Sure to be a hit with burger and wing enthusiasts, Duff's Famous Wings is also family-friendly.
Winging It
Duff's Famous Wings brings authentic Buffalo flavor to its first Texas location
When Louise Duffney began serving chicken wings at her Buffalo, N.Y. tavern in 1969, they were an instant smash. The restaurant, which first opened in the 1940s and became casually known to locals as Duff's, started selling a whopping 20 pounds of wings each week, and they were quickly labeled the best in Buffalo. With locations in NewbrYork and Canada, the saucy chicken dive has finally spread its wings south, landing in the Lone Star State in March and bringing all of its original recipes to area residents.
Duff's now cooks their classic wings in the Southlake Boulevard space once occupied by Qdoba, which closed back in November of last year. Unlike chain Buffalo Wild Wings, Duff's offers a welcoming, family-friendly experience rather than a bustling sports bar atmosphere. Aside from Duff's logos and wall decal depicting their slogan (“Medium is HOT, Medium Hot is VERY HOT, and Hot is VERY, VERY HOT”), décor is sparse, but multiple windows let in plenty of light, and brick walls give the place a relaxed feel. Upon entering, diners are greeted enthusiastically by friendly staff and can choose to sit at one of the many tables or several comfy booths that line the right wall.
We dined at Duff's for lunch on a warm April afternoon, starting our meal off with an appetizer of homemade fried pickles ($5.99), a generous helping that came with spicy ranch dressing. Wings were obviously our first entrée of choice, so we decided to sample 10 boneless ($8.99) in Medium Light sauce (Yes, we were a little chicken at first.) The wings were the perfect size –– not too big or small –– and the sauce had just enough kick for those who are hesitant about spice. Next up: three breaded Buffalo chicken sliders ($6.79) coated in our choice of BBQ Hot, Hot and Death, the hottest on Duff's list of traditional sauces. We were blown away by each flavor's unique intensity and appreciated the waitstaff's promptness in refilling our water glasses.
For customers who are tried-and-true burger lovers, Duff's offers menu items like cheeseburgers, burger sliders and Texas round steak, plus sides such as thin-cut fries and large, crunchy onion rings. With a popular variety of ice-cold beer and wine, and custom cocktails like the sweet loganberry margarita, there's a little something for everyone at this soon-to-be Southlake staple.