After a particularly grueling day at the office yesterday, I found myself in need of escape. I found that escape in the form of alcohol. And there was food involved too.

The Copper Top Pub, by the university on Fowler and 51st Street, is a nice little bar conveniently located right next to CDB Pizza and Italian Restaurant (they have awesome pizza) and a Japanese restaurant. They have a good selection of beers on tap, a good number of pool tables and a few televisions, and a good amount of seating. Pretty decent setup. Oh and the bar itself has a copper top. Just like the name! BOOYAH. They had a small food menu, but with some serious food within walking distance, I assumed the Copper Top would have little more than common pub fare. I assumed wrong.

BEHOLD! Copper Top’s godly smoked chicken wings. You can order them a few different ways (mild through extra hot, barbecue, garlic, teriyaki), but I went with medium. I find that medium offers you a bit of the spice, but not overwhelming the flavor of the sauce/wing, and at Copper Top, this was exactly the case. The magic of these wings is that they do not fry them; they smoke them during the day, and then bake them before serving them. When they come out, they’re hot and crispy, and the meat is so tender it falls off the bones. I picked up a flat (with the two bones), and the meat came off so that I was able to get it all in one bite, with no extra work. If that weren’t enough, the wings all have a rich smokey flavor, giving you a truly unique experience. The sauce was perfect, with a nice kick… a pretty traditional flavor. I was able to try the hot, which had much the same flavor as the medium but with a wonderful lasting burn that sets in the moment you finish the wing, and the barbecue wings, with a nice sweet sauce that perfectly accented the smoked chicken.

I probably wouldn’t even think to order anything else on the menu. These wings were awesome, able to maintain a traditional flavor with a tender smoked spin. I was floored by them. And they serve food until 2am. If you like barbecue wings, you need to take a trip to the Coppper Top Pub. You will love it. And of course, the beer doesn’t hurt.