A plate of buffalo wings at the place that is widely recognized as the inventor of them, the Anchor Bar, in Buffalo, New York, February 11, 2022. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/Illustration
(New York, NY) – Texas has its barbeque. Boston has its clam chowder. New York is know for its pizza and bagels. Chicago has the deep dish variety. Philly’s cheesesteak is iconic — or should it be the roast pork sandwich? But in upstate New York, along the shores of Lake Erie, the city of Buffalo lends its own name to a sauce that everybody knows.
How did Buffalo sauce come to be? The stories are almost as legend as its tangy, hot-but-not-too-spicy flavor. One such tale emerged from the Anchor Bar. Owner Frank Bellissimo had ordered too many chicken wings, which were used for soup stock. He asked his wife Teressa to come up with a use for the extra wings, and — fried up in hot sauce — they became a popular bar snack.
That version seems to have been backed up by the couple’s son, Dominic, who gives his mom credit. But there’s another story surrounding Anchor Bar that involves Dominic, and his college friends. Apparently they showed up at the restaurant with a big appetite, and the cooks got creative. They supposedly came up with the chicken wings with hot sauce. Dominic has said the inspiration was actually local Catholics who wanted something to eat — shortly past midnight. As Friday moved into Saturday, and Catholics could eat meat again, the buffalo wings would be ordered along with late night drinks.
Chicken wings themselves, without any sauce, but fried — have a longstanding history in Buffalo, New York. An 1857 hotel menu lists them. The sauce that came years later is fairly simple — butter and hot sauce (cayenne pepper). Some have fancied it up a bit by adding honey, garlic powder, paprika, white vinegar, and even Worcestershire sauce.
Not everyone agrees that the Anchor Bar and the Bellissimos deserve the credit. John Young opened his Wings and Things restaurant in the 1960s, and says his wings became a local hit before anyone else was serving them. His wings were breaded and deep-fried wings with a tomato-based mumbo (or mambo) sauce. It was inspired by similar sauces served in Chicago and Washington, DC.
While the origin story may be in dispute, no one can deny that buffalo wings have taken root nationwide as one of the most popular snacks or bar foods. That’s especially apparent as we get closer to Super Bowl Sunday. The National Chicken Council publishes its Chicken Wing Report each year, and the expectation is even more people will devour the spicy poultry appetizer here in 2026. Estimates say Americans will wolf down 1.48 billion chicken wings during Super Bowl 60, as the Seahawks try to clip the Patriots.
Seattle and Boston, both being port cities, have local seafood in their most common fare. We mentioned clam chowder, and how about lobster in New England? The Pacific Northwest boasts great pinot noir. And Seattle’s got the fish market and coffee shops.
Whether it’s the flats, or the rounds (little drumsticks) buffalo wings remain undefeated. The estimate says 10 million more wings will be eaten here in 2026, year over year. And hungry football fans have eaten nearly 20% more wings during this year’s NFL playoffs compared to 2025. The only remaining question — which is sure to inspire just as fiery of a debate — blue cheese or ranch? Just pass the celery.
