Western NY Wing Tour: Country Sweet vs. Sal's Birdland

It seems you can find Buffalo wings anywhere in the country, so it's worth noting other regional variations. As I've blogged before, I'm a fan of Country Sweet Chicken and Ribs. This Rochester stalwart does not stand uncontested for the sweet-hot wing; among the better-known competition is Sal's Birdland.

So, who has the better wing, Country Sweet or Sal's?

Fresher and crisper than before!

The first stop is Country Sweet Chicken and Ribs, which is almost always busy. Since they've closed their other two locations, the Mount Hope location has been satisfying cravings for the entire city. The wait was about five to ten minutes, which isn't too bad; I've waited easily up to twenty minutes on some visits. As usual, I picked up a ten-piece dinner with a double-order of macaroni salad. On this visit, a ten-wing dinner cost $10.30. Not too bad, considering the size of their pterodactyl-sized wings and the inclusion of two sides. After cooling down, I dug right in and noticed that these wings were better than usual. They were very fresh, with juicy, tender meat, and an even crispier batter than I remember them having. Most impressive. The macaroni salad, generally bland, as usual, had a bit of a different taste, which was negated with ample application of the Country Sweet sauce. If I had made the trip for these alone, I would not have complained one bit. Please check out my earlier review of Country Sweet for more about their wings.

Taking hints from Country Sweet?

Next up, after a few hours to digest, was Sal's Birdland on Scottsville Road. The old hamburger stand building they used to be in had apparently been razed, and I had to look a little bit to find them in the industrial strip mall that stood in its place. Their new digs were sparse, with industrial white walls, floors, ceilings, and even the seating and tables. The decor, as little as it was, felt very incomplete, and made the place feel too sterile.

When I was in college in the 80's I recalled their wings to be somewhat smaller, yet less expensive than Country Sweet's, without batter, and lovingly slathered with their signature Sassy Sauce. Whereas Country Sweet's sauce is red, very sweet, and with a bit of sourness, the Sassy Sauce is yellow, thinner, mustardy sand sour, with a nice hint of sweetness. I noticed their prices had actually exceeded Country Sweet's, so I hoped there would be at least a size increase from way back. Again, a ten-piece was ordered, with their signature potato wedges  and macaroni salad. I was certainly surprised that their wings seem to come from the same breed of pterodactyl as Country Sweet's (that's to say they were large), but they also were similarly batter-fried, which I am pretty sure wasn't they case long ago.

When I received my order, they were served absolutely nuclear-hot from the fryer, partly melting the foam container (a bit of a concern). After ten minutes of waiting for them to cool to safe levels, I found the meat itself seemed to seasoned before cooking, and quite juicy and tender. The macaroni salad was flavorful, even more than Country Sweet's, not vinegary, and took very well to the sauce. The wedges were well-seasoned, not overly so, and were just crispy enough without being too greasy. The star of the meal is, of course, the Sassy Sauce, but I felt that the batter of the wings competed too much. I feel the wings would fared much better without the coatings, letting the sauce mesh better with the meat. The batter, also was maybe too crisp, and I found it too much of a distraction to fully enjoy the meal.

The Verdict: While I really like Sal's Sassy Sauce, and appreciate their bigger wings, I can't help to get the impression they are trying too hard to be like Country Sweet in a lot of ways. I liked them more when they were much more different than their competitors, but now they feel a little bit too "clone-ish". Their wings, while seasoned nicely, were set back by the batter, not to mention the higher prices. Country Sweet's overall experience is much more enjoyable, from the better, although cheesy, decor, to the flavor-neutral batter that helps their sauce absolutely shine. If I had to choose between the two, I will absolutely choose Country Sweet these days, although I must recommend keeping a few bottles of the Sal's Sassy Sauce in the pantry for use with unbattered chicken, such as barbecue, or as an alternate to Buffalo wings.

Country Sweet Chicken and Ribs
1691 Mount Hope Ave
Rochester, NY 14620
(585) 244-3200

Sal's Birdland Restaurants
400 Airpark Dr
Rochester, NY 14624
(585) 328-1620
www.salsbirdland.com