An Illinois judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings, determining that the customer’s complaint about the restaurant’s boneless chicken offerings lacked substance.
In 2023, Aimen Halim filed a lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings, claiming that the term “boneless wings” was misleading because the dish is made from chicken breast meat. According to court records, Halim had ordered these “boneless wings” at an Illinois branch in January 2023, under the impression that he would be receiving actual deboned wings.
The lawsuit stated that Halim would have either declined the purchase or paid a reduced price had he known the dish consisted of breast meat. Halim was seeking financial compensation.
On Tuesday, Judge John Tharp Jr. from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois dismissed Halim’s case, humorously noting that the plaintiff failed to provide enough evidence to support his argument.
Judge Tharp clarified that the phrase “boneless wings” is not misleading but rather a creative name. He explained that language can hold various interpretations, citing the example of “buffalo wing,” which refers to the sauce rather than suggesting the use of buffalo meat.
Judge Tharp concluded, “A reasonable consumer would not believe that Buffalo Wild Wings’ boneless wings were actual chicken wings that had been deboned and reassembled into a new form.”
Tharp also compared the item to cauliflower wings, another product sold at Buffalo Wild Wings, noting that a reasonable customer would not believe the dish is made from wing meat.
Later, in his opinion, Tharp stated that “boneless wings” is a common term that has been in use for over two decades and is familiar to customers.
Buffalo Wild Wings likewise said that a reasonable consumer would not be misled by the term “boneless wings” and that “context clues make it clear that the product cannot be made of wing meat,” the opinion says.
The restaurant chain and the plaintiff’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tharp said Tuesday that Halim has until March 20 to file an amended complaint.
