Courtesy of Just Wingin It
An Erie native helped put both his adopted home and hometown wing culture in the spotlight after his Iceland-based restaurant captured some of the highest honors at the National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo, New York.
Justin Shouse was born and raised in Erie and his restaurant, Just Wingin It, just recently earned multiple awards at the internationally recognized event, including two of the festival’s biggest distinctions.
Shouse, a former basketball standout at McDowell High School and Mercyhurst University, moved to Iceland 21 years ago. Since then, he has built a successful restaurant business while sharing the flavors and traditions of Western New York and Northwestern Pennsylvania with customers overseas.
At this year’s National Buffalo Wing Festival, Just Wingin It stood out among competitors from across the country, winning the Festival Favorite Award after selling more than 11,500 wings over the two-day event.
The restaurant also captured the prestigious Best in Show Sauce Award for its Bayside Buffalo Lemon Honey sauce.
Additional honors included:
1st Place Creative Spicy for the restaurant’s Ghost Pepper Wing Tang Clan sauce
2nd Place Kids’ Choice Award for its French Toast Wing
3rd Place Best Creative Sweet for the French Toast Wing
Shouse said the achievement was a team effort, with many members of the wing crew having strong ties to Erie.
The team included:
Tim Grow, owner of the Que Abides Food Truck
Pat Doran, owner of The Reservoir on West 26th Street
Michael Berlin, a five-time Regional Emmy Award winner with WQLN
Stephen Horner, a Mercyhurst University graduate and restaurant owner in Colorado
For Shouse, the success represented more than just winning awards. It was an opportunity to showcase the wing culture that has long been associated with both Erie and nearby Buffalo. During the event Buffalo Bills receiver Khalil Shakir enjoyed some of the restaurant’s wings.
Courtesy of Just Wingin It
Shouse said Erie was frequently part of the conversation throughout the festival, and he was proud to represent his hometown on one of the biggest stages in the wing industry.
While Just Wingin It now serves customers in Iceland, Shouse said the restaurant continues to promote the flavors and traditions that helped shape its identity. The festival awards highlighted the growing international reach of that mission and demonstrated how an Erie native is helping spread the region’s passion for chicken wings across the globe.