Buffalo Wild Wings

[Snaggletiger]

Of the chains around here, not a fan at all of:

O'Charley's
Outback
Applebee's

Not to say I don't eat at any of those on occasion but there's just nothing on any of their menus that I care about.  I go to Ruby Tuesday's a good bit because they've easily got the best salad bar in town.  I never get anything else there.  Friday's? Meh.  Does nothing for me. Same with Chili's.

[JR4AU]

Places that depress me, and I do mean I am literally depressed to be in them.

Applebee's
TGIFriday's
O'Charley's
Baumhower's
Denny's (partly because of the always present divorced dad with his three kids in the corner booth who are running amok while he has a "When is your mother picking you up?" look on his face)
IHOP
Red Robin
Pizza Hut


Probably others that I am not thinking of right now.   

Places that probably should depress me but don't...

CiCi's (fond memories from Auburn when $5 would get you enough pizza and pink lemonade that you didn't have to eat again for 36 hours.  At that point I didn't really care that the pizza was of equivalent quality of what could be bought from the freezer section of Winn Dixie)
Waffle House (because I am usually at some level of inebriation while there)
Cracker Barrel (It's kitschy and corny, but damn the meatloaf and hashbrown casserole is good; also best cup of joe in the morning)

I never go in Cracker Barrel alone.  It's always because someone, or more often some group I'm with "votes" to stop there, like the group I went with a few weeks ago to Nashville did.  The Ex used to drag me there quite often too for the chicken and dumplings.  It's not always bad, but I leave disappointed more often than not.  Yes, the hashbrown casserole is spot on.   Also, bacon is the most important food group on the planet, and CB manages to serve shitty bacon somehow.   It's got a weird sorta sweet taste, and it's NEVER cooked crispy, even when I specifically request it.   At the moment I'm having trouble recalling what it is I've had there that I do like, other than the hashbrown casserole and fried eggs.

Even though I've admitted I like Baumhower's wings and fries, the wings more specifically because of all I've had, their hot/garlic are the best, you're right on the rest of their menu.  Just like "plastic food".

[GH2001]

I never go in Cracker Barrel alone.  It's always because someone, or more often some group I'm with "votes" to stop there, like the group I went with a few weeks ago to Nashville did.  The Ex used to drag me there quite often too for the chicken and dumplings.  It's not always bad, but I leave disappointed more often than not.  Yes, the hashbrown casserole is spot on.   Also, bacon is the most important food group on the planet, and CB manages to serve shitty bacon somehow.   It's got a weird sorta sweet taste, and it's NEVER cooked crispy, even when I specifically request it.   At the moment I'm having trouble recalling what it is I've had there that I do like, other than the hashbrown casserole and fried eggs.

Even though I've admitted I like Baumhower's wings and fries, the wings more specifically because of all I've had, their hot/garlic are the best, you're right on the rest of their menu.  Just like "plastic food".

I have my places that I like that have good service and decent food:

Fudruckers
Chick Fil A
Jason's Deli
Moe's
Waffle House (yes, I said it - I love this place)

I like Chili's moreso than the other plastic chains. But I'm still meh even on them. I hate the others.

[JR4AU]

I have my places that I like that have good service and decent food:

Fudruckers
Chick Fil A
Jason's Deli
Moe's
Waffle House (yes, I said it - I love this place)

I like Chili's moreso than the other plastic chains. But I'm still meh even on them. I hate the others.

Never a bad experience service-wise at Chic Fil A, but I don't like their spicy chicken.  Had high hopes for it, but something about isn't right to me.  Every thing else is money!

Yes, I love Awful House too!  The simplicity, and wonderliciousness of 2 eggs over easy, crispy bacon, toast to sop up the yolk, and hashbrowns, with a nice cup of joe cannot be understated.  They get it right, and usually fast.  This type of breakfast cannot be eaten on a regular basis, but it's a nice treat maybe once a month on a Saturday morning. 

Eaten at Jason's and Moe's just a handful of times, and no complaints on either. 

And I'll make an admission, I like Krystal burgers.  Extra mustard, extra onion.  Won't touch their soggy, greasy fries, but a couple of "sliders" makes a nice snack once in a while. 

[AWK]

The best wings I've ever had come from a franchise called Wing Zone.  They are here in Birmingham and you should try them out.  Best...sauces...ever...

[JR4AU]

The best wings I've ever had come from a franchise called Wing Zone.  They are here in Birmingham and you should try them out.  Best...sauces...ever...

I may have to, but I must admit, I'm not on a mission to find the holy grail of wings.  That said, I've come to prefer grilled wings with Tony's on them.  Done over indirect heat on the grill, the skin crisps up nicely, they stay juicy and Tony's is perfect.   Or you can sauce them. 

[Buzz Killington]

The best wings I've ever had come from a franchise called Wing Zone.  They are here in Birmingham and you should try them out.  Best...sauces...ever...

We used to get them from Exotic Wings & Things, and they were delicious.  I may have to try Wing Zone sometime.

[Snaggletiger]

I may have to, but I must admit, I'm not on a mission to find the holy grail of wings.  That said, I've come to prefer grilled wings with Tony's on them.  Done over indirect heat on the grill, the skin crisps up nicely, they stay juicy and Tony's is perfect.   Or you can sauce them.

This.  Haven't found any wings yet to beat my own grilled.  However, I have to admit I don't think much about the taste if the waitress has tiny orange shorts on and large, bulbous chachabingas coming out of her shirt. 

How was the food?

Um....pretty good....I think.

[Vandy Vol]

I still prefer the Wings Plus stores in the area.

Wing Zone typically cooks wings and then dumps sauce on them, or at least that's how they appear to me when I get them.  Don't get me wrong, the sauces are good and there are plenty of flavors, but I prefer my wings to have been grilled or fried with the sauce on them, rather than throwing it on afterward, or putting the sauce on so late in the cooking process that it doesn't really cook in.

The Wings Plus stores do a good job of having the sauce and flavor cooked in to the wings a little more.  Plus their Cajun fries are the shit.

[JR4AU]

I still prefer the Wings Plus stores in the area.

Wing Zone typically cooks wings and then dumps sauce on them, or at least that's how they appear to me when I get them.  Don't get me wrong, the sauces are good and there are plenty of flavors, but I prefer my wings to have been grilled or fried with the sauce on them, rather than throwing it on afterward, or putting the sauce on so late in the cooking process that it doesn't really cook in.

The Wings Plus stores do a good job of having the sauce and flavor cooked in to the wings a little more.  Plus their Cajun fries are the shit.

Eaten, and seen a lot of fried wings made.  Never once seen one sauced prior to deep frying.   

[Vandy Vol]

Eaten, and seen a lot of fried wings made.  Never once seen one sauced prior to deep frying.

Well, I'm not sure how they do it, but Wings Plus does it better in my opinion.  Whenever I order Wing Zone, there's a puddle of sauce underneath the wings, and on some wings the sauce has dripped mostly off.

Maybe Wings Plus doesn't fry their wings with the sauce on them, but it's a much more "cohesive" finished product.  I prefer wings like that; otherwise, if the sauce is barely hanging on and can be found all in my to-go container, then I might as well have ordered plain wings with sauce on the side for dipping.

[JR4AU]

Well, I'm not sure how they do it, but Wings Plus does it better in my opinion.  Whenever I order Wing Zone, there's a puddle of sauce underneath the wings, and on some wings the sauce has dripped mostly off.

Maybe Wings Plus doesn't fry their wings with the sauce on them, but it's a much more "cohesive" finished product.  I prefer wings like that; otherwise, if the sauce is barely hanging on and can be found all in my to-go container, then I might as well have ordered plain wings with sauce on the side for dipping.

Generally speaking, anything you'd drop in a fryer, would be patted dry first or at least drained of excess moisture.  Maybe they marinate theirs, and use a sauce that adheres better.   I doubt they're fried with a sauce on them.   I agree that the sauce should be thick enough to coat and not run off.  In fact, one reason I like Baumhowers is that they will bring you the sauce on the side for dipping.  That way the wings aren't laying in sauce with the skin getting mushy.  Hooters will do that, but they bring the sauce out in a pre-packaged container, and it's more a paste than a sauce, so that doesn't work there. 

[Vandy Vol]

Generally speaking, anything you'd drop in a fryer, would be patted dry first or at least drained of excess moisture.  Maybe they marinate theirs, and use a sauce that adheres better.   I doubt they're fried with a sauce on them.   I agree that the sauce should be thick enough to coat and not run off.  In fact, one reason I like Baumhowers is that they will bring you the sauce on the side for dipping.  That way the wings aren't laying in sauce with the skin getting mushy.  Hooters will do that, but they bring the sauce out in a pre-packaged container, and it's more a paste than a sauce, so that doesn't work there.

I've seen people bake wings for an additional amount of time with the sauce on them, but yeah, it wouldn't seem that frying them with sauce on them would make sense.

Because Wing Zone is a relatively large chain all over the southeast, I'm assuming they have pre-made sauces that maybe aren't as high of a quality as far as adhesiveness?  Not sure...the flavors are still great.  It's just the sloppiness and loss of sauce on the wings that makes me give Wings Plus the edge.  And Wings Plus seems to have slightly crispier wings; I'm like you in that I don't like the sogginess of wings that have been allowed to sit in an excess of sauce for awhile.

[JR4AU]

I've seen people bake wings for an additional amount of time with the sauce on them, but yeah, it wouldn't seem that frying them with sauce on them would make sense.

Because Wing Zone is a relatively large chain all over the southeast, I'm assuming they have pre-made sauces that maybe aren't as high of a quality as far as adhesiveness?  Not sure...the flavors are still great.  It's just the sloppiness and loss of sauce on the wings that makes me give Wings Plus the edge.  And Wings Plus seems to have slightly crispier wings; I'm like you in that I don't like the sogginess of wings that have been allowed to sit in an excess of sauce for awhile.

That will get me to go try them.

[Vandy Vol]

That will get me to go try them.

While in law school, I went to the Wings Plus 3 on Green Springs in northern Homewood a lot.  Someone told me that it has since closed, but I haven't been back in that direction to check it out recently.  It is/was near the intersection of Palisades/Oxmoor and Green Springs, in the same shopping center as Publix.

There's one in Irondale on Montclair Road, right near the Wal-Mart there.  Across the street from Wal-Mart in the same shopping center as Hacienda and Mattress Firm.  Been there a few times, and it seemed just as quality as the Green Springs location.

Supposedly there's one in Hoover near Shades Crest in the Shades Mountain Plaza Shopping Center.  Never been there, but I assume it's the same chain and is of the same quality.

Closest one to downtown appears to be on 3rd Avenue West across from a Burger King and next to a Shell station.  Again, never been to that one, but I assume it's the same.

Now that I look at their locations, they're scattered in some odd places.  I'm surprised that I ever found them to begin with.  There's even one in Midfield if you've got some brass balls on you.

[JR4AU]

While in law school, I went to the Wings Plus 3 on Green Springs in northern Homewood a lot.  Someone told me that it has since closed, but I haven't been back in that direction to check it out recently.  It is/was near the intersection of Palisades/Oxmoor and Green Springs, in the same shopping center as Publix.

There's one in Irondale on Montclair Road, right near the Wal-Mart there.  Across the street from Wal-Mart in the same shopping center as Hacienda and Mattress Firm.  Been there a few times, and it seemed just as quality as the Green Springs location.

Supposedly there's one in Hoover near Shades Crest in the Shades Mountain Plaza Shopping Center.  Never been there, but I assume it's the same chain and is of the same quality.

Closest one to downtown appears to be on 3rd Avenue West across from a Burger King and next to a Shell station.  Again, never been to that one, but I assume it's the same.

Now that I look at their locations, they're scattered in some odd places.  I'm surprised that I ever found them to begin with.  There's even one in Midfield if you've got some brass balls on you.

There is a wing place in that shopping center, but can't recall the name.  I'll have to check next time I'm up that way.

[JR4AU]

When I googled it, it says they're still there.

http://www.urbanspoon.com/u/map/491229/restaurant/Homewood/Wings-Plus-3-Birmingham

[Vandy Vol]

When I googled it, it says they're still there.

http://www.urbanspoon.com/u/map/491229/restaurant/Homewood/Wings-Plus-3-Birmingham

I called that number and they answered "Wings Plus."

I figured they should still be open, as they were usually busy.  Either someone lied to me, or I misunderstood them while drunk.  Both are possibilities.

[Yoda]

While in law school, I went to the Wings Plus 3 on Green Springs in northern Homewood a lot.  Someone told me that it has since closed, but I haven't been back in that direction to check it out recently.  It is/was near the intersection of Palisades/Oxmoor and Green Springs, in the same shopping center as Publix.

There's one in Irondale on Montclair Road, right near the Wal-Mart there.  Across the street from Wal-Mart in the same shopping center as Hacienda and Mattress Firm.  Been there a few times, and it seemed just as quality as the Green Springs location.

Supposedly there's one in Hoover near Shades Crest in the Shades Mountain Plaza Shopping Center.  Never been there, but I assume it's the same chain and is of the same quality.

Closest one to downtown appears to be on 3rd Avenue West across from a Burger King and next to a Shell station.  Again, never been to that one, but I assume it's the same.

Now that I look at their locations, they're scattered in some odd places.  I'm surprised that I ever found them to begin with.  There's even one in Midfield if you've got some brass balls on you.

First the one in Homewood is still a Wings Plus.

Second the reason they are in off the wall areas is because of demographics. Think about it, there is a certain group that loves chicken and will eat it more than once a week.

[Yoda]

I thought this was an Auburn message board?  Two words Willies Wings.  Maybe I was always drunk, but they were always the shit.

In Bham best wings are at Tilted Kilt.