The R Bar and Grill

Basic Information:

• A Return to the R-Bar - 01/16/24
  Overall Rating: 91

  Lynch Serniak

  Lynch's Rating: 46 out of 50

  Environment: 9
  

  Even though R Bar is one of the farthest places we have gone in an official Wing Men capacity, it is our most frequented wing place as we always enjoy our experience. I can only imagine how many more times I would go if I lived closer. After making our way through what seemed like 20 roundabouts, we arrived on time for our reservation. As expected, the place was pretty full, so be sure to check out their facebook before a wing night as many time slots are fully booked. They did some light remodeling before our visit with an upgrade to the bar area, which definitely modernized it. Regardless, we sat at one of their dine-in tables because we usually order a lot of wings and need the space for all our baskets. As always, our service was great and food was pretty quick. They do state that there will be a box charge if you do take home some wings, but your mileage may vary on this. It seems to be a step to help prevent people abusing their great wing night price.

  
  Wing Size: 9
  

  Not much has changed on their wing size from previous visits. They are still some pretty large wings. Additionally, the wings are very reasonably priced on their wing night at 50 cents a wing. It’s hard to find a price like that anymore. Their menu states that on a non-wing night, you will be paying market price. Personally, I feel like wing prices have leveled out enough where that’s no longer necessary, but I’m definitely not as in tune with wing prices as a restaurant would be. I guess I’ll need to start following wing futures.

  
  Wing Flavors: 10
  

  The amount and uniqueness of wing flavor options at The R Bar is unparalleled. Of course, they cover all your classic options like mild, medium, hot, and BBQ, and then they bring it to a whole new level with all sort of unique options such as Everything Bagel, Chocolate Bacon, and Cajun Honey Mustard Blue Cheese. We always opt for the wet sauces on our visits, but they also offer a good amount of dry rubs as well. Honestly, you should go check out their menu as there is bound to be an option available that you can’t even think of. Plus, I really like their menu layout for the flavor options.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 9
  

  With so many options, it’s hard to land on just four flavors, which is often what I order at R Bar. Serniak and I always coordinate to ensure we don’t overlap flavors. I’m noticing a trend with my flavors that I prefer wings mixed with some sort of creamy base. For example, I ordered the Hot Chipotle Ranch, which was mainly hot and ranch with a slight kick from the chipotle.The sauce was creamy with a nice orange color and very flavorful. I didn’t think it was too spicy, but if you prefer milder wings, you can order these in mild or medium as well. Next up I ordered the Spicy Curry Blue Cheese. I order these almost every time as they are my favorite. As expected, it is a very creamy and very thick orangish sauce. You get the Blue cheese at first and then plenty of curry flavor, but not too spicy. The flavor is well balanced and very delicious. I also ordered the Creamy Bacon Horsey. I think this is one of Serniak’s favorite and I can tell why. Of course, it’s another creamy, orange sauce with just the right amount of bacon flavor and horseradish. It’s a really solid wing. My final option was Cajun Caesar Parmesan. You could probably guess it, but I’ll still state it: it’s a creamy orange sauce. It had a really good Cajun flavor with the Caesar and Parm taking a back seat, and I was totally OK with it. It was another delicious offering by R Bar.

  Serniak's Rating: 45 out of 50

  Environment: 8
  

  We finally returned to the place that currently ranks #1 for us, which is the R-Bar. Honestly, the R-Bar has ranked #1 for like six years now. At this point, I can’t guarantee that there isn’t a place I’d rather go to for wings. But let’s just say the R-Bar is still on my extremely short list of places I would put up there in my death row wing joint, which should be an option for folks on death row.

  What prompted us to come back to the R-Bar out of Nanticoke is that they finished up with some renovations that largely had to do with the bar area where we didn’t sit. But I can attest that the new look bar area looks primed to have some suds and have a good time.

  We got seated at a luxurious booth in the upper deck and we had plenty of folks wait on us through the evening. Everyone associated there at the R-Bar is always in a good mood, is personable, and really lets you be comfortable. It’s a great mix of casualness and an informative approach because due to all the many wing flavors, you’re bound to have some questions, and let me tell you, the staff can really explain what each is all about.

  Tuesdays are wing nights and I suggest you make a reservation. Because it’s wing night, you get the sense in the air that everyone there is pumped to chow down on as many wings as their hearts and stomachs desire.

  
  Wing Size: 9
  

  On wing nights, you’re paying 50 cents a wing, which in today’s climate is pretty awesome. And it’s not like the wings are tiny wings or anything like that.

  I honestly thought they used to be bigger but I was more than happy with the size of these wings. They were right in the middle of huge and small. Let’s go with medium. Yeah, I like that. The MPB, that’s meat per bite for you noobs, was very good.

  One interesting thing is that the 50 cents per wing price is only for wings you physically eat inside the R-Bar. There’s a charge for the wings you bring home.

  With the in-house price of 50 cents a wing when most other places are hovering around 80 cents a wing on wing nights, I’m not at all bothered by the charge for taking any home.

  Orders come in 6s so take that into account when you’re ordering.

  
  Wing Flavors: 10
  

  It’s just a wild amount of wing flavors. 73 different wing flavors are on their current menu, and they typically have another special flavor each week. Carry the 9, and that makes 74 unique flavors you can get, which is far more than any place I’ve ever been to or seen.

  This is a wing joint that specializes in wings and they have no issues expanding their flavor list. And if you think the quality dips on some flavors because there are so many, well let me say EHH EHH in my best Stone Cold Steve Austin voice. Every flavor I’ve ever had has been on point.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 9
  

  I went with four different flavors though they come in 6s. Taking into account the square root of pi and that makes 24 wings. Yes, I was wearing my big-boy pants that night.

  First I tried the Mama, which is their smokey ranch. There’s such a fine smoke flavor in each bite. Mixed with the ranch and I think a tomato-type sauce and you have an interesting flavor that doesn’t ever disappoint.

  Next was the ranch BLT. You’re reading that acronym correctly. BLT, like that BLT. I’m a man that will never have a traditional BLT. I won’t do it. But I am a man that will have the wing sauce version of it. It’s how I roll. With this flavor, you get the tomato and the ranch mixing well but it’s the bacon bits that are laced in it that do it for me. The creaminess and savory packed into every bite could put your tongue into a coma, which just may be possible.

  Then we had the flavor that was on special. This was their cheddar old-bay sauce. It was solid but I could have used more old bay seasoning. I thought the cheddar was really good but it swallowed up the old bay for me. Just needed a bit more and it’s a big hit.

  Finally, the best I had was the sriracha basil. This wing has everything. It’s got heat, it’s got sweetness, it’s some peppery notes. This sauce has everything. No element overpowers the other. It’s perfectly balanced as all things should be. I highly recommend this flavor.

  
  
• R Bar and Roundabouts - 02/11/20

  We finally made a return trip to our #1 place: R Bar! It’s been about two and a half years since our last visit and boy are we happy to be back. They have by far the biggest selection fo wings in the area. On top of all that, the wings are absolutely delicious. Check out this podcast to hear all about the flavors we tried on our most recent visit. Plus, we can hear our harrowing tale regarding roundabouts.

  
  

  

  The R Bar and Grill - 02/11/20

• R Time at R Bar - 08/29/17

  R Bar is one of R favorite places. Alright, we won’t make anymore “R” puns, but seriously, this place is the number one place for a reason. The vast majority of options is ridiculous and every single sauce is delicious. Check out our podcast review at the bottom of the post to hear all about our latest visit.

  In this podcast, we talk about how it’s been way too long since we’ve been to our favorite place (one and half years). Oh, and the feature wings on this visit were truly unique. Plus, we reference Staind quite a bit for some reason. What’s not to like about that?! And, at the end of the podcast we reference another song that we didn’t know the name of at the time. We will save you the frustration and tell you the song we were referencing was Disturbed’s Sound of Silence. So there’s that.

  We’ve been to R Bar quite a bit, so head over to the R Bar Review Page to see our previous reviews and listen to our earlier podcasts.

  
  

  

  The R Bar and Grill - 08/29/17

• Fifth Time to R Bar - 02/09/16

  This has been our fifth visit to The R Bar in just under two years! If you’re asking yourself why we go to The R Bar so often, I have to automatically assume you’ve never been there before for wing night. This place is fantastic! In fact it is our favorite, #1 place to go for wings in NEPA. Hear all about our latest visit in our podcast review, which is conveniently located at the bottom of this post.

  We have made it a yearly tradition (at least two years running) to visit The R Bar on Fat Tuesday to truly celebrate the holiday. This time, we got to partake in two new feature sauces: Raspberry Habanero and Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup. Yes, that is a wing sauce they made. It’s crazy what they can pull off here! Also, Serniak really pulled out all the stops for this podcast’s intro. You’re going to want to check it out.

  To listen to our previous podcasts or read our previous reviews, head over to The R Bar Review Page.

  
  

  

  The R Bar and Grill - 02/09/16

• The R Bar and Grill 4th Visit
  Overall Rating: 96

  Lynch Serniak

  Lynch's Rating: 48 out of 50

  Environment: 9
  

  The Nanticoke-based R Bar & Grill has just entered its first full year open in the old Alden Room and it appears they are settling in just fine. The bar section was full of people enjoying their libations while watching some sports on one of the many large screen TVs. The restaurant section was nearly filled with people taking down some of the amazing food that The R Bar offers. This place can get pretty packed on wing night, so be sure to make a reservation to ensure a table when you arrive. We arrived a bit later in the evening, so we lucked out as the crowd was beginning to thin out. We always have a great time while we’re at the R Bar. Everyone is very friendly and quick with an answer if you have questions about one of their many menu items. Our server constantly checked on our table throughout the night to make sure we were not without food or drinks. Expect to wait a bit for your order on wing night, though; The R Bar is well known for their wings and really draws the masses.

  
  Wing Size: 9
  

  Normally priced at $8.75 for 12 wings, The R Bar offers 50 cents wings every Tuesday for their wing night. Make note that you must place a minimum order of 6 for a single flavor. This makes things difficult because you’re going to want to order as many as you can with their huge selection. The wings are definitely on the meatier, bigger side of the scale. I ordered 24 to get more variety and didn’t even come close to finishing that number.

  
  Wing Flavors: 10
  

  You are going to have a very hard time finding a place that offers more unique wings or a bigger variety of sauces. The R Bar’s regular menu offers around 80 different wing flavors. The options range from classic flavors like Mild, BBQ, and Hot Honey to truly unique flavors like Cucumber Wasabi, Vidalia Onion, and Chocolate Bacon. On top of that, they feature at least one sauce every week on wing night that may eventually make it to the regular menu. Features I have experienced include Fruity Pebbles, Cool Ranch Dry Rub, and Clams Casino. Prepare to dedicate a large chunk of your time at The R Bar deciding what wings you want to try.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 10
  

  Every wing sauce I have ever tried at The R Bar has been fantastic. They continue to exceed my expectations on every visit. The name of the wing always perfectly captures the taste of the sauce. If you’re interested by any flavor combination on the menu, expect it to taste exactly as named. On my visit, I ordered past favorites and a couple new ones. The Ranch BLT is a hot and ranch sauce mix with bits of bacon and other seasonings mixed in. This wing is absolutely delicious and packed full of flavor. The Old Bay Sriracha Ranch was an interesting combination with an amazing taste. None of the spices necessarily stood out amongst the sauce, but I think this speaks a lot to the great balancing of flavors. The Spicy Curry Bleu Cheese is a favorite of mine. The addition of the bleu cheese helps to mellow out the spiciness of the curry. On this visit, the curry really stood out, making a very spicy wing that I was a huge fan of. Finally, a new addition to the menu, the classic pub was a flavor that somehow The R Bar was missing. This wing is more like your traditional buffalo-style sauce with a great balance of butter, vinegar, and heat. Once again, The R Bar has crafted a truly delicious wing. I promise you, order a wing at The R Bar that catches your attention and you will not be disappointed.

  Serniak's Rating: 48 out of 50

  Environment: 9
  

  Nestled in the confines of Nanticoke lies an absolute giant, the leader in the clubhouse, the reigning, defending number 1 wing joint on our list; the R-Bar. Their setup works well with having a bar area with tables. Then, they have a second level of tables, so even on their wing night; you have several areas to get a seat. They have a real automotive theme going on with their décor but it’s in no way over the top. What makes me love this place is the grand service you’ll get. I’ve been served by many different people here and every time our service is great. They’re quick, diligent and sociable. It’s also nice to see the controlled chaos that occurs as well. Everyone is moving and hustling around but they do it with such a grace that it’s impressive to watch.

  
  Wing Size: 9
  

  The R-Bar also delivers you some of the biggest wings in the area. They’re large and cooked to a delicate crispiness. On their wing night, you have to get your orders in orders of 6, so you’ll almost definitely be walking out full.

  
  Wing Flavors: 10
  

  If I could legally give a score of a trillion, I would. They have upwards to 80 sauces on their menu, with many dry rubs included. They also every week feature two new flavors that they are trying in the back. Their incredible attention to detail with their wings is noticeable. I mean when you see a wing flavor called pepperoni pizza and it tastes exactly like one, it’s pretty damn impressive. The R-Bar separates itself from many places because they aren’t settled with what they have. They’re always out innovating and creating new flavors. Even if they make a bad one, they just scrap it and try a new idea. That’s caring.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 10
  

  With their laundry list of flavors, you’d think that some of the flavors would really falter. But their precision on all their flavors makes that theory not so. First, I got the smokey tomato bacon. It was real solid and brought everything I wanted with it. The smokiness was evident with each taste and the bacon mixing with the tangy tomato sauce was very complimentary. The next sauce is one that I feel has a chance to be just as big as sriracha sauce, it just needs enough people to try it. Like the sriracha sauce, this sauce also originates from the east. Particularly in the land of the rising sun, you know where were told former WWE champion Yokozuna was from; Japan. The sauce is called Japanese Yum Yum sauce and it is loaded with flavor. A mix of garlic, cayenne pepper, paprika and other spices, it’s an absolute can’t miss. My 3rd flavor was one of their special feature sauces and it was Cool Ranch dry rub. Essentially they made a cool ranch Dorito dry rub. It wasn’t simply crushed up cool ranch chips, it was a blend of carefully thought out seasonings and spices and it was fantastic. They nailed it. Finally, my last flavor is one that I can’t not get and that’s the creamy bacon horseradish. It has everything I ever wanted in flavor. The sting of the horseradish offset by the salt of the bacon is pure nirvana for me.

  
  
• R Bar at Alden Manor - 03/17/15

  Good evening all. We’re coming at you in the middle of the 2015 NEPA Wing Tournament with a podcast of one of our favorite places of all time: The R Bar. Check it out at the bottom of this post.

  This is our first Wingcast of their new location at the old Alden Manor in Nanticoke. We’ve got to say, we really love the new place. They’ve taken what they already did well and improved upon it in every way. You really can’t go wrong.

  If you want to listen to our previous visits to The R Bar at the old location or read our written review of our first visit, head over to The R Bar Review Page.

  
  

  

  The R Bar and Grill - 03/17/15

• Second Time to R Bar - 09/23/14

  It makes sense that the first time we ever do a second podcast review we go to our number 1 place: The R Bar and Grill! Honestly, we can’t get enough of this place. The wings are outstanding. The flavors are unparalleled. And the staff is incredibly nice. Check out the new podcast below. Also, head over to The R Bar and Grill Review Page to see our previous Wingcast and read our written review. If you haven’t gone to this place yet, you’re making a huge mistake. Go there now!

  
  

  

  The R Bar and Grill - 09/23/14

• The R Bar and Grill First Visit
  Overall Rating: 97

  Lynch Serniak

  Lynch's Rating: 48 out of 50

  Environment: 9
  

  Many people have suggested The R Bar to us in the past, which is located in Nanticoke. It is a bit of a drive for us Scrantonians (or is it Scrantonites), so I was always hesitant on making the trek. I will say right now it is definitely worth the trip. Whatever people say about this place, which is always positive, is most definitely true. The R Bar is a small Bar located on a side street in Nanticoke. It’s small on the inside and outside. It seems as though they are going for a sort of automotive-biker-street theme for the place. The bar is a decent size with plenty of high tables close to it for dining, if that’s what you’re into. Also, there are some sit-down tables in the back for full-on dining. The place is clean and well-kept. I’m not sure if they have problems with fights at this place, but there was a sign hanging behind the bar of people who have been kicked out and banned for life for fighting. At first, I was wondering what’s going on with this place, but then I realized it’s a great policy to have. It keeps the bad people out and lets people know it’s not tolerated. We sat at the bar, which made service great for us. I was surprised at how smooth of an operation it was. They really have their stuff together. Even though the place is small, it never got super backed up and there wasn’t much of a wait for people who showed up. In fact, it seems a lot of people know to make reservations and order take-out. This made the servers’ jobs easier too. With how busy they seem with the people in house and the take out, it didn’t take too long to get our wings. While we waited, I noticed how awesome the waitresses are. The owner and our bartender/waitress was outrageously friendly. She is good at her job and it shows. She was chatting it up with us while taking care of all her other customers as well. In fact, all the waitresses were friendly and talkative with their tables. It just makes the atmosphere that much better. Just a heads up, though the place is cash only, but they do provide an ATM in the back. Also, you can only get the wings in orders of 6 or 12. I was hoping for order of 5 so I could get more variety, but thus is the way at The R Bar.

  
  Wing Size: 9
  

  For the most part, the wings were enormous. These babies were huge! The price is set at $0.45 a wing, which is definitely worth the price. I will say that even though the majority are huge, every once and a while you get a smaller wing in the mix. You won’t leave here hungry by any means, but it’s the only reason they didn’t get the full 10.

  
  Wing Flavors: 10
  

  This place is phenomenal at flavors. It probably has the best and most unique selection around. They have about 60 different wing flavors on the menu. And I’m not talking where it’s like Hot added with something else. These are very different flavors. For example, who ever heard of a Cucumber Wasabi wing! Just to give you more of an idea, they have a Chocolate Covered Bacon flavored wing. Additionally, they have specials every week. This week’s special was Sriracha Basil. The owner told us the goal is to have over 100 flavors. It makes me want to go back just to try something different. Check out the wing flavors above. We have a picture of the menu from our 5/6/14 trip.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 10
  

  Every single wing I had here was a hit. Even though they have such a variety and interesting set of options, every wing was tasty as all heck and well represented by the name. The Queso is a mixture of salsa and cheese. The cheese is the same type of cheese that’s found on your nachos when you go to a ballgame. I fondly refer to it as condensed cheese. I love it and it made these wings my favorite of the bunch. The Raspberry spice had, as you can probably guess, a sweet raspberry flavor with a hit of spice at the end. It was more sweet than spicy, so this may be for those mild wing lovers out there. The Chipotle Ranch had a very strong Chipotle spice flavor with a slight hint of ranch. I loved the chipotle seasoning on these wings. The regular hot were also a pleasant surprise. It seemed to me to be a mix of a spaghetti sauce and a chili sauce. You could see the pepper flakes on this wing. It’s unlike any other hot you’ve had before, but it definitely worked. The Creamy Bacon Horseradish was a very balanced wing. The Horseradish was not overpowering in the least, and you got to taste the chunks of bacon on the wing. These were fantastic. I love when they include a cheese sauce on a wing, such as the Jalapeno Cheddar wing. I’ve come to realize I’m not a fan of Jalapeno in wings though. I always order it thinking it sounds neato. When I get it, I don’t like the chunks of Jalapeno in it. It will work for other people, but not for me. Finally, I had the Basil Sriracha wing. I was surprised at how sweet the Basil made the wing. I was expecting something super spicy because of the Sriracha, but I think the Hot were actually spicier. The Sriracha definitely came out, but it was balanced by that sweet basil taste. I can’t recommend this place enough. You’re bound to find a unique wing flavor that just jumps out at you. This is a place that takes their wings very seriously.

  Serniak's Rating: 49 out of 50

  Environment: 10
  

  This week the Wingmen traveled than any wingman has traveled before. This time we traveled to Nanticoke to experience the R Bar. Now to be honest, when driving up to the R Bar and seeing it, I was surprised at how unassuming it was. For whatever reason, I had this idea that it was going to be a big ole brick building. But it wasn’t that. It was a building that looked like a regular house that had a sign that said R Bar on it. The inside of the bar definitely pays homage to racing fans from Nascar to motocross. Personally, I’m not into racing sports but it wasn’t overwhelming at all. What also was great about the R Bar was that I felt like a regular there. Our server who happened to be the owner made us feel right at home from the moment we stepped foot in the place. She was so interested in explaining all the wing flavors and you could easily tell that she gave a damn about her business. She was hustling in such a controlled way that she should teach classes on how to do just that. There was definitely a positive atmosphere surrounding us as we sat at the bar. The place has around 10 tables or so and based on what we heard, for their wing night it is not uncommon to make reservations. There are a few TVs at the bar to watch sports or even Wheel of Fortune.

  
  Wing Size: 9
  

  I struggled with this decision. I was battling in mind between a 9 and a 10. I’m going with a notch right below perfect and the reason is this. You have to order in orders of 6. I know it’s just nitpicking but I rather it be orders of 5 or order as many as you want even if it’s 3. Like I said not a big deal at all, it’s mainly just personal preference. The size of the wings is very good. Some wings are average size but the majority I got were large. You will definitely leave full unless you’re a descendent of Andre the Giant.

  
  Wing Flavors: 10
  

  If I could give this a score of a 100, I would but the powers to be would never allow it. There are literally around 60 flavors or so. And the uniqueness and daringness of the choices of flavors is unprecedented for the Wingmen. Ranging from creamy bacon horseradish to sour cream and onion to chocolate maple syrup, everything you want and more can found here. Check out the picture of the menu on nepawingmen.com to see all the flavors.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 10
  

  Again, if I could give a score of 100 I would do it. I was so overwhelmed trying to decide which 4 flavors to go with that I was shaking on bar stool. Ultimately, I ended up going with southwest ranch, jalapeno cheddar, creamy bacon horseradish and sirracha basil, which was their special wing of the night that was not on the menu. The southwest ranch had a great light orangish color to them. They had that initial kick of southwest flavor , which to me tasted very Cajun mixed with salsa. I say this because there were pieces of salsa in it but then they had the cooling taste of the ranch. A great idea for a wing flavor, that delivered. Next was the jalapeno cheddar. What was great with this flavor was the attention to detail to what it was supposed to be. Jalapeno and cheddar were both represented as much as they can be. They weren’t to overbearing with spice but it was certainly there. You could actually see pieces of jalapenos in the sauce. The cheddar added a nice tanginess to the spice. Then there were the sirracha basil. Sirracha, which is a spicy Asian sauce, is one of my new favorite condiments. Not many places have sirracha on the menu but I feel it starting to pop up more. The wing did have the heat but interestingly enough the basil acted like a sweetener. The balance of heat and sweetness was tremendous. They should add it to their regular menu. Finally, the creamy bacon horseradish was out of this universe. This flavor had it all. First, it had the creaminess that came from the horseradish sauce that was certainly could open your sinuses. Again, it had some heat but nothing overpowering. Then you get that saltiness from the actual pieces of bacon that were draped all over the wing. An amazing infusion of flavors, that I highly recommend ordering.