Wings and Rings Launches New Southern Fried Chicken LTO to Celebrate National BBQ Month

The sports bar and restaurant is expanding its summer menu with Southern Fried Chicken wings (with the "ultimate crunch") and extending its widely popular Hot Honey limited-time offers for the perfect flavor complement.

CINCINNATI, OH — Wings and Rings, the 85-unit, Cincinnati-based restaurant and sports bar franchise, is launching a crave-worthy limited-time offer (LTO) starting May 6th. The Southern Fried Hot Summer menu includes the brand new Southern Fried Chicken wings, as well as an extended release of the fan-favorite Hot Honey menu. The brand will also continue offering its exciting new bar options, including the Hot Honey Margarita, Graham + Fisk's popular line of Wine-In-A-Can and seltzer buckets for customers and groups. 

“Wings and Rings guests have shown us that they really like the flavor, crunch and the chicken to be moist,” said Dan Admire, corporate chef for Wings and Rings. “With the launch of Southern Fried Chicken, we’re going after the ultimate crunch. We’ve taken this approach with our boneless wings, but not with traditional wings. The introduction of Southern Fried Chicken brings a different level of wings to our guests.” 

To coincide with the rollout of its new Southern Fried Chicken, Wings and Rings has also decided to extend its Hot Honey menu, which features Hot Honey Shrimp and Slaw, Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich and the Hot Honey Wing Sauce that pairs perfectly with traditional, boneless, smoked and Southern Fried Chicken wings.  

“With the launch of Southern Fried Chicken, we made the decision to carry over the very popular Hot Honey menu into this launch,” Admire said. “Sometimes when you are developing new food, you see a natural complement to pair it with. Hot Honey and Southern Fried Chicken are the perfect match.”

The Southern Fried Chicken is not tossed in any sauce; Wings and Rings feels the preparation is capable of standing alone, but encourages guests to pair the wings with the sauce of their choice for dipping.

As a part of the LTO, Wings and Rings is introducing a cost saving family bundle, which includes enough food for four people and is perfect for families on the go. The bundle includes 20 Southern Fried Chicken Wings with up to three sauces for dipping, a sharable starter (Chili Con Queso or Pretzel Bites & Queso), and two individual-sized sides. Pricing varies by location, but guests can enjoy a minimum of $7 in savings with the family bundle. The addition of the family bundle adds to a robust menu of catering options for families and groups, which is perfectly timed for the upcoming graduation party season.

The new Southern Fried Hot Summer LTO includes four primary menu items:

Southern Fried Chicken Wings are large, traditional bone-in wings, coated in beer batter and fried to crunchy, juicy perfection. The wings are served with a choice of sauce on the side. 

“Southern fried chicken is usually done with either a buttermilk brine or batter, or both, but we’re using a beer batter instead of buttermilk,” Admire said. “It really makes this the champagne of southern fried chicken. Using the beer batter and seasoned flour combination brings a unique crunch to the chicken.” 

The Hot Honey Shrimp and Slaw includes lightly breaded fried shrimp that has been tossed in the house-made Hot Honey. These shrimp are then placed on top of a bed of Hot Honey slaw that includes fresh jalapenos, cilantro and scallions.

The Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich features Wings and Rings’ famous beer-battered chicken breast with the addition of crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato and the house-made Hot Honey. The sandwich is served on a brioche bun and comes with a choice of side.

The Hot Honey Wing Sauce combines pure honey with Wings and Rings’ special spice blend to create a sweet and spicy delight.

The introduction of Southern Fried Chicken is just one of the ways Wings and Rings is innovating this year. “We have lots of innovation ongoing this year, such as exploring sauce and cooking techniques,” Admire said. “We don't want to cook chicken just one way. As we look at global flavors, we will bring in new sauces and cooking techniques.”