This past week I ordered a sampler pack from that rockin’ chicken place Thighstop. What’s that you say? Did I mean Wingstop? No, I got my buffalo chicken from Thighstop!
The well-known wing chain is trying something different, and they have opened up “virtual restaurants” that focus on the lower part of the chicken and that are available to order currently online only. Not exactly sure why they have the online limitation because these are made in the Wingstop locations, but maybe it is so that the people working at the register don’t have to mess with the new menu items.
The Thighstop Sampler Group Pack comes with four crispy bone-in chicken thighs (you can choose up to two sauces) one regular order of boneless thighs (only one sauce for these), large fries, and two dips. (Side note: they make a hell of a good blue cheese sauce.) All of that will set you back just $17.99. They also offer plenty of other combinations of the thighs and sides in case you are ordering for only one or an entire army.
Wingstop is top-notch in my book as far as wing chains go (though I still consider BWW’s Blazin’ sauce the best), and Thighstop basically does the same with the thigh meat as Wingstop does with the wings and breast meat. The bone-in thighs obviously offer more meat and they go with less breading on those which is not at all a bad thing. Each piece still has a good amount of sauce/seasoning to meat ratio, and there is generally plenty of extra sauce in the container to dip some of that inner meat that did not get coated.
The boneless thighs are pretty much just popcorn chicken cut from the thigh meat. The pieces are not too big and they do have a fair amount of breading. And since the thigh meat has more fat, they are pretty oily. But not to the point that they are a greasy mess. They work quite well with the sauce/seasoning (but why only one flavor?) and I am perfectly happy with these vs. the boneless wings. You do get a few pieces that are mostly just breading, but hey, who doesn’t like a bite or two of spicy fried dough?
For the two flavors, I chose Cajun and Louisiana Rub because I was sharing with someone who has a lesser tolerance for heat. The Cajun is a tangy sauce with a bit of kick to it, coming in at medium heat. The Louisiana Rub is not too hot, just below medium, but it is a very tasty mix of seasonings and probably my favorite flavor from Wing/Thighstop. It has a good mix of salt, pepper, chili, garlic, and other spices that definitely wake up the taste buds.
I also ordered a side of their Atomic sauce to kick up the heat on my chicken, which is the hottest flavor they offer. That is a thick, rich, peppery sauce that is close to a hot barbeque sauce though without the sweetness. I would put it at a hot heat level, though nothing that would send chiliheads running for a fire extinguisher (the average mortal may struggle with it, though). It is a good sauce for heat, but it could use a little kick in the flavor department.
Restaurant chains are currently experiencing a shortage of wings and chicken breasts because, well, they have been promoting the hell out wings and chicken breasts (both became particularly popular during the pandemic). So this attempt to push other parts of the chicken probably makes some sense. (Will Drumstop be next?) It will still satisfy people’s chicken cravings and maybe cut down on the demand for wings and breasts. BJ’s Brewhouse has also added Buffalo thighs to their menu and I expect other venues that sell wings to do the same.
I feel I have done an injustice to Wingstop because I have not covered the chain on this site yet, despite the fact that I make frequent visits there. I rank it pretty much even with Buffalo Wild Wings as far as wing chains, and it is incredibly convenient for orders to go. Plus, the All-in-One bundle is a heck of a deal. That’s sixteen boneless wings and six crispy tenders with up to four flavors along with large fries and three dips for only $19.99. I expect that price is going to go up soon, or the deal may go away, so get in on it while you can if you prefer wings to thighs. And be sure to get an order of their luscious and over-the-top Cajun fried corn. Because hey, you need to have your vegetables with your chicken!