Sassy Sauces at Buffalo Wild Wings

By Tony Reverditto

The year was 1982. Jim Disbrow and Scott Lowery had recently moved to Ohio from Buffalo, New York. All was fine until one day when the two were craving wings. Not just ordinary wings, but authentic Buffalo, New York-style chicken wings. With none to be found nearby, Jim and Scott had two choices: road trip to New York, or open a wing joint close to home. Luckily, they chose the latter. Hence, the beginning of Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck, now Buffalo Wild Wings®, the welcoming neighborhood atmosphere provides a front-row seat for every sports fan. In my opinion it felt very much like a restaurant, an inviting space, with a bunch of TV screens. It is hard to believe that today they have over 1,200 locations nationally and internationally.

I was excited about visiting the Menifee location which was established in July of 2016. It was intriguing to find out that they offer 24 mouth-watering signature sauces and seasonings. The sauces include Mango Habanero, Asian Zing, Honey BBQ, Parmesan Garlic, Medium, Spicy Garlic, Hot, Hot BBQ, Caribbean Jerk, Mild, Jammin' Jalapeño, Thai Curry, Wild, Teriyaki, Bourbon Honey Mustard, Blazin' and Nashville Hot. The seasonings offerings are Lemon Pepper, Chipotle BBQ , Desert Heat, Buffalo and Salt & Vinegar. Your choice is slathered on their specialty item . . . “wings” and they have traditional, boneless, a combo of both, party sized, naked and beer battered tenders.

The Bar Food menu includes, Ultimate Nachos, Chips and Salsa or Hatch Queso or Chili Con Queso, House Sampler (lots of treats), Mozzarella Sticks, Mini Corn Dogs, Fried Pickles, French Fries, Potato Wedges, Buffalo Chips, Beer Battered Onion Rings, Street Tacos, Pretzels, Cheese Curds, Chicken Quesadilla and Buffalo Mac & Cheese. They also have a smart selection of Burgers, Sandwiches and Wraps, as well as Salads.

We were greeted by the General Manager, Jeff Katz who has been with the Menifee location since its opening. He was very engaged in the operation and service while we were there. Although, Buffalo Wild Wings are known for their diverse draft beer selection, I decided to start with a Cadillac Margarita which was served in a fancy glass and was pretty nice, my guest ordered the only Chardonnay option from the limited wine menu and was satisfied with the Chateau St. Michelle. Tricia our server took our appetizer order which consisted of the massive Pretzel, a meal in itself, the delightful Onion Rings which had the perfect light coating and the luxurious Buffalo Mac & Cheese which was perfectly comforting on the rainy day that we visited the restaurant.

I was anxious to try the wings to try the brand new Boneless Wings with the most popular of the sauces, Honey Barbecue. We also ordered the bone in wings and split the order between two sauces; the Thai Curry and the Mango Habanero. The third choice was the Beer Battered Chicken Tenders. So recapping, the boneless wings were awesome and perfect for those who like a tame but tangy sauce. The mango habanero sauce is super-hot and my lips burned for five minutes, thank goodness I had a draft beer, the Stone Scorpion Bowl ale. As for the Thai curry, it reminded us more of a Middle Eastern flavor but was tasty. The chicken tenders were perfectly prepared and served with a classic Buffalo Sauce which was my favorite from the ones that we had tasted. Now, I have a bucket list goal which is to go back in 2020 and try the other 20 flavors.

The Happy Hour menu is really a great deal. You can get a tall domestic draft beer, Onion Rings or Mini Corn Dogs for $3.00. If that weren’t enough, you can “make the call” with Bacardi, Fireball, Jack Daniels, Jameson, Sauza Blue Silver or Smirnoff. For $4.00, you can order 4 Craft drafts, Fried Pickles, Mozarella Sticks or Street Tacos. Finally, for $5.00 you can get a pitcher of domestic draft beer, Craft tall drafts, loaded nachos or crispy tenders. On the “make the call” you can choose between Hendrick’s, Ketel One, Maker’s Mark or Patron Silver. (I don’t think I have ever seen these brands at this price). They also have signature cocktails and wine at this VERY reasonable price.

Sun City residents who prefer a softer atmosphere can dine at lunch and they have a menu with prices that range from $6.50 to $9.00. 

Buffalo Wild Wings, 30123 Haun Rd, Menifee. Information: 951.246.7148 and Menu at www.buffalowildwings.com - Closes 2AM daily-midnight on Sundays.