According to the National Chicken Council, the concept of frying chicken wings in hot sauce was born in 1964 at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY, when leftover wings were cooked in hot sauce as a late-night snack, hence the term “Buffalo Wings.” Fast forward to 2023, not all wings are created equal, and not all are spun in the traditional buffalo wing hot sauce, either. Many establishments offer a variety of flavors,often accompanied by celery, carrots, blue cheese dressing or ranch. What’s your favorite? Do you have a go-to stop for wings in town? We put together a listing of some options you may not have tried. Happy International Chicken Wing Day!

Located in downtown Cape Girardeau in an historic building that dates back to before 1836 and served as headquarters for Ulysses S. Grant during the Civil War,  Port Cape Girardeau is known for their famous BBQ dishes, but the wings have also gained a strong local following. In traditional, smoked or breaded varieties, accompanied by unique sauces such as sweet sesame, chipotle honey and parmesan garlic as well as the typical hot wing sauce, you’re sure to find a perfect match for your tastebuds! And, you can enjoy their ice cream shop and take a walk to the Mississippi River after dinner.

Up the road is another local favorite, Tractor’s Classic American Grill, located in uptown Jackson, where you can get traditional wings, or boneless, or make it more than an appetizer with a wing combo presented with a salad or soup. Buckle up for flavors choices of amberbock BBQ, jalamango and beer chugging suicide, which apparently truly will having you chugging beer to get rid of the fire in your mouth! Be careful!

And, of course, we can’t forget about restaurants with “Wings” literally in their name! Cape is home to a Buffalo Wild Wings and Wings Etc. on the west side of town where chicken wings are the focus of the menu with endless choices that keep you coming back to try new flavors.

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