In business for over a decade, Frank’s Famous Chicken & Waffles has proven itself to be a staple of the Albuquerque restaurant scene, having amassed a 4.5 star Google rating out of over 2,000 reviews as well as being featured in a 2021 episode of Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Despite being known for their soul food and waffles, I stopped by Frank’s to try their hot wings after the host of the Studio Review channel on YouTube, Sam Reid, selected the eatery to represent New Mexico during his search for the best chicken wings in the United States. While I don’t know if I’m willing to parallel Reid’s efforts, I’ve always been a huge fan of chicken wings.
When first walking into the restaurant, my eyes were immediately drawn in every direction. The walls are ornamented with memorabilia and posters featuring musical artists such as Prince, Lionel Richie and Kiss. A framed 76ers Kenny Thomas jersey rests above the doorway, which I saw as a nice tribute to the Lobos — seeing as Thomas is arguably the most successful player to emerge from UNM’s basketball program.
The decor gives the restaurant a unique yet charming atmosphere, akin to stepping into a time machine and arriving in the mid-to-late 1980s.
Before even stepping foot in Frank’s, I knew that along with trying three varieties of hot wings, I wanted to order some side dishes as well.
The first was an unambitious order of plain french fries for $3.50. I was initially thrown off due to the appearance of the fries. Rather than being the standard french fries you’d see from a fast food joint, they looked to be baked rather than fried. Ultimately, this wasn’t a big deal. The order of fries was earthy, crispy and flavorful.
The other side dish that I ordered was a small helping of macaroni and cheese for $4.50. Admittedly, I wasn’t too crazy about it. The noodles didn’t combine very well with the cheese, which made the whole dish a tad dry.
My first order of 12 wings consisted of two flavors: Buffalo and original for $13.75. When ordering the original, I made the assumption that it was referring to a sauce reminiscent of what you would find in a traditional wing place. However, I was mistaken.
The wings came out plain, so I was essentially eating slightly smaller pieces of fried chicken. Despite the mixup on my end, the plain wings were delicious — super well-seasoned and incredibly meaty.
Rather than what you’d expect to find at a Buffalo Wild Wings or Wingstop franchise, Frank’s opts to bread their wings, creating a crunchy texture.
The next flavor I tried was Buffalo, and these wings made my entire visit. The sauce was rich and flavorful with the perfect amount of heat. I don’t think I’ve tasted a better Buffalo sauce in my life.
After finishing my order of 12 wings, I was in the mood for additional heat. In between the original flavor and Buffalo on the menu was the Nashville Hot rub, so it seemed like a logical decision to order an additional three wings a la carte for $3.75. After a couple bites, I completely wrote off the flavor.
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The rub of spices the restaurant used to season the wings could best be described as a confusing mix of spices that didn’t belong together. I remember tasting a hint of sugar, which threw everything off. One concession I will make in favor of the flavor is the fact that it had a strong amount of heat.
When comparing these wings to the national bar for Nashville Hot chicken, Hattie B’s, Frank’s falls woefully short. While one might say it’s unfair to compare the two establishments, I can’t help but disagree. After having been heavily impressed by the Buffalo flavor, I expected another strong showing for such an established flavor.
In short, I enjoyed my time at Frank’s despite my rant about the Nashville Hot flavor. The Buffalo wings I had were so exceptional, my overall opinion of the place wasn’t heavily affected. To anyone who’s a chicken wing fanatic, I couldn’t recommend Frank’s enough. Just stay away from the Nashville Hot rub.
John P. Hefti is a freelance reporter and photographer for the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
