• Wing and DoorDash launched drone deliveries from malls in Dallas-Fort Worth this week.
• The launch came as drone sightings have been reported around the US, including in Texas.
• Wing said its drones operate during the day and have been in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 2021.

Wing and DoorDash launched drone deliveries from some local malls in Dallas-Forth Worth, Texas this week, just as mysterious drone sightings keep getting reported on the East Coast — and even in the Lone Star state.

Wing, which is owned by Alphabet, Google's parent company, said in a statement the company was partnering with DoorDash and Brookfield Properties to deliver goods from two local shopping malls in a "first-of-its-kind service."

The company said customers can order delivers from more than 50 stores. When checking out via DoorDash customers can choose to have the product delivered by drone, which can be as fast as 15 minutes. The drones can fly 65 mph at a cruising height of around 150 feet.

Wing drones have made more than 400,000 commercial deliveries worldwide since 2019. Wing and DoorDash have previously provided drone delivery services in Melbourne, Australia and Christiansburg, Virginia. Wing has also previously partnered with Walgreens and Walmart for drone deliveries in the Dallas-Fort Worth areas.

The launch of deliveries from malls comes at a time of heightened awareness and concern about drones. Since mid-November, US authorities have received thousands of reports of mystery drones on the East Coast, primarily in New Jersey, The White House has said only about 100 required further investigation, and that the drones do not pose a threat.

In a statement to Business Insider, a Wing spokesperson said its drones have been operating around Dallas-Forth Worth since 2021 and that the company has done extensive community outreach in the area.

"We always inform the community and work closely with local officials before launching a service," the statement said, adding, "There is no connection between our operations and the recent sightings in New Jersey."

The spokesperson said the company, which in the US operates drones in Texas, Virginia, and at a test facility in California, complies with all regulations and that the drones only operate in approved areas.

"Wing also complies with the FAA's requirements for the remote identification of unmanned aircraft to ensure transparency of our flights so that others, including law enforcement, know when and where we are flying," the statement said, adding, "We do not operate at night."

DoorDash did not respond to a request for comment from BI.

The White House has said the reported sightings on the East Coast, which have primarily been at night, have included a mix of commercial, hobbyist, and law enforcement drones. Some of the reported sightings have actually been commercial aircraft and even stars that citizens have mistaken for drones.

A day before Wing and DoorDash announced their new drone deliveries in Dallas-Fort Worth, drone sightings were reported in the area.

Police in White Settlement, located west of Fort Worth, said officials were investigating after multiple drones were spotted flying over local neighborhoods in the city, which hosts the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth.

Christopher Cook, the White Settlement police chief, said Wednesday in a post on X the department was working with federal officials, including the FBI, "out of an abundance of caution."

"While we do not believe there were any immediate threats related to last night's activities, it is concerning due to operating in "NO FLY ZONES" near federal and military properties," Cook said.

Alphabet’s Wing announced on Wednesday that it’s expanding its partnership with DoorDash to bring drone delivery to customers in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Customers in the area will now be able to order food from 50 merchants located in Stonebriar Centre in Frisco and Hulen Mall in Fort Worth. Wing says its drones can “deliver […]

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• Casual-dining chains often capitalize on football season to draw in customers.
• We tried Buffalo chicken wings from five chains to determine the best option for game day.
• Wingstop surprised us with its saucy, juicy wings at the right price point.

As football season kicks off, restaurant chains are rolling out crowd-pleasing tailgate favorites to win over fans.

In a new series, "Tailgate Taste-off," Business Insider is pitting these chains against each other to uncover the best versions of popular game-day dishes.

Whether you're deciding which chain has the best chicken wings or offers the best value for delivery, this guide will help you make the most of your football season dining experience.

Buffalo chicken wings arguably reign supreme among the most popular game-day foods and are practically synonymous with football season.

A report by the National Chicken Council estimated Americans would eat 1.45 billion chicken wings during the 2024 Super Bowl. Many chain restaurants embrace wings' popularity all football season long with promotional deals, family-sized bundles, and free delivery.

Chains that specialize in chicken wings, such as Wingstop, are also experiencing significant growth. In October 2024, the chain, which focuses its menu on bone-in chicken wings, boneless wings, and other chicken items, announced 38.8% year-over-year revenue growth.

Wingstop has also expanded its presence by opening 273 new locations across the US in the past year, bringing its total number of US restaurants to 2,064 at the end of the third quarter.

We ranked Buffalo chicken wings from five chain restaurants — Applebee's, Chili's, Buffalo Wild Wings, TGI Fridays, and Wingstop — based on taste and value.

Here's how the five chain restaurants' Buffalo wings ranked, from our least to most favorite.

My least favorite Buffalo wings came from TGI Fridays.

I ordered an eight-count of bone-in traditional Buffalo wings at the restaurant I visited in Massachusetts. They cost $12.19, excluding taxes and fees, and came with celery sticks and sides of ranch and blue cheese.

I live in New York City, but I had to travel further afield to try the chain's wings because many of my local TGI Fridays restaurants have closed.

In early November, the chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Reuters reported that it was facing $37 million in debt, which led to some underperforming restaurants closing.

The TGI Fridays location I visited in Massachusetts is locally franchised and owned, so it's not included in the larger brand's bankruptcy filing.

The wings were crispy but a little under-sauced.

Unlike some of the other chains I tried, TGI Fridays also doesn't appear to make its own Buffalo sauce.

On the menu, it's advertised as simply Frank's Red Hot Buffalo. While I do like that brand of sauce, I could easily make the same wings at home, which made it feel less unique.

I also thought they were slightly smaller than some of the other wings I tried.

Business Insider reached out to TGI Fridays for comment but did not receive a response.

The meat inside was tender, but the Buffalo flavor just wasn't there.

Though I liked the crispy skin and texture of these chicken wings, as well as the tender meat inside, I thought they were lacking in sauce and flavor.

Overall, I probably wouldn't order these again.

The next stop I tried was Applebee's.

At my local Applebee's in Brooklyn, an order of nine classic bone-in wings costs $18.99, excluding tax and fees. They came with celery sticks and sides of ranch and blue cheese.

Applebee's partnered with the NFL this year as the league's official grill and bar partner after finding a major crossover between their customer base and NFL viewers.

"We know our guests are football fans," Applebee's chief marketing officer Joel Yashinsky told Business Insider.

Since Buffalo wings are a favorite among football fanatics, I was excited to see how the chain fared.

The wings were super crispy and the largest out of all that I tried.

The wings were a rich red-brown color and fried to a crisp.

The wings were juicy, and the sauce had a good buttery flavor.

The Buffalo sauce had a nice balance between the heat and the more savory, buttery flavor, making for a balanced bite. I thought the meat inside was pretty juicy, and I loved the sheer size of these wings.

My only real complaint was the price — $18.99 for a plate of wings felt pretty pricey, even though the wings were on the larger side. However, the price will vary depending on which location you visit.

Chili's landed squarely in the middle with its crispy Buffalo wings.

At the Massachusetts location I visited, an eight-count of bone-in Buffalo wings cost $14.99, excluding tax and fees. They came with two dipping sauces: ranch and blue cheese.

However, the wings cost slightly more, $17.99, at the Chili's location I typically visit in Queens, New York.

I thought these wings were flavorful and juicy.

I've tried these wings before and commented that they could have been slightly saucier and crispier. However, when I tried them this second time, I didn't encounter those issues.

They were perfectly crispy and almost dripping in sauce.

The wings had a generous amount of meat inside.

The Buffalo sauce had a strong buttery flavor with just the right amount of heat. The chain is also known for its ranch dipping sauce, which paired very nicely with the wings.

Though the wings were smaller, I thought they packed more flavor than the ones from Applebee's and TGI Fridays.

The second-best Buffalo wings came from Buffalo Wild Wings.

The chain's Buffalo bone-in wings are arguably Buffalo Wild Wings' most famous menu item, so I was eager to see how they would stack up against other chain restaurants' wings. I certainly wasn't disappointed.

I ordered a six-count of traditional Buffalo wings through the Buffalo Wild Wings app for $12.49, excluding tax and fees, and a side of ranch.

The wings were small length-wise but had a lot of meat on them.

The wings were crispy and had a light coating of Buffalo sauce that covered every part of the wings.

There was a selection of both drumsticks and flats, but I noticed that the drums were particularly meaty.

I loved the flavor of the Buffalo sauce and thought the chicken meat was moist.

The chicken meat inside the wing was moist and tender, and the crispy skin and slightly sweet, just-spicy-enough sauce added a lot of flavor. Overall, these were really solid Buffalo wings.

I also thought these wings were a great value for the money and would definitely order them again.

My favorite wings I tried were from Wingstop.

I ordered 10 classic bone-in wings for $17.29, excluding tax and fees.

Wingstop doesn't offer Buffalo sauce on its menu, but it does have its Original Hot sauce, which is the chain's version of Buffalo. I ordered them with a side of ranch.

The wings came drenched in the bright-red sauce but were still supremely crispy.

The sticky sauce clung to my fingers as I ate these wings, which were the perfect size: not too big, not too small, and just the right amount of tender chicken meat.

The meat was tender and the spicy hot sauce blew me away.

The sauce had a lot of levels, balancing between a strong vinegar flavor, to buttery, and topped off with a layer of spice that was slightly smoky yet not overpowering.

The Wingstop wings stood out as the spiciest among all the chains I tried. However, the heat didn't overpower the flavor — instead, it enhanced it.

Each element, from the crispy seasoned skin to the tangy undertones of the sauce, came through distinctly. These wings balanced bold, spicy flavor with a depth of taste, making them the best chain-restaurant Buffalo wings I tried.