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    Anchor Bar

    3.5 (2.4k reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    ANCHOR BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Anchor Bar

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    Traditional Single Wings
    Maritza M.

    These days, the most important thing is stroller accessibility and Anchor Bar has just that! This is the second time I've been here, and the wings do not disappoint. According to my husband, they were a lot better this time, but I always remember them being great. If you're in the area, definitely recommend!

    Traditional Double Wings
    Doug S.

    Had a great time here sitting at the bar with my brother. Bartender was friendly and made sure we always had what we needed. First time here so we had to try the original wings. It tasted like a very good chicken wing. I think we were expecting to be blown away but cannot complain. "Divey" interior with a very casual atmosphere. TV's around the bar/restaurant so you won't miss the game.

    Boneless wings
    Katie C.

    If you find yourself in Buffalo, there are a few things that must be done before you leave. In fact, right up there on my list of favorites including Niagara Falls in a snow storm (worth it!) is this place! This is the place that invented the chicken wing! Rather than give you a history lesson, let me tell you about these wings! They are so light and crispy, literally melt in your mouth. The quality of the chicken is superior to anything I've ever had. Skip the fries! Not because they aren't good, but you will want to eat your whole plate of wings, and you have to choose how you are going to fill your stomach. The decore is not really decoration! It's the original dining room complete with grey and black checkered floor, and a whole collection of memorabilia from all the famous folks who have been here. It's like a museum! All the newspaper clippings and magazine covers are right there giving you the rundown of the significance of this place to our culture and how Americans do food! Come hungry! You will enjoy every crispy bite!

    Side of restaurant
    Jason D.

    Very historic. But definitely not the best wings in buffalo. Free parking for customers. The originators

    Buffalo Wings
    Toby M.

    Loved the history behind this original place! Got 10 of their original wings and it's definitely worth trying. Compared to other chicken places, the chicken itself was very tender, not overcooked, and the sauce was plentiful. This location also has lots of apparel and souvenirs for sale at very reasonable prices!

    exterior
    McKenzie J.

    i came after visiting canada and since me and the fam were in new york, we figured we try some wings and pizza. the pizza here is SO good. the cheese pull is amazing and the pizza itself was so fluffy it almost had me in tears!!

    Sally S.

    Went to the famous anchor bar during a visit to my hometown and boy, it did not disappoint. Some people want a restaurant updated or remodeled... but it ruins everything if you do that. The anchor bar looks the same as it always had and that's comforting to me. The wings and pizza were of course, perfect and the service was A++++

    Anchor Bar!
    Marissa R.

    I went here on a drive through the area a few days ago, and it was pretty good. I was expecting there to be a long wait, but in fact, the place was nearly empty. It looks like it's been a very cute tourist destination over the decades but a little bit rundown now. While the place was opened in the 1930s, it wasn't until the 1960s that the buffalo wing was invented here. And they are pretty good. We got them as a side item alongside additional entrées. The service was good. Even the bar was pretty quiet, but a nice bartender offered to take our photograph with the Statue of Liberty since we were being tourists. This place is all right. They have a wide variety of other food in addition to wings. If you want a sandwich, burger, pasta, you can find it here for sure. There is construction going on outside and it seems like a windy way that you need to drive in order to get there, but the directions are correct and you will get there.

    Wings
    Ade B.

    No visit to Buffalo would be compete without a visit to Anchor Bar, the inventors of the beloved buffalo wings. I went there for lunch, sat that bar, and my girlfriend and I shared the wings, with mild sauce, and a sausage pizza (it was national sausage pizza day). The wings came with a blue cheese dressing on the side. They were delicious. Just the right amount of sauce covering juicy wings. The only downside was that on an occasional bite the skin on the wings was overcooked and a bit hard. But most bites were buffalo wing perfection, just as I expected! The pizza was good as well. Not the most flavorful sausages, but there were plenty of them and the crust was good. I ended up eating more pizza than I expected. The bartender was friendly and served me a well made American mule. Not the biggest fan of the decor, which had way too much going on. You will have to check out the pictures to see what I mean. But the bottom line is that you get the original buffalo wings here and they have withstood the test of time and remain top tier wings. I can't say that about the creator of the cheesesteak here in Philly. Their cheesesteaks are far from top tier.

    History
    Rob S.

    I am so happy I finally made the pilgrimage to the birthplace of wings. I am, also, at a loss on how to position this review. I was CERTAIN I would feel one of two ways: 1) I loved it. It changed my life. I'm moving to Buffalo -or- 2) One should never meet their hero's as it will only disappoint. I have to say, I'm somewhere in between and I don't know what to do. Positives: *If you love wings, it's a must go. The atmosphere at the original location, the old-timers at the bar, the decor, the history. You have to go. *The wings were good. Meaty, fresh, hot. I got the "original" with hot buffalo sauce, extra blue cheese and extra celery. They were good. I loved the sauce level. *Service was fantastic. Loved the old-school order at the bar from your high top. Bartender was fantastic. *The look, the feel, the smells, the excitement from all who arrive (there was a line waiting for the door to be unlocked at 11am and the Bills weren't even playing). *I even managed to keep my emotions in check and not hit the merch section The "ehh:" *I wish I ordered my wings extra crispy and with extra EXTRA blue cheese. Extra blue cheese equals 2, 2oz soufflé cups *The blue cheese itself was ok. Not to the standard or the wing. *I ordered a beef on weck as well. Bun was amazing. Horseradish was perfectly hot. Price and portion good. Even the coleslaw was better than expected. But...the roast beef was mid-level Foodservice deli-wog. Not even board head quality - and DEFINITELY not house roasted. Odd for a "famous" Buffalo item. Bottom Line: Go! Go to the original location. The combination of the history and the fun and the food and the bar offerings make it fantastic. Are there better wings out there? Maybe. But when considering the whole package. It's a must go. I can tell you the food does not stand up by itself enough for me to run to a satellite or franchise location. But if I can get out to the original location - I will be back. And want to bring my kids. We live in CT. Oldest plays football in Rochester. Is it worth the 1:30 to get there from his campus? Yes. Worth the drive from CT? Nope. There are better wings in Rochester and perhaps even closer. So happy I went. Star rating will be on whole experience. Not just the food. Overall 4 stars. Food only 3 stars (sandwich killed the score).

    Box
    Azzaam K.

    Okay this was one I was REALLY looking forward to since it was my first time in Buffalo. I heard this place was "iconic" and one of the first originals to create the "Buffalo" flavored wings...but let me tell you, these guys did NOT change their recipe or try to make it better at all over the years - in a bad way. Place was crowded, you can tell all visitors were there to check it out and have a true "Buffalo Wing". But probably honestly some of the worst wings I've had. Wish I knew a local so I could ask about where the best wings are. Environment seemed great watching the playoff games, but just not where you wanna go for wings in Buffalo.

    Chicken wing mural
    Mike V.

    Heading home from our Canadian vacation, we flew in and out of Buffalo, NY, and figured iit was a good time to stop in and try the true home of a Buffalo Chicken wings at the anchor bar. When I'm Rome... We were quickly greeted and seated upon arrival, begging told we were welcome to explore the space. The walls of this place are covered with autographed pictures of celebrities from all around the world and years gone by that visited. The walls will certainly keep your eyes busy! Ordering was easy, it was a no brainer we came for Buffalo wings, only opted for boneless to reduce the mess before heading for the airport. We arrived early in the day, so food came out quickly and looked, smelled, and tasted great! The wings were great, but even the ones got messy. Wish we'd hd more time to try some of the other flavors, but enjoyed our visit Ranch fans be warned, the

    Chicken wing keychain on a buffalo
    Grandpa

    These buffalo wings were simply incredible. Each wing was crispy to perfection without over-fried parts. Believe it or not, this establishment was the original inventor of the buffalo wing. Overall, the service was quick, the gift shop was nice, and the food was great.

    Hungarian Stuffed Hot Peppers

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    The wings were very good and the waitress we had was fantastic . I would definitely go back.

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    1 year ago

    Glad to have tried the famous Anchor Bar, but similar to other sentiments, other wing places are better. Cool people though!

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    Page 3 of 61

    Anchor Bar Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Anchor Bar

    Do we need a reservation?

    No, we did not make one. We were walk-ins.

    Is there ranch available as a dipping sauce?

    Yes

    Does this location have the meatless wings?

    I did not see them on the menu (6/2023).

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    You might also consider

    Duff's Famous Wings - Happiness in a Bowl!

    Duff's Famous Wings

    4.0(1.7k reviews)
    6.4 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Established in 1946

    We were in Buffalo to go to the AKG museum. We were inside for better than 3 hours and were hungry…read more Buffalo....Duff's wings. The GPS took us to the first location that opened (the waitress said the 1960s) a long time ago. The building is sitting at an angle from the road so go to the right and turn in to park or go past and turn right for the parking lot. Middle of the afternoon on a Thursday they weren't too busy. We were seated immediately and waited on quick. I wanted some clarity with the wing heat. Some places hot is mild or hot is burn your face off. She clarified the medium hot is hot so that's what I decided on for an order of 6. My sister isn't so much of a wing person so she decided on a grilled cheese. The waitress was pleasant and answered all the questions we had. The restaurant itself isn't too big but can seat a lot of people. Total wing vibe. Lots of different flavors and quantities went by...everything looked tasty and fresh. They had Yuengling on tap so that's what I ordered. She had a pepsi. Food arrived fast. The aroma was to die for (ok it burns the eyes a little...). Came with celery and blue cheese. The wings were amazing, some of the best I have ever eaten. Crunchy celery and cool dipping sauce. Bigger than most that I have ordered and very freshly prepared. After 6 I was filled up...but I ordered another brew just to wash it all down. If you're in Buffalo (or the area) it's definitely worth stopping to have a treat. Other Buffalo favorites are on the menu as well (Beef on Weck sandwich. We will definitely be back, more flavors to try and locations to enjoy.

    I came here again by myself while visiting a friend in town and was not disappointed. I turned into…read morea little piggy and ordered their Beef-on-Weck & Wing lunch special, with an extra side of fries. So much food, but so good. The sandwich was great and really salty (per the custom), but the bread became soggy pretty quick. I would dip it in the jus and try to bite it but the meat just couldn't be bit through and no matter how hard I tried it just made a sloppy mess. That was disappointing. The wings were ordered Medium Hot which they warn you is "Very Hot"... but it isn't. They were good, but next time I will order Hot because there was little to no burn. The fries were the frozen variety but nice, skinny and crispy. I liked dipping them in the leftover wing sauce. Next time, I will skip the sandwich and just get wings and fries. Hopefully it won't take me 5 years to come back.

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    Duff's Famous Wings
    Duff's Famous Wings
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    Outside

    Kelly's Korner - Med wings

    Kelly's Korner

    4.1(173 reviews)
    3.5 miNorth Buffalo
    $$

    Great local pub with excellent, no-nonsense bar food and a real Buffalo neighborhood vibe…read more The chicken fingers are hand-pounded, breaded, fried crispy, and then covered in their hot sauce. They were the best fingers I've had: tender, crispy, and packed with flavor. A single order comes with five large fingers, which is more than enough for two people. Their Beef on Weck is also a Buffalo classic done right. The beef was tender and flavorful, and there was horseradish on the table, which is exactly how it should be. The place was packed on a Wednesday night, but everyone we met was friendly and happy to give advice on favorite menu items. Those favorites are also featured on small framed boards around the walls, which adds to the local charm. We went to Anchor Bar the night before, and honestly, this was the much better option for Buffalo staple bar food. Great food, friendly people, and an authentic local feel.

    I've been to this bar quite a few times, usually just to drink though…read more Today, my brother took me to lunch here. I got a Roast Beef on Weck He got 10 Medium Garlic Wings & we split a basket of fries. Everything was delicious !! I tried one of his wings & it was crispy (if u like them that way,it was perfect) & very good. I ,myself would've gotten them dripping in Garlic Sauce. My Beef on Weck was huge !! The meat just fell apart. No chewing necessary (but it is encouraged ) I don't get full easy, but the 1 sandwich, 1 wing & a few fries & I was full !! Biggest RB sandwich I've ever had. They have the REAL Horseradish too, which I love & loaded my sandwich with. The bartender was super nice,friendly & funny. Very easy to talk to. I will definitely be returning. Prices were great t

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    Kelly's Korner - Menu boards

    Menu boards

    Kelly's Korner - Wings

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    Bar area

    Gabriel's Gate - Buffalo Chicken Wings

    Gabriel's Gate

    3.7(1.1k reviews)
    0.4 miAllentown
    $$

    I was craving French onion soup and my friend wanted pasta, so this place checked both boxes. The…read moreplace has an interesting cozy feel with dark, low lighting and church pews as booth seats. Fun. The menu is pretty big for a bar, a mix of regular bar food and a bunch of other options. Our waitress was really friendly and told me the French onion soup is one of their popular items, so that got me excited. It came out fast and it was pretty good. The croutons were honestly my favorite part, super seasoned and actually had flavor. This was only my second time having French onion soup though and I'm still on the fence... it felt like it was missing something, or maybe I just don't get the hype yet lol My friend got the chicken broccoli alfredo and I got the cajun chicken linguine. The portions are HUGE, like you're definitely not leaving hungry. She said hers didn't have much flavor even after adding salt and pepper and was already planning how she was going to fix it at home. My chicken was a little burnt so it was dry and kind of messed with the flavor, but the pasta itself was good. I loved that they added a little bread to soak up the sauce. The huge portions made up for the bland flavors. Not even gonna lie, a few bites in my stomach said "absolutely not" which is no fault of theirs, 100% on me for going all in on dairy, so my friend ended up taking both meals home. Overall I'd recommend it if you like a bar vibe, big portions, and solid food. 8.3/10

    We came to try one thing... The wings. They did not disappoint…read more Judging Buffalo wings is really a personal journey because everyone is so different on their likes and dislikes. For me, I like my wings crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, well cooked. The wings I had here were excellent. But all the flavor was in the sauce, whereas some people like dry rubs or smoked wings. The restaurant is old and and is not modern in any way. The lighting is a little on the dark side. The service was OK, not fantastic. Would go again, and they deserve 4 stars.

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    Gabriel's Gate - Entrance

    Entrance

    Gabriel's Gate - Garlic Bread

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    Doc Sullivan's - Smash burger, Cajun dry rub, spicy garlic parm, and Jamaican jerk

    Doc Sullivan's

    3.9(189 reviews)
    4.5 miSouth Buffalo
    $$

    I was really looking forward to this stop of our 8 stop tour. We got medium and beef on weck wings…read more. The neighborhood was one of the nicest of our whole trip. The restaurant was really cool .... But The wings tasted liked they fried in the same oil as fish and it was just of putting. I wish I could have gotten past that but it was in my mind as I was trying the wings. Hopefully it was just a fluke and everyone else has a great experience. We don't live close so the chance I trying them again will probably be rare.

    When it comes to the local Buffalo specialty of chicken wings, every local has a strong opinion as…read moreto where to find the best. I visit the city every year in the fall, and I am still trying all of the wing places that have been recommended. The latest on my list was Doc Sullivan's, a very, VERY local watering hole. This is the kind of place that makes you immediately remember that you are absolutely not from here, but in the best possible way. Doc's is a historic, no-frills neighborhood pub smack in the heart of South Buffalo's Irish Heritage district. The second we walked in as clearly obvious outsiders, the entire room of rough-and-tumble regulars seemed to pause their conversations, turn towards the door, and stare at us. Even the bartender (who also doubled as the host and our waiter) clocked us immediately with a cheerful, "Hey visitors!" It was hilarious and broke the awkwardness we were starting to feel. Everyone was incredibly nice and welcoming once the moment passed, but it was clear we stood out from the regular crowd. If you have an aversion to dive bars, this is not the place for you because Doc's is not fancy. It's well-worn and smells like Fabuloso cleaner mixed with stale cigarette smoke and old beer. I was surprised at how clean the place was, but it does have that dive bar smell and feel. I felt like I'd walked onto a movie set because this place screams Buffalo, and does so loudly and proudly. I'm not a fan of chicken wings, but my hubby is. Food-wise, he ordered a half dozen of the famous Smitty Wings at the suggestion of the bartender, which come coated in the house's unique spiced butter sauce along with a half dozen with hot sauce. He liked the Smitty wings fine, but preferred the classic hot Buffalo wings, which he said had legit heat and were "more than decent." Not his all-time favorite wings, but still tasty and meaty enough to earn his respect. I went with the buffalo chicken sandwich, which was massive. It was a fried chicken breast patty on a super soft, fresh roll with lettuce, tomato, and onions, tossed in a mild Buffalo sauce that had just enough heat for a timid spice girl like me. The quality was good, but not great, and it was basically the same chicken sandwich you can get at dozens of places around town (it was very similar to the same menu item at the Anchor Bar, for example). The fries were nothing special, and they tasted like regular old french fries you'd get at your local deli. They were freshly fried, hot and crispy, and we both appreciated that malt vinegar was already on the table. We had a good experience at Doc Sullivan's, but agreed that we would not go out of our way to eat here again. I wouldn't call it a must-do for foodies, but I'm still really glad we went. While the food wasn't all that memorable, it felt like a true local Buffalo experience that you don't get at polished, tourist-friendly spots. This is the place if you want to soak up local character and are seeking another stop on your buffalo wing eating tour.

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    Doc Sullivan's - Nice horseshoe bar

    Nice horseshoe bar

    Doc Sullivan's - Beef on weck wings tasted liked

    Beef on weck wings tasted liked

    Doc Sullivan's - Cool front of pub

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    Cool front of pub

    Anchor Bar - chicken_wings - Updated June 2026

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