Happy Valley Sports Bar

Basic Information:

Location: 516 Storrs St, Dickson City, PA, 18519
Phone Number: (570) 382-8210
Normal Wing Price: $8.99 for 10
Wing Night: Monday
Wing Night Price: $5.99 for 10 wings
Wing Flavors:

Mild, Medium, Hot, Electric, Bourbon, Jalapeno Popper Dry Rub, Sesame Teriyaki, Butter Garlic, Honey Sriracha, Cool Ranch Rub, Buttery Porketta Rub, Sweet Heat, Thai Chili, Cool Bacon Ranch Dry Rub, Garlic*, Garlic Caesar*, Garlic Parm*, Bacon Ranch*.

* – Can be ordered mild, medium, or hot.

Links: Facebook
Notes:

Wing to get: Bourbon

  • Happy Valley = Happy Wing Men - 06/17/19

    Overall Rating: 86

    Lynch Serniak

    Lynch's Rating: 43 out of 50

    Environment: 9

    We were nearing our three year anniversary since our last visit to Happy Valley Sports Bar, so we figured we were long overdue on another visit. I’m surprised this is a place we have only visited twice over the past couple years. It is a very chill place with some pretty tasty wings, which is apparent by their multiple wins for best wings at Wings at the Waterpark. This Penn State-themed bar has a number of things going on inside it. There is a Banquet hall area, a main bar section, and then an outdoor patio. I’m unsure how new the patio is, but I don’t recall it being available, or at least open, when we visited in the past. Being the suckers we are for outdoor dining, we took a seat on the patio. Even though it’s been raining for roughly the last 100 days straight, we were safe as there is plenty of covered seating. There is also large TV out there in case you want to sit outside and watch a televised sporting event. Our waitress was nice, we had quick service, and our wings didn’t take long at all. The wings only come in orders of 10, so if you want a good variety, be sure to plan splitting with a friend. Sern and I always do this to get as much variety as possible.


    Wing Size: 8

    On wing night, Happy Valley serves their wings in orders of 10 for $6. These wings are pretty large for the most part. Plus, some of the wings come with extra toppings that are even more filling, such as the Jalapeno Popper wings and the Garlic Parm. I don’t know if it was my big lunch I had earlier in the day or the wings were just that filling, but I was well below my normal wing intake for the evening.


    Wing Flavors: 8

    I was torn between a 7 and an 8 on this one. While Happy Valley doesn’t provide the biggest selection of wings around, they do give you some decent options. Plus the uniqueness of some of the flavors bumped them up to an 8 for me. You don’t see Bacon too often in a wing flavor, so that’s more than cool in my book. I like that they have a number of dry rubs available, too. Plus there’s a good variety in options with many of the flavors on the menu being pretty different from each other. On top of that, the last four flavors on the menu (indicated by asterisks in our wing flavors section of the Happy Valley page) can be ordered as mild, medium or hot.


    Wing Taste (x2): 9

    I knew going into our Happy Valley visit we were in for some tasty wings, and I certainly was not disappointed. A common complaint we’ve had in the past for Porketta dry rubs at other places is that they were either under seasoned or over seasoned. It was difficult to find one that was just right. Well, Happy Valley is one of those places that get it right. I loved the addition of butter as I think it helped mellow out and balance the seasoning, which was on point for the wing. I really liked this flavor. The Hot Bacon Ranch was a creamy-like sauce that had an enjoyable, smoky bacon flavor up front with a hint of the ranch, followed up by a strong spice from the hot sauce. The Medium Garlic Parm had a good hot sauce based with fresh parmesan shaved on top along with minced garlic and even more shredded parmesan. The presentation was great on these wings. We decided to mix this sauce with the medium as I thought it would let the garlic and parm shine. In hindsight, it was a little milder than I wanted and I wish I got the Hot with these wings. It may have been the garlic and parm playing tricks on me, but I almost got a tomato sauce base from these wings. Maybe it was the lack of heat. In fact, I wish the heat from the Hot Bacon Ranch were scaled down just a tiny bit and the heat in the garlic parm was brought up a little. Maybe we should have reversed or medium and hot flavors. Honestly though, these were still very delicious wings that I very much enjoyed. Finally, the surprise hit of the evening, was the Jalapeno Dry Rub. This was another wing that came out looking great. The rings themselves had a dusting of dry rub, then there was a drizzle of some sort of sauce that I think was a base of sour cream mixed with some sort of spice – possibly chipotle. Finally, that was all topped with a bunch of shredded cheese (I think Monterrey Jack) and diced jalapeno. The wings weren’t really spicy, but they sure were tasty. I couldn’t really put my finger on a defining seasoning on it, although I did get hints of like a cool ranch dry rub. Either way, these wings were extremely delicious. I highly recommend.

    Serniak's Rating: 43 out of 50

    Environment: 9

    Love being back in Happy Valley. Back to the old stomping grounds, where I used to tear up the IM building, run the tables at Sharkies and made Are You Hungry the focal point of my diet. Oh wait, this blog isn’t about life down at Penn State. This is about Happy Valley the restaurant located in Dickson City. What I did was talk about all the stuff I never came close to ever achieving except the Are You Hungry part that I did when I was a student down in State College as if that is what I was going to talk about. Gotcha.

    What I am going to discuss is my time at Happy Valley. Like I said, it’s located in Dickson City and their wing night is on Mondays. And don’t think the name of the place doesn’t pay homage to PSU. It most certainly does and then some. There’s PSU merch all over the place meaning if you dawn the colors of blue and white, this is the ideal place for you.

    It’s been a bit since we’ve been here and since the last time, Happy Valley now has a very nice outdoor seating area that is equipped with a mega large TV, just in case you’re into that kind of thing. There’s TVs all over the place as well. Also, they’ve added a large dining hall, so I guess you can rent the large space out if you need it. The place is super crisp and clean and our server was spot on with everything she did. One thing she asked us before our order was placed was whether or not we wanted our wings crispy or not. Since we aren’t lunatics, we of course asked for crispy. Don’t expect to come here to play pool or darts because it’s not that kind of place. It really does cater to the athletics watching crowd which I am. But, if you just want a place with good wings and food, that is also very doable at Happy Valley as well. You can’t order wings in orders of 5, but it’s not that big of deal as long as you’re with a good time buddy and can come to a resolution of what to order.

    You also get moist towelettes when your meal of wings is finished. Nice touch


    Wing Size: 8

    Large wings is what you’re going to get at Happy Valley, which are priced at 60 cents a wing on their Monday wing night. 60 cents is right around where wings are priced for wing nights in this area, so it’s a number that anyone with even a loose grip on economics could understand. Also, it’s worth noting that they were cooked exactly to my crispy modifications that I was asked before ordering.


    Wing Flavors: 8

    14 flavors is what is on the menu at Happy Valley and they get an 8 for me. Not because of the number of flavors but because of the uniqueness of the flavors. They have flavors such as jalapeno popper dry rub, honey sriracha, cool ranch dry rub, buttery porketta rub, cool bacon ranch dry rub and bacon ranch. That kind of a list shows me that they have some brains back in the kitchen and want to stand out. Well, they did just that. Is there room for more flavors? To me, there’s always room more for more. But the list they have is a fun one that covers the vast spectrum of flavors, while also touching upon the classics.


    Wing Taste (x2): 9

    Lynch were able to come to a 40 wing consensus. First we got hot bacon ranch. With these, you definitely got the hot sauce taste in there with a little bit of ranch. I’d say there was more hot than ranch, but there wasn’t much of a bacon flavoring. They use bacon seasoning and I just think they could add more. Taste fine, I just can use more representation of each of the flavors in the wing name. Next were, the garlic parm and these wings are visually fantastic. Big old orange looking wings covered in garlic and even more covered in actual pieces of Parmesan cheese. There were enormous pieces of parm cheese caked all over these wings. Great stuff, that tasted superb. They mix these with their hot I believe and they are highly recommended. Moving on we have the jalapeno popper dry rub. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect with these and let me tell you, they aren’t anything that you’d expect. They’re a dry rub seasoning on it but it’s doused in what I’ll call a Taco Bell like jalapeno ranch sauce and then covered in shredded cheese and then topped with jalapeno slices. It was an excellent display that didn’t disappoint in the flavor column. The combo of the sauce drizzled, cheese and slices of actual jalapeno made it certainly taste like you were having poppers. Excellent idea and great execution. Lastly, were the buttery porketta dry rub. I love porketta wings and butter garlic wings. This flavor brought those two worlds together and it didn’t disappoint. The amount of classic porketta seasoning coupled with the saltiness of the the butter was a dream. I’ve dreamt about this and it happened is what I’m saying. It was kind of mix of a dry rub and wet sauce. it possibly might be a new form of matter we’re not exactly sure.


  • Happy Valley Podcast - 06/27/16

    It’s been quite a while since we’ve posted a podcast. We’ve been busy this summer with various wingfests, TV appearances, and other great wing related events. But we’re back in full force and bringing you some of our backlog of podcasts.

    First up is our second visit to Happy Valley Sports Bar. Check it out at the bottom of this post!

    This Penn State themed bar is slowly becoming one of our favorite places. They have a great selection of delicious wings and it’s just an awesome place to hang out. A bunch of little touches on the way they present themselves makes Happy Valley a memorable place.

    If you want to read about our first visit to Happy Valley, head over to the Happy Valley Sports Bar Review Page.


    Happy Valley Sports Bar - 06/27/16

  • Happy Valley First Visit - 09/28/15

    Overall Rating: 81

    Lynch Serniak

    Lynch's Rating: 41 out of 50

    Environment: 10

    Happy Valley Sports Bar is a relatively new bar/restaurant making a statement for itself within Dickson City. As you may have guessed based on the name, it is a Penn State-themed sports bar, but don’t let the “sports bar” attribute distract from the fact that this place has quite a bit of class. The bar area was well-lit, very clean, and full of TVs showing multiple sports programs with ample room for seating. There is also a dining area for sit-down eating. The great environment was matched by the fantastic service we received on our visit. Our server was friendly and more than willing to answer any questions that we had on the wings. In fact, every member of the staff waited on multiple tables to ensure no customer was looked over. I’m sure you will leave more than happy after your visit to Happy Valley. And yes, pun was intended.


    Wing Size: 8

    Visit Happy Valley on Monday to enjoy their wing night price of $4.99 for an order of ten. If you’re not able to make it until later in the week, the normal wing price is $7.99 for ten wings. On wing night, Happy Valley allows the splitting of orders so you can get two sauces in an order. The wings themselves are large and in charge. You won’t be leaving Happy Valley hungry if you order your normal amount.


    Wing Flavors: 7

    I was very pleased by the number of sauce options prepared by Happy Valley. The traditional hot sauce ranges from Mild to Electric (Extra Hot). Then, they mix their hot sauce with various flavors such as Caesar, Garlic, and Parmesan to give you some great combinations. Finally, showing that they are willing to venture into new territory, Happy Valley has crafted some unique sauces like Bacon Ranch and Bourbon. I like that Happy Valley indicates the heat level on their menu in case you want to try something new, but you’re unsure how your body can handle it. Be sure to keep an eye out for sauces featured on their specials menu. On our visit, we had the choice of Honey Sriracha, Butter Garlic Parmesan, and Taco.


    Wing Taste (x2): 8

    I opted for real diversity with my choices for wing sauces. The Electric, which is described on the menu as an Extra Hot, definitely brought the heat. The high amount of spiciness front and center wasn’t too much to cover up the great flavor in these wings. The Honey Sriracha wasn’t quite what I expected. I was looking for a sweeter wing with that spiciness that you can only get from Sriracha. Instead, the wing was more like a Honey Mustard with a bit of spice. If you’re a fan of Honey Mustard, these wings might be for you, but it wasn’t exactly my style. The Hot Garlic Caesar was a fantastic tasting sauce. The garlic, Casesar, and hot sauce had a good balance that really complimented each other. Finally, the Bourbon wings, marked on the menu as Happy Valley’s signature sauce, were a pleasant surprise. The sauce reminded me slightly of a Jack Daniels sauce with a hint of smokiness and full of fantastic flavor. I can definitely see why it is their signature sauce.

    Serniak's Rating: 40 out of 50

    Environment: 9

    Not since the last time I was at State College have I felt more like I was at State College, then when I was at relative newcomer to the NEPA wing scene, Happy Valley. To all those out there wondering where is State College and what is Happy Valley, then I advise you wake yourself up. I’m talking about Penn State. You know, one of my alma maters. The place I wish I never left. Well, there’s now a slice of Penn State nestled in Dickson City called Happy Valley that is a welcoming sight for any raging Nittany Lion fan. The place feels like you’re in someone’s well decked out PSU memorabilia laden basement. It’s kind of a nice feeling. It’s super clean and the atmosphere was a positive one. The service was also very good. Our server was very attentive and personable. Also, they distributed moist towelets, which is so cool, when it happens.


    Wing Size: 7

    Their wings aren’t the size of an offensive line, but they are big enough to satisfy your hunger. They were big, meaty and had a fair amount of crispiness. On their wing night, wings are 50 cents each, which is a little more than the average but only by a few pennies.


    Wing Flavors: 8

    Happy Valley really does a nice job with their selection. On this night they had 16 flavors to choose from. With typical flavors such as hot and hot garlic, to more nontraditional choices like bacon ranch and sweet heat. They also have featured flavors on their menu that I believe get rotated out. These flavors were taco, sriracha honey, butter garlic parmesan and taco.


    Wing Taste (x2): 8

    Happy Valley certainly made me happy about my decision to go there. Besides appealing to me due to their love for PSU, their wings were spot on good. First, their regular hot had a very nice sauce laced with kickin spices that really do the trick if you’re looking for heat. Next, I had the hot garlic parm and what made these so great was that they had actually pieces of parmesan cheese on them, not just graded cheese. Such a great touch that adds a real good visual before devouring that lovely combination of hot sauce and garlic. The bacon ranch wings that I got were exactly that and it most certainly delivered. They were excellent. And to me, I even thought I tasted a hint of horseradish. I think I have you pegged Happy Valley. Finally, the most interesting flavor, taco. I’ve had this flavor before, but not like this. They did have the taco seasoning you’d expect, but then they topped them with Mexican style cheese and crumbled Tostitos chips. What a good idea it was. So simple, yet so delicious.