From crabs boils to griot, croquettas to cornbread, fried ribs to jerk chicken, and everything in between, Miami’s indigenous food scene is one of grit and culture. It’s also born of the necessity that led to the spontaneous creation of Perry Wing sauce at one of Miami’s most popular eateries.
Donna, the owner of Perry Wings Plus, was a food vendor at CoCo’s Gentlemen’s Club when a celebrity patron requested what has become the popular restaurant’s signature sauce. The rest is history that can be found at 10817 NW 27th Ave, Miami, FL 33167 directly across from Miami-Dade College campus in a quaint space within a strip mall. The food is exceptional and embodies the Miami culinary spirit from start to finish. For starters, the incredibly small wings pack BIG flavor.
We started with the classic Perry Wings with the sauce that gave birth to it all—the Perry Wing sauce with just about every flavor receptor known, the most dominant being a sweet, savory, and garlicky Asian style landing the perfect amount of stickiness on each wing for a beautiful glistening crunch. I spent $80 on wings to discover other flavors that are also delicious but don’t quite match up to the original.
The flavor was so irresistible, unforgettable and addicting, I felt like a crack fiend once I ran out. The line was its typical length – long – so Jason and I tried unsuccessfully to create a diversion while Jonathan slipped back in front of someone, narrowly escaping an a$$ whopping from the folks who peeped my scheme. Although I was told to leave and return when the owner was available, a gracious queen who worked there recognized us and allowed our team to order.
On our next trip we had the privilege of trying more wings and their signature entrees, like the braised oxtails. We were also able to interview the owner, Ms. Donna, who explained that the delicious wing flavors are all constructed from scratch. The lemon pepper was dynamic and tasty with citrus, butter, and cracked black pepper dominating the experience. Next was the garlic-Parmesan which was great with the Parmesan honestly taking a step back from the bold garlic taste. Any cheesiness it once possessed kind of fades to an afterthought.
Following these tasty babies, we experienced a bold yet unique buffalo sauce with a beautiful peppery-vinegary flavor minus the usual buttery undertow but rescued by the heat and tang saturating the chicken skin. It was one of my favorites. The second star of the show was the Tamarind BBQ with a taste evolving from sweet to sour and then a slight tart offset by the savory dominance of their homemade BBQ sauce. This mix was divine.
The wing field trip ended, we entered entrée territory and they did not disappoint. I hear the fried snapper is a show stopper, but they were sold out. (When you’re able to try it, please leave your experience in the comment section.)
The oxtails made me forget they were out of snapper. Let me tell you something, Donna and her mom can make some motha%#$#&^ oxtails! My favorite oxtails are from the hands of matriarch Lorna Westmoreland of Bahamian and Jamaican ancestry, but Perry Wings is officially my second favorite. They were very tender and had a center cut steak quality without the usual fat surrounding each piece. The carrots and butter beans smothered with the gravy gave the dish a winter stew quality served with delectable rice and peas.
I have one word for their curry chicken plate. Amazing. The marinated pieces of chicken seasoned with authentic Jamaican herbs and spices reduced in rich curry sauce will have you doing The Duggie. The silky sauce felt velvety over the fluffy Jasmine rice and steamed cabbage. A MUST HAVE for sure.
Finally, we tried their very popular but standard homemade shrimp Alfredo pasta. I expected a little more robust flavor from the homemade Alfredo sauce, but it was basic. Wash it all down with one of their signature punches. I LOVED both flavors.
Perry Wings is a must visit. Like Trick Daddy’s now famous fried ribs, Perry Wings has been imitated by too many local culinarians to count. They can’t copy the Perry Sauce, though, because they can’t figure it out. That’s because Donna makes it from scratch. No repurposing of sauces. Just straight originality.
If you are a Broward resident, don’t worry. They have a location located at 1538 E Commercial Blvd, Oakland Park, FL 33334, which will do in a pinch, but for the most authentic experience, make your way to Miami! You can reach the Miami location at (305) 603-9841.
