Twenty Sauces for the Wing Lover at Wings To Go

(Editor's Note: This is a review of the Wings to Go restaurant in Paoli.  There is a West Chester location, and its info is at the end of the story.)

Yes, we know, the name even includes “To Go.” The lure of 20 choices of sauce for wings that are cooked when ordered and served fresh may have caused the bad judgment. We thought it would be better to eat the wings and possibly a cheese steak right when they were made, rather than allowing them to stand while we drove them home.

A red counter that faced the large storefront window and six wooden stools suggested that we could dine there. The bright yellow walls and two televisions seemed welcoming. An open kitchen allowed us to watch the action. We read over the paper takeout menu and tried to narrow down our choice of sauces for the wings. The “Extra Hot,” “Suicide” and “Homicide” were quickly ruled out. “Lemon Pepper,” “Curry,” and “Cajun,” as well as more traditional varieties made it a tough call.

We finally approached the counter to place our order. We wanted to sample other items from their large menu as well, but were disappointed to learn that the Chicken Quesadilla ($9.99) was not available. We thought we’d mentioned that we’d be eating there when we added a bottle of water from the refrigerated unit to our order. A “Cash Only” sign was placed over the credit card list; we were told that the machine was not working. Unlike another customer who had to find an ATM, we were able to produce some cash to pay.

We watched the activity on Lancaster Avenue and among the Paoli Village Shops from our position in front of the window. A globe on the counter helped to refresh our memory on the location of many countries currently in the news. We smelled a hit of spicy wing sauce and heard the sizzle of the fryer while other patrons picked up their orders on this Friday evening.

A large box of pizza was the first to be delivered by the only other employee in the shop. We must have looked surprised, since she asked if we had planned to eat it there once she saw our open can of beer and bottle of water. We peeked in to check out “The Brooklyn” ($11.99) with roasted peppers and pepperoni ($5 extra). We spied a roll of paper towels by the register and helped ourselves to several sheets. The pizza had a thin, slightly soft crust that was dusted with a blend of spices and cheese. The toppings were standard, but the “cheese blend” did have more flavor than most.

The wings arrived in Styrofoam containers in a plastic bag. The server asked if we wanted Bleu Cheese, but we declined. We didn’t realize that we then wouldn’t get celery either. We popped open the two containers of six-piece orders ($5.99). We weren’t sure which held the “Caribbean Jerk” and which had the “Medium” sauced wings. We guessed that we got one plain order since the wings had a buttery crisp skin but no other flavor or sauce. The batch we decided was the Caribbean Jerk had some heat from pieces of red pepper in a light sauce, but no flavor was prominent other than salt.

A Cheese Steak ($8.99) with our choice of American cheese, lettuce and tomato was the last to arrive in a Styrofoam container. A standard hoagie roll was stuffed with chopped beef and loaded with melted cheese. One of us removed about half of the filling after the first bite since it was too much for her. The other managed to eat his half.

We took most of the pizza home with us, conveniently packed in a box. Next time, we’ll get everything to go!

547 East Gay Street, West Chester

Telephone: 610-344-7800

Website: wingstogowestchester.com

Hours: Everyday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Cost: Appetizers, $1 to $9; sandwiches, $6 - 10; pizzas, $9 – 18

Credit cards: VISA, Mastercard, AmEx, Discover (Cash Only on our visit)

Alcohol: B.Y.O.

Special Features: Twenty Sauces for Wings, Buffalo Shrimp, Delivery