The quest to find the best wings in Buffalo continued when we returned to Gabriel’s Gate. We had wings there a few years ago, but it was when I was getting my MSN and wasn’t keeping up with the blog.
We headed there for lunch the day after the Bills lost to the Bengals in the playoff game. We were nursing physical and emotional hangovers so wings and soup were the obvious choice.
Gabriel’s Gate is located in a row house in downtown Buffalo that dates back to the mid-1800’s. It’s dark inside, with a metal ceiling and lots of wood.
They have animal heads on the wall that were purchased from a museum and meant to be educational.
It was cold, and I was grieving the Bills loss, so I ordered a crock of French onion soup. It is one of the best comfort foods. Theirs is French onion soup perfection. It’s hard to say one really good French onion soup is better than another, but it was everything French onion soup should be. The cheese was melty and easy to cut with a spoon (no scissors needed) and broiled to perfection. The bread wasn’t too hard or soft, just right even after sitting in the broth. The onions were cooked perfectly, not crunchy, not mushy, and the broth wasn’t salty.
Side note: I’m drinking an Ellicottville Brewery Blueberry Wheat, not a Bud Light.
Now, onto the wings. We ordered ten wings, medium, our standard order when assessing wings. The sauce was exactly how a standard Buffalo medium should be. They came with celery, carrots, and blue cheese, again, the way they should be. They were really good sized but they weren’t crispy. I need my wings to be crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The inside was good but the wing itself was too soft for my preference. I wouldn’t put them in top five, but probably in top 10. If they were in Tampa, they would be exceptional. But the bar is really high in Buffalo.
My phone refused to focus on the wing in my hand but including for size perspective.
We also ordered fries, to absorb the beer and heart ache. It was a huge basket of average fries, nothing special, but you can’t go wrong with average fries.
I would absolutely go back for the French onion soup. I almost ordered a second crock while we were there, it’s that good.
The guys at the table next to us didn’t know what poutine is and ordered their wings with ranch, no blue cheese. Whoever is telling random people about these Buffalo spots (Barstool Sports, I’m looking at you) please include proper Buffalo chicken wing etiquette in your recommendations.
I would still recommend checking out Gabriel’s Gate. If you are looking for the best wings, don’t start here. But if you’ve had Bar-Bill, Wingnutz, Elmo’s, and Nine-Eleven Tavern, they are a good next spot. If you are looking for French onion soup, put it on the top of your list.