http://www.thswingcafe.com
I see hot wing establishments on every corner in Memphis these days. Most of them are all the same and neither worth the money nor blogging about. I never make that assumption before checking them out at least once, however, because you just never know. I have been meaning to try a newer place in my neck of the woods on Stage Road in Bartlett called "The Hot Spot". I've seen it several times and kept it in the back of my mind until a recent email came in from a BMM fan. He suggested that I go and try this very place out because they have, what he considers, the hottest wings in Memphis. Intriguing, I thought, so I found my way there last week.
I found an ad for The Hot Spot in a local coupon magazine that is mailed out monthly in Bartlett. It advertised a "1st and 10 for 5”. This consists of 10 party wings for 5 bucks. I don't know of any other place in Memphis that has wings available for that cheap so I used this as further motivation to see if they could burn my mouth. I found the menu on their website which lists all the available sauces. I noticed a flavor called "Hell Raiser" and assumed this was their hottest kind. I called to verify this and then placed my order for pick-up which was ready in 10-15 minutes. Luckily I live nearby.
As I walked in, I took in the establishment which I found to have a decent-sized dining area. The register and kitchen area are in the back. Close to the register is a long table to place ready orders and above this I noticed a drive-thru window. I also noticed their hours of operation and they are open from lunch until midnight. This along with the drive-thru window and cheap prices are all things I never see in other wing joints. I talked with the owners while my order was being boxed up, telling them about this blog and my crave for hot food. They explained that some people find these wings to be too hot, while others say they could be hotter. I was hoping that I wouldn't find them to be the latter. As I got home and got busy with consumption, I quickly realized that I would not be.
The heat from the sauce hit me almost instantly. 2 wings in and I was sweating. I tasted pepper extract in the sauce and noticed pepper flakes throughout. This hurt the flavor of the sauce a little but it sure did heat it up. The wings themselves weren't crispy but rather a tad on the soggy side. Not a show-stopper as I continued to devour the 10-piece and sweat. After the 10th wing, my mouth was actually on fire. I cooled it off with an ice cube and from a few miles away, applauded The Hot Spot for burning my mouth! If you're in the area and in the mood for some great wings, even late at night, go raise some hell at The Hot Spot!
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