There’s a lot of eating and gym time involved in the hot wing guidance I provide to my readers. I’m probably the worst performer at my Crossfit gym, but I bet I could kill a burpee, hot wing, handstand push-up, single-malt Scotch workout.
The wings above are from the last TON TON Ramen pop-up at Octane. I believe it served as preview for Guy Wong’s forthcoming restaurant, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the ramen popped up elsewhere. The wings were labeled as KFC (Korean fried chicken) having a battered exterior and spicy/sticky gojuchang glaze. I quite enjoyed them. Not overly battered and not overly sauced. If that’s your style, as is mine, I think you’d like them too, though your typical KFC tends to be more batter/sauce.
Next up, wings at the new Smyrna location of Wing Factory. Their wings tend to feature sauces, of which they have many. The wings are on the smaller side, but I’ll take that when they are crispy. The glaze of regular Buffalo hot sauce is tangy and quite spicy. I did try many other flavors with a group, including the hotlemonyaki (hot lemon teriyaki) at the recommendation of our waitress, who flatly told us that flavor, “takes my taste buds on an adventure.” It is interesting.
The setup is sort of like Taco Mac – a big menu, lots of TV’s with various sporting contests, but the wings are better than Taco Mac’s, which have really fallen down hill since expansion the last few years.
Don’t get the wings at Wings 101 on Beaver Ruin. They aren’t awful, but it’s a waste of space. They are super cheap though, and they have a wing + fried rice combo for less than $10 if that’s your craving. But if I were in that area I’d visit in the same shopping strip for tacos.
I liked everything at the The Greater Good Barbecue except for the smoked wings, which were burnt and bitter. I enjoy as good carcinogenic BBQ lacquer as much as the next guy, but these were overcooked. Fox Brothers still sets the standard for a smoked wing. Another serviceable version are the smoked wings at Bone-Lick BBQ, which I sampled two evenings ago, which are especially good if you are into the optional spicy sauce.
The rest of the food from Greater Good below. We had lean end of brisket, and while I prefer a fattier cut, it was tender and very enjoyable. Ribs were cooked well, and I’d order them again, though there’s a bit too much sugar for me. Pork, collards, and mac were all something I’d sample again as well. As of now, GG BBQ is a spot I’d definitely visit if in the area, as many area business men appeared to be doing that Friday lunch.