Ever since I moved to Buffalo almost a decade ago and tasted my first decent wings, I've been a fan of chicken wings and am always on the lookout for really good wings. Buffalo certainly has no shortage for wing places, but I never seemed to encounter any one place that offered the right combination of crispy skin, amazing sauce, good wing size, and perfectly cooked meat. That is, until Gabriel's Gate.
Ironically enough, I heard about Gabriel's Gate from a non-Buffalo resident who sent me a video rating the best wing places in Buffalo. Intrigued by the video poster's raving reviews of Gabriel's Gate, we decided to give Gabriel's Gate a visit.
Gabriel's Gate is located in Allentown. Any patron-to-be determined enough to brave the street parking situation and the potential queue at this restaurant however, will be rewarded with a unique dining experience.
On the outside, Gabriel's Gate looks like a hybrid of a church and an old timey shop/pub. The decor inside conveys the impression further with booth benches styled like church pews, heavy dark wood furniture, and even a chandelier over the bar area. It's a casual atmosphere and yet one of a kind. This is not a place where you storm in and rush through your meal, but rather a place where you sit, take in your surrounding, enjoy your company, and take the time to enjoy your meal.
Although Gabriel's Gate offers a large variety of offerings from pasta to steak to sandwiches and fish fry, my husband and I decided to stick to the chicken wings. Having not expected to find the wings to be offered only as one of Gabriel's Gate many appetizers however, we decided to put in an order to share, then see what else we might feel like ordering afterward. It took the wings twenty minutes to be ready. When they finally came to the table however, all that wait was worth it; those wings were about as perfect as they could get. Crispy on the outside, perfectly cooked but still juicy on the inside, and coated (but not drippy to the point of soggy) with sauce that had just the right bite of spice and vinegar. Within minutes, we were more than halfway through our first batch of wings. There was no hesitation to flag our server to put in an order for another batch of wings, then wait for twenty more minutes.
As far as service goes, even though we arrived at the beginning of dinner rush, the service that we received was excellent. Our server continuously made sure that we were taken care of, that our drinks were refilled, and we had what we needed. At no point she showed impatience or made us feel rushed. She even advised us how long the wings would take to be ready and made sure we were still taken care of while we waited.
Gabriel's Gate definitely offers the best wings we have ever had, hands down. To this day, we still rave about their wings whenever the subject of chicken wings come up.
If you love wings, and/or if you're ever in the area and can afford the wait time, I'd highly recommend giving Gabriel's Gate a try. read more