Buffalo Wild Wings has become the go-to spot for wings in Grand Rapids, but that is all about to change. Four miles from school, the chain restaurant called Wingstop just opened on 28th street, ready to meet your dire need of chicken wings and your hungry stomach.

The small restaurant is very distinctive because of its glowing green signs but also because of the strong, spicy smell of chicken wings exploding past the door. As my two friends and I walked into the restaurant, we were greeted by a friendly, smiling worker, and I was immediately excited to see what this new place had in store.

The place seemed fairly clean, excluding a few scraps on some tables. Green tables littered the tan floor; there was a Coca-Cola pop machine to the right, with napkins and silverware to the side of it on a small table.

A colorful menu stood in front, displaying all of their flavors, sides, and dips that were available to order. There was a sign to the left of the register that displayed what kinds of sauces they had and how spicy they were, which was extremely helpful to someone like me who is very indecisive and overwhelmed when it comes to picking out wing sauces.

After ordering a 15-piece wing meal with two flavors, two dipping sauces, fries, and two drinks, we were more than full. Although the meal was a bit on the pricier side, adding up to almost twenty dollars, the customer service and taste of the food made up for it. 

Although the food took a bit longer than expected to make (about twenty minutes), it was a great sign that the food was relatively fresh, and once they were given to us, we could tell they were cooked to perfection.

The sauces had the perfect amount of spiciness, and the fries were better than the classic fries that you can find at bars and pubs. Instead of just having a choice of ranch or blue cheese for dipping sauce, they had other options such as cheese and honey mustard. They also had other sides including rolls and different kinds of fries. Not only did Wingstop offer wings, but they also had a choice of chicken tenders for those who weren’t a fan of wings which was a good addition to the menu.

We had the whole place to ourselves which was extremely nice. Throughout our entire lunch, we comfortably chatted contently while enjoying our wings like we were in the comfort of our own homes. At no point were we rushed to finish our food, and the workers seemed to enjoy working as much as we did eating. After polishing off almost all the wings, the worker that had been our cashier earlier came out and asked us how our food was.

I was pleasantly surprised to have a worker come out and interact with us, even though there was no waiter/waitress. After asking us a few questions, he offered us some free wings which surprised us greatly. Not many places have offered me free food, and the worker insisted that we took him up on his offer. We gladly took home wings that were on the house.

The customer service was exceptional, and the workers at Wingstop seemed genuinely happy to see us there and wanted to help us. The portions were a bit smaller and pricier than those at Buffalo Wild Wings, and the menu basically consisted only of chicken wings. They also had fewer sauce choices, but this made ordering a bit easier. Their menu was easy to understand, specifically including how many wings were in each meal and how many people each meal could feed.

Wingstop was much better than I anticipated; when I heard it was a chain restaurant, I excepted poor customer service, sloppy food, and an unclean eating environment. Although with two TVs playing behind and in front of me, I was able to enjoy quite an amazing meal.

On top of great food, free food, and a variety of food, I left the restaurant in a better mood than I had come in with. Not only myself but both of my friends could not believe how friendly the staff was and how welcoming the newly opened restaurant was. As I walked out of the door, I was stuffed and smiley.

Wingstop may have just become my new favorite stop.

https://www.wingstop.com/menu