strong spicy smell and we wasted no time digging in. 

The first bite was delicious.  The wings were meaty, fried to an agreeable crispness and sauced to perfection.  Flavorful and spicy, the sauce was more of a glaze, slickly coating the meat in a zesty blanket of delicousness.  After my second bite I knew that Duff’s had some tough competition.

As we were finishing up our bucket, I asked our waitress Mandy if people actually ate anything other than wings.  I noticed plates like Spaghetti and Meatballs and Chicken Cacciatore on the menu and couldn’t fathom people folks coming to Anchor and not eating their famous dish.

“The Italian dishes are actually pretty good.  They are a little overpriced,” she conceded, “but that are better than you’d think.”

Although I don’t know if I’d be returning to Anchor bar anytime soon for a plate of Eggplant Parmigiana, I would definitely head back to Buffalo to wolf down some more hot wings.