2010 – Best Wings in (Upper) Bucks

by guest bloggers Jack Scott and Brent Gobrecht of the ViperClub,

The holiday shopping is over, the afternoons are bleak, the weather girl is calling for snow and my beer flavor has transitioned from the lighter pale ales to a nice, dark, cold-weather stout. It is time to tally up some scores collected over the year, pour a glass of wine, and revisit some of the best places to get wings in Upper Bucks County.

In 2010 there were some surprises. Establishments have made changes to their recipes, most for the better. Some have let their guard down. The art of creating delicious chicken wings, as well as some outstanding hidden pubs, may have both been taken for granted. Big Daddy’s Wagon Wheel Tavern epitomizes the quintessential place to find awesome wings – bikes out front and characters inside. Walking into Big Daddy’s is like stepping into a live action, slightly insane iSpy picture. There is stuff everywhere and the wings are great.

McCoole’s at the Red Lion Inn in Quakertown made a great leap forward with their new wing recipe. It was a drastic change and it is well worth a second order. Gone is the extra breading. Enter a quality piece of chicken that is a sort of cross between a bake and a fry, getting so close to that perfect crisp found in the perfect wing.

I’m convinced that no wing is perfect. Many are great, few are close, and Brent and I’ve decided the closest in 2010 is the Old Bethlehem Road Hotel (OBR) in Quakertown. Now, before I go into what a neat little place the OBR is, I want to tell you that it has not escaped our attention that for the past several years Quakertown consistently harbors so many little pubs which make outstanding wings. So many in fact, we needed to revisit some of the pubs in the surrounding towns in the Upper Bucks County area, just to ensure we weren’t favoring a particular borough. We don’t know what it is but something in that town makes for some really good wings, the best, actually.

The OBR is one of those places that you need to know where you’re going in order to get there. It’s off the beaten path. When you step inside, you’ll notice the décor caters to the “Upper Bucks Biker.” You know who you are. That’s right; The VP of sales, with the pressed jeans, who has a convention next weekend and doesn’t understand that Harleys are supposed to leak oil. The OBR has a nice couch for you to watch the game after a Sunday ride. Order the wings. Want to toughen up? Ask for the sauce made with Ghost Peppers. When we rate wings we go for quality and the OBR has quality. They care about the wings they make and it shows…but if you want some heat you can find it there too. You need to ask for the sauce specifically, as it is too hot for standard buffalo style wings.

Congratulations to Pascale and the entire cooking staff at the Old Bethlehem Road Hotel. And thanks to all these fine establishments for making 2010’s Best Wings in Upper Bucks County.

ViperClub’s Top Ten Wings of 2010

#10 – Isaac Newton’s, Newtown

#9 – The Perk, Perkasie

#8 – Tohickon Tavern, Ottsville

#7 – The Farmhouse, Doylestown

#6 – Pineville Tavern, Pineville

#5 – Becker’s Corner, Quakertown

#4 – Big Daddy’s Wagon Wheel Tavern, Quakertown

#3 – Heart of Oak Pub, Buckingham

#2 – McCoole’s at the Red Lion Inn, Quakertown

#1 – Old Bethlehem Road Hotel, Quakertown

Jack Scott and Brent Gobrecht of the ViperClub have been researching wings and their environs for over 7 years. I bow to their expertise. See their post from last year on the best wings to see who moved up the list…or off.

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6 COMMENTS

  1. Surprised to see the Mosquito Grille in Doylestown didn’t make this list! Great spot for wings not to mention their beer selection is ridiculous!

  2. Thanks Brian,

    We go to the Mesquito Grille every year but the points never seem to add up for them. I’ll need to look at my notes, but I will take the “heat” for them missing the top 10 mark. Brent usually rates them higher than I do.

    We are planning on going to Mosquito Grille in the next few weeks. I cheer for every place we walk into, so fingers crossed!

    To the masses: The ViperClub is pretty thorough with the establishments we rate. The criteria is:
    A) They are in Upper Bucks
    B) Have a bar (This eliminates corner pizza places which can harbor excellent wings …there are simply too many to visit).

    If anyone thinks we may have missed a pub or feels we should revisit one(like Brian) please let us know.

    The ViperClub is a private club with no facebook or twitter or any kind of online presence. We do check out sites like this and read up …so tell us what you think. We’ll find it!

    VC

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