Jesse Heussner ’11
Features Editor

For many, sports games and parties would not be complete without a healthy serving of Buffalo wings. Perhaps the most popular food around bars since their creation in 1964, Buffalo wings’ addicting and fiery taste has caused an obsession among tons of people across the country. The trend remains the same in Fairfield County, where wings are normally number one on the list of foods to order in before big games. I recently tasted from five of the most popular Buffalo wing restaurants in Fairfield County, setting out to find the best of the best.

The Criteria:

• Price
• The Perfect Crunch-I don’t want to eat ‘tough,’ overcooked wings, nor do I want to eat soft wings
• The Wing Sauce – Buffalo wings need to be spicy. I will not respect anyone who orders a “mild” sauce. Bring me the spice baby!
• The Accompanying Sauce– Something to defuse the spice. I’m one of the few who actively uses the common bleu cheese sauces on my wings.

Bogey’s Grill

Town: Westport

Price: Need to find

The Review: While Bogey’s can make a lot of other foods well, I wouldn’t say wings are their strong suit. While certainly not bad, Bogeys’ wings failed to impress, especially considering the competition they were going against. Bogey’s does deserve some credit for their sauce; it was among the spiciest I tried, and definitely a  (good) challenge to finish. While the sauce was spicy, it was not particularly tasty, and with a spicy dipping sauce, there was nothing there to diffuse the spice. Bogeys would have gotten a higher grade had they had a better dipping sauce instead of a spicy, counter-intuitive ranch sauce. While a decent experience, the wings did not measure up against the four other restaurants.

The Rating: 2.5/5

Bobby Q’s Barbecue and Grill

Town: Westport

Price: $9.35, with tax for eight wings

The Review: Bobby Q’s was the first place I sampled and probably the most popular barbecue restaurant in Westport. Having won numerous awards for their ribs, Bobby Q’s does not disappoint when it comes to their wings either. I chose to go with Nick’s Original Sauce (they offered a “Bodacious Barbeque” sauce as well) and was ultimately happy with what I got. The wings were served conventionally: eight wings, celery sticks, and a bleu cheese dressing sauce. The wings were cooked well, had the crunch I was looking for, and had a tasty bleu cheese sauce. However, I was somewhat disappointed with the wing sauce. While pretty good, the sauce did not have enough spice for my liking, and the bleu cheese sauce definitely was not necessary to cool the spice. To be honest, I didn’t even reach for my water, which is usually a necessity when eating wings. Judging from the name, I wonder whether the “Bodacious Barbecue” sauce would have delivered the spice I desired. Overall, the wings were good but certainly not memorable.

The Rating: 3.5/5

The Black Duck

Town: Westport

Price: $8.50 for 12 wings

The Review: The Black Duck does not look like your typical restaurant. Located on the water and right next to the train station, The Black Duck looks like it is about one gust of wind from falling into the water. However, the “Duck” is somehow still standing, and their wings have remained a staple that keeps customers coming over and over again.

At first glance, I could have sworn that they were the exact same as Bobby Q’s. The presentation was eerily similar: wings, celery sticks, and an identical blue cheese sauce. The taste, on the other hand, was not so similar. The wings were a little tough (at times hard to eat), and some were oddly shaped. However, the flavor definitely delivered. The sauce was unbelievably tasty and extremely spicy was well (the restaurant even dares you to try to finish a double order on their menu.) While they had a few flaws, the wings at The Black Duck have to be considered a success, especially considering their cheap price. I’d put them on par with Bobby Q’s.

The Rating: 3.5 /5

Kicking Horse Grill

Town: Southport

Price: $ 10.60 for 12 wings

The Review: The “sleeper” of this competition was definitely The Kicking Horse Grill in Southport. While the restaurant isn’t exactly known for their wings, (I hadn’t heard of this place until maybe a month ago) they actually contended for the top spot. Not only did the wings look by far the best out of the five other choices (they even had garnishes…yes, buffalo wings and garnishes!), their taste did not fail to satisfy either. The wings had a spice unique to any of the other four other sauces and were the least soggy, a key considering the food was ordered in. Unfortunately, the chicken was clearly burnt (half of the wings were almost black), but its spice, crunch, and bleu cheese sauce more than made up for it.

The Rating: 4/5

Archie Moore’s

Town: Fairfield

Price: $ 9.95 for 14 wings

The Review: While many probably thought it was a forgone conclusion that Archie Moore’s had the best wings in Fairfield County, I was very close to crowning The Kicking Horse Grill the winner (I tasted their wings before Archie’s.) In fact, when the Archie Moore’s wings were first unveiled, I was shocked; they looked worse than the wings from every other restaurant! Looks, however, can be very deceiving. The bleu cheese dipping sauce was also by far the best out of all five restaurants and despite being moderately soggy, their wing sauce was perfect: spicy, and addicting to the point where I had a stomachache afterwards. When it comes down to it, taste is what ultimately makes Buffalo wings, and Archie Moore’s wings simply tasted better than any of the four other restaurants. And, as an extra bonus, they are the cheapest as well.

The Rating: 4.5/5