Winners, Winners: These restaurants have won awards at the National Buffalo Wing Festival

BUFFALO, NY (WIVB) – Restaurants from around the world made the pilgrimage to the chicken wing mecca of the world this weekend, showcasing a blend of traditional and unique flavors and competing for first place in multiple categories voted for by media members and Wing place experts.

Restaurants submitted entries in categories recognizing traditional wing flavors—such as hot, medium, and grilled—as well as more creative or unusual offerings. The list of winners was as diverse geographically as the restaurant pool: restaurants as far away as Wyoming and even Iceland took podium places alongside legendary establishments in western New York like the Anchor Bar.

Here is a list of the restaurants that took home awards from this year’s judges, as announced by the festival on social media. If we missed a category, email us at digitalteam@wivb.com.

Icelandic restaurant wins Best in Show award.

The restaurant that took home the crown in the overall Best in Show category came from what may be an unusual place: Reykjavík, Iceland. Just Wingin’ It won the award for its Lemon Pepper Cajun Honey Wing.

Just Wingin’ It co-owner Justin Shouse is from Erie, Pennsylvania but moved to Iceland to play professional basketball. He told News 4 there were no good wings there, and after retiring from the game, he opened a food truck. He has since expanded to include two stationary wing restaurants, one located 500 feet from where he played pro ball. This was her first year at Wing Fest and Shouse was excited to win.

winners in other categories

Best hot

1. Legend Larry’s – Wisconsin
2. Weitzel’s Wings aka Double Dub’s – Laramie Wyo.
3. The Blind Rhino – Norwalk, Conn.

Double Dub’s, a personal favorite of Bills quarterback Josh Allen when he was a college football player in Wyoming, took second place in two categories including Best Hot.

Best BBQ

1. Anchor Bar – Buffalo, NY
2. Legend Larrys
3. The Dirty Buffalo – Norfolk, Virginia.

The best BBQ took place at a legendary local spot: the birthplace of Buffalo-style chicken wings, the Anchor Bar.

Best traditional medium

1. Keep going! – Raleigh, North Carolina
2. anchor rod
3. Legend Larrys

Best Subject: Sweet

1. Booty’s Wings Burgers Beer – Surprise, Arizona.
2. Millie’s Cafe – Ottoville, Ohio
3. Steelbound, Ellicottville, NY

Best Creative: Sharp

1. Booty’s Wings Burgers beer
2. Weitzel’s Wings, also known as Double Dub’s
3. The blind rhino

Best rub dry

1. Center Street Grille—Enola, Pennsylvania.
2. Keep going!
3. Millie’s cafe

News 4’s Kelsey Anderson contributed to this report.