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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
