When Wings general manager Willie Lum asks executive chef Jesse Galang to change up the menu, he isn't just talking about adding more chicken wing flavours. That's because at the Wings Pub and Grill at 6879 Kingsway, wings form only a small part of the menu.

"The Wings brand is about fun, food and drinks in a relaxed and fun atmosphere," said Chandni Chaube, marketing and communications spokesperson for the restaurant, one of six in the chain spread throughout the Lower Mainland.

The Burnaby location opened in July 2009, and Lum has been very pleased with how business has gone.

"We're very happy with how the neighbourhood has embraced us," said Lum. "And we're continually adding to our menu so that you can literally have something different every time you come here."

On a recent sunny afternoon, I sat down with Lum and Chaube and tasted some of the finest casual dining in Burnaby.

We started with the sliders ($8.79), three loaded mini cheeseburgers with Yukon jack sauce.

They were pretty good, with the sauce perfectly complementing the beef, but as in old-time figure skating marks, I can't hand out my 6.0 rating until I've taste-tested sliders all throughout Vancouver.

We then went with the shrimp gyoza ($6.99), which is a great dish with an Oriental twist.

Next came the undercard combo ($10.99), which is a nice sampling of appies, including dry ribs, wings, chips and fresh veggies, complete with three dipping sauces: the plum, red aioli and ranch. For my money, the red aioli is the best, with just enough of a bite to keep you interested.

That got me warmed up for the requisite wings - which were the three chili-pepper-rated Jakarta heat wings ($7.69 per pound regular price or $1 for a sampler wing).

"Jesse wanted to create something that wasn't as hot as the Bobby wings, so that's how we got the Jakarta wings on the menu," said Chaube.

(Bobby wings, for those who haven't dared try them, are described half-jokingly on the menu as needing a signed release form to order them.)

"We've gotten some great feedback on those wings, and it's becoming one of our most popular wings."

For my main, I had to go with Chaube's personal suggestion of the salmon motoyaki ($14.79).

The mayo glaze on the wild sockeye salmon made this dish something you'd find at a high-end dining establishment.

"Jesse has created some great dishes, and we even had a charity auction recently where people bid $1,000 to have a meal specially made for them by Jesse," said Chaube.

The spirit of charity at Wings means the restaurants in the chain are often fundraising for B.C. Children's Hospital.

For example, during one May fundraiser, more than $5,000 was raised for the hospital.

"We really love giving back to the community that supports us," said Lum.

Also bringing more recognition to the Wings brand is their web presence at www.greatwings.ca, where specials and alerts are posted. And in partnership with some local radio stations, Wings has hosted live call-in radio chats for pre- and post-game sports matches.

"Keep your eyes out for it to take place in Burnaby," said Chaube."We're always trying to make our restaurants better."