Detroit Wing Company (Grand Rapids)
2004 E. Beltline Avenue NEAnother week filling in some shifts in Grand Rapids means another week of finding places to eat that have popped up since I stopped regularly working in Kent County three years ago.
Grand Rapids has always had a pretty good variety for wings. There are the many Wing Heaven locations, Wing Kings, Wing Doozy, and many more I’m probably forgetting. It was always one of my favorite things about working in Grand Rapids. I didn’t have to rely on Buffalo Wild Wings or Wings, Etc. to get my wing fix in a hurry.
I kept forgetting about a wing joint I saw advertisements for quite a while ago on the days I’ve been in the office up north. I always thought about it *after* I had eaten dinner. When I realized I was going to be working in Grand Rapids for a few nights, I put a reminder in my phone to buzz me just before dinner time.
Detroit Wing Company is a small chain of eight (so far) fast casual restaurants based in Eastpointe. The Grand Rapids location is in the newer strip mall at the corner of Knapp and East Beltline in front of the Family Fare.
We’re still in the midst of the COVID shutdown (writing this for future generations) so all orders are carry-out or delivery through a third party.
DWC uses a pretty simple to use online ordering system through ToastTab. I kept it pretty minimal for me. I ordered 8 wings (4 Garlic Parmesan, 4 Buffalo) and a large order of fries with cajun seasoning. I found it odd I couldn’t pay online. The order confirmation said it would take about a half hour and I was a little over 20 minutes away so the timing worked out perfectly.
About the time I was pulling in to the parking lot, I got a text message saying my order was done. I was the only one inside the restaurant when I went in to pay. The place has almost a BBQ feel to it with wood paneled walls. There is a small dining area off to the side of the order counter up front but all the chairs were put up…due to COVID. I gave the employee my name then paid for the order with my card before heading back to the office to eat.
I started in with the fries since it was such a large order. I figured I’d have a few before they got cold but they were really good and I ended up eating the whole box rather quickly. The restaurant style fries had a really thick dusting of cajun seasoning. The fries stayed crispy in the to-go container and the Cajun seasoning had a little bit of kick to it. It wasn’t overly salty as sometimes happens with this kind of seasoning. It was a good mix between that salty and spiciness.
I went to the Garlic Parmesan wings next. The sauce is really thick and really garlicky. It’s not one of those thin butter garlic sauces (which I also like very much). This one is thicker like there’s a mayo base or something to it that really helps it stick to the wings. The wings were pretty large and fried up super crispy on the outside. The thick sauce didn’t really do much damage to the crispiness of the wings on the drive back to the office either. Each one had a good crunch as I worked my way through the four pieces.
The other four wings were standard Buffalo. The wings themselves were identical to the Garlic Parm Wings. LIke the GP sauce, the Buffalo sauce was a little bit thicker than a traditional Buffalo sauce and it stuck to everything. I did not bring enough napkins to the party…luckily I could hide my messy face behind a mask as I made my way to the bathroom to clean myself up afterwards. The Buffalo sauce was slightly spicy…maybe a little spicier than say, Frank’s Red Hot, but not overpowering. You still got a really good pepper flavor without destroying your tongue.
Detroit Wing Company is a solid wing joint. The wings are crispy. The sauce is thick and flavorful. There’s really nothing to complain about. When places specialize in one food, it’s imperative they do it right. Detroit Wing Company does it right.
SW Michigan Dining 