One of the biggest names in chicken wings has flown the coop in Arlington.
Sunday was the final day in business for the Buffalo Wild Wings location in Crystal City, capping off a 15-year run, an employee told ARLnow.
The restaurant, located at 2450 Crystal Drive, opened in December 2010 to generally positive reviews. However, its Yelp rating has since declined to just 2.1 stars.
The initial success of the restaurant contributed to the opening of a Ballston location two years later. The Ballston spot, located at 950 N. Glebe Road, closed in 2022 in response to lagging sales, and the storefront remains vacant.
The nearest Buffalo Wild Wings to Arlington is now located at 5275 Leesburg Pike in the Bailey’s Crossroads area.
What the future holds for the former Crystal City location is not yet known.
A request for information sent to Crystal & Clark, the property manager, was not returned. A corporate spokesperson for Buffalo Wild Wings also did not respond to a request for comment.
The wings-beer-and-sports spot was located on the ground floor of the Century Center office complex at 2450 Crystal Drive and 2461 S. Clark Street, which underwent major renovations beginning in 2022 to expand office, retail and restaurant space.
Several notable corporate tenants arrived in 2024, and for a time, it appeared that a Trader Joe’s might be coming to the location. However, the grocery chain’s plans were ultimately scrapped.
Despite BW3’s departure, Arlington has no lack of wings-and-beer options. Crystal City Sports Pub is nearby, while other options like First Down Sports Bar & Grill, Quinn’s On The Corner and Ballston Local feature brews, bites and plenty of televisions.
