On the corner of Darlinghurst Road and Victoria Street, a long line snakes round the bend, with eager queuers seemingly unfazed by the commotion.
A confused onlooker walks past, muttering, “It’s just fried chicken, isn’t it?” No, sir, it’s not just fried chicken. This is the queue for Australia’s first-ever Wingstop.
Wingstop’s arrival in Sydney
Wingstop is an American chain specialising in cooked-to-order chicken wings and known for extensive flavour options and huge pots of ranch dip. Wingstop was founded in 1994 in Texas, starting as a small chicken wing restaurant. It is now a global brand, with over 2,500 locations worldwide. The Kings Cross store marks the brand’s first Australian location.
The order
Wingstop has 12 different flavours, all graded on a spice spectrum to help customers decide. There’s “no heat”, “some heat” and “all the heat”. They then have a choice between wings, boneless wings and tenders, as well as fries, dips, sides and drinks.
Here’s what I ordered:
- 3 piece hot honey tenders
- 3 piece mango habanero tenders
- 3 garlic parmesan boneless wings
- 3 lemon pepper boneless wings
- 3 OG wings
- 3 atomic wings
- Regular voodoo fries- $8.45
- Large ranch dip- $6
- Blue cheese dip- $2
Overall, the order cost $79.25, a far cry from normal chicken shop prices. 3-piece tenders cost $15.95, 6-piece boneless wings cost $16.95, and 6-piece regular wings cost $13.95. With the 6-piece wings and boneless wings, you can choose two different flavours.).
The flavour ranking
Now onto the real star of the show: the Wingstop flavours.
6. OG
To preface this ranking, we actually enjoyed all the different flavours that we tried, so sixth place doesn’t mean that it was terrible. The OG is an original buffalo-style flavour, and despite being in the “all the heat” spice category, it wasn’t actually that fiery. It was good, but nothing special.
5. Atomic
Atomic is meant to be the spiciest Wingstop flavour; however, it didn’t pack too much of a punch. It tasted like a vinegary, tabasco sauce, and had a lingering after-heat. No one had tears running down their face, and there were no cries for a glass of milk, so we were surprised that this was their hottest wing.
4. Lemon pepper
Lemon pepper is a popular wing flavour in New York and Atlanta– the perfect option for someone after something a bit milder. The boneless wings were zingy but not too bitter. This is a very safe order for those who don’t like spice.
3. Mango habanero
The flavour of mango habanero is similar to sweet and sour sauce, or honey chicken. The blend of sweetness and spice gave the tenders a nice edge, and helped them to land in our top three.
2. Garlic parmesan
Garlic parmesan just missed out on the top spot. The boneless wings were crispy, with a strong and sharp parmesan flavour coming through, paired nicely with the garlic kick. We could see why these wings have been an Aussie Wingstop favourite.
1. Hot honey rub
And the top flavour award goes to the hot honey rub. Sweet and succulent with a bit of spice, the hot honey rub paired perfectly with the ranch sauce. The tenders were crisp and buttery, and despite only three pieces costing $15.95, they were very filling.
The dips and sides
The Voodoo fries were definitely one to skip. They weren’t terrible, but there was nothing special about them at all. They had no crunch, and although the seasoning was nice, the actual fries were average. It doesn’t help that they cost $8.45.
In contrast, the ranch dip and the blue cheese dip were delicious, and I would strongly recommend ordering them alongside any wings or tenders. There’s nothing quite like dunking a hot honey chicken tender into a large ranch dip (you’ll feel like a true American).
The overall verdict
Wingstop managed to exceed my expectations. Heading into the store with no knowledge of the chain, except that it attracted a lot of customers, I thought it would be another average fast-food restaurant.
The dips and flavours are a win
What sets Wingstop apart is its bold variety of flavour options. You won’t find another chicken shop with such an extensive range of flavours. With options including garlic parmesan, hot honey rub and lemon pepper, Wingstop is giving us plenty of choices. This brings something different to what is otherwise a regular fast-food chain.
The dips also make this chain stand out. Ranch dip is huge in the States, and people want to see what all the fuss is about. Despite the large tub of ranch costing $6, it adds a creamy, tangy edge to the chicken and pairs well with all the flavours. The blue cheese sauce is also delicious, and is something different from the usual tomato ketchup/barbecue/ sweet and sour sauce that most chicken shops offer.
It’s way more expensive than KFC
The overall cost of our order was $79.25. The chicken tenders were the most expensive order (per piece of chicken), with three pieces costing $15.95. To put that into perspective, three chicken tenders at KFC cost $9.65.
The large ranch dip also added to the hefty bill. Yes, it’s great to dip the chicken tender into the huge cup, but when you think that combined, it’s costing you $21.95, it suddenly feels less fun. The fries were $8.45, and they were disappointing. I’d rather walk a minute down the road to the McDonald’s and have their much cheaper, much crispier fries instead.
Six wings at KFC will set you back $10.80, whereas six wings at Wingstop will cost you $13.95. Although not as drastic as the chicken tender comparison, there’s still a noticeable difference.
Final thoughts
Yes, it’s tasty, and I think Wingstop’s arrival in Australia is exciting, seeing as it’s a huge global brand. However, it’s much too pricey for what it is, so for now, I’ll be sticking to KFC and McDonald’s for my fast food fix.
