Tropix Bar & Lounge (Rego Park, NY)

Looking for good, cheap wings in Queens? Let me introduce you to Tropix. If you're willing to venture out on a Monday night, fight for parking (it's not far from the subway, though), and put up with a noisy, crowded bar environment, you'll be treated to some very tasty wings at an excellent price.

Ginger Scallion: Sweet and savory
at the same time.

Tropix Bar & Lounge runs Monday Buffalo Wing Night, where you can get all the wings you need to fill your belly and soul at 25¢ each. The rules are that there's a two-drink minimum and each order must be at least ten wings. The menu currently boasts twenty-four different flavors, including the spectrum of Buffalo sauces. A friend recommended I try the other flavors (she found the Buffalo sauce too sweet), so we placed an order for Ginger Scallion and for Chipotle Rub.

The wings come out piping hot and very, very fresh. Unlike some bars that prepare inordinate numbers of wings in advance to meet the demands of their wing nights, Tropix's wings are cooked to-order. We were pleased with the size of the wings, a respectable medium-size, cooked properly, with a crunchy outside and a juicy inside.

The Ginger Scallion wings were coated in a sweet, sticky glaze that you'll be licking your fingers from. In addition to being sweet, they also had strong savory notes of soy sauce, however the ginger undertone was subtle, and the scallion was very subtle. This wasn't really a detraction from the flavor, as they were still quite delicious, and I would easily choose them again. The flavor is a little reminiscent to some of the Korean fried wings I've had.

Chipotle Rub: This is where
a dry wing is a good thing.

In stark contrast to sweet and sticky, the Chipotle Rub wings were covered with, as the name implies, a dry rub. Normally I would complain when Buffalo wings are served too dry, but a dry rub is an exception. Not too spicy, chipotle imparts a strong smokey flavor that lingers. The juicy meat inside mixes with the dry rub nicely. It's a bit of a salty rub, so make sure your drink is relatively full. I found that going back and forth between the two sauces was an excellent balance of the sweet to the salty.

I look forward to coming back and trying more of their sauces. For your Monday night wing crave, I highly recommend this place, especially if you like to try a variety of sauces.


Tropix Bar & Lounge
9532 Queens Blvd
Rego Park, NY 11374
(718) 275-0024
tropixny.com

Pizza Como (Pennsburg, PA)

Make sure to add the sauce!

You're sure to find decent wings in almost any area of the country, if you know where to look. Tucked away in a Pennsburg, PA shopping center is unassuming sports bar and Italian restaurant Pizza Como. A dozen wings fit the bill for an appetizer to share. Talk about variety, their menu listed TWENTY different sauces (look at their menu online), but, being it was my first visit, I would gauge their wings according to the standard Buffalo. A brief consultation with our server revealed that the Hot is pretty hot for most people, and that, in fact, they were out of the Suicide sauce.

The wings were brought out piping hot, but rather dry, with little sauce to be seen. Upon closer inspection there was indeed a coating of sauce, but I was in the mood for them a littler drippier. We were provided extra sauce, which made all the difference (the photo shows the wings with the extra sauce added). The wings were a proper medium-size, crunchy (but not overly so) on the outside, and properly cooked on the inside. Their Hot was actually a proper hot. If you like your sauce hot, you'd find these are accurate in their description. I regret not being able to test how hot the Suicide sauce was, but that will have to wait until a future visit.

Definitely recommended.


Pizza Como and PC Pub
500 Pottstown Ave
Pennsburg, PA 18073
(215) 679-4900
www.pizzacomopcpub.com

KyoChon (Flushing, NY)

Presentation is everything.

Hailing from South Korea, KyoChon's specialty is twice-fried chicken. They are fairly recent arrivals here in the US, yet they have an extensive presence back home. In a market where there is a lot of competition, KyoChon needs to bring something unique to the wing party to stand out.

At their Flushing, NY location, I found their restaurant to be spacious and very clean, brightly lit, with a minimalistic, yet tasteful white decor. Then music, however, tended to be a little loud. Not being able to choose between the classic Soy Garlic and the Hot & Sweet wings, I ended up ordering both. I was advised that the Hot & Sweet were, in fact, very hot, but I was not dissuaded from my intent.

After a plate of pickled radish came out, it was just a few minutes before two plates of wings arrived. The wings are just shy of medium-sized, but they make up for this in flavor.

Soy Garlic: A tasty classic.

The Soy Garlic wings were indeed nice and garlicky, but not overpoweringly so. The clear notes of soy in the sauce add a contrasting saltness. Perhaps there's a bit of a smokey or mustard undertone that I detected, rounding out a complex mixture of flavors. As they are twice-fried, these wings were very crispy on the outside. The light batter is perfect for holding onto the sauce (they don't drip messily; the sauce seems to have soaked into the batter), yet it doesn't overpower the wing or interfere with the taste, as said batter itself is not seasoned. Overall, these wings had a satisfying crunch, the chicken itself was moist, tasty, and fresh, and the overall flavor was very enjoyable.

Hot & Sweet: Not too sweet,
but satisfyingly hot.

Next up, the Hot & Sweet wings were a little more on the messy side; you'll be licking your fingers and enjoying every second of it. That said, I found them to also be crispy, much like the Soy Garlic. The flavor comes through as sweet at first with a bit of heat. As it settles in, you detect a slight bitter undertone as the pepper oils kick in, then the heat really shows up. First it hits the back of your throat, then works its way to your tongue before finally settling on the lips with a distinct tingle. These wings aren't for the faint of heart or the heat-averse, but they're not really too hot for the initiated, the chile-heads, and the heat freaks. I was pretty sure I could pick up a little bit of garlic in the flavor, as well. I would probably recommend these as the perfect wings to go with beer, which KyoChon sells by the pint or the pitcher.

I definitely recommend a visit to KyoChon. In addition to their wings, they have many other chicken specialty items to try.

KyoChon Chicken
156-52 Northern Blvd
Flushing, NY 11354
(718) 939-9292
kyochon.com