Hot Buffalo-style Chicken Wings of Flagstaff: New Jersey Pizza Company

The Hot Buffalo-style Chicken Wings of Flagstaff guide continues today with wings from the New Jersey Pizza Company.

New Jersey Pizza Company
224 E Cedar
menu: pizzaflagstaff.com (but they just got a new menu that's not online yet as of 1/16/10)

New Jersey Pizza used to have three kinds of sauces for their wings: Thai peanut, buffalo and sweet BBQ. But as of January 16, 2010 they only have one sauce: buffalo.
What's weird is the new buffalo takes like a weird concoction of a peanut sauce meets buffalo sauce. If you look at the photo above you can see that the wings are drowned in this sauce. Look carefully and you can see distinct swirls of the peanuty brown sauce and the red buffalo sauce.
All I can really say about it is that it is definately unique. First bite, I was intrigued but by wing #2, not so much. I liked their old wings much better.
Maybe something weird was going on in their kitchen today cause the pizza was no where near as good as normal either. New Jersey is someplace worthy of giving a second chance to, but I don't think I'll be able to bring myself to try their wings again.

Hot Buffalo-style Chicken Wings of Flagstaff: Fratelli Pizza

Looking for the best hot wings in Flagstaff? This article is part of the new Hot Buffalo-style Chicken Wings of Flagstaff guide that samples the wings of the city so you can find your favorite. Today's wings are from Fratelli Pizza.

Fratelli Pizza (downtown location)
119 West Phoenix
menu at: http://www.fratellipizza.net

Fratelli is a classic Flagstaff pizzaria. Known for their fab slices, they have worthy wings too. Fratelli's wings come in only two options. The wings are crispy without being dry. An order is 8 wigs. You can get half and half if you want. They come with a handful of baby carrot, a big ol cup of Fratelli's fab ranch dressing and some lettuce (that can make a nice simple salad to cool down after the spicy buffalo sauce). Here's a look at how the flavors shake down:
Spicy buffalo- No kidding about the spicy. These are surprisingly hot being there's no regular. Bold flavor that is quite addictive. I couldn't wait to go back for another one for some more burn on my lips.
BBQ- More of a rib glaze than a pure barbeque sauce. Dark brown and super sticky. Mild flavor and sweet and sticky like honey.

Hot Buffalo-style Chicken Wings of Flagstaff: Big Foot BBQ

Looking for the best hot wings in Flagstaff? This article is part of the new Hot Buffalo-style Chicken Wings of Flagstaff guide that samples the wings of the city so you can find your favorite. Today's wings are from the ever popular Bigfoot BBQ...

Bigfoot BBQ
Basement of the Old Town Shops, downtown Flagstaff at Leroux & Birch
Menu at: bigfootbbq.com

Bigfoot is a Flagstaff staple. They have one of the best salads, some of the best sides, some of the best wings and some of the best housemade buttermilk ranch dressing for those wings in town! You can get them by the dozen or half dozen. On Mondays a dozen wings are half off - making for a bargain dinner, especially when paired with their garlic romano fries. Mmmm. Here's a look at the wings of Bigfoot:
BBQ- These are the best barbecue wings I've tried in town. Sweet but not too sweet, mellow, a touch smoky. Highly satisfying.
High Octane- Some of the most popular wings at Bigfoot. A nice flavor, not gonna burn ya out. Can see the flecks of black and red peppers. Spicy, tangy and flavorful.
Regular- Has a nice light coating of the regular buffalo sauce that you can fin on many of Bigfoot's buffalo items tangy with only a hint of afterburn.
Teriyaki - Another intersting take on an asian inspired wing, this one is a touch sweet a touch salty in soy sauce kinda way a touch tangy, reminiscent of teriyaki sauce without going full asian restaurant flavor.

Hot Buffalo-style Chicken Wings of Flagstaff: The Smokehouse

The Smokehouse is home to this installment of Hot Buffalo-style Chicken Wings of Flagstaff.
The Smokehouse used to be a favorite of mine for bbq when they were a small little shop based in a trailer outside The Museum Club. But when they moved to their new location in a strip mall with sit down dining, things changed. I've gone back a few times to give them a chance and work out those kinks but I haven't been happy with their food.

The Smokehouse
3510 E. Route 66
website (but no current menu) at: simplythebestbbq.com 

The Smokehouse wings are ok but nothing special. They're really dried out tasting (sadly like the other things I've gotten here lately). They taste a little generic - coated and fried then served tossed in sauce. The sauces are the best thing about The Smokehouse. They're homemade and lean towards sweet more than spicy. There are four sauces on the menu at The Smokehouse. Here's a look at how they stack up:
Honey BBQ- This is realy sweet and syrupy not too barbecue tasting.
Habenero Hell- Surprisingly not as spicy as the name implies. Heavy on the vinegar flavor for a super tangy wing
Honey Mustard- Very sweet and syrupy with only a hint of mustard flavor. The kids will like this one. Mine licked it off their plates but refused to eat the actual wing.
All in all I'm disappointed that The Smokehouse is a far cry from its successful, moist, flavorful tasty  roots. They were among my fav Flag bbq joints, but no longer. Not sure if I'll be going back unless I hear they're changing back to their old ways.

Hot Buffalo-style Chicken Wings of Flagstaff: Ski Lift Lodge Restaurant

Looking for the best hot wings in Flagstaff? The ones at Ski Lift Lodge are definite contenders. This article is part of the new Hot Buffalo-style Chicken Wings of Flagstaff guide that samples the wings of the city so you can find your favorite. Today's wings are from the Ski Lift Lodge Cabins and Restaurant...

Ski Lift Lodge Cabins and Restaurant
Hwy 180 at the base of Snowbowl Rd (map)
menu and specials online at: arizonasnowbowl.com

About a ten minute drive north of downtown you'll find the Ski Lift Lodge Cabins and Restaurant... home to about 8 flavors of wings that come highly recommended. They make all their own sauces here, except the jerk rub (but then that's not a sauce). You can get them by the half or full dozen, one flavor per six wings. On Thursdays (they're open from 4-9pm with happy hour from 4-6 with discounts on drinks and appetizers) they have half price wings all night. Great deal. Here's a look at what to expect in their flavor rainbow:
Mild - tangy flavor captures the essence of buffalo without much heat at all. Nice job, this is hard to do.
Medium - adds about 5 degrees of heat and a more vinegary taste to the mild
Hot- working my way up the fire line, this one just adds a touch more peppery taste but you don't really taste the extra heat 'til after eating them. I like that kind of backburn.
Injured Skier-  whoa momma... that one is spicy. I like spice but this is fire.
Raspberry Chipotle - cools the mouth after the Injured Skier wings - and boy will you need it! Almost refreshing and so interesting to the taste buds. Not like any other wing I've tried. Made with fresh raspberries and a touch of chipotle peppers back in the kitchen. Mmmmm. I would have loved to taste this one with a hef beer, but they don't have it at this time.
BBQ- thick sauce has a little extra ketchup-y taste than most barbeque sauces, but not overly sweet, very mild.
Teriyaki - all sweet almost honey-like. Dare I say almost tastes like there's a hint of beer flavoring in there somewhere. A surprisingly good wing that I will order again (and my kids loved this one too).
Blackjack Jerk- dry rubbed wings with a little sweet mixed in with the flavors of pepper and other spices. This wing needs a little more moisture for my liking but the flavor is going in the right direction.
All in all- I'd opt for a combo of wings with three sauces here: medium, teriyaki and raspberry chipotle... for maximum flavor and uniqueness. The atmosphere at the Ski Lift Lodge is so comfortable and homey too (and a really nice wait staff), you may just stay a while.

Hot Buffalo-style Chicken Wings of Flagstaff: Granny's Closet

Looking for the best hot wings in Flagstaff? This begins the new Hot Buffalo-style Chicken Wings of Flagstaff guide that samples the wings of the city so you can find your favorite. We start with the ever-popular Granny's...

Granny's Closet
218 S. Milton Rd.
menu at: Grannys-Closet.com

When you ask people in Flagstaff where to go for wings 9 times out of 10 they'll say Granny's. Granny's has 7 types of wings everyday. You can buy them by the full or half dozen. On Wednesdays they're 40 cents each all day.  Here's a look at each type of wing style Granny's serves up:
Plain - just the wing, no sauce, as simple as humanly possible.
Medium - lots of tanginess not too hot nice and moist perfect for a spicy lightweight
Hot - turn up the spice by one notch on the medium what I would call a traditional hot wing
Suicide Jabenero - the smell is powerful and tickles the nose this one is serious business about its spiciness while still flavorful. Be sure to have a beer or coke or water on hand after these. Burning my lips but in a good way still fifteen minutes after eating them. Whoa nelly.
BBQ- these are barbeque sauce coated: sweet, mellow and saucy
Spicy BBQ- sweet and tangy with a touch spicy, mostly as an afterburn
Teriyaki - a pleasant change of taste. more of a soy sauce taste than a traditional sweet terriyaki not spicy or tangy distinctively its own thing