Chicken wings are a sports bar staple. You just can’t call yourself a sports bar if you don’t serve them. And while there are plenty of amazing sauces you can coat or dip your wings in, there is an undisputed favorite: buffalo. Restaurants all over the country offer wings with this spicy sauce, but how did they become so popular, especially on game day?
Let’s find out how buffalo wings became an essential game day menu item at restaurants everywhere.
A Late Night Snack
As you might have guessed from the name, buffalo wings started in the City of Buffalo, New York, with the co-owner of the Anchor Bar, Teresa Bellissimo, in 1964. She took some leftover wings home from the bar and cooked them up in some hot sauce as a late-night snack for her son and his friends. The guys liked them so much that Teresa decided to put them on the menu a the bar the next day. They served them with celery sticks and bleu cheese sauce, and they were an instant hit with the bar patrons.
Wings and Football
When you’re at your favorite sports bar—or even at home—there are some snacks that you need to have while watching the game. Buffalo wings are absolutely one of them. But how did wings in particular become so popular? It’s because cooking a whole chicken became less popular. In the sixties and seventies, it was common to cook the entire bird. But in the eighties, people started to prefer boneless breast meat. That meant that wings became an inexpensive byproduct. Restaurant owners realized they could sell them relatively cheaply and still turn a good profit.
At the same time, satellite TV was gaining steam and many sports bars installed multiple TVs so they could easily show the games. Wings proved to be a popular order for groups of people watching sports, especially football, at the bar. Even better for the restaurants, the spicy and salty wings made patrons thirsty, so they ordered more beer.
Watch the Game and Eat Wings at Your Favorite Restaurants!
Winters are long and cold in New England, but there are plenty of sports to help us pass the time. And what better way to cheer on your teams than to get together with your friends and family at Granfanally’s? Order some wings, grab some drinks, and enjoy the game!