Whole wings, serious seasoning and onion rings that might be worth the trip by themselves.

The first sign that lunch at Exotic Wings & Things was going to be good came before we had even ordered.

There was already a customer inside who started telling us how much we were going to love the food. He clearly knew the place pretty well because, when he finished eating and walked out the door, he told the guys working, “See you tomorrow.”

That is about as strong of an endorsement as a restaurant can get.

The guys working were super nice from the minute we walked in. One of them told us that once we tried the food, we would be back.

I know that sounds like something every restaurant might say, but after eating there, I believe him.

Let me say this up front. I am not calling this place good just because I want a local restaurant to do well. I love wings, and I have eaten plenty of them over the years.

These were really, really good.

I ordered eight whole wings with lemon pepper seasoning and a side of onion rings. I always like my wings extra crispy, and they got them just right. The outside had the perfect amount of crunch, but the chicken was not dried out.

They did not play around with the lemon pepper either. The seasoning was all over those whole wings, exactly like it should be. This was not one of those places where it tastes like somebody waved the seasoning shaker over the plate from across the room.

I also did not completely realize how much food eight whole wings would be. These are the full wings, not eight of the smaller individual pieces you normally get at a wing place.

That plate was no joke.

I almost never take food home from lunch, but two of those wings left with me.

The onion rings deserve their own paragraph. They were golden, crunchy and some of the best onion rings I have had in a long time. Honestly, they might have been some of the best I have had, period.

The guy I was having lunch with ordered buffalo-sauced wings. I am not even going to pretend I remember exactly which flavor he chose because I was too busy working on my own plate. What I do remember is that he loved his too.

Then there was the bread.

My wings came with two pieces of white bread sitting on top and four more underneath. Six pieces of bread with one order of wings. I do not know whether that is how every order comes out, but I can tell you that nobody is leaving hungry.

One of my favorite things about the menu is the number of different quantities you can order, especially with the whole wings. You can get four, five, six, seven or eight whole wings, then go up to the larger orders from there.

More wing places need to do that.

A lot of the time, you are locked into ordering 10 or 15 wings, and that is usually more than I personally want. At Exotic Wings & Things, you can order an amount that actually fits your appetite.

They also have the smaller buffalo-style wings if that is what you prefer. The flavor list includes hot, mild, lemon pepper, wet lemon pepper, honey barbecue, honey mustard, sweet chili, teriyaki, Cajun ranch, garlic parmesan and several others.

The rest of the menu is much bigger than I expected too. They have fish and shrimp combinations, chicken fingers, burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, salads, hot dogs, chicken livers, gizzards and plenty of sides.

You can mix fish, shrimp and wings in several of the combination meals. Sides include fries, Cajun fries, corn nuggets, fried pickles, okra, onion rings and more.

It is the kind of menu that has you planning what you are going to try next before you have even finished your first meal.

The restaurant itself is simple, casual and comfortable. You order at the counter, grab a table and let the food be the main attraction. That is exactly what you want from a good local wing spot.

Local restaurants need more than likes and shares. They need people to walk through the door, place an order and tell somebody when the food is good.

But this is not one of those “support it just because it is local” stories.

Go because the food is flat-out delicious.

The regular customer who said, “See you tomorrow,” may have had the right idea. The guys told us that once we tried it, we would be back.

After one lunch, I understand why.