Cluck-U – Cluckster’s Thermo Nuclear BBQ Sauce

Back in my college days I was spoiled for choice when it came to late night food options. Being in the Mid-Atlantic region we had multiple 24 Hour diners in town, several pizza places and calzone places open late, and of course the expected wing places.

My two favorites were Wings-to-Go and Cluck-U, and for different reasons. WIngs-to-Go made the classic traditional wings – no breading, flavors mostly revolving around traditional buffalo sauce, and did it very well. Cluck-U on the other hand was different – breaded wings, fried chicken dipped in honey, garlic bread pitas, and sauces that blended the hot of buffalo with the sticky sweet of BBQ.

Cluck-U ended up being my favorite most days. Some may call me a heretic, but I like a breaded wing. As an added bonus they delivered to the dorms. Maybe 50% of the time the order would be correct – though I was never shortchanged, there would just be different things than I ordered, but it was always tasty. After I moved away after college one of the things I was most excited about for my return visit was getting some more of those Cluck-U wings, only to find that the location had closed in the interim.

For one reason or another Cluck-U has never caught the wildfire like WingStop or BWW to become a national powerhouse chain, despite my opinion of Cluck-U’s food being far superior to either (BWW’s popularity in particular is a complete mystery to me). Their locations are almost all grouped in NJ, PA, and MD now, and living far from the area it had been over 20 years since I’d tasted the bliss of their food.

Since I couldn’t justify a flight just to get some wings, I did the next best thing and was able to contact one of their franchises, the one in Morristown, NJ (shout-out to Neil at that location for facilitating the purchase and shipping) and purchase a box of their various wing sauces to have shipped to me down here in FL.

Thermo-Nuclear is the second hottest sauce on their current menu next to their 911 sauce, which is more of a challenge sauce than something most people would want to normally eat. Cluck-U calls it a BBQ sauce, and there are absolutely some BBQ elements in it, but I believe that sells the sauce short. This isn’t your typical KFC Honey BBQ wing sauce.

There is a tomato element along with brown sugar and molasses that recall a BBQ sauce, but aged cayenne peppers and vinegar play prominent roles in the mix as well, along with onions, garlic, and other spices. These combine for a taste that does have some of the sticky sweetness of BBQ but also that characteristic peppery tang of buffalo sauce, and each play off of each other beautifully to form something unique. There’s also a very strong black pepper flavor which I personally love, and which helps wake the sauce up and keep it from being too cloyingly sweet.

If you’re near one of the Cluck-U locations and you’ve never been inside then I recommend doing so at your earlier convenience, it’s the best tasting chicken you may have never had.

Ingredients: Aged Cayenne Peppers, Corn Sweetener, Vinegar, Spices & Seasonings (includes Dried Garlic and Onion), Brown Sugar, Tomato Paste, Salt, Modified Corn Starch, Spice Extract, Molasses, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (to maintain freshness), Malic Acid, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Caramel Color, Red #40, Disodium Inosinate and Guanylate

Heat Level: 5/10. This has a kick, and the sticky sweetness helps it stick to your tongue and prolong the burn.