Football Season – The Best Excuse to Eat Wings!
Fall is here. Football season has started. Bring on the wings!
Yes, it’s that time of year when you can eat wings a couple of times a week, and no one will be all that judgmental (well, almost no one). That’s correct; it’s football season! 🏈
So, looking at this from a wing consumer point of view, it means there are several legitimate wing-eating opportunities that present themselves each and every week from now until roughly mid-February.
Why don’t we run through the weekly chances for the less sports-oriented folks in the reading audience?
- NFL Thursday Night Football
- NCAA Football Saturday (day & night)
- NFL Sunday Day, Afternoon, and Night Football
- NFL Monday Night Football
And if those aren’t enough chances for you, just throw in any random mid-week NCAA game or NFL playoff game. You can see where I’m going with this. It looks like if football is your go-to wing-eating excuse, you’re good the majority of the week! ✅
All right, we have set the stage for some fall/winter wing eating. But nothing food related is ever simple. There are some choices that must be made. Here’s the first big one, where? When I say “where” in this context, I mean in your (or a friend’s) home or at a restaurant. Both have their distinct advantages.
The second big choice is oddly also where? This time it’s the “where should you get them from?” question. This is the dilemma that we will be addressing here and now.
Whether you choose home or away, it means someone else is doing the cooking. You’ve probably done enough cooking throughout the week. Now it’s time to let someone else do the hard part.
OK, I realize that almost every casual dining place in town has wings on its menu. So let’s not get all spun up if your favorite wing spot isn’t on the list below. You can add them in the comments if you feel like they’ve been slighted. We love the fact that you advocate for your favs! These are just some of the spots that come to my mind when I think Buffalo wings (OH and football) …
We’re doing these alphabetically. We don’t want you to get the impression that this is a contest of some sort! 😆
Some Great Sarasota Wing Spots! (Carry Out or Dine In)
Evie’s – 4725 Bee Ridge Rd. (941) 377-9300
The Evie’s Tavern on the Range location is a great place to catch the game, especially if you live out east. Plus, you can brush up on your chip shots at halftime if you’d like.
Order Sizes: 6, 10, and 20 piece orders
Sauces & Styles: Mild, Medium, Hot, Extreme Hot, BBQ, Lemon Pepper, and Garlic Butter
Price: $9 for a 6 piece order
Preparation: Non-Breaded
Food + Beer – 6528 Superior Ave. (941) 952-3361
The name says it all. If you like food and you like beer, then… They feature fresh jumbo wings. As you can see, there are LOTS of sauce choices. Decisions…
Order Sizes: 5, 10, and 20 piece orders
Sauces & Styles: PB & J, Memphis BBQ, Stupid Hot, Blackened Rub, House Buffalo, Garlic Parm, Florida Orange Habanero, Carolina Gold, Korean BBQ, Truffle Buffalo, Sriracha Honey, and Hot Teriyaki
Price: $9.49 for a 5 piece order
Preparation: Non-Breaded
Gecko’s – 6606 S. Tamiami Trl. (941) 248-2020
Any Gecko’s location is an excellent game day option. They advertise “Jumbo Wings.” They have lots of TVs for football viewing!
Order Size: 10 piece order
Sauces & Styles: Buffalo Style (mild, medium & explosive), Jack Daniel’s®, Honey Mustard Dry Rub, Garlic Parmesan
Price: $16 for a 10 piece order
Preparation: Non-Breaded
JR’s Old Packinghouse Café – 987 S. Packinghouse Rd. (941) 371-9358
JR’s is not your traditional “sports bar” scene but they serve some delicious wings. If you want something to go with those wings, they serve some fantastic Cuban cuisine!
Order Size: 5 and 10 piece orders
Sauces & Styles: JR’s original Teriyaki, Killer Garlic, BBQ, Thai Spiced, Completely Naked, and Buffalo (mild to way hot)
Price: $9.95 for a 5 piece order
Preparation: Non-Breaded
Miller’s Ale House – 3800 Kenny Dr. (941) 378-8888
They’re known for their Zingers® (a hand-breaded chicken tender). They also have great traditional Buffalo wings. Lots of parking here which makes things easy, especially for a carryout.
Order Size: 6, 12, and 24 piece orders
Sauces & Styles: Mild, Garlic, Honey BBQ, Garlic Parmesan, Teriyaki, Honey Mustard, Medium, Spiced Honey, Caribbean Jerk, Hot Garlic, Sweet Thai Chili, Hot, Korean BBQ, Mango Habanero, Mt. St. Helens, Nashville Hot, 5 Pepper Fire®
Price: $10.99 for a 6 piece order
Preparation:Non-Breaded
The Old Salty Dog – 5023 Ocean Blvd. (941) 349-0158
Great place to catch any game! This Siesta Key spot is a definite favorite of locals for football Sundays. They also offer a special “Game Day” menu featuring Barbacoa Beef Sliders and Pork Shanks!
Order Size: 8 pieces per order
Sauces & Styles: Buffalo (mild, medium, and hot) or Caribbean Jerk BBQ
Price: $15.99 for an 8 piece order
Preparation: Non-Breaded
Origin Craft Beer & Pizza Cafe – 1837 Hillview St. (941) 316-9222
There are now four Origin Pizza places in the Sarasota area. They’re not known as a sports bar, but they do have fantastic wings (oh yeah, and craft beer). These are the only wings on our list that are baked!
Order Size: 5 and 10 piece orders
Sauces & Styles: Buffalo (mild & hot), Garlic Parmesan, Asian Teriyaki, Trifecta, Mango Habanero
Price: $15 for a 10 piece order
Preparation: Baked, Non-Breaded
The Parrot Patio Bar & Grill – 3602 Webber St. (941) 952-3352
Sports bar atmosphere. Game days can be a busy time. There is lots of parking to accommodate all of the hungry, wing-eating fans that will be watching the action!
Order Size: 10 piece order
Sauces & Styles: Buffalo Style (mild, medium & hot), House Made BBQ, Teriyaki, or Garlic Parmesan
Price: $15 for a 10 piece order
Preparation: Non-Breaded
The Public House – 6240 N. Lockwood Ridge Rd. (941) 822-0795
It’s a local’s kind of place. Very casual atmosphere. They’ve got a great burger that we feature, a few weeks back. But their wing game is pretty strong too! They have an “all drums or all flats” option! I like that. 😀
Order Size: 6, 10 and 20 piece orders
Sauces & Styles: Buffalo, Chipotle Honey BBQ, Sweet Thai Chili, Blackened, Lemon Pepper, Mango Habanero, Korean BBQ, or Teriyaki
Price: $12.99 for a 6 piece order (plus fries!)
Preparation: Non-Breaded
Siesta Key Oyster Bar (SKOB) – 5238 Ocean Blvd. (941) 346-5443
Everybody knows SKOB for its great live music. But they’re also a great football viewing choice, especially NFL football. And what goes great with football? Yes, you guessed it, wings!
Order Size: 10 piece order
Sauces & Styles: Buffalo, Jerked Dry Rub, SKOB-B-Q, or Garlic Parm
Price: $15 for a 10 piece order
Preparation: Non-Breaded
Now that you’ve got your Sarasota Buffalo wing cheat sheet, you’re ready to start eating! If you happen to grab wings from any of these spots, post a pic on our dineSarasota FB page. That way, we can all see what you’re enjoying! 😀
👀 Sneak Peek – I was gifted an air fryer for my birthday a couple of years back. I’ve been mildly obsessed with it ever since (it’s the perfect “cooking for one” appliance). I also have a convection setting on my oven. People have told me (yes, I hate that expression too!) that cooking using convection is the same as the air fryer. I have my doubts!
So, in keeping with our wing theme, I’m going to test my tried-and-true Buffalo wing recipe on both to see if those “people” are correct. Stay tuned…🐥
🌟🌟 I’ve been a Sarasota Magazine subscriber for 20+ years. So, I was thrilled that they wanted me to contribute some food content to this classic Sarasota media brand. Here’s A LINK to my first piece. It’s a Make it at Home article. Thanks to Walt’s Fish Market & Restaurant for the help with this. Hope you enjoy it!
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