Good Dog Bar

The Good Dog Bar is not only known for its multiple framed photos of dogs on every wall, but also for its cleverly adapted food. Featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Good Dog Bar takes comfort foods to another level with such items as Duck Pot Pie and Baked Mac & Cheese. So needless to say, I’m excited to see what they have done to elevate the classic Buffalo wing.

The wings here only come one way: 10 Jumbo wings with Good Dog’s own sauce. So that’s what I ordered, and within minutes the waiter returned with what looked like the perfect wing preparation tray. This tray consisted of a bunch of napkins on top of a long rectangle plate that also held a small bowl (for the bones) filled with wet-naps. I always get excited when I see things like this because it makes me feel like they know how to take care of a wing eater. So now with beer in hand and wing prep ready, I’m left waiting for the main course. Waiting is not so bad in this small three level pub, because there is a lot to look at. We were actually lucky enough to get a window seat perched above 15th street, so we had plenty of passers-by to poke fun at as we killed some time.

When the wings arrived they looked and smelled great. They weren’t kidding with the “Jumbo” because these things were huge. And the best part about all that meat was that it was incredibly tender. The waiter said that they bake then fry them to get that tenderness, but either they didn’t fry them long enough or spent too much time baking because my wings were more on the slimy side instead of that great crisp on the skin that I love so much. The sauce was mostly a mixture of barbecue sauce and some spices, but carried almost no heat. Though it was tasty, it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, and if blindfolded, I would swear it was another style of chicken wings. I was expecting my personal comfort food to be elevated just like everything else on the menu, but to still hold true to the basic characteristics of a Buffalo wing: spicy, hot, and crispy. They succeeded in making a gorgeous meal out of wings, but fell a bit short with keeping true to the Buffalo roots.

Ultimately, the Good Dog Bar offers a uniquely enhanced menu and I should have been happy that they even serve wings. I cleaned my plate and if I came back in the future, would probably get it again. If you are in the mood for a completely different wing, I would do what the coasters suggest: Come, Sit, Stay. However, if you are out specifically looking for the classic Buffalo flavor, I would tuck your tail and run as this might not be the place for you.

Good Dog Bar
224 S. 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 985-9600