That Wing Spot

That Wing Spot (https://www.instagram.com/thatwingspot/) is one of the many successful restaurants from chef-entrepreneur Kwame Boakye, one of the nicest men in Orlando.  He brought us Chicken Fire, which started as a humble food trailer in 2019 before moving into its permanent location in the Milk District on East Colonial and Bumby.  It remains one of my favorite restaurants in Orlando, and I crave it often.  More recently, in 2023, he brought us Cow & Cheese in Maitland, serving up some of the city’s best smash-style burgers.

In between, he rolled out the first That Wing Spot location on South Orange Avenue, which is pretty far from me, so I admit I’ve never made it down there.  But since then, Kwame opened up a combination That Wing Spot/Cow & Cheese at the intersection of University Boulevard and Goldenrod Road in Winter Park.  I no longer had any excuse, so I made my way down there to try those wings, and of course I had to catch up with an old favorite, too.

At the combination That Wing Spot/Cow & Cheese (better than a Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell!), you order at touchscreen monitors, just like at Chicken Fire and the original Cow & Cheese.  I was bringing wings and fries home for my wife, but I figured I would enjoy a little treat while I waited: The Doc, Kwame’s signature smash-style burger from the Cow & Cheese side of things.  I sang its praises in my original review: “an Oklahoma-style burger, featuring ‘thinly sliced onions smashed into two angus beef patties, each topped with premium American cheese, CC sauce, and deeply caramelized onions, all on a fresh baked toasted brioche bun.'”  This one at the new combo location was as messy and as good as the decadent Docs I’ve enjoyed at Cow & Cheese on my past visits, even though I wolfed it down while it was still too hot to fully appreciate.   

The burger came out much faster than my order from That Wing Spot, and by the time I was done with it, the wings and fries were ready to go.

I got an order of 20 wings divided into two separate flavors for myself,  knowing I’d have leftovers for the following day.  I started with KB’s Sweet Heat (KB for Kwame Boakye, of course).  I love sweet and spicy flavors together, but I was expecting something a lot spicier, considering the endorphin rush I get from Kwame’s Nashville-style hot chicken tenders at Chicken Fire.  There, the medium makes my eyes water and the hot makes my nose run, but they taste so good, the pain is worth it (and I need to drink milk with those tenders).  These wings were tasty, but didn’t come close to that level of heat. 

My second wing flavor was That Fiery BBQ, which was both sweeter and spicier than KB’s Sweet Heat, with the added bonus of a smoky flavor from the barbecue sauce.  I liked these more and would totally get That Fiery BBQ again.  Aw heck, who am I kidding?  I would definitely try other flavors next time, but I would get both of these again!

I ordered That Big Wing Combo for my wife, which comes with ten or fifteen wings, fries, and a dipping sauce.  She asked for Plain Crispy wings, which we both thought could have benefitted from a sauce or seasoning — any sauce or seasoning at all.   They were nice, meaty wings, and definitely crispy even after the drive home, but all of Kwame’s sauces and seasonings are so good, even a simple mild buffalo sauce or smoky-sweet “secret” dry rub would have improved the experience with these.   

We upgraded our regular fries to Kwame B’s Secret Rub fries, which was as wise a move as getting the plain wings was unwise.  These crinkle-cut fries were completely covered in a savory-sweet seasoning that was reminiscent of barbecue-flavored potato chips, and I would put that stuff on any food, including vanilla ice cream.  I was completely on board for these, and even my seasoning-averse wife really liked them.  Seasoned fries superior, plain fries inferior.  Needless to say, they would have been crispier if enjoyed in the restaurant, but at least they were still warm by the time I got home. 

That Wing Spot’s house-made bleu cheese AND buttermilk ranch are both worth trying.  Don’t settle for just one!  I tend to prefer bleu cheese with my wings, the thicker and chunkier the better. 

There is one well-known wing joint around here that my wife loves, but I HATE.  I can’t stand their wings, and their food always upsets my stomach… but their bleu cheese dip is excellent, so I will still go there to pick wings up for her but always get bleu cheese for myself, since she’s not a dipper or a sauce person anyway.  But unlike that restaurant that will go unnamed, here at That Wing Spot, everything is good, and it doesn’t make me sick.  I can have it all (even one of the best burgers in Orlando along with these fine wings and fries), and I sure did on this visit.  And I will again!  Thank you, Kwame.  I hope you’re always planning your next restaurant concept, because you’re three for three so far!