Rumbergers brings the wings

Opened in March, this new Black-owned restaurant is one to try. Nestled beside San Maru and across from Jupiter’s at The Crossing in Champaign, Rumbergers is open daily and serving up fresh, fried-to-order wings.

I’m a sucker for wings; if it’s on the menu, I’m ordering them. When I heard about a new wing spot in town, I couldn’t resist. The menu is simple with lots of wings options for traditional bone-in wings in addition to boneless wings plus section of appetizers. If you missed it during this past Black Restaurant Weekend, you should definitely give it a try.

Rumbergers was easy to find in The Crossing. Parking is available right in front of the store, and there are lots of spots nearby in those are full. 

I ordered our meal online, and it was a great experience. In the online ordering interface, you can customize so much of your order: from the style (bone-in or boneless) and crispiness of your wings (soft, crispy, or normal) to the 14 different sauces. There’s even an option to add a cup of cheese to your wings order.

I was able to place my order and pick it up within 20 minutes. There’s also an option to schedule a pickup for later in the day, if you prefer.

The inside of the restaurant was really fresh and modern. I particularly liked the orange and blue color scheme. Hopefully, dining-in will be an option sometime soon because the interior of Rumbergers looks like a fun place to sit and enjoy some wings.

I picked up my order and drove it home to eat. My husband and I each ordered wings, and we split three appetizers.

It was a lot of food, but it was hard to decide what to order as it all sounded delicious. 

I ordered traditional bone-in wings ($9.50) with two sauces. All ten of my wings were so crispy, and they smelled amazing. The first sauce was a dry rub parmesan garlic.

It was a salty, parmesan crumble rub with strong garlic and pepper flavors. Inside, the meat was juicy and tender, easy to bite off the bone. It was a delicious, flavorful rub that enhanced the wings, and I recommend it.

Since the name was Rumbergers, I had to try the rum sauce on half of my wings. It was a brown sauce that was thick and sticky. The sauce had a sweet rum taste with a brown sugar glaze and a slightly smoky flavor. I was all about this sauce. Next time, I might splurge for an extra cup of this rum sauce on the side.

My husband ordered ten boneless wings ($9.50) with two sauces as well. He had teriyaki sauce on half of his wings. The teriyaki sauce was salty and thick. Even with a wet sauce, the boneless wings were still very crispy.

He also tried the parmesan garlic rub which was salty and garlicky just like mine. He ordered his wings extra crispy, and they were so crunchy and delicious.

Even with ordering online, picking up in store, and taking it home to eat — and the wings were still hot. I love how crispy these wings are, and I was sad when I looked down, and there were no more. Wings options are in amounts of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 wings. Next time, I’ll be getting way more.

We ordered the small onion rings ($3.99) as a side. They were crispy rings with a light batter and substantial soft onion center: exactly what I like in onion rings. They are a must have on carry out or delivery orders.

The broccoli bites are something out of this world. You can order them regular ($4.50) or dirty ($5.10), which includes the special spices. I tried the dirty broccoli bites, and I couldn’t stop talking about them. They have a thick batter that gives a great crunch. Inside, the center is a smoky, salty filling of cheese, broccoli, and onion. Just a big, cheesy ball of fried goodness. I think the dirty seasoning on these broccoli bites take it to another level.

The last thing we tried was the Rum Buns ($3). They are fluffy, fried dough balls, like donuts without a hole. They’re slightly crispy on the outside and have a buttery, pillowy center. They aren’t as sweet as most desserts, and they are definitely less sweet that regular donuts, but they are sweet enough. A perfect dessert — if you can fit anything after all the wings and sides — or a perfect breakfast the morning after. We heated three of these up in the oven for five minutes, and it was the most amazing way to start the day.

All in all, Rumbergers is going to become a go-to spot for wings in Champaign. The staff was friendly, and the food was fantastic. Ordering online is simple. The only thing I’d do differently next time was to order more wings. 

Rumbergers
2502 Village Green Place
Champaign
Su 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
M-W 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Th-Sa 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.