The Lube - Fargo

I recently visited the new Quaker Steak & Lube in Fargo. I am familiar with The Lube as I went there a few times when I lived in western Pennsylvania, with my last visit in December 2008. In my opinion, The Lube has the best wings I have ever had. I became a fan of the restaurant because the hometown of a good friend of mine is in Sharon, PA - home of the original Quaker Steak & Lube which opened in 1974. It was originally a "cook your own steak" restaurant with an automotive theme - with the idea of preserving the culture of old gas stations and high-powered muscle cars following the 1973 oil crisis. Along the way, they started selling chicken wings and have since developed over 20 different wing sauces/dusts to their menu - winning many awards along the way. Probably the most popular, and my favorite as well, is the 'Louisiana Lickers' sauce. If memory serves me correct, I have also had the Original BBQ, Arizona Ranch, Cajun, Buckeye BBQ, and Supercharged (formerly Suicide).  On my first visit to the Fargo location, I ordered Louisiana Lickers and Buckeye BBQ and an order of fries.

What a fantastic meal! Everything tasted as good as I remembered from four years ago. As is typical, the restaurant was all decked out with its usual decor. In the room I dined in was a Tony Stewart Home Depot NASCAR - upside down! Other rooms featured a brand new Harley Davidson and a 1974 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. There were also plenty of televisions everywhere so you wouldn't miss any of whatever game is on. With it being newly opened, the wait staff was still new as well - but I found our waitress to be extremely friendly, timely, and eager to make sure everything about my dining experience went well. My only minor complaint is that I went on a night I was expecting all-you-can-eat boneless wings for $12 or $13, but they are not doing that promotion until January. Otherwise everything was nearly perfect for my meal. As a side note, my girlfriend ordered a mixed drink called the "Crusin’ Coco Berry Colada" which came with an actual rose in the drink! Quite a decorative touch and it was fortunate for me that rose came with the drink, as it played a very important role later in the evening.

Overall, even without my prior bias, I would highly recommend anyone in the Red River Valley who likes wings, burgers and fries, or steak to visit 'The Lube'. There is truth in advertising when they say 'Best Wings USA'.

Overall Meal Rating: 9.5/10

 One more thought - any restaurant that a.) has a roll of paper towels on the table instead of napkins, and/or b.) gives you a wet nap after your meal (as was the case the The Lube's 'wet wag') - is a damn fine restaurant.