Even though it is an expansion of the popular restaurant Jefferson’s, the new WingStand by Jefferson’s location in Lawrence provides a unique experience not found at the larger restaurant. Instead of forming an all-around menu like Jefferson’s, Wing Stand focuses on the wings or, more specifically, their signature sauces. They have most of the sauces found at the larger restaurant while also adding a few of their own, and nearly every menu item incorporates the sauces, including the non-wing items.
The restaurant is a mix between a sit-down restaurant and a fast food establishment. While there is no drive-through, customers are incentivized to get their food to-go through its small interior. However, this does not prevent them from providing a clean, aesthetically pleasing atmosphere for sit-down eaters. This service takes longer than fast food, but not nearly as long as you would expect in a full restaurant.
When I went, I got the nine piece traditional wing combo, which allows you to pick two sauces. I chose their mild Jamaican Jerk dry rub as well as their Sweet Heat peach sauce. The dry rub was delicious, and it had next to no spice and a very pleasing garlic flavor. Even though I still enjoyed the wings very much, I was mildly disappointed because it did not taste much like more common Jamaican Jerk recipes. However, the Sweet Heat Peach delivered. The taste was exactly as expected: a sweet and spicy peach flavor. The mixture of spice and peach was surprisingly good.
While it may be a strange mixture of sit-in and fast food, if you are a fan of wings, WingStand by Jefferson’s is the place for you.
