Winging It In North Cackalacka

Jackalope Jack’s – Charlotte, N.C.

1936 E. 7th Street
Charlotte, NC 28204


Written by Staff Writer Jay W. Pennell

When American Wing King VP Owen Brennan asked me to write some wing reviews down in Charlotte,
N.C. I gladly took him up on the offer.

While New Jersey is a hotbed for wings, Charlotte is a little less renowned for their wings. But the city is
full of great restaurants and hole-in-the-wall places that offer great food and tasty wings.

My first stop was Jackalope Jack’s, a restaurant, bar and grill located in the Elizabeth neighborhood of
Charlotte, just minutes from Uptown.

I must have picked the right day to stop in, because Adam Richardson was on location filming an episode
of “Man v. Food” for the Food Network. Richardson was there for the chili, the Mexi-Cali Kobe Beef
burger, the slider challenge and more.

Me, well I was there for the wings.

The great staff at Jackalope Jack’s suggested I try the 20-wing sampler. The wings were split up in two
baskets with five of each flavor, along with complementary celery and blue cheese. Each flavor was
labeled on the paper lining the basket, which made it easy to determine which was which.

The first group I tried was the Buffalo. My first bite into the wings reveled juicy meat all throughout the
wing that easily fell off the bone. The sauce was spicy, but not overpowering and left a great aftertaste.
Definitely grab a handful of napkins, because you’ll need them.

The next group I tried was the Barballo. The sauce was a combination of barbeque and buffalo, which
was much sweeter, but still had a kick. Milder than the Buffalo wings, the Barballo were full of sauce,
juicy meat and delicious smoked flavor. These were by far my favorite of the group. Again, get the
napkins ready, you’ll need them.

On to the second basket, the Teriyaki and Jamaican Jerk were very similar in taste. Neither was as messy
or saucy as the Buffalo or the Barballo. They were both sweeter and tangier and had much of the smoky
taste, which was nice. Even though the basket was labeled, it was still difficult to tell which wings were
the Teriyaki and which were the Jamaican Jerk.

I was certainly pleased with the wings and the great service from my waiter Eric. He kept checking on
me, bringing me cold Yuenglings, even suggesting new beers, despite the busy atmosphere surrounding
the “Man v. Food” taping.

Travis Pennell tearing up some wings

Eric even took me back into the kitchen to show me the smoker they use to cook the wings, using
hickory to add a great taste.

If you’re in the area, I highly recommend stopping by Jackalope Jack’s. I would suggest asking for the

20-wing sampler on your first visit and figure out which flavor you’ll get next time. For me, it will be the
Barballo.

Jackalope Jack’s has a lot of other menu items to offer, four skee ball games and weekly tournaments,
a basketball game, punching game, Golden T, and pool table. They have a great patio overlooking 7th
Street and is both family and pet friendly.


www.jackalopejacks.com