Duff's Famous Wings

No food in Buffalo is bigger than the Buffalo wings; the people of Buffalo just call them wings. Who better than Jeff Feather, owner of Duff’s Famous Wings, to talk to about wings.

Duff’s Famous Wings has been a staple in the history of chicken wings. 

“[There is] a lot of history here,” Feather said. “It was built in 1946. It’s a small, little place. When it was originally built it was on a dirt road.”

Just by the look of the Duff’s Wings on Sheridan Drive in Amherst, you feel the tradition. Old style white wall with a red roof and wood pillars coming through the front wall. Inside the restaurant, it had the feel as if you were there opening day. The story to Duff’s is unique to say the least. 

“[Tradition at Duff’s is] simply just wings,” Feather said. “Anchor bar put them in in 1965 and they started getting big and my partner Ron Duff loved them. He loved eating wings. There was a place across the street called La Hacienda. [Duff] would order them for himself every day. 

“They were closing down and they were friends of his and they said look it, we will teach you how to do them and why don’t you put them on your menu. So, he said, okay great and he put them on the menu. He didn’t sell many at first, but he enjoyed them. People started coming and we got known in this part of town for wings because not every bar had them back then.”

In 2009, the Travel Channel started a new show called Food Wars. Food Wars went to the best food cities and chose two restaurants that made that food famous in the city and had them compete against each other to see who makes it best. Their first episode was the rivalry of wings with Anchor Bar, the originator of the chicken wing, versus Duff’s wings. The show had foodies from Buffalo and a Buffalo sports great, Rob Ray. The contest ended with Duff’s wings beating the Anchor Bar’s wings by the vote of three to two.

“It was exciting [to be on Food Wars],” Feather said. “And poor Ivano [Toscani] from the Anchor Bar had to relive it five times because they had to take cuts from it. ‘Okay, let’s do it again, let’s do it again.’ But he was a great sport about it and everything.”

Feather is a family man; he has a wife and three kids. Being an owner, he is a very busy man and his business is the second part of him.

“He is a pretty basic, humble, family man,” said Ed Conley, general manager and worker at Duff’s Famous Wings for 25 years. “He is a church goer. He loves playing golf. That’s his thing.”

Even Feather himself argues that he is “just an ordinary guy.” There is nothing ordinary about a guy who helps run a franchise that attracted the president of the United States went to. Yes, Barack Obama went to Buffalo to go to a Duff’s store the same year they won the Food Wars competition.

Feather is not only an owner; he is a buffalonian. Feather went to University at Buffalo and Canisius for graduate school and Feather is happy to build on Buffalo’s “featured food.” 

“Of course, I think my wings are the best,” Feather said, “but there are so many places in Buffalo that make good wings. Not so much outside of Buffalo. It’s great for the city of Buffalo.”

The definition to Duff’s Famous Wings was simple to Conley as he said in a quick reply, “the best wings.” Chicken wing fanatics find that tough to argue with.