Tree’s Wings recipe for success a family secret

By ANGIE FRANCALANCIA
Neighborhood News Group
Posted July 28, 2011

When Andy Maynard took over a little wings and barbecue place in Royal Palm Beach in the mid 1990s, he inherited a couple secret formulas and the beginnings of a loyal following.

Sixteen years later, Tree’s Wings and Ribs is an area institution. They broke ground early on as one of the only places to deliver dinner far and wide in the Western Communities. While some customers were regulars for delivery or take-out, others enjoyed the comfortable family atmosphere with the big wooden tables.

Perhaps no one was sure why the wings kept them coming back, but Maynard thinks he knows:

“We have our own proprietary way of doing wings,” Maynard said. “We’ve perfected a three-fryer cooking system.” Don’t ask him to tell you more. It is a restaurant secret.

The system, coupled with sauces made in the restaurant, makes Tree’s the “go to” place for wing aficionados.

Original owner Glenn “Tree” Thompson formulated both the unusual cooking system and the flavorful sauces. A year later Maynard bought him out. He kept what worked – the secret sauces – and tweaked the system to keep up with the growing volume.

Before expanding, there was routinely a wait for a table. Now, the customers are divided between those who eat in, those who take out, and those who let Tree’s deliver to them.

Trees was voted Best Wings in Forum Publishing’s Best of the West contest for 12 years in a row, and Tree’s won the People’s Choice award for best ribs at the WIRK Rib Round-up at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

The baby back ribs are done in traditional barbecue style – slow-cooked until they’re falling off the bone. And the sauce is one of those secret formulas. Created by Tree himself, it’s never been altered. And it’s so unusual, no one would be able to copy it, Maynard said.

Most people heading to Tree’s are hankering for wings or ribs, but Tree’s menu includes such a wide variety that it could easily satisfy everyone’s tastes. Tree’s serves seafood, burgers and salads as well as the selection of barbecue.

Some of the appetizers are house-made, including the popular jalapeño poppers and table-size serving of nachos. Seafood lovers will appreciate the real smoked marlin in the house-made fish dip recipe.

Tree’s has two separate dining rooms and two bars. One room, known as Tree’s Lounge, is set aside for grown-ups only. There’s a bar with large-screen TVs offering a prime spot to watch football, baseball and more.

But Tree’s clientele always has been families. The tables are big enough for a crowd.

If your favorite family table is at your own house, Tree’s has a few special deals on the take-out menu, including the famous “Family Deal of the Decade.” It’s a combo of wings, ribs and sides sure to satisfy even the biggest appetites.

Now, customers are eating for less at Tree’s since every order earns a spin of Tree’s prize wheel for “Tree’s Dollars.” Patrons win anywhere between $1 and $10 to put toward their next order. The restaurant is open 7 days a week from
11 a.m. to midnight.