Ball Square - that place where everyone goes for karaoke and cheap drinks on Tuesday nights - has gotten a new restaurant. Don't feel remiss if you failed to notice the construction and grand opening signs typical of a new restaurant, because superficially nothing changed.
Instead, the wing house formally known as Zing Wingz unceremoniously became Sound Bites BBQ & Grille (complete with a lingering Zing Wingz sign above the establishment).
With the advent of the Grille, under new management and proudly boasting its affiliation with Sound Bites Caf?© (as if we couldn't tell by the name), Somerville and the Tufts community has finally gotten a decent wing place and a version of Sound Bites open later than three p.m.
The wings alluded to in its predecessor's moniker are again a staple item of the fledgling establishment's menu, this time accompanied by 14 Sound Bites sauces. Sound Bites wisely decided to keep those Zing Wingz selections that are tasty and diverse.
The traditional buffalo sauces range from weak - for those who can't handle much and just like a little flavor - to AZZ Spanking Buffalo sauce, which, embarrassingly, kicked this reviewer's AZZ.
However, the biggest change is in the chicken. No longer do the small, pathetic-looking chicken wings of Zing Wingz stare you in the face, laughing because they know you won't be satiated.
Instead, Sound Bites' new wings are double the size and damn delicious. The wings have large portions of meat and are fried, served crispy and hot. While not perfect due to the less-than-generous portions of sauce, they are by far the best wings within the area.
Aside from wings, Sound Bites has one other menu remnant from Zing Wingz worth mentioning: the "super roast beef" sandwich. Now, not all of us are lucky enough to have experienced Kelly's Roast Beef, but Sound Bites provides a worthy substitute. With the choice of any buffalo sauce and with roast beef piled so high the diner's hands strain from holding it, the roast beef sandwiches alone are worth a trip.
Of course, if you're not in the mood for a heart attack, or just want something a little bit healthier, Sound Bites' menu has a whole four pages of choices. Healthy options include the Greek chicken salad, which, sadly, isn't that special: While the grilled chicken on the salad is fantastic, the portion size could be bigger. However, the menu offers other temping salads, such as mozzarella/tomato and spinach and pear salads.
With wraps featuring hummus, veggies, cheese and grilled chicken, healthy eaters will be as happy as wingers. The Grille's wraps are nicely sized and have that fresh pita taste.
Sound Bites also offers a few items from its traditional menu "across the way." The fruit bowls are as big and fresh as ever, and the Mid-East combo plates look and taste authentic.
Despite its unappealing d?©cor, Sound Bites has great wings and a surprisingly diverse selection of foods. Average prices are $6 for eight wings and $5-$8 for a wrap (depending its interior). The chicken salads are a bit pricey at $7-$8 a pop, and the prices on the rib and pasta dinners seemed a bit much (though frankly, perhaps one should be a little skeptical of ribs and pasta dishes from a wing house anyway).
With the changing of the guard from Zing Wingz to Sound Bites BBQ & Grille, the Tufts community finally has a wing house it can be proud of, replete with tons of healthy extras not typically found in your average wing house.
