With the wide range of restaurants and bars that serve buffalo wings, it’s hard to imagine a world without these saucy, savory snacks. In reality, buffalo wings haven’t been around for very long. You can learn more about the surprising history of buffalo wings below.

Who Invented Buffalo Wings?

A few sources claim to be the creators of wings, but the most likely inventor is Teresa Bellissimo, co-owner of the Anchor Bar. In 1964, she and her husband Frank received a shipment of chicken wings by mistake, rather than the necks and backs they would normally use for spaghetti sauce. Before the advent of the buffalo wing, wings were considered the least useful part of the chicken. Restaurants would typically throw them out. According to Frank, he did not want the wings to go to waste and asked Teresa to cook up something special as an appetizer. She cut them in half, deep-fried them, slathered them in a homemade hot sauce, and served them alongside some celery and blue cheese. 

Frank and Teresa’s son Dominic had a different version of the tale. While the recipe and inventor remain the same, Dominic denied both the accidental shipment and his father’s involvement. In his story, he asked his mother to cook up a midnight snack for some hungry regulars. Regardless of the reason, buffalo wings quickly became a favorite throughout the city. By 1977, the City of Buffalo officially declared July 29, Chicken Wing Day.

How Did Their Popularity Spread?

Buffalo wings remained a regional favorite and mostly stayed within Buffalo for many years. So how did they become a nationwide sensation? Although word of the wing had been spreading modestly in the decades before, the Wing Bowl is often attributed as the key contributor in its rise to national fame. This eating contest, which started in 1993 by a Philadelphia radio station, began in a hotel ballroom with 150 observers in attendance. As the Wing Bowl made its way onto the radio, and soon national television, buffalo wings quickly spread to restaurants and bars across the United States. By 2018, its final year, the Wing Bowl 26 drew nearly 20,000 spectators.

If you’re craving a hot plate of buffalo wings before dinner, dine with Brookside Inn Restaurant. Located in Oxford, CT, this restaurant serves a tantalizing blend of Italian and American fare, from chicken parmigiana and pan-seared scallops to flat iron steak and gnocchi boscaiola. With a warm, welcoming ambiance and a friendly staff, every guest who enters will feel like family. To make a reservation today, call (203) 888-2272. View their menu and specials online.