On the search for the best wings in Connecticut brings us to Cheek’s Chicken & Waffled in Manchester (and Wallingford).
With a place called …Chicken & Waffles, I of course had to get the chicken & waffles. So all will get a shake here, but one stood out above the rest.
First, the waffle.
This waffle is good but very strange.
It is closer in consistency to waffles you get in Belgium.
There are little pockets of sugar in them, and they are not airy at all.
Meaning, they are mostly just crisp.
You have to taste it to understand. But they are also covered in a slightly sweet butter and a little bit of powdered sugar that blends nicely.
The waffles are very good, and should be experienced at least once.
The rating (Waffles):
7/10
The Wings:
I got 2 orders of wings.
One was buffalo, and one was their Carolina Reaper sauce.
It was recommended that I get the Carolina Reaper.
I like spice and can handle some serious heat, but I don’t get spicy just for spicy’s sake.
It has to taste good, and pain does not mean it tastes good.
Also, I have a rule to not get the hottest wing sauce at a place (the focus of a future post).
So I made sure to get the buffalo as well.
Both came out looking exactly the same.
I honestly couldn’t tell which was which by looking at them.
I thought they had made a mistake and given me the same buffalo wing twice.
I was wrong.
Buffalo Wing
The Bufflao wing doesn’t come in heat levels.
It is also not your standard Frank’s and butter combination.
It has more of a stickiness to them, along with the sweetness.
The heat is mild and pleasant.
If you are looking for a buffalo that doesn’t taste like standard buffalo sauces, this is good.
The Rating (Buffalo wing):
7/10
Carolina Reaper wing
This wing is also somewhat sticky, though not as much as the buffalo wing.
There is a nice sweetness here, as well as a deep umami flavor.
Actually the flavor is great.
This is among one of the best buffalo-type wings/tenders I’ve had in CT.
Then comes the heat.
The heat from the reaper is not subtle at all.
It shows up on your lips and the tip of your tongue.
It is hot, the kind of hot you breathe heavily from to cool down.
And it does not go away.
That heat lingers for minutes after each bite.
Continuing to eat doesn’t build it up, the damage is done.
So once you get used to it, you can keep eating to your heart’s content.
The Rating (Carolina Reaper wing):
These big, meaty wings have a sweet and deep sauce with a heat that shows up on your lips and tongue and doesn’t go away. They have a great flavor and just the right amount of heat that shouldn’t be too hot for people, but will definitely make you realize you are eating some serious heat.
7.5/10
https://www.instagram.com/eatthisct/
Manchester:
Address: 648 Center St, Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: (860) 643-4040
Wallingford:
Address: 822D E Center St, Wallingford, CT 06492
Phone: 203-269-1119