Glover Park Welcomes a Wingo’s
By • September 20, 2018 0 1479
The new Wingo’s in Glover Park, located at 2218 Wisconsin Ave. NW, is the perfect antidote for foodie pretension. It’s not trying to make the Michelin Guide. It just wants to transport you to Coney Island.
Corn dogs, funnel cakes and mozzarella sticks — what owner Mike Arthur calls “college kid food” — are just what the doctor ordered when you’re feeling like a trip to your new neighborhood pub.
Everything except the ribs, including the Wingo’s burgers and sandwiches (healthy side order of fries included), is priced at right around $10 or less.
I stopped by on a recent Saturday afternoon, shortly after this Wingo’s opened. Last June, a kitchen fire destroyed the flagship on O Street in Georgetown, scheduled to reopen later this year. Also, according to Arthur, a Wingo’s will open in Adams Morgan early next year.
There were already a few regulars idling by the bar. New patrons were digging into their midday meals, perhaps slightly surprised that this Wingo’s is a far cry from the last.
The bar at the Glover Park Wingo’s. Photo by Stephanie Green.
Though the Glover Park restaurant is vastly larger, with an extended menu, Arthur insists that longtime customers needn’t worry about Wingo’s going wing-nuts, or getting too fancy.
The wings, for which the eatery is named and renowned, aren’t going anywhere.
The famed Wingo’s wings. Photo by Stephanie Green.
But Glover Park’s new offerings (did we mention buttery corn on the cob?) complement the neighborhood watering hole vibe. This new location replaces the Mad Fox Taproom, which never took off, mainly because it tried to be too upscale.
There’s nothing upscale about Wingo’s. It’s fine with being the “chicken wing joint.”
This Wingo’s will serve workingman’s beers and other spirits as it repositions itself as a sports bar. The space fills up considerably after 4 p.m., Arthur said.
One benefit of an earlier lunch is that the music and televisions are turned low to invite friendly chatting.
I started with the cheese sticks — because, well, who doesn’t indulge in that kind of thing in a place like this? — and balanced that choice with the Wingo’s salad with fresh marinated chicken and avocado. Despite this being “Coney Island,” there are a sizable number of salads and soups.
In true college-diet fashion, I finished off my Wingo’s experience with their powdered sugar beignets, just like the ones you get at Café Du Monde. For a moment, I thought I was in New Orleans. But wherever I was, I was happy.
Incidentally, Wingo’s operates a delivery service during business hours for a $3 fee.
