The Commercial Appeal - Go Memphis
Elwood’s Shack: Spicy Jerk Wings
4523 Summer Ave.; (901) 761-9898; elwoodsshack.com
This pandemic has been a tire fire. In these unpredictable times, consider turning toward a duo that has never let humanity down: meat and heat.
There are no shortages of hot wings in Memphis, but the smoked wing is not as ubiquitous as it should be. And of the smoked wing offerings, I’m here to vouch for Elwood’s Shack.
Officially, Elwood’s classifies its wings as “jerked.” And they are jerk-adjacent, but that’s not the overwhelming flavor.
The overwhelming flavor is smoke and perfection. You can dip these wings in ranch and barbecue sauce, as I do every time. But the beauty of these wings is best experienced in their sauceless form.
Strip away all other distractions that sometimes accompany wings, and what you have here is a communion between humanity, chicken and smoke. No frills (except for the giant piece of pineapple that comes with your order) — just the kind of righteousness that comes when wings are handled with reverence.
—
porter
Ching’s Hot Wings: Honey Gold Party Wings
1264 Getwell Road; (901) 743-5545; chingshotwings.com
When Ching’s Hot Wings reopened on Dec. 9 after being closed since April due to the pandemic, my daughters and their friends were some of the first customers. It was a day of celebration.
There is a reason this wing spot has
been a Memphis favorite since it opened in 2003. It’s a family-run business that focusses on one thing — chicken wings.
I was first introduced to these wings close to a decade ago at a party, and they have been our family’s go-to for wings ever since.
These are classic hot wings done right.
The wings are fried to perfection, and then tossed in what I consider the perfect amount of sauce. I prefer my wings to be saucy and well covered in that fin
ger-lickin’-good sauce.
Ching’s makes all its sauces and seasonings from scratch, and you can tell the difference. The flavors are traditional, with only nine to choose from. Honey Gold is my favorite.
I suggest ordering them with a side of their crinkle fries. A friend recently recommended that I also try the fried okra. Not sure how I missed that all these years, but I’ll be adding that to my next order.
— Jennifer Chandler, food and dining reporter
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.