By Bobby Panza
Amid the pandemic in 2020, a cherished tradition of the Upper West Side came to an abrupt halt: the beloved all-you-can-eat wings on Mondays at Blondies, the popular sports bar on West 79th Street.
Subsequently, Blondie’s attempted to fill the void left by the absence of the all-you-can-eat option, which cost roughly $20 plus tax, with various chicken-wing specials, from the $20 deal for 20 wings, to the offer of $1 per wing with a minimum order of 10. However, patrons agreed: it simply wasn’t the same. The excitement and satisfaction that once characterized the all-you-can-eat experience of this legendary sports bar on Mondays seemed to have faded away.
Hope is an emotion well-known at any good sports bar as fellow fans come together to root for the underdog or the five-game parlay. There was always hope that all-you-can-eat Mondays would come back. And sure enough, in 2023, they did.
On Monday, November 20, WSR visited Blondie’s during a perfect storm of Monday night action. The Kansas City Chiefs were playing the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, and the Knicks and red-hot Rangers were both in action as well. Blondie’s was rocking, with a wait to get a table.When we asked the hostess, she confirmed that all-you-can-eat-wings were back and had been for awhile, at $24.99.
Jason Pierce, 39, from San Diego, had already devoured 16 wings when we spoke with him. A Buffalo native, he swears by wings from Anchor Bar, his hometown favorite. Pierce used to live on the Upper West Side before landing a job out west, and now, visiting his friend Peter, they both indulged in their shared history of devouring wings at Blondie’s while catching up and enjoying some sports.
“I think they’re better normal nights,” Pierce remarked, noting that the wings were “a little too crispy, lacking the fall-off-the-bone situation.” Despite this, he devoured his share of Blondie’s wings that evening. He also recommended trying Tomcat Bar & Grill, asserting that they serve the best wings in San Diego.
The Rag also caught up with 17-year-old Brian Quinn, who reminisced about the old method Blondie’s used for making garlic wings — a savory concoction laden with chopped garlic, emitting an aroma reminiscent of the garlic fries at Yankee Stadium. This Rag reporter concurred that Blondie’s former garlic-wings recipe surpassed the current rendition. Hope lingered in the air for a revival of the classic recipe. “I made them better,” said Blondie’s owner, Jill Homorodean, in response. Homorodean was extremely busy working the packed house and couldn’t chat for long
As the Rangers and Knicks faced tough defeats, Eagles fans filled the air with their fight song after staging a big-time comeback against the Chiefs. Their stout defense and unique brotherly-shove strategy proved instrumental in the prime-time victory.
More great news for Blondie’s fans! The kitchen is now open until midnight, extending its hours from 10 p.m. This means more time to savor their array of wing flavors, including hot, honey mustard, barbecue, honey barbecue, and garlic.
Happy Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend!
For more information visit Blondie’s website here.
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Great article! Thanks. Good to know. One has to eat a lot of wings to make the math work on this, but I think there are plenty of UWSers who are up to the challenge.
I’m not too old but I miss the days of nickel, dime and quarter wing nights.
I’m glad Blondie’s is still around and doing OK. It is a great neighborhood resource.
Definitely the best wings in the neighborhood and if they had dollar wings or even $1.50 wings every night I’d be there a lot more. Wing prices are way down since the pandemic but they’ve kept their pandemic prices of $20 for 10 wings. I mostly air fry them and put the Frank’s on at home.
Blondie’s Sport is not a good neighbor on West 79th Street. Since 2019 there have been 3 rat holes in the treewell next to the outdoor shed and they have set up.a table right next to the ratholes – violation. The Rat Academy sent them instructions about v very.dark and a play yard for the rats. Why do they have an outdoor shed when #1 They are only open two or three days a week and #2 no one eats in it – rats under the shed. Now they want to stay open to midnight – yikes!
Only time I’ve been there I paid $38 all in for 10 wings and a beer. At the bartenders recommendation I took them extra crispy, which same as the guy in the article I have to say were well overdone.
I’m sure this place is as great as everyone says when it’s firing on all cylinders but I got the feeling they rest on their laurels a bit.
Hahaha! This is why I love the Rag! My friends and I would meet up at Blondie’s almost every Monday during football season for all you can eat wings back in the day.
I was the only one in the group who liked their garlic wings though, so nobody would trade different flavors with me. Garlic is challenging because it’s definitely heavier than the other flavors so it’s harder to eat more. I usually would switch to garlic wings as I was feeling full then.
I can’t speak to the new garlic wing recipe but I LOVED the old diced garlic wing version. It seemed like I was in the minority though. Garlic was the most polarizing wing in the bunch. Most didn’t like it but the ones who did LOVED it. Looks like I gotta get back over.
as much as i appreciate Blondie’s, & the owner, no longer go for several reasons, but less said; however, their dipping sauce for their much acclaimed buffalo-style chicken wings is terrible! why not charge more & provide REAL bleu cheese or gorgonzola cheese dressing, instead of that thin, insipid,tasteless, so-called “ranch” dressing they serve???? just not worth going or ordering. but those that go, haven’t a clue, so i guess owner(s) figure, why not serve the cheaper…..
I’ve been a patron since their days at West 77 Street. A true Upper West Sie gem!