By Leon Fooksman

Don’t bother asking Carlton Hamilton for the recipes to his special sauces. The 29-year-old owner of Carlton’s Chicken & Seafood in Delray Beach makes them in private, blending his family’s recipes with his own culinary flair.

“They’re the secret to our success,” said Tiki Golfin, the restaurant’s manager.

In just over a year, the sauces for Carlton’s southern and Caribbean delights have indeed spawned an earnest following among hundreds of patrons, some coming in suits and ties from as far away as Fort Lauderdale and Riviera Beach for buffalo-style wings, chicken and waffles, and sweet tea and lemonade blends.

“I come twice a week,” said Angie Todd, a Delray Beach native who now lives in West Palm Beach. “I get the wings during the week and the breakfast on the weekends. That’s how good it is.”

In a nondescript storefront in the 700 block of West Atlantic Avenue, the eatery is a fast-food fueled environment where the orders come all day through the phone, door and the street. Sometimes customers shout the orders from passing cars, slowing down long enough to yell “10-piece garlic” and returning 10 minutes later to pick up warm boxes of seasoned wings.

There’s even “VIP” orders, reserved for the most loyal customers who can dial in their requests directly to Golfin’s cell phone.

“We have a lot of fun in here,” said Golfin, talking over the 5 p.m. news blaring from two television screens. “There’s all sorts of people in here with lots of interesting personalities. We love them all. Our goal is to satisfy them and fast.”

Hamilton and Golfin didn’t realized just how popular Carlton’s had become until November when they shut it down for three weeks to move from Southwest Fifth Avenue to West Atlantic Avenue.

Dozens of customers called, sent Facebook messages, and showed up at the new building wanting to know when they can again order.

“That was totally unexpected,” Hamilton said, still surprised by the demand months later.

As customers pass through Carlton’s door, they notice a take-out style setup with rows of tables. On the menu, the most popular fare is the 20 varieties of wings, including honey garlic, Thai, lemon pepper and golden BBQ. There’s plenty of sides to pick from like chicken gizzards, pork souse, fried okra and corn nuggets.

Carlton’s certainly isn’t known for its low carb meals. Golfin said they did serve salad for a while but were forced to take it off the menu.

“We ended up tossing the greens in the garbage every night,” she said. “No one wanted it.”

Hamilton understood early on that if he could prepare tasty foods, the crowds would come. He learned to cook watching his mother and grandmother prepare fried chicken, collared greens, and other soul food delicacies. And he saw the delight on the faces of his family and friends when they bit into their mouthwatering creations.

After working as a hair stylist, office clerk, and a mail carrier for much of his adult life, Hamilton opened his eatery in late 2008. As expected, his style of cooking caught on pretty fast.

He’s now attending Lincoln Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach to hone his cooking and business skills. He hopes to someday open more restaurants.

“I like to make people happy through good food,” he said.