Who doesn’t love chicken wings? Okay, maybe chickens don’t…and maybe also hardcore vegetarians and vegans. But I think I’m safe in saying that almost everyone else does. My family and I love them – which is why I am quick to either visit or order from whatever pops up on my ‘wings radar’ – this new Buffalo Wild Wings branch in MOE included. Located on the Ski Dubai side of the mall between Salmontini and The Butcher Shop & Grill, its interior carries over the familiar college sports-bar theme, be it with tables spaced out and partitioned in accordance with prevailing C-19 regulations.
The chain is obviously a big deal to some people 
The interior 
The interior 
A view from the mall
The chain is best known for Buffalo-style chicken wings, tenders and sauces. Its menu also features appetizers, burgers, wraps, salads, and desserts but, as this is not a licensed restaurant, no beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages are included. My daughter and I ordered Onion Rings to start followed by a portion each of Traditional (bone-in) and Boneless Wings. For some unfathomable reason, I also ordered the Juicy Steak Burger (I was in that kind of a mood). As we have such contracting tastes, hers mild and mine fiery, we chose the option where wings are brought to the table without being mixed in sauce; the sauce comes on the side. BIG mistake – BIG, and one which totally ruined the experience for me and, although she was too polite to let on, I suspect it did the same for Yasmin too. The boneless wings are basically chicken tenders (let’s call a spade a spade) and, surprisingly, perfectly suited for dipping in sauce.
Traditional (bone-in) 
The boneless wings are basically chicken tenders, glorified nuggets 
The onion rings are really good 
Up close and personal 
It looks just like a McDonalds McNugget 
Like ShakeShack’s, their fries aren’t anything to write home about either
The burger is a chunky, dribbly affair made up of two smashed beef patties, cheese, chopped pieces of steak, onion rings and BBQ sauce. At just under Dhs60 it is more expensive than a Double ShackBurger with Fries and the only question on my mind as I bit into it was whether it was going to be as good or not – defiantly not. But that’s not to say it’s a bad burger – not in the least. Yasmin summed it up for me with this question – what did you expect from a beef burger in a chicken wings restaurant?
The chunky, dribbly Juicy Steak Burger 
This is how the burger is served 
And that’s what it looks like inside
As expected from a famous US franchise, service was “have a nice day” friendly and surprisingly fast, considering the place was packed with Christmas shoppers. Incidentally, if you’re wondering what the 82 on the staff jerseys stands for – it’s the year the chain was established in 1982. If you’re into wings and American chains like Chilli’s, TGIF and Appleby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings will appeal to you…and your family. Entertainer eases the burden on your wallet but only works on snacks and small wings (it’s enough to make a difference on the bill). I enjoyed my meal because I was with my daughter not because the food was good BUT I will be back to try the wings with sauce mixed in (there was potential there) and without the burger this time.
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Xerxes physically dines at, or orders from, each and every venue he reviews. He pays in full for whatever he and his companions eat, drink, take away or occasionally throw at each other. Xerxes accepts no money, gifts, discounts or free meals in return for reviews or favouritism. What you have read was NOT influenced in any way by the venue. Join his culinary journey on Instagram: @ravenousxerxes or reach out to him via email on xerxes@dellara.com.