I’ve heard many rave reviews of Bigham Tavern, Mount Washington’s neighborhood pub that serves classics “with a twist.” Its name is often brought up during conversations about the “best wings in Pittsburgh,” and so I decided to put its reputation to the test.
Bigham Tavern has over 30 wing sauces and for my first go-round, I stuck with two classics: black and gold (a "peppery honey-mustard combo that packs a little punch") and their house sauce, BT original. Convinced that two people would plow through two dozen wings quickly, I tacked some sides on my order for good measure: mac 'n’ cheese and curly fries.
The minute I opened my takeout containers (which were neatly placed into my car thanks to their efficient curbside delivery), I knew I'd been foolish. These wings were meaty and practically drowning in sauce. At any other restaurant, one of Bigham’s drumsticks could count for two wings; the takeout containers bowed underneath the weight of a dozen.
Both of the tavern’s sauces carried a nice kick of heat, the black and gold leaving a lingering burn. The BT original was a good, basic Buffalo sauce. (I mixed an extra container of this sauce into my mac 'n’ cheese, which gave it a welcome punch of acid and flavor to the rich pasta.) Their black and gold balanced out the sweet, tangy mustard base with the punch of spice from black pepper.
Though I couldn’t tell anyone if Bigham Tavern’s wings are the best in Pittsburgh, I can confidently say that I will be going back for another wing night, in order to, at the very least, work my way through their long list of sauces.
