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Buffalo Wild Wings in Brandon

By By Jessica Brady, tbt* columnist
In print: Friday, September 26, 2008

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Vitals: 2055 Badlands Drive, Brandon. (813) 571-1045. Sunday, noon to midnight; Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

The spot: The main difference between a corporate bar and a privately owned bar is character. Yes, any bar can have projection screens and TVs galore, a few arcades, and bar games, but if the atmosphere and character are nil, a bar is simply a place to have a drink, not a place to kick back and really let loose — unless of course you get loaded, then it really doesn't matter where you are. Buffalo Wild Wings, a chain with more than 350 locations in 34 states, has all the amenities a fun bar should have, especially on game days — six huge projection screens surrounded by TVs — but no character. The atmosphere is more like a fast-food joint than a true bar. And the size of the area means the screens can seem a little blurry. The secret is to arrive early before the game and secure a high-top table in the middle of the bar area.

The crowd: The crowd varies in age from families with kids to the college-aged and middle-aged, but after 8 p.m. the bar area is 21 and older only, which makes it nice if kids aren't your thing. You won't find anyone decked out in anything but jeans or khakis and flip flops or sneakers, except on Sunday and Monday nights — you can expect to see a sea of football jerseys at tables cluttered with pitchers and glasses of beer. After all, what's a football game without a cold brew?

Juice: While the service is friendly, the Happy Hour specials are not so friendly on the wallet. Happy Hour consists of 75 cents off draft beer, which average about $4, and $3.75 Absolut and Captain Morgan. The bar offers 20-plus draft beers, including Longboard, Blue Moon, Killian's, Sam Adams Cherry Wheat. A full liquor bar is also available, as well as their signature specials — Limon Electric Limonade, red sangria and mojitos.

Grub: I know this sounds cliché, but no food goes better with a cold beer than hot wings. And where better to get them than at a place called Buffalo Wild Wings? With the beer on the bar, I placed my order of a dozen wings after a long debate over which of the more than 10 sauces to choose from (I went with Honey BBQ). In less than five minutes, 12 puny wings were placed in front of me, and they weren't even warm. I'm all about quick service, but I'd be happy to wait a few minutes longer for hot, fresh wings. Maybe I should have gone with one of the other 30 menu items, like burgers, wraps or salads.