Chicken Lovers Agree, These Are The 8 Best Wing Joints In The US
Chicken wings are one of the most popular game day foods around, with the National Chicken Council reporting that almost 1.5 billion of them would be eaten on Super Bowl Sunday in 2024. But they aren't just for the weekends or sports watching. Since the first Buffalo wings were created in 1964, the chicken pieces have been gaining popularity. While it's rare to find $0.10 wing nights anymore, the market for wings is only growing. In fact, a study by Market Intelo estimates that global wing restaurant sales will reach more than $118 billion by 2034.
Fans of the food always seem to be debating who makes the best ones, and many have passionate opinions on the matter. These spots are widely agreed upon as having some of the best chicken wings in the U.S. And, of course, if you'd like to make your own at home after sampling a few of the places on this list, here are a few tips to elevate your wings and a ranking of every way to cook them.
Bar Bill Tavern
The original Bar Bill location in East Aurora, New York opened in 1983. Since then, two more locations have been established and all are well-known for fantastic jumbo wings and drumsticks. There are over a dozen sauces, including Cajun honey butter barbecue, Sicilian, Honey Dijon, and extra hot. The wings come in sets of 10 or 20, depending on if you want to share or not. And with how good the flavor is, sharing could be hard to do.
One person was so impressed, they said the wings here set a new benchmark for them to measure other versions against, while another said these were the best wings they'd had in their life. The wings are never frozen, and reviewers note the skin's excellent texture and the juiciness of the meat. The blue cheese sauce is made in-house, and the Cajun honey butter barbecue sauce is one of the most highly praised flavors. To see if you agree, you'll just have to make the journey to the Buffalo-area yourself.
Multiple locations
Booty's Wings
Booty's Wings is remembered as much for its name as it is for the spectacular chicken it creates. Named for one of the founders, Andy LiButti, the restaurant has been in business since 2012. It's expanded into three locations and has won numerous awards, including 21 from the National Buffalo Wing Festival. Booty's serves boneless and traditional versions of its wings, which come in a wide variety of dry rub and sauce flavors. You can order them from the regular menu, as a lunch special, or for a discounted price on Wing Wednesdays.
Some of the most popular flavors include the Buffalo garlic parmesan, mango chipotle, mesquite, desert sweet heat, and Asian Kaijo. The hickory ranch sauce has won awards, and customers love the house-made ranch and blue cheese dips, too. The wings are crispy and have great flavor, and people call them outstanding. Fans note the meals don't disappoint, even when the sports bar is especially crowded during a game.
Multiple locations
San Tung
San Tung has been serving some of the most incredible wings San Francisco has to offer since 1986. They were placed on Food & Wine's best wings in America list in 2019, and the reviewer suggested getting the dry-fried version with garlic, roasted red peppers, and ginger. The wings are battered and deep fried twice to create an unbelievably crunchy exterior. And the sauce is highly praised, too. Fans say the condiment covering the wings is sweet, but not overly so, and it has a hint of caramelization and spice to it.
Fans report the restaurant and wings live up to the hype around them, with some calling the chicken the best wings ever. The coveted protein is a good value for the taste and quality, with customers saying the meat is juicy, flavorful, and served hot. Take a pro tip and call in a takeout order. You'll be able to get the wings much faster than waiting in line for a table. To make crispy wings at home, try using the air fryer for crunchy skin and less mess than usual.
(415) 242-0828
1031 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
Ale Emporium
Ale Emporium is home to some of the best wings in Indianapolis and the country. And that's not hyperbole. When Love Food chose the best wings in each state in 2025, Ale Emporium represented Indiana with its Hermanaki wings (more on those in a second). The restaurant has been around since the early 1980s and has grown into four locations. The original spot in Indianapolis has nearly 200 televisions for sports fans to enjoy and almost 100 beers on tap to go along with the wings. You can even listen to a live band while snacking.
Try the wings in either boneless or traditional style, and they can come with one of eight traditional sauces or one of the four "Herman" sauces. Herman was once a line cook and co-owner at the restaurant who came up with many of the flavors. His specialty blends are a secret combination of peppers, spices, and the Ale's house sauce. The famous Hermanaki wings add teriyaki sauce into that mix, creating something that's sweet, smoky, and spicy. Fans call the place their favorite spot for wings, saying they are a must-try and delicious, particularly with the house-made blue cheese dip.
Multiple locations
17th Street Barbecue
The founder of 17th Street Barbecue was a legend on the barbecue competition circuit. Mike Mills began the restaurant in 1985 while also winning numerous world and international barbecue titles. He was even nominated for a James Beard award for his book "Peace, Love, and Barbecue" in 2006. Sadly, he passed away in 2020, but his daughter, Amy Mills, took over the restaurant while expanding the business into pre-packaged sauces and its signature seasoning, Magic Dust. All that's to say the 17th Street Barbecue really knows how to smoke a chicken wing (or 12).
The wings come in batches of eight and are smoked before going on the grill. Then, they're tossed in a house-made spicy sauce, and fans can't get enough of them. Multiple fans say the chicken is among the best they've had and appreciate the smoky flavor. The wings are tender and are described as both outstanding and awesome.
(618) 684-3722
32 N 17th St, Murphysboro, IL 62966
Crisp
Opened in 2008, Crisp is one of Chicago's best wings restaurants, although due to its small size, you might want to grab them to go. The Korean-inspired business is located in the Lakeview neighborhood, so you can take them to the shoreline for a snack in beautiful surroundings. But there are also picnic tables outside the place if you can't wait. Aside from wings, the spot has a variety of Buddha bowls, a Korean burrito, various house-made sauces, and kimchi. But the chicken is the star of the show. The oversized wings are hormone-free and cooked until they're juicy inside and crunchy outside.
A reviewer called the wings one of the best they'd ever eaten. The restaurant cooks them in a pressure cooker before double frying the meat for an incredibly crunchy coating. You can get either jumbo wings or oversized drumsticks with your sauces of choice, and you won't leave hungry. One popular item is the Seoul sassy wings, with a sweet soy and garlic sauce, but the barbecue sauce is also highly praised. If you want to have your own version of crispy chicken wings, you can use these tips for double frying to get you started.
(773) 697-7610
2940 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657
Crispy Gai
If might sound odd, but you can find some of the nation's best wings in Portland, Maine at a place called Crispy Gai. The restaurant began as a pop-up in 2020 and became a brick-and-mortar business the next year. The Thai-inspired menu includes dishes like pad see ew and rangoon spring rolls, but people from all over the country come to try the famous fried chicken and wings. That's hardly surprising considering the place has been featured on lists about the best restaurants in Portland and where to find the best wings in America.
Fans say the wings are among the best they've ever had and are juicy and tender. The spot also has some of the spiciest chicken in the city, although it isn't hot enough to make your eyes water or nose run. The wings have different levels of heat, with the Sichuan version being coated in numbing spice, while the Gaeng Pet kind is covered in red curry. One reviewer said her party couldn't stop licking the spices off their fingers.
The chicken is brined and double fried for maximum taste and has a crunch you can hear from across the room. You can achieve similar results at home by dry brining the wings a few hours before you cook them.
(207) 536-1017
90 Exchange St, Portland, ME 04101
CD's Wings
The only Colorado spot on this list belongs to CD's Wings. This family-owned business opened in 2003 and quickly became known for its wide variety of customizable chicken wing options. The joint is so popular that there are now two storefronts and two food trucks. The restaurant has won numerous accolades including being named among the best wings in Denver on three separate occasions. There's even a rotating flavor of the month for people to try something new on almost every visit.
Fans of CD's say they appreciate the value of the meal because the wings are consistently high quality with great flavor. One person even called them the GOAT (greatest of all time) of chicken wings. Other customers enjoy the house-made sauces, like blue cheese, buffalo, and ranch, and say the place lives up to its reputation. The chicken is cooked to order, helping to keep the flavors fresh and the meat juicy. In fact, the meat is incredibly tender and easily comes off the bone. Of course, if you'd rather not have bones at all, the restaurant does that, too. And if you're not in the Denver area, you can still make tender wings at home through a variety of methods.
Multiple locations
Methodology
Deciding which restaurants were good enough to make this list wasn't an easy task. So after narrowing down the initial pool of eateries that are known for making incredible chicken wings, I had to examine several factors. I looked at the overall customer experience, the value and taste of the meals, price points, and more.
I then consulted social media posts, comment threads, professional reviews, and local user review sites. Finally, only the restaurants with the best reviews across several platforms were chosen to be on the final list.