Return to THE COPPER MUG - Tillsonburg ON

There's just something about going back to your old haunts. I was back in my hometown of Tillsonburg, visiting my good friend Jason. His birthday was just a few days before and I wanted to take him out for dinner to celebrate and catch up a bit. When I asked where he wanted to go, he pointed out I probably haven't been to 'The Mug' in a while, and I was totally up for that. 

The Copper Mug, or as everyone calls it, "The Mug", was a staple of my early wing years. In high school this was our go-to hang-out place. The food was always good, but the wings were something special. So many good memories here, and quite frankly, not much has changed. I checked the blog to see my previous reviews, but the only review on here is from 2007! But I've only been back maybe a handful of times since then. I wasn't planning on doing a review, but then I decided mid menu I would.

Jason and I were chatting and catching up, but I couldn't help but look around and marvel at how the place was still the same. The free popcorn machine in the corner, the same pub trivia game on the screens we used to play all the time, even the Kramer and George Costanza paintings were still hanging on the wall. Heck, our waitress that night was the same from our time in the late 1990's! She didn't recognize me, but to be fair, a lot of people have been through this pub.

There was no question that I was getting the wings. The prices have definitely changed in recent years. Wings used to be sold by the pound, and they've added a Thai sauce. Otherwise seemed the same.

The Mug was also great because they had two wing nights, Tuesdays and Thursdays. What I didn't realize when I ordered was that this was a Thursday. My waitress never said anything and it wasn't until after I ordered that I heard another waitress at another table about wing night. I could have had more wings! Oh well.

Jason, rocking a massive beard (but is not as big as the photo looks due to the shadow) got the All Canadian Burger: a charbroiled quarter pound burger with grilled strip bacon and Canadian cheddar. He got it with a side of rice. It was a good looking burger and he said he enjoyed it.

We got a side of Garlic Bread with Cheese. It was three slices of French loaf, with butter and lots of cheese. It was tasty, soft, buttery, and cheesy.

Of course, I was most excited to see another old friend, Mug wings.

The wings come in multiples of 8: 8, 16, 24. I got an order of 8, and they were half flats and half drums. Normally the wings come with veggies and blue cheese, but on wing night there was no such side. For clean-up, they gave napkins and wetnaps.

The size of the wings were medium in length, and about a medium in meatiness. They've never been large, and are certainly not the "Jumbo, meaty, plump" wings the menu advertised.

The wings were, and usually are very crispy. They are deep fried with no coating, but the skin is always crispy and the meat was tender. The skin always holds up nicely to the sauce so you don't get soggy wings.

On this visit, my wings were not very wet. There was sauce, I got Hot, but the wings were not well covered and usually there is a plethora sauce at the bottom. But no deal this time. They also served my side of Suicide in a small styrofoam cup instead of the usual ramekin.

HOT

Hot is simple, tasty, hot flavoured pub wings. There's something about these wings that taste better than just Frank's hot on them, but that's probably what it is.

SUICIDE

The suicide at The Mug has always been a favourite. It's bright red, it's full of chili flakes, and it's a sauce I always found flavourful, but had a bite. I mean it's not killer heat, but it's a good starter suicide sauce for folks.

I was headed to the bathroom and walked past the kitchen. I saw one of the cooks stepping out for a second, so I took the opportunity to ask him what was in the suicide sauce. He thought about it, and said it was chili flakes in Frank's. That's it? That's it. It can't be. There's more flavour in there?! It can't be, can it?!

FINAL SCORE:

Well, the wings were still good, but they weren't as good as they used to be. Mainly I was disappointed in the lack of sauce. The wings aren't big, but they are crispy and the chicken is tasty. I like the hot, but love the suicide. And surprise 1/2 price wings was also great. The garlic cheese toast was good, and the burger seemed good. The best part was the chance to hang out with Jason. It's a great place to just hang out. Aww I love The Mug.  10/15

The Copper Mug
79 Broadway Street, Tillsonburg ON
facebook.com/The-Copper-Mug-284662141657577

The Copper Mug - Tillsonburg

What a night! It was Amanda's B-day and we started celebrating at her house. We had Bill's Pizza ( a great Tillsonburg establishment for greasy pizza) KFC, and homemade cake that Amanda made herself. After opening gifts, we trotted off to cosmic bowling where it was us vs the adults. After having an actually good time (who knew bowling could still be fun???) we decided to go out for a drink. Where to go in T'Burg? Mad Trappers closed earlier this year to the chargan of many young people - leaving creepy geezer bars. We had 2 choices, corporate Kelseys, and our old fav, The Copper Mug.

The 'Mug,' as we affectionately call it, is a local hole in the wall kinda place. Decorated with pictures of Seinfeld paintings, alcohol memorabilia and tvs displaying sports or trivia, its not hip or happening. The clientele is a strange mixture of the old and young. What has really improved the place is last years Ontario legislation eliminating smoking for bars/restaurants (this didn't go over well in a town that is the heart of tobacco country, but its wonderful to enter the place with fresh air). What makes this place is friendly staff we have known for years, good food, and a comforting atmosphere like you are home.

For some bizarre reason, I could still eat after Amanda's party, and I had to get their wings.

THE SCORE

SIZE of WINGS: small to medium
HEAT: 5 /10
WET NAP FACTOR: 4 /5
PRICE: $7.95 for 1lb, $12.95 for 2lb, $16.95 for 3lb, (approx 10 in a lb)

EXTRAS Info

SAUCE CHOICE: mild/medium/hot/suicide/bbq/honey garlic
SIDES: veggies and blue cheese
WETNAP: 2
DEEP FRIED, GRILLED,
BAKED, BATTERED: deep fried
WING NIGHT: Thursday Nights 1/2 price
OTHER: free popcorn!

These were the wings I basically grew up on. They weren't the wings of my childhood, but of my late teenage years when the high school gang dropped in for food. The wings have gotten smaller since then, but the sauces are relatively the same.

The wings are tiny but juicy, full of white meaty goodness. They came out crispy - a simple skin that is deep fried - and which stayed crispy all night. If they were a bit bigger, they would make a great chicken wing.

I ordered their suicide sauce. The regular wings have a bbq like sauce that has little spice to it. Suicide is the sauce loaded with pepper flakes that gives a kick, but is not as hot as it used to be years ago. We used to have contests over who could eat it, or even drink it (as we almost always get a side of sauce on the side). I wasn't weeping, but I was enjoying the wing I was having.

The Mug does deep fried right, whether your getting perogies, mozza stick, pickles or wings. They may not be as good as they used to, but they are home grown and still a tasty after dinner to what I ate before. I think Amanda had a good b-day in there too!

Check out LOTW Photoalbum to see some more pics of the party, bowling, and Dude and I getting stuck in the mud down a dark dead end road.

*** out of ***** flappers

The Copper Mug
79 Broadway Street
Tillsonburg, On

TOMMY's DINING LOUNGE - Kanata ON

 On the run in Kanata and looking to grab a quick bite, I was feeling wings. I was looking to support local and try someplace knew. I checked out my delivery app to see what was in the area, and Tommy's came up. 

I had come across Tommy's back in pre-Covid 2020 online, but never followed up. Then earlier in 2021, I was looking at a food sub and saw people posting some photos and talking about Tommy's has great pizza and wings. Then, that fateful April day I saw Tommy's pop up in Skip the Dishes, and I decided to order some pick-up.

The app said that wings were $14.10 (10 cents?) for 10 wings, which seemed overprice for a pizza joint's wings. Maybe the app was upselling them (they do that) so I checked the website and their take-out menu listed wings at $12.25, but who knows how old that is. Plus Covid and who knows anymore.

I picked wings, picked my sauce, and was told it would be ready in 15 minutes. That was good because I was 15 minutes away.

Tommy's is kind of out of the way, in a business park area that is nestled between the 417 highway and homes. You wouldn't really come across it on a regular basis without working nearby, but in the plaza it's in, it's very well advertised. You shouldn't be able to miss it. I parked in Tommy's parking, and went to walk in, but the outside entrance said to enter through the other door. I went into the office tower, and kind of expected a bigger entrance, but it was just a door with Tommy's on it.

Before I could even reach for the door, a tall young dude in a mask was handing me my order. Wow! They must have been waiting and not have a lot of pick up orders these days. The order was a styrofoam container in a paper bag, and I was a little suspicious as it felt quite light.

I opened up the container, and was excited by the smell and the wet wet wings before me!

Wings come in an order of 10, and I got 10 wings. There were no sides (no veggies and no dip) and there was no napkins or anything for clean up. Thankfully I had a stack of napkins in the car.

The wings were a little small; not small, but on the smaller end of medium. They were relatively meaty to their size. The skin was dusted and deep fried, and they would have been crispy, if they weren't in so much thick sauce. The wing meat was tender enough, and it wasn't that difficult to pull apart the bones.

As mentioned above, the wings were well sauced. Really well sauced. This is how I like my wings. Your fingers are going to get sauce on them, and there is going to be extra sauce at the bottom. 

I went with Suicide, and was expecting something like 3rd Degree or Frank's Xtra Hot, but I got something else. It was a homemade sauce (or modified anyway) and that's awesome. The smell and the flavour totally reminded me of the suicide sauce from The Copper Mug in my hometown.

The sauce is chili-peppery, with a sweetness that is very subtle. I find it so very tasty. I don't find it that hot though - not a true suicide but it has enough of  a kick for those wanting to try hotter but aren't there yet. The sauce is thick and rich, and it just brought me to a place of nostalgia, warmth, with a little kick.

FINAL SCORE

Tommy's was one of those little surprises I'm happy to come across. While the wings weren't the biggest, I liked the texture on them, and I loved the suicide sauce. The price was a bit high for the amount of chicken, but the flavour really came though on that sauce. Will have again. 9.5/15

Tommy's Restaurant

260 Hearst Way, Kanata ON

tommyskanata.ca