Wing Review: The Neighbors Bar & Grill
MKE Wings Crew Present: Frank, Amber, Ross, Molly
Review Date: August 13, 2026
Wing Special (as of date published): Thursday $1 Wings
The Review
The Neighbors Bar & Grille has been a fixture on Arcadian Avenue in Waukesha for years, and it has the kind of name that pretty much tells you what you're getting. This is a neighborhood bar in the truest sense, with a big dining and bar area, plenty of TVs, regular events, and a steady stream of locals coming through the door. We reviewed these wings many years ago on the "old" Milwaukeewings site, but figured it was time for a revisit!
We stopped in on a Thursday night for their $1 wing special. On other days of the week, the wings are on the pricier side at $12 for 6, $20 for 12, $26 for 18 and $35 for 24. So, the Thursday deal can offer up significant savings...though I still pine for the days of $0.25 wings (those days are LONG gone!). 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.
First things first, these were big wings. I ordered 18 wings for myself but ended up eating only maybe 9 or 10 before I was pretty darn full. That's saying something for someone who has eaten an awful lot of chicken wings over the years. The Neighbors cooks their wings on the grill, and there is absolutely no mistaking that when they hit the table. These wings tasted like they came straight off someone's backyard Weber kettle . We're talking smoky, charred, grilled flavor with that unmistakable backyard barbecue character. Some had a really nice amount of char that added even more flavor. A couple were probably a little more charred than necessary, but those were the exception rather than the rule.
The Sauces
The Neighbors has a relatively small sauce lineup, and I managed to work my way through almost all of it.
Mild - This isn't your typical mild Buffalo. It's sweet and tangy with a savory quality that I couldn't quite put my finger on. There was something familiar about it, maybe a little Worcestershire, but whatever the secret is, it works.
A tasty wing, even if it not exactly what I expected.
Wild - Wild takes things up a notch with more peppery flavor and a little heat.
I was hoping for a little more spice, but it still had plenty of flavor. I picked up some garlic notes along with the tanginess and pepper.Good heat, but nothing that's going to blow your pants off.
Sticky - This was one of my favorites of the night. The Neighbors' barbecue sauce works really well with the grilled wings. It's not one of those overly sweet, syrupy barbecue sauces. Instead, it has a nice savory and tangy backbone with just enough sweetness. The combination of smoky grilled chicken and barbecue sauce is pretty hard to beat.
Spicy Garlic - This one was very similar to the Wild sauce, but with a little extra garlic and a touch more heat. Again, not particularly spicy, but the garlic added another layer to an otherwise familiar flavor.
Hot & Sticky - This is essentially a combination of the Wild and Sticky sauces.
I expected the barbecue flavor to come through a little more strongly, but it was surprisingly similar to the Wild and Spicy Garlic wings. There were some barbecue notes in there, but they didn't really stand out as much as I had hoped.
Still a good wing, just not quite as distinctive as the name would suggest.
Milwaukee Wings Crew Favorites:
Frank: Wild
Amber: Spicy Garlic
Ross: Sticky
Molly: Spicy Garlic
Overall
I'm a little torn on this one. On one hand, The Neighbors makes really good wings. They're huge, flavorful, and that backyard-grill flavor is something you don't find very often. If you really like grilled wings, there's a very good chance you're going to love these. For me, while I enjoyed the grilled wings, it will never be my go-to style compared to your traditional deep fried wings and by the end the smoky flavor became a bit overpowering.
The sauces themselves are good, but after trying nearly all of them in one sitting, they started to blur together. The Mild, Wild, Hot & Sticky and Spicy Garlic all had fairly similar flavor profiles, with Sticky being the obvious outlier. I'd love to see a few more distinctive flavors added to the lineup. Give me something completely different from the sweet, tangy, peppery family of sauces that's already here.
So where does that leave us? Right on the fence. I think The Neighbors is absolutely worth checking out, especially if you're a fan of grilled wings. The cooking method is unique enough that I'd make the trip simply for the wings themselves, and at a buck apiece on Thursdays, it's worth checking out.
I'm just not quite ready to put the official Certified stamp on it yet.
If grilled wings that taste like they came off your backyard Weber are your thing, The Neighbors deserves a spot on your list.
Comments