Wingnuttz Eatery and Saloon

Wingnuttz Eatery and Saloon
Photo: Annie Lopez

Wingnuttz Eatery and Saloon

724 E Kiowa Ave
Elizabeth, CO 80107

303.646.3289

Several restaurants have come and gone in the Black Forest community of Elizabeth, Colorado, leaving only redundant Mexican fare in their wake, however, Wingnuttz Eatery and Saloon offers a welcome deviation from this trend. What began as a kiosk, side-of-the-road, smoked wing stop has transformed into a warm and welcoming restaurant where a local can chat with a friend for happy hour, or join in some karaoke on a Saturday night. It's also a great place for a traveler on Highway 86, headed to Limon, to stop for a tasty pulled pork sandwich, topped with crisp, fresh slaw, mounded on cloud of a kaiser roll, served with salty hand-cut fries, to see him on his way. The decor hints of the locale and the vintage t-shirt on the wall that boasts, "Rocky Mountain Oysters Sack Lunch" is priceless.


Wingnuttz' particular specialty is cherry wood smoked meats, and, obviously, wings. Platters, sandwiches and salads feature their sweet-smoked, carnivorous fare, although I imagine all salads could be made vegetarian. Burgers are also served topped with options like pastrami or their from-scratch Mac n Cheese, which surprises with a hint of a bite. The Mac n Cheese can also be ordered as a side dish and is a bit dry for my taste and lacks any creaminess. We are hoping to try their yak burger on our next visit, which they serve when available. The meat comes from  a yak ranch just down the road, the same yaks mentioned in Seeds to Savor.

A part of the Wingnuttz Menu
Photo: Annie Lopez

Smoked wings and
Colorado brewed 90 Shilling
Photo: Annie Lopez 

The sauces offered are varied and all house made. Their smoked wings are served with their house Signature Sauce in varying intensities and many other sauces accompany their unsmoked wings. The menu touts "Voted Best Wings in Colorado 2010" which I always wonder about when no source is credited, though their wings are certainly unique and flavorful and deserve consideration in any wing competition. They are as messy as any wings and, while a roll of paper towels on the table is a completely acceptable form of napkinry in this restaurant genre, the thin, flimsy towels available on the table fall apart into useless shreds quickly, which is annoying when eating something in a sticky sauce with your fingers. When we asked, we were given packet of moistened towels, which was much better. The grilled catfish was served in their sesame ginger sauce and, while a bit lonely-looking on the platter, was juicy and delicious. Salads are also topped with flavorful, house made dressings.

Dessert offerings include a homemade bread pudding, which our server highly recommended, and, while we usually listen to our server's recommendations, Luna was intrigued by the OMG Cheesecake, a chimichanga-type concoction of a flour tortilla wrapped around cheesecake filling, deep fried and topped with local, Colorado peaches. The warm cheesecake filling is a nice change from a chilled version, though my personal bias is that dessert should always include chocolate!

When we asked for to-go containers, we were presented with styrofoam, which is always disappointing since all phases of producing, storing and disposing of styrofoam include toxic waste. Many restaurants are moving toward more environmentally friendly to-go containers, many which are compostable, and end up feeding our next-year's gardens. Even if the up-front costs are higher, the long-term ipact is considerable.

A great addition to the neighborhood, Wingnuttz is well worth a drive to the country. Their careful craftsmanship of food is well-expressed and they are a welcome deviation from more bland local fare.