I’m a big fan of deep-fried chicken wings, so I was intrigued by the concept of Baked Wings & Things, which opened last September off State Street.
The baked wings are available as bone-in (starts at $8.99 for five), boneless ($6.99) and plant-based ($9.49), with your choice of a rub (e.g., lemon pepper) or sauce (e.g., mango habanero). I’m sure I’m not the first to say this, but if you weren’t told that these wings were baked, then you probably wouldn’t notice easily. The main reason is that have a slight char to them, giving them a crispiness that somewhat resembles being fried.
Anyways, I enjoyed the wings and the buffalo sauce, and I would definitely order them again.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t get the Chicken Bulgogi Lettuce Wrap ($10.99) again. I thought the bulgogi sauce tasted more like teriyaki sauce, the bits of chicken weren’t tender and the wraps were overloaded with diced red onion and cucumber.
One more chicken dish I tried was the Chicken & Waffle ($12.99). The two chicken tenders are actually fried, and I was pleasantly surprised that the shell looked and tasted like deep-fried cod, as in, light and crispy. The chicken was plump and tender and sat atop a deliciously sweet waffle coated with hot honey butter. I must say that the waffle complemented the chicken well, especially as the chicken was topped with sriracha aioli.
Of course a chicken place has burgers on the menu. Like other restaurants, Baked Wings & Things lists smashburgers, but the patties were normal size, and they didn’t have the crust on the outside. The excellent spicy bacon jam, which was more savory than sweet, makes the Purdy Curdy ($10.99) burger, which also cames with pepperjack cheese.
Other menu items include salads, wraps, chicken sandwiches and chili.
Baked Wings & Things serves lunch and dinner every day.
