ATXReview
photo credit: Holly Dirks
Wingzup
Included In
Tucked away in a strip mall next to the Hancock H-E-B, Wingzup looks kind of like a generic sports bar from the outside, complete with a nondescript pixelated logo over a tiny patio with a few metal tables. The interior isn’t doing much to change that notion, either, with over a dozen TVs showing sports and a dining room that looks like it took its inspiration from a Pinterest board for Buffalo Wild Wings. Finding wings here isn’t much of a surprise, but the surprising thing about Wingzup is just how well they do wings.
photo credit: Holly Dirks
The wings here come in six different styles—original, grilled, smoked, golden (marinated then fried), country (battered then fried), and boneless (if you even consider those wings). We usually go with the original, grilled, or smoked, but you can mix and match for just a few extra dollars. Little bits of char make the grilled wings taste like they came from the backyard cookout of a talented chef friend, and the original wings are textbook perfect—crispy on the outside, soft and tender in the middle. And they’re all available in sauces ranging from classics like Buffalo and Garlic Parm to a ridiculously spicy mango habanero that’s just as sweet and sticky as it is sweat-inducing. The sauce and dry rub menu reminded us a bit of Austin wing mini-chain Pluckers—with similar flavors displayed on a color-coded, sliding scale of spice.
The service here can be pretty slow, and the dining room is about as exciting as a framed accidental cell phone photo of the inside of your pocket. But you’re not really here for the atmosphere or a picturesque interior. You’re here to watch sports and eat some of the best wings in the whole city.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Holly Dirks
Wing Sampler
photo credit: Holly Dirks