Everyone who loves chicken wings likely has their own reasons, be it the sauce or the simple act of wolfing down a bucket with your friends while watching football. Before we went looking for the best hot wings, we spoke to someone who understands. For Jonathan Fox, of Atlanta’s Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, the appeal is simple.
“It’s the perfect hand-held bite—crunchy, spicy, flavorful… and you get to eat more than one!” says Fox.
Ever since Buffalo’s Anchor Bar introduced what are now known as Buffalo wings into the American diet, wings have practically become their own food group. There are different levels of heat, different styles of seasoning, and influences from cuisines of a host of nations. It’s all brought to bear on a modest cut of chicken.
What follows is a look at fifteen great places to get wings all over the country. In putting this list together, we sought out numerous perspectives: some of the restaurants here are chef choices; others are the happy hour or game-time favorite of the guy sitting down the bar. Whatever your palate, chances are good that you’ll find them delicious.
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1. D-Spot (Maplewood, MN)
Located just east of the Twin Cities, D-Spot takes the basic concept of wings and runs it through an abundance of variations. Their menu features some traditional flavors, and a host of bold choices as well — chorizo, lavender, and curries are among the flavors used in the dozens of options diners have to choose from. The presence of names like Iron Maiden (honey mustard and chili) and Goat’s Blood suggests that someone involved enjoys their share of heavy metal as well. We won’t argue with that.
