AfterWork: Buffalo Wild Wings in Orange
I am easily amazed, and one easy and constant source of amazement for me is the growing popularity of boneless wings.
I just don't get it. A wing has bones. Boneless wings are not wings. They are bone-free pieces of chicken.
A wing is fun and messy to eat. A boneless wing is eaten with a fork. Eating pieces of chicken with a fork is not fun. You might as well be eating vegetables.
The whole boneless versus real wing debate was brought home on a recent visit to Orange County's newest Buffalo Wild Wings at The Outlets at Orange, which used to be The Block at Orange.
Buffalo Wild Wings, a national chain with the motto "Live by the sauce, dine by the sauce," have been popping up all over the county, and this latest branch has been open less than two weeks. But it didn't take long for lines to form.
When we dropped by on a Friday night for happy hour, there was a wait for dinner tables.
Obviously, this chain's reputation preceded the Orange opening. People like their wings. And they like their boneless pieces of chicken that taste like wings.
The wings (boneless and otherwise) are offered with more than a dozen sauces, including five variations of Buffalo-style, from the wimpy mild to the always intimidating "blazin.' "
The most popular sauce is the Honey BBQ, followed closely by Mango Habanero. Of course, if you combined all five Buffalo sauces, Honey BBQ wouldn't be close.
Personally, I'm a Buffalo sauce guy, on the hot side, but I can appreciate a Spicy Garlic, a Caribbean Jerk or a Parmesan Garlic.
No sauce is good enough to get me to eat boneless wings. It's not right.
As for happy hour, the Orange restaurant offers selected appetizers and sides at discounts, but negotiations are ongoing on drink discounts. Other restaurants in the shopping center have full happy hours, so I assume Buffalo Wild Wings eventually will get the city's OK.
The new restaurant has a sports theme, with 60 TVs, and a huge outdoor patio.
Contact the writer: 714-796-5051, ext. 1110, or bkoltnow@ocregister.com
