After establishing itself as a popular wing destination in Durham, Heavenly Buffaloes has expanded from Blue Devil territory to Tar Heel Nation.
“We will be open late certain nights of the week to cater to the crowd of college students and night owls,” co-owner Mark Dundas said.
Franklin Street did not have a wing-specific restaurant until co-owners Dain Phelan and Dundas opened Heavenly Buffaloes on April 5 at 407 West Franklin Street, where the restaurant Sandwhich used to be located.
Heavenly Buffaloes offers bone-in, boneless and vegan wings, as well as a large variety of sauces and dry rubs to choose from.
Iara Dundas, wife of Mark Dundas, recommends getting waffle fries to go with the wings. “The waffle fries are super crispy without being overly fried, and we offer Idaho or sweet potato fries,” she said.
Iara says that there are economical deals for high school students looking to save some money.
“The students will like the seven count of bone-in wings or the half-pound of the boneless wings. If you’re going to be eating with friends, definitely get the full order of waffle fries. It’ll happily feed two to three people,” she said.
Heavenly Buffaloes boasts a casual environment with multiple televisions. Customers place their order at the counter and have their plates brought to them. The restaurant offers takeout and delivery services, as well.
“They are the best wings I have ever had in North Carolina,” junior Philip Foley said. “I would choose them over Buffalo Wild Wings any day.”
Science teacher William Richards agreed that Heavenly Buffaloes serves a quality product. “Their hot wings are really good, and they have a lot of other sauce options. Their garlic sauce is awesome, and my wife likes the Sweet Thai Coconut Chili sauce,” Richards said.
According to Iara, the difference between Heavenly Buffaloes and the typical wing restaurant stems from the wings’ preparation. “The wings are fully cooked in a steamer first, so some of the fat is rendered off while also keeping them really juicy. We then double-fry them for a very short amount of time so that they have a very crispy outside and stay juicy on the inside,” she said.
A salad and a fried chicken sandwich are offered exclusively at the Chapel Hill location.
Known for its colorful paint job and award-winning wings (both traditional and vegan), the original Heavenly Buffaloes, located at 1807 West Markham Avenue in Durham, opened September 2014.
“People have been asking us to open up in Chapel Hill almost since we first opened our spot in Durham,” he said.
The original Heavenly Buffaloes has won Indy Week’s Best of Triangle Award for Best Wings in Durham County in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
