But there's hope — and it's coming from an unlikely corner of the map. Little Joe's on Mission Street in the Excelsior has emerged as the unlikely champion of Buffalo-style pizza and wings in a city that mostly pretends ranch dressing is an acceptable substitute for blue cheese.

The intel comes from an actual Buffalonian — someone who's been on a personal crusade to find food that tastes like home. After sampling spots across the city, including places with genuine Buffalo connections, Little Joe's came out on top. Nobody on the staff has ties to western New York, which honestly makes it even more impressive. Their pizza hits the Buffalo mark. Their blue cheese dressing is made in-house and, critically, "correct" — meaning it's not the thin, watery imposter you'll find at too many SF joints. The wings are huge, well-cooked, and properly flavored.

Now, the purists will note — and they're right — that Little Joe's wings are breaded. As one local put it bluntly: "If the wings are breaded, they are not Buffalo wings. They may be tasty, but they are something different." Fair point. A true Buffalo wing is unbreaded, deep-fried, and tossed in a butter-and-hot-sauce mixture. But the tradeoff here is no sogginess and no lazy Frank's Red Hot bath, which apparently puts them ahead of the actual Buffalo-affiliated competition.

Speaking of which: Hi-Hat, despite having a Buffalo-born owner, reportedly serves pizza that doesn't clear the bar for New York style, let alone Buffalo. And Big Finish — whose owner's wife hails from Buffalo — apparently delivered small, slimy wings with watery blue cheese. Having a geographic connection to greatness is not the same as executing it.

The free market works, folks. The best Buffalo food in San Francisco comes from a place with zero Buffalo pedigree and everything to prove. Little Joe's earned it the old-fashioned way: by just being good.

Now, as one SF resident asked: "Can you find us a proper cheesesteak?" One quest at a time.