Being in Hawaii is a blast, however, traveling to and from… not so much. Especially when you are expecting to travel for 20hrs only to find out that one of the flights has a 4hr delay. Now a typical person in this situation may get upset and frustrated. But you have to see good in bad, and when the opportunity arose for me to sit at the airport bar to gobble up some wings with beer, you know that I won’t argue.
Dewar’s is just that: An airport bar in the main terminal of Honolulu Airport that is one of the few places on the islands that serve Buffalo (or hot) wings. Seeing how I had some time to kill and a healthy appetite, I thought I’d give them a go.
The wings came in either 8 or 12 count and are joined by a side of celery stalks. And when I say stalks, I mean it. This is probably the most celery that I have ever received in a wing dish. I don’t know if it was because they are more about vegetation on Oahu, or if they just needed to fill the crazy bowl that it came in (which looked awesomely awkward… Kind of like Dr. Evil’s seat from “Austin Powers.”) Whatever the reason, it kept a good balance in the bowl and made for an outstanding presentation.
The wings, themselves, were breaded and covered in a sauce that struck me as standard and unique at the same time. At every taste, I could get a sense that the base was made from a store bought brand. But the unique part was that it was none that I could point out. The brand was heavily mixed with salt and garlic that took the flavor in more of a sharp direction. After eating about half, I found myself searching for a break of beer as I couldn’t charge right through the entire plate; I was so parched. But, I would prefer that to the Plain Jane wings I’ve been sampling all week.
The chicken was tender enough and the size far exceeded airport wings. Normally, breaded wings get soggy and add to my disappointment, but it wasn’t too bad in this case. Actually, it benefited because it soaked up the sauce and relieved me from having to add more when they got dry… Because they never did.
When it comes down to it there are many factors that play a roll in what determines a good wing. And what I’ve found is that when you are in a situation where you have tooooo much time to kill, in an area of the world that does not flaunt the Buffalo wing, when you find a plate of wings that grab your attention, you judge it a little differently. And in this instance, I am glad that Dewar’s was here to fill that craving.
Dewar’s Clubhouse
Honolulu Airport
300 Rodgers Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96819