BHON FAQ
Last Updated: April 7, 2013
Q: What is BHON?
A: If you must ask, you obviously arn't very observant?
But to answer your question, BHON are the BAR HOPPERS Of NIAGARA. A
group whose sole goal is to find the ultimate chicken wing and best
overall wing establishment in the Southern Ontario / Western New York
area.
Q: When was BHON established?
A: BHON was established in September of 1996.
Q: How many people make up the BHON Group?
A: BHON has approximately thirty members (as of April 2013).
Q: How does BHON go about choosing establishments for their offical
meetings? What does it take to qualify?
A: Any bar/restaurant/tavern in the above mentioned geographical area
qualifies as a potential BHON spot. Sites are chosen arbitrarily by a
different member of the BHON Association every other week.
Q: When does BHON hold its meetings?
A: Alternating Thursday nights, 8:00pm unless otherwise advertised on
the wing page.
Q: How do I become a member of BHON?
A: Currently, new BHON members must be invited by an existing member.
Please see the BHON members page for membership information.
Q: Why do you guys do this?
A1: Because we like chicken wings.
A2: Because we like beer.
A3: Because we like to get out of the house on thursday nights.
A4: Because we have stressful jobs that require these vices in order
to prevent a "postal" incident.
A5: All of the above.
Q: How is the Overall Wingage Score determined?
Q: What does it take to earn a high BHON rating?
Q: Why did my bar/tavern score so poorly?
Q: How does BHON rate establishments?
A: The BHON rating system is based on many factors. The original
scale used was a simple 5-wing rating. However, as the organization
grew, the 5-wing scale was abandoned in favour of the current
DBSP rating system. The percentage given is a weighted average
obtained from the following key items:
WING SIZE: /10
- Big, meaty wings will yield a high score in this category, while
puny hummingbird wings definately will not! Nuff-said!
WING TASTE: /10
- A highly subjective category! Some members of BHON prefer a sweeter
barbecue taste, while others prefer a tangy, spicy taste. A wing that
appeases the majority of the crowd will get the points here. Points are
also awarded for unique sauce - is it just ketchup and frank's hot
sauce, or was there some effort put into it?
SAF (Sauce Adhesion Factor): /10
- Again a subjective category. Some members of BHON prefer a drier,
crispier wing, while others prefer them saucy. However, too little
sauce yields a bland, desert-storm style wing, while too much yields
a slimy, soggy wing. Kept between these extremes, and general consensus
says you'll be ok.
WING PRICE: /10
- Here's where many establishments also suffer...their wings are just
too damned expensive! I mean come on...Wings are a snack food. BHON has
witnessed wings that were up to $1.00 apiece, and when you're ordering
them 100 at a time, it makes for a costly night! Combine this with
expensive beer, and we generally don't stick around long.
WING VALUE: /10
- This rating is determined by weighing the wing price against the wing
size and quality. In all fairness, places may advertise cheap wings,
but if they are puny and unappealing, there's not much value!
Conversely, some places might have costlier wings, that are big and
tasty. BHON will always choose quality over price, provided the price
is not too outlandish!
WING HEAT: /10
- A subjective rating based on how hot those hot wings are! Ideally
hot wings should have a nice kick that makes you stand up and take
notice, without being painful! If you can't finish the tray because
your friggin face is melting off, they were definately too hot!
(see also ROFAR)
ROFAR (Ring of Fire Alarm Rating): /5
- This rating does not get averaged into the DBSP score. It is given
to wings that had a noticable afterburner effect the following day.
(You know what we mean!) 0 = No Problem 5 = Shittin' razor blades!
EVL (Environmental Flatulence Level): /5
- As with the ROFAR rating, the EVL score was introduced as an
indicator of wings that produce highly combustible gases. A level 5
means clear the building and stay away from open flame.
THE BAR:
ATMOSPHERE: /10
- Points given for an inviting, cozy, comfortable environment and for
unique decor features: patio, pool table, dart boards, couches, fireplace etc.
Points deducted for: flourescent lighting, plastic lawn furniture,
plastic beer cups, ugly decor and excessively loud/crappy music.
WAITER/WAITRESS: /10
- (Also known as the "Francis" factor) We're looking for cool people
here. Someone who'll take the time to insult and abuse us, while
bringing us beer and wings in a timely fashion. A personality is the
key here! Many bars would have scored much lower if it were not for
the attitude of the server!
TAVAR (T+A Value Added Resource): *BONUS*
- Perhaps not the most politically correct category, therefore is only
used where it will improve the overall score. To be fair, an
establishment's environment can be improved sigificantly by a high
TAVAR. (Or at least it tends to distract us from other negative
environmental factors ;)
BEER QUALITY: /10
- A variety of premium beers on tap earns a high score in this
category. At the very minimum, an prospective wingery should at least
have Rickerd's Red (The official BHON beer) or an equivalent dark
beer on tap. If we wanted water...
BEER PRICE: /10
- No pitchers? No draft? Bottles only? These will result in a poor
beer price score.
OVERALL BHON EXPERIENCE:
- Often, at the end of a BHON meeting, it becomes too difficult to
do the math due to excessive beer and wing consuption...therefore,
it is often necessary to assign an arbitrary score based on the above.
A general group concensus is used to determine the overall score
based generally on whether everyone had a good time.
Q: How do I recognize a BHON meeting? Do you call ahead or pre-book?
A: As a general rule BHON does not advertise its meetings, other than
posting them here. We prefer to remain anonymous, and simply arrive
unannounced, order some beer, some wings, and sit and talk.
Q: I am a bar owner and my site is reviewed on your page. I am unhappy
with your rating!
A: Drop us a line and let us know. We do revisit most places, and will
happily re-evaluate your location at some future time.
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