Wingz

February 2024
If you had asked me before Wingz Restaurant opened, I would have said that you can get everything American in Israel. Now that we have Wingz I know you really can. And the word is out. In the short time that Wingz is open Americans from all over Israel are making the pilgrimage to Givat Shmuel for their fast-food fix.

Wingz is an original red white and blue American restaurant - mostly red and white, with American style food named for American locations, American style seating and sports broadcast on a 100" screen all day. During the Super Bowl. there was a waiting list!

We call Wingz a fast-food restaurant because of the speed of the throughput. There is no waiting around. Place your order on one of two English-speaking kiosks. When your name is called, step up to the counter and pick up a tray with your order. Foods are served in paper containers for a take-out, eat-in feel. Have a seat at one of the clean Formica-topped tables inside, or on the outdoor porch. Beteavon!

As fast food goes the Wingz menu is varied, nourishing and tastier than industrial fast food fare. The specialty of the house are the crispy chicken dishes, but what makes them extra special are the sauces.

Just so that you know where you are, the sauces are named for US cities. Nashville, the highlight of the sauce family, is a spicy pepper-based sauce. Memphis is a sweet honey mustard sauce and the Buffalo sauce is hot chili, garlic and brown sugar. Sauces like Tokyo, Nashville and New Orleans, have flavors suggestive of the locale. Have these sauces on your wings, on your burger or on your fries (chips). The sauces make everything finger-lickin' good.

We shared three kinds of chicken meals: Buffalo wings, tenders and a chicken sandwich. All of the chicken was soft and tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. The Buffalo wings were pre-coated with the eponymous sauce, which made them tangy. What's an American meat restaurant without Tenders? If you have to ask what they are, you are in the wrong restaurant. For the uninitiated, tenders are crispy strips of coated fried chicken, We tried a different sauce on each piece. I liked them plain, but also with the spicier sauces. My companion like the sweeter sauces. The chicken sandwich came on Wingz’ special bun, with lettuce, tomatoes and pickles, flavored with the house chicken sauce. We had this with a container of American cole slaw and a container of Asian cole slaw. We opted for the garlic and parsley fries, another specialty of the restaurant.

Burger connoisseurs know the importance of the bun. This is key. Wingz burgers and sandwiches come on buns specially made for the restaurant. Potato is added to the dough mix, making it lighter than standard burger buns. Owner Drew worked on the recipe with the supplier till it was perfect. He is now working on a mezonot version of these buns.

Not just the buns, Drew researches every food that will be served at the restaurant. The meat comes from his approved supplier. The vegetables the same

Who is this American guy who brought a taste of the old country to Givat Shmuel?

Owner Drew and his family came on Aliya from California a year ago. They brought with them many years of experience in the restaurant and catering business. They opened Wingz just before that fateful Sukkot holiday. A hulluva welcome. And they are still here! They got a crash course in Israeli society feeding soldiers during the war. Now that's a story you can tell the folks back home!

Pssst. When you see buffalo wings on the menu, note that real world Buffalo have no wings and do not fly. The dish gets its name from the Ankor bar in Buffalo New York, the first restaurant to offer this dish. And the rest is history (provided by Drew).

From the Menu
wings
8pc NIS 34
12 pieces NIS 46
tenders
8 pc NIS 36
12 pc NIS 49

Burger sandwiches NIS 35 - 38
Meals: burgers with sides and drink NIS 52
Sides: fries, cole slaw, rice NIS 14
Special French Fries with olive oil, parsley and pepper 14
Party meals for 4 and 6 diners: NIS 219 - NIS 389
kids meals NIS 29 - NIS 35