Owner: Andre Thomas

Est.: 2002

Address: 1700 N. Gloster St., Tupelo

Phone: (662) 620-9464

Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Advice:

‘When business is good, don’t get full of yourself, because it can change.’

Hammer’s Buffalo Wings

Andre “Hammerhead” Thomas got his nickname during his playing days as a running back for Ole Miss in the early 1980s. He went on to play professionally for the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions and the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings.

Today, it’s his “woo-wee” and Cajun wings that have people talking.

Thomas, owner of Hammer’s Buffalo Wings in Tupelo, has been serving his wings since 2002. The sauces and spice mixtures are made by his wife, Debi.

The couple were inspired by the wings they tried across the country.

“Everywhere we went, we had Buffalo wings, so we tasted and saw what we liked,” he said.

At family gatherings, Debi would cook wings, garnering suggestions she and Andre should open their own restaurant.

“One day, we decided, ‘sure, why not?’” he said.

The restaurant on North Gloster Street isn’t large – it seats up to 20. Filled with photos and memorabilia, Thomas admits it’s nothing fancy.

“It’s the size we were looking at to start with,” he said.

Of course, there’s that national chain down the road with all the televisions, but Thomas said his restaurant emphasizes taste.

“To us, it’s all about the taste,” he said.

Along with woo-wee, there’s hot, mild, Cajun, honey barbecue, soul seasoned, lemon pepper, garlic pepper and sweet sour wings.

“We’re still working on our teriyaki and Jamaican jerk seasoning because we’ve had a lot of requests,” Thomas added.

Hammer’s also sells catfish and chicken tenders. Catering services also are available.

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