Anchor Bar

The Anchor Bar on Main Street is the pilgrimage stop for anyone who has ever eaten a chicken wing. According to the story the bar tells, the dish was created here on a Friday night in 1964 by Teressa Bellissimo, who fried a batch of chicken wings, tossed them in a spicy sauce and served them with celery and blue cheese to a hungry crowd of her son's friends. Whether or not you take every detail as gospel, the restaurant has spent decades as the symbol of the wing, and its walls are covered with signed photographs, memorabilia and news clippings that document its fame. The menu goes beyond the signature dish, with pizza, pasta and other American-Italian comfort food, and the dining room is the kind of casual, lively place where families, office groups and sports fans share long tables. The bar is also a good place to compare heat levels in a single sitting, and the staff are used to visitors asking questions about the legend and the local rules for eating wings correctly.

The wing legend is one of the great food stories in the United States and it reflects the city's character: humble ingredients, a hint of improvisation, and a lot of neighborhood pride. At the Anchor Bar the preparation is classic: chicken wings fried until crisp, tossed in a sauce of hot pepper and butter, then served with celery and blue cheese dressing. Different heat levels are offered, from mild to hot, and the best strategy for a first visit is to try the medium and ask the server whether the kitchen thinks it is hot enough for you.

Many locals say you should use a fork only if you must, and that wings are an event meant for sticky fingers and plenty of napkins.Practical details matter. The bar is a busy tourist destination, so expect lines at peak dinner times and on game days. Call ahead for large groups, arrive earlier than you think you need to, and consider the bar area if you are a smaller party and do not want to wait for a table. Parking is available nearby, and the restaurant is a short drive from downtown.

The menu also includes beef on weck, a sandwich on a salted kummelweck roll, which is another Buffalo specialty and a good second order. The bar sells sauces and merchandise, and shipping options exist for those who want to take the taste home.Because the Anchor Bar is so famous, some visitors worry it will feel like a theme park.

In practice it is a working restaurant with a loyal local clientele, and the quality of the wings is solid, though locals will tell you that the city has many excellent wing places, and a full wing tour will point you toward them.

Treat the Anchor Bar as the starting point of your wing education, then branch out. If you only have one night in Buffalo, doing a plate of wings here and finishing with a walk through nearby neighborhoods is a perfectly fine itinerary. Before you leave, take a moment to read the framed clippings and photographs near the entrance, which trace decades of media attention and visits from famous fans, and consider buying a bottle of sauce for the trip home.