What is the source of the spicy scent at McKnight-Seibert Shopping Plaza in Ross Township? It is coming from the newly opened Wingstop restaurant, whose chicken fryers were turned on for the first time on Monday as part of the grand opening of their newest location at 4855 McKnight Rd.
Wingstop's North Hills of Pittsburgh location is their only store in the north hills area of Pittsburgh to date. It is the second restaurant to have opened since the brand returned to the Pittsburgh market in December 2022, with the first location in Pleasant Hills.
No doubt fans of this Dallas-based chain of over 600 restaurants, eagerly anticipated its opening in the North Hills Monday. We can attest as we used the app to order a wing sampler special for pick up.
It was crowded, around rush hour, when we got to Wingstop. In fact, it was standing room only but it should be noted this Wingstop is a carry-out-only restaurant - so yes, pun, intended! The store was busy but our food had been prepared on time exactly according to the time allotment the Wingstop app gave us.
Did we like the wings?
Dang, we loved them. They hit the wingspot! The wings were hot, spicy, and delicious.
We ordered the boneless 20-piece sampler which allowed you to select up to four wing flavors. We choose Mango Haberno, Hickory Smoked BBQ, Original Hot, and Cajun. Each sauce lived up to expectations and beyond. It should also be noted the french fries were unbelievable. They sort of tasted like the Potato Patch fries from Kennywood, if you ask us.
Don't live near Ross? No worries. More Wingstops are slated to come to Pittsburgh.
Wingstop's ambitious expansion plan includes adding up fourteen Wingstops across Pittsburgh within the next three years.
Wingstop is a nice complement to food options now at McKnight-Siebert Shopping Plaza which includes Starbucks Coffee, Italian Village Pizza, Bruegger's Bagels, Aladdin's Eatery, and Chipotle. That is a lot of quality food options for such a small strip shopping plaza!
The competition will be fierce as there other a lot of chicken restaurants to be found in close proximity to this location, such as a couple of Chik-Fil-As just up the road, Frank's Pizza and Chicken in nearby West View, not to mention local neighborhood bars that serve great wings and chicken such as Hal's Bar and Grill along Babcoock Blvd. and the Wheelfish along Sangree Rd. just off of Siebert.
However, Wingstop has the potential to serve a distinctive market within the area's chicken restaurants. It is among the few establishments located on McKnight Road where customers can quickly and easily get wings to go. In addition, you can order chicken sandwiches in any of the wing flavors offered by Wingstop. This makes it not just a wing stop but a necessary stop for lovers of chicken restaurants across the North Hills of Pittsburgh.