Ballard’s Bad Albert’s Chipotle Hot Wings
Well this little joint in the heart of old Ballard has some radical wings. The joint called Bad Albert is right on the corner with a blue door. One could call it a dive bar, but its Ballard, and old Ballard only loves the dives.
After a couple of barley pops with a bro, I get a hunger. Time for some wings. Only two choices, Chipotle hot or BBQ. Come on, gotta go with the hot! It took a little bit longer than I thought it should but well worth the wait. Nice presentation. The first smell – vinegar. Made me a bit nervous but I was pleasantly surprised.
First taste: Wow, there is zero, zero chipotle, but that is ok. They are breaded and deep fried, a bit over cooked, but I’ll let that pass because the sauce. Oh the sauce… Like I said not a bit of that Smokey classic chipotle flavor. The were spicy, sweet, and there was that little taste of vingar. Quite honestly these wings are really good! Just dont think that you are getting chipotle hot wings.
Wing score: 4.5 – damn fine.
If you are in Ballard you have choices… Make sure you hit up WingMasters on the north side & now don’t miss out at Bad Alberts!
Looking for local wings – Atlantic Crossing Pub
I thought I had burnt out on hot wings, but nope. It was time to get back on wagon and check out the hotness of the Atlantic Crossing Pub in the Roosevelt hood. I got myself a nice pint of Boddingtons and order up some of their medium wings. The wings come out with a side of ranch. They are large, not huge but bigger then the Wing Dome‘s. The spice is nice. Its not quite Franks Red Hot, but no taste of Tabasco either…
The first bite:
Wait, these must be over cooked… Still the flavor is nice, well the sauce was. It has taken me a couple of days to figure out what I disliked these wings. Am I over wings? Were they over cooked? Maybe on the over cooked, but its because they were frozen wings. You know like the ones you can get at the store. They just never taste right.
Well sorry to say I will not be ordering the wings but I will go back. The place is a cool joint with a good selection of brews, full cocktail bar, pool, darts, and they are Sounders FC friends. Futbal.
Wing Score: 3
Good sauce, but bad cooking or freezer burnt.
GO SOUNDERS
Sounders Match & Goal
Fremont’s Red Door, a little wing action
Hot wings and I have been on the outs. Some times too much of a good thing is just that, too much. Its time to get back on or fall off the wagon. What ever the saying is. If you must go out and drink, like I must, then I should make sure my belly has some grub in it. Off to Fremont we go…
The Red Door. This place is cool. Nice little bar with the huge R outside (rainier beer R). What do you know, a solid selection of brews and there they are some wings on the menu. The service at the bar was quick and fast. Much faster then the gal working the tables. You came here to read about the wings not the bar!
The wings: Small and deep fried, syscoor some other food service wings. Good, because they are deep fried, but no sauce, dry! The menu said touched. What the… Oh the sauce is on the side. Not just hot but some BBQ and the Blue to the cheese. Well I just mixed them all, spicy hot bbg with chunch of chee… the only way to go. The suaces are nothing special, just like these wings.
Score: 3– you can eat them but dont waste your money, buy drinks.
Buckley’s spicy Guinness pub wing, good eats.
Holiday time, time to take the people who work with you or for you out to show some appreciation. In other words, get them drunk and feed them something good. So I do my duty and show my thanks to two people who help me a ton at my day job and help me get paid.
On this day I take my assistant and the man, the guy who makes sure my inventory is golden, out for some brews and grub. Buckley’s on lower Queen Ann is the joint. This little pub is a great place for sports fans and fans of good beers. Check out the list! My love for the night, Black and Tan. But you know me, time for some wings…
Buckley’s has two types of wings, the Spicy Guinness or the BBQ. I gotta go with the spicy Guinness, some on I’m drinking black and tans! It really does not take too long to get me the wings. One black and tan later here are the wings. Good size, nothing too small. Plenty of meat. Mostly drumsticks. The sauce is very bright red, I was surprised because with the love of the stout I would think they would be darker. First bite, nice, a bit sweet, then there is a hint of heat. Not hot or vinegar like Franks and not burn like like a buffalo style. They are good. I will totally come and get more!
Sometimes the best part about taking others out to eat is to try other pun grub. The sweet potato fries are the chronic! Make sure you get some with your wings or with your meal. I also had this kick butt salad, Northwest Apple Salad. No need for the full size unless you are hungry.
Wing Score = 4 – I’m in to these wings, but not the best in Seattle.
Next, please!
Green Lake Bar & Grill – Happy hour love
Sunday afternoon was on pisser of a day. Honestly did you see how much rain Seattle got in the last 72 hours! Way too much, but wings were still on the mind. The roomate and I walked down to the Green Lake Bar & Grill. Sweet little joint. I will have to take the lady down for some dinner.
Ordered up me a Trumer Pils, good clean beer. Oh yeah, thank you for happy hour!
5 wings only $3.50…. Garlic Buffalo wings
On my scale a 4
Really good wings. cooked to perfection. Deep fried then tossed in thier own garlic hot sauce. A nice vinager base. Could be a bit of franks, butter, and a ton of garlic. They paired awesome with my pilsner. I will be back.
Best wing in Seattle – Coopers Ale House?
Last night I went back to Coopers Ale House on Lake City in the Maple Leaf neighborhood. This place is a smooth joint that I can walk to. They do have one flaw, they are a UW Husky bar, but that does not stop them from having some of the best if not THE best wings in the city.
I’m talking damn good wings. As it stands right now they are the top wings in Seattle. Traditional buffalo style wings, hot and spicy. I would think that the base could be a Franks Red Hot but there is way more to it. Great mix of wings and leg (drumsticks), skin on, and zero breading. I think that might be one of the reasons they are so good. The skin. Then again it really is the sauce. Plus you get like 12-15 each order. That’s a lot of wings. Great for sharing.
Score 5 !
I be back for more, and more, and more, and more – Not to mention that they about 15 beers on tap!
First stop the Wingdome
Well I can’t honestly say this is my first stop to the Wingdome, but this story is about my first stop.
The wingdome here in Seattle is now only located in Greenwood(had a second location on Capitol Hill but closed). A fun an funky neighbourhood, which matches the joint. The place feels like a small warehouse. Its up on 80th and Greenwood Ave. I can remember it was spring. Just a bit nippy out but sunny. We left the mutt in the car. I will have to admit I was hung over. I think every-time I go to the wingdome on the weekends I am hung over. Anyways, we pop a squat outside on the deck. Not sure what to think of this place but I’m hungry. The good news, there are plenty of papertowels right on table, a whole roll!
Well here comes our waiter, funny guy. Asks if we have been here before, “Nope not us” I say. “Great, you need a sampler then”, he says. Well what is the sampler? I took a peek at the menu and just asked for a beer. Much needed at this point in the day. Oh, they have Mac &Jac’s Serengeti Wheat. By george what is this. Let me tell you.
Mac and Jac’s Serengeti Wheat, is the sweet nectar of the gods. Honestly if you like unfiltered beers with a hint of honey, you will love this brew.
Getting back to the sampler plate. 20 wings, 4 styles – just pick your poison. Our choice:
Traditional style 3 alarm
Sweet Thai Chili
Rasta
Kamikaze
Well, no kidding, I think it took 7 minuets for the wings to get there. I bairley got my first beer down (side note – the pitchers are huge, thank you Wingdome). Time to dig in. They are good size wings, more actual wing pieces verse chicken legs. I go directly for the 3 alarm. NOT HOT, but tasty. The wife, she hits up the Kamikaze. Nothing special just teriyaki. Next we both dig into the Rasta, yuk! Finally we try the Sweet Thai Chili. HEAVEN.
Let me tell you right now, order no less then a 4 alarm and please try the Sweet Thai Chili. Honestly the best “non-traditional” wing in this city! I have gone back many of times. No mater what style I try, my favorit is always the Thai chili. Hot, well more like spicy, with a sweet almost honey like aftertaste. I think I might need some tomorrow! But I digress, back to the other wings.
Kamakaze time. You can make teriyaki wings at home plus if you want teriyaki chicken, go get some at yummies! They are good, just not great. I dont think I will order them again.
Now the Rastas were subpar. I’m not sure if it was the cumin spice, all spice, or some other funk that put my taste buds in disagreement with my stomach but I will never, I mean never order them again. Sorry Wingdome.
Time to get down to the ratings…
3 Alarm – Good, not spicy. I will have to upgrade for sure. I give them a 3 overall
Sweet Thai Chili – AMAZING. 5 overall with a hell yeah I cant wait to order them again.
Kamikaze – Pass, I like my teriyaki on white meat. 3 overall.
Rasta – NO WAY. I cant rock these ever again. 2 overall. You can eat them, they dont hurt your colon so, try if you like funk in your mouth.
Well that was just the first time I went to the Wingdome. I have been there many more times since, and I will go again. Maybe I will have to set up the post per restaurant?
Seattle's Best Wings 