On weekends, I often find myself wandering around South Orange Village, seeking out new stimuli. My walks used to be strictly meditative, at least until this burning question occupied every thought I had: Which restaurant serves the best chicken wings?.
One boasts a familiar green sign: Wingstop. But just a few minutes away sits ATL Wing Spot. I had plenty of questions about the legality of their similar names and potential business conflicts, but more than anything, I wanted to know which restaurant was better.
Despite their similar names, the two restaurants are quite different. Wingstop is a massive franchise. Beginning as a local restaurant in Texas in 1994, Wingstop now stretches from coast to coast and even has international branches. In contrast, ATL Wing Spot only has 10 locations—eight in New York, one in California and the tiny building in South Orange, New Jersey.
Knowing this did little to stop my imagination from spinning a tale about the two establishments. In my mind, the two restaurants were rivals, at war with each other from across the Village, fighting for supremacy on a battlefield of chicken wings. Of course, this would never be the case, but the drama of the imagined conflict story captivated me. To satisfy my curiosity and determine the winner of this so-called war, I had to try both restaurants.
My plan was simple: gather four wing-loving friends from Seton Hall and invite them to critique both restaurants.
My experts included Ipek Hastekin, a freshman biology major and an expert in (eyeliner) wings; Julia Geiger, a freshman nursing major and lover of all things wings; Catarina Tran, a freshman biology major who also loves wings, and Alex Barker, a freshman business major who thinks wings are alright. We were also joined by a special guest, Vaishnavi Shankar from the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), who has been enjoying wings for years.
My reason for assembling this panel of experts might surprise you. Despite my newfound obsession with wings, I’ve never truly cared for them. In fact, I had never even been to Wingstop or Wing Spot. This wouldn't stop me from pursuing answers. With my curiosity, I was confident I could develop wing-tasting skills the likes of which had never been seen before.
We began our critique at Wingstop. Our eyes were greeted by a chart ranking the wing flavors according to their heat levels, ranging from"no heat" to "some heat" to "all the heat." Frankly, as someone who is not typically a wing enjoyer, I felt genuine fear as my eyes climbed toward the spiciest option on the list: the atomic wing. Swallowing my fear, I approached the register to place my order.
In terms of pricing, I find myself pleased with Wingstop. I ordered 20 wings and fries for $27.99 through the Watch Party Bundle, allowing all six of us to sample four flavors for just over $4 per person.
While we waited for our food, my eyes wandered around the restaurant. The walls featured a mix of green and white, with red accents tying the whole place together.
“Like the Jets," Geiger commented.
The tables featured sports imagery to examine while eating, and the TVs played a variety of sporting events and trivia shows. My friends and I agreed that the restaurant’s atmosphere was excellent.
Finally, our food arrived. We received the garlic parmesan, Louisiana rub, original hot and atomic wings, along with fries. The fries were a massive hit with the entire table, disappearing almost as quickly as they arrived.
Of the four flavors, garlic parmesan was the group’s favourite. For a dry rub, it packed a surprising amount of flavor and paired well with ranch.
Our least favorite were the atomic wings. Beyond the impressive heat, we found little additional flavor. Tran was the only one of us who enjoyed the spice, appreciating its intensity. Shankar said the atomic wings might appeal to thrill-seekers, while the garlic parmesan are tastier.
After finishing our visit to Wingstop, we headed to Wing Spot. Upon entering, we found a much cozier space than we did at Wingstop. We appreciated the option to order online, which allowed us to explore the menu and consider our options thoroughly.
We purchased four garlic parmesan and four cajun buffalo wings, along with Fruity Pebbles waffles. Our meal totaled $26.29, making Wingstop more budget-friendly.
As for the atmosphere, we unanimously preferred Wing Spot's. Although the space was cramped, its colorful walls contrasted nicely with the black accents. The staff was also friendly, and we enjoyed seeing how comfortably customers interacted with them.
Once our food arrived, I was practically shaking with excitement. I could finally answer the question that had taken over my life.
After sampling both restaurants’ offerings, I had my answer.
My friends and I unanimously voted that Wingstop served the superior wings. However, ATL Wing Spot’s proximity to campus made it more convenient to visit, and we ultimately agreed that we would be more likely to return there. We also thoroughly enjoyed the Fruity Pebble waffles and would recommend ordering them on a future visit.
In the end, our panel concluded that Wingstop won the battle for the better wings, but Wing Spot won us over in many ways. Both restaurants served enjoyable food, and we were glad to have tried them.
As for me, I left the experience with a newfound appreciation for wings. I might not have started as a wing enthusiast, but I now consider myself something of a wing expert, too.
Aanya Tungala is a writer for The Setonian’s Opinion section. She can be reached at aanya.tungala@student.shu.edu
