The 2017 Super Bowl, which pits the New England Patriots against the Atlanta Falcons, should really be called Super Chicken Wing Day; about 1.3 billion will be consumed in the United States this weekend, according to the National Chicken Council.
Most bar wings, though, are nothing special: gooped and gunked with the same old Buffalo wing sauce found the world over. Add Frank’s RedHot or Louisiana Hot Sauce and stir. For goodness sake, you can do this at home.
Which is why I laugh when I see a bar proclaiming “world famous Buffalo wings.” I already know what they’re going to taste like, and usually the wings are scrawny besides. And keep that silly celery and blue cheese or ranch away from me.
Buffalo wings as we know them started with the Anchor Bar in Buffalo in 1964; co-owner Teressa Bellissimo cooked leftover wings in hot sauce for her son and his friends. Hot sauce maker Dick Winger — I am not making that name up — and Teressa’s son Dominick went on the road selling the sauce, and a legend was born.
Jersey is not a wing wasteland (it is a barbecue wasteland, though). There are just a few traditional Buffalo wings on my list of N.J.’s best wings. Instead, the places on my list make wings that stand out, and they’re all over the map — sports, craft beer and neighborhood bars, barbecue joints, Korean and Thai restaurants.
There’s a Golden Nugget, but it’s not the A.C. casino. A Hat City Kitchen and a Chicken Kitchen. And I’ll explain why Wharton is the wing capital of N.J.
I did a similar list last year, but this one is fresh and hot, with eight places not on last year’s list.
What’s your favorite NJ wing spot? Let me know in the comments section below. Tell me who I missed!
NOTE: The list is not ranked; the places are in alphabetical order.
1. Broadway Bar & Grill, Point Pleasant Beach. Probably my favorite Shore wings – plump and crispy, first deep-fried, then finished off on the grill. The building housed Neilley’s Long Bar for 50-plus years; the funky, houseboat-like interior, and those wings, set the Broadway apart. 106 Randall Ave., Point Pleasant Beach; 732-899-3272.
2. Buffalo’s Chicken, Wood-Ridge. This Bergen County town is becoming a casual dining destination, with Jersey Pizza Co., Mob Burger, Chok-Dee Thai and Buffalo’s Chicken within walking distance. The latter is a ribs/chicken joint with a friendly staff. Despite the name, it’s not a shrine to buffalo wings; the sauces include sweet Thai, lemon pepper, jerk (my favorite), urban bourbon and Misery, made with ghost chiles. The wings, supremely crispy and crunchy, may be the best plain wings I’ve had in the past few years. 261 Hackensack St., Wood-Ridge; (201) 728-4717.
3. Chicken Kitchen, Shrewsbury. Bare-bones, strip-mall chicken wing joint open 30 years. Get them sauced or just plain fried; the latter wings are fat and crunchy; I could eat them all day. And night. 420 Shrewsbury Plaza, Shrewsbury; 732-542-8030.
4. C-View Inn, Cape May. Locals hangout with vintage photos on the walls and standout food (try the prime rib sandwich). Get the garlic wings, with Jay Copps’ special sauce, which is kept behind the bar. 1380 Washington St., Cape May; (609) 884-4172.
N.J.’s Best Bars: Pete vs. Wings
5. Dolsot House, Cherry Hill. It’s not a house but a small, popular strip mall restaurant specializing in Korean food. You can do an order of 10 wings half one way, half another; the soy ginger and spicy wings are equally tasty — big, crispy, crunchy. And if you’ve never tried Korean fried chicken, you haven’t lived. 404 Marlton Pike East, Sawmill Village; 856-216-0090.
6. Dominick’s Tavern, Bellmawr. Popular neighborhood bar that does wings right. Instead of the usual sad, scrawny bar wings, the ones here are nice and plump, with good crunch and crisp. There are 11 sauces; the fat daddy, a vinegary buffalo, is a must-try. 100 E. Browning Road, Bellmawr; (856) 931-4742.
7. Doyle’s Pour House, Barnegat. “Captain Morgan’s Back on the Grill.” Whisper that to your waitress, and you’ll be in wing heaven. You can get wings seven ways, including Widow Maker (hot), BBQ and spicy garlic, but go with the Captain, and on the grill. While you’re waiting for your order, enjoy a brew from Pinelands Brewing, as I did. There’s another Doyle’s in Tuckerton. 345 E. Main St.; 609-660-8300.
8. Dr. Lou’s Place, Roebling. Maybe the state’s funkiest wing joint, in more ways than one. It looks grey and grim from the outside, but inside is a cozy little dive bar with a stage for bands. The wings come as a surprise – mondo-buttery and daringly different. 1501 Hornberger Ave., Roebling; (609) 447-0158.
9. Fink’s BBQ Smokehouse, Dumont. Down-home roadhouse-like bar/restaurant in Dumont, with some of the state’s best barbecue and not-so-ordinary items (Texas lollipops, beer cheese, and don’t forget the atomic onions). The wings are smoked, and oh-so-good. 26 W. Madison Ave.; 201-384-3210.
10. Golden Nugget Tavern, Berlin. Lively neighborhood bar that takes wings seriously; check out the Wing Wagon in the parking lot. They sell a ton of wings every week; for a Buffalo wing-type sauce, it’s different, more peppery than most. Try the honey jerk wings. 433 New Freedom Road, Berlin; 856-809-2695.
11. Hat City Kitchen, Orange. Bar/music club housed in one of Orange’s oldest buildings. Plenty of Southern standards on the menu — shrimp and grits, Southern buttermilk fried chicken, jambalaya, and more. Recommended: the honey pepper wings. 459 Valley St., Orange; 862-252-9147.
PB&J wing, HOB Tavern, Bordentown City (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)
12. HOB Tavern, Bordentown City. HOB – for Heart of Bordentown – is a cozy little hangout in one of New Jersey’s great small towns. There are nine sauces, including PB&J. Yes, peanut butter and jelly. The flavor is more jelly than peanut butter, and chances are you’ll like it way more than you’ll admit. My favorite sauce here: jerk. 146 Second St., Bordentown City; (609) 291-7020.
13. Hot Rods BBQ, Wharton. Wharton must be the state’s wing capital, with Hot Rods and Knotty Pine Pub (see below) both in town. Hot Rods recently moved into larger quarters, but the barbecue — and wings — remain, with a pumped-up craft beer selection. The smoked wings are available in sweet and spicy; Buffalo spicy, or naked. 175 N. Main St., Wharton; 973-361-5050.
14. Jersey Shore BBQ, Belmar. One of my favorite BBQ joints in the barbecue wasteland that is New Jersey (another favorite, Local Smoke, is minutes away in Neptune). Jersey BBQ has some of the plumpest wings you’ll find anywhere; try the jalapeno honey, Kayla, or habanero apricot; the latter packs some nice fruity heat. 811 Belmar Plaza, Belmar; 732-894-9009.
15. Jimmy Geez, Haledon. A sports bar legend, where Yankees and Mets memorabilia provide the decor and wings are consumed in prodigious amounts. There are a dozen varieties, from Wimpy (you don’t want to go there) and Medium to Hot and Nuclear. Eat 40 nuclear wings “down to the bone” in one sitting, get inducted into the bar’s Nuclear Wall of Fame. 436 Belmont Ave., Haledon; 973-790-9729.
16. Jug Handle Inn, Cinnaminson. Popular neighborhood bar, opened in 1912, once known as “the hole in the wall.” It’s bigger now, and the outdoor Creekside Bar & Grill bar is the place to be in warmer weather. You can’t split up a 10-wing order by sauce unless you get the wings naked with sauce on the side, but no matter; they’re supremely crispy/crunchy wings, although the hot sauce is your basic Buffalo. Get ’em naked; they’re that good. 1018 S. Fork Landing Road, Cinnaminson; 856-665-8696.
17. Knotty Pine Pub, Wharton. One of my favorite dive bars anywhere, with a horseshoe pit and tables out back. When it comes to wings, the word to know is WD40. No, they don’t spread motor oil on the wings; the name comes from the sauce’s thickish, sweet-hot nature. Also give the KPP (hot) wings a try. 242 E. Union Turnpike, Wharton; 973-361-3789.
18. Marley’s Gotham Grill, Hackettstown. No one takes wings more seriously than Bruno Pascal, co-owner of Marley’s. “I don’t sleep at night: I’ve got to keep coming up with new flavors,” says Pascal, who has a mere 133 wings — and counting — on the menu. They are big, fat, creatively if not wackily seasoned and spiced. Recommended: the Kickin’ Chicken (crushed red garlic, orange peel, red bell pepper, onion); Bang Bang (sweet Thai and sriracha sauce), the Bea Irish Man (Baileys, Jameson’s, butter, brown sugar). 169 Main St., Hackettstown; 908-852-2446.
19. Paragon Tap & Table, Clark. Eric LeVine is head chef both here and at Morris Tap & Grill, in Randolph. Paragon is in an offbeat location — practically next to a Target — but the craft beer selection, and wings, are spot on. Get the Voodoo wings, eminently crispy. If you’re brave, the Ghost Pepper wings. 77 Central Ave., Clark; 732-931-1776.
20. Pattenburg House, Pattenburg. Lively roadhouse minutes from the interstate with friendly staff, live music – and really good wings. Choose from nine sauces; my favorites are the Gold Rush and Mango Magma. 512 County Road 614, Pattenburg; (908) 735-2547.
21. Peck Peck, Teaneck. My favorite Korean fried chicken joint; I picked them as my favorite restaurant of 2013. It’s a charming little place, with a handful of tables, compact menu and an elderly couple at the helm. The drumsticks are prehistoric-sized; bring a Neanderthal appetite. 250 Degraw Ave., Teaneck; 201-530-5858.
22. Roosterspin, Westfield. A welcome addition to the Korean chicken scene, Roosterspin is located in the former Cheeburger Cheeburger space. Talk about a makeover; the 50s kitsch has been turned into a brick-walled, wood-floored restaurant, with the owner’s 7,000-plus LPs on display. Peck Peck is still my favorite Korean chicken joint, but Roosterpin’s wings are light, crispy, subtly spicy.
23. Sharky’s, Clifton. Perennially popular neighborhood bar, and a wing legend; they go through about 20,000 a week. Twenty kinds of sauces; my favorite is the blackened, a no-nonsense type. A must-try: the homemade bleu cheese. 545 Highland Ave., Clifton; 973-473-0713.
24. Spice Thai, Bloomfield. Small, colorful restaurant with maybe the crunchiest wings anywhere. The spice Thai wings – not on the menu but available every day -deliver a delayed, delicious heat. 26 Belleville Ave., Bloomfield; 973-748-0056.
Beer list, Wingcraft, Atlantic City (Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
25. Wingcraft, Atlantic City. Part of the Tanger Outlets, Wingcraft lives up to its name – good wings and great craft beer selection, with many Jersey brews on tap. A dozen wing sauces are available, including habanero hot, Greek, and roasted red pepper sriracha. 2010 Baltic Ave., Atlantic City; (609) 541-2799.
Other personal favorites: 45th Street Pub, Pennsauken; Coconut Grove, National Park; Gyp’s Tavern, Sandyston; Jack’s Goal Line Stand, Long Branch; Local Smoke BBQ, Neptune; Michael’s Roscommon House, Belleville; MOGO Korean Fusion Tacos, Asbury Park; Old Causeway, Manahawkin; Plank Road Inn, Secaucus; Robert’s Place, Margate.
Places recommended by readers: Bellos, Newark; Blue Fish Grill, Flemington; Capital Craft, Green Brook; Carpe Diem, Hoboken; Charlie’s Bar, Somers Point; Chicken or the Egg, Beach Haven; Dog House Bar & Grill, Washington; Egan & Sons, Montclair; Firkin Tavern, Ewing; Fins, Bradley Beach; Front Porch Pub, Hawthorne; Green Rock Tap & Grill, Hoboken; Inn of the Hawke, Lambertville; Main Brook Tavern, Englishtown Auction, Manalapan; One More Bar & Grill, Tabernacle; Pic-a-Lilli Inn, Shamong; Shakey Jakes, Stanhope; Ship N Shore Bar, Wildwood; Squan Tavern, Manasquan; Stone Fire Grill, Beachwood; 10th And Willow, Hoboken; Vagabond Kitchen & Tap House, Atlantic City; Vital Dining, Montclair; Whistlers Inn, Cinnaminson; Wing It, Villas; Zachary’s, West Long Branch.
Peter Genovese may be reached at pgenovese@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PeteGenovese or via The Munchmobile @NJ_Munchmobile. Find the Munchmobile on Facebook and Instagram.
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