We came to Duff’s Famous Wings months ago, but it looks like I’m a little late on this review.
I have to admit I don’t get as excited writing about chicken wings as I might some other types of food like the best sushi, dim sum, Vietnamese pho, and other Asian cuisines.
But what I can definitively say is that Duff’s offers some of the best wings in Toronto.
Rui and I have tried many wings places including St. Louis, Fanzone (closed down), Shoeless Joes, and a few other ones in the downtown area many years ago. Of all of them, Duff’s Famous Wings and St. Louis Bar & Grill were the most memorable to us.
We had the most wings in our University days but cut back on them as the years passed. If I can remember correctly, we haven’t had wings for literally 6+ years now!
And no, I don’t usually crave them anymore, but Rui does occasionally, so we decided to stop by Duff’s Famous Wings to reminisce about our past when we used to devour those wings (that’s when we knew wings aren’t healthy, but we had no idea how bad they REALLY are for you haha).
Duff’s Famous Wings Review
Spoiler alert: you’ll only want to come here for wings and probably nothing else. Ugh, they probably have one of the worst chicken burgers, so if you’re looking for some juicy and delicious burgers, I recommend checking out our list of the best burgers in the city.
Aside from my small rant, let me tell you about our experience at Duff’s Famous Wings.
Duff’s Famous Wings Menu
First, here is a glimpse of their wings menu. We only took a snapshot of this because I don’t think anything else is worth ordering – other than their wings (and beer when you’re out with a buddy or group of people).
You’ll see that they give you a choice of the following:
- 1lb of Famous Wings (1 flavour) – best for 1 person with a small appetite
- 2lbs of Famous Wings (2 flavours) – best for 1 person who’s feeling a little naughty, or 2 people to share as an appetizer
- 5lbs of Famous Wings (3 flavors) – best for a group of 3+ people to share
Duff’s Famous Wings – Buffalo Medium Hot
Since we came here for wings just for Rui, we ordered the 2lbs famous wings for him, which allows you to choose two flavours. He decided to go with the buffalo medium hot and honey garlic.
I have to say that Duff’s nailed it with their wings. It’s still the same as how I remember them to be — juicy, crispy, and saucy wings that feel like heaven in your mouth. This is especially true when you haven’t eaten wings in a very long time!
Their buffalo medium was not spicy at all, but it contained a small amount for you to feel the tiny heat. Despite their warning of medium being hot, I don’t think it’s that hot. Rui agrees that they are being conservative with their warning signs. But, it can become unreasonable spicier starting at superhot and above. But again, it depends on you and how much you enjoy hot food, so try it yourself!
Side Raw Veggies with Dip (Way TOO Little Vegetables!!!)
They also serve your wings with a small side of veggies (carrots and celery) with your choice of dill or blue cheese dip.
Despite their good wings, I think it’s VERY SAD that they serve 2 lbs wings with ONLY 3 pcs of carrot sticks and 3 pcs of celery. Like, seriously? This isn’t even half a serving of vegetables for one person alone (and you gotta share this with two people?).
For goodness sake, the recommended amount for the average adult is 5 to 6 cups of veggies per day; whereas the optimal amount is 7 to 10 cups per day! Go ahead and Google that and research more about the importance of eating your vegetables if you don’t believe me. And no, potatoes don’t count.
What’s even more SAD is I see many people just go straight for the wings and they don’t even touch their veggies at all. It ends up going to waste.
I really encourage you guys to consume more vegetables with your meal because the fiber pairs well with your excessive intake of protein, fat, and carbs. How on earth can you properly digest your food, maintain good gut health, and have healthy bowel movements without a good amount of fiber?
Anyway, my only complaint is they should make this a better balance and serve more vegetable dip to go with our wings. And that goes for all the wings restaurants out there!
What can I say? Standard American Diet — S.A.D.
Duff’s Famous Wings – Honey Garlic
Next up, we tried the honey garlic with has no spice whatsoever. It was sweet and saucy which I love!
Since I am cutting down on my meat intake, I had only 5 pieces of wings – 2 of the buffalo hot and 3 of the honey garlic.
I confess that I have a weakness for honey garlic!
I can’t deny that they can become addicting after the first wing but I always try my best to control myself. Their honey garlic wings are like comfort food, so I enjoyed them as an appetizer.
Duff’s Grilled Chicken Burger
So, we only came to Duff’s Famous Wings because Rui enjoys chicken wings. I, on the other hand, can live without it. If it’s there, I’ll eat some but if it’s out of sight, then it’s out of mind.
Since we only came here for Rui, I didn’t order wings myself. Instead, I was trying to look for something less unhealthy. Yes, I said “less unhealthy” because I am aware nothing is close to being healthy here. Lol.
Anyways, I will never order any sandwiches or burgers from Duff’s ever again.
To be fair, it wasn’t nasty. But if I had to be honest, you can make this better at home – not only healthier but tastier, fresher, and with better ingredients. Why did I dislike this burger? Here are all the cons:
- The chicken was not only dry but low quality (tasted like the frozen ones that get heated up)
- Way too little veggies in the burger (only 1 pc of dying iceberg lettuce and 1 slice of tomato)
- They didn’t offer whole-grain bread
- The sweet potato fries that I substituted were too oily and burnt, which they charged extra for (it’s the original price if you stick with regular fries)
The only pro was Duff’s honey garlic sauce on the chicken. That made it “taste better” which isn’t good enough for me when all the ingredients are poor.
This was a waste of money, and I only recommend these places in Toronto for the best chicken burgers.
We’ve also got the best halal burgers in the city for you too.
Food: 3.5/5
Rui and I would give the wings a 3.9 out of 5 because their flavours do satisfy your cravings for junk food. Again, it would be nice if they could serve more veggie dip to their customers and not cheap out on that.
The burger, on the other hand, was a serious fail. I would rate it 0 out of 5 if I could, but Rui thinks I’m being too harsh. He had a few bites and said it wasn’t great, but he would give it a 2.8/5 only because he’s discovered how to make healthy and good-tasting juicy chicken burgers with fresh ingredients at home.
We’re just going to let the burger go and put more weight on their wings, so we’ll give them a 3.5 out of 5 for overall food.
Service: 3.5/5
Our server wasn’t rude but she wasn’t friendly or amazing. She did her job as a server and that is that.
Ambiance: 3.5/5
It’s a clean environment just like any other typical restaurant. The decor wasn’t spectacular but it was decent and comfortable enough for you to eat your meal. Nothing much I can say here. Lol.
Price: $$
It’s expensive eating out in Toronto no doubt.
After-tax including tips, we paid $66 for this meal for two people, and that’s without any drinks or alcohol. I think this is expensive since we didn’t come during their special.
Secondly, their chicken burger was not worth $18.75! That becomes around $25 including tax and tips, which I think is insane when I compare it to our homemade version (and you get to eat the organic version for less too), which is SO much better in every single aspect. Me ordering this low-quality chicken burger at Duff’s just doesn’t make any sense to me!
Overall Rating of Duff’s Famous Wings: 3.5/5
Their wings taste good and there’s no denying that.
It could be that I’m biased because I’m not a lover of wings for my choice of a healthier lifestyle. So, for the price, I don’t think it’s really worth it (at least for me, that is my thought). But it is nice to indulge in dirty food once in a while, so I do have to say that if you are looking for the best chicken wings in Toronto, then Duff’s is one of the most popular ones for Torontonians. We’ve dined here since 2009, and it looks like they’re still alive and thriving.
Whether you’re tired of cooking at home and just want to indulge in wings or looking to grab a drink with a coworker after a tiring day of work, Duff’s will be one of the first places in mind.
That’s me being blunt and trying to give a non-biased review.
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