Since my first year at Duke, the late night food scene has been dominated by Heavenly Buffaloes (affectionately nicknamed, Heav Buff) and their, well, heavenly wings and waffle fries. Having your first order of Heav Buff wings is a veritable right of passage for Duke students and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t ordered from this adorable little shack at least once in four years. To this day, Heav Buff is still the only restaurant that I have on speed dial.
But with the recent opening of a new food truck, Shrimp and Pasta’s Dankery, serving wings, tenders, fries, and shrimps, Heav Buff’s wing monopoly might be in jeopardy. Die-hard members of #teamHeavBuff, a few of my friends and I decided to check out the new wings on the block to see how they stack up against the cult fav. Judging based off of Tenderness, Flavor, Fry Quality, and Heat Factor, we determined which wing joint earns the (unofficial) title of Durham’s best wings.
The Dankery:
Flavors tried: Plain with honey drizzle, Buffalo, Buffalo Blue Cheese, and Garlic Parmesan.
Tenderness: 4.5 (out of 5)
Flavor: 4 (out of 5)
Fry Quality: 3.5 (out of 5)
Heat Factor: 3 (out of 5)
What we liked: Straight off, the Dankery gets bonus points from me because the tender trays automatically come with fries. Yes, you read that right. Wings AND Fries for $7. You can customize your fries for a few dollars extra and it is still less than half a pound of wings at Heav Buff. The price difference alone was almost enough to convince me to swap loyalties.
Now lets talk taste. Not only were the tenders that we got massive, they were cooked to perfection — “The plain with honey drizzle were incredibly tender, ” remarked Junior Sam. Flavor certainly wasn’t lacking either, and the only member of our group to brave the buffalo, Junior Matt, commented, “There was a good amount of spice, they weren’t inedibly hot, but they didn’t need more.” Across the board, our group was quite satisfied, although we all agreed that a bit more of the delicious sauce wouldn’t have hurt.
Heavenly Buffaloes
Flavors tried: Honey Barbecue, Mild, Sweet Thai Coconut Chili, Sweet Potato Waffle Fries, and Idaho Waffle Fries
Tenderness: 5 (out of 5)
Flavor: 5 (out of 5)
Fry Quality: 4.5 (out of 5)
Heat Factor: 4.5 (out of 5)
What we liked: Heav Buff consistently knocks it out of the park. It’s the kind of food that you can enjoy as much when you’re sober as you can after a wild night out. Is it pricy? Yes. But is it worth it for the quality of the wings? Also yes. Plus, the amount of wings (and wing sauce) that they give you really makes you feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.
And of course, no Heav Buff order would be complete without a side of their waffle fries (you can keep them all for yourself, we won’t judge). It doesn’t matter if you choose to go sweet potato or Idaho, you’re going to have the best fry of your life. Something about the waffle shape just makes everything taste better. The only way to possibly improve these fries is to make them free *hint hint*.
Final Thoughts
While the Dankery put up a valiant fight, nothing can really compete with the institution that is Heavenly Buffaloes. However, if you’re looking for a more budget-friendly, but still delicious way to get your wing fix, The Dankery food truck will not disappoint.