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!

No Comments »

This week, the Wingsday crew took on “The Winner’s Circle,” which is a nice little sports bar on South Florida Avenue. I’ll let the reviewers give you their take before I give you mine:

“I was left numb after tasting 9 distinct chicken wing flavors in one lunch this week. I could not even muster up the words to review them until Thursday. To generalize a bit, I thought all the chicken wings were a bit soggy but overall good quality and value. The breading absorbed lots of the wing sauce leaving all candidates feeling a tad pasty. The sweet tea was undrinkable here. Antifreeze would have quenched thirst better. For the sake of brevity, I’m going to employ 5 word reviews for each flavor sampled:

Hot - medium heat hint of sweetness
Bourbon - very sweet would eat again
Taco - best of show meaty goodness
Roasted garlic - super strength garlic birth control
Parmesan - fork and knife Italian meal
Chippy - chipotle soul sweet heat delicious
Vegas - lemon lime tequila unexpected surpriseCajun - pass, not your mamma’s jambalaya
Caribbean jerk - Simon & Garfunkel reminiscent, Scarborough Fair  

”
–Steve

“I’ve been to Winners Circle a few times but never ordered any food so I wasn’t sure what to expect. They’ve also recently relocated which was a good move because the new place seems quite a bit larger and cleaner. You can order 20 wings form $9.95 which is one of the best deals we’ve run across. Since the price was right and we were all in the mood for variety we ordered a total of 100 wings in 9 different flavors. Here’s a break down of how I rated each wing:
Hot (2.5 out of 5 stars) – This wing had a sweet taste but was very deceiving. Once you actually swallowed it left a burning sensation in your mouth that was intriguing. After about 4 consecutive hot wings you start to sweat and look for your favorite beverage. I wasn’t super impressed with the overall flavor so they ranked a little lower on my list.
Parmesan (4 out of 5 stars) – Wings had marinara sauce with some parmesan cheese. They tasted a lot like chicken parmesan and were quite tasty.
Vegas (1.5 out of 5 stars) – Wings were described as having a citrus flavor and seemed to have a hint of lime. Most of the group raved about how good these were, however I wasn’t impressed they tasted a little stale to me.
Taco (3.5 out 5 stars) – Wings had taco seasoning on them and tasted pretty good.
Chippy (Chipolte)/Cajun/Caribbean Jerk (2 out of 5 stars) – For me all these wings tasted like they were doused with a bunch of different grill mate seasonings (a little overboard) and I didn’t really get anything from them. Some of them tasted OK but none of them stuck out for me as tasting good.
Bourbon (2 out of 5 stars) - I was expecting something like you get from a Chinese restaurant just in a chicken wing. I was disappointed as I thought the flavor of these wings was somewhat sour and didn’t taste anything like what I expected.
Roasted Garlic (4 out of 5 stars) – We had a choice to go with Garlic or Roasted Garlic and we all decided that the Roasted Garlic sounded much more appetizing.

The wings certainly had enough garlic on them and they tasted really good.All of the wings were cooked well and they were probably medium in size. 40 to 50 minutes must have passed between the time that we ordered and when the wings started coming out to the table, which seems a little long. When I take the wings, service, and overall atmosphere into consideration I give the whole experience 3.75 out 5 stars.”
–Shawn

“Winner’s Circle is another place I’ve been to a few times before, but without such a discerning tongue. The easiest way to ramble through the cornucopia of flavors we sampled is to just go one at a time:
Hot: Halfway decent. More of a “sweet” hot than the traditional “vinegar” hot… but personally I don’t prefer hot/sweet. These’ll sneak up on ya… the hot takes about 45 seconds to hit. 3 Stars.
Roasted Garlic: Overdone. Unfortunately for my wife, I’m still belching garlic, hours later, after only two wings. Tasty, but too heavy on the minced garlic. 2 Stars.
Taco: Holy Frijoles! These tasted more like warm ground beef than chicken — very delicious. All it needed was some cheese and sour cream. A must-try wing for the curious! 4.5 Stars.
Vegas: Very tasty, but wing-to-wing, the flavor varied a bit to me. There’s a citrusy undertone… well, it was an undertone on the first Vegas I tried… and an overtone on the second. I think the latter wing was covered in more sauce, sitting at the bottom of the pile. Either way, not a bad wing. 4 Stars
Jerk: The key to this wing was the fresh Rosemary that was sprinkled on the wing. Tasted like biting into a fresh herb garden — delicious, different than traditional “jerk” recipes, but packs a ton of good flavor. 4.25 Stars.
Parmesan: Again, a must-try for the person who must try everything. Red marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese… on a wing! The Winggods have smiled upon me with this one. 4.5 Stars
Cajun: Typical. Spicy. Tasty, but nothing to write home about. You can find these wings in dozens of bars. 2.5 Stars.
Chippy: (Chipotle) Not my cup of tea. Probably the worst wing I’ve had in a while. -1 Star.
Bourbon: Again, not for me. I love whiskey… but not in my food. 1.5 Stars.Overall, the place was friendly and inviting, with lots of TVs adorning the walls and plenty o’ darts. The waitress seemed somewhat disinterested in us, and the food took quite a while to appear. However, for the money, the wait was worth it. Some of the least expensive wings we’ve seen. The wings themselves were somewhat tiny and a bit over-breaded, but the sheer quantity of flavors available makes this a must-visit… However, I wouldn’t say they’re in the Winner’s Circle, by any means.”
–Scott

“I graced good old Winners Circle with my presence once or twice back in my college days, but hadn’t been to their new location located within the Dixie Land area of Lakeland. I must say that I was happily surprised when I walked in. Cleanliness that the old Winners would have never had. ::side bar:: I use to take my wife to this same exact building when it was a little Italian restaurant for lobster ravioli. ::end side bar:: Anywho, I sit down with my friends (I’m the last one there as usual) and find out that we all ordered 20 wings, split into 2 flavors of 10 wings. Now right here, at any other establishment, I would have freaked out about the cost of 20 wings, but I was promptly informed that 20 wings was only 10 bucks. WOW! What a super deal!

We are now waiting. And waiting some more. We talked a bit, continued to wait. Finally, after a gut wrenching half hour the first set of wings arrives. Over the course of maybe 5 minutes all our platters of wings arrive and we begin our duty. Remember that word right there. Duty. I decided to go round robin on today’s event. I started with the Vegas wings. How delicious. The Vegas wings had a nice hint of citrus to them, almost like a tequila lime or something. Right from the start I was impressed. This was a very good wing. Next, I moved around the circle to Taco wings. I kid you not, these things smelled like tacos, and even tasted more like beef than chicken. Scary thing was that once again this piece of chickeny goodness was delectable. Ok, 3rd was “chippy,” which to a normal person was chipotle. These were ok. They had a nice flavor to them, and just enough kick for a good spice factor. Then garlic, bourbon, and cajun. Don’t kiss your wife aftereating garlic…although very good flavor, cajun was just ok, and I wasn’t a fan of the bourbon. They tasted like I was eating them out of a Jack Daniels bottle.

The hot wings were something to write home about. They were very good. They were also just like Jerry. They snuck right up on you. Initially they were sweet, and no matter how long the meat was in your mouth it was sweet. as soon as you swallowed, however, pull the fire hose out ’cause these things scorched. They were good but not as good as the hot wings from Kau Kau Koner. I also was able to partake in the jerk wing. It had a nice level of heat, along with some herbs and island flavorings. Lastly was the parmesean wing. This was very much like eating chicken parmesean at an Italian joint. With the grated cheese and marinara sauce, I half expected these to be served with side order of angel hair pasta.

I won’t comment this week on the weight staff. (my mom always said that if you don’t have something nice, don’t say anything at all) All in all I would seriously recommend this place for a good order of wings. Is it the best in town? It’s hard to say. I guess we’ll just have to keep atit next week.”
–Mike

To summarize, the “niche” wings (taco, parmesan, jerk) were so far to the ‘nth degree on the flavor scale that they became too much; I equated it to eating jelly belly gourmet jelly beans: the taco tasted like a ground beef taco. If I want a ground beef taco, why on earth would I order wings? The prices were excellent, and the quality of the food was good, if the service was a bit slow. I’d say I’d go to Winner’s Circle again; however, if I wanted wings, I’d go to Beef’s or Decisions . . .

See you next Wingsday!

1 Comment »

This week, we tackled one of the big “wing-chains” (not to be confuse with “wang-chun”). The WingHouse. The reviews:

“I had very high hopes for Ker’s Winghouse Lakeland since they are a large chain and because their name implies that wings are their specialty. I was let down. I ordered 10 breaded hot wings with their “WingHouse House on Fire® Sauce”. Winghouse’s heat scale goes like this: mild, medium, hot, house on fire, eXXXtreme. Give me a break. My 4-year old could have eaten the house on fire wings. If I go back, I’m ordering the extreme sauce. But that’s a big IF. Here’s why. Out of 10 wings, I bet five of them had broken bones. This does two things. First, it makes the wings difficult to eat because there are splintered bone fragments to contend with. Second, it makes me feel bad for the poor chickens and who needs that guilt? I want my chickens living a happy life just prior to being fried in boiling hot oil. It also occurred to me that maybe the restaurant’s focus is more on their service by the famous Winghouse girls. Service was average at best. The atmosphere is cool, if you don’t mind a restaurant where the patrons are 98% male. To quote Randy Jackson of American Idol fame, “It was just ayaught for me dog.”
–Steve

“To be honest, my entire review can be summed up in one word: “Ehh”

First off, the ordering here is just complicated. Even the menu agrees with that – it gives a detailed step-by-step “Instruction Manual” on the proper way to order your wings. Any food that requires more than one step to order correctly is just cumbersome.

The “House On Fire” Hot Wings (rated Four Fireballs out of Five by WingHouse) were just… sissy. I don’t even know if that word applies to food, but that’s the best way to describe them. This second-hottest wing on their menu was milder than most establishment’s “medium” wings.

The portion size also left something to be desired. Those who ordered “naked” wings – without the breading – were left with tiny piles of sticks… and that was before they were eaten. Additionally, the wings themselves were full of broken bones. I believe WingHouse orders their chickens directly from a Paraplegic Chicken Rescue Farm. (editor’s note: I don’t think this is offensive, so I left it in here. If it offends you, let me know)

“Value” is not a term I would associate with WingHouse. For around $12.00 (including tip) I received 10 measly wings and a soda. Want anything additional and it would cost you – 1.50 for all drummies, .79 cents for bleu cheese/ranch, and .99 cents for dressing AND celery. Listen. Don’t nickel and dime me, scantily-clad waitress.

I’m not even going to get into how much of a Hooter’s knock-off this place is.

The only semi-redeeming quality of WingHouse was the [over-]enthusiastic staff. We were greeted by the hostess upon entering, our waitress was attentive, the manager asked how our meal was partway through, and both the hostess and manager opened the doors, asked us again how the meal was, and wished us a pleasant day. Oh, and the blackened wings were tasty, despite their miniscule size.

Overall – 2 stars.”
–Scott

“Expectations were high today as we were going to WingHouse a place that is known for, well, their wings, as well as a few other things. I can sum up the entire experience in one word “Average”. The staff was friendly (attractive), the restaurant was clean and well laid out, and the food arrived in what seemed record time. I ordered 10 wings blackened (naked), all drumsticks which is a nice option. They tasted OK but the cook went a little overboard on the spices and I’m pretty sure I got my daily intake of sodium in the first bite. The drumsticks were also a little small in comparison but were cooked to a good consistent texture. I wasn’t impressed at all with the “House on Fire” wings that I sampled as they were a little soggy and didn’t pack much of a punch. In summary nothing really stood out about the whole experience so I give it 3 out of 5 stars.”
–Shawn

Sounds pretty mundane to me. I actually was the only one to sample the Dallas/Hot combination that another guy ordered - really good, although, I have to agree with the other guys on the brittle/size points. All in all, it wasn’t that it was bad, more that it wasn’t awesome.

That’s it for this week. Until next week, Follow our favorite fast food establishment’s slogan and Eat More Chicken!

1 Comment »