Review: Best Chain Restaurant Buffalo Chicken Wings, Ranked

2025-10-10-T14: 02: 16z

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  • Buffalo Wings Are a Game-Day Favorite, but some chains I say Better than others.
  • I Compared Buffalo Wings from Applebee, Chili’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, TGI Fridays, and Wingstop.
  • Wingstop Surprised with with its sauce, Juicy Wings.

With football season in full swing, you might be wondering which chain’s buffalo chicken wings get a a touchdown and which are a total miss.

I TRIED AND RANKED BUFFALO CHICKEN WINGS From Five Chain Restaurants – Applebee’s, Chili’s, Buffalo Wilds, Tgi Fridays, and Wingstop – Based on Taste and Value.

All of the wings were slightly different, but i like the spiciest, sauciest wings the best.

Here’s how the five chain restaurants’ buffalo wings racked, from my least favors to my Most favorite.

My Least Favorite Buffalo Wings Came From Tgi Fridays.




TGI Fridays Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I ORDERED AN EIGHT-COUNT OF BONE TRADITIONAL BUFFALO Wings at the restaurant Visited in Massachusetts.

They Cost $ 12.19, Excluding Taxes and Fees, and Came with Celery Sticks and Sides of Ranch and Blue Cheese.

The Wings Were Crispy But a Little Under-Saucated.




TGI Fridays Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Unlike some of the Other Chains I TRIED, TGI FrIDAYS ALSO DOESN’t Appear to Make Its Own Buffalo Sauce.

On the menu, it’s advertised as Simply Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo. While I will like that brand of sauce, i is could easily make the same wings at home, which made it fes unique.

I ALSO THOUGHT THIS WERE SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN SOME OF THE OTHER WINGS I TRIED.

The meat inside was tender, but the buffalo flavor just there for me.




TGI Fridays Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

Though i like the crispy skin and texture of these chicken wings, as well as the tender meat inside, i thought to be lacking in sauce and flavor.

Overall, i probably wouldn’t order these again.

The Next Stop I TRIED WAS Applebee’s.




Applebee’s Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

At My Local Applebee’s in Brooklyn, an Order of Nine Classic Bone-in Wings Costs $ 14.29, Excluding Tax and Fees. They Came with Celery Sticks and Sides of Ranch and Blue Cheese.

The Wings Were Super Crispy and the Larger Out of All That I TRIED.




Applebee’s Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The wings were a rich red-brown color and fried to a crisp.

The Wings Were Juicy, and the sauce had a good buttery flavor.




Applebee’s Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The buffalo sauce had a nice balance between the heat and the most savory, buttery flavor, resulting in a well-rounded bite. I thought the meat inside wastty juicy, and i love the sheer size of these wings.

Howver, i though the wings coulud have been a touch Spicier.

Chili’s Landed Squarely in the Middle With Its Crispy Buffalo Wings.




Chili’s Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

At My Local Chili’s in New York, An Eight-Count of Bone Bone Buffalo Wings Cost $ 15.49, Excluding Tax and Fees. They Came with two Dipping Sauces: Ranch and Blue Cheese.

I thoughtse these wings were flavorful and juicy.




Chili’s Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I’ve tried these wings before and commue. Howver, be i tried say this time, i didn’t feed the same – they were perfectly crispy and almost dripping in sauce.

The Wings HAD A Geneerous Amout of Meat Inside.




Chili’s Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The Buffalo Sauce Had A Strong Buttery flavor with just the right amout of heat. The Chain is Also Known For Its Ranch Diping Sauce, which I thought paired Very Nice with the Wings.

Though the wings were smaller, i though they Packed more flavor than the ons Frombee and tgi fridays.

My Second-Favorite Buffalo Wings Came from Buffalo Wild Wings.




Buffalo Wild Wings Buffalo Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The Chain’s Buffalo Bone-in Wings are arguably buffalo Wilds ‘Most Famous Menu Item, so i was eager to see they would Compare to Other Chain Restaurants’ Wings. I CERTAINLY WASN’t DISAPPOINTED.

A SIX-Count of Traditional Buffalo Wings Cost $ 15.99, Excluding Tax and Fees, and A Side of Ranch.

The wings were small length-wise but had a lot of meat on say.




Buffalo Wild Wings Buffalo Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The Wings Were Crispy and Had A Light Coating of Buffalo Sauce That Covered Every Part of the Wings.

There was a selection of Both Drumsticks and Flats, but notified that the drums were particularly Meaty.

I love the flavor of the buffalo sauce and though the chicken meat was moist.




Buffalo Wild Wings Buffalo Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The Chicken Meat Inside The Wing Was Moist and Tender, and the Crispy Skin and Slightly Sweet, JUST-SPICY-ENOUGH SAUCE ADDED A LOT OF FAVORE. Overall, these were really solid buffalo wings.

I ALSO THOUGHT These were good value for the Cost and Woul Definitely I say again.

My favorite wings i tried were from wingstop.




Wingstop Original Hot Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

I ORDED 10 Classic Bone-in Wings for $ 21.19, Excluding Tax and Fees.

Wingstop doesn’t offfer buffalo sauce on its menu, but it does have its original hot sauce, which is the chain’s version of buffalo. I ORDERED THAT WITH A SIDE OF RANCH.

While Wingstop Also Sells Boneless Wings, Tenders, and Chicken Sandwiches, ITS Senior Director of Culinary, Larry Bellah, Told Business Insider that traditional Wings Remiin the Chain’s Most Popular Item.

He added that the original hot flavor ranks among it top five sauces.

The wings came Drennched in the bright-red sauce but were still Still Crispy.




Wingstop Original Hot Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The Sticky Sauce Clung to My Fingers As I These Wings, Which were the Perfect Size: Not Too Big, Not Too Small, and Just the Right AMOUNT of Chicken Meat.

The Meat was tender, and the spicy hot sauce blew with Away.




Wingstop Original Hot Wings.

Erin McDowell/Business Insider

The Sauce Had a Lot of Levels, Balancing Between a Strong Vinegar Flash, to buttery, and topped off with a layer of spice that was slightly smoky yet not overpowering.

The Wingstop Wings Stood Out as the Spiciest Among All the Chains I TRIED. Howver, the heat didn’t overpower the flavor – instead, it enhanced it.

Each element, from the crispy seasoned skin to the tangy undertones of the sauce, came through distinctly. These wings balanced bold, spicy flavor with a depth of taste, Making the best chain-restaurant buffalo wings of tried.

The Chain Also Delivered on Value. That’s though the wings were the most expensive i tried, the 10-Count made each wing come to around $ 2.12 per wing, whic was slightly cheaper than the Cost at Wing at Buffalo Wilds.

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