Both kids and I visited four places in downtown Longmont: Longs Peak Pub and Taphouse, Pumphouse, The Roost, and Dickens Tavern. When we ordered, we gave the simple instruction "We would like one plate of your best wings. Now. Please." This left a lot to the server's discretion, but made for an interesting exercise. We started about 11:00 and just went from place to place until we were done near 1:30. We didn't consult with each other as we jotted down our notes so we could present our unbiased opinions.
What follows is the results of our extremely scientific study of who has the best wings in Longmont. On Main Street. On the 4 blocks between Longs Peak and 3rd Avenue. On Tuesday.
Longs Peak Pub and Taphouse
Chris' take:
Becca's take:
I haven't actually tried too many Barbeque Style Wings, but these were actually pretty good. They were very flavorful and tangy. The Wings were pretty big, and unlike some wings I've seen had a lot of meat on each bone. They weren't too terribly spicy for me, but I'm not a very good judge on that matter.
Aaron's take:
Good.
Pumphouse
Chris' take:
Pumphouse tends to be our wing of choice, as we eat there all the time. Unlike Longs Peak Taphouse, lunch was rolling now and we were not the only people in there when we ordered. We asked for their best wings, and I was a little disappointed that the server chose to bring Buffalo wings even though they had other flavors (I think Becca was pleased, though. She loves the Buffalo flavor). And these were just like the best wings Pumphouse usually serves us. Pretty spicy, average sized pieces, cooked through nicely, very slightly crisp skin. The sauce is really strong with these, which can be good or bad depending on what you like. At one point we must have looked too critique-y because the server asked if we were trying to hunt down the best wings in the Longmont. Yes, in fact we were. So how's it going so far? Well, you're the second place we've visited, and you're not winning. Still, I dig these wings. As Becca said, "they've never disappointed me". I can't go QUITE that far, but more often than not, they are indeed quite good.
Becca's take:
Pump House is where I tried my first Buffalo Wing. They weren't as big as the Taphouse's Wings, but they weren't too tiny. I always loved the flavor of their Buffalo Sauce. Nowadays they aren't very spicy to me anymore but I'm sure they seemed a lot hotter when I was younger. Overall, they were amazing.
Aaron's take:
Good.
The Roost
Chris' take:
We are only at our 3rd stop, and already I'm getting a feeling of dread that my head may have bitten off more than my stomach can chew. I was not hungry anymore, but thankfully I knew that the wings from The Roost were quite small, so maybe we'd be ok. When the server came to take our order, we again said "bring us a plate of your best wings". He tried to see what direction we were leaning as far as flavor, but I remained as ambiguous as possible and said "whatever your think is your best". He smiled, said "you got it", and shortly thereafter, out came a plate of Thai wings.
I've actually never tried Thai wings, so I was glad I got to expand my horizons a little. The server said he was going to bring Buffalo, but that was too traditional, so he brought Thai. Good man. I envision Thai as "burn your face off" hot, so I was prepared for a meltdown, but these were not spicy at all. There was some Thai flavor, and they were actually quite sweet. They were cooked through well, and they were indeed quite small but slightly crisp. Interesting texture to the sauce, as it appeared relatively light but it was very hearty. I'm glad we could try a different style, and they were good for what they were. (Of course, the server may have thought "our Thai wings suck, but this dude and his kids probably won't know the different between good and bad Thai, and we're really trying to reduce our inventory, so I'll bring those", but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt). Not my style, but not bad.
Becca's take:
Like the Barbeque Wings, I had never tried Thai Wings before today. The Roost's Thai Wings were on the smaller side, but still packed with flavor. I really couldn't come up with a better word for how it tasted than "Thai Flavored." These Wings were not spicy in the least, but were delicious nonetheless.
Aaron's take:
Good.
Dickens Tavern
Chris' take:
Finally, we ended up at Dickens Tavern. By now I was not hungry in the least, and nor was anyone else in Longmont anymore judging from the empty tavern. But we were going to see this through. We listened attentively to the special of the day (which I can't remember), and then we ordered: "we would like a plate of your best wings". Well, we've got <stuff she said here that I can't remember>, and she asked if we like Parmesan because they had a garlic Parmesan dry rub that was really good. "Go for it" I said, with all the enthusiasm of someone who had just consumed his fair share of three plates of wings already that afternoon.
I love garlic. I really like Parmesan. These wings looked like they were just swimming in both, so I was a little disappointed that they tasted rather bland. If you scooped off a pinch of the rub on them, you could taste a little Parmesan, but I couldn't taste any garlic at all. They were cooked well, and they were average sized pieces, but again, they really didn't do anything for me tastewise. The veggies here were not terribly crispy either. Perhaps the combination of "end of lunch hour", the dry rub, and the fourth stop for wings made for the perfect storm of "meh".
Becca's take:
I don't think I've ever heard of Garlic Parmesan Wings before today. These Wings were on the smaller side, but didn't seem to have as much flavor as some of the other Wings. They didn't have much Garlic flavor to them. While they had beautiful chicken that tasted amazing on its own, the seasonings didn't help it with it's flavor.
Aaron's take:
Better than they looked like they would be.
Becca summed up the experience thusly: "What a great day. I got to sleep in, and then we go out and eat wings all afternoon". And that, my friends, is how we spent our summer vacation. In Longmont. On Main Street. Between Longs Peak and 3rd Avenue. On a Tuesday.
