Work led me to the DC area this week, and at the same time, left me on my own to find some good food. I ended up in a small college town… aptly named College Park, which is home to the University of Maryland. Needless to say, there were a lot of college kids out having a good time, and when I asked them where to go, one answer emerged: Looney’s Pub.

Looney’s Pub is part of a chain that is a large, happening place full of music and TVs, and had recently opened up a new location which is within walking distance of the campus… and even MORE important, within walking distance of my hotel. So I laced up my Nikes and strolled on down to see what all the fuss was about. Besides, with a slogan like “Helping you lower your standards since 1993,” it was right up my alley.

Luck would have it that I entered there during Happy Hour, and that awarded me the greatest deal ever: 12 wings and a pitcher of domestic beer for only $12.99!! To top it off, they even have an item on the menu called “Wing Taster Wings,” which allowed me to sample three different styles of wings (4 each) within my dozen. So, out of the eight choices, I went with Looney’s Regular Wings, Jerk Wings, and the Murphy McGees’s Wings. Oh!! and my pitcher of Coors Light (see photo) which roughly equates to 4 pints – in case you wanted to know.

When the wings came out they were split into their appropriate groupings and accompanied with blue cheese, carrots, and celery. The first group that stood out right off the bat was the Jerk Wings. You could tell which ones they were because they looked like they took a nice roll down a grass hill (or in this case – an herb hill)… tasted like it too. Typically, when I get Jerk wings they come with some kind of Jerk sauce, not just a season rub. So, my mouth was craving something to battle the dryness of the chicken skin. It was just too grainy for me to handle, and without a sauce was unbearable. It’s a good thing I had two other options to move on to, so let’s proceed.

The next in line was the Looney’s Regular Wings. These were more my speed. The chicken was juicy, tender, and tossed in a classic Buffalo sauce. They used jumbo chicken, so I got a lot of wing to handle, but the sauce could’ve used some improvement. The heat level was a bit low, but I was expecting that seeing as it was just a buttered down generic sauce. So, I cracked open the side of  ”Hotty Hot” sauce (their hottest sauce) to find the heat that was missing. Oooooh, it was in that cup alright, along with an extract that made this sauce freakin’ hot. Usually, I can’t stand the smell and taste of an extract that restaurants use for heat, but Looney’s did it tastefully and kept the integrity of the sauce without ruining the flavor. It was still too hot for me though. It took me moving a wing out of the way (not realizing which one) and licking my finger to be instantly reminded which one was the Hotty Hot. Now that I had the low heat and high heat, this made me also want to try their “Hot” sauce which looked better than the Regular with little bits of red pepper in the sauce. It carried a more bearable heat that is more at my level, but like its predecessor, lacked real flavor or originality.

I jumped over to the last of my sample pack of wings to the ones called Murphy McGee’s Wings. These were a nice and welcome surprise. They didn’t carry any heat, like the menu implied, but looking at the Cajun spices right on the skin underneath a beautiful tangy sauce made me forget about that little factor for a bit. The chicken was not as dry as the Jerk, and not as juicy as the Regular (probably due to the spices), but the sauce balanced it out nicely leaving me a happy person.

Overall, if you are looking for some good traditional wings the Looney’s Regular will not disappoint, but they will also not impress. Though the chicken is very large, tender, and juicy, the sauce is what keeps this dish from being a great plate of wings. If you are into spice rubs on your wings instead, I highly recommend you steer clear of the Jerk and shoot for the Murphy McGee’s. Your mouth will thank you and your tongue will, too. Murphy McGee’s, in my opinion, is the best wing out of the three that I tried, and if I had to do it all again, I would have gotten the dozen of just those.

Looney’s Pub
8150 Baltimore Ave
College Park, MD 20740
(240) 542-4510

While up at the National Buffalo Wing Festival, we had the pleasure of meeting a slew of local wing-related companies. But none stood out better than Buffalo Wing Wear and their table filled with all different kinds of apparel paying tribute to the greatest bar food around: The Buffalo Wing! If you thought the only way to get Buffalo wings on your clothes would be by dropping them as you ate, you would be mistaken my friend. Buffalo Wing Wear has been producing this custom wear for years, and all without spilling a drop of sauce.

The company began by selling a unique chicken wing necktie, and have since encompassed all sorts of wearables that will keep even the most stylish wing eater satisfied. Some of the best sellers include:

A. The Original Buffalo Wing Necktie – I was surprised at how silky smooth this was when I took it out of the package. The material was high class and I intend on wearing it to any, and every, formal function. Taking the words (sort of) from my good friend, the Dos Equis man: “I don’t often get dressed up… but when I do, I choose the Buffalo wing necktie.”

B. Buffalo Wing Fedora – Like the necktie, the Fedora has an element of fanciness to it that allows you to don your wing wear in style. My favorite part about this hat is how it shows my passion for wings in a very subtle way by only putting the stitching on a thin strip of material going across the brim. This way the wings and two buffaloes acting as anchors, (which I love), don’t overtake the item and make it look gaudy.

C. Buffalo Wing Bandana – This one we use to keep the sweat off of Farmer Pappy as he plants this year’s peppers, but since being the most recent addition to Buffalo Wing Wear, the bandana has been catching on with restaurant workers.

D. The Knit Tassel Toque – This cap is one of my favorites. When those chilly months come around, you could choose to wear a hat, or you could choose to wear a stylish knit toque, OR you could choose to wear a stylish knit toque WITH WINGS ON IT!!! Nothing keeps you warmer on those cold days than hot wings on your head.

E. Buffalo Wing Bandz – Everyone may think that the bandz craze is over, but the kids still love them. And when they come free with an order over $10, you can’t go wrong. Two of each shape is included: Chicken Wing Drumette, Chicken Wing Flat, Celery, BFLO and a Bison.

I was extremely impressed when I opened each package because I saw nothing but quality. Not only in the stitching, but also in choice of materials. Buffalo Wing Wear offers a fun way to get dressed up as adults without going over the top – and whether it is stiched, sewn, or printed, you can be sure that your wardrobe will let the world know of your obsession with this addictive food.

While flying around from place to place looking for great wings, I stopped in a small New Hampshire town called Keene. Now, Keene is known nationally for the spectacular pumpkin festival that they have each year in October, where 29,000 or so artistically carved pumpkins light up the night for all to enjoy. Unfortunately for me, it is not October. However, it is ALWAYS wing season, so I ran down the road to a wing joint that was recommended for having great wings.

With a name like Joe Peanut’s House of Wings, you can expect the full wing treatment. This includes: paper towel rolls on every table, brown paper bags used for discard, and an extensive flavor selection. What you can ALSO expect with a name like that is free peanuts… woohoo!! So, I started munching away while looking over the menu. I tried to see what other people were eating, but it proved difficult because the place was practically empty. The only people around seemed to be off-duty employees. There are a ton of tables, and seeing them all empty (even for a Wednesday) seemed odd. But, they do seem to be big on takeout as I saw a bunch of people pop in to collect their wings to go.

I decided on the 10 wings coated in Medium with Hot on the side. The wings looked like any normal plate that I would expect to find anywhere else. With so much attention focused specifically on wings, I was expecting to be wowed, not presented with average. I dove in all the same, and my mouth confirmed what my eyes and nose already told me: these are good ol’ standard wings. The sauce was just the right amount of heat and carried the basic flavors you would expect to find in a Buffalo wing. So I turned my attention to the Hot instead.

I cracked open the side of Hot and, to my amazement, saw that this sauce was a bit more creative. With little bits of Habanero peppers and garlic dancing around, this mixture seemed to offer more for the taste buds. Along with it… Heat. This sauce was H-O-T, which you could expect from the Habanero, but stayed bearable enough to allow me to complete the meal.

Overall, with a name that includes HOUSE OF WINGS, I expected to be blown away with the taste and presentation of my wings, and unfortunately that wasn’t the case. It does not, in any way, mean that I didn’t enjoy them… ’cause I did. It just means that when I am out looking for the best wings around that will give me the “wow” factor, these fell short. Granted, I did only have the Buffalo style and there were plenty more types on the menu, but I feel that in a place that strives on making wings, Buffalo is a staple and should get just as much time and respect as the others.

Joe Peanut’s House of Wings
101 Key Rd.
Keene, NH 03431
(603) 355-2555

After spending some time in St. Louis and taking pictures with the Gateway Arch like a good tourist, I had a hankering for some good food. By good food, I mean hot and spicy, and there is only one man I know in the area that can point me in the right direction. Scott Roberts is a well-known Chilehead and columnist that specializes in reviewing hot and spicy foods nationwide. So when it came time to find a place for good wings, Scott steered me to his hometown joint, St. Louis Wing Company.

I was hoping it would turn out to be a restaurant with a bar, because after the day I had, I really needed a beer. So you can imagine my slight disappointment when I pulled up to find that it was more of a takeout type place. But good news was on the forefront as I got closer, because I noticed a dining area and a Budweiser sign in the window.

With a sigh of relief I made my way to the nice girl at the counter, ordered up a Budweiser and a boat of their Traditional Hot wings. I felt like I was doing something wrong because they had such a wide variety of flavors and I was staying with the classic, but to be fair, that’s my favorite and the main focus for comparison.

My 10 count of wings came out, and once the staff saw me break out the camera, it was all over. Suddenly I was forced to spill the beans as to why I was there, and once the cat was out of the bag, the spoiling started. “Sir, I would like you to try some of our new creations to see what you think,” or “This one is not on the menu, but we’re thinking about it… your thoughts.” I accepted all of the samples and then they left me alone to stare from the corner. The good thing was that it was nice and dark in the table area. Now, I don’t know if it’s to save on electricity or to give customers that intimate atmosphere to get all up close and personal with their wings, but it was nice to not have anymore of a spot light on me.

I started with the Traditional Hot to ease my craving for that classic Buffalo taste. Both the size and the heat level were pretty average, but the flavor of the sauce had a bit more to offer than a bottled brand. That, in combination with a juicy chicken, made eating them easy and I kept going back again and again. The only problem was they lacked that spark that I look for in a great wing. The spark that leaves you without a doubt in your mind how great wings can be. Maybe it’s because they have so many flavors and the others are taking away from the time spent perfecting the original. Or, maybe they thought it was perfected. Either way, one thing that was for sure was the care and time spent on the other sauces, and the only other thing I could think to do was indulge in some of these concoctions.

Next up is the Rally Squirrel (named after that rowdy rodent that got all the attention at a local Cardinals game by running across home plate during a pitch). This wing was extremely sticky due to its caramelized sauce that included crushed peanuts as a coating. It was definitely a mixture that I wasn’t used to. I’ve had the Spicy Peanut wings at the Buffalo Wing Festival before, but nothing that added the crunch of real peanuts like this did. It was certainly unique. But it wasn’t the only one. Waiting for me in the next dish was a Spicy Strawberry wing that used actual jam mixed with the peppers. This was different than the pepper jelly wings, from Suzanne’s Kitchen, because the jam here was thinned out and acted more like a reduction sauce rather than the baked on coating we get from the other. Either way it was still my favorite oddity of the flavors, and I agree that it should join the others on the menu.

Ultimately, Scott knows his stuff and I’m glad I took his advice. The selection and variety that the St. Louis Wing Company brings to the table is immense. And even though there are other joints that do the same, I have yet to find one that spends an equal amount of time to match the complex flavors of some of these sauces. My only advice would be to keep doing what you’re doing, but don’t put the classics on the back burner. The Traditional Hot was a good eat, but it still needs just as much attention as the rest of these culinary wonders to get it to the top.

St. Louis Wing Company
9816 Manchester Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63119
(314) 962-9464

Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap is located in downtown Chicago and has multiple awards for the best wings in the Windy City. For this reason alone, I felt obligated to pop in to see what makes their wings stand apart from the rest.

Jake’s is a large restaurant and bar that gives off a good vibe when you walk in the door. Though they have a large sit down area, I opted for the bar so I could pester the bartender with pointless facts about peppers. I grabbed a beer and menu to see that they had many selections ranging from Ponchos (a garlic cayenne mix) to Firecraker (their Asian blend). But because I love me a great Buffalo sauce, I ordered up my 8 with their Traditional Medium. At the bartender’s suggestion, I also picked up sides of Spicy (Habanero sauce), Firecracker, and XXX (Ghost Pepper sauce).

When the wings arrived, the color was GORGEOUS but they looked not as crispy as I would expect to find on a fried wing. One bite made me feel that they were baked instead. But after confirming by the staff that they were indeed fried, I basically went with the notion that they were just soggy and probably fried at a lower temperature which prevented them from crisping up. Either way, the meat was very tender and the sauce had good flavor to it.

The sauces, both Medium and Spicy, had relatively the same taste with the exception that Spicy was indeed spicier, but the flavor was still the same. It was a classic Buffalo style that had a better consistency than a normal sauce because it clung really well to each wing preventing me from having to keep dipping to get more flavor.

The Firecraker was a sweeter sauce with some green onions mixed in that elevated the wing to exotic level. However, even though it tasted good, I’m all about the Buffalo, so we turn back to give the XXX a go. This sauce was so thick it looked like molasses (see pic on right). And even though I have eaten the Butch T Trinidad Scorpion pepper, which is hotter than the Ghost, it didn’t take away from the fact that the XXX sauce was still very intimidating. I poured it on the last wing and down the hatch it went. After I finished crying and pulled myself together, I politely put down the remainder of the wing and wet-napped the hell out of my hands to avoid that stuff from getting in my eyes.

Ultimately, the sauces here are what carried the dish. My main complaint would be with the cooking of the wing itself. Though tender and juicy, the sogginess and overall consistency of the meat and skin heavily reminded me of eating the Friday’s wings that you get in the freezer aisle. One simple change in the preparation could take these wings from being a good eat, to a great one.

Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap
41 E. Superior Street
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 266-0400

How often do I find myself in Indiana? Not that often. So when the opportunity arose to grab some wings in the The Crossroads of America state, I was all for it. Wings Etc. is a popular chain found mostly in the Midwest, and because we don’t have these around my neck of the woods, I felt obligated to see what makes them popular.

Lunch came-a-calling, so I popped into this establishment only to be instantly reminded of Hooter’s. It had the same classic sports bar feel with the wood tables and colorful menus, but with an elevated level of wing support. Hooter’s is all about the breast (and I don’t mean chicken), however, Wings Etc. is about the wings. Each table came equipped with a wooden bowl filled with wet naps and paper plates as well as a paper towel dispenser. This got me excited because when a place goes through all that, PLUS has wings in its name, you expect to be getting something good.

To top it off, the day I went was $.49 wing day. So, I ordered up 6 wings tossed in the “Tweener” sauce (which is supposed to be beTWEEN Medium and Hot) with sides of “Hot” and “Wall” (I don’t know why it’s called that, but it was the hottest). I also grabbed a freakishly huge beer, ’cause hey it’s lunch, and I waited for the wings to arrive.

When the wings were placed in front of me, my first glance reflected a simple cut-and-dry plate of wings. The wings, though average size, had a great crisp to them but the sauce was too standard. The Tweener, which was two above mild, was not hot at all, which lead me to the “Hot” to find where the heat was hiding. Good news = it was hotter. Bad news = it still carried an out-of-bottle flavor and offered nothing more.

Next up was the “Wall.” This was the hottest sauce they offered so I wanted to see what the hot-heads were up against. While pouring it on my last wing I could see the bits of garlic in this Habanero mash, and it looked intimidating. I bit in and it immediately stabbed my tongue with heat and numbed my lips, but didn’t really reside in the throat, which is good because that meant it wouldn’t linger too long. I’m not a crazy heat seeker and prefer my sauces more toned down, but this wasn’t too unbearable, and I could see how this could be enjoyed… And not just on a dare.

Ultimately, Wings Etc. didn’t do anything outside the box. The smell and color was very standard and they were not larger than the average size, so what makes them stand apart from the rest… Well branding of course. These wings were a good eat, and even though nothing struck me as original, when you add to it a cool wing-related place with all things accenting wings, you got yourself a hangout.

Wings Etc.
501 Silhavy Rd.
Valparaiso, IN 46383
(219) 464-7250

While up in Long Island again for yet ANOTHER trip, I was traveling down Main Street in Farmingdale and I started to get an urge for some wings. Could it be that I just passed Croxley’s Ale House and have eaten their wings before? Very possible. But just a couple of doors down was yet another wing joint with a crazy ass sign that read “Wings Over Farmingdale.” So, I parked the car and headed in to see what it was all about.

Wings Over Farmingdale is primarily a take-out joint, from the “Wings Over…” chain, where you can grab your wings and eat them in the comfort of your hotel room (for example). They also have a small area if you wish to dine in, but the chairs were so light and “cost effective,” it felt like they were made of aluminum foil and weren’t that inviting.

Everything here had an aviation theme, hence the name, so I ordered up 7 of the “Cruisin’ Altitude” with their hottest sauce, “Afterburner,” on the side. Now, because I took these to go, I wanted to make sure I tried at least two while I was still there and the food was hot, so I didn’t base my opinion on cold, soggy wings when I got back to my room.

The first thing I noticed when I cracked open the container was an unpleasant odor. I was expecting to find more of a “Happy Buffalo” sauce smell that gets my mouth watering, but this was more of a stinky pepper. Like if you were in pepper school, and there was a pepper that was never talked to and made fun of because of his odor… Yeah… Smells like him.

The wings themselves were huge and the meat was nice and juicy, but the sauce had what tasted like too much crushed red pepper and the overall flavor was extremely poor. When I got back to the hotel, it was just what I expected: cold, flavorless wings. The good news, however, was that the wings were still moist and didn’t dry up like take-out wings tend to do. So, I took this opportunity to taste the dreaded “Afterburner” sauce. This stuff looked like a scary dark cup of matter that took a cool 5 minutes to plop out onto my wing. I’m exaggerating, of course, but that stuff was like tar. I took a bite and tasted the same crushed red pepper taste, but this time joined with an immense heat that was too hot for this wing eater.

Ultimately, the wings at Wings Over Farmingdale were a great size and stayed nice and juicy even on the ride home, but the sauce has GOT to go. It was not enjoyable to smell, let alone eat. A great sauce is key in any Buffalo wing place, especially a take-out joint. Because when you return home with cold wings, it doesn’t matter as much as long as you can drown them in a delicious sauce which this place failed to provide.

Wings Over Farmingdale
221 Main Street
Farmingdale, NY 11735
(516) 756-9464

At one time or another when I tell someone that I have been on Long Island and they know about my wing obsession, they usually come back with “Have you ever had Croxley’s wings?” Naturally, when I found myself up that way once more, I figured I’d stop in so that the next time I’m asked the same question I can respond “…uh yeah, who hasn’t?”

Croxley’s Ale House is a decent size corner bar that gets its reputation for the large wall of assorted beer taps. However, they also have the reputation for great wings as well, and that’s what brings me. ‘Cause let’s face it, I drink Coors Light so assortment of beer is not my forte.

They have a bunch of tables if you wish to have a nice sit down meal, or a large standing bar section with tall rows of tables if you prefer to… well… stand. What is the benefit to “stand-eating” you may ask? Why, you are that much closer to the hot bin of free BBQ wings that they offer on Thursday and Friday nights.

I took a seat at the bar and because their traditional wings only came in Mild, Medium, and Hot, I ordered my 10 with Medium. I must have literally waited 5 minutes before my food came out; it was that fast. The wings were piping hot and had a nice golden color which meant they did a great job frying them. Nice and crispy.

The sauce reminded me of a lot of the qualities that Frank’s Red Hot possesses, but the way they mixed it made the sauce a little smoother and silkier. Even though it wasn’t an original flavor, I still gobbled them up all the same.

Overall, the wings here were very enjoyable. The chicken was cooked well and the sauce was a great Buffalo style sauce, but I’m looking for the wing dish that will knock my socks off. If in the area again, I would definitely come back for a fix, but you’ll notice that my socks would still be on.

Croxley’s Ale House & Eatery
190 Main St.
Farmingdale, NY 11735
(516) 293-7700

On my way back from the DC area, I made it a point to swing into Baltimore to try out the Kisling’s Tavern’s wings. I have been hearing only great things about them, and with the numerous awards for “best wings,” this place had me excited to give them a try.

Now the first thing I want to say is how nice the harbor side of Baltimore was, not only with the views but the people as well. Example: I parked in a spot that I wasn’t certain I could stay in, and just before I went to move it, a lady was shouting out of her car to let me know that I was fine (all while holding up traffic). It may not seem like much, but when have you seen anyone do that? Maybe it’s my charming good looks

I made my way into this tiny corner bar, plopped down near the end stool, and grabbed a menu. The wings here come in a bunch of varieties, but the Original sauce was “award winning” so that’s what I ordered. I asked for the 10 count naked which confused both me and the bartender as apparently “naked” here means “without sauce” as opposed to “breadless” like I’m familiar with. Once we got past that hurdle, I finished off my order with sides of both “Hot” and “Atomic.”

The wings came out and smelled fantastic. You could see, just by looking at them, that they mixed a lot of stuff into this sauce. Each wing was sprinkled with garlic bits, and judging by the remnants left on the plate, you could tell that this was no ordinary sauce. I bit into the chicken to find that it was SUPER juicy but not as tender as I hoped even though they just came out of the fryer and were piping hot. I had to wait a second to not burn my tongue, but when it cooled down enough for me to take a bite, I got to taste all the yummy goodness of the sauce. The chicken wasn’t anything fancy, but the sauce (oh man, the sauce) carried this dish with its original flare and great flavor.

I dunked the next wing in the “Hot” sauce to try and get a little more heat… and that’s exactly what I got: a little more heat. The sauces here were totally the stars of the meal and the “Hot” took it a step further by adding some (not overwhelming) smokiness to it which was nice.

Lastly, I cracked open the “Atomic” thinking this was going to rock my socks, but instead it fell a little flat. I guess the first give away was that the color was more orange than the Hot, which normally means less heat. But I was fooled by the huge chunks of jalapeno peppers mixed throughout. And even though I knew jalapenos weren’t extremely hot, I still expected some kick. I even went as far as chewing on those chunks to see if that’s where all the heat resided, but to no avail. So, if you’re looking for extreme heat, you may want to keep looking.

All in all, Kisling’s Tavern has some pretty standard wings, but cooks them up crispy with a killer sauce. That in my opinion is why they have all those wing accolades: THE SAUCE. And they know it, which is why it is available to be purchased by the bottle. So, if you are searching for fantastic flavor with a punch of heat, then this is the place to go.

Kisling’s Tavern
2100 Fleet Street
Canton, MD 21231
(410) 327-5477

While up in North Jersey for my son’s piano competition (and he rocked it by the way, thanks for asking), we decided to meet up with some friends at The Office in Montclair to get a bite to eat. According to their menu, they have a couple different styles of sauce for the wings: Buffalo, Fireball, Southwest Sweet Heat, Ginger Teriyaki, and Arrogant Bastard BBQ Sauce. You know me, I always tend to stick to the Buffalo style sauces to keep consistent with my reviews, so I ordered the 10 count of Buffalo with a side of the Fireball to sample.

The wings were breaded, and at first glance were huge. When I took a second glance, THEY WERE STILL HUGE. The temperature was just about normal and the tenderness was the same, but size is what stood out the most for me. I dove into the meatiness of the wings each time getting a hint of heat from the sauce. The sauce wasn’t anything to go crazy about, and though The Office claims to be delivering “signature sauces” they are really only delivering what I think to be Franks Red Hot. And as we all love Frank’s, you cannot call it a signature sauce in your establishment if you do not change it up in any fashion. One good note that impressed me, however, is the fact that the sauce didn’t make the breaded wings soggy like most places usually do. This is typically the reason that I don’t order breaded wings over the naked ones, but when they stay crispy even when doused in sauce, like these, then they definitely work.

The wings were pretty standard in almost every direction with the exception of the large size. One downfall: The larger the size, the longer it takes to eat (which is a good thing). But, the longer it takes to eat, the longer the rest of the wings sit around on the plate (which is a bad thing). Because, even though the skin stayed nice and crispy throughout the entirety of the meal, the taste diminished the colder they got.

In a nutshell, The Office brings an okay wing dish that has a couple of perks. Large wings and drums that don’t get soggy is a bonus for sure, but it still doesn’t help enough to bring these wings into super stardom. So, if you are looking to have a good time out with some beer and wings, The Office will give you what you’re after. But don’t expect any more than that.

The Office Beer Bar & Grill
619 Bloomfield Ave
Montclair, NJ 07042
(973) 783-2929

While up in North Jersey for St. Patrick’s Day weekend, we stumbled across a place in Morristown called The Famished Frog. I found this fitting because a frog is green which is perfect for this particular holiday, AND I was indeed famished, so it just made sense. We were seated in the restaurant side seeing how my son was with us, but you could hear all the fun goings-on in the bar area with everyone celebrating in classic St. Paddy’s fashion. The little guy didn’t mind missing all the fun anyway because a) he is not a big drinker, and b) he was too distracted by the free frog pencil topper that he received along with his crayons (see right).

The Famished Frog’s wings are “twice fried” and come in either Buffalo style or Oriental. Fried twice typically means that the chef drops the wings at a lower temperature and cooks them partially to hang onto for later. Then, they crank the heat and drop them in again for the remainder of the time. I was excited to see that because it usually means a crispier skin. So, I ordered the pound of wings, Buffalo style of course, and grabbed me a pint of beer because, hey, I am Irish after all and it’s in my blood.

When the wings arrived, they came equipped with blue cheese, celery, and wet naps for the aftermath. The smell was intoxicating and I couldn’t wait to dig in, so I grabbed the first piece and took a bite. Immediately I found that the chicken meat was a little drier than it should be, but still kept a good tenderness. You could shred it apart as easy as if it were pulled pork. The only problem was that the size was a little small. Which means that even though it was nice and tender at the beginning, by the time I reached the last bit of wings, the dryness took control and pushed the tenderness to the back seat.

The sauce was definitely the best part of this dish, and after smothering it all over the wings, I was a happy man. It contained just the right amount of heat but was tweaked with a tiny sweetness, and though I’m pretty sure it didn’t contain this in the ingredients, had an interesting pickle taste. What stood out the most was its unique and great flavor that, at least for the time being, made me ignore the other issues.

Overall, The Famished Frog was a happening place that caters to the bar scene as well as the family scene. I give them credit for trying to improve upon a standard wing preparation by double frying, but I believe the first go round was at too high a temperature and ultimately left the wing with no moisture which wound up hurting the dish. If it wasn’t for that tasty sauce, this dish would’ve been a failure. But thank goodness it was there, because it brought the wings back up to par allowing me to finish my meal and leave satisfied.

The Famished Frog
18 Washington Street
Morristown, NJ 07960
(973) 540-9601

New York City is an incredible place that one has to see and experience at least once in their life. With such offerings as Times Square, Broadway, Wall Street, and Rockefeller Center, Manhattan appeases the needs of nearly every culture or social desire. If you want to try the best pizza in the world, where do you go? If you wish to have the best hot dog, what’s your destination? The Big Apple is the place to get any style of food from any country, and still manages to give it that ‘fugetaboutit’ charm. So when it came down to me grabbing some wings in the “Capital of the World,” I was looking forward to it.

My younger brother, though born in Jersey, has New York blood and has lived in the City for many years. So when the time came for him to move cross-country and exchange the “City That Never Sleeps” for the “City of Angels,” we all got together to wish him luck. And where did we go you ask? Well, only one of the best known wing sports bars in town… Blondies Sports. Ever since this whole wing website started, he’s been trying to get me to try them out as they claim to have some of NYC’s best wings. So, the family came in to bid farewell, and while at it, ordered up a ton of wings to see how New Yorkers Bring The Wing!

Blondies, just like almost every other bar in the city, is a small, crammed pub that pretty much requires a reservation, especially when there’s 9 of us. What sets this bar apart from the rest is how incredibly polite and courteous the wait staff was. But despite the great pleasantries, I still have a job to do. So, we ordered up a variety of poultry set for a king:  My mother got the Medium, while my step-sister got the boneless. My brother got the 20 count, while my wife got the tenders with wing sauce on the side. I, however, asked fot the 10 count of Hot with sides of the “Sizzlin’” and “Ouch” (which I thought was a clever name).

The wings came out nice and hot with a smell that permeated the air to let the rest of the restaurant know that we were in the house. Although the size was a bit larger, the sauce itself was a little on the “normal” side. It was a Frank’s Hot Sauce blend that gets your lips tingling and yet still offered classic flavor, but when you’re looking for the best wings out there, “normal” needs to be amped up a bit. On the flip side, the sauce consistency was great as it stuck beautifully to each piece preventing that annoying watery drip that some sauces tend to have.

The wings were fried and served with a medley of carrots and celery. And in classic NY fashion, anything extra, costs extra. So if you’re looking to get a side of sauces, for example, be prepared to spend a little more. However, if I could offer any advice to keep things simple, it would be to order the Hot and leave it at that. They have about seven different levels of heat, and though my mother’s Medium was more like a mild and the Hotter sauces such as the “Ouch” were nothing to write home about, my Hot hit the spot just right and were very enjoyable to eat.

Overall the wings were a success, but New York is known for adding creativity to the most basic things, and I wish this was shown a little more in the flavoring of the sauce. The dish itself took the wings that I expected to find in a normal bar setting and stepped it up by bringing out a larger wing. They were great and left me full and satisfied, but still had plenty of room for improvement. However, the time that I spent eating them will always resonate with me as a great wing experience that I shared with my family, and more importantly my brother. And for that reason, I would like to dedicate this review to my younger brother Matt. May the West Coast treat you well, and if you find yourself missing your big bro, take comfort in knowing that Patrick Molloy’s is right around the corner.

Blondies Sports
212 West 79th Street
New York, NY 10024
(212) 362-4360

Pictured above: Kopy from Walt Street Pub

Last April, I stumbled across the Walt Street Pub in Red Bank, NJ on a quest for great Buffalo wings. And to my excitement, that is just what I found. The wings were tender and juicy, and the sauce had a uniquely sweet heat to them that made me keep going back for more. The Walt Street Pub claimed to have “the best wings in town” which is a strong claim to make, however, it proved to be true so they were awarded BringTheWing.com’s Seal of Recommendation.

You might ask, “What is the Seal of Recommendation?” The Seal of Recommendation was designed to help our readers see at a moment’s glance who has the best Buffalo wings. When the wings that I review receive an overall rating of 4 or more, the restaurant or bar responsible for them automatically gets awarded the Seal. This Seal appears on their review page, and they also receive an html snippet to add to their website so their visitors can read the rave review as well. In addition, all Recommended Wing Joints also receive the opportunity to obtain a promotional package which includes a full-color framed review and window decal. Upon discovery of their high rating, the Walt Street Pub eagerly took advantage of that offer and received two promotional packages for their location.

When I recently found myself back in Red Bank, I jumped on the opportunity to check up on the Walt Street Pub. It had been a while since my last visit, however the bartender remembered who I was and proceeded to show me the framed reviews on the walls (above). It was this type of friendliness that I remembered from my first visit, and I was happy to see that the Walt Street Pub withstood the force of Superstorm Sandy to continue to “bring the wing” to Red Bank.

If your restaurant or bar has received the Seal of Recommendation and you would like to learn more about how to obtain the promotional package, please contact us at marketing@bringthewing.com. And to all of the eateries that have already received a promotional package, send us your pictures! Display your review loud and proud because you are one of the selected few that really know how to Bring the Wing!

The Good Dog Bar is not only known for its multiple framed photos of dogs on every wall, but also for its cleverly adapted food. Featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Good Dog Bar takes comfort foods to another level with such items as Duck Pot Pie and Baked Mac & Cheese. So needless to say, I’m excited to see what they have done to elevate the classic Buffalo wing.

The wings here only come one way: 10 Jumbo wings with Good Dog’s own sauce. So that’s what I ordered, and within minutes the waiter returned with what looked like the perfect wing preparation tray. This tray consisted of a bunch of napkins on top of a long rectangle plate that also held a small bowl (for the bones) filled with wet-naps. I always get excited when I see things like this because it makes me feel like they know how to take care of a wing eater. So now with beer in hand and wing prep ready, I’m left waiting for the main course. Waiting is not so bad in this small three level pub, because there is a lot to look at. We were actually lucky enough to get a window seat perched above 15th street, so we had plenty of passers-by to poke fun at as we killed some time.

When the wings arrived they looked and smelled great. They weren’t kidding with the “Jumbo” because these things were huge. And the best part about all that meat was that it was incredibly tender. The waiter said that they bake then fry them to get that tenderness, but either they didn’t fry them long enough or spent too much time baking because my wings were more on the slimy side instead of that great crisp on the skin that I love so much. The sauce was mostly a mixture of barbecue sauce and some spices, but carried almost no heat. Though it was tasty, it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, and if blindfolded, I would swear it was another style of chicken wings. I was expecting my personal comfort food to be elevated just like everything else on the menu, but to still hold true to the basic characteristics of a Buffalo wing: spicy, hot, and crispy. They succeeded in making a gorgeous meal out of wings, but fell a bit short with keeping true to the Buffalo roots.

Ultimately, the Good Dog Bar offers a uniquely enhanced menu and I should have been happy that they even serve wings. I cleaned my plate and if I came back in the future, would probably get it again. If you are in the mood for a completely different wing, I would do what the coasters suggest: Come, Sit, Stay. However, if you are out specifically looking for the classic Buffalo flavor, I would tuck your tail and run as this might not be the place for you.

Good Dog Bar
224 S. 15th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 985-9600

There comes a time in every year where people gather together to enjoy some quality time with their friends and loved ones… haha. I couldn’t even write that with a straight face. Football Football Football. That’s what brings people together to drink beer, party it up, and watch their team brawl it out to find out who will become the next Super Bowl Champion. Now, I personally do not enjoy watching sports. I like playing sports, but watching other people play sports doesn’t really do it for me. However, this doesn’t stop me from having a great weekend as well, especially in the Philly area, because it’s not just Super Bowl weekend here, it’s Wing Weekend!!

Starting off the Friday before every Super Bowl, Philadelphia’s own WIP Sports Radio hosts its annual Wing Bowl in which contestants compete to see who can eat the most wings within a given time. With over 10,000 wings fried up for this event, you can obviously see that wings play a major role in this weekend’s festivities… and it doesn’t stop there. Take-out wing joints such as Chuck’s Cafe in Hamilton have lines out the door to bring the wing back for the big game. Recipe sections like ours were flooded with people looking to cook their very own wings for this special occasion. But with the announced wing shortage due to droughts and the $65,000 worth of wings stolen in Georgia to sell on the black market (I know, right?), finding them in your local grocery store was proving to be a bit difficult this year. Lucky for me, we still had some. So I bought up a bunch and invited some friends over.

While down at the Pepper’s Tailgating Party in Rehoboth, we met Len from Blackwoods Wing Sauce who had given us a few bottles to try the next time we were making up some wings. I couldn’t think of a better time to crack open the bottles and give them a whirl than Wing Weekend, so I broke out the deep fryer and started cooking. Why not grill them you ask? Well the cooking method I use depends mostly on what recipe I am making, or whether or not I want that smoky flavor, or if I want them juicy or tender. But the real reason: it was F-ing cold out there man, and I love me some good fried wings… even more so if I stay warm while making them. Plus, when you’re done frying, you just toss and serve. It doesn’t get any easier than that.

Now, Blackwoods pushes the fact that they use all natural ingredients and have been mastering these blends for over 17 years, as opposed to using a bunch of preservatives. I tossed the wings in their Signature sauce, and with one bite I could see exactly what they were talking about. The flavors that encompassed the sauce were incredible. The Signature sauce had a rich smoothness to it and brought a bit of heat all without kicking me in the throat or burning my tongue. There was no sharp acidity or heavy vinegar taste that usually accompanies some store bought hot sauces; none of that… just great taste. One of my guests, believe it or not, doesn’t enjoy hot and spicy things. So I split up the rest of the wings and tossed them in the remaining Blackwoods Wing Sauces. We had some that were Garlic Parmesan (mild), some that were Chipotle (BBQ), and some that were Dante’s Inferno (Hot). This way everyone could enjoy the wings at their own heat level while also giving me a chance to taste them all.

The Garlic Parmesan and the Chipotle were where it was at for Rob (the anti-spicer) as he kept gobbling them up faster than I could grab a piece. When I hear Chipotle, I usually turn it down because that, to me, means a heavy smoked flavor that I’m not particularly fond of. But, this wasn’t the case with Blackwoods, and I found myself reaching for that section of the plate from time to time. The Dante’s Inferno, on the other hand, made me think that the sauce was going to be extremely hot like the name suggests, and I don’t really enjoy the super hot sauces. But I found that with all of Blackwoods Wing Sauces, the heat levels were all tolerable and enjoyable, including Dante’s Inferno. And this was best shown by the empty plates and happy bellies.

I am always looking for a reason to eat wings, and Super Bowl weekend did just that. With plenty of wing related events and parties, it’s hard not to get excited during this time of year. Football? Not for me. But the wing craze? I’m all for it, especially if it’s deep fried.

Having a free kid-less night is a blessing, and when the in-laws come down to offer such a service, the wife and I don’t ask questions, we just bolt out the door. But to where? Good thing I have my handy dandy list that’s compiled from our “Suggest a Joint” section to lead the way. So, I crack it open and see that Marty, Kenny, and Katrina all think that the place to grab great wings is at their local pub called Schileens. Only one way to know for sure, so we head down to Westville to see what’s on the menu wing-wise.

Schileens offers Mild, Hot, Garlic, BBQ, Honey Mustard, or their hottest sauce: Extinguisher. They also have a Blackened version of the wings that included a Cajun spice rub and sounded delicious. But what do I do? I wanted to try the normal wings AND the Blackened to get to experience both, but I didn’t want to order two separate orders like some places make you do. Da-da-da-da!!! Enter the waitress who said it would be no trouble to split the order of ten into two fives making all my dreams come true. How awesome. So I ordered five of the normal wings tossed in Hot sauce and five of the Blackened wings along with a side of Extinguisher for good measure.

The plate came out and looked incredible. The chef even went so far as to splitting my two varieties with the celery which acted like a little vegetable barrier keeping both flavors from intermingling. I decided to start with the normal wings first to see how their classic Buffalo flavors taste. The wings came naked and were a pretty normal size. The orange glow of the meat not only reassured me that they were coated nicely, but also acted like a sparkling lure leaving me mesmerized. One bite and I could taste what appeared to be a Frank’s and butter mixture. It was a good sauce that took out the sharpness of the vinegar and left a nice smooth taste remaining. The meat was really tender, and it came out of the kitchen piping hot which is always a plus, but I didn’t get the “Wow” sensation that I’m always looking for. So, I turned to the other side of the dish to see what I could find on the west side of celery wall. The Blackened wings are essentially the regular wings which have been deep fried, rubbed in Cajun spices, tossed in sauce, and thrown in the oven for a good bake. A lot of care went into these wings and it showed. The skin was crispy and the seasoning was very visible, but my favorite part about these wings was that they were actually more tender than the previous wings that were just fried. The spices added another layer to the wings which, when coupled with me rolling it around in the Hot sauce, made the wings even more desirable. Only thing left to do was to try the side of sauce I had sitting there.

The Extinguisher sauce smelled like what I could best describe as “Horrible in a cup.” Sure it seemed hot, but it also had that Robitussin smell (that usually means an extract was used for heat) mixed with something raisin-y. “Horrible in a cup,” or not, I poured it on the last remaining wing and gave a good bite. I have to be honest when I say that I expected worse. I didn’t get a disgusting taste from the extract that I expected. Instead, I was tasting more of a raisin flavor (or apricot) mixed with peppers and heat. The heat didn’t come in all at once, either. It tended to creep up on me until my face started to sweat. Even though this sauce was more pleasant than expected, it still wasn’t my cup of tea.

When looking at the whole picture, Schileens Pub is a small bar that brings a friendly atmosphere with some pretty tasty wings. It’s the type of place where every time I said “thank you” they said “you’re welcome.” My advice on the wings would be to order them Blackened and smother them in the Hot sauce, because otherwise they tend to be a bit dry with just the rub. BUT, add the sauce and you find yourself with the perfect union of flavors. As for the people and staff… well the backs of their shirts say it all: “Always remember… there are no strangers here, just friends that have never met… yet!”

Schileens Pub
32 Delsea Dr.
Westville, NJ 08093
(856) 456-2382

I was down near Atlantic City for work, and on my way back I passed through Egg Harbor City which has a neighborhood bar that’s known for their wings. Now when I say neighborhood bar, I mean it. The Rusty Barrel is located on the corner of St. Louis and Buerger smack dab in the middle of houses, not strip malls or parking lots, but actual houses. This is great if you live nearby and frequent the joint because you would never have to find a designated driver. This is definitely my kind of bar.

I walk in the door and couldn’t find a seat because this place was packed with locals and there was a band setting up. The band “Blondage,” consisting of two women, one guitar, and a sound system, may have been the reason this bar was packed on a Wednesday. Or maybe some people simply misunderstood the name of the band and thought it was a different kind of party. Either way this place was jumping, and when you’re hungry for some wings, you might sit just about anywhere. AND as long as you can get past hearing a man singing “Wizard of Oz” songs, two older women hitting on you, and the waitress forcing you to smell her, you should be just fine. So, I grabbed a beer and menu, and ordered up some of these well-known wings.

The menu claims to have jumbo wings, and because they offer multiple quantities, I decided to go for the 8 count just in case they weren’t lying. The sauces, too, come in many varieties ranging from “Sweet Chili Sauce” (said to be the best by my recently acquired two best friends) to “Bottom of the Barrel” (said to be the hottest sauce they have). There is even a challenge for this sauce where if you complete the meal you receive a t-shirt. I don’t know all the rules, but I wasn’t going to do it so….

The wings came out and were just as advertised: big and meaty. The chicken had a nice breading to it with the Mild sauce I ordered drizzled over top. The Mild smelled really good, but there wasn’t enough of it. I love to drown my wings to get them nicely coated, and the little sauce the chef gave me wasn’t going to cut it. The two extra sides of sauce that I ordered (the Hot and “Bottom of the Barrel”) looked like nasty applesauces from hell, so I didn’t want to dump them on the wings… or at least not just yet. Luckily, the pleasant smelling waitress (ask me how I know that) was kind enough to grab more sauce from the kitchen so I could take my first bite, and I’m glad I waited because they were delicious. The meat was tender and the light crisp of the breading, covered with the great flavor of the sauce, made each wing extremely enjoyable.

The sauce, though called Mild, was actually pretty hot. Not too insane with heat, but enough to be considered a Medium for sure. The next step up in the Buffalo flavored sauces was Hot, which was a HUGE jump in heat from the Mild, and consisted of a mishmash of ingredients including crushed red pepper and real pepper seeds. This sauce wasn’t that bad actually. It was incredibly hot and offered a bit more “real” pepper flavor, unlike the “Bottom of the Barrel” which smelled, looked, and tasted like they took crushed red pepper powder and just mixed in some water. It was hot as hell, but incredibly disgusting and offered no desiring flavors whatsoever. It’s no wonder they use this for the challenge ’cause you would have to really want a new shirt to put yourself through that suffering.

Ultimately, the Rusty Bar is a dive that offers friendly staff, friendlier locals, and unique entertainment. But most importantly… They have some damn good wings. If you find yourself near Egg Harbor City jonesin’ for some wings, I recommend you stop in and grab a plate of the Mild for yourself. Not only will you enjoy some great tasting wings, but who knows, you may just walk out with some interesting stories.

Rusty Barrel Pub & Grill
354 St. Louis Ave
STE 354-358
Egg Harbor City, NJ 08215
(609) 965-0558

After doing some work up in Berkeley Heights, the group and I decided to grab a bite to eat for lunch. One local we were with recommended a place nearby called Delicious Heights, so we took his suggestion and made our way to the bar for some food. Food for me always means wings, and I was eager to try a new place.

We made our way into this fancy-type restaurant, passed by the booths, and grabbed a seat at the bar. I’m not a very formal person, and sitting at the bar seems to be more my speed… and it didn’t hurt having a cute bartender either. I grabbed a menu to see what was offered wing-wise and wasn’t really amazed to find that there was only one option. Needless to say, that’s what I ordered.

The wings made their way to the bar, and right off the bat I could see that they were a good size. Nice and meaty, heavily breaded, and ready for the taking. I’m not such a big fan of breaded wings because they tend to get soggy, but these were not drowning in sauce so they kept their crisp (for a little while, anyway). The meat was juicy and kind of tender, but it was the sauce that really brought the flavor to the dish.

The sauce was a nice orange hue and wasn’t too thin or too thick. The flavor was unique because you could taste the hot pepper, but it also had a sweetened tangy flavor that I couldn’t put my finger on. Almost like a honey Worcestershire mix with the emphasis on the honey. It was a different taste than the normal wing flavors I would expect to find, but by the same count, wasn’t that bad at all. The only thing I wish was different would be the heat. It didn’t really have much, and I prefer a little kick to the mouth every now and then.

I wasn’t planning on searching for wings today, let alone good wings at a fancier establishment. But I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised that their wings were better than expected. I wouldn’t take a special trip for them, but it’s nice to know that even when I am not looking for good wings, there are still places out there that surprise me.

Delicious Heights
428 Springfield Ave
Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922
(908) 464-3287

“Suggest a Joint” has hit again, and this time with a vengeance as my inbox was flooded with emails telling me that I needed to get down to Dominic’s Tavern in Bellmawr. And when a suggestion comes in (or in this case a multitude of suggestions from Dan, Michele, Marty, and Mark to name a few), I make sure I answer that call. So I grabbed some friends and headed down to Dominic’s to try them out for myself.

We got down there on a Friday night and the place was packed. Everyone was having a great time around the bar, and the people seated in the dining area were all involved in a game of “Trivia” with the DJ. It was pretty interesting and consisted of Name that Tune, Movie Trivia, and Word Puzzles all wrapped up into one happening game that got the crowd going. These were good people having a great time, and it wasn’t long before these friendly regulars welcomed us into their world with open arms (shout out to Al and Kathy). And if that’s all I was after I would be set, but I came for the wings and it couldn’t have been better timing ’cause I sure was hungry.

The wings are offered with the standard Mild, Medium, and Hot, but also come with a super hot version called 911 and a unique blend known as “Fat Daddy” which is exclusive to Dominic’s. The locals here swear by it and insisted that I get some to try out. With that in mind, I ordered my 10 wings in Hot with some of the “Fat Daddy” and 911 sauces on the side. Pair that with some french fries and a bucket of beer, and you have the makings for a good time.

The wings came out rather quickly and smelled delicious. They were a decent size and lightly breaded, but here is the interesting thing… the chefs didn’t toss the breaded wings in the sauce. Instead, they pooled the sauce on the bottom of the dish and rested the wings on top. I only assume that this was to prevent the wings from getting soggy which was a GREAT idea, and yet there was plenty of the sauce to drown the wings if you so desire (which I do). The meat of the wings could’ve been a bit more tender, but all of that was forgotten when I rolled them in the sauce and took my first bite.

The sauce here had amazing flavor. I could taste the Buffalo flavor that I crave mixed in with a bit of sugary sweetness that kept me going for the next wing, and the next, and the next. Though the heat levels were a bit misleading (my hot was more of a medium), it was the exact amount of heat that I enjoy. Not too hot, but enough kick to remind me that they are not just wings… they are Hot Wings! I finished up all but two and was ready to sample the other sauces.

The 911 followed the same heat level issue since it was not as incredibly hot as I was led to believe. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing because I often wonder why anyone would want to eat these supremely hot sauces except on a dare. After a certain heat level, you can no longer taste your food, just the sensation of HOT. But with Dominic’s 911, the heat was actually bearable, and with the awesome flavors I got from the minced peppers that were sprinkled inside, made me see that this dish could actually be eaten and enjoyed as a meal… not just a dare.

The “Fat Daddy” sauce was next, and I was ready to see what all the fuss was about. So I took this orange-colored mixture (comprised of ranch, cheddar, and hot sauce), poured it all over my last wing, and went to town. It was definitely a different taste than I was used to and wasn’t half bad. The sauce still had some heat and the taste of cheddar was pretty predominant. But, if I had to choose between the “Fat Daddy” and the regular Hot sauce, the regular Hot sauce would win every time.

All in all, Dominic’s Tavern offered up a ton of pleasantries. Not only was this local bar a happening joint with great people and polite staff, but the wings they serve are freakin’ awesome! With a crispy skin and practically perfect sauce, how could they NOT be?! I recommend that if you are ever in the Bellmawr area, make sure to take a detour into this pub to pick up some for yourself. You will not be sorry that you did.

Dominic’s Tavern
100 East Browning Road
Bellmawr, NJ 08031
(856) 931-4742

In Burlington County, there are a number of places that claim to have the best wings, and one of them is known as Dadz Bar & Grill. Located on the corner of Madison and Rt. 38, this bar gets a lot of exposure and I’m sure it gets packed during the night time hours. With Pong tournaments, a pool table, and Happy Hour 50¢ wings, how can you not see a crowd coming? On Tuesdays they have all you can eat wings for under $10, and it lasts for 12 hours. So if you have nowhere else to be with a good pocket of beer-cash, you can have a great day. But unfortunately for me, it is not Tuesday… and yet I was still craving wings. So, I cracked open the menu to see what wing variations they had to offer.

The wings come in increments of 6 with a variety of heat levels including Mild, Medium, Hot, Super Hot, and Hotter Than Hell. They are served with celery and carrots, but if you want blue cheese be prepared to pay extra. The wings come lightly breaded or you can order them Naked, and Dadz even offers the ability to get just drums or wings for an extra fee. I thought that was pretty cool because I personally like the wingettes better, and to have an entire plate of that would be like eating just the muffin tops. I ordered up a twelve count with Hot and a side of both the Super Hot and the Hotter Than Hell sauces to see how they measured up. They even have a contest where if you can eat six of their Hotter Than Hell wings you get a free t-shirt. I’m not one for those types of challenges but this one I actually considered, ’cause hey… free clothes.

The wings came out and I realized that I forgot to order them Naked (I tend not to get wings breaded, if there is an option, because I find that a lot of the time the breading gets soggy and it is not as enjoyable to eat). I’m kind of glad that I messed up this time because the wings were actually breaded nice and light which gave a good crisp to the skin. They serve the wings and drums apart, but the tips were still left on the wings for you guys who like to gnaw on that part. The meat was pretty tender which made it easy to break the bones apart, but the chicken didn’t really carry much flavor other than the flavor it got from the hot sauce.

The sauce was poured nicely over the entire bowl of wings and collected into a calm pool on the bottom of the bowl for extra dipping. I love this because I always find myself asking for extra sauce just to complete my meal. The Hot sauce tasted pretty good and had some really good heat to it, but smacked my tongue aggressively. There are two kinds of heat when eating wings – one that you feel immediately on your lips and tongue, and the other which skips that part and sneaks up on the back of the throat. This sauce didn’t do anything to my throat but resonated on my tongue with a sharp heat that made me slow down my eating as I felt myself scraping my taste buds with my teeth like a squeegee. Not because it was hot, but because it had a very acidic sting to it. I passed on the vegetables, because they looked disgusting, and went right to the fries to give my taste buds a break for a moment while I got ready to taste the alternate sauces.

The Super Hot seemed like they stepped up the Hot sauce by adding some Habanero, and the Hotter Than Hell did the same by taking the Super Hot and adding some more peppers along with an extract to crank up the heat. So if you are into really hot sauces, then Dadz will not disappoint. But again it’s the “stab your tongue” heat, so be ready.

When it all comes down to it, Dadz Bar & Grill has some pretty tasty wings. They are one of the places that market “Jumbo” wings and actually GIVES you “Jumbo” wings. The sauces had very good heat and the meat was nice and tender, but I don’t feel like it had as much flavor that one needs to earn the title “Best Wings in Burlington County.” Especially when Burlington County is pretty big and if memory serves, is also home to John & Molly’s.

Dadz Bar & Grill
744 Main Street
Lumberton, NJ 08048
(609) 267-4344

Quaker Steak & Lube is a chain restaurant that started in the seventies as an effort to preserve the look and feel of old style gas stations and muscle cars. They do this so diligently by having old hot rods lifted above the dining room along with Harleys spinning from the ceiling. But the only way to enjoy these pleasures is to get inside. This proved rather difficult for me seeing how Quaker Steak & Lube restaurants are sprinkled around the country and hadn’t made it’s way to New Jersey….yet. So you can imagine my excitement when word hit the street that one was opening up in Brick, NJ. As we counted down the days, we started making plans to take the trip and get some of these award winning wings. Unfortunately these plans were put on hold due to Hurricane Sandy which swept our state causing tons of damage to the area. Brick, which is located near the beach, was hit hard with plenty of winds and major flooding. But through all the devastation, the restaurant still stood and when all of the chaos began to subside, we took our long-awaited trip to get some of what they call “Best Wings USA.”

We met up with some old friends, pulled open the doors (complete with gas pump handles), and walked inside to the glory that was “old world” auto. My son’s eyes lit up at almost every turn while my wife and I enjoyed watching Man vs. Food’s Adam Richman take The Lube’s Atomic Wing Challenge which they had on loop during our stay. We’ve seen this plenty of times before, but it never gets old. The challenge is simple: eat six of their Atomic Wings without any beverage and your name goes on the “Wall of Flame” as well as a fancy bumper sticker. Now I am not one for hot challenges because I tend to like tasting my food, but I definitely won’t pass up the opportunity to try the sauce. So, I decided to order the Single (10 count) serving coated in Medium sauce with Hot and Triple Atomic on the side.

The food came out and I was EXTREMELY disappointed at the size of the wings. I mean these things looked like they came from a chicken the size of a softball. I was just about to record them as a “1″ on my wing scale when I noticed my buddy Mike’s wings. Across the table he held up a size “4″ and the rest of his plate was roughly all the same size. I immediately got the waitress involved as I was curious why I had gotten the runt of the litter, or as I jokingly called it the “kids meal” version. She agreed and was quick on her feet to make it right by offering another five from the kitchen seeing how this current meal was not going to fill me. When the additional wings came out, they were a lot larger, and it goes to show that there is a major inconsistency problem with the overall size of The Lube’s wings.

The sauces that they offer were extensive, and like Buffalo Wild Wings, are the main reason people come from all around to get a taste. I put aside my issue with the inconsistent size and dove into the batch hoping the sauce would compensate. I started with the Medium, and it had some really great flavor, but it really lacked in the heat department. I didn’t even get a “bite” of heat like the menu suggests unless you compare it to the Mild which tasted like a bell pepper bathing in butter. The Hot sauce brought the heat that I was looking for, but the flavor was overtaken by a harsh vinegar taste. This acidity needed to be balanced somehow, otherwise I’d only be able to eat a few because of the toll it took on my tongue. Mixing it with the Medium seemed to do the trick, as it still kept the heat that I craved but also stole a bit of the good flavor that the Medium held onto.

After finishing all but one wing out of my dish, there was only one thing left to try… the Triple Atomic sauce. I’ve been watching over and over the loop of Adam Richman’s face as he sweats up a storm on the Atomic Wing Challenge, and I have to say it made me a little nervous. His was just the Atomic which was 150,000 SHU while mine, the Triple Atomic, was 500,000 SHU. But with my family, friends, and 32oz big f-ing mug of beer on my side, I was ready to give it a go. I dumped the sauce all over the last wing and gave it a huge bite. My initial reaction was that this was extremely hot, but not as crazy hot as I was led to believe. As time passed, the sauce intensified causing me to sweat and tear up, but ultimately, and rather quickly, started to die down. The flavors were great, and if they used any of those nasty tasting extracts, they covered it up quite nicely. The heat was intense and though it may leave some people begging for mercy, it was nothing like my experience with The Chicken or the Egg’s Ludicrous sauce.

I had mixed experiences with my dinner at Quaker Steak & Lube that evening. The atmosphere and the staff, including management, were outstanding. But when it comes down to it, I came for the wings. The wings that grew popularity from Man vs. Food, the wings that were known to win all these awards, the wings that were “Best Wings USA.” And it saddens me that I didn’t get that. I’m sure that I will return one day, and when I do I will make it a point to update this review, but until then… If you are looking for a fun place with great staff and better-than-average wings, Quaker Steak & Lube is your place. But if you’re looking to eat some of the USA’s best wings, I recommend you look further.

Quaker Steak & Lube
1036 Cedar Bridge Avenue
Brick, NJ 08723
(732) 255-5823

Once again I found myself in Reading, PA looking for a new place to grab some wings. This time while in the west side of town, I decided to try out a place called the Canal Street Pub. From the outside, the building looked humongous and gave the illusion of a grandiose bar with multiple levels. But don’t be fooled, upstairs is actually a Khaki store and the bar resides only on the main level. It is still quite large and has a couple of rooms, though I found myself staying right in the main bar area because of its nice laid back feel. I grabbed a beer, picked up the Pub Menu and ordered up my dinner.

I chose to go with the Buffalo style dish or “Hot” as they call it, while my buddy got his with Parmesan Peppercorn. And seeing how he thinks “Battleship” was a great movie, I can’t really rely on his review as being too accurate… especially on a topic I hold dear. I did, however, want to at least include a picture so you can see what to expect.

The plates came out looking gorgeous with both celery and carrots accompanying the house-made blue cheese. The carrots were a good size too, not that baby carrot crap you tend to get if you even happen to GET carrots. The chicken was served in a large bowl atop a nice large plate that not only looked fancy pantsy when it got placed in front of me, but also acted as a functioning discard plate when I separated the two.

The wings themselves came out piping hot and had a good coating of sauce on them. You could see just by looking at the skin that there was a good amount black pepper and garlic on each one. I hesitated with my first bite when I saw this because too much black pepper can tend to overtake the flavor of a wing and leave a gritty taste in my mouth. But when I started eating, I was relieved to find that I was overreacting for no reason. I could taste the black pepper, but it was not overwhelming, and with the minced garlic, it made this plate a spicy meal. The only problem that I had, besides the fact that this much garlic gives me the “stank post-burps” which can clear a room easily, is that I couldn’t really taste the hot pepper at all. Don’t get me wrong, they were delicious wings and I ate every last bite, but I need to have that classic hot sauce flavor hitting my tongue to feel completely satisfied.

All in all, the Canal Street Pub brought some good wings to the table (or bar in this case). The flavors were nice and even though they weren’t the best wings that I’ve had, they did not disappoint. I was pleased that the black pepper didn’t overtake the meal, but I was left wanting a bit more of that natural Buffalo flavor that I love.

Canal Street Pub
535 Canal Street
Reading, PA 19602
(610) 376-4009

Through time there have been many great competing restaurants that keep their loyal customers battling it out to prove which one has the best product. In Philly if you are looking for a great cheesesteak there is either Geno’s or Pat’s, for a real Chicago deep dish pizza in Chicago it will be Pizzeria Uno or Lou Malnati’s, and if you find yourself in Buffalo chasing after some great wings there are only two names that stand in the forefront: Anchor Bar and Duff’s Famous Wings.

There is no debate as to which wing eatery started serving the Buffalo sensation first, as it was Anchor Bar’s own Teressa Bellissimo that created the hot chicken limb back in 1964 while working late one Friday night. Teressa’s son, Dominic, was tending bar when a couple of friends came in later that evening craving something new and different. Teressa remembered having some wings in the back that she normally used for chicken stock. So she threw them in the deep fryer, married them with a little hot sauce and VOILÀ…. the Buffalo wing was born!

Shortly thereafter in ’65, Duff’s, located slightly north in Amherst, started serving Buffalo wings in its restaurant and began building a name for themselves as having the best wings in the area. So much so that they changed their name to Duff’s Famous Wings in 1985 to represent how well known their wings had become by taking a great idea and improving upon it.

When visiting Buffalo seeking out great tasting wings, you will be asked the age-old question: “Anchor or Duff’s?” Many argue that Anchor Bar created perfection and you cannot improve upon that, while others claim that it’s the multiple flavors of Duff’s that keep their taste buds jumping for joy. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting both places a couple of times and can tell you that each place has something different to offer. In the world of the Buffalo wing, Anchor and Duff’s were there from the beginning, and for that they get my greatest respect. This is why I will not review either restaurant nor tell you which wing I rank as supreme. Instead, I take this time to pay tribute to the two greats by offering a look inside both restaurants and leaving that choice up to you… my loyal readers and fellow wing lovers.

So enjoy a quick glimpse into the wonderful world of the two wing places that started it all. And for those of you who have tried both and feel that there is a clear cut winner, please feel free to comment below to let the world know who you think has the best wings: Anchor Bar or Duff’s Famous Wings!

Below is a schedule of Buffalo Wing Festivals across the United States in 2013. This schedule will be updated throughout the year, so check back often for new dates and events. Also, feel free to leave us a comment below if you know of any events that are not included in this list.

*Dates are subject to change.

Down in Dover, DE it is near impossible to find a great wing joint. According to my Delawarian friend Doug, this is a deadspot for great food, and anyone else I asked kept returning the same reply: Buffalo Wild Wings or Wings-To-Go. When I venture out, I want to find that hidden gem that only locals know about, not a chain that I have had plenty of times before. So I dove as deep as I could into Google and Yelp, rolled the dice, and came up with McGlynns Pub as my lunch spot for the day.

At first glance, I thought I had the wrong address because all I saw was a large municipal building just sitting on the water’s edge. As I got closer, I noticed the Irish pub tucked away in the corner, and instantly felt relief that I was at the right place. I slipped inside, and on my way over to the bar, I noticed that they have a popcorn machine that dispenses FREE kernels for everyone who desires a little buttery goodness. This, plus the large bar area that overlooked the lake from many glass windows, really added to the ambiance.

I picked up the menu, and out of the three variations of wings (Buffalo, Chipotle BBQ, or Asian Sesame), I went for the classic Buffalo. They are sold by the pound here, so that’s what I got with a side of pub fries and a beer for good measure. The bartender was very friendly using “Honey” and “Sweetie” a bunch of times as well as a word that I’m pretty sure doesn’t exist: “Deliciocious!” And though it made me laugh, this girl was on her “A” game. I saw her start setting an empty spot at the bar with food and drink only for me to later realize that they were for a regular who at that moment just walked into the bar. As I talked to him, he explained that he only gets 30 minutes for lunch so he called ahead and the bartender took care of him. Where else can you find service like that? Now it’s time to check the food.

The wings that I ordered were nothing crazy, just a typical bar wing with a pretty good sauce. Everything about it kept me happy. The meat was just tender enough, the temperature was just right, and the sauce tasted great with a kick of heat. All of this is perfect for when I am going out to a bar and want wings, however in my quest for the best Buffalo wings around, it doesn’t quite measure up to some of the other great wings that I’ve had.

Ultimately, I have to explore Dover some more to see what else is out there. But as far as I’m concerned, McGlynns Pub is a great bar that offers some pretty tasty wings with a great attitude and wonderful atmosphere. Also, while there, try the pub fries and let me know if they taste like animal crackers for you as well… just curious.

McGlynns Pub
800 North State Street
Dover, DE 19901
(302) 674-0144

I was out in Reading again for work, and being that I had a bad experience at the Peanut Bar last time I visited Berks County, I decided to branch out and see where else I can go to rustle up some good wings. Dinner time was just around the corner, and out of a couple of choices, we ultimately decided on Flanagan’s in Shillington – which as luck would have it turned out to be wing night.

Flanagan’s is a local corner bar where, just like “Cheers”, everybody knew each other’s names. This low lit bar is a nice little chatty-hang-out with friendly bartenders, has Wing Night every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday where the 12 wings that I ordered are served at a specially marked priced (this day it was $5.99). This was great because I love eating wings, and I love it even more when they are cheap wings… or should I be more PC and say “Cost Effective” wings.

Out of the tons of sauces they carry (Parmesan Peppercorn, Red White & Blue, Sweet & Sour, to name a few) I decided to stick to the Buffalo roots and get the Hot sauce at the suggestion of the bartender. My wings came out tossed in the Hot with a side of Suicide for good measure, and also included a cup of blue cheese with some celery and baby carrots. I tend to like the places that serve both carrots and celery because it adds more variety and color… and I don’t know… it makes me happier. Moving on. Looking over my plate, the wings didn’t look as Jumbo as the menu described, but all-in-all they had a nice red coloring followed by a great aroma so they look appetizing. The only thing I DID need to do was grab some extra sauce because they weren’t really coated too well, and my personal preference is to not have a dry spot on the wing.

As I ate, there was nothing that really stood out to have me jumping for joy, and yet there was nothing that made me go in the other direction either. This was a perfect example of the median. When I review wings, I look at what I expect to receive at a bar such as this, and then I decide whether my expectations were or met, were exceeded, or were not even close. Flanagan’s wings were exactly what I expected to get at place such as this, so I am happy with my purchase. Unfortunately, I’m on the hunt for the greatest wings out there, so I’m looking for a bit more than the norm. The only thing left to try was the Suicide sauce.

Let me paint a picture: a cup filled with what looks like an orangy-green paste that smells like fresh vegetables and ready for the dipping. I grabbed the Suicide and poured it over the last wing to see how much it would make me want to take my life. I bit into this wing covered in their homemade sauce, and was instantly transported to when I bit into the Butch T during our last Pepper Growing Video. This sauce was H-O-T Hot! And the weird thing about it was it contained nothing hotter than a habanero. You can taste the freshness of the peppers with the real heat that they bring as opposed to any extract some places use to spice up their stuff. My compliments to the chef on that one.

At the end of the day, the wings were nothing fancier than my personal expectations led me to believe, and I was left only satisfied. And though the Suicide sauce was too hot for me, I know that there are a few of you who CRAVE this stuff… so stop in and grab some for yourself ’cause it will leave your lips sizzling.

Flanagan’s Pub
41 W. Lancaster Ave
Reading, PA 19607
(610) 777-6401

Recently I received a Suggest a Joint from John who said that I should stop in and try the wings over at Racks Restaurant and Sports Bar in Atco, NJ. He’s been following my reviews, has very similar tastes, and was curious of my thoughts on the subject. I hate to disappoint a reader and I love eating wings, so it was a very easy decision for me to grab the family and swing in for a nice lunch on a beautiful Friday afternoon.

First off, let me just say that this is an awesome bar. The place is a decent size and felt very roomy with tons of fun bar things (shuffleboard, pool, TVs, etc) to occupy your time, when you are not eating wings of course. It’s open seating so we chose a seat in the restaurant area which had a warm family-friendly vibe complete with coloring mat and crayons for my daughter. This is a good thing because it is hard to find a bar that you can go to with your children without feeling like THAT guy. So we’re sitting, some of us coloring, some of us ordering food, and I can’t help but be amazed at the friendliness of the staff. One gentleman even came by just to see if the temperature was comfortable for us and then offered to close the window. So far this trip is working out great, and the only thing left to do is bring on the wings.

I ordered the 12 count of their regular wings in the Medium sauce with Hot and 911 on the side, and when they arrived at the table I got all giddy by the presentation. There was one large wooden bowl that had another smaller wooden bowl inside, upside down (I imagine for two reasons: to act as a lid to keep the wings warm, and to be used as a discard bowl when removed). The extra sauces were balancing on top along with my blue cheese, and the whole package made me super excited to get started. It’s the little things that are important to a wing eater, and when these details are paid attention to, it makes me feel all warm inside. I cracked the bowls open and dove right in. The wings were hot off the fryers and were covered in a homemade sauce that was far different than anything you would find in a bottle off of the shelf. And because it was made in house, it was hot off the stove as well which kept the wings even hotter as if they were all snugged up in a little sauce blanket. The only downfall was that the wings were super tiny, and it was a shame too, because the meat that was on there was very tender and carried good flavor… and the skin was crispy. But maybe that’s why they can afford to give you 12 when most places are turning to the 10 count.

The sauce was homemade and it showed with all the fresh ingredients that were bouncing around in it. But after each bite, it was the garlic and black pepper that resided on the taste buds the longest and made me wish there was something else to balance it all out. It reminded my wife of an Italian dressing, but I am no salad eater, so you’re on your own with that one. I turned to the Hot because the Medium didn’t carry much heat, however, that tasted almost identical to what I was already eating. So, I cracked open the 911 and gave it a good whiff. You could tell by the smell they use an extract of some kind because it has a pungent, nasty aroma that reminds me of Robitussin. I cringe immediately because this usually means that it is going to taste like crap. But, I dump it on the last of the wings anyway and gave a big bite… and I’m glad I did. I still believe that there is an extract in there because the heat level was definitely higher, but Racks did such a beautiful job blending that into the other ingredients to where it didn’t have that disgusting taste that usually accompanies the nasty smell. In fact, that might be the best sauce they have to offer.

Overall, if I rated based off of atmosphere, friendliness, and comfort level, this place would be aces. But I’m here for the wings and the wings alone, and as a whole they are on their way to being a great dish but still need a little work. I love the fact that they have an original sauce and that goes miles in my book. But the lingering black pepper and the small portion size are just two of the things keeping them down. The wings were good and I would have them again if ever in the area. The key phrase there being “in the area” because with all the “great” wing places out there I can’t justify making a special trip for just “good.”

Racks
286 White Horse Pike
Atco, NJ 08004
(856) 719-1500

For Halloween I felt it would be appropriate to add a little freaky creepy to the festivities by making our own Bat Wings! With a bit of prep and a couple of black hands later, these babies were ready to go. Baking them first made them super tender and the basic salt/pepper rub really made the flavors shine. That is, of course, if you can get past the fact that you’re eating black wings. Your eyes tell you it’s disgusting, and yet your taste buds tells you it’s delicious… so it’s a total mind trip. Serve them up for your scary holiday party and watch your friends’ reactions. -Brian

Ingredients:

WING INGREDIENTS:

• 10 Whole Chicken Wings with Tips
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Black Paste Food Coloring

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
• ¼ Cup Barbecue Sauce
• 1 (12oz) Bottle Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
• ¼ Cup Honey
• 1 tsp Crushed Red (Cayenne) Pepper
• 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

Directions:

1. Place wings in large bowl and add Salt, Pepper, and Olive Oil. Rub mixture into skin to coat well.

2. Add Black Food Coloring and coat entire batch thoroughly. MAKE SURE YOU WEAR GLOVES!!! The food coloring WILL dye your hands!! Put into a large resealable plastic bag and let set in refrigerator for about 2 hrs.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and set aside. Once the oven is preheated, spray the foil generously with Pam or any other non-stick spray.

4. Remove wings from refrigerator and place evenly on baking sheets with the wings extended. Bake for 30 minutes.

5. While wings are baking, mix all Sauce Ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

6. When wings are done, pull them from oven*, drizzle sauce over top, and serve.

*For a crispier wing: When done baking, throw them on the grill for about 10 minutes to give them a nice char.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below.

If you don’t know what Hooters is, you are absolutely living under a boulder, or in this case – two boulders. This place is widely known for their wonderfully busty waitresses with their scantily clad outfits serving you food and beer during the big game. It is also widely known for having some of the best wings, but this is up to speculation.

Every time I get into a conversation about wings with a group of people, there is always someone who goes on and on about Hooters’ wings and how incredible they are. With the talk of boobs, wings, and beer, it didn’t take much arm twisting to get me to stop in and sample the goods

My family and I (that’s right, this is a family joint) stopped in on a Sunday which happened to be $5 wing night – what a happy coincidence. We sat down, the kids got balloons of their own, and I looked over the menu. Wings, wings, wings were everywhere. Breaded or not, all kinds of sizes, and it’s even offered on the kid’s menu. I ordered 10 of the medium with sides of Hot and 911 to see if it is really so hot that I would need emergency help to put out the flames.

When the wings arrived, they looked a little light on the sauce so I ordered a backup, and ewwww, I wish I didn’t. When you get the sauce on the wings, they are usually tossed while hot and the sauce breaks down from its native paste form that these types of chains carry. But when you order it on the side, you get to see it in all of its glory which in this situation was nasty nasty nasty. So nasty, I just had to include a photo of this curdling milk/applesauce-looking vomit to better illustrate why I would not want this anywhere near my wings, or mouth for that matter. I put the container as far from view as possible and poured on some of the Hot sauce instead. This sauce was super buttery and was not enjoyable either. I was hoping that there was at least a 33.33333% chance that I would get something edible from these sauces, so I turned to the 911 to save the day. The 911 sauce was hot but totally bearable, and didn’t really offer anything great in terms of taste. I’m batting a thousand here and ready to throw in the towel. My last ditch effort was to order a side of what they call 3 Mile Island, and to my amazement, it was okay and probably the best Hooters has to offer. It was a little too hot for my taste, but at least this allowed me to complete my meal.

Other than my traumatic experiences in Hooters sauce land, their wings were just like any other average plate of wings that I’ve had… pretty straight forward, though they did keep the tips and wings together. The tenderness and size were all average, which is funny because the way people talk about this place, I was expecting these guys to be made of gold.

Ultimately Hooters wings were cooked well, but once you put any one of their sauces on top, you transform it into something that is not appetizing. I think that may be the reason for the scantily clad waitresses: to distract you from how horrible their Buffalo wings really are. And the fact that so many people pledge that these are the all time best wings just boggles my mind. So, if you find yourself in a “where to get great wings” conversation and the result comes back Hooters… smile politely and move on to the next wing eater’s opinion.

Hooters
9183 Roosevelt Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19114
(215) 698-9464

I was down in Glassboro not too long ago doing some work with the EMS when my stomach made it perfectly clear that it was lunch time. Not only that, but it apparently had already made a deal with my taste buds and together had decided what we were having… so here comes the cravings. WWWWIIINNGS!!! When those cravings come calling I assure you that I answer, and I answer swiftly. Being that I was out of town, I relied on Bob, who was from the area, to direct me to get some good grub which for him seemed like an easy decision: The Landmark Americana.

The Landmark Americana, as it turns out, is a small chain of Restaurant/Bars that are scattered around the Philadelphia area and boast good and natural food with a fun atmosphere. What do I mean by fun? Well how does a 3 foot tower of beer that holds about 10 pints suit ya! It would suit me just fine, but alas, I can’t be having that much fun on just a lunch break, so I kept it simple by ordering a single glass alongside my wings.

Out of the nine flavors they had to choose from, I opted for my ten wings to be tossed in their Medium sauce with a bit of the “I Dare You” on the side. I’m always a little hesitant when I see names like that on the menu, not because it makes me feel like I’m going to burn the heck out of my mouth and throat, but because I feel that they get a little overzealous with the naming of the sauce and the heat won’t actually live up to said name. I’ve been fooled in the past, and now I don’t know what to believe. Nevertheless, I have been dared and I will not back down from a challenge, so it’s time to Bring The Wing.

The wings arrived on a nice culinary style square plate, looked a beautiful red, and smelled delicious (if delicious was a scent, that is). They didn’t have more than a few small sticks of celery with them, but what they lacked in vegetables they made up with in size. The wings were a nice jumbo size, and according to the menu come from chickens that are locally grown, so I guess Lancaster has some pretty big chickens roaming around up there. Either way, they’re dead now and their arms are laying on my plate lookin’ all purdy. And not only did they look the part, they tasted it as well. I mean these things were good. The meat was nice and tender, and the flavor from the sauce was outstanding. The sauce had a beautiful mixture of ingredients that seemed to dance around my taste buds in a unique fashion. The best I can describe it would be if BBQ sauce and Tomato sauce got married, had a kid, and threw that kid in a bottle of Buffalo sauce. Though that kid would probably spend years in therapy, it makes for a great sauce that definitely amped up my wing dish. The only thing left to do now was – dare to try the I Dare You sauce! So dare I did.

The I Dare You sauce was hot, hot, hot! I wouldn’t say that it was insane, or knocking on Hell’s door, but it did what the name suggested: Dared me to try something hot. So the flavor lived up to the name and has restored my hope for appropriately named hot sauces. And not only did it cure one of my weird menu phobias, but it actually tasted great as well. Normally when you increase the heat level of sauces, the hot sensation tends to override the flavor and all you taste is…HOT. But in this case, you have a sauce that tastes just as flavorful as the Medium, but cranks up the heat for all those Heat-Seekers out there that love that sort of thing.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of wings that I received at the Landmark Americana. I’ve had a slew of average wings during my recent travels, so it was nice to dig into something that was very tasty and stood out from the rest. I recommend that you stop by if you’re ever in the area and experience them for yourself.

Landmark Americana
1 Mullica Hill Rd.
Glassboro, NJ 08028
(856) 863-6600

I have been up in the Clifton area a lot lately due to work or friends, so I’ve been using this opportunity to bounce around the local bar scene to see what kind of wings they have up in North Jersey. While in one of these bars, I met some people who told me that the wings I was currently eating were crap, and if I wanted some great ones, then I needed to check out a bar called The Rock on Main Ave. That, coupled with a slew of Suggest a Joint requests from Jamie, Tony, and Aileen, made me feel that I would be missing out if I didn’t get my butt in there to try them for myself. So the next time I was up that way, that is exactly what I did.

The Rock Bar & Grill is a small place that has a typical “neighborhood bar” look and feel with an everyone-knows-everyone kind of vibe. We arrived at lunch time so the crowd was pretty thin, but the bartender was pleasant which gave us someone to chat with. We grabbed our drinks and looked over the menu all being guided by the staff to try out the Rock Hot Sauce. From what I’m told, the owner grows his own hot peppers and has been experimenting with different ingredients and peppers to make a new sauce. The Rock Hot Sauce is the result of these ongoing experiments. One week you may have a sweeter sauce, and the next a hotter one, depending on which peppers he was using for that particular batch. So I figured “What the Hell” I’m game, let’s bring the ten wings to me tossed in Hot sauce and add some of the Rock Hot Sauce on the side so I can see how that fares.

When the wings came out, they were deep fried and a bit larger than what you would normally get, but the smell was all too familiar. I took a bite to make sure, and yes, we have another great Frank’s Hot Sauce wing here. You can never go wrong using Frank’s on your wings provided that the chicken is of good quality, which it was. They were not dry, came out pretty hot with a good crisp, and they were definitely filling. But I’m traveling around looking for the Best Buffalo Wing out there, not something that I can find at a ton of different bars right around the block, so I amped it up by adding the Rock Hot Sauce to the remainder of the wings and prepared myself for the owner’s crazy concoction.

What I found was rather pleasing. My hair didn’t fall out, I didn’t start to glow, and my throat didn’t close up and seize on me. In fact, because the owner used fresh peppers, there was a certain refreshing quality to the sauce that supersedes anything you can find out of a bottle. The heat level was not as high as the Frank’s, but it did lay a little sizzle down on my lips, and I could taste the peppers almost as if I just bit right into one. The only set back is that even though this sauce offered a more creative approach, it still lacked that little umph that gets my taste buds jumping.

Overall, the wings here were good, mostly in part because of the Frank’s Red Hot that they use. The only problem is that even though they are tasty and I would most likely get them again, the wings lack originality falling into the classic realm of “Standard Bar Wings.” On the flip-side of things, the Rock Hot Sauce is completely original and has potential to go far, it just isn’t there yet.     …yet.

The Rock Bar and Grill
414 Main Ave.
Clifton, NJ 07014
(973) 916-1888

Though it had more of a Jerk flavoring than a Buffalo, I was still very impressed with this recipe. I grilled the wings then tossed them in the sauce and threw them back on the grill for about 5 more minutes to let the sauce cake on. This has a strong BBQ flavor that hits immediately, but then the heat comes creeping up quick, so be prepared. This is not for the faint of heart as this dish is a hot one. It is very deceiving, but that’s probably why “Sneaky” is in the name. -Brian

Ingredients:

WINGS:

• 2 packages fresh wings, separate wings at joints
  w/sharp knife to get wingettes and drum sticks.
  Disregard tips. (Can use 10lbs Frozen Wings)
• 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper (For more heat use more,
  less heat use less)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

SAUCE INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar (For More sweet use more, less sweet use less)
• 1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper (For more heat use more, less heat use less)
• 1 ½ Tbsp Fresh Pressed Garlic or can substitute with Minced Garlic
• 1 Tbsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
• 3/4 tsp Salt (or to taste)
• 1 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning (we used Badia Cajun Seasoning)
• 1 Bottle Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
• 2/3 Cup BBQ sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

Directions:

1. Mix all dry rub ingredients and toss with chicken in a large bowl. Let sit for 2-3 hours.

2. Preheat grill to medium heat.

3. Place chicken on grill turning frequently for approximately 20 minutes, or until you no longer see pink when cutting into a wing. (*Can also deep fry or bake wings depending on your preference.)

4. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Once sauce begins to bubble, turn to low heat to simmer.

5. When the wings are fully cooked, take some wing sauce and toss with wings on med High heat in a separate sauce pan. Sauce will caramelize onto the wings. *Based on the quantity of wings, you may need to complete in batches.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below.

Anyone who’s anyone in the Philadelphia area has heard of Dave & Buster’s. For those of you who haven’t, they are a pretty big chain of sports bars that offer food, drinks, and games for adults. Feel like playing pool or shuffleboard? How about a game of Pac-Man? They have it all. And, the best part is… You can be drunk while playing them, ’cause let’s face it, games are much more entertaining when you are only using half of your brain.

Dave & Buster’s restaurants are located in many large cities such as New York, San Diego, and Chicago, but my wife and I took a trip to our nearby Philly location to get some wings and have some fun. We sat down, grabbed a drink (or two), and looked over the menu to see what wingalicious treats they had for little ‘ol me.

They offer an 8 count topped with either an Original sauce or what they call Firehouse. I couldn’t resist trying both, so I ordered them tossed in Original with the Firehouse on the side. What I find rather humorous is the bartender asked me if I would prefer blue cheese or ranch, yet when the meal came out, neither one was on the plate. In fact nothing was on the plate except the wings. No celery or carrots, just a dish that looked more like a carrying vessel than a well thought out plating design. It reminded me of the skit with the short order cook slopping down the food quickly and saying “wings, pick it up” followed by the ding of a bell.

It’s a good thing I base my judging on what I eat and not so much what I see, so I picked one up and popped it in my mouth to take a good look from my taste buds’ point of view. And they were quite pleased at what they saw. The flavors were a bit more creative than just a typical wing sauce, and there was a nice sugary note that added a balance to the dish. The meat was exactly what you would expect to find: normal tenderness, not really large (even though the menu said Jumbo), and came out just above room temperature. So there wasn’t anything to brag about there, just a tasty sauce. But what of the Firehouse?

The name “Firehouse” made me feel like I would need to suck down water from a hose to extinguish the immense heat that I was about to endure. Unfortunately, …nnnotsamuch. The heat level was exactly the same as their Original, and it only offered a smokey flavor that wasn’t really too appealing. Maybe the fire was already put out before it hit my lips?

The wings here are just like any others that you would expect to find at most local bars, and are not going to make you want to take a special trip just to get them. Ultimately, Dave & Buster’s is a place where you go to be a kid again and the fact that they have wings, and decent wings at that, is just an added bonus. This is a place that can easily sell crap food and get away with it, but they choose not to… and that says a lot.

Dave & Buster’s
325 N. Columbus Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19106

During our weekend in Buffalo for the 2012 National Buffalo Festival, we had our fill of wings. Wings for breakfast, wings for lunch, wings for dinner. I know it sounds crazy, but when you love wings as much as I do and you are in the Buffalo wing capital of the world, you have to soak up as much as you can before that seven hour drive home. And seeing how the car was all fueled up, the only thing left to do was fuel up the bellies. So I took the advice of Mark from Wy’s Wings (a Buffalo native), and headed over to Bar Bill Tavern to get some quality grub.

Located in East Aurora, just on the outskirts of Buffalo, was this small pub that had a uniquely different approach to service. There is no host; if you are looking to find a table all you need to do is see the bartender. But make sure you’re polite because you’ll find out soon enough that he is also your waiter. The staff was super pleasant and we sat down in no time, which was good because the hangovers were hitting pretty hard and standing around was not the first thing we wanted to be doing. Especially because I hear that it is tough to get a seat normally due to how popular they are.

I could smell that great sauce smell in the air because every which way I turned there was someone eating wings, and all different styles too. The menu boasted a slew of flavors, but I just wanted to taste the classic. So I ordered up a 10 count of Medium with some Med-Hot and Suicidal on the side, and waited while I drank my beer to subside the hangover (still the best remedy, mind you).

When my wings arrived, I was amazed at the care that was given. The plating was gorgeous and that alone started to make my mouth water. The chef had the wingettes all on one side and the drums all on the other side separated by a celery/sauce divider. I’ve never seen this before, and it made me think that if this much time was spent in the look of the dish, then hopefully that much care went into the preparation of my food.

Only one way to find out, and that’s the easy part. I dove in and pretty much gobbled them right up. I was right, the wings were super tender and everything meshed so well. Though they were an average size, the wings were fresh and the flavor that the sauce brought was intense. It had a just-above-comfortable heat with this awesome goodness that practically invited me to suck them down in the course of five minutes, which is exactly what I did. I also tried the two sides, and even though the heat levels rose appropriately, the flavor did not get lost in that heat.

Over the four different places that I had wings while in Buffalo, Bar Bill was certainly my favorite. It’s amazing too, because I was expecting almost every place up there to be great in the wing department, but I was wrong. I guess it’s just like everywhere else… You get the good ones and you get the bad ones (Good thing we have a site to tell us which ones they are ). So, kudos to Wy’s Wings for the suggestion and kudos to Bar Bill for finally giving me a wing deserving enough to be called Buffalo.

Bar Bill Tavern
185 Main Street
East Aurora, NY 14052
(716) 652-7959

Now when people come to a Bring The Wing party, they expect to get some quality grub… and I am not one to disappoint. So I took this opportunity to try out a new recipe that was submitted by Kramer’s Gourmet Foods to go along with their Wing Rub. I know what you’re thinking… Wing RUB? We’ve heard of many sauces, even glazes, for wings and many rubs for pork or steak, but to have a rub that will bring the heat and flavor to a wing in the same fashion, well that’s just crazy. Crazy AWESOME! So we cracked open the containers and got busy with the prep.

Out of the different options that Kramer’s offers, we received the Wing Rub 3-Pack which includes different levels of heat. You got the “Easy Pickin” which is a mild blend of spices, the “Finger Lickin” which has a small dose of the Ghost Pepper, and last but certainly not least the “What Was I Thinkin” which has a large dose of the Ghost Pepper among other things. I broke the fresh wings into equal portions to allow us to taste each of the rub’s heat level, and was extremely anxious to see how eating wings with just a rub compares to wings covered in sauce. The best way to test this out would be to use Kramer’s Signature Wings Recipe as my start point.

I have to tell you that the whole time I was pasting up the wings with the oil and rub mixture, an incredible aroma filled the kitchen from the unique blend, and I couldn’t wait to get them on the grill. So toss them on I did, and after about 20 minutes they were good to go (which was a good thing because I was getting trampled with the line that was already forming from my guests). As quickly as I dumped the sixty wings into the container, they were gone. Luckily for me, I snuck a couple without the others seeing… teehee.

I tried the spices right out of the container and they were hot baby, but a lot of that heat either got lost in the oil mixture or was cooked off making the wings more tolerable for the guests who don’t enjoy a super spicy meal. For me, this is a downfall because I enjoy the heat, but the flavors were definitely there… it just needed a bit more kick. So, I continued on with the recipe to make the wings “Buffalo Style” by adding Frank’s Red Hot to the mix. This made the dish complete. You had the heat from the Frank’s that hit your lips and tongue right away, but then the wing rub would fire up the back of the throat making them a perfect combination.

The party came to a close and the guests left happy and fed. The wings were a success, and it was definitely a break from the norm. We are so used to wings being covered in sauce, and in my opinion it still needs to stay that way. However, adding to the sauce will only make the experience more flavorful, and in this case Kramer’s Wing Rub definitely brought more of it to the wings than the sauce could by itself. So make sure you pick some up from their website and feel free to mix and match to make your own creation. My only advice is simple: Don’t replace the sauce… enhance the sauce. And a good wing rub is one way to do it.

It is time. Our peppers are ready for the pickin’, and in this installment on how to grow hot peppers, Farmer Pappy will cover harvesting and preservation as well as some alternate uses. We will also get a glimpse into what it is like to eat the hottest pepper in the world as Brian takes on the Butch T Trinidad Scorpion Pepper.

If you have any questions for Farmer Pappy, please leave a comment below as he will make it a point to answer each and every one.

More in this series:

Episode 1 How to Grow Hot Peppers	Episode 2 Pest & Weed Prevention	Episode 3 Harvesting & Dehydrating

On our travels to the National Buffalo Wing Festival in Buffalo, NY, we endured a nice little seven hour drive from Jersey. I thought that this would be a great opportunity to stop at some local bars en route to get primed up for the main event, and to also see what New York would bring to the table. I mean, this is roughly the area where Buffalo wings were born, so I was hoping to see some top notch product.

Lunch time grew nearer and the hunger started to set in. By that time we were near Corning, a small town in west New York, so we looked online to see what wing joints were in the area. One bar stood out called Cap’n Morgan’s, and according to their website they had “the best wings in town.” It seemed like a good candidate for our lunch break, so we stepped out of the car, stretched our legs, and made our way into this tiny bar to get some grub.

Cap’n Morgan’s seemed like a pleasant place with its comical menu that offered clever names such as “P’sketti” or silly descriptions like the one for Hot Dog that read “Who let the dogs out? Who…Who?”. The bartender was uber new and was still in training, but lucky for him we were not in any rush to jump back into the car just yet. I ordered up a half dozen wings with Medium sauce and requested the Hot on the side. I was kind of glad, actually, that they offered six wings because I was only lunch hungry and not ready to slam down a full dozen.

The wings came out and looked great, but unfortunately, the good news stops there. The meat on the bone was so tough and dry that it was more like chewing on a slab of beef jerky, and because I wasn’t lost in the desert, it wasn’t that appealing to me. Not to mention that the meat wasn’t even all there. I was duped into thinking that I was picking up a perfectly normal looking wing only to discover that the back was completely missing (see video for a better example of what I mean here, or just for a good laugh).

The sauce that these tasteless wonders were covered in had absolutely no heat for being a Medium, and carried with it a smoky flavor that wasn’t really too tasty. I was not enjoying them in the least, and if it wasn’t for the sheer fact that I needed sustenance in my belly, I would have stopped eating right then and there. All I could do was pour on the Hot sauce that I had waiting and push on through. The Hot had a little heat to it, though I would classify it as more of a Mild than a Hot sauce.

At Cap’n Morgan’s their menu was funny, but these wings were no laughing matter. They were by far the worst wings that I have ever eaten to date, and I was glad that I had Wing Fest coming up ahead to replace this wing nightmare with dreams of rainbows and puppy dog kisses.

Cap’n Morgan’s
36 Bridge Street
Corning, NY 14830
(607) 962-1616

This is the first Wing Rub that I’ve heard of and had to give it a whirl. The unique spice blend works perfectly in creating that added extra heat. I recommend the Buffalo style because the Frank’s Red Hot hits you with the heat on the lips in the beginning, then the Wing Rub follows that with a smack to the back of the throat. This is a great recipe that is just perfect for the grillers out there that refuse to fry. -Brian

Ingredients:

• Chicken Wings (Thawed if Frozen)
• Kramer’s Wing Rub: Easy Pickin’ (Mild),
  Finger Lickin’ (Medium) or What Was I Thinkin’ (Hot)
• Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Cut wings at joints. Discard tips (can be saved for chicken stock).

2. Season both sides of wings liberally with Kramer’s Wing Rub.

3. Using gloves, rub seasoning into meat.

4. Liberally drizzle wings with olive oil, creating a seasoning paste.

5. Let marinade in fridge at least 20 minutes, and up to 5 hours. The longer you wait, the deeper the seasoning will penetrate the meat.

6. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

7. Grill 20-30 minutes, turning frequently, until cooked through.

To Make Buffalo Style Wings:

1. Follow steps 1-7 above.

2. While wings are grilling, combine 1/2 stick unsalted butter with 1 bottle of Hot Sauce.

3. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

4. Toss cooked wings in bowl with sauce.

5. Transfer wings to oven safe dish and allow sauce to heat on wings in oven.

6. Serve hot with dipping sauce (if desired).

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below.

We had a lot of fun at the 11th Annual National Buffalo Wing Festival on Labor Day Weekend, and wanted to share the good times with you. Watch our video of highlights from Coca-Cola field to see what you might have missed, including our interview with “Wing King” Drew Cerza. Give us a shout if you see yourself or someone you know!

For more highlights, click here to read our article and to see our photo gallery from the event.

The National Buffalo Wing Festival celebrated its 11th birthday this Labor Day weekend as Buffalo wing enthusiasts from 43 states and 30 countries flocked to Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, New York to sample hundreds of styles of wings and even chicken wing soup. The two-day event, which was inspired by the 2001 movie Osmosis Jones in which Bill Murray’s character dreams of visiting Buffalo for a chicken wing festival, was created in 2002 by Wing King Drew Cerza, and over the years has served more than 4 million wings and raised over $200,000 for local charities. Bring The Wing couldn’t pass up the opportunity to participate in this event, so we traveled the seven hours to Buffalo to cover the festival and to join in on all of the fun.

When we arrived at the festival, the crowd was just starting to gather on this beautiful morning as the smell of wing goodness filled the air. Restaurant tents lined the perimeter of the field, so no matter which way you walked, a Buffalo wing was just a few steps away. This must be what awaits in heaven for the die-hard wing fan!

Our first stop, after meeting with some of the vendors, was at the judging tent for the Restaurant Sauce-Off Competition where our very own Brian was one of the judges. It was a blind taste test in which cartons of wings were labeled with just a category and a number to identify them. Brian participated in the Traditional Medium sauce category, however other categories included Creative Spicy, Creative Sweet, Creative & Traditional BBQ, and Traditional Hot & X-Hot. Although they all looked and smelled so good, only Smokey Bones could take home first place in the Traditional Medium category.

Throughout the day, the crowd kept entertained with live music, quiz shows, and exciting activities on the main stage. One of the messiest events we saw was the Bobbing for Wings in which three contestants dove face first into a baby pool filled with 14 gallons of Marie’s Blue Cheese to pluck out Buffalo wings only using their mouths. There was also an Amateur Sauce-Off Competition, a Pro-Football Eating Challenge, and the Buffalo Buffet Eating Contest. And this was only day one! Day two carried on the energy and excitement as Joey “Jaws” Chestnut took down the reigning United States Competitive Wing Eating Champion, Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas, by eating 191 wings in 12 minutes – a new world record!

As the official birthplace of the Buffalo wing, there is no wonder why this event attracts tens of thousands of visitors to Buffalo each year. The National Buffalo Wing Festival has become known as the “Super Bowl” of the chicken wing industry, and offers something for everyone to enjoy. We had a great time, and we’d like to give a special “Thank You!” to the Wing King for keeping this event going for over a decade.

Check out our photos below, click here to watch the video!

The Chicken or the Egg in Beach Haven is well known not only locally, but also nationwide for having one of the most ridiculous challenges out there… The Ludicrous Challenge!! It got its nationwide notoriety when “Man vs. Food” star Adam Richman took on this insane challenge by eating 12 of the restaurant’s “Ludicrous” wings within 15 minutes. Locally, they are also very well known for being one of the best breakfast nooks in the area… hence the name: The Chicken or the Egg.

I’m not a hot head, and prefer to actually keep my taste buds in tact, so this particular challenge doesn’t make me want to come rushing to their door. But, it does have enough fame (not to mention the tons of “Suggest a Joint” requests) to make me want to see what all the fuss is about. And the timing couldn’t have been better as my sister invited us down to their beach house in LBI, which is where Beach Haven is…. I know, right, Destiny! How could I lose? A day at the beach, the company of great family, and WINGS!!!

Let’s fast forward past all the sunburn to the point when we are sitting down at the restaurant. “The Chegg,” as it’s also known, has a small beach town vibe to it with a bunch of crazy chicken-related artwork and subtleties that make you giggle (like the t-shirt our waiter had on that said “You can lick our chicken, but you can’t beat our eggs”… classic). The place was packed, and yet we were able to squeeze in a table for 9 within a half hour so I felt like they did a great job accommodating everyone, not to mention how friendly the staff was. This all seemed like a dream come true, and the only way to know for sure was to get these wings to my face as fast as possible.

The wings here come either breaded or naked, and though I am more of a naked guy (insert joke here), I wanted to experience all that The Chegg had to offer, so I grabbed 6 of both and ordered a variety of sauces. With a smorgasbord of choices ranging from Teriyaki to a Cajun blend, I stuck to the Buffalo roots and ordered them both with their Original Hot. On the side I asked for Killer Beesting (which was supposed to be very hot with a drop of honey), Zapper (which is hotter than that), and finally the Ludicrous (which is the hottest sauce they have). Being that breakfast is also such a big part of this place, so much so that it is served all day, I couldn’t resist throwing some bacon into the mix because, c’mon….. wings dude!!! AND bacon man!!! There are no words

Both orders of wings came out, and I have to tell you that they were not as jumbo as the menu implied. Actually, the average sized wings, when breaded, LOOKED jumbo when in fact it was a clever optical illusion sent to trick the brain to think they are grandiose. Well played Chegg, well played. These wings tend to fall in the same category as Buffalo Wild Wings, whereas the chicken itself is nothing special at all, but the sauces are offered in such a wide variety that the crowd comes running. Right off the bat you can tell that they spend some time making sure their sauces are original and packed with flavor. Not only that, but the Original Hot that I ordered started the meal off with a nice kick of heat but after tasting the Killer Beesting , I began to think that I should’ve ordered that from the get-go. This sauce had a nice sweetness from the honey, but then finished up with a creeping heat that made me glad to try it. The Zapper was next in line, and even though it is supposed to be hotter than the beesting, it fell a little short in the spiciness department, and was, in my opinon, too vinegary and a waste of time. So, I jumped back to the Beesting and finished off all of the wings but one. This one I left specifically for one reason, and one reason alone. Ah yes, it was time to sample what The Chegg brags about the most: The hottest Hot sauce that they carry… the one, the only, Ludicrous. I cracked open the Ludicrous (keeping it away from the kids, as my server instructed) and poured it all over the last morsel of meat on my plate. Hell, if you’re going to do something, do it right… right?! I take a big bite and wait…. While waiting, I start to think that this wasn’t so bad and that maybe I’ll even go in for another bite. But then……….

HOLY CRAP, the heat hit me like a ton of bricks and no celery or french fries (or soda) could have saved me from this torment that I’ve bestowed upon myself. I’ve tried a ton of hot sauces in my day and nothing made me tear as much as this sauce. And when I mean tear, I don’t mean watery eyes, I mean flowing water running down my face. My family was in shock, and needless to say the cameras came out. I now understand why this is such a well known challenge and why they make you sign a waiver claiming that you’re an idiot for trying this competition… because you are.

When you put all the craziness aside and actually get down to brass tacks, the wings themselves were nothing that special. In fact, I could think of at least five other places that I would have rather been eating wings at right at that moment. But I, like many others, got wrapped up in all the hype and thought that I might get more from this famous eatery. This is not your normal wing joint, and they are not your normal wings due to the delightful array of sauces they have to offer, so for that they earn some points. But they need to work on bringing their chicken to a whole new level. I mean it is a big part of their name, and if they put as much time into that aspect as they do their sauces, then they would kick some major booty. For now though, their uniqueness lies with their Ludicrous Challenge. So, if you are a complete moron or “that guy” that has to prove to his girl or buddies that he is super uber tough, stop in and give it a whirl. But for me, I just wish to thank The Chicken or the Egg for the opportunity to have wings and bacon simultaneously… oh and the tears.

The Chicken or the Egg
207 North Bay Ave
Beach Haven, NJ 08008
(609) 492-3695

I was driving down 295 when I started to get a little rumbling in my belly, and seeing how it was about lunch time, I figured that I would find a place to grab some wings. It just so happens that I was in the Hamilton/Trenton area, and I remember getting a “Suggest a Joint” from Ted who told me that I needed to stop in and grab the wings at First N’ Ten Sports Pub because they are the best. What better chance to feed my craving and check out a local hot spot all at the same time.

I pulled into this rustic looking building on Hamilton Rd, walked into the dimly lit bar area, and pulled up a stool to grab a drink and menu. The ambiance was definitely low key and everyone there, being that it was lunch time, was either taking a break with subtle conversation or talking about their current jobs that they need to complete. Bars are always a different scene at lunchtime, and I actually prefer this time of day to grab wings because it’s not as chaotic. So I glance over the menu and notice that these “Famous Original Buffalo Wings” were voted Best Wings in Hamilton. Well, I already had Jo-Jo’s wings down the street not too long ago, so this would be a good opportunity to see if that statement holds any water (at least to yours truly).

The wings came in three Buffalo styles: Mild, Hot, and Killer. Now both Ted and the bartender told me that the way to get these wings was to order them Cajun style and dip them in a side of hot garlic. Normally I would jump on a good recommendation, but because I’m searching for the best Buffalo style wing, it wouldn’t be fair to rate them against the rest of my reviews. So I ordered my 12 “Jumbo” wings with the Hot, got the Killer on the side, and my usual buddy – plate o’ fries.

Now comes the worst part… the waiting. Nothing stinks more than being hungry for wings and smelling all the other customers’ food while you wait for yours to be prepared. At least I had some entertainment on the tube with “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire,” which I didn’t know was back on the air. Also, by the way, did you know that in 1987 American Airlines saved $40,000 by taking just one olive off every salad… freakin’ crazy right?

The time comes when my wings finally arrive after all the wing plate teases that came before (you know that game: is that mine…no, is that mine…no) and guess what, these are and they look great. All nice and orange with a side of celery and blue cheese… and of course, my fries. I bite into them and it immediately brings back memories of Thunderbird’s with that tangy, buttery, sugary, sweet sweet sauce that makes you feel like a million bucks, which is funny because of the show that was on. The wings themselves, however, were nothing special. The “Jumbo” sized wings came out less-than-jumbo being more like a normal wing size, and the tenderness of the meat could have used some finesse. The good thing was that the quantity made up for the lack in size and I was not left feeling hungry when all was said and done. Another thing to note is that they did a good job getting a nice crisp on the skin while deep frying, and that helps because nothing feels worse in the mouth than a soggy wing.

There is no denying that the real star of this dish is the sauce. As I said before, it had this incredible candy-like quality that makes you want to go back for more, time and time again. Usually when I have a sauce of this type, my stomach starts fighting back after too many wings because of the sugar content, but not here. I mean, I can’t stress enough how flavorful this sauce was. My only complaint is that it was not hot at all. The heat wasn’t sufficient enough to put that little sizzle on my lips that I enjoy, and I wonder if that was the Hot, then what the hell does Mild taste like? I didn’t have to guess with the Killer, though, as that baby just sat there waiting to be tried. And try I did. I poured the sauce over the last few wings and went to town. The Killer sauce had the same flavoring as the Hot, which I loved, but also added a ton of crushed red pepper to the mix. It amped up the heat a bit, but still nothing crazy. All it really did was make the texture more sandy on my tongue due to all that extra spice.

Basically, I came in with an incredible appetite for wings and First N’ Ten didn’t let me down. I don’t, however, think that they are the best that Hamilton has to offer, but I will say that their sauce is definitely something to crave. So if you happen upon this pub during your travels and are looking for a great hangout, stop in and grab some wings… maybe the Cajun ones that Ted was talking about, because they might be great. But for me, I’ll keep on looking for the best Buffalo wings out there, which includes more than just an incredible sauce.

First N’ Ten Sports Pub
1961 Hamilton Ave
Trenton, NJ 08619
(609) 587-1028

The National Buffalo Wing Festival will be held on Labor Day weekend, and 2012 will mark the 11th annual occurrence of this Buffalo tradition. Each year, tens of thousands of people travel from across the United States and other countries to gather at Coca-Cola field and celebrate the almighty finger food that made this website possible… the Buffalo Wing!

Bring The Wing will be there to cover the event, and Brian will also be participating in judging the Traditional Medium category of the National Sauce Off Competition, in which over thirty local and out of town restaurants from across America will serve over 100 different styles of wing sauces this year. In addition to wing sauces, the festival will also feature live music, The U.S. Chicken Wing Eating Championship, Miss Buffalo Wing Pageant, and so much more! Tickets are $5 per day, and children 8 and under are free. Portions of the proceeds are donated to the local charities including the Alzheimer’s Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Food Bank of WNY, and Meals on Wheels.

National Buffalo Wing Festival
Dates & Times:
Saturday, September 1, 2012 from 12pm – 9pm
Sunday, September 2, 2012 from 12pm – 7pm

Location:
Coca-Cola Field
275 Washington St, Buffalo, NY 14203
Click here for more details and for ticketing information.

Check back or follow us on Facebook and YouTube to get the first look at our video of this event.

UPDATE:

Check out our article and photo gallery.
Watch our video from this event.

I find myself up in North Jersey from time to time visiting either friends or family, and when I’m up that way I seem to have trouble finding a good place to get some wings. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard of a place in Clifton, called Sharky’s, that claim to have “World Famous Wings.”

Some friends and I stopped by this hole in the wall around lunch time, or in my case breakfast, to see what made their wings “World Famous.” From the outside, it didn’t look like much, BUT from the inside…
it didn’t look like much. This is your typical dive bar that tends to many of the locals, who all obviously knew one another as they shout obscenities both back and forth to each other and to the TV. It is Olympic time, and as we’re sitting there waiting to order, we hear the well thought out, sport educated banter of the patrons that went something like “…you know what the stupidest sport is in the Olympics? …F!@#$ing Curling. It’s like f!@#$ing shuffleboard, only stupid.”

Personally, I would take a place like this over a TGI Friday’s any day of the week, and you would be surprised at how many dive bars carry incredible wings. So, I kept my hopes high and when the waitress came by, I got a chance to read over the menu. Here’s my options:  The wings come in 10, 16, 25, 50, and 100 pieces, and aside from the other sauces that aren’t Buffalo related, come in Mild, Medium, Hot, Ex Hot, and On Fire. With quantities and sauce variations like that, it sounds like a good place to grab some friends and play the “Buffalo Roulette” that I heard about at the Blarney Stone. But today… and for breakfast… I think I’ll take it easy. So, I chose the 10 count with the Medium sauce and requested the Extra Hot and On Fire for my sides. This way if the wings don’t taste good, I can burn the hell out of my tongue to clean the slate for another day

Sharky’s is well prepared for the wing eater by having paper towel rolls (equipped with dispenser) on every table, and when the wings came out, they came with a discard bowl in tow. This gets me excited because it shows that they know my needs, and if this is how they treat their preparation, I can’t wait to try the wings. Needless to say, I am as giddy as a school girl and ready to dive right in.

The color and aroma were nice, and even though they came out piping hot, the wings themselves were a bit on the puny side. I’m not only talking about the size of the wing itself, but also how there was very little meat on the bone… leading me to believe that they were frozen prior (but I could be wrong). The little meat that WAS on there was very tough and lacked both tenderness and juice; not to the point of being inedible, but to the point where you think to yourself, “Eh… it could use a little more TLC.” The sauce had a nice taste to it but carried very little heat. As luck would have it, my wife ordered the boneless wings which came with a side of Hot. So I poured hers on to spice up the wings, took a big bite, and again was slightly disapointed when I realized the Hot was very much like Frank’s Red Hot. Again, I love Frank’s, but when I come to a place that boasts great wings, let alone World’s Best Wings, my expectations are set pretty high. I moved on to the sides of sauce that accompanied my dish in hopes that the chef did something to make them more than their store-bought counterpart.

I ordered the Extra Hot and the On Fire, and for the life of me (and the waitress), we couldn’t tell which one was which. The lighter (more orange) colored one I assumed was less hot because typically – the darker the sauce, the hotter the sauce. But all I could taste from that was a heat substitute instead of actual peppers. Sure it was hot, but it was incredibly disgusting. The other, slightly darker, one had bits of pepper added to the mixture and actually didn’t taste all too bad, but it wasn’t hotter than their Hot, so I’m left baffled.

Overall, this place didn’t bring its A game. If I came into it thinking that I was going to be getting crappy wings, I would’ve said “Well, they’re not THAT bad.” But when a place claims to have the Best Wings in the World (which by the way is freakin’ huge), then they set the bar high and left me feeling disappointed because they didn’t fulfill a promise they made to my stomach: great wings!

Sharky’s
545 Highland Ave
Clifton, NJ 07011
(973) 473-0713

In honor of National Chicken Wing Day, which falls on July 29th each year, I decided to have some friends over and cook up some Award Winning Wings. I say they are Award Winning because the recipe I used came from Suzanne’s Kitchen which won Best in the Buffalo Style category at Pepper’s Tailgate Party at the Beach, and will be featured on the cover of Chile Pepper Magazine this upcoming issue. Suzanne was kind enough to send me her “Hell” style pepper jelly and submit her recipe for our Recipe section, so I thought, “What better wings to cook up for this special occasion?”

I had the pleasure of trying these wings down in Rehoboth Beach, but after eating so many different varieties of wings and sauces at an event like that, you tend to forget what’s what and how things taste (especially after eating a super hot wing for example… the subsequent wings are muted by your abused tongue). Having the jelly delivered and the ability to make them at my leisure allowed me some one on one time with the wings to see how they really hold up.

Now I’m not necessarily a “Chilehead” and I don’t review sauces or chili dishes. I tend to stick to what I know, and that’s the wing dish as a whole. So I tossed the seasoned chicken in the oven and began to think about what to make for the lovely lady of the house. You see although I had two wing enthusiasts with me to enjoy and dissect this dish, I also have the extra bonus challenge of mixing things up a bit for my wife who likes chicken, but not on the bone. So I used this opportunity to substitute the bone-in chicken for chicken breast tenderloins to see how this alternative would pan out.

When the chicken was done baking, I tossed them in some Frank’s Red Hot and threw them on the grill like the recipe instructed. After about 15 minutes, they were ready to go, so I basted them with Suzanne’s Pepper Jelly and got a nice glaze on them. By looking at the picture on the right, you can see why that was the point when our mouths began to water. Unfortunately, if looks were all that mattered with judging wings, I would have a ton of places to get great wings, but that is not the case. So it was time to put it to the ultimate test… the mouth. Everyone sat down to give it a go, us with the wings and my wife with the tenders, ready to engorge ourselves in this glorious holiday. Let me start by saying that the combination of baking THEN grilling made the wings have such a tenderness and awesome flavor that you wouldn’t get by grilling alone or the crispness by baking alone. On top of all this you have the pepper jelly that gave the wing such a sweet taste right off the bat and added a little fun by having the heat creep up at the end of each bite. It was the perfect kind of heat, too, as it sizzled your lips but wasn’t overbearing. One pregnant friend of mine, who was cautious of the level of heat, wound up devouring her plate in mere minutes, it was so good. I have to get my wife to start eating real wings because even though she got to experience the jelly glaze, which she loved and wouldn’t shut up about, she would not be able to enjoy the incredible flavors that the rest of the chicken brought to the table. Besides it’s not called “National Chicken Anywayyouwantit Day.”

The day slowly came to an end, disappointing as that may be, and the wings were all gone. Although I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate this day, my only regret is that I didn’t make more… something I plan to remedy in the future. Suzanne’s “Buffalo Wings In Hell” were so delicious that I had everyone begging me for the recipe which you can find here. Now, I’ve had Frank’s time and time again, but it is the jelly from Suzanne’s Kitchen that made this dish extraordinary. If you want to find out where to pick some up for yourself, check out the numerous locations that carry their pepper jelly by visiting their website. And if they are not in your area, make sure you demand it because otherwise you will be missing out.

It is always sad when good things come to a close… but it doesn’t have to be that way for everybody. I say you go to the store, grab some ingredients, and cook up some wings of your own – this way we can make everyday a Chicken Wing Day!!!

This is an incredible recipe that I had the pleasure of trying first hand down at the Peppers Tailgate Party in Rehoboth Beach, DE. It only made sense that with National Chicken Wing Day coming up we would have some friends over to celebrate. So, I cooked these wings up for them using Frank’s Red Hot as my 10 oz bottle, and was surprised at how easy it was to prepare. They came out super tender, and the jelly added a sweet heat to the wing. Not only that, but our guests loved it so much they practically begged me for the recipe. So here it is… enjoy!  -Brian

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs Chicken Wingettes
• Salt and Pepper
• 10 oz Bottle of Hot Sauce
• 9 oz Jar of Suzanne’s Kitchen Pepper Jelly
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 Tbsp of Water

Directions:

1. On a cookie sheet, season wings with salt and pepper. Bake chicken wings for 40 minutes at 350° or according to package instructions.

2. While chicken is baking: preheat your grill, and melt pepper jelly in microwave for approximately 2 minutes. Thin jelly with 2 Tbsp of water and add the salt.

3. When wings are out of the oven, toss with bottle of hot sauce*, then grill until well charred. Extinguish flame and baste both side of wings liberally with pepper jelly mixture.

*Suzanne’s tip: Stop here and you can store in fridge up to 2 days and finish on your grill at a tailgate or party!

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below.

Miller’s Ale Houses have been springing up around the Florida area since 1988 and just started to make their way up North. One such location just opened up on Rt. 73 in Mount Laurel, so I had to stop in to see what kind of food they had on the menu… and what kind of wings. I decided to grab the family one Saturday and pay them a visit during lunch time to get some grub, and noticed that Miller’s Ale House is very similar to a Friday’s type of chain with its relaxed atmosphere. The only difference is that the Ale House has more of a beachier / marina type vibe, and yet at the same time bombards you with sports from every angle with 80 something flat screens of varied sizes. Now I’m not a big sports fan, but I am a big wing fan, so I open the menu to see what they have.

The wings come in two varieties: Bone in and Boneless. I normally only judge regular wings as I feel that boneless wings are really just nuggets covered in sauce, and there is too much meat and breading that take away from the whole wing experience. However, this time I am going to make an exception as the menu keeps boasting their boneless wings (or “Zingers” as they call them) as World Famous. So much so that they make everything from Zinger-Tacos to Zinger-dillas using this boneless version. So today I am going to evaluate those as well to see what makes them so special.

Let’s start with the wings. I ordered the 10 count of their “Fresh Jumbo Wings” with a Medium Sauce, a side of Hot, and a side of what they call “Mt. St. Helens,” which I imagined would be so incredibly hot that it would blow off the top of my skull. When the wings arrived, the plate looked kind of scarce with the bowl of wings centered atop a plate that only contained a small portion of celery and a little cup of Blue Cheese. At first I was taken back by this thinking that I was being robbed of something, but then a closer look revealed that it was just a poor plating design by this chain. The large plate on the bottom, which came in handy for storing all the bones and napkins, was giving the illusion of emptiness unlike other bars that cram it all in one bowl to make it seem more full… when in reality it is the same portion size. Getting past this, I divert my focus to the wings themselves which came breaded and in my opinion were not “Jumbo.” A little sauce was held in the breading but then ultimately wound up on the bottom of the bowl for dipping. The meat was decent in tenderness and came out hotter than normal, but the sauce only carried a touch of heat which wasn’t enough for me, so I doused them in the Hot instead (Good thing I got that side). The Hot definitely brought more of the heat that I wanted, but with all of the sauces being buttered down variations of Frank’s Red Hot, it lacked the originality that I look for when I am out searching for good wings. So for the final bites, I turn to the Mt. St. Helens sauce in hopes to find something different and unique. The good news was that it wasn’t just Frank’s anymore as they added more to the sauce including a TON of black pepper (and I mean a ton). The bad news was that the heat level was more than the Medium but less than the Hot, so in reality it doesn’t live up to its name very well.

Moving on to the Zingers. I’ll keep this quick because all the above mentioned sauces and plating are identical in this dish, however, the thing that made this boneless variation stand out was the selection of chicken. Normal boneless wings are nuggets of sorts with an overload of chewy breading and dry meat. The Zingers came to me in more of a long tender form with a light and crispy battered shell that didn’t trump the flavor of the chicken. The meat was very tender and came out piping hot which left me waiting to eat, but all in all it was a good dish. Is it World Famous? Well, for a boneless wing it absolutely is one of the better that I’ve tried, so I will let that claim stand… for now.

Both dishes that I tried filled me up but left me craving more… either in the heat or flavor departments. With all of that plus the unoriginal sauces, they stay in the category of good wings that I would eat again, but are nothing to write home about. However, if boneless is the only way you fly (which is ironic ’cause a boneless wing cannot sustain flight) then shoot on down to grab some Zingers at Miller’s NJ Ale House over any of the other mess of wingless examples that plague the other food chains. I, on the other hand, prefer actual wings over boneless any day of the week and will stick to my quest to find the best ones out there.

UPDATE: I’ve been back to Miller’s NJ Ale House a number of times since this review and I need to take back my comments about the size. At that time, the wings were average in size and didn’t look large by any stretch. However, every time since then the wings came out super huge and I would give them a 5 wing rating for size.

Miller’s NJ Ale House
554 Fellowship Rd.
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
(856) 722-5690

This recipe takes a little more time with the preparation but is well worth it. Baking the wings after you fry them really sets the sauce into the breading and gives more bite to each wing. If you like a more mild taste, leave off the last step and just serve without the final coating of sauce. -Brian

Ingredients:

THE WINGS:

• 24 Chicken wings
• 1 ½ cups seasoned Italian bread crumbs
• 2 cups yellow or white corn meal

THE MARINADE:

• 1 large pot or large bowl
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 chili pepper chopped
• 1 onion chopped
• 4 heaping Tbsp of ginger/garlic paste (recipe below)

THE GINGER GARLIC PASTE:

• 5 inches fresh ginger peeled and chopped
• 4 to 5 fresh garlic cloves

THE WING SAUCE:

• 2 bottles of store brand hot sauce (16 oz. each)
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp saffron
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 tsp kosher or coarse sea salt

Directions:

1. To make the ginger garlic paste, mash the ginger and garlic together with the back of a spoon or a food processor until it becomes creamy. Add a pinch of salt, and mix together.

2. Wash wings and place them in a pot or large bowl. Add lemon juice, chili pepper, onion, and ginger garlic paste. Mix together, use your hands and get all the wings coated. Let marinate for a minimum of 2 hours.

3. While the wings are marinating, put all of the ingredients for the wing sauce in a sauce pan and simmer for 5 minutes or until butter is melted. Remove from heat. Put a lid on it, and set aside until needed.

4. After the wings have marinated for 2 hours, heat oil to 375 degrees. Remove wings from marinade and tuck wing tip. Coat wings in bread crumb mixture and deep fry for 7 to 10 minutes (until golden brown). Remove from oil and let drip on a wire rack (if you put the wings on paper towels they will get soggy).

5. Dip each wing in wing sauce, coating it well. Place in baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and pour remaining wing sauce over wings and serve.

Have you tried this recipe? Tell us what you think by leaving a comment below.

I was back in Bryn Mawr for work and when I said that I was heading into Manayunk to get some wings, Dave suggested that there was only one place I needed to go – Union Jack’s Pub. Union Jack’s is known in the area for having great wings, and with a sign on the outside wall that says “World’s Best Wings,” they must know what they’re doing as that’s a big claim to fill. I parallel parked my car on a hill into a tight spot (which by the way is hard to do with a manual), and walked into this small dive of a place.

I was the only patron in the joint, but the two gentlemen who worked there made me feel right at home with some small talk and a beer. I took a look at the menu and decided to get the 10 count of Hot at the suggestion of the bartender, but opted out of getting the celery and blue cheese due to the fact that they cost extra and I don’t really care to waste money on something I’m not going to eat anyway. They also carried a Mild, Medium, and a Suicidal (which I grabbed a side of to see if it really made me want to kill myself). After the order was placed, the bartender prepped my area with a paper plate and extra napkins, which shows that he understood the needs of a wing-eater, such as yours truly.

When the wings arrived they looked like any average wing that I would expect to find: Red in color, simple in nature, and with a smell that made my mouth water. The very first bite screamed Frank’s, however, after drowning the wings in a puddle of sauce, I could taste that they added their own spices and flare to give it more of a unique flavor. I love when a place doesn’t just use bottled sauce, so this was a nice turn of events from my initial bite. The wings themselves were nothing fancy and offered a weird irregularity in size. The pieces were pretty large which is great, but it seemed that only the drums were huge while the wings were a normal size. Either way, I liked the fact that this meal could fill me and not leave me wanting more (and I’m glad ’cause the side of fries that I also ordered just for that reason were inedible… but lucky for me, that’s not why I came).

The sauce had a great heat to it, and I’m glad I went with the bartender’s recommendation, although being so hot it left me curious as to how hot the Medium was. The only question that I didn’t need answered was how hot the Suicide was because there it was, right in front of me, begging for a go. I cracked it opened, poured it on the last piece, and took a big bite. The Suicide forced me to have more heat, and forced me to eat more black pepper, but did not force me to take my life. It was just like the other sauce – good to eat, but not really memorable.

All in all, Union Jack’s was a fun little place with nice people and wings that made me happy. Would I consider them best in the world? Clearly not. Best in Pennsylvania? Eh. Best in Manayunk? Maybe. Needless to say, they still fulfilled my wing craving better than the average bar could. So if you find yourself in that area, feel free to try them for yourself… but make sure you bring cash or you will find yourself taking a two city block hike to the ATM to pay for these babies (Not that I know from experience or anything).

Union Jack’s Pub
4801 Umbria Street
Manayunk, PA 19127
(215) 482-8980

Join Farmer Pappy in Bring The Wing’s second installment on how to grow hot peppers where he discusses how to maintain your plants by controlling weeds & pests and collecting rain water for proper irrigation. In this episode, Farmer Pappy will demonstrate how to minimize slug damage and how to make your garden virtually weed-free.

If you have any questions for Farmer Pappy, please leave a comment below as he will make it a point to answer each and every one.

More in this series:

Episode 1 How to Grow Hot Peppers	Episode 2 Pest & Weed Prevention	Episode 3 Harvesting & Dehydrating

I’m a big fan of déjà vu, so it’s very suiting that I found myself in the very spot where Bring The Wing began. It was October of 2011 when my wife and I were kid-free for the weekend. We decided that being sans kids allowed us to go out to some bars that we had been dying to try, one of which was Dubh Linn Square in Cherry Hill. While there, my wife asked how the wings were, as she normally does because she knows that this is how I judge a good pub. I started in on my critique and then began to think how great it would be to allow others access to the knowledge that my wife has always been privy to… and after a collaboration between the two of us – Bring The Wing was born.

Now let’s journey to the present time where I decided one afternoon to head back to Dubh Linn Square for some lunch with the family. For those of you who have never been there before, it is very similar to The Shannon Rose up north and follows the same Irish theme that usually draws a fun crowd. Though today the place looked pretty empty as they seated us in this quaint sunroom area. I ordered the wings, no surprise there, and got them Mild with a side of Hot. They even had a “Smoking Leprechaun Sauce,” but I didn’t get a chance to try it seeing how we were pressed for time and it was taking a while to get our food.

When the wings finally arrived they had a nice red-orange glow to them and came equipped with celery and carrots. They were coated very nicely with the sauce which seemed to stick to each piece with drip-free precision. The wing portions were also a nice size and offered a good amount of meat to satisfy my craving. The only problem with said meat was that it was lukewarm which was probably one of the reasons why they weren’t very tender.

The sauce, on the other hand, had immense flavor and brought a sweet, tangy, almost sugary quality to it. I’m glad, too, that the flavor was there because the sauce did not really bring any heat. It could be argued that it was because I ordered a Mild sauce, but the next level up which was Hot, was TOO hot. So there definitely should’ve been a sauce in between those two to help even out the levels of intensity.

I wish I could go back in time to compare my critique from then to now. And if I could, I’m confident that they would say the same thing: The wings needed a little more work in the tenderness department. But then again, if the wings were brought out on time, they may have been tender… and hot as well. Luckily the sauce was there to save the day and make amends to my taste buds. They just need to kick the heat up a bit, and they’ll be on their way to a great dish.

Dubh Linn Square
482 East Evesham Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
(856) 520-8312

While in Bryn Mawr for work, I was getting pretty hungry and happened to notice a pub a block away named “The Grog.” From what I read online, the wings were supposed to be great, and although it wasn’t Wing Night, I decided to stop in to check it out anyway.

I walked into this small pub, ordered up a $2 bottle of Coors (which is awesome by itself), looked at the menu and noticed the following: “One pound of our award winning jumbo wings…” This always gets me excited because I feel that they are looking to make wing eaters like me happy. There are a lot of false claims like that in many wing places, so we shall see what today brings.

The Grog offers up a variety of wings including: Plain, Mild, Hot, Super Hot, and Habanero – to name a few. Going with the advice of the bartender, after explaining to her my heat preference, I went with a pound of the “Hot” and got the “Super Hot” and “Habanero” on the side. From what I understand, the “Habanero” is a chef specialty made with all the seeds, and brings hot heads from all around to sample it. I myself don’t like that much heat, but I obviously can’t leave without trying some of this hyped-up wonder.

The wings came out and looked delicious. The Hot sauce that covered the wings smelled and tasted like an average blend that you would typically find in a store bought brand (though it was nothing I could pick out). The wings themselves looked good and came out pretty hot, but tasted pretty average and all-in-all didn’t really offer much more than being a nice vessel to get the sauce flavor from the plate to the mouth. The menu also claims that they are jumbo, but what I saw in front of me was just slightly larger than what you would expect to find at a typical bar.

The sauce, however, is where all the chef’s time went… and it showed. Though the Hot was nothing fancy, the Super Hot had a lot more flavor which made me feel like it had more uniqueness than its predecessor. It no longer felt like a store bought brand as the different spices kicked in. Then, my main focus turned toward the Habanero sauce as it sat there like a menacing paste. I mean, this stuff was so thick it looked like I ordered a side of applesauce from hell. You could see all the seeds and smell the heat from a foot away. Reluctantly, I dipped my wing, closed my eyes, and took a bite. !@#$ that stuff was so relentless that the only time I would ever need that much heat is to punish an enemy by rubbing it in their eyes. I tell you, I don’t get the heat seekers out there.

As for me, I like to taste my food. It’s also very hard to eat with all the tears and snot running down my face, so I’ll just stick with the Hot sauce that they offer as that was more than enough heat for me. As for The Grog as a whole, it was a good place to grab some wings, but it seemed that the chicken needed some more attention. The sauces were the real winners here, so if you crave the fire, swing on in and grab some of the Habanero mixture. As for the rest of us, if The Grog spent as much time on the preparation of the chicken as they seem to on their hotter sauces, then this place would rock the wing world. But for now, like I said before, it’s just a good place to grab some wings.

The Grog
863 West Lancaster Ave.
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
(610) 527-5870

I received a “Suggest a Joint” from Mimi the other week who told me that I needed to head down to the Oaklyn Manor to grab some great wings. Being that it was Father’s Day, my family decided to take this opportunity to give me the best present a man in my situation could receive… a Buffalo wing dinner. I’m not one to argue with family, so if they tell me I need to eat wings, by golly, I’m eating wings…. I do it for the children! So we jump in the car and swing on into Oaklyn to see what all the fuss is about.

It was a gorgeous day outside and the sun was shining as we pulled into the lot. The Manor has a small bar upfront, but if you’re dining with children like I was, you might want to head toward the back. This is where they have a nice deck/bar area and plenty of outside seating, which was perfect for this type of day. The kid’s seats were getting a little warm with the sun, so after they made us play a couple of rounds of musical chairs to find some shade (seriously, I almost sat down at about four different tables), we finally took our seats and ordered our food.

The wings only come one way so that’s what I grabbed along with some kid favorites such as the Hot Dog and Grilled Cheese to keep the little ones smiling. The price was fantastic for the wings as I consider anything under $7 a steal these days. But once again, when the food arrived, I began to see why they were so cheap…. the size. The wings were so delicious looking but were also so incredibly small. This is disappointing because even if the wing is great, it loses its value when you decrease the size. Think of it in terms of a candy bar. If you unwrap a Snickers only to find a “fun size”  bar inside, you would be left feeling gypped. I think if a restaurant uses tiny wings, then that place should add more to the plate to compensate. Either make it 9 larger wings or 13 small wings so they have the same chance to fill me up.

After accepting the size and moving on, I looked at how beautifully these things were breaded. They come out dry and require the customer to sauce it themselves (I assume this is to keep them crispy all the way to the table, as I know a few people who order them this way for that reason). And crispy they were! These wings had such a crunch to the skin it made me feel like I was in good hands with this chef who knew how to use a fryer… and it showed with every bite I took. The shell that was created kept the chicken nice and juicy on the inside which helped keep a nice tenderness throughout the meat. Even dry, there was some decent flavor to the wing, but I wanted to see how it held up when coated with the sauce, which was just a Frank’s Red Hot. I poured it on and waited for the breading to start absorbing the liquid thus turning it to a soggy mess. But that never happened, and the wing kept its integrity until the very last bite.

Overall you can tell that I was very excited about the crispness of the breading, but it was the size and lack of a unique sauce that left me wanting more. I am a big fan of Franks, but I am a picky person looking for the complete package – and that includes originality. That doesn’t mean that these wings weren’t good, it just means that with the help of some subtle changes, these wings could be great. However if you prefer Frank’s, stop in, try them out, and let me know what you think – just make sure you order the double. Extra bonus: my kids left happy, and that’s really all a Dad can ask for on his special day.

Oaklyn Manor
198 West Clinton Ave.
Oaklyn, NJ 08107
(856) 854-5433

I heard of this chain a couple of times in the past and the main reason I stopped in was because I was not only starving, but also heard that their sauces had “Award Winning Flavors.” I did not know what to expect from the place until I got there – where I realized that it was the same basic concept as Wings To Go (which we all know I dislike), but I didn’t want to let that to skew my view. Everyone gets a clean slate as soon as I step through the door, and in this case, I was hoping they would bring the wing.

It was clear that this eatery was primarily made to be a take-out facility, though they did have a couple of tables for those who chose to dine in, which in this situation was me, so I did. The dining area was a lot larger than a typical take-out wing joint and was surprisingly clean and comfortable. I ordered my food and took my seat where I indulged in a little soccer that was playing on the TV (side note: not really my thing, and I never really watch, but man those guys were good).

I ordered the 10 piece which was a great bargain at $6.99, but when my order was ready and I brought them back to the table, I started to understand why they were so cheap… These things were downright small, probably the tiniest wings I have ever seen. I’m glad that I opted for the side of fries because I practically inhaled the wings in a matter of moments and needed SOMETHING to fill me up. It was a shame, too, because the chicken was promised to be “Always Fresh, Never Frozen,” and it completely lived up to that statement with flying colors; the meat was a decent tenderness, juicy, and came out of the fryer super hot… I just wished there was more of it.

Out of the 24 flavors that they carry, there are really 4 that are Buffalo based sauces: Mild, Medium, Hot, and Suicidal. I chose to get the Medium with a side of Suicidal to see how much heat they both packed, and to be honest, the Medium didn’t pack much. But HOLY HELL the Suicidal kicked my taste buds from here to next Tuesday it was so insanely hot. The main ingredient tasted like liquid heat, and even though I was told that there was also a blend of extra spices, I sure couldn’t taste them with my mouth on fire like it was. This is the main reason why I normally order a Medium when I go out because it gives the right amount of heat, but still allows you to taste the flavors. Which is the one thing that the Medium here did have… some flavor. Though it lacked heat, the sauce brought a buttery, sweet, candy-like quality to the wing that was great… but in small doses. Too much too quickly, and your stomach will start to complain.

The complete dish at Planet Wings was a little disappointing, mainly because of the size… but you get what you pay for. The wings were not bad, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to hunt them down either. There are a lot of better places to pick up great wings, however, if you are only looking for a quick wing stop on your way home, then they might just do the trick.

Planet Wings
24 South Valley Road
West Orange, NJ 07052
(973) 736-2323

I recently received a “Suggest a Joint” from Lauren who recommended that I try out Moriarty’s Pub in Philadelphia, and since the wife and I had already decided to head out for dinner and a movie, we thought it would be the perfect time to swing in and see what all the fuss was about. Located on Walnut Street in Center City, this Irish pub was definitely a happening place on this gorgeous Saturday night. The first floor was packed with people around the bar and the sound of everyone’s conversations echoed like a big mishmash medley of voices. I wanted a little quieter spot to be able to hold a conversation, and because the outside seating was in high demand, we climbed to the second floor and went with the less noisy upstairs bar.

Looking in the menu at the wing section, I notice “Philly’s Best” nice and large at the top. Being that this is my first stop in Philly, I don’t really have a comparison, so I’ll take their word for now and order up a bunch to see how they fly (get it, wing… fly – I got loads of ‘em). The wings are sold by the pound and come in whole sections, meaning the drum, wing, and tip. A pound usually equates to eight or nine whole wings and Moriarty’s only offers one sauce, so that is what I ordered. I sat back and watched a couple tag-teaming a plate of their own wings and saw how many wings I was about to receive. Now, I was with my wife (who I love, but doesn’t eat wings… I know, I know) so I don’t have the benefit of a tag-team partner and realize that it is all up to little old me to get the job done – and believe me, I don’t have any problem with that at all!

The waitress came out with a discard bowl, some napkins, and wet-naps… and shortly thereafter delivered our food. The wings looked huge, but you have to dissect them to see their true size as the whole wing tends to give the illusion of grandiose. Once I did that, I am happy to say that they were still pretty large, and seeing how in reality it becomes 18 wings when broken apart, it left me feeling like I made out. They were lightly breaded and had a nice crisp to the skin, and the color was sensational. It all looked so good on the plate until I took the first bite and noticed that the wings were barely even room temperature. This probably played a role into why the meat was inconsistent with its tenderness. One wing was okay, the next was not tender, the following the same, and then back to tender again… so it really was a hit or miss with the meat.

The sauce was a Frank’s Hot Sauce base that they took and made their own. I dipped my finger in the sauce and could taste all the peppers making it very tasty. One funny thing I noticed was that when I tasted the sauce this way, it didn’t appear to be hot at all, but when I placed it on the wing and took a bite, it seemed to have some heat… interesting and unexplainable… but good. One great thing was what it lacked in heat it made up with in flavor, and although it wasn’t as tangy as the menu suggested, it still packed a ton of deliciousness that made me forget some of the dish’s faults for a while. The sauce was thick enough to stick and coat the wings well, but it also made it very slippery when trying to rip the wings apart – acting almost like a lubricant. I was using such torque that one slip could’ve easily shot the wing across the room smacking a neighbor in the face. Though that would’ve been hysterical to watch, the laughter would’ve quickly subsided when the big guy wanted to have a “talk.”

Overall the wings were a delight but left a lot of room for improvement. The tenderness and temperature of the meat was a little disappointing because these are things that could have easily been fixed and would’ve increased the taste with little effort. When the wings come as a whole they look pleasant and appealing, but when they aren’t that tender it makes it more difficult to break apart and becomes way more work than necessary… and I am way too lazy for that sort of thing. They are definitely better than the average bar’s wings and I enjoyed eating them, but I don’t know if I could call them Philly’s Best. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the rest of Philadelphia has to offer.

Moriarty’s Pub
1116 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 627-7676

For the past month or so, my brother-in-law has been trying to coordinate a trip with me to JoJo’s Tavern located in Hamilton, NJ. According to him, they have the best wings in his area, and after many failed attempts to meet up, our schedules finally coincided leaving us JoJo’s bound. So I head into Hamilton, park the car and walk into this small and friendly place. As I take my seat at the bar and the attractive bartender hands me my beer, I begin to understand why Bill frequents this pub… though he may claim that it’s because of the food. But then again that’s why I’m here, I suppose, so let’s get to it.

Now, I don’t know if it was because of the conversation I was having or the bartender acting as a distraction, but for some reason I ordered Mild with a side of Hot when they also carry a Medium sauce – which I would’ve preferred. When I realized what I had done and tried to fix the situation, I was let in on a little secret. I was told that it is all the same sauce… the heat levels just dictate how much sauce they put on the wings (if you want Mild, they lightly toss them in the sauce, and if you want Hot, they drown them). I was curious to see how accurate this claim was and waited in anticipation for my wings to arrive.

The wings came out piping hot and looked awesome. The side of Hot that I ordered came along side the wings in a fancy-pantsy gravy boat that made me chuckle. I sampled a wing with just the Mild, then (with pinky out) I poured the Hot sauce over the rest and tried one of those as well – and you know what… she was right! The sauces tasted exactly the same. Lucky for me, the sauce was delicious so it really didn’t matter. It had a tangy taste with a little sweetness that reminded me of something I would find on a good plate of ribs. Now bring in a little pepper flavor and it works wonders on these wings as well. The flavor was outstanding and each bite was better than the last. Though Bill handles heat like a penguin in a desert (sweating over the Mild sauce) I, on the other hand, wish it packed a bit more as I could barely get a sizzle on my lips.

The chicken itself could have used a bit more work though. Other than the size, which was a tad larger than the norm, it was pretty much the type of chicken you would find at any average bar selling Buffalo wings. There are people out there who base a great wing just by the sauce alone, but this critic is looking for the whole package. I wish there was some more tenderness to the meat and a bit more flavor to the skin, but that’s just me being picky.

Though JoJo’s is well known for their Tomato Pie, don’t overlook the fact that they also carry a great wing dish. If you are in the area and haven’t done so already, I would recommend stopping in to grab a plate and try them for yourself ’cause you’ll be happy that you did. So, thanks to Bill and his Hamilton-onians who have been trying to get me here for some time.

JoJo’s Tavern
2677 Nottingham Way
Hamilton, NJ 08619
(609) 586-2678

We had a blast at Peppers Tailgate Party at the Beach on May 19, 2012, and wanted to share the fun with you. Watch our video of highlights from the event including Buffalo Wing Competitions, a World Record attempt at eating Ghost Peppers, and discussions with famous Chefs from across the country.

For more highlights, click here to read our article and to see our photo gallery from the event.

Hosted by Chip “The King Of Wings” Hearn from Peppers, home of the undisputed largest collection of hot sauces in the world, this event had everything a wing enthusiast could want. We were able to meet and greet with famous chefs while sampling their products, and everyone at the event got to eat FREE WINGS provided by Mountaire Farms. It was a great time with great people, and we would like to thank Chef Chip Hearn for welcoming us in to experience this event. Chip is a multiple national champion as a chef and for his sauces, salsas, rubs, and dips. If you are in the Rehoboth Beach area, you will definitely want to stop into Peppers to see the awesome variety of sauces they have to offer.

Included in the festivities were various wing competitions in which our very own Brian got to judge the “Best Buffalo Style Chicken Wings” category. There were over 20 wing platters entered in this category, and although they all had a unique style and flavor to offer, only one could take the Cup. The trophy, a cleverly designed beer glass with chicken wings sticking out of it, was presented to Suzanne’s Kitchen for her “Heavenly Wings in Hell.” Needless to say, Brian was full after judging this event, but after a short rest, he was back in action visiting the vendors’ stations to sample even more wings and sauces.

The diversity of the vendors was a great surprise as we got to try hot pepper infused chocolates from The Madison Chocolatiers West, Bloody Mary mix from The Murph’s Famous, and jalapeno chips from Deano’s Jalapenos in addition to the standard sauces and rubs you would expect to find. There was also a live cooking demonstration from former Chopped contestant Chef Johnny McLaughlin of Heartbreaking Dawns. And as an added bonus, we even witnessed history in the making when Steve “The Machine” Smallwood demolished the previous world record of 3 ghost peppers by eating 8 ghost peppers in 1 minute! Then a short while later, he proceeded to set a new record by eating 8 Trinidad Scorpion peppers in 1 minute. From beginning to end, this day was filled with action and excitement, and a good time was had by all.

Overall, we have to say that this was hands-down the BEST smelling parking lot we have ever visited, and we can’t wait to do it again next year. Check out our photos below to see highlights from this event, and click here to watch our video.

The Third Annual Peppers At the Beach Tailgate Party will be held Friday May 18, 2012 through Sunday May 20, 2012 at the Midway Galleria Shopping Center in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Come out and join us for this FREE event where over 100 chefs from across the country will be showing off their line of products. Bring The Wing will be there on Saturday filming highlights from the event, as well as talking with famous chefs and judging various wing competitions.

Check back or follow us on Facebook and YouTube to get the first look at our video of this event.

Date: Friday May 18, 2012 through Sunday May 20, 2012
Time: 10 am until 4 pm daily
Location: Midway Galleria Shopping Center
18701 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Click here for more details about this FREE EVENT.

UPDATE:

Check out our article and photo gallery.
Watch our video from this event.

On occasion I find myself sitting at a social event, or in this case a birthday party, and getting involved in a “whose wings do I NEED to try” conversation. I love these conversations for multiple reasons:  To help people find great wing places that I have found, to hear different wing stories that different people share, and most importantly to find new places that I haven’t tried. During one of these conversations, Allison, a friend of mine who is known for finding and loving great wings (she even makes her own, though with fear of me rating them, I have not had the pleasure of trying them), said that she was going to take me out to a place that she remembered having really great wings. That place was called John and Molly’s, and a short time later, we all took a trip to this bar to see if the memories she had of that one drunken-wing-eating-night a while back were actually accurate.

We popped in the front door and circled around to find a spot at the bar that could accommodate all four of us (which is sometimes hard to do with everyone needing two seats in between them for a comfort cushion). Just as I’m standing there trying to figure out what to do, one gentleman and his lady offered to move down which allowed most of us to sit. This would have been just taken as a nice gesture, but then when the people on the other side of him got up, they went the extra mile and moved over again!! What else could I do except buy them a round and thank them for being the way I wish all people were… nice! I also watched others buy drinks for a military man sitting across from me while thanking him for his service. This all put such a great warm feeling in my soul, however, the main reason I was here was to put a great warm feeling in my belly. So, I ordered up their “Jumbo Buffalo Wings” with a side of fries, and enjoyed the company of some good friends.

Let’s jump right to it. With my choices being Mild, Medium, and Hot, I went with dousing them in the middle option with the Hot on the side. When these babies arrived they were freakin’ HUGE. I took the first bite and was amazed at everything that was going right with these wings: They were super tender, came out super hot, and the chicken was super juicy. They were lightly breaded which gave crispness to them without sliming up the meat, which is always a good thing. One thing that usually happens with jumbo wings is that they have too much meat which leads to the flavor of the sauce getting lost after a few chews. That is not the case for John and Molly’s, as these wings had a perfect balance of sauce to meat that made each bite just as good as the last.

The sauce had a familiar aroma to it, and when I started eating, it tasted slightly like Frank’s Hot sauce. So, I asked the bartender if the chefs used that as a base in their sauce and received confirmation that they did. This is not a bad thing as Frank’s is one of my favorite sauces and they didn’t just serve it out of the bottle, no no sir… they added their own style to it by adding some pepper bits and other ingredients that transformed the sauce into even more of a delight. My only complaint would be that sauce was not that hot for a “Medium” sauce, so I cracked open my “Hot” to find out that it was pretty much the same. Confused, I tasted Jason’s to find that his (which he ordered tossed in Hot) did in fact have more heat. Either I got the wrong side, or ordering them tossed in Hot does something to the heat level.

One funny side note was that during my conversation about Frank’s with the bartender, she began to tell me how she was a bit of a “wing connoisseur” and appreciates a great sauce like Frank’s and great wings in general. With a smirk on my face, I asked her what her favorite place was to get some great wings. Her response of “Buffalo Wild Wings” made me smile because she was traveling to the shore to get some great wings when all she had to do was look right under her nose to find even better ones.

John and Molly’s
1921 Woodlane Rd.
Eastampton, NJ 08060
(609) 702-1701

At Bring The Wing, we like to cover all things wing related. And when it comes down to it, the sauce is what really makes a great wing stand out from the crowd. At the heart of each sauce is the pepper used to create it, so we have decided to conduct a series of videos demonstrating how to grow your own hot peppers which can be used to make your own hot sauce.

Join Farmer Pappy as he shows you how to grow your own hot peppers from start to finish in “Pappy’s Hot Pepper Planting Symposium – Part 1.” If you have any questions for Farmer Pappy, please leave a comment below as he will make it a point to answer each and every one.

More in this series:

Episode 1 How to Grow Hot Peppers	Episode 2 Pest & Weed Prevention	Episode 3 Harvesting & Dehydrating

Work had yet again brought me back to Somers Point, NJ, but still left me with the almighty dinner task of where to go to find great wings. Though there are a lot of supposed great eateries in the Shore area, Anchorage Tavern came recommended, so I decided to give them a spin. With a grumbling belly and happy hour on my side, I made my way into this pub to soothe the savage beast that is my craving for awesome wings.

The place was pretty empty when I made my way to the stool, which didn’t really surprise me seeing how it was only 4:30pm. It did, however, allow me to have a clear view of some Vodka peddler giving his all to convince the bartender that she needed his Sugar Free, Gluten Free drink that has little protein so you… get this… don’t get hung over. Needless to say, it was a quick spurt of comedy for yours truly as I waited to get my menu to see what style of Buffalo wings they had to offer. When it arrived, I saw that there were three options to choose from: Easy, Spicy, or Blistering. This, to me, felt like I had my pickin’ of three sauces, but later I found out by the waiter that “Easy” was just a way of saying “on the side,” thus allowing the individual to control his or her sauce intake. So, in reality it was just the two: Spicy (which is a mild) and “Blistering” (which is supposed to do what the name suggests… to your lips). I decided to try them both out and placed my order.

When the wings came to the table I was excited because these things were big, with the tips still connected, and were covered well with the sauce. Each bite was chock full of juicy meat, and with the wings being heavily breaded, they really fill you up. The chicken was very tender, but the downside to all that breading was that it seemed to make them pretty slimy which took away from that quality and left them feeling a bit soggy. One other thing that I noticed was that the first couple of bites tasted pretty good and were nice and hot, but the longer I ate and the cooler the dish got, the less appetizing the meal became. They were still good, but not AS GOOD as their debut to my mouth.

The sauce that I chose was the Spicy, and like the waiter said, it was just a mild sauce (I really think they need to rework the names of these things). It had the basic makeup of a Buffalo sauce, but did not really carry any heat or flavor that I would expect to find… even in a mild sauce. So I decided to try out the side of Blistering, which looked more like a bowl of chili; it was so huge. When I dumped this heated, seed filled, sauce on my wings, I instantly had a flashback to the waiter dropping it off and saying “Enjoy” with a sly smirk as he walked away. I took a big bite, and I have to say it was definitely hotter and had more to offer than the Spicy. I just wish they had a sauce with a heat level that was in between the two, because that would have been ideal.

Ultimately the wings were pretty good, and the fact that they offer a $2.00 Coors Draft all day, every day, made it all the more better. But when faced with the comparison of other Buffalo wings in the area (like Charlie’s right up the street), they just didn’t quite make it to their full potential.

Anchorage Tavern
823 Bay Ave.
Somers Point, NJ 08244

Wandering the streets of Red Bank, hometown to Kevin Smith and the Clerks empire, I came across a nice corner bar that claimed to have “the best wings in town.” Seeing how it was right around lunchtime, I popped in to see if Red Bank can do to wings what it has done for comedic screenwriters.

The Walt Street Pub has plenty of space inside and out, but I chose to sit at the bar because they had The Chew on one of the TVs (which I thought was cool because maybe it shows that they ARE that into good food and the way of the culinary arts… or maybe it was just by chance, but I’d like to think otherwise). It was a friendly place where mostly everyone I saw knew each other, and the bartender seemed to make every last customer feel comfortable and at ease. So much so that I even watched him inflate a balloon for a little boy sitting outside with his father. Ahhh, it warms the soul just like the wings that I was about to order would, hopefully, warm my mouth.

This pub offers a 12, 17, and 30 count basket with either Mild, Hot, or “Killer Death” (which I’m going out on a limb here by guessing that it is supposed to be really hot). So, I went with the 12 Hot wing basket with the “Killer Death” on the side, and as soon as the last word left my lips, the barkeep had already placed down a bunch of napkins and a paper plate for the bones. This makes me happy because it shows that they understand the needs of a wing eater. And after a beer or two, my buffalo wings were ready for me to consume so I could make use of those amenities.

Right off the bat these things looked awesome and smelled great too. I should know the smell by now because I’ve been enjoying it from other wing-eating patrons while waiting for mine to arrive. Nothing gets you hungrier for wings than smelling them ahead of time. The wings were lightly breaded and the meat was pretty tender and juicy. But the main thing that made these wings stand out was the sauce they used. It was a house blend that focused around a more sharp peppery mix along with something sweet like a Worcestershire sauce or similar. Either way, it was a nice change of pace from the standard buffalo style. These things mixed both the sweet and the heat and had me popping them like crazy. There was more good news on top of that as they gave me three extra wings (Woohoo!!) which allowed me to dunk some of them in the “Killer Death” to see how death-killery it really was.

The “Killer Death” looked like a sandy molasses as it slowly poured out on each wing. When I took a few bites it didn’t really kill me with the heat, but if I sat and let it stand in my mouth I could feel it creeping up. This stuff got really hot, but it was not that palatable with its gritty texture, and for that reason, I had to stop. Even though the “Hot” wasn’t that hot, it was comfortable enough for me to choose that for the remaining two and complete my course.

The Walt Street Pub is a great spot to swing in and get some good wings with some good people. The sauce was the winner as it offered a different style of Buffalo that kept true to the roots, but gave a special sweetness that made them stand out. If you find yourself near Red Bank and are looking for some good wings, I hope you give them a try and let me know your thoughts… hopefully it’s a nice day and you can take advantage of their outside seating… Bonus!

Walt Street Pub
180 Monmouth Street
Red Bank, NJ 07701
(732) 741-5936

Atomic Hot Wing Challenge

The Atomic Hot Wing Challenge can be found at Quaker Steak & Lube locations across the country. Participants must sign a waiver to take part in this challenge that requires you to eat 6 wings covered in their Atomic Sauce which carries a heat level of 150,000 SHU. There is no time limit to this challenge, however, no drinks are permitted. Winners receive their name on the Wall of Flame as well as a bumper sticker.

Blazin’ Challenge

The Blazin’ Challenge is offered at Buffalo Wild Wings locations across the country. The objective of this challenge is to eat 12 of their Blazin’ wings in 6 minutes. Winners get to have their name and picture placed on the Blazin’ Challenge wall and are given a Blazin’ Challenge T-shirt. No drinks or other food items are allowed during this challenge.

Davy Jones Hot Wing Challenge

The Davy Jones Hot Wings Challenge can be found at Rapscallions in Land O’ Lakes, Florida. Just eat 10 of their hot wings that are infused with capsaicin extract as well as habanero sauce in 30 minutes and endure a 5 minute after burn to receive a free T-shirt and photograph. The wings and a glass of milk are also free if the challenge is completed. No other food or drink is permitted during the challenge, and participants must sign a waiver.

Fine Line Five Alarm Wing Eating Challenge

The Fine Line Bar and Grill in El Jebel, Colorado is home to the Fine Line Five Alarm Wing Eating Challenge. In this challenge, participants pay a $25 entry fee to clean the meat off of 10 wings in 15 minutes with their choice of dipping sauce and up to three beers or unlimited Soft Drinks. If the challenge is completed, not only will the winner be given back the $25 entry fee, but they will also receive $25 more and have their picture placed on the wing eating Wall of Fame!

Fire in Your Hole

The Fire in Your Hole Challenge can be found at Munchies 420 Cafe in Sarasota, Florida. Challengers must eat 10 of their extremely hot wings in 20 minutes to get their picture on the Wall of Fame, while the losers will be placed on the Wall of Shame. Milk is not allowed during this challenge, but a few sips of water will be permitted.

Flatliner Challenge

Buffalo Wing Factory and Pub in Virginia is home to the Flatliner Challenge. In this challenge, participants pay a $10 entry fee and must finish at least 11 Flatliner wings to the satisfaction of the BWF Judge. The challenger may not drink or eat anything else during the challenge, and dipping sauce is not allowed. The winner will be refunded the $10 entry fee and will be presented with an official Flatliner Challenge T-shirt, as well as be forever memorialized on the “Wall of Flame.”

Ghost Wings Challenge

The Girvan Grille in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota is home to the Ghost Wings Challenge in which participants must completely eat 10 ghost wings in 15 minutes. Successful challengers will be awarded a Girvan Grille Ghost Wings Challenge T-shirt and will be pictured on the “Wall of Flame.” No other food or beverage may be consumed during this time, and no bathroom breaks are allowed. Parental permission is required for minors, and a waiver must be acknowledged in order to take part in the challenge.

Hellfire Challenge

The Hellfire Challenge can be found at Smoke Eaters restaurants in San Jose and Cupertino, California. Challengers have 10 minutes to finish 12 wings smothered with their hottest Hellfire sauce. There are no drinks or napkins allowed, plus participants must lick the remaining sauce from their fingers and endure a 5 minute after burn to complete the challenge.

Ludicrous Wing Challenge

Chicken or the Egg (or CHEGG) in Beach Haven, New Jersey is home to the Ludicrous Wing Challenge in which participants have 15 minutes to finish 12 jumbo wings slathered in Ludicrous hot sauce. There is some discrepancy about the official rules and what the winners receive, so be sure to check with your server before attempting this challenge.

Ridiculous Wing Challenge

The Ridiculous Wing Challenge can be attempted at Lafs Pizzeria in Uncasville, Connecticut. Just eat an order of 8 wings in their restaurant in 20 minutes, and you get them free! Winners will receive a picture on their Champion Wing Wall and a $20 gift certificate toward the next visit. Losers, however, will have to pay for their wings and their picture will go on the Facebook Wall of Shame.

Suicide Sauce Challenge

The Suicide Sauce Challenge can be found at Sporty’s Wing Shack in Pinconning, Michigan. In this challenge, participants must eat an unknown number of Suicide Wings (ask your server) in order to get their picture on the Wall of Pain and their wings for free. You must be 18 years old and sign a waiver of release in order to attempt this challenge.

Wall of Flame Challenge

Wings Etc. Restaurant & Pub, with locations in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, is home to the dreaded Wall of Flame Challenge. Just eat 16 “well-sauced” jumbo wings with no drink or other food items, and be forever immortalized (in a Polaroid) on their Wall of Flame.

Wing King Challenge

The Wing King Challenge can be found at the West End Tavern in Boulder, Colorado. In order to complete this challenge, participants must clean 50 wings in 30 minutes without leaving the table or “ejecting” the wings at anytime after the challenge while still in the West End Tavern. Winners will be reimbursed for the purchase price of the wings, their picture on the Wall of Fame, a members only T-shirt, and a dozen free wings for later.

Tell us more! We want to hear from you. If you know of any other wing eating challenges or if you have an experience to share, enter your comment below. We will continue to add to this list with eligible visitor submissions.

Normally I do not like to review take-out wings because they fall in a different category, and it is unfair to match them up against the quality that bars and restaurants tend to offer. Usually these types of places are known for being the wing supplier of many football parties, and I consider them to be more like “fast food” that is sold in bulk and is very convenient. The reason I decided to stop into Wings To Go in West Chester was because of a personal invite by the owner, who has not only visited our site, but is a fan as well. This makes things a bit difficult because as I love and appreciate every fan, I have to stay honest in every review or my credibility will go right out the window. So, here we go…

Wings To Go is a national chain that is your typical grab and go wing stop. You are not meant to hang out and eat on premises (which is made clear by little to no tables) as they are meant to be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home. I stepped into this strip mall store and ordered up a ten count of their signature “Hot” sauce. I gazed at the poster on the wall that claimed that I would want their hottest sauce “Homicide” only on a dare…  and I am a man who likes a good challenge, so I got a side of that to see what kind of punch it had. I took the order back to the shop and cracked open the Styrofoam container to see what waited for me on the other side.

The first thing that I noticed was a slightly smaller sized group of wings with a light coverage of sauce and a nice aroma. But, when I got a little closer and took the first bite, I noticed that the oils were already separating from the sauce and the taste wasn’t that pleasant. The wings themselves were slightly floured and had a normal tenderness to them, but the sauce was not a winner in my book (which is what they are supposed to be known for). Not only did it have a green vegetable flavor to it and wasn’t that hot (coming from the middle of their 6 buffalo sauce list, I figured it would have some heat), but it left an aftertaste of what can only be described as – funk.

With the “Hot” sauce not doing the trick, I popped open the “Homicide” sauce (which by the way is one hotter than “Suicide” so you know it meant business) and took a good whiff. I have to be honest when I say that this stuff smelled so bad that I didn’t even want to try it. It reminded me of a liquorice liquor shot that you are handed when you just turn 21 and your buddy is over your shoulder saying “c’mon man, drink it!” with a sly grin on his face. I sucked it up for journalistic purposes, poured it over the last wing, and took a big bite. The sauce had a lot more heat to it, but was more like “liquid smoke” or another heat substitute than an actual pepper and fell a bit flat.

The good news is that they weren’t inedible, and I was able to finish my dish to get my money’s worth. In the land of take-out wings they may have scored a bit higher, but in my quest to find the best wings, they were not even on the radar. So if you are looking to order some wings for delivery, give them a whirl and let me know what you think. But if you are walking by, my advice is to keep walking and find a bar to get some wings that are not in this “fast food” category.

Wings To Go
547 East Gay Street
West Chester, PA 19380
(610) 344-7800

I’ve lived in NJ almost all of my life, and yet have never been down to Cape May before. So when I found myself in that area this past week, I thought I would take the opportunity to get my wing on. The only question: Where to go? My navigation showed me a couple of places to grab wings, but according to numerous locals that I talked to, I only needed to go to one… The C-View Inn. I stopped into this quaint little place tucked away by the marina that reminded me of a classic home town bar. Everyone knew everyone and the bartender, Dan, made sure they were all taken care of with a quick and friendly attitude. It’s no surprise seeing how they were voted “Most likely place to meet a local” from CapeMay.com. But again, I came to give their “famous” wings a whirl… and whirl away I did.

I got the 10 count with the “Hot” sauce and sipped my beer while I waited for them to arrive. I opted to get the celery and blue cheese for an additional $.50 to see how they came out, but was a little disappointed because I feel that they should be included. But then I’m left thinking that the overall price would be increased by $.50 and what if I didn’t want the celery and all. So it’s really 6 of one and half a dozen of the other… and why am I still on this, let’s talk about the wings.

The wings came out on an aluminum foil lined basket all nice, hot and covered with sauce. They were extremely breaded, more so than I’m used to, and had a great crisp. Each bite of the wing portion fell off into my mouth without tearing the rest of the wing apart; it was so tender. But I noticed that the drum sections were a little more chewy and weren’t as good. Also, the downfall to having that much breading is that it soaks up the sauce so quickly which left me requesting more for the remainder… and I definitely wanted more because the sauce had such a unique flavor and was clearly the star of the dish. I could taste the peppers, but they were cut with some other ingredients that made them awesomely candy-like while still offering a bit of bite. It was so good that I couldn’t eat the wings fast enough, and I began to understand why the C-View is a popular joint amongst local wing eaters.

Overall The C-View Inn was a warm, friendly corner bar that offered up great wings with great service. The buffalo wings were hot, tasty, kept me coming back for more, and ultimately satisfied my craving for the evening. So if you find yourself in Cape May (like I did finally), I would recommend stopping in as well. Extra bonus… try to do it on a Wednesday when it’s wing night and only pay $.39 a wing.

C-View Inn
1380 Washington Street
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 884-4712

I received a “Suggest a Joint” request from Cindy who claims that the wings at the Court Jester are sensational. There are two locations: one in Freehold and the other in Aberdeen. Though the food is supposed to be the same at both locations, we chose Aberdeen because we were told that it had more table seating. Also since this is in my old man’s neck of the woods, I decided to take this opportunity to invite him out to eat with us so he can get some good grand kid time in while we tested out the wings.

I entered into this saloon with high expectations as Cindy is a very reputable source for good food. We sat at a large booth, sipped on our Monster Mugs of beer, and even though I looked over the menu, my mind was set on the one and only chicken wing… which according to THIS menu was “New Jersey’s Best.” As I placed my order of the “Regular” 9 piece wings with a side of what they call “Atomic” to see how nuclear it could be, my family ordered up a conglomeration of food consisting of things like: Baby Back Ribs, Spaghetti, Quesadillas, Wraps, and Clams.

When the food arrived, everything smelled and looked great, but I was taken aback when I looked at the wings they placed in front of me. They didn’t look like anything fancy as I stared at their average size and normal side dishes. Nothing that stood out and screamed “I am going to taste AWESOME!!” Just a typical plate that I would expect to find anywhere. I disappointingly grabbed the first piece and began to nosh away only to find out how insanely wrong I was. This is a classic case of don’t judge a book by its cover as these things packed some major flavor. The wings themselves had that slow cooked smokey taste that I love and seem to only find in a lot of BBQ type of places. I wonder if there is any correlation between cooking good ribs and cooking good wings… I may have to investigate that further. The meat had a nice tenderness to it, and still packed serious flavor even when I stripped it from the skin and sauce.

The sauce only added to the taste and itself had a BBQ-like quality to it with a thicker consistency, but with the heat and spice that I crave. My only wish for the sauce would be for it to be a little hotter, so I cracked open the “Atomic” to see how that favored over the other sauce. It was definitely hotter than the “Regular” but was still nothing crazy, so I mixed the two together and that seemed to do the trick.

Overall, the wings were great at Court Jester, and if I could suggest anything to make them better it would be to add more spice to the skin, a little size to the wing, and a little more heat to the sauce. But those are small changes to make an already great wing excellent. As an extra bonus, if you are in the area on a Sunday and you have little ones, swing on in with the kids and save some dough as they eat free (and that’s always a plus). Either way, I recommend stopping in and grabbing a plate of these wings because they will keep you coming back for more.

Court Jester
1077-A Highway 34
Aberdeen, NJ 07747
(732) 566-6674

While traveling for work, which I normally do, I found myself in Westminster with an insatiable appetite for wings. As I asked many locals where I could go to appease that appetite, I kept getting the following response: Buffalo Wild Wings. Now I have had Buffalo Wild Wings before on numerous occasions and they’re great, but I’m always on the lookout for something new in different areas. So when I insisted for an alternative, only one name rang out: The Greene Turtle.

The Greene Turtle is a small chain of restaurants that spread across Maryland and into Delaware. It offers a large bar area, restaurant booth sections, and is a very happening place that reminded me of a modern Friday’s mixed with a bar you would find at a casino: Nice, classy, and yet had a lot of fun and energy. I took my seat at the bar and grabbed my drink. Not too long after, I started to get a bit jealous as I watched a bunch of patrons come by, one-by-one, with their custom Greene Turtle mugs and have them filled with their favorite draft beer. Apparently when they first opened this location, customers had the ability to purchase these mugs for about $30 and now each drink they get in these mugs saves them $1. Now I am no math wiz, but I am a big drinker and I know that would save me some serious cash. Too bad the mugs are no longer available and I don’t live in the area…. so I’ll just sit and be jealous whilst I order my food.

The wings I got were the 12 count of their “Kinda Hot” sauce and a side of “Blazing Hot” (I did like the names). At first glance, the wings were not coated very well, and the sauce was so runny that it didn’t really cling to the wing as I would have liked. They were not breaded and came out with the classic sides of celery and blue cheese, but on top of that, The Green Turtle also added a bit of garnish to the plating that made the presentation a little nicer.

At first bite I could get a little spice from the sauce, and the though the meat was a bit tender, it was also slightly on the slimy side. The sauce was very watery, so I had to keep dipping the wing to get some sort of coating, and though the heat was there, it quickly dissipated in about five seconds leaving me nothing to remember of what I just ate. I decided now would be a good time to try the “Blazing Hot” to see if that had any lasting impression.

HOLY HELL!!! This stuff was hot! I don’t know what they put in it, but it was one of the hottest sauces I have had at a chain restaurant. I talked about how the “Kinda Hot” didn’t leave a longstanding taste in my mouth, and where that sauce failed this one succeeded with a vengeance. It took like 15 minutes before the stinging lips subsided. The “Blazing Hot” was way too hot for my taste, but for those out there who crave the heat, this will definitely do the trick. For me, I had to order a side of fries to help relieve me from the pain.

One thing that I did like was how the kitchen was right behind and connected to the bar. This way when the bartender sees customers waiting for food, he can swing right back there and find out the status, thus staying on top of things. The staff was very friendly and had a quick response time, but overall The Greene Turtle’s wings were nothing to brag about. They offered little flavor and left me forgetting them quickly. I guess now I can understand why they are a second choice for most of the locals.

The Greene Turtle
830 Market St.
Westminster, MD 21157
(410) 871-1524

While I was out on a job in Egg Harbor Township, one of the guys there threw me a “dude, you gotta try Robert’s in Margate.” But it wasn’t until I was back in the Philly area that I heard the same thing. This made more of an impact on me due to the fact that it was now a more widespread source for this one little place on the Jersey shore, and if they know about it an hour away in Philly, it must be worth checking out. Rest assured, the next time I was in the Atlantic City area, I made it a point to stop by and give their wings a whirl.

I walked into the bar and quickly found out that is was a cash only facility…so HEADS UP on that one. Good thing I had some because in this day and age I use the card for everything.  After I placed my order of “Regular” style wings with the waitress, who was not only super nice but very quick in getting our drinks, I had some time to gaze around the room and absorb the decor. One of the things that stood out to me was a sign from Philadelphia Magazine that read “Philadelphia Best of the Shore 2006 for Wings.” This got me excited that Philly Magazine recognized this small bar for great wings, but also left me wondering who got the Best of the Shore from 2007 on… hmmmm? All of that doesn’t matter at the moment as I only care about the wings that show up on MY plate.

But it wasn’t a plate that these babies arrived on; they came on a lunch tray (yup, a lunch tray). At first this seemed like a spectacularly unique idea because I am always looking for extra room to put bones or whatever else I have (plus it looked cool), but then halfway in I realized that choosing a tray over a bowl may not have been the best choice as it leaves a very shallow area of sauce not suitable for dipping when the wings need that extra boost. Each wing came in two pieces: a drum and a wing/tip combo and were slightly breaded which made it nice and super awesomely crispy. I don’t eat the tips but just the fact that I could pull them off the rest without any hesitation shows how tender these things were.

The meat of the wing didn’t really have any flavor, but was very hot in temperature and was nice and juicy. It’s obvious that it derived all of its taste from the sauce which was kind of familiar to me. I don’t know if it was a Louisiana Hot sauce or another brand, but it reminded me of something store bought that I have had before. It was great in the flavor, but it seemed that the Hot, Regular, and Mild were all the same sauce just cut differently with butter (the more butter, the more mild the sauce). I would’ve liked to have seen each sauce have its own spice and style to make them stand out from one another, that way each sauce would be as unique as the tray the wings were served on.

Overall, the wings were super tender and great in almost all aspects. The sauce seemed like an altered store bought brand that carried a nice flavor and good heat. The Regular sauce was my favorite though they were all so close to each other I don’t think it really matters which one is ordered. Needless to say, when I am done critiquing, I sit back and think “did I enjoy eating these wings?”… and the answer is “heck yeah.” With the crispness of the skin and tenderness of the meat, I would recommend stopping into Robert’s Place and picking yourself up some great wings if ever in the Margate City area.

Robert’s Place
7807 Atlantic Ave.
Margate City, NJ 08402
(609) 823-5050

Though my taste buds are acute, my eyesight is crap. And during my last eye exam, I came to find out that my doctor is a wing enthusiast as well, so we start talking wings…  how to eat them, where to go, how hot we like them, the normal chatter. He tells me that if I am ever in the Swedesboro area that I need to swing into a little place known as Rode’s Fireside and try their Buffalo wings out for size. This sounded like a plan, so I wrangled up the family and headed down for a nice dinner out.

This place is off the beaten path a bit, and they have signs directing you from the main road to ensure you don’t miss them. I often see signs like this for amusement parks, resorts, and national landmarks, so my mind relates the two and makes me think that I am headed somewhere special. I arrived at Rode’s (Pronounced Rō-dees) and was expecting a little hole in the wall, but instead was facing a nicely constructed modern looking bar. We walked past the main area and were seated out on the screened-in porch that had been converted for the winter time with heaters and nice tables. One nice perk about this restaurant was the fact that it was kid friendly (complete with kid’s menus and crayons), so I could bring the wee ones and not feel out of place.

The menu offered up three Buffalo style variations: Mild, Hot, and Extra Hot. I asked the waitress how the Hot related to a normal medium sauce in which she replied that the chef will mix it up however hot I would like. I didn’t want them to make anything special for me because I want to taste things as they come normally, so I ordered them Hot with a side of the Extra Hot. I just thought it was nice that they would go outside their box to cater to the customer, and that’s always a plus.

When the wings arrived, they didn’t look like anything fancy. They were non-breaded, coated decently with the sauce, and had a nice pool of the drippings on the bottom which was perfect for dipping. The meat was pretty standard with the size being slightly larger than the norm. But once again I get that familiar smell and taste that leads me to believe they use Frank’s as the hot sauce. Now, I don’t have a problem with this normally, because Frank’s is an awesome sauce, but when you have a product that claims to be Famous (as these wings do), I expect more from the sauce. They can’t just ride on the coattails of Frank’s alone. I think that if a bar claims to have famous wings, then the sauce should either be made from scratch, or at least start with a brand name as a base and mix in some other ingredients and spices to make it unique.

The Extra Hot sauce was also a bit odd as it wasn’t really that much hotter. It did bring in more garlic and black pepper, but overall didn’t have much Buffalo flavor and didn’t mesh well with the other sauce when I tried to mix them. I would just stick with the Hot and order some fries for something extra (though you’ll have to salt the hell out of them because they were pretty bland as well).

The wings were tasty, and if I lived in the area, I would probably frequent the bar for its friendly staff and atmosphere. But I don’t feel that this was worth a special trip just to get these “famous” wings when there are plenty of other places that offer more than just the standard ingredients. I don’t know what Chris really saw in those wings, but I think it may be time for a new prescription (get it… ’cause he’s an eye doctor).

Rode’s Fireside
533 Kings Highway
Swedesboro, NJ 08085
(856) 467-2700

The Shannon Rose is a small group of Irish pubs that are spread across Northern Jersey and celebrate my heritage proudly with Celtic music and plenty of beverage. I’ve been to their Woodbridge location before on several occasions, mostly for steak dinners or Easter Brunch, but never sat down to measure up their wings. So when the opportunity came up to head into the original Shannon Rose in Clifton with some friends, I decided it would be a great time to give the wings a go.

They come in two variations, so I ordered up the classic Buffalo while my buddy Paul got the Guinness BBQ (which allowed me to swap out and test them both). When the wings arrived at the bar, mine looked just like I would have expected: nice color, great smell, and decent size. The reason I say “like I would have expected” is because I use this type of wing as a base in all of my reviews. When I go out to a bar or restaurant, I expect to get a normal sized wing (nothing huge or small) with a nice amount of flavor and good temperature. A wing that will leave me thinking it was a good dish and would most likely get them again if I’m ever in the same place. I wouldn’t seek out these wings nor avoid them, and would never be left disappointed.

Basically, these wings met my expectations. They had an equal amount of wings to drums and were very consistent in size. The sauce had a nice taste, and the only problem that I had with it was that there was not enough. So I ordered another cup of sauce to give the wings the coverage they deserved, had another few pieces, then snuck one of the Guinness wings to see what they were all about. It had a great BBQ flavor that kept each bite nice and sweet, and though it was an excellent dish, it lacked the heat and peppers that I crave, so I moved back to the Buffalo and finished my meal.

When I walk into a pub I have certain expectations about how my wings should turn out. When they don’t meet those expectations, I give a “less than” review. The ones that exceed those expectations get my recommendation. But then there are the times that I get an order of wings that are EXACTLY what I expected. The Shannon Rose is one of those places. I went in with a craving and left happy… nothing more, nothing less.

The Shannon Rose
98 Kingsland Rd.
Clifton, NJ 07014
(973) 284-0200

Over recent years, Buffalo Wing Festivals have been popping up more frequently across the United States. Take a look at the schedule below to find upcoming events in your area. Feel free to leave us a message if you know of any events that are not included in this list.

View 2013 Schedule

*Dates are subject to change.

It isn’t too often that I end up in Reading, PA, so when I found out that’s where work was taking me, I took this opportunity to see who had some great wings for me to try out. In my quest, I found a place called Jimmie Kramer’s Peanut Bar which has appeared on the Travel Channel and also has received multiple awards for having the Best Wings in Berks County. Sounds like my cup of tea, so I got my nut cracker and headed on in to this historic establishment.

The first thing that I noticed as I walked in the door were the peanut shells all over the ground. It seems that this place is known for patrons tossing the complimentary peanut shells on the bar floor. Not only is the shell litter expected, it’s actually encouraged, so I ordered a beer and began making a mess to honor this tradition.

The feel of the bar was reminiscent of an old school soda shop with the bartender welcoming me in wearing a nice suit and saying things like “excellent choice, sir, coming right up.” I was extremely excited because this was the first time that I had been in a bar that honored these old traditions, and it made me feel like I was a part of its history. And part of its history were these all too famous wings that have been plastered all over the place as the six times Best of Berks Winner, so I felt ready to be a part of that too.

Aside from the Garlic Herb variation, the restaurant only serves one style of Buffalo. So that is what I ordered, and my taste buds were excited with the expectation of the six time awesomeness. However that excitement was extinguished rather quickly when the plate arrived. The wings at first glance looked like they were dry and had no sauce on them. Typically, I expect to see orange or red coloring indicating a Buffalo Sauce has been doused on top, but not in this case. When I got closer, I realized that they were covered in sauce, and yet still remained pale in color. The sauce was very oily, almost translucent, and when I moved the wings around in the blend, it summoned up a foamy head. This put me on edge because I tried a lot of strange concoctions, but I firmly believe that no buffalo sauce should ever FOAM. However, I was hungry and I have found hidden gems in worse places, so I dug right in to see what these wings had to offer.

Short answer, not much. They were nice and crispy and the meat was tender, but the size of these things were pretty puny. The sauce, though scary at first, had a little twang to it that put a smidge of flavor into the dish. It reminded me of the Thousand Island-like Burger King packet I tried with the Fast Food tasting. Needless to say, I began to question how these wings could possibly be mistaken for the best of anything. They were not the worst wings that I have ever had, but if I return it would be for the intellectual conversation with the bartender and nostalgic atmosphere… definitely not the wings.

To sum it up, the Peanut Bar was a fun stop with an excellent feel and even more excellent service. But if they earned the title “Best in Berks” for over six years, then it is safe to say that I probably don’t need to try any other place for great wings in this county.  With a claim like that, the wings better have backed it up, but unfortunately they didn’t.

Peanut Bar
332 Penn Street
Reading, PA 19601
(610) 376-8500

Though I may have been born and raised in New Jersey, my family originated in Long Island (pronounced with a hard “G”). Whether it be for work, or visiting relatives, or both, I find myself up that way quite a bit. So, it was just a matter of time before I found myself on one of these trips and craving some wings.

On my way home I took a detour into a little bar called Rookies in Huntington, NY which is a sports club that was very clean and modern with a ton of TVs and friendly people. As soon as I sat down, I was greeted with a free shot offer to try some new vodka (which normally I would be all over, but not with a 3hr drive ahead of me). Vodka or beer, friendly service or not, I was here for only one thing… The wings (oh, and some fries).

From a menu ranging from six wings to 100 and offering about ten sauces, I made my selection. I went with the classic Buffalo sauce with some Hell Fire on the side and ordered up a dozen because I felt that six wouldn’t be enough to fill me…. boy was I wrong. The wings came out in a huge pile of jumbo-ness; I mean these things were gigantic!! So much so that each wing was about double the size of what I would normally expect at a similar place. They came accompanied with a side of blue cheese as well as a mix of celery and carrots. Now, I’ve seen places out west that use only carrots and around the east coast we typically find celery, but I love when places have the combination of both because I think that carrots offer a bit more bite while celery adds a more soothing watery sensation. I’m just saying, they’re a good team.

I started in on the wings, and what I noticed half way in was that even though these things were big, the meat didn’t overpower the sauce. What I mean is: usually when you have large wings, there is so much meat, that you lose the tastiness of the wing sauce because of the meat to skin ratio. You get a bite of the skin and then are left chewing on the meat forever. This is not the case here, however. Each wing was breaded and had the sauce coated on them so well that no matter how big a bite was, I still got a constant Buffalo flavor throughout. My only complaint would be that the meat itself needed a bit more flavor on its own as it was pretty standard, not bad… just normal. And when you’re on a quest looking for the extraordinary – the kind where the meat falls off the bone with an awesome slow cooked taste in every bite – normal just doesn’t cut it.

When there is no substantial taste to the chicken, a restaurant usually relies heavily on the sauce to bring the flavor, and man did they have something great to fall back on. The sauce had the great Buffalo style that we all know and love, but also had an extra kick that left my lips tingling after each wing. It wasn’t overbearing by any stretch and was definitely my speed when it came to heat… hot and tasty. But if you live your lifestyle by the expression “Go bold or go home,” then Rookies has a sauce for you. Normally, I am fooled with names like “Inferno” or “Devil’s Door Fiery Pit of Hell Hot Gate from Sun Sweaty Death…” (well you get the idea) I am usually disappointed because the heat does not live up to the name. That all got put to rest when I tried the side of Hell Fire from Rookies. Not only did I see the little bits of Habañero in the sauce, but it stuck right to the wing without remorse, as if it were saying “oh hell no, you are gunna eat everything I have to offer… no dripping here… man up and take a bite!” So, man up I did.  …well at least for one bite anyway. And that one bite took me right back to when I ate the Habañero during the Pepper Tasting. This stuff was WAY too hot for my liking, but you hot heads would’ve loved it as it brought massive heat without choking me up.

There is always room for improvement, but Rookies Sports Club doesn’t need to go too far as this was a great place with near perfect wings. The wings are incredibly large, so order carefully or you’ll find yourself filled up real fast and resort to taking the rest home in a box (which is never a bad thing as it allows you to enjoy them all over again). So, if you find yourself in the Huntington area and looking for a great place for wings, I suggest you stop in and see the guys at Rookies for it will leave you with a happy belly and even happier tongue.

Rookies Sports Club
70 Gerard St.
Huntington, NY 11743
(631) 923-0424

When you have the open road in front of you and little time to grab a bite to eat, the most common destination would be fast food restaurants. Many of them now offer a Buffalo dipping sauce to partner up with their nuggets or fingers, but what’s really in them and do they taste any good? Let me answer the first part with another question: Do we EVER really know what is in fast food? But to help determine which place to go when the Buffalo urge comes a calling and there is no time to stop for some real wings, I decided to grab all of the hot sauces that the fast food restaurants of the North East had to offer and do a sampling to see how I would rank them against each other. From order of best to worst (1 being best) I give you my list: