Review: Buffalo Wild Wings - Mountain Dew-Flavored Zesty Citrus Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings' Zesty Citrus wings feature the citrus flavor of Mountain Dew infused with lemongrass and red pepper flakes.

I got a snack size (5 wings) and side for $6.79 on the Fast Break Lunch special.

When I heard that Buffalo Wild Wings was making a Mountain Dew-flavored wing I was equal parts excited and skeptical. As a life-long Mountain Dew fan and recent recipient of a case of Pitch Black, I was already pretty high on the brand when I heard the news. But, of course, the idea of a Mountain Dew wing sauce is strange and could very easily be a disaster.

Hearing they’d be calling them “Zesty Citrus” wings, I sort of figured the Dew flavoring would be light and more of an ingredient than a main feature. One bite in, I knew I was dead wrong about that. These wings tasted incredibly like Mountain Dew. The sauce swung much more toward sweet than spicy, barely registering for me in the heat department. Personally, I like the taste of room temp/warm Mountain Dew, so this was familiar and enjoyable for me. But as my bartender and server both made obvious, this sauce is not for everybody. They were almost surprised that I liked it. But like it I did. I enjoyed how closely the sauce resembled the drink - from the citrusy tang to the smooth finish. The sweetness did start to get to me at the tail end though. By the time I finished and the wings were cooler, the sauce tasted more like orange gummy candy to my palate than anything.

The wings themselves were fine. Not particularly hot when I got them but they did come out very quickly and still seemed pretty fresh. They were lightly crisp on the outside, the way you’d expect fried wings to be if you don’t specifically request that they be fried “hard.”

Overall, I enjoyed Buffalo Wild Wings’ Zesty Citrus wings. They could have been a little spicier and a little less sweet but I could see myself ordering them again; maybe alongside another more traditional flavor.  However, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend them, even to Mountain Dew fans. If you might conceivably like this concoction, then they shouldn’t disappoint. But I don’t think anyone who isn't automatically intrigued by the concept is going to have their minds changed upon tasting them. If you're on the fence, definitely ask to taste it before you have your wings spun in it.

By Darius.

Nutritional Facts - Buffalo Wild Wings Snack Size Traditional Wings w/ average sauce
Calories - 850 (from Fat - 660)
Fat - 71g (Saturated Fat - 28g)
Sodium - 1630mg
Carbs - 7g (Sugars - 5g)
Protein - 36g