Even if football season isn’t what we thought it would be this year, it’s game on for chicken wing season! Whether you’re team ranch or blue cheese, here’s where to go for Alexandria’s best wings.
What makes a good wing?
We talked to Chef Mark Reyburn from Union Street Public House for his take on what diners should look for in a “good” wing.
“It has to be the sauce,” Reyburn said. “You have to have hot sauce, butter and there’s normally a secret ingredient to give it a little kick.”
If you want your wings particularly crispy, you should ask for your sauce on the side, he said, because the longer the sauce is on the wings, the softer they get.
“Just like French fries or deep-fried fish or calamari, it normally has a window — and it’s about 30 seconds — so as chefs, as soon as something comes out of the fryer, we’re saying, ‘Get that out to the diner, immediately.’”
Wings are not something to order for take-out, he said, because they’re really best when they’re hot and fresh out of the kitchen. (In fact, Reyburn said he took calamari off of Union Street Public House’s take-out menu because it doesn’t travel well.)
Union Street Public House offers a variety of wings from Classic Buffalo to naked, Old Bay and more. Reviewers praise Union Street Public House’s wings for being ”tremendously tasty.“
Ranch or Blue Cheese?
A Buffalo, N.Y. native said most restaurants in Buffalo serve blue cheese with wings, but it’s often house-made blue cheese, not something out of a bottle. Ranch dressing on wings, he said, is “sacrilege” where he’s from.
Chef Reyburn from Union Street Public House said most of his customers order ranch with their wings, and that’s particularly true with people who are from the South.
The results of a non-scientific poll we posted on Alexandria Living Magazine’s Facebook page showed a definite preference for blue cheese over ranch. One person wrote, “Growing up there, you will be chased out of Buffalo if you ask for ranch. Just saying.”
Taste Test
Over the summer, we gathered a group of seven taste testers from a variety of backgrounds — including a native of Buffalo, New York and a few people who say they always order wings as an appetizer. We ordered two sets of wings from several restaurants based on recommendations from friends and family (and a few complete strangers).
Due to the pandemic, we had to do exactly what Chef Mark said not to do: We ordered take-out.
In addition to these below, we also received very high recommendations from people for the wings from Union Street Public House, T.J. Stone’s and Glory Days Grill (particularly for the variety and customization options available there).
Mackie's — The highest of compliments, our Buffalo native said Mackie’s came the closest to real wings from Buffalo. We ordered both the classic Buffalo wings and the jerk chicken wings. Our testers said both options were meaty, cooked perfectly and “flavorful,” though some of our tasters thought the jerk wings were just a tad on the salty side.
Chadwicks — We ordered Buffalo and Old Bay wings from Chadwicks. Both got positive reviews, but the Old Bay won the “order again” vote from our testers. With just the right amount of spice and not too salty, the Old Bay wings had a “nice kick.” The Buffalo wings ran a close second to Mackie’s for our Buffalo native.
Bon Chon — We ordered the spicy classic wings (made with a rub, not a sauce) and ginger sesame wings. One of our tasters said the spicy ones should be called “8-second wings” because it’s about 8 seconds after swallowing that your mouth feels the heat. The ginger sesame wings are a good alternative for those who like sweet wings with just a little kick. Bon Chon’s wings were by far the largest wings with thick, crispy batter (too much batter, some noted).
Wing Zone — Honey BBQ and Buffalo wings were our choices from Wing Zone in Del Ray, where options are the name of the game. The honey wings were “crispy, sweet, unexpectedly good!” one of our testers noted. The Buffalo wings were “hot, but not fire-engine hot.”
