Once an underused part of the chicken, succulent, saucy wings are now essential on game day and a menu must-have at any self-respecting bar. Between flats and drums, smoked and deep fried, and Asian sticky sauce and Alabama white sauce, there’s a lot of variation in how they can be served. Feeling hungry? Don’t wing it. Here are the best spots in every state to eat the humble, messy meal.

“Yo’ Mama” is usually an insult hurled between high school students, however, after dining at classic American-style lunch spot Yo’ Mama’s Restaurant, “Yo Mama” can only be viewed as a compliment. It absolutely nails its hot wing recipe, resulting in the crispiest chicken you’ve ever eaten tossed in a savoury, sweet and spicy sauce. You can have them with French fries, bread, and ranch sauce, or Belgian waffles, fresh fruit, and syrup.

There’s a reason takeout joint 907 Wingman is the highest-rated wing spot in town. It offers dozens of flavors including Buffalo and Sweet Barbecue, and the number one bestseller, Garlic Sriracha, tastes like the wings were fried in freshly-chopped garlic. However, it’s not overpowering at all, as the kitchen is careful not to over-sauce the food. Plus, if you’re super picky, you can specify whether you prefer saucy or light.

If you want tender wings, where the bone slides straight out the flesh, family-run Valley Wings is the spot. Here, wings are cooked to perfection and tossed in tantalizing sauces and seasonings, such as the favored Honey Hot, which combines sweet and spicy. Find the dish at one of the joint’s three locations, based in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Apache Junction.

When a game is on, everyone heads to Foghorn’s Wings as it has multiple TV screens, cold beer, and the best wings in the state. First up, traditional wings are large, not small. Secondly, after they’ve been fried to perfection, they’re covered in just the right amount of sauce – you won’t be served slippery wings here. Finally, the flavor of the sauce is great.

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There are so many options for great chicken wings in California, particularly in San Francisco and Los Angeles. However, Chinese restaurant San Tung steals the chicken wing crown. Its original dry fried chicken wings, which are deep fried in batter with garlic, ginger, and roasted red peppers, receive rave reviews. Customers say they’re the crispiest, juiciest, sauciest, most flavorful wings ever, and definitely worth the hype.

Busy vendor Fire on the Mountain attracts customers from all over for its high-quality chicken wings (cage-free, hormone-free, and antibiotic-free). Plus the sauces the wings are tossed in and served with are phenomenal. Options such as Raspberry Habanero, Extra Hot Buffalo, and Cajun Dry Rub titillate. However, Spicy Peanut inspires mass glowing reviews. The dish also comes with celery sticks and blue cheese, or ranch dressing.

Around since the early 1990s, J. Timothy’s Taverne has earned its reputation as the finest wing purveyor around. It even has its own lingo and process for ordering them. First you’re asked, “what flavor?”, with options including original Buffalo, Honey Gold BBQ, Teriyaki, and Sweet Red Chili. But then it gets more complicated, because each flavor can also be ordered “dirt-style”, which means fried and sauced, then fried again, and sauced again. The result is beautifully caramelized wings.

A novel, special dish, Pineapple Express wings are slow cooked, fried in coconut breading, and served with a pineapple and jalapeño sauce. A favorite with customers for years, they’re described as “to-die-for”. The Crooked Hammock Brewery is an atmospheric pub with great cocktails and a dog-friendly beer garden. It has locations in Lewes, Middletown, and North Myrtle Beach.

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Hoping for some great wings in Orlando? Fun and friendly Korean fast food favorite Chi Kin serves some of the best around. Here the chicken pieces are double fried for the ultimate crunch, before being tossed in a sauce of your choice. The all-time favorite is Sweet Soy. Not too salty or sweet, it’s perfectly mild and great for spice phobes.

The best wings in Atlanta can be found at The Wing Bar, a joint set up by friends E and Asiaa, one a DJ, and the other a DJ and Spanish teacher, in 2017. Always on point, they’re “crunchy on the outside and sauced to perfection” according to satisfied customers. If you’re super indecisive, you can go half and half on flavors. But why gamble, when the Agave BBQ gets such great reviews?

Another Korean hero, Good Chicken must have been misnamed because its fried chicken wings are not good, they’re fantastic. The batter is light and crisp, despite the sauce that’s brushed over it – which is full of flavor too. Mild and subtle Honey Shoyu (honey soy glaze) is a crowd-pleaser. The staff here are also lovely.

Think chicken wings are only for game day? Think again. The Hibachi chicken wings from swanky bar and restaurant Barbacoa Grill take the humble food and turn it on its head. The dish comes with a hibachi, a portable Japanese charcoal cooker, which is great presentation, but it can also be used to toast up the glaze. As well as this, you get polenta chips and chipotle ranch.

You’ve heard of Buffalo wings and Korean wings, but what about Vietnamese wings? Crunchy on the outside and juicy in the middle, the crispy wings which come with Vietnamese fries from Cà Phê Đá, the new sister joint of popular Vietnamese fine dining restaurant HaiSous, are covered in an addictive, caramelized lacquer featuring fish sauce and crispy garlic. They're intense and unique. Choose between a portion of six or 18.

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Family-run sports bar Ale Emporium, which dates back to 1982, is famous for its Hermanaki wings. The intriguingly named dish, inspired by one of its founders, features jumbo wings seasoned with peppers and spices, and smothered in teriyaki sauce. The result is a little spicy and a little sweet. It’s finished with ranch or blue cheese sauce on the side. It has two more locations in Fishers and Greenwood.

Chilled sports bar 2 Dogs Pub serves some of the best bar food in Iowa, which means one thing: great chicken wings can be found here. Choose between boneless or jumbo bone-in, then select a sauce or dry rub – signature Buffalo and spicy Firestarter are popular. You can also ask that the wings are fried extra crispy. Then the final decision is ranch or blue cheese sauce for dipping. Whatever you get will come with carrots and celery.

At dive-style sports bar The Peanut, the wings take a little longer to cook (expect to wait at least 20 minutes) because they’re made fresh to order. But if you’re patient, you’re rewarded with juicy, full wings which are well seasoned and cooked to a crisp. They’re served with ranch dressing and fries. Find them at six locations in Kansas.

Lemon Pepper and Buffalo are both tried and true flavors, so Daddy Rich’s idea to make a mashup of the two was close to genius. Positively bursting with flavor, the lemon pepper Buffalo seasoning is spicy, zesty, and salty at the same time. Meanwhile, the meat is tender and the customer service is always on point.

A visit to New Orleans isn't complete without stopping at Bayou Hot Wings for a fix of lightly battered and sauced wings. Its options range from no spice (think: Garlic Butter Parmesan) to seriously hot (watch out for the Bayou Beast). In the middle is sweet and spicy Bayou Sweet Heat, a long-time favorite with customers. You can have the wings covered in it, or you can get it served on the side as a dip.

A fine example of classic Buffalo wings, The Great Lost Bear serves its wings whole instead of jointed, cooked until crunchy, and coated in a sweet and mildly spicy sauce. The serving is huge and comes with blue cheese dip. If that’s not enough of a reason to visit, The Great Lost Bear also has Maine-brewed beers and excellent customer service.

An unlikely place to find the best wings in the state, The Corner Bistro and Winebar is a quiet, intimate spot with great wine and great bar food. Order its bistro chicken wings and you’ll be served 10 crunchy, well-battered wings that have been coated in sweet chili sauce and have a ranch or blue cheese dipping sauce on the side. No one who orders this dish leaves disappointed.

At barbecue restaurants, chicken wings aren’t always people’s first choice when there's the option to enjoy meaty ribs, succulent brisket, and spicy links. However, at The Smoke Shop, which has five locations throughout the state, they shouldn’t be overlooked. To make the dish, wings are smoked for two hours, then lightly fried and tossed in agave syrup and spices. It’s often customers’ favorite dish out of all the items on the menu.

Some people say, if a restaurant only has one flavor of wing on the menu, it's a sign the dish is going to be good. And at atmospheric pub Sweetwater Tavern, running since the 1980s, the saying rings true. The award-winning Sweetwater Wings are marinated for 24 hours, so they’re intensely flavored but not super spicy, then they’re served with a cooling dip and celery and carrot sticks.

Looking for good wings in Minnesota? Check out funky sports bar Red Cow, which has five outposts in the state. Its Japanese Sticky wings, which are sweet and spicy with a hint of citrus, have been described as the "best ever". You can have them on the bone, or gluten-free and boneless.

At award-winning barbecue restaurant The Pig & Pint, the pecan-smoked wings in Pepsi-Cola glaze get customers talking. Comments are generally about how different they are, how flavorful they are and how the meat pulls so easily from the bone. And if that isn't enough smokiness, the ranch dressing has smoked garlic in it.

If you’re a fan of elevated fast food, Salt + Smoke has you covered. The smoked wing plate comes with two sides and a bacon and Cheddar popover. The wings are super crisp on the outside while still being tender in the middle, and some customers say they’re the best they’ve ever tasted.

Regular winners of “Missoula’s Best Wings”, busy sports bar Desperado Sports Tavern fries fresh chicken then tosses it in its homemade sauces. The top option is Sissy Sauce, which is mild and sweet – and you can even ask for the wings to be extra crispy. Self-confessed wing snobs call them the best in town, and say they can’t be beaten. This, along with the bountiful TVs and hometown feel, make it an ideal place to be on game day.

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Sports bars aren’t always known for the quality of their food. However, Oscar's was started by three local guys who found good grub to be just as important as sport and cold beer. Its renowned 'char buffed' wings are fried, tossed in sauce, then finished on the grill, so the sauce is baked on. Options include all the classics such as Buffalo, BBQ, and Garlic Parmesan. They’re not cheap, but they’re worth it.

Wing mecca Wing King is known for its 100 inventive sauce flavors that include the far-out Fruit Fiesta, Spicy Strawberry Cheesecake, and Coconut Heat. It’s also known for Pig Wings, which are rich, tender, juicy pork meat “wings”, fried and tossed in sauce. Customers love the quality of the meat and the wings' unique flavor. This place is a no-brainer if you like trying new things.

Hand cutting its wings daily from good quality chicken, cool spot Wing-Itz prides itself on its “wing butchery”. It also offers 30 original, house-made sauces which range from sweet to spicy. On the hot end is Sweet Sin, which has a lot going on in terms of tasting notes and heat. Don’t be afraid to try it: the dish comes with blue cheese or ranch sauce, and celery sticks to soothe burning tongues. The restaurant has four outposts in Hampton, Dover, Portsmouth, and Newmarket.

At fusion joint TaKorea BBQ, which blends Korean barbecue with tacos and cocktails, the double fried wings are cooked twice to melt away the fat, so what’s left is pure, tender meat, and a crunchy exterior. Customers say they're huge, incredible tasting, and totally worth the wait time. In terms of sauce options, the crowd favorite is the non-spicy Crispy Soy. If you like your food to have some fire, opt for the Red Bull HOT.

The huge, bone-in chicken wings from consistently good sports bar-style restaurant Two Cranes Bistro and Brew inspire obsession. Customers say they’re prepared with dry rub then grilled, and your choice of sauce (options include: Naked, Buffalo, Chipotle, or Dr Pepper BBQ) is served on the side so they don’t get soggy. It’s 100 times superior to what you’d be served in a chain restaurant, right down to the ranch dressing.

Old and historic Bar-Bill, which has stood for over 150 years, is famous for its chicken wings, which can be covered in a dozen or so sauce options. The Cajun Honey Butter BBQ has been described as outstanding. If you have a particular preference between flats and drums, you can specify for an extra cost. The order is prepared speedily and comes with house blue cheese dressing.

At traditional North Carolina smokehouse Midwood Smokehouse, there’s a choice between fried and hickory-smoked chicken wings. The latter, smothered in zingy North Carolina vinegar and South Carolina mustard, is the firm favorite. The Central Avenue outpost in Charlotte is always busy and has great service. However, there are two others in town, in Columbia and Huntersville.

You have to be tough to tolerate the Shark Wings at local treasure Parrot’s Cay Tavern. The dish is swimming in Shark Sauce, a spicy concoction that’s something between a Buffalo and barbecue sauce. You can pick your heat level from nine options: “40” is at the top of the scale and “25” is somewhat mid-level, but you’ll probably have to experiment a bit to find your own sweet spot.

There’s no chance of overly sauced wings at cozy sports bar The Oak Tavern. They’re rubbed, slow smoked, and grilled until nicely charred (or deep fried, if you’ve requested that) then served alongside myriad sauces in squeezy bottles. This means you can try out several different ones such as Sweet Memphis BBQ, Spicy Barbecue, Buffaloak, Spicy Garlic, and Carolina Gold. You’ll also get celery, carrots, and your choice of ranch or blue cheese dip.

A whole shop dedicated to hot, fresh, intensely flavored wings, Mack’s Wings is a locally owned business – and it's relatively new, having opened its doors in 2019. It offers the classics: Buffalo and Lemon Pepper. But its original invention, Oklahoma Dry Rub, a mild, sweet, savory blend, is a flavor sensation. What’s more, you can have it on your fries too.

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Perhaps a surprising spot to find the best chicken wings in the state, Hat Yai is a Southern Thai restaurant known for its curries and fried chicken. Order the Hat Yai fried chicken wings and you’ll get two large, juicy, free-range chicken joints with a pot of sweet tamarind dipping sauce and sticky rice. It’s everyone’s favorite order, and there are two locations in Portland where you can try them.

Korean fried chicken is famous for its light and crunchy batter, and at Crunchik’n, a Korean fusion joint with three outposts on the Jersey Shore, the dish is true to the restaurant's name. Crunchik'n marinates its chicken for 24 hours, making it extra flavorful, after which the pieces are battered and fried until golden, then coated until dripping in a sauce of your choice. Soy Garlic is a no brainer for garlic fans.

The Sweet Soy wings on the starters menu at posh pub The Shanty are a local favorite. Looking as appealing as they taste, they’re served totally drenched in a sweet, sticky ginger and chili sauce and loaded up with chopped scallions. Be warned: the sauce is so heavenly, you’re going to want to lick the plate.

For the best wings for miles, head to laid-back barbecue joint Home Team BBQ in Charleston. This outpost is the first and largest, but there are four other locations in the state. Decked out in reclaimed barn materials, it’s as Southern as it gets and a happening spot day and night. The main event: Fiery Ron’s Smoked Chicken Wings are slathered in dry rub, smoked, and served with Alabama white sauce and optional “Death Relish”, a delicious dip.

Though they might not actually be known all around the globe, the World Famous Hot Wings from Circus Sports Bar & Grill certainly cause a stir locally. Available in Mild, Med, Hot, Buffalo BBQ, Sweet BBQ, and Garlic Parmesan, they’re always juicy and crisp. What’s more, there always seems to be an offer on, with $7 a pound running at various different times throughout the week.

There’s more to humble roadside shack Brother Z’s Wangs than meets the eye. Its fresh, hot, and plump chicken wings are a Nashville staple and it has a multitude of sauce options including Honey Gold, Buffalo, Spicy Buffalo, and the favorite: Mystery Sauce, a perplexing sweet and spicy combo. It can get busy so here's a pro tip: call ahead to place your order.

The battered wings from high-end Korean chicken joint hiwings have been described as life-changing. Crispy and saucy, they’re a textural delight. Choose a sauce from 12 fruity and spicy options. Not for the faint hearted, all-time best seller Peach Habanero is addictive and seriously hot. It’s also a popular option to choose SOS (sauce on side), if you’re afraid to jump in at the deep end.

Tex-Mex joint Stellar Wings might not look like much from the outside, but trust us, venture indoors and you’ll find some of the best wings in Utah. They’re big, rich, and can be flavored with a huge choice of rubs and sauces. The Medium Hot and Mango Habanero come highly recommended. You’ll also get a generous portion of fries as well as celery, carrots, and dip.

Anywhere featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is surely worth a visit, and when you check out the smoked wings from Bluebird Barbecue, you’ll understand why it made the cut for the show. Its "pitmaster" dry rub and Alabama white sauce makes for a six-pack of smokey (but not overly smokey), well-seasoned and crispy (but not dried out) fried wings.

A wing shop with great customer service, everything at WingsWay is made to order, and if you place your order by phone, the restaurant will even call you when it's ready. The choice of homemade sauces is hefty, and includes limited-time options such as the sweet-and-sour Pineapple Trail and seriously hot Fireball. Guests love the classic Garlic Parmesan and signature, sweet, and mild WingsWay. Everything you order comes with fries. The restaurant has even got the approval of visitors from Buffalo, New York – the home of the hot wing.

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At soul food spot Simply Soulful, the chicken wing dinner is a popular order. You get six fried chicken wings, two sides (the mac ‘n’ cheese and collard greens are always good), and a cornbread muffin. Customers say you can tell the recipes have been passed down through generations as the chicken is crisp and juicy, and nothing is too salty or sweet.

Cold beer and budget-friendly wings are what family-friendly sports bar The Bucket is all about. Some of the largest and cheapest in the area, you’ll get a plate of 100 for $91, which is great for sharing in a group. Choose between fried and smoked, and a couple of sauces from options that include Spicy Honey, Buffalo Ranch, and Carolina Reaper. Don’t pass on the homemade ranch dressing; it’s a customer favorite.

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So often dishes are called “famous” and “award-winning”, with little to back the claims up. However, Our Famous Wings from local sports bar Points East Pub do have a great reputation. The restaurant deep fries drums and flats, dips them in sauce, then grills them again so the sauce is baked on rather than wet to the touch. They come with celery and a choice of ranch or blue cheese dressing. Be sure to also check out the restaurant's impressive beer selection.

The first time you visit Western-style diner Born in a Barn won’t be the last. Weary travelers who stop to try its smoked wings and traditional fried wings say it’s mind blowing. A particular highlight is the yakitori sauce, a dark, sweet, and savory Japanese-style glaze topped with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds. But it’s not just the food that does it; the customer service is equally impressive.

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