Murphy’s Pub

Basic Information:

• A trip to the champ’s, Murphy’s Pub - 04/28/26
  Overall Rating: 91

  Lynch Serniak

  Lynch's Rating: 45 out of 50

  Environment: 10
  

  Murphy’s Pub recently made it on our radar due to them taking the crown in the 2026 NEPA Chicken Wing Bulletin “King of Wings” Championship, beating out another solid wing place, Haggerty’s. It’s a bit of a trek for The Wing Men to make it to Swoyersville, but we knew we had to make the trip due the the praise the place was getting. Upon entering through the front, you will find a large, rectangular bar, lots of bar height seating around it, and a couple booths as well. We sat close to the door at the bar and had great, quick service throughout. The wings took a little bit of time, but I think that was expected on our trip since it was wing night and they are quite popular now due to winning the bracket. We should have done more reconnaissance at first because we didn’t realize until the end when we went to wash our sauce-soaked fingers that there’s a whole other patio room with a lot more seating that appears to be more for the non-bar crowd.

  
  Wing Size: 8
  

  On a regular night, wings are listed at $14 for 12. On their Tuesday wing night, you can get the same dozen for $10. They do allow you to split your order with another wing sauce, but there is a slight up charge of 75 cents. The wings themselves are a decent size, leaving me quite full. I ordered 24 knowing full well I wouldn’t finish them all, but I wanted to try more flavors. Regardless, I still struggled to finish my usual amount because the wings are above average.

  
  Wing Flavors: 9
  

  Murphy’s packs their menu with lots of wing flavors, ranging from some classics like Hot, BBQ, and Butter Garlic, to a good mix of flavors, including some great, unique combinations. Some of the standout combinations that you will be hard-pressed to find elsewhere include Sriracha White Cheddar, Cajun Garlic Bleu Cheese, Hot Harseradish Ranch, and Cajun Cheddar. There’s bound to be something that catches your eye at Murphy’s pub.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 9
  

  Like I said earlier in my review, I wanted to try as many flavors as I could, and that’s exactly what I did. I started with the regular Hot. Every time we visit a place for the first time, one of us has to try this staple to see what it’s all about. Murphy’s Hot is a reddish sauce that encapsulates that classic buffalo wing sauce you expect. It had that great combination of butter, vinegar, and cayenne flavor. They do an awesome job with this wing. I also ordered the Teriyaki Ginger Garlic, which was a thicker, sticky brown sauce that had that typical salty Teriyaki taste. The Teriyaki was definitely the prominent flavor, with the ginger and garlic being really subtle. Regardless, I’m a fan of Teriyaki wings and this one hit that mark. The Cajun Garlic Bleu Cheese was an orange sauce wing with a delicious balance of flavors. This sauce was tasty. Finally, I ordered the Hot Jalapeño Ranch. This one was my favorite of the bunch. It was another orange sauce with actual bits of jalapeño, which really elevated the flavor. The ranch and hot sauce were well balanced in this wing, with the spice from the jalapeño really elevating the flavor. As a whole, these wings were delicious. All their wings were crispy with a good amount of meat, and all of them were swimming in sauce, which is always a plus in my book.

  Serniak's Rating: 46 out of 50

  Environment: 10
  

  Finally, the NEPA Wingmen got to the champ’s place. Yes, Murphy’s Pub is the bonafied elite wing champ of all of NEPA based on them winning the NEPA Wing Bulletin(great group that you need to be a part of if you somehow aren’t) King of Wings contest that they ran in March. Let me tell you, it was awesome. Everything was exactly what you would hope a championship-level place would be.

  Like, honestly, I don’t need much more out of a place where I’m looking to get wings. It had a big-time sports bar vibe. If you’re a Penn State fan, which to me was surprising because I thought the place would be covered in Notre Dame garb, Murphy’s has you covered. If you’re a Phillies fan, you’ll do well there. If you want that classic sports bar feeling, Murphy’s has got you covered with several TVs.

  If you’re looking for quality service, Murphy’s has that. If you’re looking for a jovial, let your hair down type of atmosphere, Murphy’s has that in spades. If you’re looking for an outsideish(I say outsideish because it was enclosed but I have to imagine that if the weather ever gets warmer, they remove the enclosure) area that also has TVs, Murphy’s can scratch that itch as well.

  If you’re looking to see a championship belt proudly hung up in the bar area, showing off how Murphy’s Pub is the reigning, defending wing champs, they have that covered.

  When we went, the place was packed, but we were still able to get a seat at the bar. It’s a large bar that’s equipped with a solid draft list. There are several tables and booths that surround the bar. And as I said, if you go down the long hallway, you get to the enclosed area. I didn’t even know that area existed until I used the facilities.

  I don’t know what it is about Sowyersville, but they are starting to have a firm grip on the wing scene in NEPA. With Murphy’s Pub and Bourbon City neatly tucked away in the streets of Sowyersville community, slinging some of the best wings in the area, it’s hard to find such a small town that has so much impact. It’s nice to see.

  
  Wing Size: 8
  

  Right off the bat, their Tuesday wing night has good sized wings. The MPB(meat per bite) ratio is excellent.

  On wing night, orders come in orders of 6, so if you’re a strict 20 wings per order person, understand that you may have to club up and get 24. That’s what I did, and let me tell you, I was quite full at the end.

  It’s $10 for a dozen wings, which comes out to 83 cents a wing. That’s pretty good given the nature and times we live in.

  If you’re looking to split your 12 wings in half so that you can get more sauces, the cost is an extra 75 cents.

   

  
  Wing Flavors: 10
  

  Murphy’s Pub gets a 10. They have 30 flavors on the menu and a special flavor that I think rotates.

  But it’s not just the number of flavors. It’s the uniqueness and determination to give people some sauces that they may not have ever thought about. Sauces such as red garlic, Old Bay, hot horseradish ranch, hot jalapeno ranch, and Sriracha white cheddar. To us Wingmen, that matters, and we appreciate the effort.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 9
  

  Outstanding wings are what you’re getting at Murphy’s Pub. I imagine most of you could have guessed that already based on my giddy tone and the fact that they are the champs.

  An underrated element that I think is starting to rise in the area is that our server asked us if we wanted our wings extra crispy. Well, of course I do, and thank you for asking.

  Also, there was exactly no skimping on the sauce for each wing. A think layer was attached to each.

  The display of the big wings was slightly daunting. I’ve done 24 wings before, but I think as I progress through time, I’m seeing the benefit of not getting so full that it hurts. Credit to me for having growth.

  However, when the plate came, I turned my hat backward like Lincoln Hawk and went to town.

  First, we had the sweet chili. These were exactly what I was looking for. It’s a sauce you can get in a bunch of flavors, but I was in the mood for a sticky/spicy sauce, and that is what these were. The chili notes, along with the sweetness, were everything I wanted.

  Next was the hot horseradish ranch. These had a terrific orangish color to them with a combo of hot and ranch. The horseradish was tough to detect, so I had to put my Batman hat on to find it, and I eventually did. The nose was draining. Interestingly, and I’m pretty sure it was a bit of whoopsies, but there were jalapenos with these. This probably happened because Lynch got the hot jalapeño ranch, and they threw some on mine. I was down for it.

  This leads us into the red garlic Old Bay. I love it when I see the word red attached to a wing flavor. I just think it’s a fun way of saying they’re using their hot sauce. Switch things up a bit. I’ve had Old Bay combos before, mostly with butter and garlic. Never had a hot sauce-infused Old Bay, but man alive, I’m glad I did. You get the heat with the hot sauce and the savoryness of the garlic. But adding the bite of that Old Bay really brought the whole ensemble home. This sauce is full of flavor and is a must-get

  Finally, we have the sriracha white cheddar. Going into these, I wasn’t sure what kind of cheese it would be. I think you can get a dry rub of cheddar, but I was hoping it would be an actual cheese sauce. It ended up being 100% what my heart desired. These wings were caked with cheese sauce, and it was a very good sauce. Had that Wisconsin white cheddar extra smooth taste to it. So lovely. But that sriracha is what made this sauce a work of art. At first, I was like “hey, what gives, where’s that sriracha?” That sriracha is a delayed sriracha that gets you on the backend. Like a timed mine in Goldeneye, the sriracha eventually goes off and does its thing. Another must-get.