Anchor Bar now in San Antonio, TX - Billsbackers?

[jamze132]

So an Anchor Bar just opened a few minutes from me and I'm taking my family there this evening so they can experience a real buffalo wing. Better not disappoint! I hope they get a Billsbackers chapter!

http://www.mysanantonio.com/food/restaurants/article/Only-Texas-Anchor-Bar-inventor-of-Buffalo-wings-11277553.php

[SpikedLemonade]

We have one in Hamilton and it is just not the same as in Buffalo.

Besides Duff's and Gabriel's Gate are better.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Duff's is the worst.......

[SpikedLemonade]

Duff's is the worst.......

The original or all of them?

[OpIv37]

Duff's is the worst.......

Here's the thing: People in WNY need to temper their expectations when they leave WNY. The best example I can give is Wegman's subs. I ate them when I was working there out of convenience but always found them inferior to places like Rubino's. When we were living in VA and finally got a few Wegman's stores, the subs were still far superior to any of the sorry excuses for subs that were available locally. Same is true now that we are in Baltimore.

Anchor Bar is ok- there are definitely better places in Buffalo and Rochester. Anchor Bar outside of Buffalo? Still by far the best thing outside of a 50 mile radius of Buffalo.

[feldspar]

So an Anchor Bar just opened a few minutes from me and I'm taking my family there this evening so they can experience a real buffalo wing. Better not disappoint! I hope they get a Billsbackers chapter!

http://www.mysanantonio.com/food/restaurants/article/Only-Texas-Anchor-Bar-inventor-of-Buffalo-wings-11277553.php

Tell us how it was, dammit.

[kgun12]

Here's the thing: People in WNY need to temper their expectations when they leave WNY. The best example I can give is Wegman's subs. I ate them when I was working there out of convenience but always found them inferior to places like Rubino's. When we were living in VA and finally got a few Wegman's stores, the subs were still far superior to any of the sorry excuses for subs that were available locally. Same is true now that we are in Baltimore.

Anchor Bar is ok- there are definitely better places in Buffalo and Rochester. Anchor Bar outside of Buffalo? Still by far the best thing outside of a 50 mile radius of Buffalo.

Agreed, I live in Michigan now, I haven't found a good sub except when I drive two hours to a Debella's, I would kill for a good slice of pizza and the wings in most places are breaded and baked with Franks Red hot sauce not butter just sauce and served with ranch dressing! Oh and the best Italian restaurant in a 50 mile radius of where I live is Olive Garden and we all know they suck!

[OpIv37]

Agreed, I live in Michigan now, I haven't found a good sub except when I drive two hours to a Debella's, I would kill for a good slice of pizza and the wings in most places are breaded and baked with Franks Red hot sauce not butter just sauce and served with ranch dressing! Oh and the best Italian restaurant in a 50 mile radius of where I live is Olive Garden and we all know they suck!
Yeah, I've basically given up on Buffalo style wings. There's a place walking distance from our house that makes honey ghost wings that have been featured on Guy Fieri's show, and they also have Asian wings. If I want wings, I'll get those because the Buffalo style wings just don't hold up. Also, no one calls them "Buffalo wings" in WNY. They're chicken wings or simply wings.

And it's bad enough that the wings suck but the ranch thing is infuriating. I guarantee that the only people putting ranch on wings in WNY right now are some fat Southern tourists at a Niagara Falls Denny's. When I was living in Northern VA, one of my buddies from back home lived nearby. He decided to move to San Diego and we went out shortly before he left. He ordered wings and the waitress asked if he wanted ranch or blue cheese and he had this purely visceral reaction: "Ranch, what the ****? Why the hell would anyone put ranch on wings? just bring be the blue cheese!"

He started his own company that's been successful out there. The company is named Visceral and I often wonder if that moment was what inspired the name.

- - - Updated - - -

Oh, and we don't have an Anchor Bar in Balt but we do have a Dinosaur BBQ. Probably gonna go this weekend.

[OpIv37]

Agreed, I live in Michigan now, I haven't found a good sub except when I drive two hours to a Debella's, I would kill for a good slice of pizza and the wings in most places are breaded and baked with Franks Red hot sauce not butter just sauce and served with ranch dressing! Oh and the best Italian restaurant in a 50 mile radius of where I live is Olive Garden and we all know they suck!

Oh and about the Olive Garden- I don't like this guy's politics but he's funny as ****

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0TOgtnYV7ek" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[BillyT92679]

What's amazing is how many upstate restaurants became close to national chains. Dibellas, Anchor Bar, Duff's, Dino BBQ, heck Wegmans even though it's a grocery store.

[kgun12]

Oh and about the Olive Garden- I don't like this guy's politics but he's funny as ****

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0TOgtnYV7ek" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Very true, I always tell people, no respecting Italian would be caught dead at an Olive Garden.

As far as wings go, we bought one of those small fryers, my brother owns a bar in Syracuse and has been voted best wings in Syracuse many times. so I just make my own. I don't know what the hell to do about the pizza?

[OpIv37]

What's amazing is how many upstate restaurants became close to national chains. Dibellas, Anchor Bar, Duff's, Dino BBQ, heck Wegmans even though it's a grocery store.

I think there are two main reasons for this:

1. There are no jobs in WNY so a lot of us leave and get homesick. Go to any overpopulated area and there are thousands of WNY expats looking for a taste of home
2. There are so many Italians in WNY and you can't sell bad food to an Italian. When the WNY places go to other cities, the quality blows people away cuz they aren't used to it.

People around here are blown away by Wegmans. They don't understand that for WNYer's, it's simply how it's done. Even Tops is better than chains like Giant and Safeway because Wegmans forces them to compete.

[OpIv37]

Very true, I always tell people, no respecting Italian would be caught dead at an Olive Garden.

As far as wings go, we bought one of those small fryers, my brother owns a bar in Syracuse and has been voted best wings in Syracuse many times. so I just make my own. I don't know what the hell to do about the pizza?

We got lucky and an Italian from Jersey opened a pizza joint two blocks from our house. Still not quite as good as some of the places I like in Rochester but it's close. Aside from that, might as well go frozen and save the money because most of the pizza joints aren't much better.

[ckg927]

Op: You mentioned Rochester. Any opinion on the Salvatore's chain(which is local, thankfully)?

The CLOSEST we get to that here is LaNova's(which only has 2 locations)or Just Pizza(which has 9). With me, I don't use chains(local or national); I've gotten pizza(and other stuff)from Wiseguys Pizza on Seneca St.(and they're VERY good, with a good reputation to boot!), as well as a few other pizzerias within a short drive from where I live.

[OpIv37]

For Rochester, Marks is my favorite. Salvatore's is good. I use to like Pontillos but I had I about two months ago when I was there and was not impressed

[OpIv37]

We actually didn't make it to Dinosaur BBQ this weekend, but we are meeting my family and some Rochester friends for the O's game on Wed. May try to go for some pre-gaming if I can get out of work early enough.

[jamze132]

Tell us how it was, dammit.

Sorry for the delay in reporting back...they were on point! Best wings I've had here in Texas.

[YardRat]

I hope you planted a Bills flag or at least a hat in the place.

[jamze132]

I hope you planted a Bills flag or at least a hat in the place.

They've already got that covered. Even have a Mike Mularkey auto photo!

[YardRat]

Nice.

[SpikedLemonade]

I gather the criticism of Duff's is that there is too much sauce.

I like lots of sauce as long as the wing itself (I prefer flats over the drummettes) are cooked properly to crisp perfection.