Location: Colorado Springs
Website: https://trainwreckco.com
Trainwreck is located in downtown Colorado Springs and describes itself as “more than a sports bar.” With over 40 beers on tap, a full cocktail menu, a wide variety of food, and two acres of indoor and outdoor entertainment, it’s easy to see this is more of a destination than just a wing joint.
On-site, they’ve got four sand volleyball courts, bocce ball, cornhole, yard games, virtual golf simulators, billiards, arcade games, fire pits, cabanas, and, of course, plenty of TVs. So yes — there’s a lot more going on here than just chicken wings. But wings are why I showed up.
When a place advertises that they in-house smoke their wings and then fry them, that’s not something I take lightly. That’s a serious step above your average wing spot. Their sauce/rub selection is fairly standard — Buffalo, BBQ, Garlic Parmesan, Mango Habanero, Lemon Pepper, and Spicy Dry Rub — nothing wild, but all the bases are covered.
Pricing ranges from $2.00 to $2.16 per wing, depending on the order size. Not cheap, so naturally, I’m expecting something pretty damn good.
As always, I ordered my wings XTRA XTRA crispy — and I always emphasize that, to the point where it probably sounds ridiculous. Sadly, it didn’t matter. The wings showed up barely crispy at all, which was a major letdown. I did end up with all drums, which some might consider a win (I personally prefer flats, but to each their own).
On the upside, they had mostly clean pulls from the bone, and the meat quality seemed solid. Light smoke flavor, decent seasoning, and the buffalo sauce was good — flavorful, with no real complaints — but nothing that wowed me.
The veggie sides were actually on the higher end — fresh, crisp, and clean. The blue cheese, however, tasted like it came straight from a supermarket bottle. Not terrible, but definitely not made in-house.
We will give them something for the X-Factor since they smoke and then fry the wings. You don’t see that everywhere.
Would I go here for the wings alone?
Probably not. But that’s not really the point. Trainwreck is the kind of place you hit up for a night out — volleyball, cornhole, drinks, fire pits — and if you happen to grab some wings while you’re at it, they’ll do the job. Just don’t come expecting to have your mind blown.
