Location: Bogey’s in Venice
Count: 10
Sauces: Bogey’s, VooDoo & Volcano
Dipping Agent: Blue Cheese
Since I started this whole thing I’ve had a few places people keep recommending to check out. One of the most often mentioned is Bogey’s. So I took the fam down to Venice today to hunt some Pokémon and get some grub.
We decided on the chili nachos and 20 wings to split. I wanted to try a lot of flavors but we needed to decide on two. We went with the VooDoo, described as sweet and sour, and the Bogey’s original sauce which is a blend of their cajun, honey bbq, chili lime & garlic all mixed together. I believe that’s what she said, either way it sounded like a good way to try a few different things.
I also asked for a side of their hottest sauce which she called Volcano. Needed to see what their heat levels were all about.
The Wings
The wings came out looking mighty sexy. They were a little bigger than I like but that didn’t deter me. They were very well coated and sauce was leaked all over the bottom of the basket. Yes…this makes me happy.
The skin looked crispy enough but with so much sauce you can’t really tell until you bite in. First bite I felt was acceptable level of crisp but I had a few where I had to pull the skin out of my mouth because it was gross and stretchy. Overall they performed fine but there were some issues.
I know people often tell me to order wings “extra crispy” when they recommend a venue. But if it doesn’t say on the menu I that it’s an option, I typically don’t think about it and honestly I shouldn’t have to ask for a wing to be crispy and not chewy skinned. That’s a flaw.
The Flavors
Let me tell you right off the bat that this place has their fucking sauces DOWN. They were all so good.
I can’t rave enough about the Volcano. It has a super real heat, a raw and pure heat from fresh peppers. I saw dices of green and red in it as well as some seeds. I’m guessing jalapenos and red chilis. The sauce was super fruity with a sourish backing I’m assuming is a nice vinegar. I loved this stuff.
Bogey’s sauce was also very very yummy. My wife loved it, def her favorite and I’m a big fan as well. It’s got a lot going on, multiple layers of flavor, but they worked really well together and with the chicken.
I liked the VooDoo, it was basically a really flavorful Chinese take out, sweet & sour sauce. But it had a great consistency for wings and a touch of uniqueness that made it it’s own thing.
Conclusion
The blue cheese was easily the biggest let down. It tasted a bit soured and was very thin. Honestly it reminded me of Ken’s a lot but there were a couple tiny chunks in it so it must’ve been some other brand. It was very disappointing and I didn’t use it after a couple dips.
These wings stood on their own pretty well so you really don’t need blue cheese to enjoy, but it would have taken them to the next level. Also it sucks to get some good looking celery but not be able to enjoy it because the blue cheese is shit.
I really enjoyed these wings and I will go back but I’m not going to say there’s no room for improvement.
Overall: 6.5/10