I spent an enjoyable evening at the Wingstop in December watching the Bears defeat the New Orleans Saints in a Thursday night dust up. Although the Wingstop is little more than a fast food joint with bottled beer, the top quality hi-def TV’s and the tasty hot chicken wings make it an ideal place to watch football, as attested to by the half dozen neighborhood guys and uniformed cops that had gathered.
The wings are available in two types (bone-in or boneless), six different heat levels (culminating in Atomic, which presumably will send you screaming, tongue aflame, to the nearest pail of H20) and several different quantities from 4 to 10 or more. In addition, you can choose a dipping sauce, some celery stalks, baked beans and a roll.
I must say, I like the concept of boneless chicken wings. Wings, the cast-off part of a chicken, have long been relegated to the bottom of Colonel Sander’s bucket because of the difficult in eating them. Gnawing around small, slender bones to get at a few scraps of meat usually meant you were either desperately hungry or the last one to the party. Of course all that changed when the good people of Buffalo elevated the chicken wing to high art with a coating of barbecue sauce and some cayenne pepper. Still, that didn’t solve the problem of eating them. Even when Hooters came along and added a dash of titillation to the mix, eating wings remained a messy chore.
Now Wingstop, a chain with locations in more than six cities, has solved the problem. Without inquiring too closely into how the bones are extracted, I find the end result quite satisfying. The wing retains its juicy flavor without sacrificing any of its toothsome composition. At last you can eat a hot chicken wing without holding it like a miniature corn cob and slathering your face in sauce. The Cajun seasoning on mine was pleasantly spicy and hot. The accompanying blue cheese dipping sauce was just right.
For a mere buck, a half dozen celery and carrot stalks provided the proper side note and for a few dollars more a generous cup of bourbon flavored baked beans added a welcome complement. Only the crabbed and forlorn looking dinner roll failed to live up to expectations, smallish, cold and wandering along the fringes of freshness.
The cooler at Wingstop is stocked with a selection of more than a half dozen quality beers in bottles. There is wine. And there are fountain drinks, bottled water and juices.
If you’re looking for anything other than wings and their usual accompaniments you’re out of luck. Wingstop does one thing well and doesn’t wander from concept. Even the jokey décor plays around with the idea of wings, presenting a vintage aviation theme that runs to old flight schedules, framed advertisements for propeller driven air travel and images of hero pilots with jaunty caps and streaming neck scarves.
But on a Thursday night in December it was all about the football. The terrific hi-def flat screens with adjustable volume control made for perfect viewing and the uniformed cops and neighborhood guys were making the most of it. A Bears’ victory put the proprietor in a good mood and he bought the house a round.
This is fast food with something more, a neighborhoodly warmth, a pleasant heat on the tongue and a relaxed friendliness in comfortable surroundings. Wingstop does wings right.
Wingstop
1637 N. Milwaukee Ave
773-235-9464 / Reservations Not Accepted
Hours: Su-Th 11am-12am; F-Sa 11am-2am
Features: Late Night Dining, Carryout
Avg price of a meal for two including drinks and tax $35
Website: www.wingstop.com
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