Minooka Adds Wings Etc. On Ridge Road: Ferak Food Column

MINOOKA, IL - One of the most popular places in the Joliet area for wings lovers is on Route 59 at the Buffalo Wild Wings. But wings lovers now have another place to check out. Nine days ago, Wings Etc. opened off Ridge Road in Minooka. Wings Etc. is near the Hampton Inn, just a couple blocks up the road from the Interstate 80 exit for Minooka.

This place is an easy drive from Shorewood, Plainfield and Joliet. It's worth the trip.

I was surprised how busy Wings Etc. was when I stopped for lunch on Thursday. Apparently, the word is already out.

Thursday featured a 69 cent boneless wing special. I ordered 10 of them and they're featured in the photo below.

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There were 22 different wing sauces on the menu, ranked from hottest to mildest. I went with the Major Jerk. It was a wise decision.

Because this is a new sit-down restaurant, I was curious how fast the food would take. I was seated at 11:35 a.m. and in 10 minutes sharp - at 11:45 a.m., my wings were served and they were definitely fresh.

While waiting for my meal, I spent a lot of time inspecting the menu. It's a big menu that also features hardwood smoked ribs and rib tips, an 11-inch hot dog, a create your own burger special and several made to order sandwiches.

Wings Etc. is a growing restaurant chain started in 1994 in South Bend, Indiana. According to the website, there are now more than 60 Wings Etc. across 10 states. The overwhelming majority are in Indiana, only a handful have sprouted up in Illinois so far. There is one in Yorkville, Crystal Lake and Antioch.

For more information about the new restaurant in Minooka, here is the website.