Wing Review: Lou's Lucky Penny

The Basics:

Name: Lou's Lucky Penny

Where: 739 W St Paul Ave, Waukesha

MKE Wings Crew Present: Frank, Amber, Ross, Molly

Review Date: April 9, 2024

Wing Specials (as of date published):

Tuesday: $0.75 Wings

The Review:

Milwaukee Wings isn’t simply about wings in Milwaukee, there are plenty of amazing wings in the surrounding communities! For this review we went searching for delicious wings in Waukesha at Lou’s Lucky Penny, a place none of the wing crew had ever been, but I’d heard some good things about it.  Will they be the next Milwaukee Wings Certified Wing Joint?

 We stopped in on a Tuesday night to take part in the $0.75 wing night special, as an added bonus it was $2 domestic tall boy night and free pool night! We didn’t partake in the free pool (we’re all terrible) but the discounted wings and cheap beer sure were nice on the wallet! The norma menu price for the wings is $8 for 6 or $15 for 12, which while still expensive compared to years ago, is pretty much in line with other establishments. *As always, prices/availability of menu items/prices and/or specials are subject to change at the sole discretion of the bar without the knowledge of Milwaukeewings.com and may not be updated accordingly.*

On wing night, wings needed to be ordered in multiples of six per flavor and you could get them in one of their six flavors: Hot, Honey Hot, Kickin’ Bourbon, Honey BBQ, Mango Habanero, and Garlic Parmesan. With a moderately sized crew and a smaller selection of sauces, we were able to order just about everything.

After a short wait our wings arrived and the first thing we noticed was the size of the wings, these things were HUGE! Seriously large wings, and practically gigantic at only $0.75.  However, size isn’t everything, I’ve had plenty of giant wings be a bit disappointing with texture and/or flavor, but that was not the case here. Super flavorful, tender, and juicy chicken with a very light breading that remained crispy under the sauce, these were indeed some very tasty wings. My only real criticism in the preparate was that I wished some of the wings were just a saucier, but that’s more a matter of personal preference. Speaking of the sauce, our thoughts/impressions on each sauce below:

Hot: A very well balanced Buffalo style sauce with a nice tangy vinegar pepper sauce balanced with buttery smoothness with a bit of heat. Not really anything I’d call hot per set, but a darn tasty all around Buffalo sauce, always a classic.

Honey Hot: Not as sweet as I expected, the primary note from the honey I got was a rich and complex tanginess that played well with the bit of heat present in this sauce. A very tasty mix of sweet, heat, and savory.

We got some pickle fries, how can I say no to pickle fries!

Kickin’ Bourbon: Again, not as sweet as I expected, and for me that’s a good thing. I’ve had plenty of bourbon flavored wings that are insanely sweet, and that’s just not my preferred flavor. This bourbon however was very balanced, a bit of sweet and smoky flavor from the bourbon with just the smallest amount of spice behind it, it wasn’t too far removed from a BBQ sauce, this was yet another very tasty offering.

Mango Habanero: I’ll sound like a broken record here, but again not as sweet as I expected, but again, that’s a good thing in my book. This was highlighted by the sweet and tangy fruitiness from the mango with the flavor of the habanero, but not a lot of heat. Quite delicious, but I do wish a bit more that habanero heat was there.

Garlic Parmesan: A punch of garlic and butter balanced with some of the tangy funkiness of parmesan. All my garlic parm wings looked a bit under sauced, yet this one packed such a strong flavor that it didn’t seem to matter. A great sauce for the garlic lover.

The MKE Wings Crew's Favorites:

Frank: Hot & Mango Habanero

Amber: Hot Honey & Mango Habanero

Ross: Hot

Molly: Hot Honey

Conclusion:

While Lou's Lucky Penny may lack a large number of a flavors, the ones they have are right on the money, they're all very distinct and full of flavor. Combine that with some very large and flavorful wings, it's a really good wing experience. The only thing I could really hope for was maybe a bit more flavor options and something with a bit of heat to it. Nevertheless, Lou's Lucky Penny makes some fantastic wings, and are the newest Milwaukee Wings Certified Wing Joint!

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