Boneless 'Wings' takes off on Ivy Road
Wings Over Charlottesville delivers.PHOTO BY LISA PROVENCE
For over a year, the former University Grille/former Hardee's on Ivy Road has sat empty, tempting passersby with the signs heralding gyros and souvlakis. The restaurant is empty no longer. The Greek enticements are gone from the windows and a sign out front announces Wings Over Charlottesville.
Owner Manny Moreira is just frying some chicken when Dish calls, so when he gets back to us, he explains the small franchise's concept: 23 different flavors of "boneless" wings.
Dish knows wings are phenomenally popular and a couple of restaurants in town already carry "wings" in their monikers, but what's with "boneless" wings? They're really chicken tenders, and if you call them that, everyone expects those processed nuggets, explains Moreira. "We use the term 'boneless' wings."
Along with the 23 flavors of chicken, Wings Over Charlottesville offers up sandwiches, wraps, burgers, pork ribs, and free delivery in the university area.
"We picked one thing and we do it well," Moreira assures.
18 comments
Wings Over Happy Valley was by far McCartney’s best post Beatles effort.
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confused is funny. Penn State alums praising any college town wings joint are a bit of an embarrassment.
The same guy ran a "Wings Over Happy Valley" here in Pennsylvania. It's phenomenally popular. I think if the author actually tasted the wings (or any of their food) the article would have a lot more flavor. I definitely recommend you give it try.
Well, Charlottesville has always aspired to match the culinary scene in Happy Valley. Perhaps U.Va. can open a creamery!
I be on dat chicken MISSION sometimes mane, dis help me out. 23 different flavas on ya aceeee
I was recently reading one of those mindless internet filler articles that mentioned what top end chefs never order when they go out to eat. Chicken and pasta, baby. A) Because they're way overpriced at any restaurant for how much the ingredients actually cost, and B) They don't want to eat basic foods they can make themselves. If they're going to go out they want to eat something they can't make themselves. I definitely agree. I can make my own tasty and flavorful boneless chicken wings, aka, nuggets (or strips, etc.) for 1/3 the cost. This town is just saturated with restaurants. People need to learn how to cook for themselves. Seriously, you can make any of this food you get at a restaurant, and do it for so much less. You'll save yourself a lot of money. A pack of boneless chicken thighs even at Whole Foods will usually run you $2-3 a pack, pan fry it in flour, then add in some sort of yummy sauce, like honey mustard, or buffalo hot sauce with crushed garlic, sweet and sour, etc. etc. and you're good to go. Not only is it cheaper, but you can make it to your own taste preference. Too often restaurants blandify their food. (a word I just made up, but it's very fitting!) Not enough spice, not enough garlic, not enough salt.
People need to go back to the basics, learn to cook, start eating more healthy, be more *self sufficient.*
I have eaten at the "Wings Over Greenville" franchise location and they serve of the best wings and fries I have ever tasted. The food is great and the menu is suited for parties (packages that feed 2 to 10 people or more). They have a wide range of sauces to choose from that are phenominal. The location will be the problem, seems like everything that goes into that spot shuts down. But if they can get people in there and eating their wings, it will be successful.
I hope the person running their mouth understands that the food there is actually way cheaper than one could purchase the raw product for in a grocery store. I lived off stuff in college and we ordered it because it was actually cheaper than grocery shopping!!!
I meant to say "we lived off THIS stuff", not just stuff, LOL
Another chicken fry pit; what'll they think of next.
Wings Over Happy Valley was by far McCartney's best post Beatles effort. Didn't know there was a follow up planned.
with 32 flavors of popcorn downtown, and 23 flavors of chicken here, i've now got 736 great meal combinations to choose from when i do take out. i'm pretty psyched!
Wow. Not a very complimentary article. Sounds to me like the writer owns a competing restaurant.
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Huh?
Hope there's a review of the food coming.
Wow. Not a very complimentary article. Sounds to me like the writer owns a competing restaurant.
10 months, tops. This aint Pennsyltucky.
Wing Lover is spot on about the location. The University Grille made one of the best Gyros I've ever had, but nobody was ever in there.
The sign doesn't exactly scream "come eat here." I've driven by it many times and kept thinking it had something to do with renting airplanes. Regardless, I'm not going to disparage the place until I try it out.
@boooo! Congratulations on your incredible cooking abilities. (End sarcasm) Nobody said you HAVE to eat there. Besides, this obviously isn't a place marketed at "top chefs." It's a college joint. I'm a college student who is capable of cooking for myself, however going out to eat is oftentimes more convenient and a more fun experience. Not every single person wants to cook every single night of the week, and when that time comes he or she may want to go out. I'm guessing you're just bitter because the thought of being in public and around other people and being forced to interact just petrifies you. Am I close?
The place rocks. Don't knock it til you try it.