Goodbye BarBill, Hello Bar at Main and Hamlin.

[Just Jack]

43 minutes ago, Sherlock Holmes said:

My homemade one is 90% mold, any mold I find goes straight in!

 

Including the mold between your toes? 

[Draconator]

Well, the comeback is over. Time to drink. 

[dollars 2 donuts]

11 hours ago, Behindenemylines said:

Sounds like my kind of place.  Will check it out

 

11 hours ago, thenorthremembers said:

Grape Jelly.  Most locals get the fingers.   Feel like its a little overrated but I grew up 10 minutes away and spent many a teenage years there.   Its also as dive as dive can get.

 

They briefly had a Clarence location about 20 years ago.  
 

Back then they were something more than some of the more recent fair, but still outstanding because there just isn’t really anything like them.  Rather there wasn’t anything like them until as recently I’ve seen some other places, and even Disney, use jelly.

 

 

Edited October 7, 2023 by dollars 2 donuts

[WhitewalkerInPhilly]

1 hour ago, Buffalo716 said:

This is just how it is with every single mom and pop place

 

Every place is better than the last.. and the brightest and the best

 

Realistically there's not many bad chicken wing joints in the city.. better than the majority around the country

 

1 hour ago, NickelCity said:

 

This x1000000

Living outside of the city, can confirm. Nearly every wing place by me starts with "hot" at Franks level, and then adds sugar if they go spicier. There's a lot of places that serve wings limp and soggy upon arrival and the only solution they have come up with is to bread their wings.

 

I have been to a place with rave local reviews that was effectively wings breaded and seasoned like southern fried chicken, out into a bowl and a glug of sauce poured over top before serving. 

 

[sven233]

2 hours ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

Pony’s Irish Pub.  Middleport.

 

A joint/ aged bar and pub…oh boy, the wings though. 
 

 

 

Literally live 30 seconds away from there.  I will say they are very good.  A little pricey, but good.  They are different than your typical wings, but that is what makes them unique.  Many love their chicken fingers as well.  Also, for those not in the area, they are just finishing up a renovation of their outside entrance.  Nice glass windows now. 

Edited October 7, 2023 by sven233

[beerme1]

1 hour ago, Draconator said:

My band has played Wingfest at Highmark Stadium the past two years. I have had award-winning wings from around the world. Some of the best wings I have had at Wingfest were from Popeyes. 

 

So someone brought wings from Popeyes in Hamburg with them to Wingfest. Cool. But they had to be lukewarm at best. Nice crunch on Popeyes you can't get at Wingfest lol.

 

[PBF81]

2 hours ago, BarleyNY said:

You can’t tell anything from Wingfest except if you like a sauce. When I went all of the wings were cooked at a central location and sauced at the stalls. Not a good time if you like crispy wings. I’ll never go again. 

 

Yeah, it's not optimal to be sure.  

 

I haven't even looked at the line-up in years, but for the first few years they actually had a lot of local places, but as time went on it seemed as if they had all the national chains and the like.  I remember one year Wing Zone sponsored the event, which I thought was weird.  

 

I think that the last time that I went, before it moved to Highmark, they had vendors that weren't even selling Wings there, some not even selling food.  Most of the wings were soggy.  It wasn't very fun.  

 

Again, I haven't even wasted my time over the past decade or more, just curious where it is now.  

 

 

[Draconator]

20 minutes ago, beerme1 said:

 

So someone brought wings from Popeyes in Hamburg with them to Wingfest. Cool. But they had to be lukewarm at best. Nice crunch on Popeyes you can't get at Wingfest lol.

 

They had their own truck all the way from New Orleans, cooked and all that on-site. 

[Giuseppe Tognarelli]

I am skeptical.

[Drew21PA]

2 hours ago, NobesBLO13 said:

Finally somebody said it

Pizza I agree but wings from WNY are just different 

[beerme1]

14 minutes ago, Draconator said:

They had their own truck all the way from New Orleans, cooked and all that on-site. 

 

Ah cool! Not produced by Wingfest then. Acceptable!

Thank you for following up. I appreciate what Drew Cerza has done. Seriously. But seeing what seemed like 75 - 100 fryers made me think this is a saucefest only. Nobody controlling how they cook their own wings. In Popeyes case, obviously needs to be breaded so not being done by wingfest. Good marketing move by Popeyes for sure then.

[Draconator]

Just now, beerme1 said:

 

Ah cool! Not produced by Wingfest then. Acceptable!

Thank you for following up. I appreciate what Drew Cerza has done. Seriously. But seeing what seemed like 75 - 100 fryers made me think this is a saucefest only. Nobody controlling how they cook their own wings. In Popeyes case, obviously needs to be breaded so not being done by wingfest. Good marketing move by Popeyes for sure then.

They even had a jazz duo of saxophone and acoustic guitar playing at the same time as us. I would add a bass line when we were between songs.

[beerme1]

Just now, Draconator said:

They even had a jazz duo of saxophone and acoustic guitar playing at the same time as us. I would add a bass line when we were between songs.

 

LOL That's awesome dude!

[NobesBLO13]

2 hours ago, Drew21PA said:

Pizza I agree but wings from WNY are just different 

I was not being even remotely serious

[thenorthremembers]

10 hours ago, dollars 2 donuts said:

 

 

They briefly had a Clarence location about 20 years ago.  
 

Back then they were something more than some of the more recent fair, but still outstanding because there just isn’t really anything like them.  Rather there wasn’t anything like them until as recently I’ve seen some other places, and even Disney, use jelly.

 

 

No kidding, I had no idea about the other location.     Was it still called Ed's then?   I can't remember when they changed the name and the bar front.

[North Buffalo]

11 hours ago, Sherlock Holmes said:

My homemade one is 90% mold, any mold I find goes straight in!

Getting ready for the flu and cold season... gotta boost those antibodies... Penicillin is so passe' when blue cheese is around.

10 hours ago, WhitewalkerInPhilly said:

 

Living outside of the city, can confirm. Nearly every wing place by me starts with "hot" at Franks level, and then adds sugar if they go spicier. There's a lot of places that serve wings limp and soggy upon arrival and the only solution they have come up with is to bread their wings.

 

I have been to a place with rave local reviews that was effectively wings breaded and seasoned like southern fried chicken, out into a bowl and a glug of sauce poured over top before serving. 

 

The bar at the rink I play at in Brewster NY makes decent wing... but the sauce is underutilized unless you order extra.

[Captain_Quint]

Swistons Beef and Keg has better wings as long as Pete is in the kitchen, so usually on Thursdays and Fridays. But if Pete isn't there, they are crap. 

[Captain Hindsight]

12 hours ago, Ya Digg? said:

I’ve heard wings and pizza in Buffalo is overrated…I prefer to get my wings from dominos 

I’m a vegetarian and I’m going to boo you 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

13 hours ago, mrags said:

Don’t you mean ranch? 

Hell awaits, heretic 

[LabattBlue]

I read almost the entire thread before I realized you weren’t talking about Misters. Then, I went back to see what the name of the establishment is.   They may have good food, but what a dumb name. 😂

[stevestojan]

Gabriel’s gate is my favorite. Every time I go home for a visit that’s my first stop. 
 

 

[mrags]

27 minutes ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

Hell awaits, heretic 

Yeah no. Pretty much the entire wing eating world outside western New York eats their wings with ranch. 
 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Just now, mrags said:

Yeah no. Pretty much the entire wing eating world outside western New York eats their wings with ranch. 
 

Because they're all ignorant 

[Buckets]

7 minutes ago, mrags said:

Yeah no. Pretty much the entire wing eating world outside western New York eats their wings with ranch. 
 

That's because it's cheaper, plus the rest of the chicken wing eating world eats fried chicken wings not BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS.

Fancy assed sauces ich

[Wacka]

I go to Mister's, the bar/bowling alley at that intersection once a month  for a meeting for my hobby. Never had their, or the other place's wings but had Bar Bill's once. 

[Bubba Gump]

 

14 hours ago, Ya Digg? said:

I’ve heard wings and pizza in Buffalo is overrated…I prefer to get my wings from dominos 

 

Their wings are like jailhouse chicken. Or pigeon as most call it. Talk about tiny.

 

I heard this from a friend. 😉

Edited October 7, 2023 by Bubba Gump

[Behindenemylines]

54 minutes ago, mrags said:

Yeah no. Pretty much the entire wing eating world outside western New York eats their wings with ranch. 
 

That makes me sad, so very sad

[Preds]

I'm one of the few WNY'ers who actually really dislikes Bar Bills "wings".  I think they suck and hate their sauces.  Give me Gabriel's Gate or Duff's in Orchard Park or on Sheridan, and maybe Dick Road (the other Duff's locations suck) any day over Bar Bill. 

However, I do love Bar Bill for their Beef on Weck which is by far the best I've had and a pretty consistent sandwich every time we stop in.  Has anyone tried the Beef on Weck at Main & Hamlin yet?

[twist_to_open]

Speaking of wings? Anyone living in Cheektowaga? Is Johnny's on Union and Cleveland still open? And how is their wings/ pizza these days?

[mrags]

1 hour ago, Buckets said:

That's because it's cheaper, plus the rest of the chicken wing eating world eats fried chicken wings not BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS.

Fancy assed sauces ich

Since when are wings not fried? 

28 minutes ago, twist_to_open said:

Speaking of wings? Anyone living in Cheektowaga? Is Johnny's on Union and Cleveland still open? And how is their wings/ pizza these days?

Love Johnny’s. They are still open. Really good wings and breadsticks 

42 minutes ago, Behindenemylines said:

That makes me sad, so very sad

It’s still true tho 

[without a drought]

Here's a nice write up.

 

https://stepoutbuffalo.com/new-the-bar-at-main-hamlin-has-its-roots-in-an-iconic-east-aurora-restaurant/

 

Wish them a lot of luck in their venture and trying to keep with their vision, which was supposed to not include wings.

[k2mountain]

1 hour ago, Preds said:

I'm one of the few WNY'ers who actually really dislikes Bar Bills "wings".  I think they suck and hate their sauces.  Give me Gabriel's Gate or Duff's in Orchard Park or on Sheridan, and maybe Dick Road (the other Duff's locations suck) any day over Bar Bill. 

However, I do love Bar Bill for their Beef on Weck which is by far the best I've had and a pretty consistent sandwich every time we stop in.  Has anyone tried the Beef on Weck at Main & Hamlin yet?

Dissenting opinion: Duff's on Sheridan is too saucy. Even when you order crispy, you get a soggy wing.

 

Duff's at Eastern Hills Mall knows how to make a wing, and their menu has more options.

[Utah John]

4 hours ago, Preds said:

I'm one of the few WNY'ers who actually really dislikes Bar Bills "wings".  I think they suck and hate their sauces.  Give me Gabriel's Gate or Duff's in Orchard Park or on Sheridan, and maybe Dick Road (the other Duff's locations suck) any day over Bar Bill. 

However, I do love Bar Bill for their Beef on Weck which is by far the best I've had and a pretty consistent sandwich every time we stop in.  Has anyone tried the Beef on Weck at Main & Hamlin yet?

Back when I lived in WNY the best beef on weck was at Schwabl's in West Seneca.  Is that still a good place?

[Utah John]

5 hours ago, Pine Barrens Mafia said:

Because they're all ignorant 

A couple of weeks ago I had a guy stop me in the parking lot of a grocery store here in Memphis.  I was wearing a Bills cap as usual, and he said he'd been a Bills/Josh Allen fan for years though he'd never been to Buffalo.  Then he asked me whether it was OK to use ranch dressing.  I just smiled and shook my head, making him laugh.  (What I SHOULD have said is that that's like putting ketchup on ribs -- something a Memphian would understand.)  But he also made a comment that maybe the blue cheese dressing in Buffalo is different than elsewhere, and I'm not sure about that.  I just said that it makes the wings taste better and we left it at that.  But maybe there actually is a difference in blue cheese dressing in different parts of the country.  Any ideas whether that's true?

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

16 minutes ago, Utah John said:

A couple of weeks ago I had a guy stop me in the parking lot of a grocery store here in Memphis.  I was wearing a Bills cap as usual, and he said he'd been a Bills/Josh Allen fan for years though he'd never been to Buffalo.  Then he asked me whether it was OK to use ranch dressing.  I just smiled and shook my head, making him laugh.  (What I SHOULD have said is that that's like putting ketchup on ribs -- something a Memphian would understand.)  But he also made a comment that maybe the blue cheese dressing in Buffalo is different than elsewhere, and I'm not sure about that.  I just said that it makes the wings taste better and we left it at that.  But maybe there actually is a difference in blue cheese dressing in different parts of the country.  Any ideas whether that's true?

No, Bleu cheese is Bleu cheese 

[WhoTom]

4 hours ago, BadboyBills said:

Air fryer wings all day. Will die on this hill.

 

I grill mine. I put Frank's Red Hot (original) on them before grilling. After they're cooked*, I toss them in Frank's again and then put them back on the grill for a minute to make the sauce adhere to the wings and add a little crispiness.

 

I do plan to try air frying - maybe after grilling season.

 

*Use a meat thermometer to check them for doneness, so they don't overcook and dry out. As soon as they approach 165°F, they're done.

[HT02]

19 hours ago, Behindenemylines said:

Who has the best ranch dressing?  Asking for a friend😂

The Underground Bar

[BillsPride12]

1 hour ago, Utah John said:

Back when I lived in WNY the best beef on weck was at Schwabl's in West Seneca.  Is that still a good place?

Never been to Schwabl's but I'm partial to Adrian's on Grand Island for my favorite Beef on Weck.  But I hear there's a place in Olean that has some Killer BoW!

[NickelCity]

Charlie the Butcher on wehrle has never let me down

[EasternOHBillsFan]

Some of us are unable to go to any of those places, but the best wings available here in Ohio are from Quaker Steak and Lube, and they are surprisingly excellent. I think better yet would be to ask what the best wing places are out there in out of town enclaves 😑