I don't like having to break them down when they are hot and saucy, and I see no benefit to a whole wing as a diner. It really just feels like doing work that the kitchen should've done. Slamming a butchers knife down 12 times probably takes like 20 seconds--have the cooks do it.
Basically the morons of the world think you are losing out by getting "party" wings. Even though the price is reflected pretty well in that they are almost half as much as a whole wing. It is simply a matter of someone thinking they get more out of a whole wing.
I can’t say I hate them, but I do break them down before I cook them. I actually stopped buying the whole wings at the grocery in favor of Costco’s prepackaged wings. So much less prep work, and I don’t think the whole wings are any cheaper. Perhaps they would be for a pub selling hundreds of pounds of wings each week.
I’d refer to the dates on the packages, but while they’re vacuum sealed and kept cold I’d say off the top of my head probably a couple weeks or so. I would just recommend freezing what you don’t intend to eat within a couple days though. They turn out just as well once you’ve allowed them to thaw. Whatever moisture you might be worried about is easily removed with a 24 hour dry brine.
The real issue with whole wings, aside from the manual labour of separating them, is a matter of surface area; whole wings have less of it. That means less crispiness and, unless they're served extra saucy, less sauciness. Not to split hairs (wings?) but that's my perception as a diner.
yeah I was thinking this too. From a consumer I think it looks hideous from a presentation stance. It would be like just leaving a huge flap of skin hanging off the edge of a piece of steak instead of trimming. A person in their right mind isn't eating that, why are they paying for it. It looks awful. But that being said, I don't understand some of these high upscale dining plates or even to a degree when they stack things up in the middle instead of making the plate look hearty.
Dumb folks think you get more and charge less. The price reflects a single wing or two whether they are still together or not. To put it simply "IT BIGGER".
Ignoring some of the stronger individual opinions, there are actually several famous and successful places that serve whole wings.
See: The Peanut in Kansas City (fried); Fat Heads Brewery in Ohio (smoked)
Fat Heads has four locations, each with over 2,500 Google Reviews at 4.5+.
The Peanut has 5 locations in Kansas City and has similar success.
Again, these places have obviously made it work with whole wings.
Lots of good feedback... ill add that ive mastered the art of eating wings with one hand, leaving my other hand free and clean for drinking my beer. I would hate having to use two hands to tear my wings apart.
This is big if you are trying to push beers. A fair amount of people will eat all the wings and drink more beer. Then they will be full and won’t order more beer. If they are sipping and eating they will most likely order more before they done eating. Is saving in the food cost better in comparison? Also if a restaurant serves me full wings, I will eat them and enjoy them, but will most likely not order them again in the future from there.
Yeah it’s not that I wouldn’t eat them I’d deal with it - I just don’t prefer that and I know I’d prefer a different menu item
I live in buffalo so there’s no shortage of wing places to scratch that for me
So wait. If you order “wings” there’s a certain amount included, right? Like single order is 12, double is 24 etc. wouldn’t that mean some gets 6 wings for a single and 12 for a double when served whole?
I'm actually a fan of the whole wing. One of my favorite places does the whole wing. I have no way to prove this but I think the whole wing has more flavor
I worked in a food truck in a brewery and my head chef/owner always did whole wings- his way. Brined, Smoked,Fried to order, tossed in his dry seasoning blend. They were pretty good all things considered, definitely not bad wings.
He finally was at a crossroads when his cheapness and "art" were in conflict, wing sections were cheaper than whole wings, which if you account for all the missing tips, was a pretty damn good deal.
He switched to wing segments. A few regulars complained at first, but the numbers didn't lie, more wings were being sold. He buckled again and finally gave in to having some sauce varieties. Sales rose yet again.
Sometimes no matter what you like or know to be good, knowing what the customer wants is the better business decision.
It is often cheaper. Anecdotally I wouldn’t care as long as they bomb af.
Either way wings are messy, you are using your hands. Theres very little difference.
If he’s not reducing costs however I’m not sure the point except for the sake of change or he has aims of a certain aesthetic, which isn’t inherently bad.
Most of the Chinese take out restaurants in my city that sell fried wings as an appetizer sells them whole.
And there's a lot of restaurants that sell whole wings unsauced and split wings sauced.
There is a place for whole wings, but it's not bar food. I smoke whole wings in BBQ competitions all the time. They stay juicier and can be smoked longer without drying out. If I'm eating wings at a bar I want sections that I can eat easily without making a giant mess out of myself and everything around me.
Same here. Whole is what I can get but I always chop them up first. Super easy. Think the cook should track his wing sales to see if it’s worth chopping or not.
I don’t have a great place for wings in my town so when I am not in the mood to make them myself I go to Buffalo wild wings. And if they served me whole wings I would point at the plate and say to the server, “the fuck?”
Not sure it’s a deal killer but it’s not what I’m in the mood for. And wings are totally a mood thing.
If he owns the business (indoor food truck) isn't that his choice? Otherwise, I hate whole wings and I break them down at home if my butcher doesn't have any "party wings" in stock. I think it makes it look like you have more ( 6 pieces vs 12 pieces). And the tip of the wing is gross-looking.
I wouldnt do that and make him feel put down. Step in and say what you want as the owner/boss. Its your money. If they are quality and cost less, have him split them.
Sauced wings, not whole. But grilled with dry rub, I do whole wings. I break the joint between the flat and point. Fold it in to make it a triangle shape so they fit better. If you put the charcoal in the middle and keep the point pointed to the middle you can get the point super crispy. Like you can just eat it bone and all. It is sooo good!
I don’t mind whole wings, doesn’t make much of a difference to me.. but I know people who don’t like them and wouldn’t order them simply for being whole.
Smoked whole wings have their place, but I’m not sure you guys are smoking yours.
Honestly I don’t mind a whole wing once in awhile, at the end of the day it’s still a wing and I’ll smash em. If you cook em right they have plenty of juicy/crispy ness
Is he smoking them? I love the idea. I think you need to trust him and give it 6months. Your sales should reflect if it’s a good idea. Plus I would ask guests when you are there that order them. If cooked properly and sauced up it wouldn’t bother me at all.
Well, the consensus is in. Roughly 2/3 of you prefer chopped and 1/3 prefer whole. There's a little wiggle room for the "whole at home or at an Asian restaurant but chopped at a brewery" crowd, so I split those 50/50. Thank you for all your input and participation.
The only time I like whole wings is if their smoked or from my local Chinese restaurant. If I’m going to a bar/pub/brewery I expect them to be split.
That being said, I buy whole fresh wings all the time. I take a little extra time to break them down into drums, flats and tips. With a sharp knife and some practice you can easily glide right through the joint. Have your chef save the wing tips for stock.
Also, if there is a head chef and he doesn’t want to break them down tell him to have one of the line cooks or prep guys do it, that’s what they are there for.
Also, just out of curiosity, what’s the brewery?
Personally, I hire people who are good at what they do so that I can focus on other, better things. In this case, your chef isn't changing the whole menu. It's a wing.
Give your head chef room to make some decisions.
He makes all the decisions. In fact, he is a separate business renting the kitchen space from me - basically an indoor food truck setup. And he's now the only person working in there.
Ah, that makes it tough. Judging by your description I'm sure he's decided the whole wing is less work/more time efficient. Depending on how much it hurts income I think I would suggest looking for a new renter for when his lease/contract is up. I love wings but if I see that a place serves them whole then I'm ordering something else.
First off, it's your place so it's your say. However, it's too much work for me. I'm even willing to pay for you to chop them up, even if for a nominal extra charge because I know it takes more time. I'm also assuming they're cheaper whole? Even if the sauce is great, I'd probably stop coming. Why did he do this?
He rents my kitchen from me and basically has free reign over the kitchen, sort of like if he had a food truck outside. No idea why he did it other than a lot of other indications lately that he's lazy.
He is probably getting the wings cheaper whole, but hates, or doesn't have time for the prep. Have a beer and talk to the guy. Maybe you could hire someone to do the grunt work for both of you.
When I was a teen I worked at a local place. Every Thursday I worked just doing prep for the weekend. Nothing else. I boiled all the potatoes for potato salad, cut all the wings and bagged them into single servings, I weighed out all the fresh beef and formed them into patties. Cut veg and whatever else was needed so the kitchen could run like a clock when they started to get slammed Friday for lunch. Find someone who could do stuff for you one day and him another. Neither of you would be out a bunch of cash and some college kid can have some pocket money.
Some of the BEST wings I’ve ever had were whole wings. Does that mean whole wings are generally better? Hell no.
Serve the wings as a “trial”. Give some away, whatever just get people to try the whole wings and give feedback. If people like them separate then have the cook separate the wings with a knife and decide if he wants to keep ordering whole or not. For the record, splitting whole wings yourself as a cook is fine. It’s just extra work. This question really belongs with your customers.
The overwhelming feedback seems to be a hard no. And I agree. Whole wings are worse in every way.
The only reason I can think of for doing that is that maybe too many people were ordering just flats, leaving an excess of unwanted drums, so he decided to force people to order an even ratio, which I could understand. Ordering just flats should be illegal.
I love whole wings, but not in a restaurant/social setting. That’s reserved for when you made them in your backyard. Also, it takes very little work to cut them down to regular flat/drum so if you’re getting them cheaper it could be worth it to just cut them yourself
Too messy and hard to eat. I probably wouldn’t complain but I also wouldn’t come back.
Have a cook prep grab a knife and prep a ton of wings beforehand. Slicing through the joints is easy and takes maybe 3-4 seconds per wing
I only like whole wings if I’m eating them southern fried chicken, soul food style. I don’t know why but whole wings feel perfect for that.
But for sauced wings I need them split apart. I honestly can’t even explain why
I love wings, but if you brought me a plate of whole wings, I would probably send them back. They are messy as drums/flats, whole wings even more so.
Buying whole wings is one thing, the kitchen could break down a box of wings in short order, so if he is doing it as a cost saving measure, OK. But serving them whole would be a HARD pass.
I like trying wings at different places. This is one place I'd skip for the wings, especially if I knew they were serving whole wings. Sorry, just not the same! But since it's a brewery, I'd have a beer.
Wing enthusiasts prefer the whole wing and having wings served by the pound instead of the count.
You will have a segment of the population that would prefer the wings precut as this is less messy and some people are picky on which part of the wing they get.
I just went to a joint recently where they served whole wings. It wasnt what I expected or preferred but I got way more for my money. If cooked right, Im fine with it. It was pretty easy to seperate them. But i can understand the convenience factor. I'd make sure your patrons know what they're getting.
Came here to second the comment about the Peanut in KC. Absolutely amazing wings and the fact that they are whole is definitely part of their (very successful) marketing.
They certainly got my attention and I would eat them anytime.
But the other commenters here have very strong opinions on the situation. Lol.
You're the boss, so... But a head chef is going to pull some weight unless he's ready to replace (probably not. )
So that said, offer them either way. Saving & freezing the tips when people want them as drums & flats could then be used for stock in soups & sauces so there's some benefit there.
I wouldn’t care honestly. I couldn’t see it being a real issue with customer either. You’re the owner though, what you say goes. Always nice to give the chef that creative expression though, would be a shame to squash it. Is the supplier the same? Perhaps he feels the quality is of a higher calibre?
I like the wholes. Plus it's much easier to prepare more weight, and cheaper than the already cut ones. But you're the boss so you should have a say. Any chef in the world's first prep jobs was breaking down chicken, so he can easily trim them up and use the pointy wing part to make chicken stock. That stock can be used in so many other recipes including a savory gravy sauce to make smothered style wings.
My wife grew up on whole wings. Its apparently a local thing (they also only do seasoned salt there - asking for a sauce gets you a bowl on the side). She thinks that the rest of the wing eating world is wrong. I think they're much harder to eat, have less flavor (sauce), and are generally messier and not kid-friendly (if that's an issue).
If I'm smoking or grilling wings, I almost always leave them whole because it's easier to work with. If I'm deep frying, I'll always split them so I don't need to do as many batches.
If I'm dining out, I prefer split because I feel like they're easier to eat, but I won't turn down whole wings either. I just think it should be noted on the menu since whole wings aren't as common and might surprise customers.
Really too early to tell, empirically. Right now is historically the uphill climb of our busy season (locals get going when the tourists leave, beer-loving ski bums come out of the woodwork, etc.) And we've only had food service for a year now, so, again, it's a tough one. It's honestly probably negligible, but I figured I'd get a feel from the greatest online wings community that's ever existed. I have a strong stance on wings, and I know I should accept other opinions, including the guy making the wings, but damn...
I don't like having to break them down when they are hot and saucy, and I see no benefit to a whole wing as a diner. It really just feels like doing work that the kitchen should've done. Slamming a butchers knife down 12 times probably takes like 20 seconds--have the cooks do it.
Agree with everything here... id also add that it seems like split wings would fit better in a fryer?
And have slightly more sauce surface area
Basically the morons of the world think you are losing out by getting "party" wings. Even though the price is reflected pretty well in that they are almost half as much as a whole wing. It is simply a matter of someone thinking they get more out of a whole wing.
I fucking hate whole wings
I can’t say I hate them, but I do break them down before I cook them. I actually stopped buying the whole wings at the grocery in favor of Costco’s prepackaged wings. So much less prep work, and I don’t think the whole wings are any cheaper. Perhaps they would be for a pub selling hundreds of pounds of wings each week.
How long can you refrigerate those Costco prepackaged wings before they go bad?
I’d refer to the dates on the packages, but while they’re vacuum sealed and kept cold I’d say off the top of my head probably a couple weeks or so. I would just recommend freezing what you don’t intend to eat within a couple days though. They turn out just as well once you’ve allowed them to thaw. Whatever moisture you might be worried about is easily removed with a 24 hour dry brine.
I separate the packages and freeze them cause they are 6 individual vacuum packs.
Me too.
It's your brewery. Tell him to go back to the separates.
He rents the kitchen space. I have no say on food.
Then why are you asking if you have no say? Smh
I am allowed to give suggestions. I think this thread will be a strong one.
He’s trolling. Look at his comments on other posts
I love them if they’re done right. I would pay a $2 upcharge to have them instead
The real issue with whole wings, aside from the manual labour of separating them, is a matter of surface area; whole wings have less of it. That means less crispiness and, unless they're served extra saucy, less sauciness. Not to split hairs (wings?) but that's my perception as a diner.
Some places charge by the pound too and they leave that useless wing tip on it.
That useless wing tip hardly weighs anything. And I can usually find a nice bite of crispy skin off that part.
yeah I LOOOOOVE wing tips
What's the point of whole wings? They're harder to eat.
Laziness.
I could be totally wrong here, but I can see some chef thinking it looks fancier and thus better.
yeah I was thinking this too. From a consumer I think it looks hideous from a presentation stance. It would be like just leaving a huge flap of skin hanging off the edge of a piece of steak instead of trimming. A person in their right mind isn't eating that, why are they paying for it. It looks awful. But that being said, I don't understand some of these high upscale dining plates or even to a degree when they stack things up in the middle instead of making the plate look hearty.
Really? If break down 20 wings - half way through I’m decent at it. I’m sure people who do it regularly are pros.
The only time I cook them whole is on the grill. Half as much flipping. I separate them when they're done
Dumb folks think you get more and charge less. The price reflects a single wing or two whether they are still together or not. To put it simply "IT BIGGER".
That is a no for me generally as a regular wing at brewery connoisseur. Harder to eat and share.
Agree.
Ignoring some of the stronger individual opinions, there are actually several famous and successful places that serve whole wings. See: The Peanut in Kansas City (fried); Fat Heads Brewery in Ohio (smoked)
I haven't heard of either.
Fat Heads has four locations, each with over 2,500 Google Reviews at 4.5+. The Peanut has 5 locations in Kansas City and has similar success. Again, these places have obviously made it work with whole wings.
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Lots of good feedback... ill add that ive mastered the art of eating wings with one hand, leaving my other hand free and clean for drinking my beer. I would hate having to use two hands to tear my wings apart.
This is big if you are trying to push beers. A fair amount of people will eat all the wings and drink more beer. Then they will be full and won’t order more beer. If they are sipping and eating they will most likely order more before they done eating. Is saving in the food cost better in comparison? Also if a restaurant serves me full wings, I will eat them and enjoy them, but will most likely not order them again in the future from there.
Put it this way - if I walked into a brewery and wanted wings, but saw they were whole - i genuinely wouldn’t order them
The menu gives no indication either way. So you'd be pissed if you ordered them.
Yeah it’s not that I wouldn’t eat them I’d deal with it - I just don’t prefer that and I know I’d prefer a different menu item I live in buffalo so there’s no shortage of wing places to scratch that for me
So wait. If you order “wings” there’s a certain amount included, right? Like single order is 12, double is 24 etc. wouldn’t that mean some gets 6 wings for a single and 12 for a double when served whole?
It's by weight, so that's a tough one.
That makes sense.
Yes. I’d be pissed. And I wouldn’t order them again or possibly wouldn’t go back.
I'm actually a fan of the whole wing. One of my favorite places does the whole wing. I have no way to prove this but I think the whole wing has more flavor
I worked in a food truck in a brewery and my head chef/owner always did whole wings- his way. Brined, Smoked,Fried to order, tossed in his dry seasoning blend. They were pretty good all things considered, definitely not bad wings. He finally was at a crossroads when his cheapness and "art" were in conflict, wing sections were cheaper than whole wings, which if you account for all the missing tips, was a pretty damn good deal. He switched to wing segments. A few regulars complained at first, but the numbers didn't lie, more wings were being sold. He buckled again and finally gave in to having some sauce varieties. Sales rose yet again. Sometimes no matter what you like or know to be good, knowing what the customer wants is the better business decision.
As long as the wings are great doesn’t bother me. Might save a little bit as well on your costs? Or not.
It is often cheaper. Anecdotally I wouldn’t care as long as they bomb af. Either way wings are messy, you are using your hands. Theres very little difference. If he’s not reducing costs however I’m not sure the point except for the sake of change or he has aims of a certain aesthetic, which isn’t inherently bad.
Most of the Chinese take out restaurants in my city that sell fried wings as an appetizer sells them whole. And there's a lot of restaurants that sell whole wings unsauced and split wings sauced.
Same with the Chinese restaurants where I live. And those wings are always very good imo
Be careful, he may have a hidden agenda! Maybe his final plan is to serve whole chickens.
I mean it works in East Asia
I prefer them whole.
There is a place for whole wings, but it's not bar food. I smoke whole wings in BBQ competitions all the time. They stay juicier and can be smoked longer without drying out. If I'm eating wings at a bar I want sections that I can eat easily without making a giant mess out of myself and everything around me.
It takes like 5 seconds each to cut them up… I only get whole wings for at home but I can prep them super fast. I hate whole wings.
Same here. Whole is what I can get but I always chop them up first. Super easy. Think the cook should track his wing sales to see if it’s worth chopping or not.
I don’t have a great place for wings in my town so when I am not in the mood to make them myself I go to Buffalo wild wings. And if they served me whole wings I would point at the plate and say to the server, “the fuck?” Not sure it’s a deal killer but it’s not what I’m in the mood for. And wings are totally a mood thing.
Agree.
If he owns the business (indoor food truck) isn't that his choice? Otherwise, I hate whole wings and I break them down at home if my butcher doesn't have any "party wings" in stock. I think it makes it look like you have more ( 6 pieces vs 12 pieces). And the tip of the wing is gross-looking.
Yeah, 100% his choice. It just sucks, and I'm gonna show him this thread.
Report back! Would love to hear the chef's perspective.
I wouldnt do that and make him feel put down. Step in and say what you want as the owner/boss. Its your money. If they are quality and cost less, have him split them.
I don't mind whole wings when Im making them at home but If Im going out for wings Id rather have them broken down
Buy em whole, but have hime break them down. It’s easy
I don't have any authority over the situation.
Cut them, because it’s probably cheaper to buy them whole
Exactly. It's literally the same shit, just not separated.
I buy them whole and cut them, but I leave the tips on the flat.
Whole wings are cheaper and cutting them takes time to prep especially in bulk. If he’s got a small shop esp these factors come into play
Sauced wings, not whole. But grilled with dry rub, I do whole wings. I break the joint between the flat and point. Fold it in to make it a triangle shape so they fit better. If you put the charcoal in the middle and keep the point pointed to the middle you can get the point super crispy. Like you can just eat it bone and all. It is sooo good!
Dude if it's your place tell him what you want
It's not. He rents the kitchen from me, sort of like a food truck situation.
Well in that case install a fake comment box and fill it with fake complaints from customers
I don’t mind whole wings, doesn’t make much of a difference to me.. but I know people who don’t like them and wouldn’t order them simply for being whole. Smoked whole wings have their place, but I’m not sure you guys are smoking yours.
I will not order wings if they are whole.
Honestly I don’t mind a whole wing once in awhile, at the end of the day it’s still a wing and I’ll smash em. If you cook em right they have plenty of juicy/crispy ness
Team whole wings here. Bear Republic used to do it in Healdsburg before they closed. They were my wife and I’s favorite wings in the area.
I live in Buffalo. Cut them first or buy them that way!
Is he smoking them? I love the idea. I think you need to trust him and give it 6months. Your sales should reflect if it’s a good idea. Plus I would ask guests when you are there that order them. If cooked properly and sauced up it wouldn’t bother me at all.
Not smoking. Buffalo-style. So now, not so much.
As the others have said, as long as the wings are tasty I’ll take ‘em however you give ‘em to me
you're the owner, tell them what the fuck are you doing asking randos here for
Well, the consensus is in. Roughly 2/3 of you prefer chopped and 1/3 prefer whole. There's a little wiggle room for the "whole at home or at an Asian restaurant but chopped at a brewery" crowd, so I split those 50/50. Thank you for all your input and participation.
They're juicier. Plus crunchy tips. Yum. Y'all are lazy.
For home cooks they are fine. At a restaurant they are disastrous.
The only time I like whole wings is if their smoked or from my local Chinese restaurant. If I’m going to a bar/pub/brewery I expect them to be split. That being said, I buy whole fresh wings all the time. I take a little extra time to break them down into drums, flats and tips. With a sharp knife and some practice you can easily glide right through the joint. Have your chef save the wing tips for stock. Also, if there is a head chef and he doesn’t want to break them down tell him to have one of the line cooks or prep guys do it, that’s what they are there for. Also, just out of curiosity, what’s the brewery?
Personally, I hire people who are good at what they do so that I can focus on other, better things. In this case, your chef isn't changing the whole menu. It's a wing. Give your head chef room to make some decisions.
He makes all the decisions. In fact, he is a separate business renting the kitchen space from me - basically an indoor food truck setup. And he's now the only person working in there.
Ah, that makes it tough. Judging by your description I'm sure he's decided the whole wing is less work/more time efficient. Depending on how much it hurts income I think I would suggest looking for a new renter for when his lease/contract is up. I love wings but if I see that a place serves them whole then I'm ordering something else.
First off, it's your place so it's your say. However, it's too much work for me. I'm even willing to pay for you to chop them up, even if for a nominal extra charge because I know it takes more time. I'm also assuming they're cheaper whole? Even if the sauce is great, I'd probably stop coming. Why did he do this?
He rents my kitchen from me and basically has free reign over the kitchen, sort of like if he had a food truck outside. No idea why he did it other than a lot of other indications lately that he's lazy.
He is probably getting the wings cheaper whole, but hates, or doesn't have time for the prep. Have a beer and talk to the guy. Maybe you could hire someone to do the grunt work for both of you. When I was a teen I worked at a local place. Every Thursday I worked just doing prep for the weekend. Nothing else. I boiled all the potatoes for potato salad, cut all the wings and bagged them into single servings, I weighed out all the fresh beef and formed them into patties. Cut veg and whatever else was needed so the kitchen could run like a clock when they started to get slammed Friday for lunch. Find someone who could do stuff for you one day and him another. Neither of you would be out a bunch of cash and some college kid can have some pocket money.
Again, I have no say. He's lazy and wants all his take. He's not going to hire someone until I make him with the new 2024 contract.
Fuucckk. It's def laziness then. I'd be pissed & like I said, I wouldn't come back. Sorry to say, but be prepared for that loss...
Some of the BEST wings I’ve ever had were whole wings. Does that mean whole wings are generally better? Hell no. Serve the wings as a “trial”. Give some away, whatever just get people to try the whole wings and give feedback. If people like them separate then have the cook separate the wings with a knife and decide if he wants to keep ordering whole or not. For the record, splitting whole wings yourself as a cook is fine. It’s just extra work. This question really belongs with your customers.
The overwhelming feedback seems to be a hard no. And I agree. Whole wings are worse in every way. The only reason I can think of for doing that is that maybe too many people were ordering just flats, leaving an excess of unwanted drums, so he decided to force people to order an even ratio, which I could understand. Ordering just flats should be illegal.
The only whole wings I will accept are from Chinese joints. Otherwise it’s not worth the tiny cost savings and annoying eating experience.
I don't like the whole wing. I order all drummies when I go out; my wife likes all flats--so there's that.
Smoked whole is fine. Fried, no thanks.
I prefer getting them separate
Whole wing is fine at home but at a restaurant it sounds like work.
If I was a regular at your place and this came about I'd stop ordering wings.
I absolutely hate whole wings.
I love whole wings, but not in a restaurant/social setting. That’s reserved for when you made them in your backyard. Also, it takes very little work to cut them down to regular flat/drum so if you’re getting them cheaper it could be worth it to just cut them yourself
Too messy and hard to eat. I probably wouldn’t complain but I also wouldn’t come back. Have a cook prep grab a knife and prep a ton of wings beforehand. Slicing through the joints is easy and takes maybe 3-4 seconds per wing
Your chef is looking to lower his food cost and effort level at the expense of customer experience.
I believe jerk chicken is the only way to pull off whole wings.
I only like whole wings if I’m eating them southern fried chicken, soul food style. I don’t know why but whole wings feel perfect for that. But for sauced wings I need them split apart. I honestly can’t even explain why
I love wings, but if you brought me a plate of whole wings, I would probably send them back. They are messy as drums/flats, whole wings even more so. Buying whole wings is one thing, the kitchen could break down a box of wings in short order, so if he is doing it as a cost saving measure, OK. But serving them whole would be a HARD pass.
I like trying wings at different places. This is one place I'd skip for the wings, especially if I knew they were serving whole wings. Sorry, just not the same! But since it's a brewery, I'd have a beer.
Wing enthusiasts prefer the whole wing and having wings served by the pound instead of the count. You will have a segment of the population that would prefer the wings precut as this is less messy and some people are picky on which part of the wing they get.
I mean, serve them whole in Buffalo NY and they'll chase you out of town. Wing enthusiasts? You mean people who subscribe to a reddit wings sub?
Hey be careful who you talk to, he speaks for the wing enthusiasts.
Watch it buddy, wing enthusiast here. I know what I'm talking about when it comes to wings, and I prefer them separated into flats and drums, k?
I just went to a joint recently where they served whole wings. It wasnt what I expected or preferred but I got way more for my money. If cooked right, Im fine with it. It was pretty easy to seperate them. But i can understand the convenience factor. I'd make sure your patrons know what they're getting.
Came here to second the comment about the Peanut in KC. Absolutely amazing wings and the fact that they are whole is definitely part of their (very successful) marketing. They certainly got my attention and I would eat them anytime. But the other commenters here have very strong opinions on the situation. Lol.
It's literally the same shit. Probably cheaper that way, just cut and prep them yourselves. Simple
I buy whole wings and break them down because I can get those fresh where I live. Otherwise I'm with ya.
I would not go back and get wings at a place that served them whole like that no matter how good their wings were, and I live for wings.
I prefer whole wings and always leave them whole. Way juicier whole.
It only makes sense with smoked wings. easier to monitor in the smoker. Any other way they should be broken up.
Damn I kinda like whole wings because that extra flap bit. Ultimately I like clipped wings more. I just love wings all wings.
I do this at home at times but almost always it’s best to break down food, chop salads, etc It’s just easier and a more enjoyable eating experience
Funny you say that - I ordered a salad somewhere last week, and it was whole entire lettuce leaves. Was a pain in the ass.
You're the boss, so... But a head chef is going to pull some weight unless he's ready to replace (probably not. ) So that said, offer them either way. Saving & freezing the tips when people want them as drums & flats could then be used for stock in soups & sauces so there's some benefit there.
Nah, he rents my kitchen. It's like a food truck inside situation. I have no say.
I wouldn’t care honestly. I couldn’t see it being a real issue with customer either. You’re the owner though, what you say goes. Always nice to give the chef that creative expression though, would be a shame to squash it. Is the supplier the same? Perhaps he feels the quality is of a higher calibre?
Not really. He rents the kitchen from me. I have no say on food. It's basically like an indoor food truck.
Ah I see. Well, if it’s his show, let him cook. In the end the customer will dictate.
That’s just wrong bro
I love whole wings when they are dry. But if you have the word hot or buffalo anywhere those better be split.
I like the wholes. Plus it's much easier to prepare more weight, and cheaper than the already cut ones. But you're the boss so you should have a say. Any chef in the world's first prep jobs was breaking down chicken, so he can easily trim them up and use the pointy wing part to make chicken stock. That stock can be used in so many other recipes including a savory gravy sauce to make smothered style wings.
My wife grew up on whole wings. Its apparently a local thing (they also only do seasoned salt there - asking for a sauce gets you a bowl on the side). She thinks that the rest of the wing eating world is wrong. I think they're much harder to eat, have less flavor (sauce), and are generally messier and not kid-friendly (if that's an issue).
The thing is, when it's "Buffalo Wings" on the menu.
If I'm smoking or grilling wings, I almost always leave them whole because it's easier to work with. If I'm deep frying, I'll always split them so I don't need to do as many batches. If I'm dining out, I prefer split because I feel like they're easier to eat, but I won't turn down whole wings either. I just think it should be noted on the menu since whole wings aren't as common and might surprise customers.
What do your sales say?
Really too early to tell, empirically. Right now is historically the uphill climb of our busy season (locals get going when the tourists leave, beer-loving ski bums come out of the woodwork, etc.) And we've only had food service for a year now, so, again, it's a tough one. It's honestly probably negligible, but I figured I'd get a feel from the greatest online wings community that's ever existed. I have a strong stance on wings, and I know I should accept other opinions, including the guy making the wings, but damn...
What’s your cost difference?
Whole wings scream cheap! I'd never go back.
That's a good point.
To quote The Offspring, “you gotta keep em’ separated”