Having had the opportunity to eat at some of the best wing joints in the US, I was sorely disappointed in the food, cleanliness, customer service, and overall first impression of Buffalo Joes. The wings were soggy, swimming in a gag-inducing mild sauce, and fatty. I am so used to grilled, crispy/charred, or at least baked crisp and not soggy wings. Mother Pluckers throughout Texas is a good example of awesome wings. Spending a few days shadowing that Texas institution might serve the ownership of Buffalo Joes well. I doubt if I will ever go back to BJs again. Regardless of the reviews, it's prima facie evidence that the fans and locals have limited experience in what a good wing tastes like. read more

Buffalo Joe's - The fatty oils and grease slides of the soggy curves of every wing. Look at the puddle of liquid at the bottom of the container. - Chicken Wings Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Not really a picky wing-eater, and I'm good with their sauces. The wings are kind of small though compared to other places nearby, and I prefer the big and juicy ones with meat. Don't be surprised by poor customer service here. read more

Who eats buffalo wings for breakfast? We do. Mostly because we woke up at lunch time, but that is neither here nor there. LOCATION/ATMOSPHERE The location in downtown Evanston is perfect for students and residents alike. The vibe is quite "divey" and it is obvious that Buffalo Joe's is a local spot. Because of this, the inside is not the cleanest I've seen but it didn't bother me much. FOOD The wings themselves were a little bit smaller and drier than I was hoping for. We got the spiciest option with jalapeno on the side...The jalapeno was just the canned kind, which made it seem even cheaper. Celery was included on the side. Crisp and fresh, nothing out of the ordinary. I also got a baked potato on the side, which was basic and microwaved and a little expensive for being microwaved. SERVICE/VALUE The only reason we went to Buffalo Joe's was because a friend insisted we tried it because it was "AMAZING". As a result, our expectations were high and we were sorely disappointed by the average quality of the food. At least it was not expensive so we didn't feel like we wasted our money. The employees were casual and friendly, if not a little brusque. However, they did let us try some gumbo, which was DELICIOUS. Next time I'll just get the gumbo and skip the chicken wings. read more

Buffalo Joe's - Chicken Wings Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

My favorite place in Chicago for spicy chicken wings. I always get a single order of spicy wings with their fries and a RC! Highly recommend!!! read more

See all

I'm glad to hear people refer to these wings as quite possibly the best wings around Chi. Have tried quite a few spots on the Northside and limited spots on the South and Westside. These were easily the best "hot" wings around the greater Chicago area imo. Get the suicide and cheese waffle fries. That should be sufficient. This spot or chicken shack are good sunday spots. Yeah, Nevin's pub has NFL ticket but I'd always wait to finish games and grab food from here or south of Howard. The sauce for the wings has the perfect balance between butter and hot sauce. The wings are crispy but not overcooked. One thing I haven't found on the east coast, west coast, or in the south is a good hot wing sauce that doesn't enhance the sogginess multiplier of the wings. These suicide wings stay as crispy as a dry rub lemon pepper/cajun seasoning. Baffles my mind. There is a location on either side of the train tracks and most students stay on this side. read more

Immediately walking into the store, my friends and I lowkey regret entering this place and started feeling a bit intimidated. It was our first time in Evanston and we were unfamiliar with the neighborhood. I timidly placed our double order of chicken wings and was curious if I could pick two sauce for the wings. The waiter replied to my question by a roll of her eyes and I was a bit lost..so I asked to clarify "yes I can pick two sauces or no I can't?" and she roughly answered no. So I settled for the BBQ flavored wings with an order of waffle fries. It came out to less than $20 and enough to feed 3 people. CASH ONLY. The food came out fairly fast and we quickly dug in. After the first bite, all my regrets of coming into this store went away and I was in chicken wing heaven. The wings were perfectly crispy and a right portion of meat on each wing. The double order came with carrots and celery. And the waffle fries were yummy, too! Cheap metered parking across the street and around the neighborhood. Walking distance to Northwestern campus. read more

Buffalo Joe's - Double order of bbq & a side of waffle fries - Chicken Wings Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Terrible, awful, inedible, chicken wings without actual chicken meat. Some people have nostalgia vision with this place but even BWW has better wings than this trash hole. read more

Probably the closest yet I have come to what I would imagine they intended buffalo wings to be. Buff Joes has to be on my top...3 of wings destinations. I was intro-ed to said wings several years ago in my high school years. I still feel like Im cutting class when I sit down to eat over there. So anywho..why I am writing a review now? Because I have never attempted to tackle a party platter in one sitting....till now. I speak of the $40 platter thats supposed to serve 8-12 people I believe? I have no idea what possessed my friends and I (yes! grammar skills) to attempt to tackle such a feat. Let me just clarify I speak of 4 people for this platter of glory. This stint of gluttony was the brain child of pure spontaneity and opportunity. 4 people, $40...how could you go wrong?? About 45minutes later..me and my partner in crime inhaled about low-mid 30s each. The 2 others wimped out and had about 10-15 each. A late comer came into the equation contributing another 10-15. In the conclusion of this session of man v food..... Food came out victorious...there was about 12 wings left. Think about that for a sec..that is a massive amount of wings! And let me tell you..grease, and spice.......youre just asking for it. A dastardly duo of disaster; definitely! They device a fiendish evac. Regardless of what is left on the plate after any gluttony bout...trust me, FOOD ALWAYS COME OUT ON TOP. read more

Ok here's the news; Got a lil hungry didn't want mah leftovers ha ha WHo doesn't !! So I was like imma catch that sweet purple line express up to Evanstonia to get some Bj's and BOY did I get some bj's ha ha lemme tell u Wut yum yum !! I got the wings. So I got the wings and they were great rly slobbering U know yum! Wow just. Ok so I got the wings are em up slurslurp yum! Sometimes when I come here I realize that, u know, maybe lif e isn't worth liveing but u know Wut maybe it is b/c of how good bj's is. Rly down w/ this place, down w/ the stuff they serve u RIGHT lemme tell u.5/5 read more

Buffalo Joe's - Me w/ food - Chicken Wings Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Best wings in Chicago! Spicy when you want it spicy and sweet when you want them sweet! Need I say more...

Comfort food when you're craving fried and unhealthy artery clogging substances. The location on Howard Street in Chicago needs a bath, a major remodeling. The location in Evanston is better. read more

Small. That's what comes to mind now when I came here on a recent visit. BuJoe's used to be a staple of my adolescence. Splitting a party pan of 'Suicide' where it was so hot it looked like my friends and I had spent the day at the pool. A huge cup 'Gutbuster' size lemonade to wash it down and a tray of celery and ranch-you know for the healthy part of the meal. The wings now are small-just so tiny that it made me want to cry a little over the now former memories of big wings/drummettes that used to be the calling card here along with the 'Suicide' sauce which was so hot but now seems a little tame by comparison-maybe my taste buds are dying off in my old age but I think they are just using a weaker hot sauce. RIP Buffalo Joe, you're not what you used to be. I'll miss you. read more

It's always fun to come here for a late night dinner with friends. Unfortunately, I've noticed that their wings have gotten even smaller. There was barely any meat and what meat there was on the bones were very tough. The celery that came with our order was not washed well and I was so desperate to combat the saltiness of the wings with the celery that I ended up wiping the dirt off with the napkins.. but gross. The cheese fries were the only thing that made the meal yummy. read more

I have been going here ever since highschool and it is still my all time favorite place for wings. Wings are one of my favorite types of foods so there are times I stop by here multiple times a week. There are some times that the wings are small in size, but I go there so much that it usually balances out lol. read more

I drive all the way from Humboldt park to eat these delicious wings. I am giving a 1 star rating because the women who answered was VERY rude and hung up as I was deciding what flavor I wanted. VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH MY EXPERIENCE ORDERING. read more

The food deserves 5 stars. Their wings are the absolute best. I drove about an hour out of the way to get them. That being said I will not be returning until post pandemic. Walked up to find a full staff of unmasked employees inside the restaurant, including the people preparing the food and the person bringing it out. I asked if I needed to call in the order and was met with a rude response. I work in a restaurant and get that wearing a mask a whole shift sucks, but I'm not trying to put myself at risk for wings, as delicious as they are. I will try again later when things are safer. read more

Great wings, terrible service. Seriously, the wings alone would get 5 stars. But the service is seriously lacking. They have no patience for you to read the menu, and get upset by questions. They will not give you a cup for water. Absolutely not, under no circumstances. I even offered to pay for the cup. Wings are saucy, salty, and spicy, hydration is important. They will only sell bottled water or fountain soda. They are cash only. Welcome to 2018, I think it's time Joe. With mobile payments becoming prevalent, you've almost skipped cards completely. The whole place feels dirty. Tables are sticky, floor is full of crumbs. I hope they keep the kitchen area cleaner. Oh, and they eat in the kitchen while prepping the food, that's gross. Sorry Joe, your wings are great, but I can't overlook the issues any longer. read more

i want my wedding, birth of first born, and funeral to all happen at buffalo joe's clark street. i love this place more than life itself 5 starssssssssssss read more

Ho hum. Had wings and cheddar burger. Burger ok, fresh ingredients, good grilled flavor. Wings mediocre, not bad not inspiring. Waffle fries were delicious. read more

Great wings. Good family spot. We cater for games. read more

Pretty good wings. The service is really good and quick. Every one is willing to help and take your order. The wings were packed with flavor. The wings are pretty small and don't really fill you up. It's more of a local wing spot for college kids. Great wings with awesome flavor though. read more

The more things change... the more they stay the same... mostly. Back in the day I would have had an order of Wings... suicide... a Cheddar Char Burger, Cheddar Char Chips and an RC Gut buster. That was in my NU days... but on a recent visit back to Evanston, we made a late night run to our old, favorite haunt. We went spicy with the Wings this time... and while they were good, they were not as good as we remembered... a little too fried and greasy, perhaps. Hmm... We skipped the Chips (waffle fries) but went for a Burger, too. That was even better than I remembered... So darn good... the juices from the meat soaked the cheese spread bun perfectly... mustard and ketchup... pickles, tomato and lettuce... Simple but stunningly delicious. I can still taste it. Mmmm! read more

Still loving Buf Joes as the wife and I continue visit on a frequent basis. Remember to ask for well done if you like your wings crispy

Man, oh, man! This place right here....is golden. I'm not sure if this restaurant is all over Chicago but let me tell you something..it needs to be. I saw a coworker eating wings one day for lunch and I was just like those look awfully good! For a second, I thought it was from Harold's (because I'm not from here) and he's all like no, "buffalo joes" So you know me, (well you don't know me) but I had to give this place a try! I went with my roommate and I ordered the suicide wings with a side of fries. I was a little blown because they only accepted cash so I trekked to find an ATM then later realized there was one inside of the restaurant. It came up to like $12. I was like this food better be damned good! the wait wasn't long at all but let me tell you, it was WELL worth it. My wings were like hot wings with jalepenos on them...omg my mouth is watering just thinking about it. It was SO!!!!! Good. Like, I have found my new place for whenever I'm craving wings. And the fries...SOOOOOOO good. They're like waffle fries but whatever seasoning that they use...it's amazing. Let me tell you. I will definitely be back for more read more

Buffalo Joe's - Suicide wings and fries - Chicken Wings Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I LOVE Buffalo Joes. It's not close to where we live but it's so worth it that we do it. I always get the mild wings and never disappointed. The only thing I don't like and this is purely personal is their cheese. I would love it if their cheese was the same type as portillos. Service has never been a problem. read more

The best wings and chedda chips around! Buff Joes does things the right way. One of the many things I miss about the North Shore food scene. read more

Buffalo Joe's - Wings and Chedda Chips - Chicken Wings Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

Oooh Buff Joes... My favorite place to eat in Evanston. The wangs are thee bomdiggidy and the cheese waffle fries. Mmm. Con: Kind of dirty and they don't accept cards. Oh well big whoop right? The best wings place for me so far. read more

Buffalo Joe's - Chicken Wings Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

See all

Two Chicago dogs, chili fries and 2 beers for $19. Cash only but holy shit is it worth it. The guy was so nice, piped up samples of chili before we were even considering it. I see why this is the best in the area!!! Will be back! read more

Buffalo Joe's - Two Chicago dogs, chili fries and 2 beers for $19. Cash only but holy shit is it worth it. - Chicken Wings Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

I used to go here regularly about 20 years ago. Decided to take my boyfriend since we were in the area and boy am I glad I did. I was worried it might not be as good as I remember, but they were just as good and reminded me just how much I Love Buffalo Joe's! I am not there for the "service" like some people commented on. With food as good as theirs I really don't pay attention to the people who work there - and for the record, they were just fine for me, so no complaints there! Their wings are so damn good - suicide!!! Mmmmmm!!! And the Buffalo Chips (waffle fries) with the cheese are a perfect side to go with the wings! And who doesn't enjoy RC??? They even had a giant oatmeal chocolate chip cookie - which are my favorite, for only $0.79 each, can't beat that! Love this place... can't wait to go back again! Hopefully it won't be another 20 years! read more

A classic, an original, a legend in its own time. When wing aficionados, Northwestern Alums, or connoisseurs of cheap eats fly into Chicago, it's not the Mag mile or reflective bean they wanna see -- it's 'Take me straight to Buffalo Joe's!' A tradition and an obsession, BJ's has a no bs style all it's own. You can't say no to their chicken wing sauces, and you'll always want more ranch dressing. read more

I will travel far for these wings........ seriously my favorite wing sauce....waffle fries are perfect with the ranch dressing.... it's something about their sauce and dressing.... I've been coming here for more than 20years..... I even rode my bicycle from the south side to this location just for wings... and it's the greatest reward... read more

See all

This was Sweetie's favorite wing place in Chicago, so I had to stop by on the way through last week. Especially after she forbade me to stop at any BBQ places on the south side... Nice little college-town wing joint. Looks really small, but once you order you see there's a bigger room in back to eat. Service was efficient and friendly. Order sizes are big- I got a single and worried that it would be enough, but it was plenty. Nice meaty wings, good sauce (I got BBQ.) I got a side of celery, which was also good sized. Between a few veggies, lots of wings, and some RC, I was fully satisfied. Can't wait to go back. read more

Best wings in the entire Chicago area. Spicy wings with the waffle cheese fries. Fire.

It's been awhile since I had Buffalo Joes and was really excited to tried it again. Worst Wings ever. The wings were old and definitely not fresh, the fries were horrible as well. For the price not worth it would never go back. read more

I have been coming to buffalo Joes for a long time now. Sure, their wings have become much smaller. We can't do anything about it. On the bright side, their sauce hasn't changed one bit. The waffle fries are perfectly seasoned and piping hot and fresh. Back to these amazing wings. I am still proud of this place despite their ever shrinking wing size. Every time I have a friend from out of town, I take them here. The sauce makes it worth while. My friend loved the wings so much....i believe he moved here for them! (Maybe) The problem is the staff is on the rude side and they are really stingy on the ranch/ bleu Cheese. They do not take credit cards. The drinks (unless otherwise ordered) come heavily iced. The place is tiny and needs to desperately be remodeled and updated to 2009. The bathrooms are kinda clean. You would think I would give this place 3 stars considering the negatives I have for this place...right? WRONG. I love these wings so much that I will STILL, despite the negatives(which are pretty serious in most peoples books, give this place 4 stars. For 24 or so wings its $10 bucks For 15 its like $7 Try them....make the trip... you won't regret or forget the adventure you and your taste buds go on. word to the wise: Check out the waffle fries (omg, that rhymes hahahaha) read more

The wings of the place is awesome! You won't find lots of flavors like you would at bw3, just mild, spicy, and suicide. The breading is not too much, but the crisp was perfect. =============================== And now my signature bathroom review! =============================== the place itself is kind of a hole in the wall. That being said, I didn't expect too much from it. And it's pretty much true. It's a place to take a leak, and then get the f out. So sit or squat? Squat... And flush the toilet by kicking the toilet handle down, because gawd knows what's touch that toilet handle read more

OH MY WORD. the wings here are DELICIOUS UGHAS;LDIFAH;SLDIFH i always crave these things and then GET SLAPPED IN THE FACE BY REALITY because... its a bit of a drive for me to get here but just thinking about these wonderful heavenly saucy tastey oh not so little wings goodness gracious and the CHEDDAR CHIPS screw diets and if ur gonna cheat might as well make it a WORTHY CHEAT COME TO BUFFALO JOESS! read more

Would probably be a really good place for wings if their sauce wasn't so sour and the chickens they use aren't so scrawny. We got the spicy and suicide sauce, but the sauce was more sour than spicy. It was so overwhelming that I eventually had to blot in a napkin before eating it. Suicide is essentially spicy sauce with jalapeños. If you prefer the sour taste of buffalo sauce though, it is the place for you! Their single portion is very generous--around 12 wings for $8. Make sure you bring cash because this place is cash only!! read more

Buffalo Joe's - Single portion of spicy sauce w/ suicide sauce on the side - Chicken Wings Near Me - Evanston, Illinois

If you're from the Northside of Chicago you know where to get wings. Buffalo Joes has always been around. You can get your wings pretty quick and get to your game you want to watch. Can never go wrong with Buffalo Joes! read more

See all

Yu-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ummmm!! Hands down best wings in Chicago. You get about 15 or so wings for a single order. The wing sizes are on the small side, just like I like it. I want to eat wings not drumsticks. The sauce is what makes the wings. It perfectly coats the wings and is fantastic. I always get a single order with waffles fries and cheese on the side. Waffle fries are solid. I recommend getting the cheese on the side. The cheese isn't liquidy nacho cheese, this cheese coagulates after a while and it's a nice compliment to the wings. Service is okay and the place isn't very tidy but this isn't fine dining, you come here because the wings are freaking delicious. read more

Buffalo Joe's - Chicken Wings Near Me - Evanston, Illinois