Wings are a game day staple, and the sauce is where everyone shows their true colors. This One Gotta Go card lines up four favorites: Buffalo hot, lemon pepper, garlic parmesan and honey BBQ. Every one of them has a crowd that orders it without even looking at the menu.
You keep three and cut one from every wing order from now on. Think about what you order when you are sharing a platter, what you order when it is just for you, and which flavor you could live without. Then go around the table and let everyone explain their pick between bites.
Buffalo Hot vs Lemon Pepper vs Garlic Parmesan vs Honey BBQ
A. Buffalo Hot
Buffalo is the original wing sauce, born in Buffalo, New York, with a tangy, buttery heat. It is a classic for a reason, but it is also messy and the heat can build fast. If you are not a fan of spice, Buffalo is the obvious cut.
Keep it if: Wings are not wings to you without that tangy orange sauce, a stack of napkins and a side of blue cheese or ranch.
B. Lemon Pepper
Lemon pepper is a dry rub or a light sauce with bright citrus and black pepper, and it has a huge following, especially in Atlanta. The case against it is that it is not saucy at all. If you want your wings dripping, lemon pepper may feel too light.
Keep it if: You love a zesty, peppery wing that keeps its crunch, and you would choose it over any sauce on the menu.
C. Garlic Parmesan
Garlic parmesan is rich and savory, with butter, garlic and cheese clinging to every wing. It is also heavy, and the flavor can take over a whole platter. If garlic breath is not part of your plans, this might be the one to let go.
Keep it if: You love savory, buttery flavors and think garlic and cheese can make almost anything better.
D. Honey BBQ
Honey BBQ is sweet and smoky, the safe pick that almost everyone at the table will eat. That is exactly the case against it. Some wing fans say it is more of a dipping sauce than a real wing flavor and that it hides the taste of the chicken.
Keep it if: You like your wings sweet and sticky, and you are always the one ordering for kids or picky eaters.
Our take
We would cut honey BBQ. It is a crowd pleaser, but it is also the flavor that tastes most like what you could get on a lot of other foods, while the other three feel built for wings. The most fun debate is often Buffalo against lemon pepper, because it is classic heat against a bright dry rub, and fans of both feel strongly. Order a mixed platter with all four and let everyone vote after tasting.
How to play this card with friends
- Read the four choices out loud.
- Everyone picks the one they'd eliminate at the same time.
- Explain your pick. This is where the fun starts.
- Use the follow-up questions below to keep it going.
Follow-up questions to keep the debate going
- Which wing sauce do people order to play it safe?
- Ranch or blue cheese with Buffalo wings?
- Flats or drums: which is the better wing?
- What wing flavor would you add to this card?
Want more debates like this? Get the One Gotta Go card game for game night, family dinners and road trips. Shop the decks.
Wing Sauces: quick answers
Where did Buffalo wings come from?
Buffalo wings are widely credited to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, in the 1960s, where wings were fried and tossed in a hot sauce and butter mix. They spread across the country from there and became a sports bar and game day classic.
What is lemon pepper wet?
Lemon pepper wet is a popular way to order lemon pepper wings, especially in Atlanta. The wings are tossed in butter or a light sauce along with the lemon pepper seasoning, so they are a little saucy instead of completely dry. It became widely known through Atlanta wing culture and TV shows.
