Iconic Portland Brew Pub is the Home of Maine’s Best Chicken Wings

Ladies and gentlemen, we have officially made it.

Our long national nightmare is over.

Football is finally back.

America's real national pastime is officially back as the NFL Preseason is already in full effect, and college football is just weeks away.

With football being back, so is one of our favorite activities: devouring mass amounts of calories every weekend.

There's nothing like a massive spread on a football weekend. It's all delicious and super filling. However, there is one that stands out from the rest. One food so synonymous and popular with the sport that it can cause food supply issues. I'm talking about chicken wings.

Who doesn't love devouring a perfectly fried, smoked, or grilled wing? Perhaps it's oozing in sauce, or perfectly dry-seasoned. Maybe it's a buffalo wing, or Thai Chili. The versatility is endless with this incredible vessel.

With chicken wing season back, it's no surprise to see a recent article from a popular foodie website listing the best places to get wings.

The website LoveFood decided to put this list together, but went one step further. The site included one wing restaurant from every state. It's the very best in wing perfection.

Maine's selection was a home run. This restaurant has incredible wings, and so much more. The menu is vast, the beer selection is second to none, and the ambiance is one of the best in the state. Maine's selection was Portland's The Great Lost Bear.

The Great Lost Bear, or just 'The Bear', has been a Portland staple ever since opening in 1979. The funky spot-on Forest Ave is a welcoming spot for all kinds, including families.

The Bear is also known for being a major influence in craft beer's rise in popularity. It was the original craft beer bar in Portland, and continues to support them with its giant beer menu and local brewer nights.

But the Bear is much more than beer. The food menu is legendary. Burgers, sandwiches, giant salads, and delicious nachos are just some of the highlights at this iconic joint. However, it's the massive chicken wings that take the cake.

The Bear's wings are not cut. They are these enormous, pterodactyl-sized wings that are perfected fried and sauced. The crunchy texture is exactly what you look for in a wing. And the buffalo sauce is just right. The Bear also offers "dirty" wings. Those are fried, sauced, then fried again. Eating them is quite possibly an out-of-body experience.

But don't just take my word for it. Here is an excerpt from LoveFood's article on why the Great Lost Bear came in the top spot for Maine wing superiority.

you can't go wrong with the classic Buffalo. Wings are served whole instead of jointed, cooked until crunchy, and coated in a sweet and mildly spicy sauce. The serving is huge and comes with blue cheese dip. If that’s not enough of a reason to visit, there are Maine-brewed beers and excellent customer service.

Whether it's your standard buffalo or one of their many creative sauces, you can just never go wrong with the behemoth wings at The Great Lost Bear.

Congrats to the Bear on this great honor. It's also wonderful seeing another small Maine business get the recognition it deserves.