John M.
Yelp
50¢ wings! EVERY. DAY! Generous size, well-cooked, and delicious.
I love this place. It's located on the border of Kenmore and Tonawanda. You won't see commercials for Porter's. And if you go online and scour Reddit or Google for wings in the Buffalo, NY area, it will get absolutely buried (and go mostly unnoticed) by fans of other local wing joints.
Of course, everyone's heard of the more touristy Anchor Bar and Duff's. WingNutz, a relative newcomer to the game of chicken wings in recent years, has gained popularity, and is vying to be a contender. If you were to ask me a year ago, I'd've said Bar-Bill or Adolf's Old First Ward were my favorite wings - if you didn't have to wait for seats.
The thing that struck me the most, a few months ago, when I ventured in here, with a friend after work, was the atmosphere. Followed by the wings. And finally the wallet-friendly prices. The place is a very basic sports bar - nothing fancy, nor do its patrons or staff want it to be. But the bartenders, waitstaff, and cooks are outstanding! It's very family friendly, and you'll see groups of families, friends, coworkers, and groups gathering after Little League or adult softball games. At the bar, you'll see locals, regulars, and newcomers alike. It's also a Bills haven.
Side note: one of the things I remember fondly growing up and coming of age in the '90's was the popularity of wings and draft beer and how affordable they were. They were a staple of college kids and the working man alike. Now, post-Pandemic, the, "New Normal," is every Tom, Dick, and Harry place wanting to act all Bougie and frou-frou and trying to sell you overpriced wings and $10 glasses of beer. And everyone just gasps about how great this is. I personally think this new normal sucks. If you go to all these other joints I mentioned, their wings are decent, but you're paying $1.70 to $2.00. FOR. A. SINGLE. CHICKEN. WING. That's $17-$20 for a SINGLE order of 10 wings. What once was an appetizer or snack comprised of jazzed up leftover chicken parts has become an entree - and that's WITHOUT any sides or a salad.
At Porter's Place, it's always 50¢ a wing (mild, medium, hot), or 85¢ a wing for specialty wings (Cajun dry rub or Garlic Parmesan). Disclaimer: these are dine-in prices, and I believe you have to purchase a beer or a Pepsi product with them. They don't have, "to-go," boxes, but I suppose you can use the waxed cardboard and foil the wings are served in to bring a few leftovers home. However, you'd probably get banned if you were to smuggle several orders out.
My Mich Ultra draft was $4. And Friday will get you a fish fry, fish sandwich, or an order of shrimp. Of course, there are standard appetizers, like mozz sticks, fries, mac and cheese sticks, etc.
Those other establishments are all well and good, but I'm heading to Porter's Place for some Cajun Dry Rub wings. Deliciousness, and I'll still have some cash leftover in my wallet!