Chicken Wings are a prized staple in many lives, but where can we find the best? Around the Fox Cities, it is easy to find different places to get a basket of wings. For this review, we will go on a quest to find the best chicken wing spot. The list of places to be reviewed goes as follows: Parker Johns, Buffalo Wild Wings, and ICU. In the end to discover which wing stop has the best chicken wings in town.
I will be reviewing wings by taste, appearance, environment and affordability. Each category will be ranked out of 5 for the end result out of 20. Now it is time to discover which wing-stop wipes the categories clean.
The first place I stopped might also be the most well-known wing place: Buffalo Wild Wings. Located on 500 S Koeller St., Oshkosh. In my past with Buffalo Wild Wings, I have had some awful experiences. Orders being messed up, food not coming out for two plus hours, and even horrid servers. But on this specific trip, it was actually one of my better experiences. My meal totaled to $15.75 for 10 traditional teriyaki wings and a water. The wings were juicy and tempered with perfection, but after chewing for a bit the flavor was gone, and felt like I was chewing dry chicken. On my scoring scale, taste earned a three, appearance also got a three, environment three, and affordability three. Buffalo Wild Wings comes out at 12 of 20.
“They never seem to disappoint. I can always rely on some great wings from Bdubs,” senior Charlie Wunderlich said. He also added that they could use more flat wings instead of all drums. Flats led me to my next location, ICU.
My next stop brought me to ICU Bar & Grill located at 129 N Green Bay Road, Neenah. ICU was recommended to me by a family member, and I figured because it is local mind as well give it a try. My meal totaled to $12.60 for 12 traditional teriyaki wings and a water. The one thing I loved about this stop was the all flats. These wings were almost perfect. Flavorful in every bite, perfect amount of sauce, and not messy at all which is great for a clumsy eater like me. On my scoring scale, taste scored a four, appearance five, environment three, and affordability five. For a grand total of 17 of 20.
Libbymcconlogue987 left a review on icubarandgrill.com: “Seriously some of the best wings in the whole Fox Cities and let me tell you, I am a wing snob!! Love the food, service and bartenders!” This is almost identical to what I would tell someone else who is looking for a great wing to try in the area.
My final stop to figure out where the best wing in the valley is located, left me at Parker Johns located at 124 Main St., Menasha. Parker Johns has been a staple for my Wednesday nights over the summer after I found this hidden gem. Wednesday winds eaters up with all they can eat wings, which is ideal for the price offered. Unfortunately I did not stumble across Parker Johns on a Wednesday, but, they were still to die for. My meal totaled to $17.99 for 12 traditional teriyaki wings and a water. These wings are amazing! Perfectly breaded, best tasting teriyaki sauce, and juicy chicken that will not disappoint. On my scoring scale, taste scored five, appearance five, environment five, and affordability four. Almost a perfect score with 19 of 20. Taking home the crown of best wing in the valley.
VegasRugbyRef left a review on tripadvisor.com: “All you can eat Wings on Wednesday . . . who knew. Very fresh and enjoyed honey teriyaki flavor.” This is so true and I would also leave a five star review.
As my quest for the best wing comes to an end, I realized that Parker Johns took home the crown with a score of 19. The plate I received was the best tasting and most appealing to the eye, as well as affordable for a great meal. On all three of my trips I feel I received exceptional service, which is a requirement for me when going out to eat. All three of my trips were great, but there is always one that comes out on top. BWW wings lose taste and became dry way quicker than I expected. ICU came close with those flats but fell just short. Parker Johns swept both with ease in each category winning the championship for best wing in the valley. Overall, I enjoyed each of the three places and would definitely recommend all three places to any wing lover in the area!
