There are two distinct wing-eating cultures to be found in the Atlanta, GA,
WEA (Wing Eating Area). People in either group are intolerant of the other group’s
standards, as the two groups only have one thing in common - they both refer to
their favorite food as "wings". The two groups are the followers of
Café Hot Wing and the patrons of Taco Mac.
Taco Mac likes to claim the distinction of being the "first" wing
restaurant in Atlanta, and we cannot find anyone who will dispute the claim.
Beginning in the early 1980’s, Taco Mac was the first restaurant to feature a
large selection of imported beers along with hot wings.
Café Hot Wing’s heritage dates back to the early 1990’s on the historic
Marietta Square. The original building featured a very small dining area, but a
long (1/2 mile, by our calculations), winding walk to the restrooms.
Taco Mac prides themselves by featuring very large wings. As a general rule,
their patrons like to flirt with salmonella bacteria consumption, as Taco Mac
rarely cooks the product all the way through due to inconsistent sizing. The
wing sauce is based on straight red pepper. Most customers have trouble noticing
the undercooked, rubbery chicken after their taste buds have had a full frontal
assault from the capsaicin in the red pepper.
Café Hot Wing serves a medium-small size wing. Their consistency in sizing
the product is legendary, although lately, we’ve had reports that indicate
inconsistency in the wing-to-drum ratio. Any ratio less than 50-50 is
unacceptable in our book. The sauce is heavily vinegar based, with a sharp dose
of black pepper. These aren’t the hottest wings in town, but they’re
definitely the best tasting wings. These wings are usually cooked to perfection,
still crisp on the outside, but meaty on the inside.
The Taco Mac wing price structure is unique. You start with a price that is
higher than any other wing joint in town for a basic ten-piece order. If you
decide you’d like to get their hottest flavor, Three Mile Island, you will pay
extra for that privilege. If you like plenty of sauce on your wings, you get to
pay again. By the time you get hot wings with some sauce on them, you’re
looking at a price tag over six dollars for a ten piece with celery and blue
cheese.
Café Hot Wing’s pricing is much simpler. If you arrive between 11:00 AM
and 2:00 PM, you’ll pay $4.99 for a ten-piece order. Be sure to tell them you
want the Wingazette® Magazine specials or ask for
"Hot with four X’s". Any other attempt to order wings by any other
description will yield a less than satisfactory product.
Taco Mac’s packaging is simple, with the wings served in a plastic basket
with deli paper acting as a lining. Celery and blue cheese are served in the
basket, usually resulting in a bit of a mess.
Café Hot Wing serves their product on real plates, with celery and blue
cheese neatly placed on one side of the plate.
The differences in culture are apparent as soon as you talk to the customers
of either establishment. Taco Mac’s patrons would tell you that the wings at
Café Hot Wing 8 are too small, overcooked, and have too much vinegar. Taco Mac’s
customers never mention what a great value Café Hot Wing 8 has to offer.
Café Hot Wing 8’s customers would tell you that Taco Mac serves
over-priced, undercooked wings that are too large and have too much red pepper
and not enough flavor.
If you listen to publications like Creative Loafing, you would believe that
Taco Mac has the best wings in Atlanta, year after year. Is it a coincidence
that Taco Mac always has a double-page advertisement in the same issue of the
"Best of Atlanta"?
If you listen to veteran wing eaters, Café Hot Wing has the best wings in
town, bar none. Veteran wing eaters have learned that anyone can make hot wings,
but it takes talent to make great tasting hot wings on a consistent basis.
We’d like to hear from our readers on the subject. If you have an opinion
one way or the other, please e-mail them to us. Results will appear in future
issues of Wingazette® Magazine.
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