What's a Super Bowl party without wings?

Buffalo wings and the Super Bowl go together like celery and bleu cheese, and restaurants throughout the Lakes Region have you covered ahead of the big game. 

The Laconia Daily Sun taste-tested buffalo chicken wings prepared by five area restaurants, and one thing is clear — you can’t go wrong with any of them.

At Shooters Restaurant & Tavern in Belmont, customers can come enjoy buffalo wings and watch the AFC’s New England Patriots try their best against the NFC’s Seattle Seahawks. They're open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

Buffalo wings prepared by Shooters had a lingering heat, with distinct notes of vinegar and salt with every bite. They were breaded, which was unique among those sampled on Thursday afternoon, and their spice level was more than moderate. They’re large and meaty wings, so customers should bring their appetites.

“I think it's just product,” Mike Rowland of Shooters said on Friday morning when asked why his wings stand out. “When it comes to these food items, it’s about the product itself.

“I’m really good at purchasing the right product, it might be a little higher” in price, he said.

At Patrick’s Pub & Eatery in Gilford, their take on wings is a little different. They’re distinctly mild, and also large and meaty. At Patrick’s, the chicken is the star of the show. The chicken itself is moist and hot, and leaves nothing to be desired. 

Patrick’s is open from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

For Michelle Watson of The Looney Bin in the Weirs, buffalo chicken is a family affair — the recipe for their buffalo sauce is all in the family.  

“We use a fresh, raw product,” Watson said on Friday morning. “All the sauces are homemade, the buffalo is my father’s recipe.”  

The Looney Bin is long-renowned throughout the area for their wings, and is a favorite stop among visitors to the city during Laconia Motorcycle Week. Their buffalo wings were the spiciest among those sampled by The Sun staff on Thursday, and were moist, with a slow burn, and their takeout packaging included wet wipes, a hot wing necessity by any stretch of the imagination.

Their wings could be included as an image next to the encyclopedia definition of “buffalo wings,” according to one former reporter with a knack for all things culinary. 

The Looney Bin is open from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday, and Watson said customers should call ahead if purchasing wings for takeout.  

Just around the corner on Lakeside Avenue in the Weirs, Cheers at the Weirs puts a unique spin on their drumsticks.

Their signature wing, “The Cheers at the Weirs Wing,” begins with fresh jumbo chicken, prepared with an exclusive dry rub. Next, they’re marinated and baked, helping to ensure a blend of crispiness while locking in all of the juicy chicken flavor. 

They’ve got an appealing look to them, both in color and in presentation. The wings are then dunked into their “Weirs Sauce,” a combination of housemade buffalo sauce, teriyaki sauce and locally-sourced organic honey. They finish their wings by grilling them atop a char broiler, adding a little more bite at the end.

They’re sweet and savory with a hint of heat, but make sure you’ve got napkins in your game plan. 

Cheers at the Weirs is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday.

And at T-BONES Great American Eatery in Laconia, the buffalo wings aren’t too hot, but do have a tasty spice blend on their crispy skin. They transport well for takeout.

Those wings have a unique, smoky flavor to them that’s complemented by a serious saltiness, enhancing thirst, and they’re a dry-rub wing, not saucy or messy. Notes of black pepper are the MVP of their game. 

T-BONES on Union Avenue is open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Super Bowl LX pits the six-time champion Pats against the NFC's Seattle Seahawks. It’s set to be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and kicks off at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8.