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Buffalo Boys Hoagies, a closer look
Aloha!
9/2/09 - How is it that you get ten people from the East Coast, and five can say authentic and five can say cheap imitation? C'mon, guys, for local bruddah's like myself, who've never stepped foot on the streets of Jersey, Philly, or Buffalo to sample a genuine hoagie sandwich, inquiring minds really do wanna know! What's an authentic hoagie all about?
And ditto for buffalo wings, too, except I think I know a lot more about wings than hoagies, for sure. The place that carries both of them is called Buffalo Boys Hoagies, and they sit in the same facility that used to house Bistro Sun, that eclectic-little Japanese/Italian eatery once there.
Parking is through the tiny alley-way next to the store (shown above), but don't be surprised if you'll have to swing right back out to find parking on the street, as there are only a few slots open on the right-hand side, while the many spaces on the left are assigned to tenants in the apartment building also located there.
As for the store itself, they've fixed it up quite a bit since the last owners left. While not a palace, it's open and colorfully-themed, with a decorator warehouse type-of-feel that utilizes a high ceiling, faux corrugated steel siding's, classic aluminum Oscar the Grouch trash cans, solid-color walls, and industrial-looking drop-down lamps. There's a cool-enough vibe running through this place, but for some reason, and I've heard this echoed by many others, the A/C is either turned down too low or is completely non-existent. I never ate here in the dining room except for a few sample bites (and pics), but while chowing down on spicy buffalo wings, I sure would not have appreciated the extra heat!
The menu is pretty simple here - hoagies, subs, chicken fingers, wings, all found in different combo's and variations, along with a few small salads and sides of fries, onion rings, and chips. Easy enough!
Though I had my eyes on something else, the kind hostess (probably the owner, as she's always there) suggested a simple steak hoagie with fried onion and cheese to get started. May not look like much, but it was a very tasty sandwich, the allure having mostly to do with the seasonings and flavorings of the meat, which is chopped and diced almost as thoroughly as a crumbling hamburger. If this is what a genuine hoagie is all about - I'm in!
Here, most local bar/grills on the island will feature either Korean-style or straight-up, golden-fried chicken wings, but we're also very familiar with Buffalo wings, as well. It's probably the simplest of all wings to make, as it's just thrown right into hot oil and then tossed in a mix of butter and hot sauce, and eeeh, sometimes with a little vinegar, but not always. Why, even salt and pepper wings are harder, mostly because of the use of flour or cornstarch, which always gets messy, no matter what!
Simplicity, however, is often the key to success, and Buffalo wings are no different. I can't tell you how many dishes I've completely chucked because I wanted to throw a bit more excitement and flair into time-tested recipes and dishes. Just a bit more of this, or a bit more of that, and before you knew it, the dog was suddenly more than happy with dinner and we were headed-out to McDonald's!
As stated, I've never been to the Anchor Bar nor Buffalo before, but these wings were sure better than any other spot I've experienced in recent memory. They were probably cooked just a wee bit too long, and though I ordered hot, they were safe enough even for my little nephew, but were nonetheless still large, tasty, and great for pupu's and a movie at home. I also found the bleu cheese dressing dip enjoyable. It was noticeably less sharp and biting than regular stuff, and you could tell it wasn't straight from the bottle (although it could've been a mix of bottle and fresh - not sure!), with a smoother, mellower, more natural taste to it.
Some are comparing this place to Dirty Lickin's out in Aiea, which not only has Buffalo wings, but bbq, garlic, teriyaki, and other flavorings, as well. For variety's sake, yeah, head-out to Aiea, but if you're looking for strictly Buffalo's, quality-wise, I'd stay right here in town.
Another variety of chicken was found roaming the premise, and that'd be the chicken fingers:
Like their wings, these boneless strips come in three heat levels of Buffalo sauce, plain (no sauce), or in American-style bbq sauce, and come with fries, bleu cheese dip, and carrots on the side. I was actually surprised at how tender these pieces were, although I gotta admit, this was probably the least enjoyable dish of our two visits. I dunno, it's probably just a chicken breast thing, is all.
Upon our return a few days later, I didn't bother taking snaps of the food and then wrapping 'em up for take-out. I simply asked for take-out and then took snaps later at home, so the two hoagies we had are probably not quite as pretty in the following pics, just to let ya know.
The first was yet another chicken, this time a chicken hoagie:
Unlike chicken subs, which automatically come with fingers, the hoagie style comes with tender, chopped strips mixed with fried onions and melted white cheese, all of which blend together like a gooey American stir-fry on a bun. And you know what? This thing was delicious! The toasted bun held-up well to the wet fillings, and the taste was, I dunno, like part-cheesy cream sauce and part-brown gravy, with the well-seasoned flavor of sear-blackened chicken and sweet grilled onions. Fan-tastic.
Our final choice was another steak hoagie, but this time with onions, baby bell peppers, and mushrooms. Oh, and don't forget the secret sauce:
I don't know what's in that secret sauce, but the buggah sure was ono! What strikes me about all these hoagies is that they carry a certain taste combination you sure don't see too often 'round these-here parts - strangely homey, in a Mainlandish sort of way, but yet very different, somehow. I don't know what it is. There's like 23 different reviewers for Buffalo Boys Hoagies on Yelp, and there's lots of people claiming authentic, not authentic, good, bad, and ok, but not a single one of them mentions this subtly mysterious taste sensation I personally find so unique. Maybe it truly is authentic, or perhaps endemic to a certain East Coast area or bar, and that's why I find it so somehow different. I just don't know. Oh, well... If someone out there says I'm half-crazy, and is sure that it's the same as everywhere else, please let me know specifically where, cuz' I haven't tasted anything around here that's quite like it.
You just try it for yourself, is all, and open-up your world in doing so, in its own small way. Aaah, the little things... Can't actually smell the roses unless you stop whatever else you were doing, and even if you do, you can't really appreciate the fragrance unless you slow down even further and open-up to the subtle pleasures, or... the simple things in life, ey?
Wanted to thank the folks over at Leichic.com for reviewing my Island Flavors book! And be sure to catch the LeiChic segment with Alyson Helwagen and Grace Lee on KGMB's Sunrise morning show!
Take care and Aloha till next time!
Aku
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Comments:
Ken W (4/28/10) Aku, I just read your visit to Buffalo Boys Hoagies and Wings on a closer look. When I worked for the federal government the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was part of my jurisdiction. I remember being there one day when everyone was putting in their lunch orders for hoagies. I was asked if I wanted one and I replied I never had ate one and did not know what it was. They said they would order a small for me.
When the hoagie finally came it looked and felt like there was 5 pounds of sliced cold-cut meat cover in vegetables and tomatoes and this was considered a small! It was very good but I ate it for lunch and dinner back in my hotel room and it was only about $4!!!!
From your photos what they are serving at Buffalo Boys Hoagies and Wings is a Philadelphia cheese steak chopped. Other versions are thinly sliced ribeye or sirloin steak cooked whole with cheese plus additional onions, tomatoes etc. To make it a Hoagie the vegetables must be added. Talk on the street is Buffalo Boys Hoagies and Wings modeled themselves after a wester New York restaurant near Buffalo named Jim's Steakout: http://jimssteakout.com/
As far as their Buffalo Wings are concerned, they look dry like mine (not tossed in a wet mixture of sauce) which are double fried once in Crisco and then secondary fried in the sauce so the Buffalo sauce penetrates the wing sections. So far I got one restaurant wanting my recipe and a lot of friends requesting my wings at beach parties.
Description and history of Hoagie sandwich:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HoagieSubmarinePoBoy.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-hoagie.htm
When the hoagie finally came it looked and felt like there was 5 pounds of sliced cold-cut meat cover in vegetables and tomatoes and this was considered a small! It was very good but I ate it for lunch and dinner back in my hotel room and it was only about $4!!!!
From your photos what they are serving at Buffalo Boys Hoagies and Wings is a Philadelphia cheese steak chopped. Other versions are thinly sliced ribeye or sirloin steak cooked whole with cheese plus additional onions, tomatoes etc. To make it a Hoagie the vegetables must be added. Talk on the street is Buffalo Boys Hoagies and Wings modeled themselves after a wester New York restaurant near Buffalo named Jim's Steakout: http://jimssteakout.com/
As far as their Buffalo Wings are concerned, they look dry like mine (not tossed in a wet mixture of sauce) which are double fried once in Crisco and then secondary fried in the sauce so the Buffalo sauce penetrates the wing sections. So far I got one restaurant wanting my recipe and a lot of friends requesting my wings at beach parties.
Description and history of Hoagie sandwich:
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HoagieSubmarinePoBoy.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-hoagie.htm
Aku (4/28/10) Ken, like your insight on hotdogs, thanks again for the hoagies info. If you ever do get down there, please do lemme know what you think! I know one thing for sure, here in Hawaii you won't get nearly as much meat between your buns, which might be sorely disappointing for you folks well familiar with the real stuff on the Mainland. I do love the taste here at Buffalo Boys Hoagies, though, despite the fact. Thanks again Ken, Aku.
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