When someone says “turkey”, you might think of Thanksgiving. Maybe you envision the barbequed turkey drumsticks served at the Ren Faire. Or perhaps you envision the tender smoked turkey legs stuffed with macaroni and cheese and yams served at local restaurants like 1700 Pull Up.

But when Ollie Banks talks about turkey, he’s only talking about one thing: turkey wings.

But these aren’t just any turkey wings. They’re a passion project for Banks, a longtime food lover who has spent the past three years honing his skills at the smoker with the goal of creating the most flavorful, tender smoked turkey wings imaginable.

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In his case, he says the secrets lie in his flavorful dry rub, which permeates the wings overnight, as well as his smoking technique, which uses a Pit Boss 1600 Wood Pellet Grill and hickory blend hardwood pellets to imbue the wings with flavor and render them tender and memorably juicy.

Milwaukeeans got their first taste of Banks’ wings last Friday, when he debuted his new mobile food operation T-Birds Wings at 400 N. Broadway in the Historic Third Ward. And Banks says he’ll be back every Friday from 6 to 10 p.m., expanding his hours as demand warrants.

Taking tips from the pros

“As a teenager, my grandmother brought me to Elsa’s,” Banks says. “We’d go out on a Friday and get wings,  and I loved it. It was such a classy, upscale lounge. And its appeal came from the level of detail that Karl Kopp put into every single element.”

Banks says he always appreciated food. He took inspiration from the simple success of iconic food vendors like Rick Karbash and Jeremy McCown of Real Doggs, the iconic hot dog cart that’s been a fixture at the corner of Wisconsin and Water Streets for over 20 years. And he took note when places like Smoke Shack in the Third Ward introduced smoked wings on their menus.

When he moved back to Milwaukee in 2021 after years living in California and Texas, he says he made his first batch of turkey wings for a get-together with friends at his house. 

“I’d never seen turkey wings at the store before,” he says, “But I remember being impressed with their size, so I brought some home.”

His first batch? “They were terrible,” he admits. “But I kept on going. I became obsessed with focusing and perfecting one item. And that item turned out to be the turkey wing.”

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Banks says the idea for starting a food business came up when his stepfather, someone he’d always looked up to for his grilling skills, told him that his wings were good enough to sell. The idea took root, and Banks found himself thinking about the best place to launch a mobile food operation. 

“I knew I wanted to stay in Milwaukee,” he says. “Even after traveling and living in other places, this city has my heart. And when I began to think about where I’d like to open up my own brick and mortar restaurant, I couldn’t think of a place I’d rather do it than in the Third Ward.”

For now, he says, T-Birds is just a side hustle, which he’s running with assistance from his cousin Tremell Anderson. But he’s planning for growth.

“I’m taking things one step at a time,” he says. “The first step is to get to know my neighbors. I want to be open in a spot where people know where to find me. I’m hoping to get to know the neighborhood and hopefully get some people to come and visit the Third Ward as well. If all goes well, I’ll expand my hours on Fridays and then add additional days when there seems to be enough demand.”

What’s in a name? 

Banks is hopeful that – for customers – the name T-Birds will soon be synonymous with his tender, smoked turkey wings. 

But the name itself holds far more meaning for the aspiring entrepreneur, who still relishes the childhood memories of riding along as a passenger in his grandfather’s 1956 Thunderbird.

“I still remember asking my grandfather if I could borrow the car to take it for prom,” says Banks. “He didn’t even think about it. The answer was ‘no’.”

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In fact, it wasn’t until years later that Banks drove the car for the first time. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic, and he’d made the decision to move to Texas to help his grandmother care for his grandfather, who’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

“While I was there, I took my grandfather to a car show,” Banks says, “And for the first time, he let me take the wheel.”

Even more, when his grandfather passed, he left the Thunderbird in Banks’ care.

“So, yes, when people hear the word T-Birds, I want them to think of my wings,” he says. “But the name will always have a double meaning for me, and it will always remind me of my grandfather.”

T-Birds Wings serves signature smoked turkey wings at the corner of St. Paul Avenue and Broadway on Friday evenings from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. No cash accepted. Preorders can be placed online.