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The Rambler

The Rambler

Awards & Recognition

2016
Edinboro University & Northwestern Pennsylvania High School Journalism Competition: First Place (Daniel Anthony, Opinion Category); Fifth Place (Brendan Jubulis, Sports)

2015
Edinboro University & Northwestern Pennsylvania High School Journalism Competition: Third Place (Website)
Student Keystone Press Awards Honorable Mention (Website)

2014
Edinboro University & Northwestern Pennsylvania High School Journalism Competition: Third Place (Website)

A taste test and review of Buffalo Wild Wings’ wing flavors

A+taste+test+and+review+of+Buffalo+Wild+Wings+wing+flavors

Buffalo Wild Wings is well known around town by the Erie youth as a great place to eat wings, catch a game on one of the eatery’s many high definition television sets, and consume quality non-alcoholic beverages after a long week of schoolwork. One trait that sets Buffalo Wild Wings apart from the average wing joint is its overwhelming menu full of different wing flavors (22 to be exact).  However, due to its overwhelming selection of wing flavors, it can seem like finding a needle in a haystack to find the best flavors, and not all wings are created equal.
To eliminate this confusion that both first time patrons and experienced vets often experience when deciding upon their meals, The Rambler‘s own culinary team of  experts Daniel Anthony, Daniel Brugger, and David Rahner volunteered to taste test to determine what wings to order and what wings not to order upon any trip to Buffalo Wild Wings.
For the purpose of not diluting the wing flavoring, the use of ranch dressing, or any other dipping sauce not part of the wing flavorings themselves was prohibited from being used. Rations of water and chocolate milk, however, were allocated to the food critics to help cleanse the mouth of taste between wing tastings.
SEASONINGS

  • Salt & Vinegar
    This wing had so much seasoning that it tasted like a Lay’s Salt & Vinegar Potato Chip, which it essentially was. If this had been part of a chicken I had consumed, that chicken would have died for nothing since its meat would have tasted the same as the potato chip “wing” I had consumed at Buffalo Wild Wings.
  • Lemon Pepper
    This wing tasted more like lime pepper than lemon. This wing is what I would imagine a margarita would taste like. However, I wouldn’t know what a margarita tastes like because I am under 21.  Surgeon General’s Warning: Please eat responsibly: this is a gateway food for a one way ticket to Margaritaville and should be consumed only in small quantities. Jimmy Buffett may not have a woman to blame for his wastin’, but he can surely rest his fault on the Lemon Pepper wing. Overconsumption of these wings will have you searching for your lost shaker of salt.
  • Chipotle BBQ
    Let’s all take a moment and think to ourselves what is our favorite food in the entire world. If you try this flavor of wing, I guarantee you will no longer answer the previous question the same way. This wing is so addictive that you may initially order a small, but before you leave you will go in for round two. And if you are anything like me, three orders is not out of the question. This wing is so satisfying that if chickens ate wings, they would eat this wing (who may or may not be a relative of this chicken) in a heartbeat.
  • Buffalo
    Buffalo seasoning is a very dry wing. I like the taste of the seasoning, but it is a little dry for my taste.  This wing’s dryness does not do the city of Buffalo justice because anyone who has been to Buffalo in the winter knows it gets a good amount of precipitation. I do like the taste; however, I would not suggest the seasoning side of the menu. Overall of you are looking for a wing to try from the dreaded right side of the menu, then I suggest buffalo.
  • Desert Heat
    My first visual impression of Desert Heat was that it looked like a sun dried camel turd. The seasoning covering the wing appeared to resemble the grains of sand that one might find in the desert. After tasting the dry, yet reasonably spicy wing, I realized that this wing is much more than one should expect. This wing should have been named Desert Storm because this wing is worth going to war with a Middle Eastern nation over. The “gold” that Saddam Hussein stole from Kuwait during Iraq’s 1990 invasion was not actual metallic gold, but instead Kuwait’s bullion of the tantalizing Desert Heat wing and all its spicy goodness.

BWWSAUCES

  • Sweet BBQ
    The sweet barbecue wing is sweeter than sugar from sugar cane. It is the lowest on the heat scale and is well deserving of this placement. For me, this wing was too sweet and did not compliment the meat of chicken wing very well. Overall, I would not suggest this wing unless you are a 2-month-old baby and cannot take the spice.
  • Teriyaki
    This wing is very pleasing to the taste buds. It is an overall tremendous blend of ingredients that make a very appetizing sauce to consume. I would highly suggest this wing to anyone. The teriyaki tastes like it was made in Japan itself. It even has a little spice to compliment the taste of the teriyaki as well.
  • Honey Mustard
    Imagine going to Giant Eagle and buying the generic store-brand dijon and honey mustards. Now picture yourself mixing the two together and drenching a Chicken McNugget with your sloppily made concoction; that’s what this wing tasted like. So simple to make, yet a 4-year-old could have done a better job preparing it than the mediocrity I experienced in consuming this wing.
  • Mild
    Let’s save everyone some time and simply conclude that this is the most average flavor on the planet. When ordering this wing, you are simply implying that you are one of the most basic humans on the planet. I wouldn’t be surprised if afterwards you went to Starbucks or maybe even went home and watched some Netflix.
  • Parmesan Garlic
    This flavor should be placed in its own category simply due to how horrendous it is. When I order Parmesan Garlic, I am expecting a combination of parmesan and garlic—not some sort of unidentified sauce. First, the sauce itself was neither Parmesan flavored nor even garlic flavored but rather a combination of the most hated flavors in the universe.
  • Medium
    The medium wing sauce is not my favorite. It is actually one of the worst wings at BWW. The wing has a very bland taste that does not appease my taste buds. Overall, I would not suggest this wing unless you have no tastebuds because you lost your tongue in an industrial accident and are extremely hungry.
  • Honey BBQ
    The sauce used on honey barbecue wings can not be found just anywhere. You have to travel into mystic lands to find this liquid gold. When blessed with the opportunity to try this piece of chicken, my taste buds went berserk. It was like I was the star of those 5 Gum commercials. Overall, this wing is so delicious, it could be sold at the price of gold. I am willing to get down on my knees pleading to everyone to give this a wing a try.
  • Spicy Garlic
    If you decide to purchase this flavor, you might as well just save your taste buds the misery and throw it in the trash where it belongs. The combination of this spicy kick with the laid back garlic grants the consumer a case of bad breathe. If I were God, I would of made an 11th commandment saying “Thou shall never consume Spicy Garlic.”
  • Jammin’ Jalapeño
    This wing suffers menu discrimination and that truly is a huge shame. Jammin’ Jalapeño is such a great flavor yet it is drowned in the Buffalo Wild Wings menu. If there was a Mount Rushmore for top wing flavors, this wing would certainly be on it.
  • Asian Zing
    Upon biting into Asian Zing, I tasted an oddly familiar combination of both Orange and General Tso’s Sauce that failed to disappoint me. This wing was completely indistinguishable from the General Tso’s Chicken served in the Prep Cafeteria last year. When asked if I could meet the chef behind the wing to confirm my suspicion, my waitress denied my request.
  • Caribbean Jerk
    When I bit into this wing, to my dismay, I was immediately surprised by the outlandishly overwhelming flavor that rushed over my taste buds. It tasted like Christmas scented flavored candle surrounding your tastebuds. There is so much going on that you don’t even taste the wing.  I do not suggest this wing to anyone.  I would much rather take a bite out of a pumpkin spice Yankee Candle than consume this wing again. Thankfully, the senior class is selling Yankee Candles as their class fundraiser this year, so if you have a Caribbean Jerk craving, I can hook you up.
  • Thai Curry
    I can recall eating dinner at a Thai restaurant one time when I was in Los Angeles. I made the fatal mistake of mixing various curries together throughout the duration of my meal. I then spent the next five hours hovering over a toilet watching as the entire contents of my digestive system were regurgitated into the previously shiny white bowl before my eyes. Thankfully, the Thai Curry wing didn’t cause me to relive that past endeavor, but I would still recommend preparing for the worst case scenario before trying this wing.
  • Hot BBQ
    I can honestly say this was one of the few wings that actually received my approval. The mixture of tangy barbecue teamed up with a spicy hot is one of the most dominant duos I have experienced to this day. The only thing that could compare to this level of heat and sweetness is if you are blasting the new Justin Bieber album through the aux of your mother’s innocent minivan.
  • Hot
    The name sort of speaks for itself.
  • Mango Habanero
    The first bite into this wing is like biting into a Gusher Fruit Flavored Snack; your mouth explodes with the fruity mango goodness that this wing provides, transporting your mind to some far off island nation. Then the kicker. The habanero kicks in, like a hurricane bearing down on your former island paradise, forcing you to take cover. Soon you find yourself drowning your mouth with an entire glass of chocolate milk. Next you find yourself shouting at your waitress to bring you at least two more glasses of milk, to which she replies, “more milk is extra.”
  • Wild
    According to the BWW spicy meter, this wing is the second spiciest. This wing is the definition of #2, and it tastes like it too.  If this wing were a person, it would be William Jennings Bryan; always having to accept that there is someone more popular than him and that he would get, at most, second place in the presidential election every time. This wing is no different. If your self-confidence is so low that you always set your sights on being just average, then this wing is perfect for you.  If you are a winner, who sets their sights on the gold every time in everything they do, don’t even bother wasting your time spitting in the direction of this wing.
  • Blazin’
    After the tasting of all other wings had come to pass, it was time for grand finale that we had all been waiting for. It was the king of the menu’s turn to make an appearance. Fortunately, an iPad was on hand to document our experience.
    David Rahners’s Take: It is simply too hot for words. After I ate the wing, I felt like a fire breathing dragon. The video says it all.
    Daniel Anthony’s Take: I got so messed up by the Blazin’ wings that I spent two minutes outside in the parking lot afterwards trying to insert the key to my Buick LeSabre into a Chevy Impala. I wish I could say that I was tough enough to finish my whole plate without any milk, but I have come to discover that I am only worthy of eating at Weenie Hut Jr’s from here on after.
    Daniel Brugger’s Take: Let’s just say to this day I still have nightmares about Blazin’ wings taking over our world. The Blazin’ wing is so deadly it would have John Cena running home and crying to his mother. This wing is so hot and blistering to the mouth that even Chuck Norris could not consume it. Watch the video if you dare

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    Daniel AnthonyNov 24, 2015 at 7:07 pm

    Video credits to Brendan Flanagan

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