He’s still known as “Ahmad” or “AG” in the Jets’ locker room, where Sauce Gardner’s teammates and coaches insist the rookie cornerback must earn their use of his preferred nickname with a big play in a real game.
Gardner will get his first crack at it on Sunday against the Ravens (1 p.m., CBS) in his regular-season debut. But the rest of the football-watching nation has already boarded the Sauce Train. And if there was any doubt it was erased last week when arguably the most fitting partnership in the history of advertising was announced: Sauce Gardner and Buffalo Wild Wings.
Honestly, it’s amazing these two didn’t get together sooner.
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The well-known chain boasts a list of 20 sauces fit for pairing with its wings. And Gardner’s nickname, given to him at the age of six, is “Sauce.”
And now Gardner has his very own sauce, the aptly named “Sauce Sauce.” According to Buffalo Wild Wings, their culinary team and Gardner “collaborated” to create the new flavor inspired by Gardner’s love for both barbecue and hot sauce.
According to a press release: “the new sauce is a smokey, sweet and spicy BBQ sauce which intercepts your taste buds and takes it to the house on your favorite wings and sandwiches.”
Well, we couldn’t just take them at their word for it. So I went to the Buffalo Wild Wings in Wayne recently to find out for myself.
So how did the Sauce Sauce stack up?
Well, no taste buds were intercepted in the making of this story (which is probably a good thing), but I can say that the Sauce Sauce managed to surprise me.
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First, the basics: I ordered the traditional wings and the classic chicken sandwich both with the Sauce Sauce, which has been available at every location in the chain nationwide since last week.
We’ll start with the wings. But first, some important background: I like buffalo wings. A lot. If they’re on the menu at a place I’ve visited more than once, I have probably tried them.
The Jets have a yearly trip to Buffalo on their schedule, so I have also come to appreciate the finer wings in life. Anchor Bar, Duff’s, and Gabriel’s Gate are among the many area restaurants that provide an elite wing experience.
Like most big chains, Buffalo Wild Wings isn’t on that level. But while it had been a few years since I visited, I did remember their wings being quite good. And when my order arrived, with the Sauce Sauce, I got what I expected: 15 wings that were slightly crispy and well-covered in sauce.
Now for the first bite. I expected it to be an intense mix of flavors, but it was actually quite subtle. The first taste was slightly tangy with the slightest hint of spiciness. But as I kept eating, the heat started to build. Overall, it was quite good. I prefer hot sauce on my wings over barbeque. Always. So I didn’t expect to enjoy the Sauce Sauce. But the blend of flavors was satisfying enough to hit my hot sauce craving but subtle enough to not be overwhelmingly spicy or hot.
Buffalo Wild Wings and New York Jets rookie Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner will release a new sauce called "Sauce Sauce" on Aug. 31. BWW says the sauce is smoky, sweet and spicy.
But don’t just take my word for it. Dave Wasilewski, of Parsipanny, is a regular at the Wayne location who also happens to be a Jets fan. He joined me for the taste test, as a promotional image of Gardner posing with an assortment of wings rotated onto a nearby screen every few minutes. Wasilewski, who works nearby as a corrections officer, has no problem with the new partnership for the Jets’ No. 4 overall pick.
“I think it’s perfect, actually,” said Wasilewski. “If he’s going to have the name Sauce, he should have a sauce. But he’s got to live up to the nickname now.”
That will be determined on the field. But as for the actual Sauce Sauce?
“Oh, absolutely,” Wasilewski said. “I’m telling you, it’s good. It’s not overpowering but you do have a little bit of spice. The wing rookie would probably be sweating right now, but since I consume a lot of wings it’s totally pleasurable to me.”
The chicken sandwich was also a good fit for the Sauce Sauce. But it was a little bit of a different experience. Maybe it was because I had already downed about 7 wings, or maybe it was because the sauce was more concentrated on top of the sandwich, but the experience was a little more intense on both the barbeque and spicy side. Not quite overwhelming, but not quite as smooth a fit on the wings. Still, a pretty good overall experience.
“There’s got to be some seasoning in the breading,” Wasilewski said. “That’s got to be what it is. But it’s good.”
Ultimately, it would not be my go-to flavor. I’m sticking with hot buffalo. But if you like barbeque-based wing sauces or if you’re looking for an interesting changeup on a second batch of wings, it’s definitely worth a shot.
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Andy Vasquez may be reached at [email protected].