Bar Louie’s Szechwan Wings Leave Me Numb in All the Wrong Ways
"Eat, Drink, Be Happy."
Bar Louie's tag line called out from the store front, the menu, and practically every printable surface I could find. I wasn't sure if my bar order would neatly conform to that slogan.
I’d come here to try the Szechwan chicken wings on the recommendation of four dudes I’d met in the middle of a wing crawl. Once a year, the epic event takes them all over Northwest, looking for some of the District’s best chicken wings. I was hesitant to take their recommendation seriously, but their enthusiasm was infectious — and the idea of spicy Szechwan flavors married with deep-fried chicken wings and blue cheese enticed me.
Did I mention my wing Sherpas might have been drunk?
My wings arrived in an oversized basket with a paper liner imprinted with even more sloganeering, but I was too sad to care. The Szechwan sauce, a deeply colored concoction sparsely flecked with chili seeds, would have been at home in a basement Chinese buffet. Thick and sweet, the sauce clung to my fingers with such tenacity that my thin paper napkins didn’t stand a chance. Only soap and water could remove the last traces of the stubborn coating, which reminded me nothing of Szechwan cooking.
I was hoping for the searing, lemony, mouth-numbing heat of fresh chilies and Szechwan peppercorns. What I got was a dumbed-down knock-off apparently designed to please a mainstream palate — not too hot and plenty sweet. I’m glad I tried them, though, if only to spur a hunt for a better rendition of the snack.
Eat, Drink, Be Happy? I’ll reluctantly give Bar Louie two outta three.
4:17 pm
BON CHON CHICKEN 4EVAH!
The trash heap has spoken.
5:57 pm
I have to agree with you. They're not horrible, but nothing special either.
7:14 pm
So disappointing to hear... I love the idea of an Asian inspired chicken wing! Who makes your favorite wings?
7:59 pm
"Mainstream palette"
Is four paragraphs of foodie snob snark necessary? How about an actually review of how the things taste?
9:13 am
I ate diz cheezburger, it was good. Needed catzup. I can haz food eating job?
10:08 am
Just what the metro needs, another snarkie, talentless foodie...
11:55 am
Back when I lived in Chicago, Bar Louie rocked my world.
...I was a poor student then. Based on 10yr old memories, I was SO psyched to see Bar Louie in Chinatown. But you know what? It's so pervasively mediocre from start to finish. Scott's not being snarky, or a food snob. Scott is right. Bar Louie is mediocre bar food. Way better wings are out there in DC, and way way way better food overall is available. And it's not even cheap. Unless you've got the palate of a drunken student, skip Bar Louie. And even if you are a drunken student, go next door to Pizza Bistro Med or Kanlaya instead. Even Hooters has better wings.