Wing Review: Mainstream Bar & Grill

Name: Mainstream Bar & Grill

Where: 404 W Main St, Waukesha

MKE Wings Crew Present: Frank, Amber, Molly, Jeremy, Josh, Jen

Review Date: July 15, 2025

Wing Specials (as of date published): Tuesday & Thursday, $1 Wings or $0.75 Boneless

The Review:

Before we get into the wings, let’s talk about burgers, because Mainstream Bar & Grill is one of my favorite burger spots. Their build-your-own setup is awesome: reasonably priced, tons of topping options, solid sides. A true paradise for burger lovers. But this site isn't about burgers, it's about wings. It's time we paid some attention to Mainstream's wing game to see if their burger prowess translates to wings!

We rolled in on a Tuesday for the $1 wing special (also offered Thursdays). On a non-special night an order of 10 wings will run you $11.99. So while the special isn't a tremendous savings, it's never bad to save a few bucks. 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.

The wings were served hot and crispy, with a size that sits right in the sweet spot: not jumbo, not puny. Just solid, well-cooked chicken that hit the table piping hot, which is always a good sign.

Mainstream boasts a long list of flavors (including a couple unique ones) across various heat levels, certainly something here for everyone's taste. Their sauce line up is as follows: Sriracha Bourbon Sauce, Garlic Parmesan, Moonshine BBQ, Honey BBQ, Sweet Chili, Mango Habanero, Thai Peanut, Garlic Herb, Lemon Pepper, Caribbean Jerk, Hot Honey, Korean BBQ, Korean Caesar, Buffalo, Demon, and Inferno!

While I didn't get to try everything, with our fairly large wing crew I was able to try many of these sauces, notes below:

• Demon: Their second-hottest sauce. Spicy, peppery, and buffalo-style. Not overwhelming, but definitely hot enough to keep the mild crowd away. I liked it — feels like it's been a while since I've had a spicy wing!

• Korean Caesar: The enigma sauce of the night. Didn’t taste like Korean BBQ or Caesar dressing… but we all liked it anyway. Strange, savory, totally undefinable but good.

• Hot Honey: Sweet with a warm back-end kick. A clear favorite among the crew, Molly and Jen both called it their top pick.

• Lemon Pepper: Amber’s favorite. Classic dry rub feel with bright lemon and a good dose of cracked black pepper.

• Thai Peanut: My favorite, and Jeremy’s too. Creamy and rich, with savory peanut flavor, a touch of citrus zing, and just a hint of sweetness. Outstanding.

• Garlic Parmesan: Garlicky, creamy, and packed with funky Parmesan tang. Always a reliable order. Josh gave this one an honorable mention alongside his main pick of buffalo.

The MKE Wings Crew's Favorites:

Frank: Thai Peanut

Molly: Hot Honey

Jen: Hot Honey

Jeremy: Thai Peanut (honorable mention to Garlic Parm)

Amber: Lemon Pepper

Josh: Buffalo

Conclusion:

Mainstream is still my go-to burger joint in town, but now it’s officially earned a place in the wing rotation. Hot, crispy wings with a wide flavor selection and two weeknight wing specials make this perfect spot for wing night. These wings milwaukeewings.com Certified. Not quite Hall of Fame, but the wings are well worth a visit, perhaps you can be bold and pair them with a burger!

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