A few months ago, my brother and I walked downtown to the Knuckleheads Taproom, located on 80 Center Street, to indulge in what can truly be described as comfort food. Knuckleheads sits in the heart of Wallingford and is therefore the social and culinary hub for many of the Wallingford residents, along with Choate’s most ravenous students. Knuckleheads is renowned by many beer connoisseurs as “Mecca” when it comes to on-tap delicacies, but for the children of Wallingford, it is all about the burgers. Knuckleheads serves up a variety of burgers ranging from the simple Knucklehead Burger (consisting of lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, mayo and your choice of cheese) to the deli-style Goof Burger (consisting of pastrami, grilled onions, swiss, american, cheddar, horseradish mustard, mayo, lettuce and tomato). The menu contains a plethora of burgers to quench the tastebuds of nearly every customer who eats at the restaurant.
When we entered Knuckleheads, it was packed. People lined up for a spot inside the restaurant, and groups of friends and families were quite literally lunging for empty tables. After hovering over a table for about twenty minutes, we were seated at a high table looking over the jubilant faces of those already eating their food and the drooling smiles of those still waiting for their delicious meal. After being greeted by a very enthusiastic waitress, our meal instantly began. To start, my brother and I ordered 6 Pig Wings, which are succulent, tender, baseball-sized pieces of pork, fried to a crispy perfection while still retaining the eruptive, hot, salty juices inside of the pork ball. They were served on a piece of pig bone and were finished off with a sweet and tangy sauce combo of Honey BBQ and Acapulco Gold Sauce.
For our main dishes, my brother ordered the Bruised & Boozed Burger, and I ordered the Brie Burger. The Bruised & Boozed Burger was made up of a strong, nine ounce burger base of juicy, moist, ground beef rubbed with marvelous Cajun spices, stuffed with melted, oozing blue cheese, and topped with crunchy, flakey bacon, sweet grilled onions, fresh lettuce and tomato, and the signature, robust, house-made Scotch Ale Steak Sauce. The burger was wonderful, and my brother devoured each and every fantastic morsel of it.
My own Brie Burger was superb. The burger patty was crusted in a thick layer of crisp, smashed peppercorn, which held the marvelous juices and flavors of the meat itself within the crust. The bodacious creation was topped with crispy, oily, gooey fried brie cheese, as well as thin, glassy slices of grilled onion, a sweet, sticky Ruby Port Wine Reduction sauce, and a dash of creamy mayo. Fantastic!
Overall, Knuckleheads was truly superb in all aspects as a restaurant. The food was delicious, the price was extremely reasonable, the service was accommodating, and the atmosphere was quite welcoming. This restaurant should be at the top of everyone’s comfort food priority list! I give it a 4.5 out of 5! Follow my food blog, Asher Zeats, on instagram to see more photos!
