You asked for it, we delivered - pictures are included in this weeks Wingsday review - a special thanks to Mike for photographing the event.  This week, Ale Gator’s, the newest occupant of the old Red Lobster building on Lake Parker.  I’ve heard that this was the first Red Lobster ever; I wonder if that’s true.  On to the reviews!

“With a name like Ale Gators I really had no expectations (especially as it relates to wings) so I just went along with the flow. When we walked in I believe we were all pleasantly surprised as the staff was well dressed, friendly, and the restaurant was clean. We sat down at a seizure inducing table caused by a ceiling fan running under a light in the ceiling. This caused somewhat of a strobe affect on the entire table and was quickly resolved by turning the fan off. I ordered 10 of their hot wings and a side of fries. It wasn’t long before the food arrived and they looked good but were a bit on the small side. They were cooked well and had a really good buffalo style taste but I’m not sure I’d classify them as hot (more of a mild) (Trav: I couldn’t agree more!). I tried a few of the Bourbon wings that one of the other guys ordered and I liked those as well, they tasted pretty much like what you’d expect bourbon chicken to taste like. The fries were also tasty and helped complete the meal. There were a few things that we didn’t like though which included not having a bowl to put our eaten wings in (we probably should have just asked for some) (We have pretty high standards) and the price was a little high compared to some of the other establishments that we’ve visited. In all it was a very enjoyable experience and I’d say that it rates 3rd on my list overall so I give it 4 out 5 stars.”
–Shawn

This is a picture of wings /\

“Ale Gators is one of those places that I never knew existed prior to our arrangements to host Wingsday there. Regardless, wings are on the menu, and wings are what we do. (Trav:  Way to keep it real, Scottie)

Before I go into detail, allow me to stress that over the past several Wingsday outings, the other Wingmen have dubbed me a “Wing Snob.” I’m completely okay with this title; reviews need to be objective and thorough. I’m looking for the best, not just “good.” (Scottie is the very definition of a wing snob.  “I’m not sure these wings have the appropriate bouquet” - “could I see your wine list” - “do you have any grey poupon I could dip my wings in?” - okay, I made most of that up; but that’s what a wing snob is in my mind)

I ordered 10 “Buffalo Hot” wings. Measly-sized, but decent flavor. Nothing special to report on; they were your typical vinegary-hot wings. Breaded. Smothered in Sauce. Covered in scallions for some unknown reason. Were they bad? By no means. Were they good? Let me answer that question with another: Can anyone truly “mess up” a chicken wing? Exactly. (I think Mike may disagree with you)

I also tried the bourbon (tastes like: Cheap Whiskey + Gelatin = Bourbon Sauce) and the BBQ (tastes like: KC Masterpiece + Elmer’s Glue = BBQ Sauce). That’s all I have to say about those.

The place advertises that dipping sauces are included, “unlike our competitors!” Yeah, true. But your competitor’s don’t make my bill to be 14 bucks and change (plus tip) when I order 10 wings, fries, and a drink, either. (I didn’t completely get the “dipping sauces” thing - were the dipping sauces, like, ranch or something?  ‘Cause, if that’s the case, most of their competitor’s don’t charge for them.  Or maybe they’re not competing with those places.  I digress)

Places like Decisions or Kau’s would have me return solely for the pleasure of eating wings. Places like Kazbor’s would have me return solely for value. I would consider returning to Ale Gator’s for free pool and ping-pong, their assortment of various other barroom games, or the pleasant and open atmosphere – would I order wings? Sure, but I wouldn’t be expecting Culinary Delicacies.  (I’m loving this review.  I may just take Scott’s name off and put my name on it)

Wings: 2.5 Stars – breaded, small, decent flavor; but nothing exciting.

Value: 2 Stars – small wings/portions, $17.00 w/ tip for “okay” food.

Atmosphere: 4.5 Stars – plenty of TVs, pool tables, games, and ping pong! Family-Friendly (in daylight hours at least), plus a great view of Lake Parker.”
–Scott

This is a another picture of wings! /\

“Ale Gators on Lake Parker was the mark this week for our wing delight. Upon arrival I was greeted by ample empty parking right up front and was excited to pull in, only to notice upon closer inspection that the many empty spaces were reserved for motorcycle gangs. We 4-wheel drivers needed to proceed to the side or back lot to park. In total I counted zero motorcycles present for lunch. Puzzling. (We’re a third of the way through Steve’s review, and he’s still hung up on the parking) Anyway, the atmosphere was nice. I last recall the days that this building housed the first ever Red Lobster restaurant. An upscale seafood experience back in its hay day. On to the chicken wings. (Appreciate you working that in) The menu was brief. Buffalo, Buffalo Hot, Bourbon, & BBQ. I had the bourbon wings since everyone else seemed to migrate towards the hot buffalo wings. I likened the taste to a Asian Chao Chinese style bourbon chicken. The sauce was dripping off the wing. Saucy. They were a bit too sweet for my taste and had to really power through to eat all ten. Honey may be less sweet than these wings. Service was fast and friendly from our referee. I also tried the hot wings which were a strong performer. I give them a solid “good” rating. Ale Gators was overall a strong performer. I’d go surely go back and possibly venture off the wings to try some gator fare.”
–Steve

“Ale Gator’s. Hmm…what to say? Low class Hooter’s? Maybe. The only way I can describe this place is that it would be like having the opportunity to go to a high class strip bar, only to drive past it and pull in at Wild Charlie’s Truck Stop, Lube Center, and Live Nudes (this place doesn’t exist). (At one point, I was like - is this too harsh - but that line, the name of that truck stop - sheer brilliance - Mike, I applaud your blunt honesty)The food was mediocre at best. I ordered the hot wings and fries. The fries were unseasoned from what I could tell. The wings were tiny little things, smothered in pure vinegar. The water, however, was good. I would not go back…unless Travis is paying.”
–Mike

“I was immediately greeted by at least seven members of the friendly, staff who wore referee uniforms (can I pause here and say most of the waitresses were pretty - it’s like, we’re tap dancing around the fact that they hire attractive waitresses; a couple may have even been hot - just trying to be fair and just in our reporting), appropriate for the ambiance of a clean sports bar with TV, full liquor, games, Karaoke and music. We chose a round table that comfortably seated six. A bright light shined through the moving blades of the ceiling fan, creating a strobe effect, amplified by the inside of the shiny menus. Once the fan stopped, we regained our vision. Readers, you can simulate this by blinking rapidly, yes Wingsday is interactive.  (Greatest line ever!)

The wings are only available breaded. I ordered 10 barbecue wings and received a 3:7 wing to drum ratio and a salad of cut scallions on top. The amount of sauce glued to these wings would make anyone from NASA reconsider the method they use to stick the heat tiles to the space shuttle (This line may be better - Mike D. might be new, but he’s funny).  They were so overwhelming that I could not eat them all, and I shared two. The bourbon wings are good and taste like Asian Chao bourbon chicken at the mall. I did not try the hot wings today.

My tea was never empty and the management came by at least twice to ask us if everything was good. I thought $14.95 was a tad steep for ten wings, fries and tea, but Mondays .41 cent wings and two for one Margaritas is a head turner. I rate 3 of 5 stars with weight on the excellent service.”  (Word!) (can I still say “Word!”?)
–Mike D.

A bunch of diversity in the reviews this week.  It was a ton of fun.

If you’re a wing afficianado, and think you know of the best wings around, drop us a line - maybe the Wingsday crew will come eat with you!

Have a great weekend!

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This week, Kazbor’s Grille. First off, I’m sorry the review is being posted so late, but, well, I was lazy this weekend . . .

I walked into Kazbor’s not expecting much. I’d heard less than stellar feedback from folks who’d eaten at their other locations. What we found was a pleasant surprise:

“Rock the Kazbor’s! – (Editor’s note: It’s only by grace that I let you keep that headline) Yes, it’s lame, and a stretch… but The Clash played on repeat in my head during my entire dining experience. Regardless, I apparently did not share my fellow Wingmen’s sentiments for the fare we sampled.

In short:
1. The Hot wings were… not that hot. –2 Stars.
2. The Garlic Buffalo were very tasty, and a touch hotter than the “hot.” –3 Stars.
3. It was hard for me to get an accurate sampling of the Caribbean Jerk wings because my taste buds were dulled. I would say they were halfway decent. –3 Stars. (The reason they were fried is because before that I tried:
4. The Wicked Hot wings… they aren’t lying at Kazbor’s. Wicked-Freakin’-Hot [insert a Bostonian accent here]. — 4 Stars, for truly serving a HOT wing that still held is habanera-esque flavor.

Lastly, Our waiter was friendly and attentive, but he reminded me a bit too much of Brian, the flair-wearing, over-enthusiastic Chotchkie’s waiter from Office Space.

Overall, the fact that it was AYCE Wings for 9.95 with a side, coupled with a family-friendly atmosphere ALMOST made up for the no-more-than-mediocre wings. Great Value, “Ehh” Wings.”
–Scott

“I already had a preconceived notion of filth and poor food/environment even before I stepped foot into Kazbor’s. I had never actually heard anything about the one in Lakeland, since its practically brand new, but I had heard things about other restaurant sites. I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in. The food smelled good, the atmosphere was clean. The only concern I had was that the place was small. Like, my chair kept bumping the guy’s chair behind me, small. Our server was very nice and attentive, but not overly attentive, which I like. My thoughts were something along the lines of, “All you can eat wings…how good can they be?” They were good, especially for 10 bucks. I started off with the hot. These were very good. Nice flavor. Nice wetness. No thick breading. I’m already a fan. For my reorder I got the garlic buffalo. OMG!!! I’m going to say it. Many won’t agree…the garlic buffalo have moved into my number one spot, out ranking Decisions. There, I said it. (Editor’s note: You’re right. I don’t agree. In fact, it’s only based on journalistic integrity that I resisted editing your review)

Stay away from the “wicked hot” unless you want to feel your taste buds melt off your tongue. The name doesn’t lie. It wasn’t exactly a buffalo style hot either - more of “lets just soak these things in habanero juice for a week to see what happens.” They were fun though. I ate one, it made me feel like a man. Overall I was very pleased with my experience. The wing may not be quite as large as Decisions, but you know how I feel, there is no need to say it again and anger the people around me (Editor’s note: Too late!). I think they are being paid off (Editor’s note: Yeah, that’s why I’m rolling around in an 8 year old car with 200k miles). You should check out campfire anthems sometime to really get the truth. I’m out.”
–Mike

“This week for wingsday we went to Kazbor’s Grille. We broke tradition and went to Wingsday on a Thursday but it was OK because Kazbor’s had all you can eat wings for $9.95. I’m not sure who recommended this place but it was a pretty good find. (Editor’s note: It was Trish, from Project Management, who left a menu on my desk). The restaurant itself was really nice and everything seemed really clean. I started my order of unlimited wings with 10 hot wings which came with a side (the experience just kept getting better). It wasn’t long before the wings arrived at the table and we dove right in. We went ahead and put in our order for more wings right after the first set arrived, this time I went the wicked hot (more on that below). The wings are about medium in size, non-breaded, and had a good consistency. The hot wings are pretty close to what I would normally expect and they really tasted good. After about 4 to 5 hot wings the wicked hot wings came out, geez they aren’t kidding. Just a word of advice you might want take something before to prepare your stomach and/or invest in some Tuck’s medicated pads afterwards if you decide to partake in more than one of these wings or maybe just one may do it (Editor’s note: I recommend putting the toilet paper in the freezer). I’ve never seen so many red faces, sweat beading on foreheads, and gasps for air (it was hot enough to take you breath away) from a group of grown men in my life. The wicked hot wings still tasted good you just couldn’t stand to have more than 1 or 2. I also sampled some of the Caribbean Jerk wings which were also really good and had a very distinct flavor without going overboard. In all I rate Kozbor’s 2nd only to Decisions ,which has been the front runner in most everyone’s book for quite some time. To sum it up I’d give the whole experience 4.2 out 5 stars.”
–Shawn

“This was my first wingsday and it was very amusing. We went to Kozbor’s Grille which was nice and clean. Some even commented that it was too chilly inside, but I found the place quite comfortable overall. I ordered the mild wings because unlike the others at the table, I had to share my food with my one year old daughter and I am pretty sure she would not have appreciated anything hotter. The service was a little slow and I think that had more to do with the kitchen staff rather than our waiter. The wings did finally come, but I had to wait till they brought out my ranch sauce before I could begin eating. I quickly noticed that I was the only one at the table that dipped my wings. I am not sure if I am an oddity or if the others just don’t know that your supposed to dip your wings in ranch or blue cheese (Editor’s note: Maybe it’s just that we’re purists, lady!). Either way, the wings were good even though I prefer batter fried over naked wings. My daughter was not impressed with the wings and pretty much ignored the pieces of chicken I gave her (Editor’s note: She’s like, 1. My one year old wouldn’t eat deep fried chocolate covered in peanut butter). Unfortunately, I was unable to finish my first set, so I did not partake in a re-order to sample any other flavors. I must admit, though, the most enjoyable part of this wingsday was watching the others try the wicked hot wings. There was a lot of sweating, tearing up and fire-breathing, coupled with predictions of utilizing the conference center once they got back to work. Since this was the first wingsday I was invited to, I had nothing to compare this dining experience with. With that said, I did enjoy food and the restaurant, and I will rate it 4 out of 5 stars. I am also pretty sure I now know why they keep the place so chilly.”
–Natalie (guest reviewer)

All in all, I don’t think any of us could complain about the aesthetics of the place - plenty of TV’s, viewable from every angle, a full bar, video games for the kids. It was, like Mike mentioned, a little cramped, but it was the kind of place I’d go back to just for the environment. I thought the wings were in my top 3 (off the top of my head, behind Decision’s and Beef’s). Since Kazbor’s is new, we’ll have to check back in a few months to make sure they’ve maintained the bar they’ve set.

Have a great week!

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