Haggerty’s Pub & Eatery

Basic Information:

• Three Times to Haggerty’s - 01/10/19
  Overall Rating: 75

  Lynch Serniak

  Lynch's Rating: 37 out of 50

  Environment: 8
  

  It’s been quite a while since we last made a trip to Haggerty’s. Serniak has been considering a return visit for a while, and when he posted a question to our Facebook page soliciting ideas for a Thursday wing night and someone suggested their Thursday Boneless wing night, well, the rest is history. I’ve driven by Haggerty’s countless times, and somehow I always overlook it. In fact, for this venture, we drove past once before realizing we went too far. I’m not sure how we always miss it. The name is plastered in large font above the doorway. For those unfamiliar, as you’re driving along N Main Ave in Scranton, it’s located between the Manning’s ice cream plaza (not the official name) and the Beer World. We sat at a high top table close to the bar .It wasn’t busy, so there were plenty of spots to sit along the large bar or other tables in the bar section. I never really ventured past the bar, but I believe there are additional sit-down tables around the corner from the bar. I believe that’s where the ATM is as well, which you will have to use since they are a cash only establishment. Not much has really changed with the place since out last visit. It’s just the same ol’ Haggerty’s. Our bartender/waiter was super friendly and amicable to all the patrons, many of whom he seemed familiar with. Service, between the drinks and food, was outrageously fast. We sat down, had our orders in, ate, and left all under an hour. You can’t beat that!

  
  Wing Size: 9
  

  We tend to avoid boneless nights. I’m not quite sure why. Maybe there’s some sort of primitive drive in humans that finds satisfaction from ripping meat from bones. Or maybe there isn’t , but every time we do partake in a boneless night, there are parts I do like. First, you’re getting all your meat and none is left on the bone. Second, it’s much cleaner. Maybe we avoid it because we’ve been burned in the past as it’s hard to prepare yourself for an order. 10 wings is 10 wings. A basket of boneless wings vary from location to location – some run small, some run large. They’re sort of like the women’s pants of the food world, or so I hear. Regardless, the orders at Haggerty’s are large and in charge (I’m going to predict that Serniak used this verbiage, too). For $5, you get a large portion of wings. If you’re feeling hungry, go for two orders and you should be plenty filled. I would equate it to about 20 average-sized wings.

  
  Wing Flavors: 6
  

  Haggerty’s hits all their marks for classic wing flavors and throws in some interesting ones to draw you in. Plus any of the flavors with the hot sauce base can be ordered as medium, mild, or hot. You can check out the full listing in our Flavors section for the location page, but you may be wondering what the Special and Chief Desarno wings are. The Special, as described to us by the bartender, is essentially a hot ranch with other secret spices added. As for the Chief Desarno, I imagine Serniak will go into more detail on that one, so I’m going to leave you in suspense.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 7
  

  The boneless wings themselves were a large piece of white, tender, juicy chicken meat with a slightly crispy breading. I thought they were delicious! As for the sauces, I ordered the Caesar Garlic Parmesan and the Special. The Caesar Garlic Parmesan had a good hint of garlic, an enjoyable hot sauce base, and a small amount of parmesan cheese. The sauce had a subtle sweetness to it, which I imagine is due to the traditional buffalo sauce base. The Hot Special was interesting and didn’t really match the description provided to us. It was a runnier sauce that didn’t really seem to have any ranch mixed in. There was a good amount of spice and heat, so maybe they use ranch seasoning, but definitely not traditional ranch dressing. It also look as though it was sprinkled with parmesan cheese a bit. Again, the base hot sauce was tasty, so overall, a decent wing.

  Serniak's Rating: 38 out of 50

  Environment: 8
  

  Haggerty’s is quite the paradox to me because it has the feel of the most cornerest bar you’ll ever step foot in while being located on Main St. in Scranton. We haven’t been to Haggerty’s in a while, but I instantly felt like I’ve been a regular for at decade. That probably had something to do with courteous fellow who was behind the bar greeting us and asking what we wanted to drink even before we got to our seat. I didn’t catch the guys name, but he was the bartender and also our server and let me tell you, he made the entire experience an enjoyable one. He wasn’t all up in out business but he also wasn’t a ghost. He refilled our drinks without being asked and explained some of Haggerty’s wing flavors. Hats off to that guy.

  Haggerty’s has a bar area equipped with a few tables and another side another side with even more tables. If you’re looking to watch a game or the Wheel, Haggerty’s is a place you can get that done. Also, their menus were really well done.

  The atmosphere is one where you could certainly blow off some steam after a long day. The other patrons made the place a welcoming place and the fact that it seemed that the bartender knew everyone really caught my eye. Ultimately, Haggerty’s just seems reliable.

  
  Wing Size: 8
  

  We went on a Thursday, which is Haggerty’s bite night. Bite nights are kind of a mixed bag because you really don’t know how much food you’re going to get. Everybody has a different take on how much  an order of bites. At Haggerty’s, you get a very good portion of very well cooked pieces of chicken. Not chunks, which sounds gross, not nuggets, I’m going to say these were “cuts” of meat because they were large. And the fact that a big portion of “cuts” of meat is only $5 makes it truly a good deal.

  
  Wing Flavors: 6
  

  Mostly basic flavors is what you’ll find at Haggerty’s. I’d love if there were more because what I got was very good. The most unique flavor on the menu is the Chief Desarno, which is a blend of their special sauce and hot or mild Caesar, is named after Scranton’s fire chief. In all, there are 11 flavors to be had Haggerty’s.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 8
  

  Part of the reason these “cuts” got an 8 was because they were cooked so well. They were had a crispiness to them that you don’t always get with “cuts” this big. Oh, and the sauces were good too. I got two orders and the first one was the butter and garlic. A classic flavor and one that I usually get when it’s time for wings. There was a very good portion of garlic on these “cuts.” The flavor was represented very well. The other flavor I got was the Chief Desarno. A mixture of their special sauce and their hot Caesar parm, these “cuts” of meat were loaded with flavor in every bite. I honestly forget what is in the special sauce, but I think there is something sweet in there and when that combined with the hot and the Caesar, it made a wonderful triumphant.

  
  
• Haggerty’s Podcast - 05/04/15

  Get ready for another podcast! This time, we decided to take a return trip to the winner of the 2015 NEPA Wing Tournament. I have to say, they definitely upped their game since our last visit. It’s worth checking out.

  Pay special attention to the end of the podcast, because there may be a way for you to get a free order of wings, courtesy of The Wing Men. Listen below!

  Read our written review of our first visit to Haggerty’s by going to the Haggerty’s Review Page.

  
  

  

  Haggerty’s Pub & Eatery - 05/04/15

• First Visit to Haggerty’s - 07/08/13
  Overall Rating: 62

  Lynch Serniak

  Lynch's Rating: 28 out of 50

  Environment: 6
  

  This place is very easy to miss along North Main Ave in Scranton. In fact, we drove by it once before we saw it. The sign for the place is a small neon green light in the front window. It is smaller than the neon beer signs in the window. We got there a bit earlier than we usually do for wing nights, and it was pretty dead. We sat at the bar, but there are some tables along the bar if you’d prefer that. The bartender was a nice dude, and was very friendly and easygoing. He was very good at staying on top of our food and drinks. It did take a bit long for the wings to come out, but he kept us updated on the status. As time went on, the place did get a bit busier. It seems more like a local place, as everyone knew everyone else. There was even some good conversation amongst everyone about the news that was on TV.

  
  Wing Size: 3
  

  I think they leave these wings in the fryer a bit longer, which would explain why it took some more time for us to get our wings, and it would also explain the small size. I took down twenty with no problem. For $0.45, you would expect a bigger wing at a place like Haggerty’s.

  
  Wing Flavors: 5
  

  I was afraid this place would have only Hot and BBQ, but they did offer some other choices. There is nothing crazy here, but a small variety is always nice.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 7
  

  As always, I placed an order for Hot. I also got myself some Hot Garlic, Hot Hagg’s Special, and Hot Garlic Caesar Parmesan. The Hot were sweeter than I expected. They were not spicy at all. I would have preferred a hotter Hot is all I’m saying. It may be a good idea to step it up to Inferno if that’s what you’re into as well. Oddly enough, the Hot garlic did carry a bit more spice to it with a good garlic flavor too. I actually highly enjoyed these wings. Hot Garlic Caesar Parm were pretty good too. The Caesar flavor came through pretty strong, but you still got hints of the parmesan cheese and garlic that were sprinkled on the wing. The Hot Hagg’s Special is basically a Hot Ranch Parm. I thought these wings were banging too. I’m a sucker for Hot Ranch, and the addition of Parmesan cheese is a nice touch. I also tried some Butter and Garlic. They were very crispy, with plenty of butter and minced garlic. In fact, all of the wings at Haggerty’s are pretty crispy. I don’t crazy for a real crispy wing, but these weren’t unbearably so. I feel like if you like your wing crispy, this is the place for you.

  Serniak's Rating: 34 out of 50

  Environment: 7
  

  Haggerty’s is a small little bar on North Main Ave. Scranton that has a Irish touch but it is not overwhelming. There is pool table or dart board, just a straight up bar. Established only a few years ago, Haggerty’s is a very clean place to eat or drink. The bartender, who served us, was extremely nice and made sure our glasses were always filled. Wing night is on Tuesday’s and we got there around 6 but it got busier around 7 so figure out if you want to beat any kind of a rush.

  
  Wing Size: 4
  

  Please make sure you order at least 5 more than you usually get because they are not very big. For 45 cents, they are still a bit small but I get it, not everyone enjoys huge wings.

  
  Wing Flavors: 7
  

  More flavors than I thought here. They have mild, mild garlic, hot, hot garlic, inferno, butter/garlic, Caesar garlic/parmesan and honey mustard. I’m glad I was wrong about this.

  
  Wing Taste (x2): 8
  

  I really enjoyed the wings here. I know they are small but they were cooked real well. they were nice and crispy. If you like crispy, Haggerty’s is your place. I ordered hot, hot garlic, Caesar garlic/parmesan and butter garlic. The hot were a bit unique in that had spices that you could see that made a tasteful significance. They were swell. The hot garlic were that good hot taste that I mentioned earlier with garlic added. It worked well. the butter and garlic wings alright but I wish they added some herbs to it. The Caesar garlic/parmesan were loaded with flavor from all corners of it. All 3 of those flavors were represented well and I recommend them.