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| - Shorty & Wags is a great little family establishment in Gilbert that is run by father and daughter. Three plus decades ago, S&Ws got its start in Minnesota serving chicken wings battered, fried and tossed in a secret seasoning served with homemade sides. The original location in Minnesota has closed, however, family has seen it fit to open a new location in Gilbert.
Shorty & Wags is a simple menu of chicken wings and chicken tenders, both wet battered, deep fried and seasoned with a special mix of seasoned salt & spices. Along with the chicken are fries, coleslaw, potato salad, cheese curds, fried mushrooms, fried okra and Hojos (thinly sliced whole potatoes, lightly breaded and fried). There also half a dozen sauce choices available that are made in-house. Ranch, Jalapeño Ranch and Blue Cheese are made on premises. Sweet & Sour, Spicy BBQ, Hot Buffalo and Hot Vinegar, also S&Ws recipes, are additional choices for wings or tenders, and are also offered for sale by the bottle. You can buy the Seasoning by the bottle too.
The Shorty & Wags Seasoning adds another layer of flavor and dimension to the chicken and lends itself well to the wet batter used when frying. The coating is not too thick and not too thin and once it crisps up, the flavors of the Seasoning shine through. I liken the flavor of the Seasoning to a Chinese five-spice; it is not overly strong in any particular spice but is distinct in its profile, which is to say it is nicely done. The tenders are juicy, not overly so like other places that brine the heck out of the chicken, but more natural like juiciness. The cook of the chicken is spot on and, although fried, the chicken is not greasy.
The chicken tenders are whole white meat chicken tenderloins and are of ample size and larger than most other places, which is to say they are quite filling. The wings, however, are on the other end of the spectrum. Although they are the whole wing (3 sections), meat is not found in the tip section, so it does nothing to help for an already smallish wing that is in need of more meat - its flavorful, but lacking in meaty satisfaction.
The wing and tender meals are available in three, four, five or six pieces with your choice of two sides and one sauce, however when you get into the five and six piece tender meals, one sauce is NOT going to cut it. I would like to see a reimagining of the menu that would add an additional sauce to include two, even three, sauces for the larger meals. Also, because of the smallish wing size, an addition of 1-2 wings per order, at the same price point, would go a long way to making it a satisfying and satiating meal.
The fries are crispy tender and the coleslaw is fresh and not too sweet or acidic. The Hojos are good, but I would be much happier with another 45 seconds in the fryer to give the outside and edges a crispier, crunchier contrast to the meaty center. I like them as an alternative choice to french fries, but without the slight extra cook, they are lost somewhere between a potato chip shaped wedge and a scalloped potato.
The concept of S&Ws is a casual quick serve restaurant. Orders are placed at the counter and then your food is brought to you at your table. However, everything is made to order so expect a wait of at least six to eight minutes for your food to be prepared; this chicken takes time to make. Call ahead and take-out orders are welcomed here and are a smart choice if you are in a hurry.
Overall, I like what is offered at Shorty & Wags. The service is friendly; the food is quality and served with care and love. The sauces are tasty and the fresh hot food is worth the wait. Prices are on par with other chicken tender establishment, and you may get a bit more for your money here, but are a bit short when it comes to the wing offerings, which is to say they are high for what you get, especially with the 3pc wing meal. They now have a Pepsi drink tower offering Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mtn. Dew, Sierra Twist, Tropicana Lemonade, Raspberry Brisk Tea and Bottled Arizona Tea Products.
I'm sure that once the wing size (or quantity) issue is addressed, and other minor regional preferences are adjusted for, Shorty & Wags will excel. Evident is their knowledge, experience and preparation of their products as the food is tasty and flavorful. Given time, and a few corrections for local wing expectations, I can foresee that there will be a loyal customer following like there once was in Minnesota.
Overall: 4 Stars
Quality: 4.5 Stars
Service: 4.5 Stars
Cleanliness: 4 Stars
Value: 2.5 Stars
Atmosphere: 3 Stars
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