Chicken Wings
by John C. Scott
Samuel Johnson wrote, “There is nothing which has been contrived by man by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern.” And we are fortunate to live in an area that is dotted with good taverns. I met Brent Gobrecht (the other founder of our ViperClub) outside of one of our favorite starting points, The Raven’s Nest near Lake Nockamixon. We knocked the mud off of our shoes and headed inside to go over the game plan for the day. The year was coming to an end and there was no clear winner of the Best Wings in Upper Bucks County. With our traditional toast to the country warming our souls and lubricating our vocal chords, we mapped out the day. This was going to be a tough one. Two taverns were already tied for 1st place. Two others were tied for second. We needed to head back to some of our favorite wing places and make some tough calls.
Normally I like to conclude these stories with our Honorable Mentions, but this year I’d like to begin with them. First is the Hickory Kitchen in Doylestown. Mike and his team are onto something quite new with their method of BBQ. He not only began creating a style of BBQ that will one day put Pennsylvania in the same vein as Kansas City, Texas, Memphis, and the Carolinas but he also designs insane wing eating contests. Also, we’d like to mention The Piper Tavern in Pipersville. While not truly wings, The Piper Tavern serves up a boneless chicken finger food with a caliente sauce. It is their version of hot wings and they are outstanding! Finally, just over the Montgomery County Line nestled in the borough of Telford is the Rising Sun Inn. This is a quaint place that should be a priority stop for any chicken wing lover. For those would-be ghost hunters, be sure to ask the staff at the Rising Sun about Mary.
As a judge it is hard to not hold favorites and stick only to the numbers. McCoole’s at the Red Lion Inn in Quakertown has always been a personal favorite of mine and if there was a place I ever rooted for, it was McCooles. I once lived around the corner from McCoole’s and they’ve always been my go-to place. If anyone takes these ratings seriously it is the owner and cooks at McCoole’s. Great wings. Great Staff. No question. This year McCooles at the Red Lion Inn scored third place.
The Mesquito Grille in Doylestown has always been a public favorite and I’m happy to announce they landed in the number two spot. Located at a fork in the road the Mesquito Grille caters to a somewhat younger crowd. They have some of the more unique sauces to try, like the “Frankensauce” and “Andrew’s Spicy Garlic Parmesan”. The wings are cooked well with a nice crisp.
The Naceville Hotel continued to climb up the list over the past few years. And in the end The Naceville was the clear winner for 2014. The name of their game is consistency. Almost anyone can create an outstanding plate of wings once in a while and all too often are we provided suggestions to new places with the stipulation that we go there, ‘when so and so is working’. Or we need to order the wings crispy or with a certain other direction. The Naceville Hotel presents a quality Buffalo wing cooked to perfection, a crisp that resounds like a symphony, and a homemade sauce that conducts the entire orchestra in perfect time and they do it as you order right off the menu, any time of the day, any day of the week. The ambience at the Naceville is exactly what Brent and I look for. There is a sense of toughness about it that, with a quick joke or story, fades to comfort. Matt is a regular at the Naceville, who spent the night before at the bar with his family of staff and regulars mourning the loss of one of their own, a friend also named Matt. If the loss of their friend ever created a sense of heaviness in the air of the Naceville, it was lifted sometime the night before as they toasted their good friend’s name.
We’re proud to announce that the Naceville Hotel in Sellersville won the best wings in Upper Bucks County for 2014. Hats off to them, and everyone that made the top ten list for 2014. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, please feel free to write to us at: ViperClub@mail.com
- Naceville Hotel - Sellersville
- Mesquito Grille - Doylestown
- McCoole’s – Quakertown
- Big Daddy’s Wagon Wheel Tavern - Quakertown
- Penn Tap Room - Doylestown
- Riegelsville Inn - Riegelsville
- Wycombe Inn - Wycombe
- Gardenville Inn - Gardenville
- Tohickon Tavern – Ottsville
- Porterhouse Pub – Lahaska
Honorably mention:
Hickory Kitchen – Doylestown
Piper Tavern – Pipersville
Rising Sun Inn - Telford