Buffalo Wild Wings' Throwback Menu Brings Back Some Y2K Favorites That Should Have Never Left

Buffalo Wild Wings is takin' it back to the old school. Back to the days of flip phones, frosted tips, and apparently a menu people can't stop thinking about decades later. Customers asked for a Y2K resurgence, and the chain delivered. A grand example of how nagging can work, even in the restaurant industry.

It works out for Buffalo Wild Wings as well, seeing as it reached a major peak in the 2000s. It gets to relive its glory days as we feast on a handful of old favorites. The Y2K menu, which was released on August 19 at participating locations nationwide, includes Beef on Weck Sliders, Buffalo Chips, Garlic Mushrooms, Mini Corn Dogs, and Hot BBQ sauce. On the drink menu, things get a little wild with the epic return of the Buffalo Zoo Cocktail. And what would a throwback menu be without a little merch collab? Buffalo Wild Wings has partnered with Von Dutch to create a capsule collection of "Von Dubs" T-shirts, hoodies, and yes, trucker hats. If that doesn't scream Y2K, then I'm not sure what does.

I haven't bought a hat (yet). But I did travel back in time with the throwback menu, and I'm here to give my honest review. Let's see if these classics have aged better than our MySpace profiles.

I believe I was truly the first person to reminisce about the 2000s at my local BW3 location in Columbus, Ohio (the chain's birthplace, by the way). I arrived for lunch on the 19th, and at one point, my husband and I were the only people in the restaurant. That's okay — it just meant more nostalgia and aughts-era excess for us.

On the menu, each of the Y2K items can be ordered separately. But I decided to go with the Throwback Ultimate Sampler to try a little of everything for less. The selection of Beef on Weck Sliders, Buffalo Chips, Garlic Mushrooms, and Mini Corn Dogs came out to just $16.99. I also picked a range of sauces to go with everything, including ranch, marinara, B-Dubs Dip, and honey mustard. Then I tacked on a 6-count order of boneless Buffalo wings covered in the Hot BBQ sauce for $9.99. The sauce also comes on bone-in wings or Saucy Chicken Dippers, if you so choose.

The finishing touch was the Buffalo Zoo Cocktail. For obvious reasons, that throwback item can only be ordered in the restaurant, and I paid $9.49 for mine. Once everything hit the table, it was time to eat and party like it was 2000 while evaluating each item based primarily on its flavor and, when applicable, its texture.

One of my favorite parts about this experience was that a seasoned waitress (not even our own) kept dropping by to share random trivia about the throwback items. When it came to the Beef on Weck Sliders, she let us know that the rolls used to be baked in-house. The more you know. That clearly implies they aren't anymore, but I was more concerned with how they tasted.

Traditionally, this type of sandwich is served on a kummelweck roll — hence the "weck" in Beef on Weck. Buffalo Wild Wings lists its version as being served on Kaiser rolls, but they still have the caraway seeds you'd expect from kummelweck.

Overall, the sliders had good flavor. There could definitely be more shaved sirloin piled on — they feel a bit bready. But the horseradish aioli gives them a nice kick, and the au jus on the side helps. It's really just glorified beef broth, but it brings everything together. You also have to appreciate that the Beef on Weck Sliders aren't just a blast from the Y2K past; they're an ode to the chain's original name of Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck. The name disappeared right before the turn of the millennium, but it's why we still call the chain BW3. The sampler comes with two sliders, while a full order gets you four for $11.99 and clocks in at 940 calories, au jus and all.

I like fried mushrooms just as much as the next person. Probably even more so, if we're being honest. But I wasn't as enamored with these as I thought I'd be. Part of it could be my fault. I paired them up with a chunky marinara sauce and even dipped a few into the B-Dubs Dip (the chain's signature creamy, tangy sauce) instead of trying them with the Southwest Ranch as the restaurant suggests. So that's on me, but they also have a few structural problems we need to discuss.

Even fresh from the kitchen, they weren't particularly crispy. A thicker breading would have helped, especially when it came to containing all those mushroom juices inside. What I was more upset about, though, is that they didn't taste garlicky ... like, at all. I tried really hard to pick out those allium notes, but they never came.

So they left me feeling rather meh. I could take them or leave them, and it wasn't because they were too slimy or earthy — the more sliminess and savory earthiness, the better, in my opinion. It was simply because they were a bit too bland. I would probably skip the $9.99 price tag and 660 calories here in exchange for something else.

The Mini Corn Dogs get two very enthusiastic (Y)s up from me. For anyone who missed the MSN Messenger era, that's emoticon-speak for a thumbs-up.

These far exceed the average store-bought corn dog that you cook from frozen. From the breading to the teeny frank inside, Buffalo Wild Wings gets everything right. They're cornmeal-battered so they have that sweet and starchy flavor with a light kiss of grease. The mini hot dog inside is juicy and mildly savory, creating that perfect corn dog contrast — just like the dogs on a stick you buy fresh at the county fair. They're good enough to eat by themselves, and I certainly did. But everything is better with a little sauce. I actually got that part right this time, too. Matching them up with the tangy and sweet honey mustard was a great choice and gave each little nugget a little extra get-up-and-go.

I only got seven total corn dogs with my sampler. But if you splurge for the full order for $9.99, you'll get a few extras to chow down on. The large order comes in at 850 calories, not including your sauce of choice.

When I was growing up, these were a family favorite. We'd order a plate of chips with cheese (simply sprinkled with melted shredded cheese) for the table as we played games on the tableside screens. Those truly were the days. Then the chain had the audacity to take them away, along with the screens, leaving behind just classic French fries, potato wedges, and nothing but our own conversation to entertain us. Womp, womp.

Needless to say, when I saw they were coming back, I was ecstatic. However, after our long-awaited reunion, I discovered that perhaps absence had made my heart grow a little too fond. They're not quite as good as I remember. In all fairness, they didn't have a layer of cheddar jack cheese to dress them up. But Buffalo Wild Wings still could have done more in the way of seasonings. Mine hardly came with any of the sea salt and black pepper that was promised, so they were potato-y, and that's about it — similar to a steak fry, just thinner and in a circular shape.

It's nothing a little ranch or ketchup can't fix, but I still wouldn't call the Buffalo Chips one of the tastiest items on the throwback menu. Maybe Buffalo Wild Wings should have brought back the tableside screens instead ... If you want to revisit them anyway, I understand. A regular order will run you $4.99 and 370 calories, while a large one costs $7.99 and clocks in at 740 calories.

I don't recall indulging in the Hot BBQ sauce back when it was permanently on the menu (aka from the chain's early days in the 1980s up until 2020). But that has more to do with the fact that I exclusively order mild buffalo sauce than it does with Hot BBQ not being a worthy flavor.

Now that I've officially tried it slathered on a set of six boneless wings, though, I fear I've been missing out this whole time. It's the quintessential crossover between BBQ sauce and buffalo wing sauce — for those days when you simply can't pick between the two. It hits you first with the punchy tang and heat of buffalo sauce before mellowing out into the richer, smoky sweet flavors of BBQ. It does it so smoothly, too. The sauce is incredibly thick, clinging to every nook and cranny of the wings, and I was happy to see mine were essentially doused in the stuff. It definitely brings some spice. I'd say on a five-pepper heat scale, I'd fill in a solid three. It's very manageable, but it's not messing around either.

The calories aren't too bad either. The sauce adds only about 50 calories to an order of six wings, which is less than most other B-Dubs sauces. That's just one more reason to get in on this old-school flavor before the chain sends it back to the archives.

Our bonus waitress and B-Dubs historian had a lot to say about the Buffalo Zoo Cocktail. She told us how they used to be served in those tall pilsner beer glasses and that guests were limited to just one, lest they get too rowdy. It may seem strict, but after reading what's in it, the one-and-done rule makes sense. The drink mixes Bacardi rum, Grey Goose vodka, Jim Beam whiskey, peach schnapps, grenadine, pineapple juice, and orange juice. It's just like a jungle juice of sorts but garnished with an orange slice to make it look fancy.

I was a bit nervous to try it, and not just because of all the alcohol. When I ordered one, our actual waitress flat-out admitted, "I'm going to have to figure out how to make that." That didn't instill much confidence, but it still turned out pretty good considering the circumstances. It tastes like a Mai Tai took a wrong turn, ended up on Long Island, and took a few pointers from the region's famously boozy iced tea. It leads with the tropical tastes of pineapple and orange, but you can definitely feel the deeper, warming notes of rum and whiskey backing it up. It's sweet, fruity, and dangerous, with a license to sneak up on you.

Surprisingly, the nutrition stats aren't nearly as scary as the ingredient list. The Buffalo Zoo clocks in at 240 calories and 26 grams of sugar – honestly not as bad as I expected.

Buffalo Wild Wings needs to keep the Hot BBQ sauce this time around. That's my first and most emphatic thought on the matter. No more teasing us with this on-again-off-again nonsense. It's time to revert back to the good old days when the bold buffalo-barbecue mashup was a menu mainstay.

As for the rest of the Throwback lineup, I'd say it's more hit than miss. Sure, the garlic mushrooms and the Buffalo chips don't quite live up to expectations. But that doesn't mean they aren't perfectly munchable during a sports game, especially when paired with a sauce — any sauce of your choosing. The Mini Corn Dogs are exactly what you want them to be, and the Beef on Weck Sliders offer the perfect nod to BW3's early days. Depending on your alcohol tolerance, I would also consider the Buffalo Zoo Cocktail a must-try. Just don't be the reason why the restaurant has to bring back the one-drink limit.

If you're a fan of Buffalo Wild Wings now, or if you were a fan back when, I think there's something everyone could enjoy on this relic of a menu — even if that something is simple nostalgia. I definitely enjoyed it and will certainly be grabbing another sampler before B-Dubs pulls the plug on its time machine.