Gator's Wing Shack - Palatine

Gator's Wing Shack Grill & Pizzeria is located on Rand Rd. in Palatine, IL

The Wing Joint:


1719 Rand Rd. Palatine, IL

Coming off yet another win in the mild wing category at the 2015 Chicago Wing Fest, Gator's slogan says it all, "All you need is wings."  I don't get up north to Palatine, IL very often, but on my way home from a snowboarding trip to Alpine Valley, Wisconsin, it was "conveniently" on the way home.  Gator's has faired very well in past Chicago Wing Fests, taking home 14 first place awards and a 4 time winner of best of festival since 2001.  This place was high on my list of wing joints to check out and after a cold day on the slopes, some hot wings would really hit the spot.  Do you smell that?  The smell of garlic is in the air, literally.  You can smell the garlic wings before even walking in the door.  The wing joint itself is simple, tables are close quarters but comfortable.  As you walk in, the bar to the right, dining room tables to the left.  Chicago sports memorabilia covers the walls of this popular, busy Saturday night wing joint.  Its all about the wings here and as we are being seated, that's all I see.  Wings!  Wings everywhere.  Everyone here is eating wings.  Even the birthday party gathering a few tables away, besides a few sides dishes, they ordered easily over 100 wings.  I'm surrounded by wings and wing eaters, is this heaven?  Now that I've caught a glimpse of my next meal, my mouth begins to water, so lets get to it.

The Wing Review: 

Garlic Buffalo

Gator's offers 12 sauces or get 'em plain.  My selection: 10 Garlic Buffalo and 10 Jalapeño Buffalo.  As usual lets start with the wings themselves.  Mainly jumbo in size, as you can see by the picture, wing tips included.  Why do some places still include the wing tip?  Is there any bigger waste sauce?  anyway, the temperature was hot and cooked to order but not quite the steam rising  hot I look for.   With jumbo wings comes the meat, which is tender and juicy.  Wings are drenched in sauce but careful, slippery when wet.  You can order more for a dollar extra.  With the amount of garlic and jalapeno's in the sauce, each bite gives you a tasty, meaty, saucy bite.  I've been plenty of places that coat only one side of the wing, here it's nice distributed over the wing.  The only thing really missing is that crispy crunch, but there's more positives to make up for the lack or crispiness, like the sauce.

Garlic buffalo flavor is one of the more popular sauces.  You can even buy it by the jar; available in local grocery stores or online.  Little bits of garlic soaked in the near perfect mild buffalo sauce.  First thoughts, with that much garlic, will it be a bit over powering?  I mean since the whole places smells like garlic.  However, it was just right, nicely spread over the wings so it wasn't to much.  Is there is such a thing as to much garlic?  Yes and the garlic wings Gators brought to Chicago Wing Fest, had a little too much garlic, even for me.  A little under cooked too, but in the restaurant they are nicely done.  Award winning flavor, in my opinion, earning 5 star flavor.

Jalapeno Buffalo is nicely covered with diced jalapeno's mixed again with the award winning buffalo sauce.  Looks good right?  Yes, these wings are as tasty as it looks.  I did expect a bigger blast of heat which never arrived.  A friend of mine, who cant handle much heat at all, ate one with no problem.  Maybe the jalapeno pepper just doesn't warm me up like it did in my early hot wing eating days.  A bit disappointing, but again with the award winning mild sauce helping, its still not bad.

Wing Night: None


Side Notes:
+Award winning sauce is also available in local grocery stores or on Gator's website.
+Even on Saturday night, walked in and got a table.
-$1.49 extra for celery?  Yes, seriously.
-Also ordered an Italian beef sandwich and fries which is average.  Stick with the wings.

Moment of Truth and Why:


Jalapeno Buffalo

Overall: 4.5 Star Wings
Temperature: 4
Size & Texture: 4.5
Sauce: 4.5
Flavor: 5
Heat: 3

Individual Sauces:
Garlic Buffalo: 5
Jalapeno Buffalo: 3

I've had gator's wings twice in February.  Once at the restaurant and once at Wing Fest, in which I went back to Gator's booth twice.  These wings are good, I don't live close but it was worth the trip.  Garlic Buffalo was better than most garlic buffalo sauces I've had.  Jalapeno Buffalo was a little disappointing.  Gator's needs to work on a buffalo hot sauce.  I didn't try the Mexican Hot Buffalo, so maybe that has the heat I seek.  There's always next time, and yes there will be a next time.  The mixture their awarding winning mild sauce with the garlic and jalapeno's, make both my wing choices delicious.  See you soon Gator's and congrats on another win at the 2015 Chicago Wing Fest.  The Italian beef sandwich and fries aren't bad either.

Website: http://www.gatorswingshack.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.  Eat more wings!

Italian Beef Sandwich with Fries