Whether you prefer flats or drums, slather them in hot sauce, love a little lemon pepper, fry 'em or bake 'em, or take them bone in or out, chicken wings are truly the joy of life.
There’s nothing better than sitting down with a cold beer and your favorite buffalo wings, especially when it's time to what your football favorite team in action.
Buffalo wings were created upstate in Buffalo, so of course New York City is teeming with five-star wing menus. From classic American to Korean, Mexican style and more, these are the best restaurants for chicken wings in all of NYC. Kick back, relax and good luck to your team.
See also: The 13 Best NYC Restaurants With Heat Lamps & Outdoor Dining This Winter
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1762 1st Ave. / 212.348.2627 / Website
International Wings Factory has a heaping variety of chicken wings, with standard orders like barbecue and teriyaki alongside original flavors. Try the Mexican-barbecue-flavored Mexy Q, or the Soul Purifier, which includes a Buffalo-based sauce with spices and chiles. Luckily, International Wings Factory ranks all of its wings flavors on a one to five scale, so customers know just how much spicy they're biting into.
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55 McGuinness Blvd. S, Brooklyn / 929.295.0081 / Website
Some of the best Korean Fried Chicken in NYC can be found not in Koreatown, but out in Greenpoint at Peeps Kitchen. Incredibly crunchy, breaded to perfection and always served piping hot, Peeps Kitchen is always well worth the visit.
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212 E. 10th St. / 917.261.2115 / Website
Madame Vo is known for its signature Asian dishes, especially its noodle and rice bowls, but the hidden gem of the menu is its “Madame Wings.” Caramelized in a garlic fish sauce, these spicy chicken wings put a twist on a New York classic, taking your tongue on a trip across the globe.
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Multiple locations / Website
Two childhood friends from Buffalo opened Dan and John’s Wings back in 2013, and they haven’t looked back since. Originally seen at Smorgasburg, Dan and John serve up traditional Buffalo wings catered to your style. Test your taste buds on five spice levels of Buffalo sauce as well as two spice levels of barbecue and tons of other flavors.
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430 2nd Ave. / 646.838.5111 / Website
This Kips Bay haunt provides a huge list of flavors, including strawberry BBQ, chili cilantro, Flaming Hot Cheetos, and aloha pineapple. We also love their party menu, including a guacamole and chips tray and a caesar salad tray, for when you’re hosting.
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Multiple locations / Wings
There’s nothing better than great wings delivered straight to your door, which is why we love Atomic Wings. This hotspot does the classics right, with their authentic Buffalo wings being so popular they’ve been franchised all over the country. In particular, we love their chipotle BBQ flavor for a perfect balance of spice and sweetness.
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Multiple locations / Website
For over 40 years, Pelicana Chicken has been whipping up delicious Korean-style wings. This beloved eatery offers premium, boneless and fried wings, but what really packs the wow factor is its array of perfect sauces. Take your pick of soy sauce, garlic sauce, smoky hot sauce and more. It's a difficult decision, but you can’t go wrong.
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618 Amsterdam Ave. / 212.799.1026 / Website
This Michelin 2022 Big Gourmand award winner does Korean fried chicken right. We love the soy garlic, sweet black pepper soy, Korean sweet Gochujang and hot honey flavors. Be sure to try their ramen while you’re at it, it’s delicious!
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Multiple locations / Website
Bar Goto does many dishes well, but we say you've got to try the Miso Wings. These chicken wings are covered in spicy miso dressing, then topped with chives and sesame seeds. It's an Asian flavor sensation even Buffalo can get behind.
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35 Carmine St. / 646.870.0495 / Website
Berber Street Food is a unique African café in the West Village offering Calypsos Grilled Jerk Wings that come with pineapple salsa. Perhaps some of the most flavorful wings in all of Manhattan that's well worth the trip downtown. Eat these in the colder months, close your eyes and pretend you're dining in paradise.
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77 2nd Ave. / 917.675.7511 / Website
This Bowery eatery ranks each of its wing flavors according to spice, making it easy to please everyone with the perfect heat level. Sauced Up stays open til midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, making this east-side hole-in-the-wall a great option for satisfying your late-night cravings.
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Multiple locations / Website
This Korean fried chicken spot found such success in New York City that it has since been franchised all over the United States. Each and every wing is hand-battered, double fried and hand-brushed with mouth-watering sauces for the perfect bite, every time. We particularly love the soy garlic sauce.
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212 W. 79th St. / 212.362.3311 / Website
Blondies is the classic NYC sports bar you’ve seen in all of your favorite television shows. With traditional flavors like honey mustard, barbecue and garlic, this is the perfect place to watch your team while enjoying a delicious meal.
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1218 Union St., Brooklyn / 718.259.4647 / Website
Brooklyn Wing House has tons of flavors, including original specialties such as the Mango Ciroc-Infused Habanero, Tamarind and Jerk. If you're a wing-loving risk taker, this is the place to put your taste buds on edge in all the right ways. The wings come standardly baked and fried, so you can mix and match them to find the perfect taste and texture blend.
A New York special, chicken wings are always a good idea, and we love to enjoy all the varieties that our fair city has to offer. Let us know which wings are your favorite!
Photography by: SOPA Images
