Wing's Neighborhood Grill

Wing's is a solid neighborhood hangout (or hideout), where blacked-out windows carry Marine flags, the air is rife with cigarette smoke and nobody's about to apologize for either.

Here, 9-11 hasn't been forgotten, nor has 6-18-07, the day of the Sofa Super Store fire; both dates are scrawled in chalk behind the bar. It's tough and blue-collar, but still accommodating. As North Charleston bars/eateries go, it's almost like Pappy's and KC Mulligan's got together and had a baby.

But more than anything, Wings is a Southern-sizzled utopia, its fryers operating in hyperdrive. Let's see, we've got fried mozzarella cheese sticks, jalapeno poppers, onion rings, eggrolls, nachos, chicken fingers, fried flounder, and fried shrimp and oyster baskets.

And, of course, wings, the drummettes and flats notably served wet or dry and tossed in the sauces or seasonings of your choice. Pick from 26 flavors (14 wet, 12 dry) ranging from Sesame Oriental to Lumpy's Load, a blend of hot sauce, Ranch and parmesan.

A 10-piece costs $7.25, 20 for $13.75, 30 for $20.75, 40 for $26.75, 50 for $34.25. You can also mix and match in groups of five wings per order.

The meat peels easily from the bone -- no cleaving here -- though the rubs used from the dry wings can overwhelm the meal. We preferred the wet wings, such as original Buffalo, and Leaping Lizard, touched up with sweet and sour sauce.

Wing's tosses in a few salads for good measure, though that'd be sort of like attending a prize fight just for the sake of the undercard.

You're better off sticking to the main event, setting yourself up with a big ol' order of wings and chowing down.

Address: 2110 Greenridge Road, North Charleston.

Phone: 824-9464.

Hours: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Sunday.