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Our second Weekly Wang review sees us visit MEATliquor, a trendy and fast-growing outlet that’s been popping up in dark spaces all over London since 2011. Famed for its burgers and booze, we thought we’d test out their wing skills. This is our first non-exclusive wing (N.E.W) venue but certainly won’t be our last, as wings continue to take over the capital.

MEATliquor N1: The Facts

Name: MEATliquor N1

Location: Branch at Angel, Islington (there are other locations but you can book in advance here!)

Opening Hours: Every day. 10/12:00-11pm (day dependent)

Time of Visit: Saturday; 8:00pm (short wait at bar to get seated)

Weather: Muggy.

Wing of Choice: Buffalo Wings (10 wings)

MEATliquor N1: The Ratings

Presentation: Despite the fact that the room is quite dark, and the only light source is from flickering cathode-ray televisions and red neon lights – these wings looked pretty good on arrival. The presentation is ‘primitive’ in that the wings are simply laid out on a piece of grease proof paper, upon a metal tray. The tray is good though for sharing and I enjoyed the fact that there was enough space on it for discards as well (often wing establishments can overlook this, which can lead to unpleasant issues for all involved). The side addition of floppy celery and carrot was a sorry sight. There’s simply no need for them if they’re going to look like that.

Side note: the tray was served with two forks, which was rather bizarre. Why someone thought one might attempt to eat a wing with a fork is beyond me.

MEATliquor N1: The Wings

Temperature and Texture: Wings were hot on arrival. Despite this they lacked a real crunch, and the ends were not good for gnawing which was disappointing for the carnivorous male.

Size: Normal size flats and drums filled the platter. I was about 4/5 bites to the wing.

Flavour: It’s a standard buffalo that doesn’t bring anything new to the table. The orange tang comes through, but it’s generally quite similar to Frank’s sauce. The wings were individually well sauced, but there was no excess sauce for double dipping. A real shame.

Heat: The sauce is ‘homemade’ but lacks a punch. It’s warming but isn’t hot enough. It threatened to heat up in the mouth after a couple of wings but never really did. If you’re not great with any spice these might be up your street.

Accessories: The blue cheese dip had a nice level of dairy goodness to it. The receptacle was a little awkward though for dipping due to its size and shape.

Cost: At 10 for £7.50, you can’t complain.

Extra: You were provided with your own kitchen roll, which is always appreciated.

MEATliquor N1:The Bottom Line

MEATLiquor N1 makes a mean burger and a great cocktail, but an average buffalo wing.

If you go to MEATLiquor for wings, take my advice and order the more unusual Braai wings. These are South African-style barbecue wings that have been dry-rubbed and grilled. They are large, tender, crunchy and have a great kick to them. They’re a real treat. The downside is that they’re on the pricier side.

Header Image Credit: Jenni Sparks