PHOTO CREDIT: Evan Casey
Buffalo Boss
Chicken wings, now a staple on pub menus and one of the most popular game day snacks, typically aren’t known as a healthy food item. However, Buffalo Boss (3536 W. Fond du Lac Ave.) is changing that by sourcing organically raised, hormone-free and antibiotic-free wings. They’re also wooing vegetarians with meatless Impossible Wings.
“Serving good quality, organically raised, hormone-free and antibiotic-free chicken is one of our niches,” says owner Taj Pearsall. “We have the market cornered on that. There are several chicken stops up and down Fond du Lac Avenue, but we are the only one that serves antibiotic-free chicken products.”
Since opening Buffalo Boss’ first Milwaukee location in Sherman Phoenix this spring, Pearsall says he’s heard from many people who appreciate having the option of organically raised meat, and he cited a growing concern about artificial hormones in the nation’s food supply. “I’m aware of that as a parent, as well. I have a son and a daughter,” he adds.
Pearsall is a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and moved to Milwaukee to join family here. Meanwhile in Brooklyn, Pearsall’s cousin, Jamar White, along with his friend Ronald Lee, founded Buffalo Boss’ first location in 2010, on bustling Jay Street. The restaurant has since been featured on the Cooking Channel’s “Taste in Translation” and opened a second location in the Barclays Center Arena.
“I had spoken with Jamar about possible franchising,” Pearsall says. “People familiar with Buffalo Boss on the East Coast thought it would be a great idea to bring it out here.” Pearsall knew Joanne and Maanaan Sabir, founders of The Juice Kitchen (now known as Shindig). Joanne had been actively working with developer Juli Kaufmann to bring Sherman Phoenix, a hub of black-owned food and wellness businesses and cultural activities, to fruition. Legacy Redevelopment Corporation, a strategic urban lending service, worked with Pearsall to solidify his business plan and provide financing.
PHOTO CREDIT: Evan Casey
Wings come in regular or boneless and are served with Boss Bleu cheese sauce and celery. Meals start $6.49 for either six wings, or for the combo, which includes five wings with fries. Customers can get larger quantities, as well as chicken tenders. Vegetarian Impossible Wings start at $6.99 for three pieces. There are also assorted party platters; Pearsall mentioned their largest order to date was 720 wings for a fundraiser. Sides include fries, sweet potato fries, cheese fries or rice. For dessert, there are fried Oreos (four for $3.99) dipped in cake batter, flash fried and sprinkled with confection sugar.
There are 12 sauces and rubs ranging from mild, sweet teriyaki or honey mustard, to the N’Sinerator, which sounds hot, but Pearsall quickly corrects that assumption. “We like to say flavorful. Nothing we have is designed to be hot just for the sake of being hot. We don’t have any challenges or contests, it’s meant to be enjoyed, not a punishment.” The two dry rubs are lemon pepper or garlic parmesan, in which the wings are tossed and coated.
Pearsall, who worked in marketing prior to becoming a restaurateur, says opening a Buffalo Boss location in Sherman Phoenix has been rewarding. “It’s a learning experience, but the support from tenants, to the neighborhood and other businesses in the community, has been phenomenal.
For more information, visit buffaloboss.com.
