Another Round Bar & Grill - Downers Grove Super Bowl Sunday

Another Round is located on Main St. in downtown Downers Grove

The Wing Joint:

Another Round 5141 Main St. Downer Grove, IL

Most people like going to a party or their favorite bar on Super Bowl Sunday, and I'm no different.  Another Round Bar & Grill in Downers Grove is one of my favorite spots in the suburbs.  Even during the blizzard with  19" of snow falling I managed to make it out for Super Bowl XLVI.  Another Round was actually one of WGN's Chicago's Best Top 10 places for Super Bowl Sunday.  The bar is also known as the "Madhouse on Main St."  This official Chicago Blackhawks bar is great to come for drinks after getting off the train in Downers Grove, the 19th hole, or for any game your looking for; the bartender will put it on for you.  Enjoy one of their 20 beers on tap, craft bottle and can selections on the patio, weather permitting.  Just like most, tons of TV's and several projection screens throughout, so there isn't a bad seat in the house.  Rent out their private party room with a separate bar for your party.  This a great place to bring your family for dinner, too.  The menu is loaded with more than just your typical bar selection.  Serving up thin, pan, specialty, and stuffed pizza's, taco's, pasta's, salads, sandwiches, a great selection of appetizers, burgers, and of course wings.  Seriously if you don't find something for you, then what do you eat?  I know what your thinking; this sounds like a typical bar menu...but does your bar have a cheezy Italian beef burger or Italian beef quesadillas?  Yes, Italian beef on a burger topped with mozzarella cheese is one of favorite menu items.  Check out the menu on the website link.   Come hungry.  Now for the wings....

The Wing Review:

My Favorite, Zesty Garlic

So I might be a little bias, because I love their wings and have 'em multiple times.  So lets start with the wings themselves.  Medium to jumbo in size, not quite 5 star in size but an order of 10 will fill you up.  Temperature served is steaming hot, just the way I like 'em.  The sauced wings are very meaty and tender with a crispy crunch.  Looking for that extra crunch, the Dry Rub is for you; although a few can end up a little over cooked but you won't even notice after the spice lights up your taste buds.  I would like to see a little more sauce covering the wings.  I haven't had all the sauce flavors but I'll tell you a little about the sauces/flavors I have had. 
From hottest on down, in order: Hot, Sweet Heat Asian, Zesty Garlic, Dry Rub, Medium, and Garlic Parm.  The Hot sauce is the 2nd hottest they offer, and yes they are hot but there isn't much flavor.  Very bland tasting just leaves your mouth burning; very average taste.  Sweet Heat Asian sauce was better than average, but the heat has gone missing.  These wings lack the heat for being rated 3rd hottest on the menu.  Sweet, flavorful, and tasty?  Yes to all, but heat was disappointing.  Zesty Garlic is my favorite.  Buffalo sauce with a great amount of heat and it's that garlic flavor that makes every bite a party in your mouth, 5 star flavor.  The Dry Rub I already mentioned; these are rated 6th hottest on the menu yet has more heat than Sweet Heat Asian and Zesty Garlic.  Move these up the thermometer.  Medium is a great buffalo tasting sauce with a little heat, perfect for the everyday wing eater who wants a little heat with big flavor.  Much better than most medium/mild buffalo wing sauces out there.  Finally...the Garlic Parm is all about the flavor.  Perfect for that wing craving but not necessarily feeling like the heat.  A nice blend of the garlic and parmesan make a great wing option.  Can you ever go wrong with a garlic parm wing?  Most of the wings flavors and sauces have a lot of flavor.  The Hot has been the only disappointment.

Try the Dry Rub

Wing Night: None

Side Notes:
+Outdoor patio
+Awesome menu items; Cheesy Italian Beef Burger is intense.
-Check the Hawks schedule, won't likely get a table if you show up after a game starts.
-Avoid the nachos; ordered during SB XLVI and they were not good.




Moment of Truth and Why:

The Wing Menu

Overall: 4.5 Star Wings 
Temperature: 5
Size & Texture: 4
Sauce amount: 3.5
Overall Flavor: 4.5
Overall Heat: 3.5
Individual Flavors/Sauces:
Hot: 2
Sweet Heat Asian: 3
Zesty Garlic: 5
Dry Rub: 4.5
Medium: 4
Garlic Parm: 4

Sweet Heat Asian

For the most part, these wings won't disappoint.  They fall just short of a 5 star wing joint because of the heat ratings and descriptions.  The Hot needs more flavor and Sweet Heat Asian needs more heat.  If I could redo their heat rating Dry Rub would be switched with Sweet Heat Asian.  My favorites again are Zesty Garlic and the Dry Rub.  I don't find to many dry rub flavored wings I would order twice.  On Super Bowl Sunday these are the two flavors are just what I was looking forward too.  I even tried to recruit Another Round to participate in 2015 Chicago Wing Fest.  We'll see what happens.  Another early favorite for my 2015 Top 10 wings list and 2015 Top 5 wing joint, coming in December.



Website: http://anotherroundbarandgrill.com/

 

Follow me on twitter @chicagowingman

I'm always looking for a new wing joint, got a favorite?  Tell me about and I'll check it out.  Hope this helps and enjoy.  See you at 2015 Chicago Wing Fest.