Taste of the Wild

Just outside of the Northern Illinois Campus on Sycamore Road is a number of strip malls, a Wal-Mart, and the very popular Buffalo Wild Wings grill and bar restaurant.

This sports bar and grill is crowded about every day of the week because of their outstanding specials. The twenty-five plus TVs throughout the restaurant makes watching sports a must. “I liked how there’s an outside patio with TVs too, I found that to be more different than the one in Orland and Chicago Ridge,” according to Paul Ferfecki, a friend and costumer. With the location of Buffalo Wild Wings being in the town of De Kalb, it's no wonder why it's crowded with Northern Illinois University and De Kalb High School nearby. The service is kind, quick, and to the point. There is no need to wonder when the waiter/waitress is coming back to the table for a refill since they just swipe it off your table whether you need a refill or not.

Main courses are delicious and acceptable. The main courses that Buffalo Wild Wings are famous for are the Traditional Wings and Boneless Wings. The flavoring of the zesty sauce of your choosing determines the quality of the meal for the wings. The fourteen different variety of sauces start out from a cooling, more mild flavor to a tingling fiery sensation on your tongue. The wings come in a 6, 12, 18, 24, or 50 counts; the boneless comes in an 8, 12, 24, or 50 count. The best time I recommend going to order some boneless wings would be Thursday night, when it is sixty cent boneless wings no matter the quantity. Paul was asked about the wings and prices and responded that they are “definitely affordable.” As far as sandwiches go, they have a number to choose from like the Pulled Pork Burger, Veggie Burger, and one of my other favorites the Honey BBQ Bacon Chicken Sandwich that will leave anyone in awe after tasting the sweet, Honey BBQ sauce; simply amazing!

While those were all hits, here are a few misses that I wouldn’t recommend so highly of. For starters, simply just say no when asked if you would like cheese with your French fries. Cheese fries are not the same when it is shredded cheese on top of French fries; it is wrong and disgusting when it gets all hard. The cost of the cheese fries are $2.99, definitely rather save the three dollars on something else. The same goes for the potato wedges with cheese, bad idea. The onion rings aren’t something to be proud of either. Onion rings are supposed to be crispy when bitten into, but not crispy enough to taste burnt. Really the starters should remain on the bench and if necessary try the Sampler platter if anything. Another major miss is having to pay for the cups of ranch or bleu cheese, that’s just really cheap of the restaurant.

There is not a wide variety of desserts at Buffalo Wild Wings. Three main desserts on the menu are the Deep Dish Apple Pie, Chocolate Fudge Cake, and the New York Cheesecake. I’m a huge fan of the cheesecake with every bite being able to taste the richness flavor with the raspberry sauce giving it that extra sweet taste. If you are not that hungry after dinner, the children menu has vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup on top for a little treat to cool off the taste buds. The drinks served are Coke Products, Beer, and Iced Tea.

The hours at Buffalo Wild Wings are from Monday through Thursday starting at 11am to 12am, Friday and Saturday starting at 11am to 1am, and Sunday from 11am to 11pm. Every day of the week is filled with sporting events from Monday Night Football to UFC 103 on Saturday. UFC night of a Pay Per View, the lights are dimmed and the fight is on every TV screen with surround sound throughout the restaurant. It is a great atmosphere for the family, friends, and kids of every age and is also wheelchair accessible. Nice weather outside and don’t feel like sitting inside with a group of people; there’s a patio section outside to enjoy the food, family talk, and even watch the big game.

Cost of everything is mainly what you would expect from a bar and grill restaurant. Main Courses are about $7-$33.99 (unless you can beat the Blazin’ Challenge of 12 wings in 6 minutes you eat free), the starters around $2-$8, and the dessert from $1.29 - $5. The price is decent, I recommend Thursdays for the best time, and receive a good amount of food for what you are paying. Good Food, Good Service, and Great Entertainment.








Buffalo Wild Wings ***1/2
DE KALB (#0110)
2466 Sycamore RoadDeKalb, IL 60115-2050
Phone: 815-754-9299

Store Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 11am to 12am
Fri-Sat: 11am to 1am
Sun: 11am to 11pm

Entrée Prices: $6.99 - $33.99
Reservations: Recommend on Thursdays and weekends
Noise: Typically loud, nothing to be concerned with
Other: Wheel Chair Accessible