John T.
Yelp
3.5
I don't know if it's the time of year, but I am really craving wings all of a sudden. I found myself driving down Gallatin, slightly hungry and wanting to try something new (to me). I'd heard of Ghot Wingz for a while but I'd never paid attention to where it was. Seeing the sign jut out in to the road was just what I needed to pull in to the lot (plentiful parking), walk in and order.
This is a to-go establishment but the waiting area is fairly comfortable. There are a few chairs, a jumbo fan (for those hot September nights; thanks, climate change), a TV, and a Ms. Pac-Man machine (which doesn't offer free games; that was a slight bummer). Take some time to study the menu before ordering. The folks behind the counter are busy so you don't want to gum up the works. Wanting a direct comparison to my other (newfound) wings gem, I ordered 12 wings (naked, 6 hot garlic parmesan, 6 honey bourbon) and Cajun fries. The price wasn't bad and thanks to shelter, a large fan and a television distraction, my wait time seemed like no time. Before I left, I was shown my order, given napkins and sent on my way. Orderly, efficient system but, to be fair, there were 5-6 people behind the counter. That's much different from a one-man band.
I got home and my first problem was that, despite the similar price, I was given less fries than at the Beautifully Winged competition. No me gusta. Secondly, the fries didn't taste good at all. They weren't fresh. More than half were either soggy or burned to a crisp. They had no flavor (despite being 'Cajun'). Even if I weren't comparing them to my other wings joint, I would advise to not order these. They were disappointing from quantity to quality. Now, to the main event. The wings were a good size but... they had no discernible flavor. I couldn't tell the hot garlic parm from the honey bourbon. They were both doused in a sugary sweet red sauce that was fairly one-note. Because the American palate skews sweet, the wings were (more than) edible but there wasn't much there there for me. If you told me I was eating 12 Carolina BBQ wings, I would have believed you. That's a problem. Things should taste like things. The intangibles (nice ladies behind the counter, low wait time, decent-if-not-what-I-thought-I-ordered wings) bump the 3.5 to 4 but there are better wings out there* -- and definitely better fries.
*Maybe I ordered the wrong ones?