Chicken Wings for a Winning Chicago Game Day
Lucky Klucker
Though chicken wings have only been “officially” on restaurant menus since the co-owner of Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York put leftover wings in hot sauce as a late-night snack in 1964, they almost immediately became a bar food favorite. Gamedays and Sunday Fundays wouldn’t be the same without them, and foodies around the world enjoy testing the limits of their taste buds on the spiciest wings they can find. But whether you like it mild or “Hot Ones”-level spicy, there’s a delicious chicken wing waiting for you at these Chicago spots…
Lucky Klucker: Get your wings delivered so you can enjoy without ever leaving home. Perfect for a 7th inning stretch snack attack or for a weekend Netflix binge, they have classics like Buffalo as well as the local favorite: Chicago Fire 🔥🔥🔥
The Wing Experience from Kitchen United Mix: REALLY like wings? Enough that you’d try Spicy Peach Wings or West Indies Curry or Sriracha Boom Boom flavored wings? The Wing Experience has almost 50 different wing flavors so you can really get crazy and creative and make order after order from this spot without ever repeating a flavor!
Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap
Jake Melnick's Corner Tap {41 East Superior Street, Chicago; 312.266.0400}: If you asked for our perfect meal at Jake’s, it would be several orders of their wings and as much dessert as we can handle. You seriously can’t go wrong with anything on their wing menu - they were rated one of the “Top Wing Spots in the US” by The Today Show after all! Just save room for that Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet Sundae for dessert ;)
Pluck'd by Dirk Flanigan: Winner winner chicken dinner indeed! Pluck’d from Foodhaul is available on delivery services like DoorDash, Grubhub, Seamless and others so you have your pick of easy ways to order their Buffalo-style or tangy Korean wings. Flanigan has been long-known for layering amazing complex flavors and this skill is made more accessible but no less delicious with his Pluck’d menu.
Cluck-It Chicago: Cluck yeah you’ll love this! Whether you want to stay safe and order their Mother Clucker Sandwich “Country”-level mild, or go XXHot for a kick of Habanero Pepper and Scorpion Chili on your wings, there’s something for every spice level here. The Banana Pudding for desserts offsets the heat of the wings perfectly, too.
Smoke Daddy
Smoke Daddy {multiple locations}: Not all wings are deep fried! The Smoked BBQ Wings from Smoke Daddy are a perfect sweet start to your meal of beers and barbecue. Shared them with your table along with Pulled Meat Nachos so you can save plenty of room for ribs or Burnt Ends.
Dang Good Wings from Cà Phê Dá: {1800 South Carpenter Street Entrance on West 18th Street, Chicago; 773.999.1800}: If you’re a fan of Haisous, you’re going to want to bookmark this new spot ASAP. They’re all about wings + waffles + and even have brunch options like Toasted Peanut Waffles and Saigonese BBQ Wings for pick-up and delivery. Because who says you can’t start your day off with chicken wings?!
Fry the Coop {multiple locations}: Though technically not an official chicken wing shop, Fry the Coop does fried chicken so well that we had to include them on this list. Their Donut Fried Chicken Sandwich is the stuff of Instagram feed dreams, while the Chicken & Cheese Sandwich is perfect for anyone looking for a pure and simple great meal. The crunch will keep you coming back for one more bite again and again :)
By Kaleigh Glaza | Market Editor