One sauced wing at Anchor Bar averages 150–200 calories; plan portions and sauce to fit your goals.
Light Prep
Standard
Heavier
Traditional Wings
- Ask for sauce on the side
- Pick a dry rub when available
- Count pieces before dips
Portion Control
Boneless Bites
- Higher breading, fewer per order
- Pair with a veggie plate
- Choose a lighter drizzle
Calorie Dense
Cauliflower Style
- Great for variety
- Watch batter and dips
- Go bold with dry spice
Lower Protein
Guide To Nutrition At The Anchor Bar
Wings can fit a range of goals when you size the order, manage sauces, and balance sides. A single fried piece often lands around 150–180 calories with skin, while a grilled piece without sauce trends lower. Dips and dressings add up quickly, especially blue cheese and ranch. A few small tweaks keep flavor while trimming energy and sodium.
The house story is simple: classic wings with a choice of heat levels and a lineup of add-ons. Locations fry in oil with zero grams of trans fat, which is great for labeling but doesn’t erase calories from fat or breading. Your best lever is portion control and smart pairings.
What Changes The Numbers Most
Cooking Method
Grilled or baked wings without sauce come in lowest per piece. Once you batter and deep-fry, calories rise. The difference per piece can be near double when breading and heavy sauce both enter the picture, based on typical entries in national nutrition databases that catalog roasted and fried versions per wing.
Sauce And Glaze
Buffalo sauce can be modest in calories per tablespoon but carries a hefty sodium punch. Sweet glazes bring added sugar. Butter-based versions raise fat. Ask for sauce on the side and toss lightly at the table if you want stronger control.
Dips And Sides
Blue cheese dressing and ranch are tasty and rich. Two tablespoons can stack as much energy as another wing or two. Swapping in carrots and celery with a lighter dip trims energy and salt while keeping crunch between bites.
Early Snapshot: Popular Orders And Estimated Nutrition
This table gives ballpark figures based on common database entries for a single piece or typical small serving. Kitchen variance is normal. Use it to plan portions and to compare styles.
| Menu Item | Serving (Est.) | Calories • Protein • Sodium |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional Wing, No Sauce | 1 wing | ≈90 kcal • 8–10 g • ~90–130 mg |
| Traditional Wing, Light Buffalo | 1 wing | ≈150–170 kcal • 10–12 g • ~250–520 mg |
| Traditional Wing, Extra Sauce | 1 wing | ≈180–200 kcal • 10–12 g • ~350–600+ mg |
| Boneless Bite (Breaded) | 1 piece | ≈60–90 kcal • 4–6 g • ~120–240 mg |
| Cauliflower “Wing” | 1 piece | ≈35–60 kcal • <2 g • ~100–200 mg |
| Blue Cheese Dressing | 1 tbsp | ≈70–130 kcal • <1–3 g • ~100–190 mg |
| Ranch Dressing | 1 tbsp | ≈30–120 kcal • ~0 g • ~130–170 mg |
| Buffalo Sauce | 1 tbsp | ≈10–45 kcal • 0 g • ~320–470 mg |
Numbers above draw from standard references such as a fried chicken wing with skin and breading at about 180 calories per piece and roasted or grilled versions that sit much lower per wing. Sauce entries show how energy can stay modest while sodium jumps per tablespoon, which matters once wings are fully coated.
How To Build A Satisfying Plate
Pick Your Portion First
Set a target count before you order. Five traditional pieces with a light toss often fits a balanced meal when paired with a veggie plate. If you want boneless, count pieces and leave room for sides.
Choose A Lighter Application
Ask for a half toss or a dry rub when available. Another easy trick: request a plain batch and dunk lightly. That keeps the crisp texture while giving you full control over each bite.
Mind The Dip
Keep a tablespoon of blue cheese or ranch on the plate rather than the full ramekin. Add a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar for brightness without extra fat.
Add Crunchy Veg
Carrots and celery stretch the meal and slow the pace. You’ll feel satisfied with fewer sauced pieces, and the plate looks generous without piling on fried add-ons.
Calorie Math You Can Use On The Fly
Start with a base of roughly 150–170 calories per fried wing when lightly sauced. Add about 10–45 calories for each tablespoon of Buffalo sauce that actually sticks, and another 70–130 calories per tablespoon of blue cheese. A full coating can carry multiple tablespoons across an order, so a “sauce on the side” move often saves more than you expect.
Salt load shifts just as fast. A single tablespoon of Buffalo sauce can bring 320–470 milligrams of sodium. Multiply that across several wings and a dip, and you’re well past a gram. If you’re watching blood pressure, that’s the lever to pull first.
Ingredient Notes And Reliable Benchmarks
What Counts As A “Wing” In Databases
Reference entries typically include skin, bone, and either breading or not, with a listed weight per piece. That’s why numbers swing across sources. Unbreaded roasted entries land lower; fried breaded entries land higher. Using a range per piece gives a practical view for ordering, since exact kitchen weights vary.
Why Sauce Looks Light On Calories
Hot sauce blends are mostly water, vinegar, and pepper with modest fat unless butter is added. That keeps energy per tablespoon lower than creamy dips. The catch is salt. Sodium per tablespoon can rival a full side dish, so aim for a glisten rather than a soak.
Ordering Tips For Different Goals
Calorie-Conscious
- Go with traditional pieces, plain or lightly tossed.
- Limit dips to a single tablespoon; ask for a smaller cup.
- Fill the rest of the plate with carrots and celery.
Higher Protein
- Choose bone-in pieces to keep protein density per calorie steady.
- Skip sugary glazes; stick with tangy heat.
- Pair with a side salad dressed in oil and vinegar.
Lower Sodium
- Request no extra salt on fries or sides.
- Ask for sauce on the side and dab, not dunk.
- Trade creamy dips for a squeeze of lemon.
Mid-Article Source Touchpoints
A standard fried wing with skin and breading is listed around 180 calories per piece in a widely used database entry (fried wing nutrition). House menus note frying in oil with zero grams of trans fat, which is good to know when scanning choices (official menu).
Flavor Heat Levels And What They Mean For Intake
Heat alone doesn’t add energy. The sauce medium does. Vinegar-forward hot sauces land low in calories per tablespoon. Creamy or buttery styles raise energy. Thicker glazes cling more, so you get more sauce per piece even if the label shows the same serving size.
Later Snapshot: Sauce And Dip Guide
Use these ballpark tablespoon values to estimate add-ons through a meal.
| Sauce Or Dip | Calories (Per Tbsp) | Sodium (Per Tbsp) |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sauce | ≈10–45 | ≈320–470 mg |
| Blue Cheese Dressing | ≈70–130 | ≈100–190 mg |
| Ranch Dressing | ≈30–120 | ≈130–170 mg |
Putting It All Together
A Balanced Order Template
Pick five traditional pieces, toss lightly or go plain, add a veggie plate, and cap dips at a tablespoon. That setup brings strong flavor and a satisfying plate while holding energy in check for a casual meal.
Sharing Strategy
If the table wants a saucy platter, set your count early and slide extra pieces to friends once you hit the number. Keep your own small cup of sauce to control coating per bite.
Small Swaps That Matter
- Dry spice instead of a butter-heavy glaze.
- Lemon wedge instead of extra dressing.
- Side salad with oil and vinegar instead of fries.
Why This Advice Works When Dining Out
The numbers carry over across many kitchens because they’re driven by method and condiments. Wings start as a skin-on cut with moderate protein and fat. Frying and breading add energy. Sauce and dips add salt and, at times, more fat. Tweak those levers and you change the math, even when recipes and weights vary by location.
One Last Nudge
If you like heat, lean on vinegar-based hot sauce and keep dressing modest. If you love creamy dips, trade a piece or two to make room. A little planning turns wing night into a meal that fits your goals without losing the fun.