Everyone loves a story of triumph. A story where the protagonist is brought down, either by internal or external forces, only to return more resilient than ever. The dark horses, underdogs, and phoenixes that rise from the ashes. Well, in Eddie and Evan’s case with King of Wings Tap House, the phrase “rising from the ashes” has a more literal meaning than usual.
In December 2021, Eddie and Evan’s prized tap house was severely damaged by an electrical fire. The whole kitchen caught fire before the day’s shift had started, and while no one was hurt, the space had to close down for repairs. The main building wasn’t even affected - just the kitchen, which requires new permits and other hoops to jump through before it could be rebuilt. But even with these pressures, King of Wings Tap House was able to live on through a series of pop-ups.
“For now, while we’re waiting on permits from the City of Wheat Ridge to rebuild our main kitchen, we’re doing pop-ups. That’s how the Snipeburger came to be,” says Eddie.
If you’re ever around Wheat Ridge, Eddie and Evan’s famed Snipeburger is one to remember. It’s their smashburger concept, inspired by a sandwich shop called Carl’s in St. Louis, and has garnered a solid following since its launch. In Eddie’s eyes, it’s their way of keeping things positive: “We’re just making the best out of a tragic situation, but this project is close to our hearts. Me and Evan both have a passion for food. When we decided to elevate a version of the Carl’s burger we had as kids, it clicked.”
King of Wings first started as a food truck in Denver around seven years ago. Eddie and Evan would cruise around local breweries selling their eats, and soon built a reputation for their grilled, slow-cooked wings and scratch-made sauces. It was only until two years ago that the duo made the decision to open up a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Wheat Ridge.
As for future plans, Eddie and Evan are looking at a second location in Golden with hopes to open by February 2023. But for now, they’re content with their food truck and pop-up substitute: “It’s how we started, it’s what we know. So it comes easy to us now. We’ll set up flat tops outside, makeshift kitchen lines, have coolers for meats and prep tables - everything we need to make good food on the go.”
Eddie and Evan, co-owners of King of Wings Tap House and best friends since the second grade, are particularly proud of their beer selection and slow-cooked wings. On the beer side, Evan is in charge of sourcing local breweries and sorting the tap list. They currently offer about 14 taps, with a larger selection to come with the Golden location: “That location will be ‘King of Wings Tap House & Tequila,’ and it’ll have 29 taps - plus tequila, of course.”
As for their wings, Eddie has a few suggestions for your first visit: “The Bourbon Buffalo, Spicy Thai, Tangy Gold, and Memphis Barbecue are the all-time favorites. We also have your standard Buffalo flavor, and they’re all slow-cooked and grilled. Never fried.”
However, once their kitchen in Wheat Ridge is up and running again, their famous Snipeburger will be no more. Seeing as it’s strictly a pop-up item to serve in the interim, avid fans and those who haven’t tried it yet have limited time to try Evan and Eddie’s smashburger concept. For some mouthwatering pictures to motivate your stomach, check out the Snipeburger Instagram page @snipeburger.
Lastly, although their kitchen is still in repair, online orders can be picked up at the King of Wings location off of 44th Avenue in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Check out the Snipeburger Instagram page to see where the Snipeburger will be served next, and visit king-of-wings.com to browse their wing flavors or order online. There, you can choose how many wings you’d like, which ranges from six to 40 wings in increments of two, all the way up to 100 wings for larger gatherings. Hand-Breaded Tenders and Cajun Parmesan Fries are also offered for those who aren’t in the mood for wings.