Old City Wing Crawl
Last year, we punished our stomachs in the best kind of way: by traveling to various restaurants throughout the city and sampling their wings. It was our goal to find great wings for Super Bowl to take some of the guesswork out of it for you.
Learning from our mistake, and understanding that there are just too many places to cover, we decided we needed to break it down by neighborhood...and even then we didn't get to all the places we wanted to hit!
Without further ado, we present the results of the Drink Philly Old City Wing Crawl 2011 (DPOCWC2011).
“Hot Mustard Wings”
Size: Medium-large
Texture: Sticky, but not overwhelming. One of our writers was using a napkin to hold her wing, and the napkin did not stick to the wing and fall apart. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. Very well cooked.
Sauciness: More of a glaze than a full-on sauce.
Portion vs. Price: $9 for 12 ($0.75 per wing)
Super Bowl Popularity: Great. Irish Pol has a few TVs so you can watch the game. It’s bar seating or standing-room only though, so be prepared.
Overall Impressions: These wings are an amazing change from the “standard” hot wing. They have an incredible aroma of mustard, without overpowering the other flavors in the taste. There is just a little heat, and an overall sweetness that I truthfully didn’t expect. Worth the visit.
“Buffalo Wings”
Size: Small
Texture: Classic wings, a bit dry. Crispy outside, not as juicy as I’d hope.
Portion vs. Price: $10 for 8 ($1.25 per wing)
Sauciness: “The Standard.” A Frank’s variant for sure. The wings here are pretty typical of what you’d find in many other restaurants. Served with chunky, delicious bleu cheese dip.
Super Bowl Popularity: There are no televisions in National Mechanics, but there is a giant projector screen. I have a good feeling they’ll bust it out for the game.
Overall Impressions: I love this bar. These guys make a great burger, have a great draft selection, and are overall priced pretty well.
“Buffalo Wings”
Size: Small
Texture: “Classic.” Crispy on the outside.
Sauciness: Though a classic sauce, they weren’t particularly drippy. You’ll have to reach for a napkin at some point, but there are worse offenders out there.
Portion vs. Price: $9 for 8 ($1.13/Wing)
Superbowl Popularity: Not many TVs for watching the game.
Overall Impressions: Another take on the Classic Wing, with a “Frank’s” style of the sauce. Recommended for those who prefer a traditional approach to them.
Size: Medium
Texture: Crispy outside, juicy inside. Masterfully cooked.
Sauciness: More of a glaze than a sauce on these wings.
Portion vs. Price: $11 for 12 wings. ($0.92/Wing)
Superbowl Popularity: Low for watching the game, high for getting away from it. If you prefer the chicken wing aspect of Super Bowl over watching the game itself, this would be a great place to stop in. The food was delish.
Overall Impressions: These wings were really wonderful. Sweet and spicy glaze, and cooked to what our chicken-filled bodies saw as perfection.
Cajun/Medium
Size: Medium
Texture: Not too crispy, and a bit saucier. The meat fell right off the bone, but then you had to work for it.
Sauciness: A little saucier than the other classic wings we had sampled that evening.
Portion vs. Price: $0.35 per wing, minimum of 6.
Superbowl Popularity: High! TVs for watching the game, and the food is super affordable. Lots of seating and standing room.
Overall Impressions: This may well be the best spot to get a classic-style wing (for the record, they have several other styles too) at the best price. Drinker’s is known for cheap drink specials and cheap, good eats.
Philadelphia Bar & Restaurant
Size: Medium-Large
Texture: Crispy outside, juicy inside.
Sauciness: Glazed and wonderful. The cheese is clearly baked into the wings themselves, which is one of the most deliciously efficient ideas ever.
Portion vs. Price: 5 wings for $6 ($1.20/Wing)
Superbowl Popularity: Cool restaurant, awesome drafts, but few TVs. Come here for a nice dinner with some unique wings beforehand.
Overall Impressions: Unique wings! Very flavorful. The cheese baked into the wings was a surprisingly nice touch. Definitely go here if you’re looking to deviate from the norm of what a wing should be, and into the realm of what it could be.
Hellfire
Size: Medium-Large
Texture: Not too crispy. Juicy wings, heavy sauce.
Portion vs. Price: $8.50 for 10 wings ($0.85/Wing)
Sauciness: Heavier sauce. A bit thick.
Super Bowl Popularity: Their Super Bowl will feature a pig roast and cigar party. Doors will close and people can hang out and watch the game. Check the details here: http://www.qoldcity.com/events/index.php
Overall Impressions: Not for the faint of heart. These wings are prepared with a sauce using the Bhut Jolokia, which until a few weeks ago was the hottest pepper on record. One bite and your mouth will burn for twenty minutes. The big problem is that the wings are delicious, so you keep coming back for more. Flavorful, insanely spicy, and worth the price.
