I tried the smoked chicken wings that UK’s football team eats by the thousands

The Best Thing I Ate This week Join the Herald-Leader's Brian Simms as he traverses the Lexington foodie scene. Check out more of our food and dining stories.

It’s football season, and if there’s one food that goes with football, it’s wings.

But there are so many chicken restaurants in Lexington, and it seems like a new one is coming every week .

So, let’s say you’re tired of traditional buffalo chicken wings for your next football tailgate. Then let’s call an audible, add some smoke to the party and order the wings that the UK football team gets — 3,000 at a time.

The best thing I ate this week: the smoked chicken wings at Double H BBQ , a hidden gem in a strip mall at 1244 Versailles Rd.

What makes their smoked wings so special? The wings are marinated overnight, then smoked with dry rub for 4 1/2 hours — they are big wings, not small ones. The smoker starts going at 4 a.m.

Finally they are flash-fried when ordered. The result is crispy on the outside but moist and tender inside and of course, the beautiful smoky taste you expect from a barbecue restaurant.

What they don’t have is too much salt or seasoning. Owners and brothers Bill and Ernie Hanley let the smoke do the talking. If you want the conversation to be louder, dip the wings in the homemade Alabama white sauce, which is spicier than most.

“To me, the whole thing is the marinate overnight. That makes a huge difference,” said Bill Hanley, who came up with their Bama white sauce recipe by accident. “And we go through gallons a week.”

Of course there is red sauce if you prefer, mild or hot, but like any good piece of meat properly prepared, no sauce is required. Like Bill says, the overnight marinate does its job and the hint of pink in the chicken tells you the smoke did its duty. So, go do your duty and get one wing for $1.27, six wings with a side for $10.61 or 12 with two sides for $20.05.

What is on the menu at Double H BBQ?

The smoked wings have been on the menu since Double H BBQ opened in 2012. Open only weekdays for lunch, they often run out of wings and other menu items by 2 p.m. On the day I had my wings, just before noon, the line to order at the counter was just about to the door. Almost every table was full in the main dining room, but there’s more seating the larger bar area.

The restaurant is popular with Lexington firefighters and police officers, which is always a sign of good food. The menu also features barbecue staples like pulled pork, brisket and ribs. There’s a variety of sandwiches that highlights their barbecue beyond meat, sauce, bun. Weekly specials are popular, particularly the smoked prime rib. Bill Hanley said they are also known for their burgoo: Hanely recently shipped four gallons to someone in Detroit.

Double H BBQ

Where: 1244 Versailles Rd.

Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed on the weekends

Phone: 859-523-4227

Online: doublehbbq.com

Catering: Available for 10-1,000 people

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