Judge dismisses lawsuit over Buffalo Wild Wings boneless wings

Published: Wednesday, February 18, 2026 at 4:54 am

Judge Rules in Favor of Buffalo Wild Wings in "Boneless Wings" Lawsuit

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Buffalo Wild Wings, allowing the restaurant chain to continue calling its menu item "boneless wings." The ruling, issued Tuesday by U.S. District Judge John Tharp in Illinois, stems from a complaint filed by a Chicago man who alleged false advertising.

The plaintiff, Aimen Halim, argued that the term "boneless wings" was misleading because the product is essentially chicken nuggets and that customers were overcharged as a result. Halim claimed he was deceived by the chain's marketing and that he suffered a financial injury. He sought to have the restaurant change the name of the product to something like "chicken poppers."

Judge Tharp, however, sided with Buffalo Wild Wings, stating that Halim's arguments lacked sufficient factual basis. The judge noted that the term "boneless wings" has been in use for over two decades and that a "reasonable consumer" would not be misled into believing the product was truly deboned chicken wings. The ruling also referenced a 2024 Ohio Supreme Court decision with a similar conclusion.

Halim had accused Buffalo Wild Wings of violating the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, breach of express warranty, common law fraud, and unjust enrichment. While the judge acknowledged Halim's standing to bring the claim due to economic injury, he found that he did not plausibly allege that consumers were deceived by the term. The court is allowing Halim to submit an amended complaint by March 20, though the judge expressed skepticism that additional facts could demonstrate deceptive conduct.

BNN's Perspective:

This ruling seems like a common-sense outcome. While the product may not be traditional chicken wings, the term "boneless wings" has become widely understood and accepted. It's difficult to see how a reasonable consumer would be genuinely misled by the name.

Keywords: Buffalo Wild Wings, boneless wings, lawsuit, false advertising, Judge John Tharp, chicken nuggets, Aimen Halim, Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, Ohio Supreme Court, consumer protection, restaurant, legal, court ruling, food

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