These Are The Best Chicken Wings In America
The humble chicken wing. The favorite food of football Sundays, hockey night Saturdays, and served for dirt cheap in bars across America. It's one of the most iconic foods in the United States and has been flavored and served in every way you can imagine. Let's explore the best places to go for wings in America.
Island Wing Company: Gulf Shores, AL
As the Island Wing Company decides to bake chicken wings rather than fry them, you'll eat a much healthier wing. With flavors like jalapeño ranch, wasabi ranch, and jerk sauce, you'll love Island Wing's baked chicken wings if you love the heat. They also have honey mustard and chipotle ranch for those less crazy about the spice, along with a dozen other wing sauce flavors with varying degrees of spice.
That Wing Place: Anchorage, AK
If you like a decent sports bar to chomp on some chicken wings, then Anchorage's That Wing Place is perfect! Their signature dry rub or buffalo wings are to die for. If wings aren't your thing, they also have delicious burgers and subs.
Long Wong's: Phoenix, AZ
Long Wong's has maintained the same ownership for 34 years and is well-known for their creative ways to present delicious wings. On Valentine's Day, you can take the love of your life for a delicious bouquet of wings.
Charcoal: Venice, CA
With a name like "Charcoal" and a Michelin-star chef at the helm, you know these wings are going to be something special. Their smoked, grilled chicken wings are one among a host of favorite dishes by those who've attended Charcoal.
CD's Wings: Westminster, CO
Using a made-to-order approach, CD's Wings in Westminster, Colorado has all-fresh chicken wings—with house-made sauces like their iconic buffalo sauce. They offer a variety of combos depending on the day of the week and offer a new flavor every month: This month's (October 2024) is Spicy Alabama BBQ.
Timothy's Taverne: Plainville, CT
Despite being in a place called Plainville, Timothy's Taverne wings are anything but plain! Offering wings in quantities of six, 10, 20, or a bucket of 40, Timothy's Taverne has six flavors, including: a classic buffalo, a buffalo chipotle dry, or a teriyaki or sweet red chili flavor, if you're seeking a spicier wing.
Wing Factory: Atlanta, GA
The Wing Factory has opened four locations across Georgia, so no matter where you are, you'll be able to get your fill of these delicious wings. With dozens of sauces to choose from and up to 48 wings available, the Wing Factory has whatever your wing-wanting taste buds desire, wherever you are in Georgia.
Hilo Tavern: Hilo, HI
Some of the best wings on the island can be found at Hilo Tavern in Hilo, HI. Coming in 11 different varieties, including unique "Kimchi" and "Teriyaki Garlic" flavors, Hilo Tavern's wonderful wings can be combined with many dipping sauces to adapt them to your palate.
Twin Peaks: Boise, ID
Offering smoked or grilled wings in five different styles and 12 different sauces, including a few very hot ones and two different rubs, one of which nearly breaks the spice-o-meter, Twin Peaks is a great place to go for wings if you're looking to adhere to the old adage: "Variety is the spice of life".
MarkScottAustinTX, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Great Sea Chinese Restaurant: Chicago, IL
Although primarily known as a Chinese restaurant, Great Sea in Chicago, Illinois has some spectacular wings. Cooked and shaped like the head of a broccoli, with the wing at the bottom and meat at the top, the "Lollipop wings," as they're known, pack one heck of a punch—be prepared with water or milk!
R&R Extreme Wings: Indianapolis, ID
Maybe they're called "R&R" because rest and recuperation is what you'll need after eating their wings. These delicious wings are offered bone-in and boneless and can be served with more than two dozen sauces, including some unique flavors like "Mango Habanero", "Panda Orange," "Lemon Yaki," and the secretive "Founder's Favorite".
Jethro's BBQ: Des Moines, IA
Jethro's barbecue has many locations across the state of Iowa, but its OG branch in Des Moines is where you'll find the best of its classic barbecue wings. Despite having many other flavors on offer, we recommend that you stick with the classic for the best experience.
Q39: Kansas City, KS
Dubbed (according to their menu) as the "Best Wings On The Planet", Q39 in Kansas City serves their wings with a classic chipotle barbecue sauce. To ensure maximum flavor, their chicken wings are tossed in a marinade and then refrigerated overnight to ensure that the amazing flavor is locked in.
Chik'n And Mi: Louisville, KY
Chik'n and Mi in Louisville, KY specializes in Asian cuisine and infuses this into their wings with either a three-piece or five-piece chicken wing meal, tossed in either Sweet Soy, Hot Jaew Bong, X-tra Hot, or Naked wings with a peppercorn ranch sauce. To take the heat off, you can order a gorgeous key lime pie for dessert.
Willy's Ale Room: Acton, ME
A sports bar to rival all others, Willy's Ale Room in Acton, Maine serves all manner of pub fare, but their chunky wings packed with meat are unmissable! They also come with more than two dozen sauce options, including a few that are "Willy's Own".
Delia Foley's: Baltimore, MD
What happens when you fuse the best Irish pub in Baltimore with classic American chicken wings? You get the wings served at Delia Foley's in Baltimore, Maryland. Available in either small, medium, or "jumbo wing" sizes and with over 35 sauces to choose from, Delia Foley's is the perfect place to have a Guinness with your chicken wing order, for the ultimate experience in American/Irish fusion.
Smoke Shop Barbecue: Boston, MA
The Smoke Shop Barbecue in Boston, Massachusetts is famous for their wings and their massive selection of over 200 whiskies. Offering their most popular smoked wings, tossed with agave nectar and pit spices, or a "hot wings" flavor, the Smoke Shop Barbecue in Boston is one of the best places for wings on the entire Eastern Seaboard.
Wing Doozy: Grand Rapids, MI
Wings here are a doozy! Winner of the "Best Wings In Michigan" for seven years in a row between 2017 and 2024, Wing Doozy does wings best. Whether you're looking for a classic wing or a "jumbo" wing, they can help. With dozens of sauces available, Wing Doozy is the "best of the west" in chicken wing excellence.
D-Spot: Oakdale, MN
If you're looking for great wings in Minnesota, this is "D Spot". While making everything in-house, from scratch, they've chosen to offer a more unique chicken wing than their competitors, achieving full marks for creativity with their lavender, peppercorn, mustard vinegar, or the even more adventurous chocolate sauces with crushed nuts.
Gobble Stop Smokehouse: Creve Coeur, MO
Slowly smoked for hours before serving and flavored with their best in-house herbs and spices, Gobble Stop Smokehouse's wings are award-winning and legendary among Missourians. Available in either six or eight-wing sizing with a slice of bread and a regular-sized side, you come to Gobble Stop for the wings.
Sodanie Chea, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Desperado Sports Tavern: Missoula, MT
These large chicken wings fit right in with the upbeat vibe of the Desperado Sports Tavern. Available naked or with nine other sauces including Garlic Parmesan, Sissy Teriyaki, or a Hawaiian-inspired "Maui Wowie", you simply have to try the wings at the Desperado Sports Tavern.
Q Bistro: Las Vegas, NV
As a delicious Asian restaurant, Q Bistro serves their delectable chicken with a huge amount of flavors inspired by the rest of their cuisine. Six wings are served alongside a pile of fries as part of their "Western" cuisine offerings, and with a host of sauces to choose from, these are the best wings in Las Vegas.
Dolsot House: Cherry Hill, NJ
If you like your wings Korean-style, then Dolsot House in Cherry Hill, NJ is the best place to find them in New Jersey. Offering the typical texture of a Korean-style wing, fried to perfection to reduce fat content in the skins, Dolsot House's barbecue wings (in particular) are a local favorite not to be missed.
Cowgirl: Santa Fe, NM
On any trip through Santa Fe, Cowgirl is the one place you should stop for a bite to eat. Not just for their incredible wings, but their kid-friendly spaces are awesome, too. But back to the wings: they're offered in three main flavors, including House, Jerk, or "Ring of Fire"—the latter of which is served with chopped habaneros and tossed in Salsa Diablo. Fair warning: Your head may explode. If you can stand the heat, these are some of the best wings in New Mexico.
Bar GOTO: New York, NY
If you like the finer things in life, then this upscale bar in New York City serves some of the best wings in a highly-contested area for chicken wings. Gorgeously tender wings offered in a few sauce options are tossed in sesame seeds for extra texture and have green onions sprinkled atop for a bit of a punch.
D.D. Peckers Wing Shack: Charlotte, NC
Like to mix and match your wings? Then D.D Peckers Wing Shack in Charlotte, North Carolina is the place to go! Whether you're buying wings for one, or 10 people, they'll serve your wings in a platter of between five and 100 wings. You don't have to get all the same—you can mix and match across sauces and rubs, allowing you to experiment with flavors.
RFondren Photography, Shutterstock
Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill: Reynoldsburg, OH
Smokey Bones Bar in Reynoldsburg, Ohio is one of the best places to get wings in the state. Whether you get boneless, traditional jumbo wings, or smoked jumbo wings, each are dusted with a delicious house seasoning and covered in their honey-inspired sweet barbecue glaze and served with a sauce of your choosing.
v343790, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Chick N Beer: Oklahoma City, OK
If you like chicken and beer, then a restaurant that advertises both of those things should be right up your alley! The delicious chicken wings at Chick N Beer are made from free-range chickens from nearby Crystal Lake, so you know what's in them! Served as six, 12, or 18-wing portions (available as gluten free), Chick N Beer wings can be served with a dozen different sauces covering a range of flavors and spiciness.
Fire On The Mountain: Portland, OR
Fire On The Mountain in Portland, Oregon has a second location in Bend, OR, but their most famous wings came from here first. With each location having different variations of chicken wings, you can also ask for a mixed sauce dish, allowing you to sample different flavors across different plates. If you like heat, X-tra Hot and Spicy Peanut are two fan favorites not to be missed.
Joe's Famous Wings: Leola, PA
This small family-run restaurant in Leola, Pennsylvania is frequently touted as some of the best wings in Pennsylvania. If you live near Lancaster and have been to a Lancaster Barnstormers game, you may have seen Joe's Famous Wings there. With more sauces on offer and three wing plate sizes—20, 40, and 60 wings—you're sure to find a great wing at Joe's.
Brass Monkey: Providence, RI
Brass Monkey's excellent restaurant in Providence doesn't just serve wings, but their two styles of wing, a buttermilk fried wing and a shredded turkey wing, are among the city's favorites. Monday's daily deal is half-off wings, if you get there early enough—just a small helpful tidbit to help you dive into Brass Monkey's wings.
Jeffrey Dorfsman, Shutterstock
Firehouse Brewing Company: Rapid City, SD
Firehouse Brewing Company in Rapid City, South Dakota doesn't just do great beer. They're also a wing connoisseur, offering boneless wings served with a delicious spicy barbecue sauce, or traditional (bone-in) wings lathered in cayenne pepper sauce, with a cooling ranch on the side if you struggle to stomach the heat. They also offer a "Wings and Rings" combo, combining delicious onion rings with their chicken wings.
Germantown Pub: Nashville, TN
Offering five types of wings in quantities of six or 12, the Germantown Pub knows how to do wings properly. With flavors like Garlic Parmesan, Lemon Pepper, a smoked "Germantown" flavor, or "Nashville Hot", you're spoiled for choice at this delicious eatery in Nashville.
The Hay Merchant: Houston, TX
Among the best craft beer bars in the United States, The Hay Merchant's wings compliment their beverages beautifully. Available with six tasty sauces—Auntie's Masala, PB&J, Caramelized Fish Sauce, Stout BBQ, Gochujang, and Classic—these wings are the perfect addition to any beer order at The Hay Merchant.
Rocky Mountain Wingshak: American Fork, UT
Transporting an original buffalo wings recipe across the country takes some doing, but that's what the family-owned Rocky Mountain Wingshak in American Fork, UT have done. Offering both bone-in and boneless wings, Rocky Mountain Wingshak offers between five and 100 wings and many wing-centric specials. They also offer a dozen sauces including lemon pepper, spicy Hawaiian, garlic pepper, and hot teriyaki. The sauces are also available as bottles, if you find you really like them.
Boneless Chicken Wings In Court
No, this isn't about an accused party chowing down on some wings, but rather a man in Ohio that took Wings On Brockwood to court in 2016, after a small sliver of bone in the boneless wings he'd ordered caused a tear in his esophagus and subsequent infection. His claim was that the restaurant failed to warn him that the "boneless" wings could indeed have bone in them.
The case went all the way up to Ohio's Supreme Court, which ruled four to three in favor of the restaurant, with Justice Joseph Deters stating: " A diner reading ‘boneless wings’ on a menu would no more believe that the restaurant was warranting the absence of bones in the items than believe that the items were made from chicken wings, just as a person eating ‘chicken fingers’ would know that he had not been served fingers".
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