A Buffalo wings chain from New York City opens its first Texas location in Arlington
New York’s popular Atomic Wings stands are coming to the rest of America, and the first location outside the Big Apple is in Arlington.
An Atomic Wings is opening this week at 809 W. Park Row Drive. It’s in a strip of restaurants long known as a proving ground because central Arlington draws customers from the University of Texas at Arlington and nations around the world.
Atomic Wings, founded in 1989, has claimed to be the first restaurant chain in Manhattan proper to serve spicy Buffalo wings like the originals at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York.
The chicken now comes in wings, tenders and thighs, all doused in a choice of three levels of red-hot Buffalo sauce, plus four other jerk or peppery spiced flavors and 10 mild versions.
New Yorkers are finding their way to Park Row Drive and Cooper Street, along with students from the university and nearby Arlington High School, local franchisee Nick Patel said.
“People want wings that are juicy, not chewy,” said Patel, a rookie restaurateur after years as a partner in several local hotels, including a La Quinta Inn & Suites in Forest Hill.
The wing craze is unabated after 30 years, but Atomic Wings’ biggest sellers now are the boneless wings and new “dark side” thighs.
The primary side dish is waffle fries, also available as “loaded.”
The chain was founded by entrepreneur Adam Lippin but expanded by Zak and Ray Omar, who took what they’d learned running Dunkin’ coffee and doughnut shops.
Atomic Wings has been featured in The New York Times and in a segment on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
More locations are expected in downtown Dallas, central Fort Worth and maybe Mansfield, Patel said.
Atomic Wings is open for lunch and dinner daily beginning at 10 a.m.; atomicwings.com.
This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 5:45 AM.
