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Before the recent opening of WOW Cafe and Wingery in Cumming, owner Cornel Cain went on a bit of an odyssey to learn about the restaurant's main attraction: wings. He first trekked to New Jersey, where he was introduced to the concept at a business expo.

"I was immediately fascinated," said Cain, who hails from Jamaica. "I flew to Chicago to check it out and I liked what I saw."

Bob Andres/AJC (ENLARGE)
The new WOW Cafe and Wingery's specialty is wings, naturally, with 17 different sauces. But the menu also includes items such as chicken quesadillas, shown above with Kansas City barbecue sauce, salsa and sour cream.
Bob Andres/AJC (ENLARGE)
Buffalo fried chicken wrap with french fries and an Oreo Blast milk shake.
Bob Andres/AJC (ENLARGE)
Southwest egg roll appetizer with southwest ranch dressing.
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But Cain was living in New York at the time and couldn't find a site for his wing eatery that worked. But Cumming fit the criteria perfectly.

"There's nothing close to this in the area," Cain said. "The residents here are fascinated by the concept of all the wings. There's a lot of variety. I know — I did a lot of taste tests."

Cain's favorite? The Jamaican jerk, natch. "It's the closest to the flavors of home," he said. "We do get a lot of requests for it — I'm not just being partial."

Wings are priced at $6.99 per pound, with about nine pieces per pound. There's no limit to how many you can eat, share with friends or take to a party. The hard part's picking from among the 17 different sauces, including Thai peanut, citrus salsa, honey barbecue, spicy Cajun and lemon pepper. Try a sampler of five flavors if you can't decide.

Beyond the finger food, diners will find chicken tenders, quesadillas, eight salads and wraps. Fajitas are filled with chicken, shrimp or veggies and also come with a variety of saucy toppings. Half-pound burgers are served on Texas toast with an assortment of cheeses. There are also a few entrees for folks looking for a full meal. Try the St. Louis ribs, fried catfish or fried shrimp.

The same menu is offered all day, but Cain is adding daily lunch specials between noon and 2 p.m.

From the bar

Wash down those spicy wing sauces with one of six beers on tap or one of the bottled options from around the globe. A small wine list features about 20 bottles, most offered by the glass. The most popular drinks are from the specialty menu that includes the WOW Hurricane, a frozen or on-the-rocks rum drink; the Aus Tralian with vodka, raspberry and lemonade; and the Godiva white chocolate martini.

Just for fun

Wings go well with sports, and you won't miss any of the action here. TV screens line the dining room, with four plasma sets over the bar. And each booth sports its own 15-inch set for your personal viewing selection.

Coming soon

More WOW cafes are slated to open soon in the Kennesaw and Alpharetta areas.

WOW CAFE AND WINGERY

• Where: 1370 Buford Highway, Cumming; 770-888-4840

• Signature dish: wings, wings and more wings, served by the pound with 17 different sauces

• Entree prices: $7-$13

• Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-midnight Fridays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays

• Reservations: yes

• Credit cards: yes

• Web site: www.wingery.com