Despite my recent run of reviews featuring either Asian (read Chinese American) cuisine, or delicious burgers, my true favorite comfort food is wings.
The other night, timing, met opportunity, along with a wee bit of snow, and I found myself near Wellsburg after 5 p.m., needing to grab some dinner for a couple of people—myself included.
Wings, Wellsburg, it’s no coincidence that these both start with the letter ‘w’. That’s because Wellsburg is home to the best place in the Ohio Valley, or beyond that I’ve experienced, to get fried chicken wings. That place, as if it needs an introduction, is Drover’s Inn.
Located at 1001 Washington Pike, just a short jaunt east up the hill from Wellsburg, you’ll find Drover’s Inn.
Drover’s features an appetizer menu loaded with assorted goodies. It also has more premium faire like ribs, strip steak, salmon, shrimp and haddock. There are sandwiches, vegetarian options, along with a kids’ menu.
Whether you’re eating in the dining room, or downstairs in the tavern, Drover’s boasts a large beer and wine menu, both on tap and via bottle where the former is concerned.
People certainly do come here to eat and enjoy the “other stuff,” but that’s not what we’ve come to talk about. We’re here to talk about wings.
I’ve tried wings all across the Ohio Valley and beyond during my dining tenure that truly began once I provided my own transportation, and finances. Since then, I’ve sampled many flavors and styles; some came close, some not so much. But one thing has remained constant, I’ve never found a better combination of meat taste and sauce flavor than Drover’s Inn.
But, because of where life has taken me, it’d been a while since I headed up Washington Pike to order a few pounds of deliciousness. And I won’t lie, I’ve heard for a few people—not a lot—but a few that, in athletic terms, that Drover’s wings may have lost a step.
After all, it’s been 26 years since I first stepped through those doors and ordered my first couple pounds of heaven. Did they still match up to what maybe I had romanticized in my head?
The Food
In short? Still number one.
I had little date that these wings would still hold up. But I went into my taste test with an objective, albeit eager palette. I was not disappointed.
Were the prices a little higher? Yes. But you’ll find that everywhere for wings these days (thank you production shortages). But the increase was a good bit less per pound than you’ll find at some other establishments, both locally-and-nationally owned.
I order two pounds and split the flavor up between two sauces; one I have always enjoyed and another I never remember trying.
Let me state that my best “effort” if you will, at Drover’s, came during my high school days. During a bye week whilst playing football, myself and a few other Park linemen ventured to Drover’s for a post Thursday-night practice meal. It was somewhat of a tradition. That night, I tried the Hurt Me wings for the first time. Two pounds worth. The next night, since we weren’t playing, I returned with family for a birthday meal. Again, I ordered two pounds worth of hurt me wings. And the next morning, they did just that—hurt me. But it was so worth it.
Being that it had been more than two decades since that level of hit last crossed these lips, I opted to take the heat down a couple notches and went with an order of Suicidal wings. For the uninitiated, the four levels of heat go Hot, Suicidal, Atomic, and Hurt Me.
I paired that with an order of Sweet Hot Oriental. If that flavor was featured 20-some years ago, I didn’t try it, and I don’t remember it. I do now, however.
The suicidal wings were as hot, and as tasty as I remember. It feels like a combination of a wet and dry sauce, as it’s still a bit liquid-y, but not enough where it causes a post-feat trainwreck to my ever-growing beard. Anyone who eats wings smothered in a wet sauce that owns a beard will feel my pain there.
But it was spicy, and hot, but not too hot. It burned, without leaving that lengthy aftertaste of heat and pain. To be fair, I like hot stuff and ate these sans celery or ranch. But it was oh so ideal.
The other flavor? It was a great pairing of sweetness to go with the heat. A notch or two down on the “hot” scale from my other order, it was still an excellent flavor. The next time I stop by, I’ll probably reorder these, and go back up the scale to get an order of Atomics.
I’d like to say one day I’ll try the other food options at Drover’s, but I’ve also been saying that for more than 20 years. Facts are facts. If I’m driving that far to eat, you can bet I’ll be getting the wings; and after all this time, I’m still as satisfied as that first bite.
My bet? You will be too.lol
