Wingstop (Portage)
5228B S. Westnedge AvenueWing places have come and gone in Kalamazoo. It’s always a bummer. Wing Heaven has tried a couple of times in a couple different locations and hasn’t seemed to last.
Sure, we’ve got Buffalo Wild Wings and a couple of Wings, Etc. but those are restaurants. Getting carryout, especially from B-Dubs, can be a whole thing and I don’t always feel like dealing with whole things.
Then, of course, there’s some great local bars that have awesome wings. Main Street Pub, Waldo’s Campus Tavern, and CJ’s Pub come to mind right away. The problem with those places is ordering. Main Street has online ordering but most of the other local pubs don’t.
Getting wings in Kalamazoo is getting easier. Wingstop has announced they are opening three stores in the area.
The first of those locations opened up a few weeks ago in Portage. It’s on South Westnedge north of Market Place in the Willow Creek Shopping Center. The restaurant is right next to Jersey Giant Subs in a space that used to be Specialized Staffing Solutions. Now it’s a wing joint.
I skipped my usual Friday night pizza in exchange for wings. My overtime shift ended in Paw Paw but Westnedge isn’t too far out of the way on my drive home. As I was sitting in Paw Paw, I put in an order online. I figured the 25 minutes it would take me to get there should be enough time to make the order.
Wing Stop in Portage is still pretty new and they’re open until midnight. A manager told me as I was waiting for my food that 9-12 is a pretty busy time for them. Most places (including all the non-chain pizza places for some reason) have closed and there isn’t a lot of quick options outside of the area around WMU.
I got the store about 20 minutes after I ordered. There was a little bit of a wait inside. There was one person running the counter and, of course, I walked in behind somebody that was putting in an order and they couldn’t figure out what they wanted….so I waited a few minutes.
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I had already put my order in so I went to the “Pick Up” are where I joined a few Door Dashers. There were several bags sitting on the rack of to-go orders. We just had to wait for the cashier to get done with the order she was taking to get over to the orders.
There were a few of us waiting so she just starting calling out names on the bags. I heard mine and stepped up to the counter to grab it.
There is quite a bit of seating in the restaurant but I didn’t really feel like sitting there. I ordered a combo so I got a fountain pop. I filled that up then headed back to my car to head home to eat.
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My order was the 10 piece wing combo (bone in) with a side of the Louisiana VooDoo fries. I split the wings between Garlic Parmesan and Original Hot.
I started with the Garlic Parmesan so I wouldn’t burn my taste buds off before I got to them. The sauce is a thin, buttery sauce that’s pretty heavy on the garlic. It’s different from the other big wing chain because it’s not a creamy mayo based sauce. It’s simple butter and garlic.
The Original Hot wings were hot but not burn you mouth hot. It’s kind of that perfect amount of spiciness that still gives you a little bit of kick while also letting you enjoy the flavor. All of the wings I ordered were fairly large and full of juicy meat with that really must have crispy skin underneath the sauce.
I’ve eaten at Wingstop a few times in the past but this is the first time I’ve ever ordered the Louisiana VooDoo Fries. These fresh cut fries are topped with cheese sauce, ranch dressing, and a Cajun seasoning…..and that Cajun seasoning really has a kick. I’m not really sure why but I was given two boxes of the fries. I didn’t realize that until I got home. I didn’t really need to eat all the fries but I also couldn’t stop. The Cajun seasoning was starting to burn a little bit but I didn’t really care. The fries with the cheese sauce and the seasoning were delicious. Would definitely pay for this upgrade again.
The cost of my meal was right around $20.
I think Wingstop is going to do alright in Kalamazoo. The other two stores will be at West Main and Drake and then out on Gull Road, so that will ease up some of the demand on this store once those two stores get open.
I like wings. I don’t think that’s something that’s going to surprise anyone. For years, I’ve wanted a quick carry-out place and I think we’re finally getting one that’s going to stick around for the long haul.
SW Michigan Dining 