Diners say these seven chains serve the crispiest, sauciest wings worth craving.
It doesn’t happen often, but on occasion, I will have a major craving for chicken wings. There is something so delightful about deep-fried pieces of chicken, drenched in breading, fried, and slathered in a delicious sauce that just hits all the flavor notes. Luckily, there are a handful of places within a mile of my home where I can satisfy my chicken wing hankering, including some chain restaurants and fast food joints. Here are 7 chain restaurants with the best wings, according to diners.
Bonchon
Bonchon
Bonchon’s Soy Garlic Wings are crispy, double-fried, sticky Korean wings that fans swear by. The umami bombs are genuinely unique, and the soy garlic version in particular has a near-legendary status. Fans say its sweet-savory glaze and shatteringly crisp skin make the meal out of this world.
Wingstop
best, buffalo wings, restaurant chains
Wingstop serves bone-in wings fried crisp and tossed in the best sauces, according to diners. “2 words: Lemon. Pepper,” writes one. “Don’t forget Original Hot,” another says. “Wingstop, no contest. Reasonable selection of sauces for any pallet, decent sized wings with bone-in and boneless options. Their fries are like none of the competitors. Their ranch tastes fresh and isn’t repackaged store-bought Hidden Valley, unlike what BWW and other contenders on the list tastes like. Same goes for their bleu cheese. Another rare quality: consistently good wings. After eating at dozens of Wingstop locations over the years in several states at this point, I can only remember one or two instances where the wings were off their normal game and were disappointing,” a third adds.
Quaker Steak & Lube
Quaker Steak & Lube
The roadhouse-style chain Quaker Steak & Lube serves giant, saucy bone-in wings, which are “pretty solid wings for a chain,” writes a person. “Quaker Steak is my go-to. Golden garlic for days,” adds another. “I still tell people about this place like it was a fairy tail since they left virginia like 10 years ago or so,” a third says.
Popeyes
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If you are craving wings on the go, Popeyes is the place to go. “I feel like Popeyes boneless wings actually have a texture like wings, not just a random cut of meat. The spicy sauces tend to be good, but not super spicy,” one suggests. “Popeyes hands down. With their signature hot it blows all the competition away,” another says. “Popeyes wings. Kinda reminds me of the old BWW back in the day. Bdubs is so hilariously bad these days,” a third says.
Zaxby’s
Courtesy of Zaxby’s
If you are in the South, Zaxby’s is the place to hit for saucy, well-seasoned boneless wings. “Yep, Zaxby’s fingers tossed in tongue torch (ask for heavy sauce) are absolutely as good as it gets for drive through hot wings,” one diner maintains. “Zaxby’s is unquestionably the best place with a drive thru for wings (boneless and traditional)” another agrees.
Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings is the ultimate wing chain serving endless sauces and dry rubs that keep customers coming back for more. “I do BWW cause I like the sauce: wild, spicy garlic, and blazin (I get this one in the side so I can control it) are my go tos,” one says. “I did go to BW3 last week because I had a BOGO offer and I was completely and pleasantly surprised. The wings were incredible. Good size, cooked great with a nice crisp on the outside and tossed in sauce perfectly,” says a diner.
Applebee’s or Chili’s
Courtesy of Chili’s
If you are in Chainville, USA, and craving wings, Applebee’s and Chili’s will help fulfill your craving. “Absolutely not the correct answer I’m sure but I’ll eat Applebees boneless wings forever. Classic Buffalo sauce slaps. And unlimited wing season? Forget about it. Can’t imagine the actual wings are any good though,” a diner says. “It’s Just Wings, virtual kitchen of Chili’s, has nice sized wings,” one person reveals. “Chili’s boneless wings slap,” adds another.
Leah Groth
Leah Groth is an experienced shopping editor and journalist for Best Life and Eat This, Not That! bringing readers the best new finds, trends, and deals each week. Read more about Leah
