$.10 Wing Night!

I've found the Holy Grail of wings!  $.10 wing nights have all but disappeared, but they do still exist and one is in Rockville Centre, NY!!!  I was Happy Hour-ing with some work folks at Stinger's Irish Pub on Sunrise Highway and noticed this sign:

He said boneless.

I was stoked... I mean, when was the last time you saw a $.10 wing night?  Dempsey's in Bayside is now $.20, there are a lot $.25 or even $.50 wing nights and paying $1.00 a wing is far from unheard of these days.  This was a find of a lifetime, or so I thought.

A sampler platter was ordered and the wings, admittedly were small, dry and not very good, but they weren't horrible.  I'd have to go back and order the wings by themselves, but hell, for a $.10 wing night, I'll give them a real shot.

Killarney's Cottage

Killarney's Cottage

63-28 Woodhaven Blvd.

Rego Park, NY 11374

718-426-8580

http://www.killarneyscottage.com/

Map and Directions

Do you like wings? Do you like softball chicks? Well hit Killarney's up. Eating with no hint of feeling self-conscious and pub sponsored softball ladies all around... or at least they were that night. We, the 3 Wingmen who used to play on a Queens league baseball team together, should, however, be ashamed of ourselves since our baseball team couldn't get sponsored by this bar and they did. Now, we are not good looking ladies, but we did not know that Killarney's discriminates by gender in their sponsorship of adult sports. I wonder who would win a game of softball between our former baseball team and those ladies? Hmmmm, probably them. But I digress... on to the wings!

Simply stated, really good. My fellow Wingmen liked the teriyaki wings. For me, I'm not a fan of them but they were okay. They were cooked quite well, covered in sticky teriyaki sauce and were sitting in a lot more at the bottom of the plate. Jody and Steve, who enjoy that kind of thing, were quite happy. Their hot wings, however, were pretty jacked. My lips even peeled the next day. Spicy wings cooked to a crispy perfection on the outside and juicy goodness on the inside... I mean, what else can I say? Good stuff. Killarney's, our hats are off to your wings (but not your hatred of men's league baseball).

The hot wings were slammin'!

The prices were reasonable and the bar set up was great. Anywhere you looked, there were televisions set to any game on that night. We watched a Mets game, Yankees game and even a playoff hockey game (yes, time-delayed review, *spoiler alert, the Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup*) at the same time. When you go, tell em the Wingmen sent ya!

Bourbon Street Cafe

Bourbon Street Cafe

40-12 Bell Blvd.

Bayside, NY 11361

718-224-2200
http://www.bourbonstreetny.com/
Maps and Directions

Jody and I set out on what we though would be an early Wednesday evening. We started at 6:30 and had plans of hitting two bars that serve wings, giving us two reviews and be home no later than 10 or 10:30 PM. Jeremy was stuck at work, so he couldn't join us. We had a location too, we were going to hit Brian Dempsey's in Little Neck. Some of you may remember Brian Dempsey's from our first review almost a year ago, but that one is in Bayside. This one is a few miles away, but owned by the same folks.

After helping Jody put an air conditioner in his bedroom window, we set out for Little Neck, found a place to park, headed into the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. We then looked around the place an noticed how much smaller it was than its Bayside counterpart. It also is not quite as nice. There is a pool table and dart board, so it has that going for it. We then noticed something else, a severe lack of menus or anything advertising food. I asked the bar tender if they have a kitchen and her response was, "we used to, but not anymore." I really wanted to know why, but I didn't ask. We closed Jody's tab after 1 drink each and headed out the door. That is what happens when you assume something... you make an Ass out of Jody and myself (since it was my idea). It is now 7:00 PM, Strike 1.

We then decided to hit a spot that we knew served wings, but still wanted to do two reviews. So we decided to hit McFadden's in Corona, NY. I knew it was near Citi Field and we headed in that direction. The GPS on my Blackberry said it was on the corner of Roosevelt and 111th Street. So we mozied in that direction. We drove around for quite a while and then decided that my GPS was wrong, which is not too uncommon. It is now just after 7:45 and we have swung at Strike 2.

Jody's GPS, which is on an iPhone, sent us to 104th street and 41st avenue. Not too far from where I tried to get us, so we went there. We drove around for a long time looking for a place to park and when we found it, we set out on foot to find this mysterious McFadden's bar. We walked for about 3 blocks when we realized that his GPS was wrong as well. We just hoped that his car would not be on cinder blocks when we got back to it. After getting back in the car, getting flipped around in the chop shop laden streets of Corona, we were quite discouraged and set off back towards Bayside. It is now 8:15 PM, we have not found wings and still have no idea where Mcfadden's is located (It is AT Citi Field, Home of the NY Mets, and just opened this season. Having gone to only a single game, I did not even know. I do now.)... Strike 3, we are out!

By just after 8:40 PM, we end up on Bell Blvd in Bayside with broken spirits and empty stomachs. What a mess of an evening. Two hours and ten minutes after we started out on this journey, we finally find a place that serves wings! Bourbon Street Cafe to the rescue and that cannot be understated. We sat at the bar, watched the Mets shut out the Tigers and ordered up some beer and their Buffalo Wings. It felt really good to just be sitting down and enjoying good cold beer... at least mine was good, Jody's Bluepoint was less than desirable, like they had not changed the keg in a very long time.

Bourbon Street, as you may be able to tell, is a bit of New Orleans in Bayside, Queens and everything about the place screams Mardi Gras. There are beads at the tables, bright mask decorations everywhere and people flashing you left and right (ok, I made the last part up, but it would be nice if they did). The place is quite big and has a nice sized bar with plenty of table seating for more private dinners. The front of the place opens to the street, so you can see the crowds moving about Bell Blvd. There is usually live music at least a few nights a week and this was true when Jody and I walked in. The solo guitarist did a good Bob Marley (complete with Rasta dreadlock hat) and a pretty bad Rob Thomas, but even Rob Thomas is a pretty bad Rob Thomas, so I won't hold it against him.

I know what you are thinking... why the eff has he not spoken about the wings? I am getting to them. We ordered the Buffalo Hot Wings and did not have to wait too long for them to make their way to the bar. They showed up piping hot, and scalding to the touch. They looked a lot like regular buffalo wings, but there was a dry spice sprinkled all over them, the celery and the plate. After tasting it alone, I recognized it as Cajun spice, similar to what I tasted on the Buffalo Grille's wings. The Cajun spice, added to the buffalo sauce, was a killer combination. They had a good amount of bite to them without being too spicy. They were large wings, well cooked to a crispy outside and juicy center. Bourbon Street makes a mean wing and I suggest trying these when you are in the Bayside area.













Look at the steam coming off those wings! Those are hot Hot Wings!












Bourbon Street also is decently priced. The wings cost $7.95 for about 15 and the beer didn't cost too much either. The wings and four beers ran about $30.00 plus tip. You can do a lot worse in Queens. So after failing to find food at Dempsey's in Little Neck, failing to find McFadden's in Corona and losing 2 hours of the evening, Bourbon Street Cafe replenished our energy and Wingmen spirit. We then moved on to Brews Brothers Bar, and Jody will fill you in on how the rest of the night went.

Woodhaven House

Woodhaven House

63-98 Woodhaven Blvd.

Rego Park, NY 11379

718-894-5400

http://www.woodhavenhouse.com/

Map and Directions

Agendas, folders, pens and even products that are conducive to eating wings.....set. A few weeks back, the Wingmen were finally all together and hungry. Initially, our outing was set for Octoberfest in Atlas Park. As soon as we got there, the kitchen was closed. Even the Tommy Boy sales pitch didn't work.......Wingmen want wingy's. Talk about fat guy in a little coat, we were starving but no wings. Octoberfest....you suck!

Anyway, we venture to Woodhaven House. The bar is actually known in Queens for their burgers but we knew they served wings. Once seated, we were given menus that did not offer any wings. The waitress came back, she stated that they were on the lunch menus and that they only offered one flavor. According to the waitress, it was a mixture of hot sauce and bbq sauce. Overall.....they sucked. They were meaty but too much like Johnny Famous. In other words, booooooooooo! Not worth it. The only highlight of that outing was that the waitress actually thought we were having a business meeting. Ha, imagine.....getting paid to do this. She offered to move us to the next room because the band was about to play. That was our cue to leave.

We did, however, try out a wing product. They were finger tongs to keep your fingers and hands from getting sloppy called Trongs. You can read the Trongs review by clicking the link or looking at the post from June 03, 2010. My vote, no freakin' way. I told my wife about them and she questioned my manhood. Let this be said, I am a Wingman and I like it sloppy... wings too!

Hooters of Fresh Meadows

Can you say Big Daddy? BIG DADDY!!!!!!! It wasn't a Western Wednesday at Hooters in Queens but it was quality. The new Hooters in Queens is located off the service road by the Long Island Expressway (exit 25). Now that the weather is nice, you have the option of sitting outdoors as well as sitting indoors. The outdoor area, however, is not equipped with T.V.'s. But let's be real, the inside is better. The atmosphere was great, especially if you have the seat where the step stool is. If you don't know what I mean, ask for that table and tell them that the Wingmen sent you. You'll thank me later. In addition, the girls were having fun with their beer promotion. If you stated you want a Big Daddy, they'll give you a big beer. Its kind of funny when the Hooters girls are laughing at your expense.

Anyway, the wings were delicious. That night, the three of us ordered the hot wings along with the garlic parmesan. The waitress claimed that after ten of the garlic parm, we would be tired of them but we ordered 25 anyway. Long story short, she was right. They were good, but there was something about their consistency that tired you out. My recommendation is to order 10 and split them up. A few will do and not tire you out. The hot, however, were great. They weren't ridiculously hot, but they cleaned your sinuses. Those wings didn't stand a shot. We were good lil' Wingmen and cleaned our plates and were allowed to have another Big Daddy.

Local Bar and Grill

39-24 Bell Blvd.

Bayside, NY 11361

O'Neills Pub

O'Neill's Restaurant
6421 53RD Dr
Maspeth, NY 11378-1621

O'Neills Pub in Maspeth, Queens was one of the first places the Wingmen decided to go with guest reviewers. Diane (my wife), Mary and Chris joined me (Jeremy) two Mondays ago to chomp down on some serious wings and maybe catch a couple of plays from the Minnesota Vikings game. Needless to say, nobody paid attention to the game but everyone paid attention to the wings.

O'Neills offered the following variety: Honey Mustard, Garlic Butter, Jack Daniels, Regular, Medium, Hot, BBQ and Terriyaki. The plates consisted of 10 wings for $4. Our group decided to order the Jack Daniels, Garlic Butter, Hot, BBQ and Honey Mustard. Diane and Mary (Queens Natives) stated that this place normally packs out with a younger audience because O'Neills will serve food to all regardless of being under 21. This night, however, was not packed. It was just the right amount of people and noise to have a conversation and eat some serious wings.

The wings were serious. The Jack Daniels Wings were simply my favorite. I actually had the opportunity to eat the Jack Daniels wings in Tennessee a few years ago and these were just as good. Next, without a doubt, was the Honey Mustard. They were dripping with sauce. The Terriyaki and the Hot were no different than any other establishment. The Garlic Butter, on the other hand, were dry but packed a lot of flavor. They were a little misleading at first, but you grew to like to them. The wings were thick. They possessed a lot of meat. You definitely got a good bang for your buck with their wing special. Overall, all of us agreed that O'Neills was a place you would return to. In addition, the wait staff and bartenders were extra hospitable. Two thumbs up in my book and I know my guests agreed.

Kelly's

Kelly's

8211 Eliot Ave

Flushing, NY 11379-1436
(718) 476-8444‎

There are many ways to rate hot wings, and as far as taste goes, Kelly's has pretty good wings. They were cooked well, spiced ok and tasted good. Here is the problem, the review does not end just there. But before I go any further, let me tell you a bit more about Kelly's.

When Jeremy lived in Middle Village, we used to go there quite often. We would go after baseball games, meet up for a drink or head there for dinner. Up until last week, I had never tried the wings. The place is a local hangout and I have never seen it too packed, but always has a nice crowd. The people who work there have always been pleasant and helpful.

Jeremy moved a while ago and I had not been back since. The place was completely different. They renovated, created an outdoor patio in the back and made the bar area much larger. They updated the jukebox and added darts, which turned into a long game of Assassins, Jody can explain the rules to you, since, for the life of me, I can't remember them.

Now that you have an idea of what Kelly's is like, let's begin the review. Kelly's has $.20 wing night on Wednesdays, so we ordered 40 and the three of us began eating. The wings were cooked well. They were pretty crispy, cooked all the way through and juicy on the inside. Kelly's has Mild, Medium and Hot wings. As we were discussing the heat level, the bartender chimed in with "the hot is not very hot," so we ordered them all hot and he was right. They had a nice flavor and were a bit spicy, but I was disappointed with the heat level. I do fear that if they made them hotter, they would have tasted a lot worse, but that is just me.

The bad part of the review. I don't know if they were bad wings, or if they were cooked with way too much butter, but a few hours after consumption of these wings, they turned on me. Without getting graphic, I'll just say that the after affects of the wings were not what I would have wanted and I need to warn all of you about it. That, combined with the weakness of the spice and the mediocre taste makes these wings quite pedestrian.

I definitely do not suggest heading to Kelly's for the wings. I do, however, suggest going there to grab a beer and eat a burger. Sorry Kelly's, I suggest rethinking your wing recipe.

Johnny Famous

Johnny Famous

40-05 Bell Blvd.

Bayside, NY 11361

I was skeptical of this bar from the very beginning. While they were building it, I thought it felt too gimmicky for a bar in Bayside (it has a Western theme and a mechanical bull). When it opened, they had velvet ropes lined up (no people to coral, just the ropes) and bouncers in black suits and ear pieces. Again, this bar is in Bayside - not the meat packing district - but blue collar, small-town-feeling Bayside. Strike 1.

However, there was a sign outside advertising 10 cent wings (1/2 the price of Dempsey's on the same night) and bikini bull riding. Obviously this sounded like a job for the Wingmen. Jeremy, Steve and I found a spot at the bar, ordered some beer and promptly looked for the menu. They promoted their latest hot wing sauce which they dubbed "Red Stag". Sounds impressive, we'll take 30 - hot. The wings came out pretty quickly, were steaming and looked very appetizing. They emitted a great smell that burned my nose hairs a bit - however, they'd get mixed reviews.

The plus: I thought they were perfectly cooked. They had a nice amount of crisp on the outside, but weren't over cooked on the inside. They were also very big and meaty - well worth 10 cents apiece.

The minus: The Red Stag sauce. It was very different from the usual hot sauce and butter concoction of a typical wing. It tasted tomato based, maybe made with ketchup. At first I was intrigued. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. About ten wings later I decided it was too much tomato for me and I wasn't a big fan...especially when I realized that all that great heat that I smelled was nonexistent in my mouth. There was no kick whatsoever, and we ordered them hot.

Overall, the combination of the velvet ropes, black suited bouncers, and loud club music added to the less than stellar wings is enough to keep me away from Johnny Famous for a round 2 - even at 10 cents per wing. We went there, tried them and checked the place off our long list...but I think it's safe to say that none of the Wingmen will be back. Oh, and we left before the tops came off!

Overall Rating

Taste/Flavor: The "Red Stag" sauce did not live up to its billing. Tasted too much like ketchup and not enough like a wing sauce. All in all, the flavor was bad.

Heat: We ordered them hot and they were barely mild. They smelled like they would be hot and just did not live up to the aroma.

Price: $.10 per wing on Wednesday night is a great deal for good wings, but if they were free next wednesday, I still would not go back.

Service: The bartender that helped us was O.K., nothing to write home about. She seemed to ignore our side of the bar, which irritated some people next to us. We received our wings and drinks in a relatively timely manner.

Specials: How can you go wrong with with $.10 wings, $2.00 Domestic Pints and Bikini Bull Riding at 10:00PM on Wednesday nights? Serve horrible wings and by 11:00 PM still have had no one ride the bull.

Rating: 1 out of 5 stars. The bad "Red Stag" sauce and horrible atmosphere of Johnny Famous completely overshadowed that the wings were large and cooked well. Sorry Johnny Famous, but the Wingmen are not fans.

Brain Dempsey's

Brian Dempsey's

American Ale House

39-31 Bell Blvd.

Bayside, NY 11361

The first place we decided to go to and kick off this blog was never even in question.  It had to be Dempsey's on Bell Blvd. in Bayside, Queens.  We've been going there on wednesday nights for wing and draft specials for years, so it only made sense to start there.  I met up with my fellow wingmen, Steve and Jeremy, where we scarfed down 15 hot wings, 15 teriyaki wings and 15 BBQ wings.  

Here's what I thought:

The wings themselves were very small.  Sometimes when we go there, we joke around and rate the wings at what we perceive to be their monetary value.  It used to be 10 cents for a wing but, after the economy tanked, they were forced to raise - no, double - their prices to 20 cents per wing...still not a bad deal when you couple it with their $3 domestic drafts.  So some nights we say we're getting a 10 cent wing, some nights we're lucky enough to get 20 cent wings and sometimes we get 3 cent wings.  Tonight was a 3 cent wing night.  They were tiny.  Two bites and done.

As far as taste is concerned, it was a good night.  The hot had a good amount of flavor. Not a lot of kick, which would have made them better, but the flavor was definitely there.  The BBQ was surprisingly good.  I remember not being too crazy about them last time we had them, but this time they seemed to be the favorite of the group (I still preferred the hot). The only disappointment was the teriyaki.  I'm a little biased since I've had them before and they're usually my favorite.  Tonight they seemed to be heavier on the sugar and lighter on the salt then usual.  Teriyaki is usually a nice blend of sweet and salty, but my personal preference leans a little toward the salty side.

All-in-all, you can't go wrong with Dempsey's.  It's probably my favorite bar in Bayside and I'll definitely be back - hopefully for some salty Teriyaki wings of the 20 cent variety.

Overall Rating:

Taste/Flavor: We all agreed that the Hot Wings tasted good, the BBQ were surprisingly good and the the Teriyaki wings were a bit weak.  Dempsey's has great wings... all flavors.

Heat: The hot at Dempsey's are spicy, so if you don't like heat, order the mild.

Price:  On Wednesday's the wings are $.20 each, as compared to about $.50 each on the appetizer menu ($7.95 for about 13-15 wings).

Service: The service was great, but has been suspect in the past.

Specials: Wednesday night is $.20 Wing Night and $3.00 Domestic Pints.

Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5) because of the size of the wings and disappointing teriyaki flavor.