The full-color full-page ad in the Columbus phone book looked like a lot of
fun, and B C Rooster’s has a good number of locations, so we figured they might
know what they’re doing so we decided to check them out. We did our research to
include a visit to Columbuswings.com, and found out that Rooster’s wings are not
true Buffalo wings, as they are lightly breaded. We decided to try them anyway.
We found the location on S. Hamilton Road in Whitehall (which is to say
east Columbus, OH) and headed into the parking lot. The building looked
suspiciously like an old Western Sizzlin’ Steak House. We entered and found a
long bar, tall tables and short tables. We selected a short table, hoping to be
able to stay low and out of the cigarette smoke zone.
The menu is quite impressive, listing 11 locations in the mid-Ohio area.
They have a web site at
www.roosterswings.com. There are plenty of appetizers to choose from, along
with soups and salads (no pasta salad, thank goodness), wings, chicken fingers,
sandwiches, burgers and steaks, pizza and subs. The Buffalo Chicken pizza
sounded good, but we came for the wings!
Rooster’s has 9 different heat levels to choose from – Teryaki, Garlic,
BBQ, Mild, Medium, Hot, Donkey, Killer and Super Killer. In our grand tradition
of evaluating the best they have without getting truly over our heads, we
ordered Killer with a side-cup of Super Killer Sauce. The menu lets you know
that all Rooster’s wings are freshly prepared, never frozen, and cooked in 100%
Soy Oil. We waited the traditional 15 minutes, having specified that we wanted
the smallest wings possible and wanting them to be cooked extra-crisp. You can
get all drums for a additional charge, or a discount for all “flappers”.
The general ambiance of the place was like a Hooter’s without the girls or
the NASCAR. We did happen to notice one Budweiser “Racing” pennant string with
a NASCAR logo, but it wasn’t over-done. The place was big, with a second long
bar in the back and two additional rooms in the back. The tables were lacquered
in the tradition of many great joints, and the joint wasn’t too clean overall.
There was a lot of neon, but they lost a few points because they all seemed to
be working. We like to see at least one neon sign not functioning, in the
tradition of Café Hot Wing 8. There were at least a half-dozen TV screens, and
even a Pac Man video machine and a GT video golf machine.
Prices seemed reasonable at first glance, but after you factor in the
additional charge for celery, blue cheese and extra sauce, you could be looking
at $8+ before adding fries. That’s too close to $1 per wing in our book.
The wings arrived in a flourish of steam, and we couldn’t help but notice
that they were HUGE!!!. The waiter said they were the smallest they could find,
and I began to wonder if we were in Texas. Big, tough and chewy is no way to
spend a wing-splurge. We thought about our responsibility to you, the reader,
and dove in. The sauce had a nice orange-red color, and the aroma was good.
Can you say SALTY??? I guess they sell a lot of beer in this place, because our
tongues doubled in size on the first bite. The Killer sauce did have some
flavor, but we wouldn’t rate it very well due to the sodium overdose. The Super
Killer sauce did pack more heat, and did have a unique flavor compared to the
Killer. Our afterburn score after the meal had no problem exceeding the 10
minute standard.
The bottom line on B C Rooster’s is that it is a fun, casual joint, but if
you’re looking for great wings, you should go somewhere else. The old principle
of “any wing is better than no wing at all” certainly applies here.