Eating off the Hill: The best wings in a non-wing city?

While the best chicken wings can be found in Buffalo, there are nearly as good wings to be had elsewhere. When in Toronto, I'm partial to Duff's Famous Wings. While you have your chain wing places in cities like Ottawa, they're mediocre at best. For good pub wings in Ottawa, Local Heroes Sports Bar & Grill are said by many to be the best.

I've actually been to Local Heroes once during my Carleton days, a good twenty-plus years ago. Their wings have a reputation for being huge -- much larger than your average wing. My recollection was that they were, but not overly so. The location I went to back in the day on Bank Street in the deep South of Ottawa closed years ago, so for my wing excursion this Family Day weekend I had to go to the last remaining Local Heroes location -- on Clyde, south of Baseline, out towards Nepean.

It's wings by the pound and they offer both the traditional roaster wings and their "famous" large wings, both $11 for a pound, no fries or veggies on the side. But I didn't trek out here -- 30 minutes by bus when the transfer wait is minimal -- for no regular wings. I ordered two pounds of the big ones -- one medium, one cajun blackened.

Split at my request, each pound came with a small plastic cup of sour cream -- the option of ranch or dill would have been a nice touch. The wings were meaty, but didn't seem overly so -- just like wings should be. Maybe I should have ordered a pound of the roasters for a side by side -- either way, while I didn't leave hungry, some celery would have been nice.

The wings were properly cooked and had a nice crisp to them. And, as I said, meaty. But where I think they were lacking is in the sauce quality. The cajun ones were dry and lacking in distinct flavour. And the medium, while saucy, were ketchupy -- no heat or distinct flavour at all.

Sauce can be improved though, and they do have a bunch more to choose from. All in all though, reasonably good wings but a bit of a drive or ride to get to. But no comparison to those I had in Buffalo a few months back. 

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