Anchor Bar

Sicilian immigrants Frank and Teressa Bellissimo opened Anchor Bar in 1935 in Buffalo, NY. Now a fixture in the community, Anchor Bar’s claim to fame is also Buffalo’s: the sacred Buffalo wing. Invented one fateful night in 1964, Anchor Bar completely transformed the American diet with just hot sauce, butter and some chicken wings. After a long shift tending bar, Dominic, the owners’ son, and his friends were looking for the perfect finger food as they sat around the bar. Teressa, who had extra chicken wings in the back, deep fried the wings, tossed them in buttery cayenne pepper sauce and served them with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.

They say in this life you’re either right wing, left wing or Buffalo wing.