How many places are there in Memphis where you can get chicken wings? I’m guessing 1,469. Close? I don’t know. I have no idea. No one does. You can buy chicken wings in trucks, in stores, in outlet malls, even in gas stations, for God’s sake. Wings are everywhere, and most of them are probably pretty good. But with so many options, you could probably use some guidance. As a public service to you, our faithful readers, (because we love you) some of us on the Flyer staff ventured out to try a sampling of various wings around town — from well-known to off-the-beaten-flight-path. Trust us, you can’t go wrong with any of these. — Bruce VanWyngarden
Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken
3633 Millbranch
Years ago, Food Network star Guy Fieri came to town to sample local delights, including getting splattered in the kitchen at Uncle Lou’s Fried Chicken. That happy visit inspired plenty of business for the eatery and the tagline “Sweet Spicy Love.” Now almost 20 years old, the chicken joint run by Lou Martin continues to churn out remarkable dishes, including stunningly good wings. Martin offers whole wings and buffalo wings alongside the usual menu array of chicken, tenders, burgers, and a few other choices. I opted for the whole wings with mild sauce and, despite an initial assertive vinegar attack on the nose, the flavor was perfectly balanced. The wings are hefty and delectable, with mouthfuls of tender meat and loads of crisp skin to savor. The sauce lingers on the taste buds and remains mild-mannered. If you manage to have any left over, heat them up the next day and they’ll still deliver the right amount of sass and joy. Wings and coffee make for a splendid breakfast, especially if you include some of his honey buttered biscuits that have the power to make a keto devotee fall off the wagon. — Jon W. Sparks
D’Bo’s Wings ’n More
4970 Poplar; 4407 Elvis Presley
Is there such a thing as the Godfather of Memphis Wings? If so, the title would probably go to David and Leticia Boyd’s D’bo’s Wings ’n More.
The Boyds started their wing business with a dream and a trailer in 1990. That’s 31 years of wingin’ it, if you’re counting. David says when they started they were looking for a “sauce that could dance.” They appear to have found it — and more.
Now with two locations, D’bo’s serves a full menu that includes seafood, burgers, and other sandwiches, as well as some sassy margarita options. (“Panty Dropper,” anyone? Or maybe you’re a “Jungle Juice” person.) But it’s still all about the wings, which come with many sauce and size options. You can get party wings or whole wings from five to 100 pieces. Sauces include Suicidal, Teriyaki, Honey Hot, Honey Gold, Honey BBQ, and a few more. There are also several dry-rub options.
I went with Honey BBQ whole wings, and … dang! The wings are cooked to order, not sitting around in a warmer, and you can tell. Mine came out hot, meaty, moist, and spicy (but not with a burn). So good. After 31 years, D’Bo’s sauce can still dance. — BV
(Photo: Samuel X. Cicci)
Riko’s Kickin’ Chicken
1329 Madison
What makes the perfect wing? Is it a crunchy and crispy exterior holding in tender meat and juices? A blend of sauce exquisitely baked into the whole wing? Or is it actually extra sauce, dripping from each wing as it leaves the plate?
There might not be a right answer, but Riko’s Kickin’ Chicken ticks every box. Mariko and Tiffany Wiley have been doing this for years at both their brick-and-mortar and food truck locations, and they’ve honed their craft immeasurably. When my container of 15 extra-plump wings (talk about bang for your buck) slid across the counter, the sizzle and smell yanked me out of the restaurant and dragged me straight up to wing heaven.
Each one of the extra-large wings was coated with heat, the hot sauce evenly spread across and infused into all the drums and flats. And if that wasn’t even enough, there’s still plenty of sauce left in the box to add another layer. It’s a spice that sticks with you, cranked up to medium-high, but not too much (that’s what the Hot X is for).
But don’t take it from me; get yourself down to Riko’s and snag some grub. Maybe a little bit of hot sauce alongside another batch of the popular lemon pepper. Or perhaps seasoned. Or maybe even honey gold? Whichever flavor, it’s gonna be good. — Samuel X. Cicci
(Photo: Chris McCoy)
India Palace
1720 Poplar
What? An Indian restaurant? In the wings issue? In Memphis? Have we gone mad? Hear me out.
As a response to the general popularity of wings in the Bluff City, putting your own spin on flats and drummies has become de rigueur for local restaurateurs. The wings at India Palace live on the appetizer menu. Instead of a variation on the standard, fried chicken parts tossed in a hot-sauce-and-butter combo, these flappers are swimming in a tamarind-forward curry sauce and served on a bed of caramelized onions.
The Palace’s secret weapon is the tandoor. The traditional South Asian oven is made of clay, and usually cone- or egg-shaped — although modern designs can be made with stainless steel exteriors. Powered by wood or charcoal, the interior of a tandoor can reach up to almost 500 degrees, cooking the chicken via convection heating and, as a cousin to the familiar Memphis smoker, exposing the fowl flesh to the smoke from the fire. The resulting meat is without the crispy, fried exterior, but much more tender and juicy than a conventional wing. It’s probably a lot better for you than fried wings, too. And let me put in a quick word for the onions. Nobody caramelizes like India Palace.
These wings might not replace mainstream hots in your diet, but they’re great for a change-up. They might also serve as an introduction to Indian cuisine for some picky eaters looking for a familiar hook. Give them a shot. — Chris McCoy
(Photo: Alex Greene)
Habee’s Wings & Deli
3670 Summer
“Dry heat.” It’s something that Memphians don’t have to think about much — in their weather or their wings. And that’s precisely why that option caught my eye at Habee’s. They were doing a brisk business, and I had to think fast. Would it be one of the classic heavily glazed varieties that so many wing joints offer? Or something new? To a menu ranging from very mild to extremely hot — including honey hot, honey gold, and honey BBQ, as well as savory lemon pepper, garlic parmesan, or teriyaki — was added a note, tacked to the bottom. “New Flavor: Dry heat.”
Remembering all the sauced-up wings I’d ever known and loved around town, the dry option called to me. And it did not disappoint. The meat was not dry, but tender and succulent, and the skin had just enough crunch for contrast. Compared to typical wings, slathered in all manner of gooey sauces, this minimalist approach was a welcome change in texture and taste. Of course, nothing is technically dry once it’s dipped in ranch dressing, but even then, the crisper texture was a revelation and, with the dinner roll and carrot and celery sticks, a welcome contrast.
This Asian-American eatery serves a diverse clientele and everyone seemed to be a regular. Many were ordering combos of wings and fried fish, but I stuck with the pure experience. Like dry-rub barbecue, this approach to wings was a delicious change of pace, and will surely be a welcome antidote to Memphis summers, where the humidity is like a sauce unto itself. Sometimes you just want that crunch. — Alex Greene
The Wing Guru
multiple locations
The Wing Guru offers wing dishes in numerous combinations and with a wide variety of sauces, as well as lots of other menu options. Of an afternoon, I stopped by the storefront in Bartlett, along busy Highway 64, and ordered a plate of three whole wings with a generous side of fried okra and unsweet iced tea. If that sounds both urban and down-home, it surely is, in a sense that purists and wing aficionados can appreciate. The wings I had were not the dainty little sort you may be accustomed to as hors d’oeuvres at social events; they are fully sized, with a whole lot of succulent chicken meat, and three of them will definitely make a meal. All things considered, the price of just over $10 for this “small” combo was right.
The choice of sauces‚ some 21 in all, is downright extravagant, and I had my wings with the restaurant’s Triple J sauce, a seriously spicy barbecue sauce with a rich honey component, developed in tandem with forward Jaren J. Jackson of the Memphis Grizzlies. (The owner, the eponymous “guru” of the establishment’s name, is Billy Richmond Jr., a well-remembered basketballer himself, at the University of Memphis.) — Jackson Baker
(Photo: Toby Sells)
Ching’s Hot Wings
1264 Getwell
Memphis magic permeates Ching’s Hot Wings.
The restaurant is a lot like the city itself. It’s modest, situated in a row of strip-mall shops along a decidedly un-flashy stretch of Getwell. It’s authentic, its walls lined with handwritten notes (“These wangs are the bomb-diggity.”) and photos of Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. hanging in the bathroom.
It’s original, even down to two in-house soft drinks — Orange Mound Punch and G-Street Punch, which some just call “Blue Drink.” Ching’s is also unafraid to be itself and comfortable in its own skin; workers wear no uniforms and the whole thing has a gentle, down-homeness to it that makes you feel completely welcome. If you’re proud to call Memphis home, Ching’s will feel completely natural to you.
And the wings? Ching’s is the king of wings. Fight me.
Ching’s wings come two ways: party wings (where the drummy and the flat are separated) or whole wings. You can get those bad boys dressed up in mild hot, seasoned, lemon pepper, dry hot, honey gold, honey hot, honey extra hot, and suicide.
Honey gold is supposed to be the Ching’s wing thing. But I needed a baseline and went whole-wing mild hot. The sauce is a classic orange Buffalo sauce that checked every single delicious salty/spicy box. The wings were perfectly cooked, juicy and easy to pull apart. The whole thing was perfectly sided with crinkle-cut fries, gently dashed with a bit of seasoning, and a big, red Orange Mound Punch. My trip to Ching’s felt like another lesson in my ongoing Memphis education. Eating at Ching’s made me a better Memphian. — Toby Sells
(Photo: Michael Donahue)
Belmont Grill
4970 Poplar
If you find somebody on the planet who’s never tried hot wings, take them to Belmont Grill. They serve the classic, tangy, tasty, messy hot wings I think of when I think of hot wings.
I recently devoured a plate of six Belmont wings, which come with coleslaw, ranch dressing, and a small loaf of crusty bread cut into eight pieces. I ate to the beat of Billy Idol singing “White Wedding” and ended up dipping the bread into the ranch dressing because the wings are so good by themselves.
“The sauce is a blend of Louisiana hot sauce and melted butter,” says manager/owner Jeff Anderson. “The butter helps the hot sauce stick to the wing. We don’t use a breaded wing. We use the real wing, so you can still taste the sauce and the meat from the chicken.”
The Belmont didn’t serve hot wings when it first opened, Anderson says: “I found an old menu from when we first opened in 1984 and it wasn’t on there. I went to another menu, ’87 or ’88, when we actually put them on the menu. Back then a lot of places that did them did the pieces, and not the whole wing. We wanted to be a little bit different and we did the whole wing. We’ve kept them on there ever since. They’re our version of the hot wing.” — Michael Donahue
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