I compared an appetizer, wings, and fries at Hooters and Buffalo Wild Wings to see which wing chain had the better dishes and deals.
Terri Peters
As fast-food prices increase, more diners are heading to chain restaurants for a solid value.
But not all chains are created equally. For months, I've been trying chain restaurants in search of the best meals and deals for my family. Recently, I put two of the most famous chicken-wing chains to the test: Hooters and Buffalo Wild Wings.
I ordered the same meal at both chains to see which served the tastiest wings, appetizers, and sides. Here's how they stacked up.
Terri Peters
At Hooters, I started my meal with the cheese sticks as an appetizer. It came with six fried mozzarella sticks and a side of marinara dipping sauce for $8.79.
Hooters' mozzarella sticks came out perfectly golden brown and the cheese inside was melty and provided the type of cheese pull foodies dream of.
I wasn't a huge fan of the marinara dipping sauce because it was chunkier than what I've had at other restaurants. I prefer my marinara a little saucier, and the large chunks of tomato made it tough for me to actually soak up the sauce on each mozzarella stick.
Still, the cheese sticks themselves were perfect and I had no notes.
Terri Peters
Hooters' traditional wings are breaded by hand and tossed in whichever sauce you choose. Six original-style wings at Hooters cost $12.25.
I chose hot "traditional Buffalo" sauce, but later asked to try Hooters' 3 Mile Island sauce, which the menu describes as "Buffalo for the stupid."
I actually felt smart for asking to try it, since it was the spice level I prefer for hot wings. If I went back, I'd choose the slightly spicier 3 Mile Island over regular hot any day, as it had the kick I was looking for when the hot sauce fell flat.
The breading didn't quite seem ideal for the wings, as it soaked up a lot of the sauce and made me feel full way faster. In fact, the restaurant's naked wings seem more like traditional wings to me and are what I'd order if I went back.
Terri Peters
I also ordered 10 boneless wings with Hooters' Samurai Teriyaki sauce for $13.49.
The Hooters menu describes Samurai Teriyaki sauce as "zesty teriyaki with an Asian kick" and I'd agree. The sauce was giving the same vibes as saucy, battered chicken dishes I've ordered at Chinese restaurants in the past and I loved it.
The boneless wings, which are also hand-breaded, were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. And, the combination of the slightly-spicy Samurai Teriyaki sauce and blue-cheese dipping sauce was incredibly flavorful.
The boneless wings were a highlight of my meal at Hooters.
Terri Peters
Curly fries are a rare item to find on any menu, so I had to try Hooters' version.
Because my kids were with me for dinner, our server only charged us $1.49 for the side of fries, entering them as an upgrade to the burger my son ordered. Normally, a side of curly fries costs $4.99.
Hooters' curly fries were very good — thoroughly cooked and crispy. I found them to be a great addition to the meal, especially as a way to give my taste buds a respite from the spice and flavor of both wing sauces.
Terri Peters
I ordered mozzarella sticks at Buffalo Wild Wings as well. The appetizer cost $8.49, and included six sticks.
I was caught off guard by the color of the sticks when they were brought to our table. They were the least-crispy beige mozzarella sticks I'd ever had and they had no cheese pull when I bit into them.
Unfortunately, they seemed a tad underdone, so beyond giving them a try, I didn't eat very many of them. Buffalo Wild Wings' marinara dipping sauce was much saucier than Hooters', though, so I'll give them that.
If I could dip Hooters' cheese sticks into Buffalo Wild Wings' marinara, I'd be a happy girl.
Terri Peters
At Buffalo Wild Wings, six traditional wings cost $9.99. I appreciated the style of Buffalo Wild Wings' traditional wings more — since they weren't breaded, they were much saucier.
The hot sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings was also much spicier than the sauce at Hooters. At Buffalo Wild Wings, I'd stick with hot sauce without needing to change to one that claims to have a higher level of heat to achieve the spice level I prefer.
In short, the hot sauce was exactly as hot as a good hot Buffalo-wing sauce should be.
Terri Peters
I also ordered 10 boneless wings at Buffalo Wild Wings for $12.49. I had them tossed in Asian Zing sauce, which the menu describes as "sweet meets heat: a chili pepper, soy, and ginger sauce."
I found the Asian Zing sauce to be even more flavorful than the Samurai Teriyaki sauce at Hooters, although both were really enjoyable.
I think the Asian Zing sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings packed a little more spice, which is probably why I was so into it.
Terri Peters
I found my $3.99 side order of fries at Buffalo Wild Wings to be pretty delicious. Buffalo Wild Wings' fries are matchstick-style, cut super thin and seasoned with plenty of salt and pepper.
I enjoyed having them as a way to cool off my mouth in the midst of eating so many different types of spicy wings.
Terri Peters
There were things I enjoyed about both Hooters and Buffalo Wild Wings but, if I had to order the same meal again, I'd return to Hooters with one slight change: I'd order the naked wings instead of the breaded ones.
Overall, my pick for the best hot wings at Hooters would be naked wings with 3 Mile Island sauce all the way.
Both restaurants served bone-in and boneless wings that were perfectly crisp on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. And, both offered wing sauces that were amazingly flavorful.
Still, there were places Buffalo Wild Wings fell flat — it was hard to ignore those disappointing mozzarella sticks.
I'd return to both restaurants, though. Both meals were really good, my servers at each place was wonderful, and the sports-bar atmosphere of both restaurants felt relaxing.
