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Buffalo Wild Wings adding 20 O.C. locations
May 7th, 2009, 7:32 am · 57 Comments · posted by Nancy Luna, Staff Writer
5/8/ update includes new location, add
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Buffalo Wild Wings, one of the strongest fast-food brands in the country, is expanding out West with plans to open at least 20 restaurants in Orange County.
“California is the last frontier (for the chain), outside of Hawaii and Alaska,” said Orange County franchisee Randy Yamamoto.
The first O.C. wing joint is expected to open in late fall in Lake Forest, months ahead of another restaurant planned for Santa Ana. Yamamoto, who owns the rights to open five in O.C., said he’s also scouting two spots in Irvine — including Heritage Square.
Another franchisee owns the rights to open up to 15 “B Dubs” (the chain’s Midwest nickname) in north Orange County, Yamamoto said. (5/8 update: A Buffalo Wild Wings just got approved for Buena Park Downtown. The mall eatery could open before Lake Forest, so stay tuned for more details.)
As previously reported here, Santa Ana was supposed to be the first Buffalo Wild Wings to open in Orange County. But that location suffered a major setback when neighbors fought the bar and grill concept because it serves alcohol, Yamamoto said.
The Santa Ana location is back on track and is expected to open in early 2010.
Locations: The Lake Forest restaurant will open at the Gateway Center off the I-5 Freeway and Lake Forest Drive. The Santa Ana restaurant will be located on the 1900 block of East 17th Street, near Chipotle Mexican Grill and OSH.
Tell us: Is Buffalo Wild Wings worth the hype? It’s hard for me to get excited over chicken wings. But, I must say, I became a slight believer after eating some really great wings at Wings ‘N Things in Huntington Beach.
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..you can’t beat the Tyson “wings of fire” or honey wings or bb-q wings.
found in the freezer case of your favorite grocery store! no fuss-
no- muss. heat-em & eat-em!
I ate at one last year on a business trip and tried the ribs, wings and fries with a few other people and they were really yummy. However the best thing about it is the place it’s self. What a great place to take the kids, grab a bite at lunch, or watch the big game. A better version of Wings and Things.
Wow, they are opening awfully close to Wing Stop. Gateway Center is the newly named center at Rockfield and Lake Forest and Wing Stop is at Muirlands and Lake Forest. Some stiff competition, I would think.
Totally different concept than Wing Stop. This is a full service restaurant serving: burgers, wraps, sandwiches, salad, wings and more. Think family friendly sports bar (Wings and Things in Aliso is the closest thing we have to it in So County)
I tried BWW while on a trip to AZ. It was quite tasty. Their various sauces are pretty good. One of faves, the Jamaican Jerk sauce. The asian sauce is good too.
The Bdubs out in AZ by my school does great business, but there isn’t much else to do out here. Should do pretty well in OC, as long as they get some quality servers, which the one out here lacks…
If they put one at the Spectrum, that’d be pretty sick…
Wait… The Santa Ana one isn’t opening because they serve alcohol? So is the city going to close down the other 4 places within 1000 feet that do as well? Claim Jumper, Benjies, etc.♠
my wife is from minneapolis so we eat these every time we are back there. they have great wings. we need a location in ladera ranch!!!
Are they affiliated with El Pollo Loco ? the EPL in Whittier had BWW logo “moist towellettes” in the condiment area
It’s not bad. I tried it a few times in a few business trips in the Midwest. Nice atmosphere, especially during a big game. A decent alternative for a sports bar serving wings in the south OC area, where there’s not a whole lotta options.
We ate at one in Peoria this spring and the certified wing expert in my family was genuinely impressed (and actually found the hottest wings “almost” too hot). And it aboutme is right — our group ranged in ages from 20 to 86 and everybody found something they liked.
I can’t wait for BWW to open. It will be a great place to take the family and I hear the wings are fantastic. Too bad a few “neighbors” made such a stink in Santa Ana to hold up the opening. Glad to see things are back on track
You don’t know wings until you’ve tried Wing Nuts!!! Only Wing Nuts I know is in Costa Mesa…Harbor/Baker
Hands down..the best….over 30 maybe even 50 flavors!!!
they have the worst wings i ever ate
There is one in Aliso Viejo, by the movie house.
All I have to say about BWW is “They’re Grreat!”. Eat an order of wings with a nice cold beer and you’ll be in heaven. It’s about time they put one in the O.C. The neighbors that don’t want it in Santa Ana are the ones that are bitter….Je Je!!!
Heck yes it’s worth it! Let this Michigan girl tell you, B Dubs is the bomb. Especially 50 cent wings on Thursdays!
50-cent wing night? I hope that special comes here.
I can’t wait!!!! now i have no reason to fly home for Christmas.
If you are after great wings, the Wingstop in RSM is the best we’ve found by far! Excellent lemon pepper wings and the Buffalo is great too. Add their awesome fries and a few carrot sticks for conscience’ sake and you’ll never miss the burgers and wraps.
Well the one in Murrieta doesn’t serve alcohol to people that are not from the US. We had friends from Australia here, and took them to Wild Buffalo Wings, and they didn’t serve alcohol to them. We were furious and left, I will never eat there again!!!!!
I used to live in Indiana and i loved this place. I am excited for it to open up out here. They had great wing deals and i was able to watch all the games on tv as well. This place is great!!!!!!!!
awesome food and sports bar atmosphere..the one i went to in Texas has about 30 tv’s. great place to watch sporting events and enjoy good food. santa ana is stupid to delay. maybe they will put one in orange!!
You’re kidding right? Someone need to do a check of the IP addresses associated with all these glowing reviews. Bet they come from the same address - the franchisee. BWW is horrible. Stopped by the location in Chino Hills a few weeks ago for lunch. Music too loud, floor dirty, service indifferent. The wings are just OK - kinda puny - and the sauces have potential but they are WAY too salty. Probably that way to get people to order more beer. Hope they don’t have to post sodium content on their menu any time soon. The burger was average but the flatbread pizza was flat out awful. I wouldn’t take my family there if my life depended on it. 1:30 in the afternoon and there’s half a dozen drunks in the bar area screeming at the TV (Dodgers opening day). Must be a sweet place once the sun goes down… BWW belongs in the 909 not the OC.
Jethro, you grew up in the 909, what do you know? and noone cares what you think.
Just because some people like a place and you don’t, that means all the posts are coming from one person or Corporate? Come on, some people are gonna love a place that other people hate. That’s just the way people are.
Plus, every location will be different from each other - even with Corporate rules and regs running the show.
i live exactly on the other side of the wall of where BWW is and believe you me i made no stink! i’ve been waiting for this place to open since i bought my house. in fact BWW was one of the main reasons i liked the location of my house in the first place! i was really hoping to catch this years nba playoffs at BWW but i guess i will have to wait. at least i know they are actually going to move forward with the construction.
cheers and thanks for the update Nancy.
Sure darock, and be careful on the language, please.
You based a home buying choice/location on the potential construction of a wing-joint? If this isn’t a fake glowing review I don’t know what is… keep your comments a little less over the top and they will be more believable.
i actually based my purchase on location. if this isnt a great location for a 25 year old guy and potentially future renters of my property when i move on to bigger things then i dont know what is. (for the price that is)
there is a ton of places to try out around this area and its close to a gym, 2 freeways and grocery stores.
sorry Nancy,
i will never quote Clint Eastwood again
That’s OK. darock. I have been watching comments closely lately as my blog got invaded by some trolls last week, so I’m extra vigilant. To my regulars: this explains why periodically your comments don’t post as quickly as they have in the past. So be patient.
Thanks, Santa Ana. Your whining about Buffalo Wild Wings being open late is keeping me from eating their food until at least next year, if not longer. If you want to be free of late-night noise, buy a house elsewhere. If not, realise that owning a condo in a populated area or renting in America means there’ll usually be noise where you are. That’s life. Someone ought to visit your places of residence for the next 12 months with a megaphone at 1AM every Saturday night, and ask for wings and a beer.
Yea it always cracks me up to hear the NIMBYs get their way. Especially in a city the size of Santa Ana. There’s close to 400,000 people living there making it larger than Minneapolis, Portland, Milwaukee, etc. And on top of that it’s only about 25 square miles making it one of the most densely populated cities in the country. It’s a big, urban city people, get used to it.
wow!! me and my husband love this wings, we first try them in vegas, there is one restaurant in rancho cucamonga and we drive all the way there to eat them
Can wait to have them here in OC
There goes my cholesterol skyrocketing…
I am originally from Chicago, and have been patiently waiting for BWW to come to OC. Just be careful of the suicide sauce…it comes with a warning not to touch your face, it’s so friggin’ hot!!! Mmmm…and all the beers on tap and TV screens galore for footballl…I can’t wait!!!
Wing Nuts in Costa Mesa has the best wings around. Big wings and incredible sauces. Wing Stop has about the worst (for a chicken wing restaurant, anyways). Tiny over cooked wings and limited so-so sauces.
I tried BWW in Vegas a few times. It’s okay, pretty comparable to Wing Stops wings….but I still prefer Wing Stop over BWW.
Wing Stops Garlic Parm, with red rooster sauce (from home) is personal choice =)
Dude, their wings are the best with all the different flavors to choose from… all too tasty! Can’t wait for the Irvine location to open…. Come on BW3s….
The BDubs at Ohio State was always busy from open to close. Their 25 cent wing night on Tuesdays was always a huge hit with the college crowd. I’m glad they’re finally coming this way. Wingnuts is a poor man’s substitute.
I hope BDubs is bringing back their honey mustard sauce. MMMmmm…looking forward to having those baskets of buffalo chips once again! Thanks for the great news Nancy!
I remember when this place was called BW3—Buffalo Wild Wings and Weck. Weck (short for kummelweck) is a German roll they used to serve their sandwiches on. Good times.
so that’s where the 3rd W came from! i went to school in rochester, ny and everyone out there called it BW3…i was always confused…it makes sense now, although i never knew what the “weck” was (as in “beef on weck” which most people out here probably haven’t heard of)…
thanks for settling a 5 year old question for me!
Sounds like I’m going to have to learn a whole new BWW lingo!
The Wing Stop in Rancho Santa Margarita is horrible. The wings are always overcooked and the fish & chips are always soggy and the service is totally lacking.
Another Chicken place. Let the wars begin!!!!
A new Buffalo Wild Wings got approved last month by the City of Buena Park to go into the Mall. They are moving quickly
I’m not a wings fan anywhere, but I like their wraps. It is just a great place to go and watch sports in a casual, fun atmosphere without the adult “bar” feel. It is family friendly and light. The food variety and sauces are great. I think it is fun.
Sosososo gross. I was sick for days after eating here.
I am excited they are opening, they had them in vegas when i lived there and everyone loved them. They are a great casual hang out with GREAT wings!!!! Plus they have NTN games those are always fun with the friends.
Buffalo Wild Wings has a couple of locations here in Tucson, AZ…and they are really good. the Asian Zing, and Hot BBQ are my favorite flavored wings…and the burn will require a cold beer, which BWW has many on tap to choose from.
It’s also a great place to watch ball games.
Wing Stop sucks. Wing Nutz sucks. Wings and Things sucks. B-Dub’s have the best wings in the US. I’m originally from Ohio, but have lived in OC for 2 years… I currently drive to Chino Hills from Newport every tuesday… and now have a group of atleast 10 of us who go. I’m just sayin, you have no clue how good these are if you’ve never had them. Parmesean Garlic… yummm… I actually was trying to get investors together to open one at Triangle Square across from Chronic Cantina and next to Yardhouse
I am lucky enough (or not, depening on how you look at it) to work very close to the BW3 out in Rancho Cucamonga. The place is terrific, the service is good, the food is delicious and they have all the sports packages so you can see out of market games.
Someone earlier suggested that it is family friendly sports bar, that’s EXACTLY what it is. Good food, cold beer, a great atmosphere. I go three for lunch sometimes as well as for big games.
If you go to BW3s around the country they are quite different. One I went to in Indianapolis had sawdust on the floor and an outdoor patio seating area. The one in RC has a large bar area and a spearated large dining area. I’m pretty excited to see what sorts of touches the franchisees in OC will use.
BWW makes the best wings! Wing Stop pales in comparison, ate there once and will never go again. I live down the street from the BWW in Chino Hills and go there at least once a week. Plus, you can’t beat their specials on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Don’t go during the Laker games cause the wait is like 3 hrs! Ouch
I am a huge wing fan! I’ve had Wing Stop, Hooters Wings, Wings n Things, and BWW and by far BWW has THE BEST wings ever!
I’ve been to the one in Phoenix, AZ and in Gainesville, VA.
Its definately a sports bar…
I would actually love to work at the Lake Forest location…. any clue on who to contact to apply?
I WONDER IF THE CUSTOMERS ARE GOING TO HAVE A LAWSUIT WITH THIS COMPANY IF THEY GAIN WEIGHTS JUST LIKE MACDONALD LAWSUIT
SWEET!! BW3 has the best wings ever!!! Soo many flavors to chose from. Nothing like that here currently! Carribean jerk & Mango haberno are the best!
BWW has the best wings! I drive from Anaheim to Chino Hills a few times a month to have their awesome wings. Lunchtime is not a good time to go. After work is the time to go. It’s the same food, but IMO the lunch servers arent as great as the evening servers.
I am from a state that has BWW every where and when I go home I eat there 3 times or so a week. I look forward to eating there. Best wings ever. But then I come back here to CA and nothing its sad. A state this big with this many people and no BWW’s. Tisk Tisk. I am looking forward to the one opening in Lake forest Hopefully they will have 50 cent Thursdays boneless wings Nummy my favorite!!! I will be there every week.