When you’re trying to go out to dinner with your small children, what matters?

Food that they like? Great entertainment? You’d think that these things would be good, and sometimes they are, but there is no guarantee of success. Sometimes children don’t like eating (even ice cream) and sometimes children won’t be entertained (even by their favorite show).

Bailey’s Range (Now with 1 location in Shaw after the closure of their original Downtown location in August of 2023) has burgers, fries, grilled cheese, milk shakes and ice cream. They have a children’s movie projected on the walls (silently) at all times. They are really setting you up for a meal where you can mostly ignore your children while you eat. We’ve been there 10+ times over the last couple years, and sometimes it works better than others.

But what is reliable delicious at Baileys are the Smoked Wings. The wings are currently available in 2 flavors, Buffalo or STL BBQ for $16. I’ve never had the STL BBQ, and I will never have it because I don’t think BBQ wings are for me. BUT there was a Korean BBQ option that I had once, and that was delicious.

On my most recent visit, I had the Buffalo Wings, and they are very good. A pound of wings is served as 5 whole (non-separated) wings. I don’t generally care for wings served like this. They add to the mess in ways that feel out of my control. I snap apart the two pieces, and sauce goes all over the place.

These wings get a pass though! The pieces are pretty easy to separate as the smoked meat is fairly close to falling off the bone, but not falling off enough to be frustrating. The sauce is delicious and is well complimented by the grill/smoke taste of the wings. The heat seems pretty tame at first but for my aging taste buds, you can feel it pretty well by the end of the order. This is perhaps my ideal spice level right now.

These wings were served (temperature) hot, but in the past I’ve had them come a bit cooler than I’d like. Maybe if you’re ordering the wings, tell them to bring them out when ready rather than waiting for the mains.

They aren’t quite enough for a whole meal by itself, but if you supplement them with the very good fries your children are choosing not to eat, you’ll be fine.

Also, tonight when my wings were served, my 3 year old said, loudly, “EWWWW. Those are disgusting.” She was wrong.