Wing Review: The Bar At Main & Hamlin

Trendy East Aurora Spot That Sits (Literally) Across The Steet From Bar Bill

There’s a handful of spots I’ve yet to hit up in Western New York that have become pretty well-known commodities on the wing circuit. The Bar At Main and Hamlin (198 Main Street in East Aurora) is certainly one of them. That finally changed as I along with three others visited them on a Thursday evening. Between us we landed on getting 40 wings consisting of four flavors: traditional medium, Cajun medium, Cajun BBQ and hot garlic. We also got sides of both fresh cut and waffle fries and of course, a few beverages.

I certainly liked the vibe there and the staff was outstanding (more on that in shortly) but at the end of the day it’s all about the wings, and here’s my honest take on them and where I’d slot them on the Western New York wings food chain:

PROS

Wings Perfectly Cooked: No hyperbole when saying these were some of the best cooked wings I’ve had anywhere. Crispy but not obnoxiously so with plenty --- and I mean plenty of tenderness on the inside. Legit 10/10 in that category.

Pretty Solid Flavors: The Cajun medium and Cajun BBQ were delicious for me. Their traditional Buffalo hot sauce is not regular ole’ Frank’s and has a nice taste to it, IF you’re not seeking heat (more on that in a second).

Outstanding Service: Usually good service is reserved for the random observations section but in this case I gotta plant some flowers right here. Their staff and specifically our server were outstanding. If I owned a restaurant, I’d try luring every employee there while I visited to my spot. Seriously, they were great.  

CONS

Heat Seekers Beware: If you’re a guy or gal who fancies a strong kick to your traditional medium or hot wing---or any kick at all really, you’re shit out of luck. The medium we got here had zero heat. At one point I asked for a side of hot sauce and even after dunking a few wings in it, still not much. I enjoy some heat but pay for it with a head that glistens with heat sweat rather easily. None of that here.  Again, nice flavor in the sauce—just not nearly enough heat if you’re seeking it. Also, FWIW, the hot garlic wings weren’t hot nor particularly garlicy either.

Zero Celery & A Bit Skimpy With The Accessories: Don’t know if this is a trend or not lately, haven’t paid much attention at other places to be honest, but celery is not a thing at Main & Hamlin. 40 Wings and not a stick to be found, just some baby carrots and one bleu cheese for each plate, also on the (very) small side.

No Sliding Scale Pricing: $16.00 (essentially) for a single (10) order of wings and $16.50 for wings with BBQ is perfectly reasonable in today’s economy. However, no sliding scale discount per 10 for the more wings you order like most other places sucks at least a little bit.

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Cozy But Small: Not a criticism perse, but the bar/restaurant isn’t made for a large crowd. There’s outdoor seating when the weather’s good which is nice (that’s where we sat) but if you come here during prime eating hours you’re probably going to have a wait time problem. We came well into Thursday evening (8:30pm or so) and were lucky to get seated.

Pretty Solid Fries: Both both fresh cut and waffle fries and I enjoyed them, reasonable sized plate for $4.99 as well.

Very Fair Mixed Drink Prices: Got a pint sized glass of well vodka for $4.00 and a Tito’s vodka drink for $7.00. Plenty to like with that.

Pro Tip: If you like wings with a good amount of sauce on them, make sure to ask for them saucy. The wings we got were definitely not saucy. Not a complaint, as I don’t need a swimming pool worth of sauce on my wings, but if you like em saucy you best ask specifically for that way.

CONCLUSION

The Bar At Main & Hamlin is one of the ultimate enigmas for me. On one hand the wings were honestly cooked to perfection and unless you seek heat with your wings, there’s not a negative thing to say about the place that actually matters.

The problem, and one I can’t get away from is that arguably (it’s barely even arguable) Western New York’s most popular wing spot sits literally just 40 or so yards away across the street in Bar Bill. If it’s wings you love and wings you want, why not go to the iconic spot a stone’s throw away, short of a ridiculous wait potentially awaiting you?

I liken it to a football team with an incredibly talented backup quarterback.  On nearly any other team he’s a starter, possibly a star there too, but ain’t seeing the field on his team long as the starter’s around. Kind of get those Joe Montana/Steve Young San Francisco vibes with this. If Main & Hamlin was almost anywhere else it’d be a non-story but with the location it feels like trying to get out from big brother’s shadow.

Main & Hamlin’s not just a good alternative to Bar Bill, it’s a great one. But again, I just can’t fathom driving to East Aurora, hitting up Main Street and actively deciding against Bar Bill if it’s wings I’m seeking, especially considering the issues with Bar Bill (small spot, long waits) may result in the same fate at Main & Hamlin.

TIERING

I’ll be putting them very high in my third (of seven) tiers, the “All Pro” tier which ranks them in the top 15-20% or so of all WNY wing spots. I like them, seriously, I really like them—just wish the wings were a wee bit hotter and the location didn’t force me into feeling like a blown opportunity not going to Bar Bill when I’m out that way.  

Last point and friendly reminder—-this review is literally limited to just wings. There’s plenty of other food items on the menu you very well may enjoy as much or better than Bar Bill.

♦♦♦♦♦

Here’s my seven tiers with a brief explanation of each.

Mt. Rushmore: The four undisputed championship wing spots of Western New York.
The Elite: The next best thing—right on the brink of being immortalized.
All-Pro: Perhaps not MVP material but categorically deserving of being discussed among the best.
Solid Starter: You certainly won’t be complaining. Exactly what the description reads—solid.
Depth Chart: You can do far worse but at this point — significantly better as well.
Roster Bubble: If left with few other options these places may suffice, but I can’t recommend them.
Waiver Wire: I’d rather eat pizza or something else.