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Left: A cook at Dak & Bop lifts a large basket of freshly fried chicken out of the fryer. Right: A cook brushes pieces of chicken with sauce. Arnea Williams

Where to Eat the Crispiest, Sauciest Chicken Wings in Houston

From classic Buffalo to crunchy Korean-style wings, these 12 restaurants serve up the city’s best

by Brittany Britto Garley and Megha McSwain Updated
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by Brittany Britto Garley and Megha McSwain Updated
Arnea Williams

Chicken wings may seem like humble bar food, but there’s actually a technical reason why they make the perfect snack. In addition to being bite-sized and hand-held, more than any other part of the bird, the wing has the closest skin-to-meat ratio, which when fried, makes for the perfect balance of crispy and juicy.

Many restaurants in Houston take that textural combo a step forward, with the addition of sauces, seasoning, and sides that reflect the city’s truly multicultural makeup. From soul food classics to wings flavored with herbs straight from the garden; from soy sauce to fish sauce to barbecue sauce — this map has wings that are spicy, sweet, and everything in between.

Don’t see your favorite wing spot on the list? Shout it out in the comments.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Big City Wings

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With 11 locations around Houston, it’s easy to satisfy those mean wing cravings at Big City Wings. The heat scale for the wings rises to hot, extra hot, and firehouse, but there are other flavors like honey citrus, cool ranch, and lemon pepper too. Get a basket, which pairs wings with your choice of waffle fries, potato wedges, or tater tots.

9240 N Sam Houston Pkwy E Suite 101 E. Suite 101, Humble, TX 77396
(832) 781-4950
(832) 781-4950

Dream Wings

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Make an entire epic meal out of the provisions at Dream Wings. Heaping platters of jumbo wings in flavors like ranch, honey Sriracha, buffalo lemon pepper, and Asian jerk are even better when paired with Dream fries loaded with meat and melty cheese toppings. Or, you can put a surf and turf spin on your meal by adding fried jumbo shrimp or fried fish. Score wings in a jiffy by way of the drive-thru window, or stick around and stay awhile — Dream Wings is BYOB.

3425 Ella Blvd, Houston, TX 77018
(713) 640-5705
(713) 640-5705

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Feges BBQ

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Helmed by Houston barbecue power couple Patrick and Erin Feges, there are no shortage of mouthwatering proteins to devour at Feges BBQ, including smoked chicken wings. Choose from 10, 15, or 20 wings and mix things up with sauce choices like Alabama white, PB&J, sweet Thai, and Hot Red. Go whole hog, and spring for a dessert, like banana caramel cream pie or rum raisin pudding.

8217 Long Point Rd, Houston, TX 77055
(346) 319-5339
(346) 319-5339

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Dak & Bop 18th Street

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Dak & Bap’s Korean-style chicken is double-fried, giving it an extra-crispy skin, before being hand-brushed with a glaze of soy sauce, garlic and various fruits. In addition to wings, the restaurant also serves boneless tenders and drumsticks.

1805 W 18th St, Houston, TX 77008
(832) 516-9316
(832) 516-9316

Also featured in:

Kin Dee Thai Cuisine

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Traditional wings are given a Thai twist at Kin Dee. The marinated wings are golden fried and offer a crispy bite. They’re flavorful enough on their own, but try dipping them in the accompanying tamarind sauce for a sweet and tart finish. You won’t find them in large quantities of 10, 12, or more here, but they serve as a great precursor to pad Thai and green curry.

1533 N Shepherd Dr Suite 160, Houston, TX 77008
(281) 826-2655
(281) 826-2655

Also featured in:

Coltivare Pizza & Garden

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You might not expect to find chicken wings at Coltivare, but they do indeed grace the menu. These wings benefit from the basil, lemon verbena, and chiles grown in the restaurant’s onsite garden, which go into their saucy coating.

3320 White Oak Dr, Houston, TX 77007
(713) 637-4095
(713) 637-4095
Coltivare/Facebook

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Pluckers Wing Bar

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With locations spread far and wide across the state, Plucker’s has long been a reliable wing destination for Houstonians. There are countless saucy options, including classics like Buffalo hot and lemon pepper, but its fun to stray from tradition with choices like gochujang or Dr. Pepper, for some sweet reprieve. Add fried pickle spears or the fan favorite, fried macaroni and cheese, as a side. For the non-wing lovers, the menu is littered with sandwiches, salads, burgers, and dogs.

1400 Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77007
(713) 864-9464
(713) 864-9464

Also featured in:

BBQ Chicken Westheimer

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It takes two days to marinate and fry the wings at this Korean chain, resulting in super juicy, tender meat inside an extra-crispy skin. Get them with sweet and spicy sauce, or honey garlic.

8383 Westheimer Rd Suite 114, Houston, TX 77063
(832) 767-0245
(832) 767-0245

Bismillah Restaurant & Cafe

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Bismillah’s famous Ten Spicy wings feature seasoning from — you guessed it — ten spices. The recipe’s a secret, but after they are fried, the wings are drenched in a spicy, acidic sauce. Order them extra-spicy if you dare. Bismillah also sells buffalo and mango habanero wings, and chicken strips in the same flavors.

5696 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77036
(713) 587-9300
(713) 587-9300

Also featured in:

The Breakfast Klub

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Wings are served three ways at this iconic Midtown restaurant — with waffles, with grits, or a la carte. The breading on the bird is made up of a mix of spices, including onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, and a generous helping of vinegar and cayenne pepper. They are finger-licking good and about as classic as wings can get, but prepared to wait in line for them.

3711 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 528-8561
(713) 528-8561

Also featured in:

Stuff'd Wings

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Houston loves its stuffed poultry legs, and Stuff’d Wings, now open at the Ion in Midtown, is a solid place to find them. Choose from four types of stuffing — chicken boudain, mac and cheese, pork or beef boudain, or seafood boudain — then, pick how many wings you want. Each is generously stuffed, then battered, and deep fried, offering a belly-filling meal.

401 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77002
(713) 702-1286
(713) 702-1286

Also featured in:

Thanh Phuong Vietnamese & Chinese Cuisine

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Buried deep on the menu at this Pearland hidden gem are two Vietnamese-style fried wing dishes.(Look for item numbers 113 and 114 on the menu.) One is seasoned with crushed garlic and butter, and the other with caramelized fish sauce — both are worth a try.

3236 E Broadway St, Pearland, TX 77581
(281) 412-7868
(281) 412-7868

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Big City Wings

9240 N Sam Houston Pkwy E Suite 101 E. Suite 101, Humble, TX 77396

With 11 locations around Houston, it’s easy to satisfy those mean wing cravings at Big City Wings. The heat scale for the wings rises to hot, extra hot, and firehouse, but there are other flavors like honey citrus, cool ranch, and lemon pepper too. Get a basket, which pairs wings with your choice of waffle fries, potato wedges, or tater tots.

9240 N Sam Houston Pkwy E Suite 101 E. Suite 101, Humble, TX 77396
(832) 781-4950
(832) 781-4950

Dream Wings

3425 Ella Blvd, Houston, TX 77018

Make an entire epic meal out of the provisions at Dream Wings. Heaping platters of jumbo wings in flavors like ranch, honey Sriracha, buffalo lemon pepper, and Asian jerk are even better when paired with Dream fries loaded with meat and melty cheese toppings. Or, you can put a surf and turf spin on your meal by adding fried jumbo shrimp or fried fish. Score wings in a jiffy by way of the drive-thru window, or stick around and stay awhile — Dream Wings is BYOB.

3425 Ella Blvd, Houston, TX 77018
(713) 640-5705
(713) 640-5705

Feges BBQ

8217 Long Point Rd, Houston, TX 77055

Helmed by Houston barbecue power couple Patrick and Erin Feges, there are no shortage of mouthwatering proteins to devour at Feges BBQ, including smoked chicken wings. Choose from 10, 15, or 20 wings and mix things up with sauce choices like Alabama white, PB&J, sweet Thai, and Hot Red. Go whole hog, and spring for a dessert, like banana caramel cream pie or rum raisin pudding.

8217 Long Point Rd, Houston, TX 77055
(346) 319-5339
(346) 319-5339

Dak & Bop 18th Street

1805 W 18th St, Houston, TX 77008

Dak & Bap’s Korean-style chicken is double-fried, giving it an extra-crispy skin, before being hand-brushed with a glaze of soy sauce, garlic and various fruits. In addition to wings, the restaurant also serves boneless tenders and drumsticks.

1805 W 18th St, Houston, TX 77008
(832) 516-9316
(832) 516-9316

Kin Dee Thai Cuisine

1533 N Shepherd Dr Suite 160, Houston, TX 77008

Traditional wings are given a Thai twist at Kin Dee. The marinated wings are golden fried and offer a crispy bite. They’re flavorful enough on their own, but try dipping them in the accompanying tamarind sauce for a sweet and tart finish. You won’t find them in large quantities of 10, 12, or more here, but they serve as a great precursor to pad Thai and green curry.

1533 N Shepherd Dr Suite 160, Houston, TX 77008
(281) 826-2655
(281) 826-2655

Coltivare Pizza & Garden

3320 White Oak Dr, Houston, TX 77007

You might not expect to find chicken wings at Coltivare, but they do indeed grace the menu. These wings benefit from the basil, lemon verbena, and chiles grown in the restaurant’s onsite garden, which go into their saucy coating.

3320 White Oak Dr, Houston, TX 77007
(713) 637-4095
(713) 637-4095
Coltivare/Facebook

Pluckers Wing Bar

1400 Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77007

With locations spread far and wide across the state, Plucker’s has long been a reliable wing destination for Houstonians. There are countless saucy options, including classics like Buffalo hot and lemon pepper, but its fun to stray from tradition with choices like gochujang or Dr. Pepper, for some sweet reprieve. Add fried pickle spears or the fan favorite, fried macaroni and cheese, as a side. For the non-wing lovers, the menu is littered with sandwiches, salads, burgers, and dogs.

1400 Shepherd Dr, Houston, TX 77007
(713) 864-9464
(713) 864-9464

BBQ Chicken Westheimer

8383 Westheimer Rd Suite 114, Houston, TX 77063

It takes two days to marinate and fry the wings at this Korean chain, resulting in super juicy, tender meat inside an extra-crispy skin. Get them with sweet and spicy sauce, or honey garlic.

8383 Westheimer Rd Suite 114, Houston, TX 77063
(832) 767-0245
(832) 767-0245

Bismillah Restaurant & Cafe

5696 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77036

Bismillah’s famous Ten Spicy wings feature seasoning from — you guessed it — ten spices. The recipe’s a secret, but after they are fried, the wings are drenched in a spicy, acidic sauce. Order them extra-spicy if you dare. Bismillah also sells buffalo and mango habanero wings, and chicken strips in the same flavors.

5696 Hillcroft St, Houston, TX 77036
(713) 587-9300
(713) 587-9300

The Breakfast Klub

3711 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002

Wings are served three ways at this iconic Midtown restaurant — with waffles, with grits, or a la carte. The breading on the bird is made up of a mix of spices, including onion powder, garlic powder, lemon pepper, and a generous helping of vinegar and cayenne pepper. They are finger-licking good and about as classic as wings can get, but prepared to wait in line for them.

3711 Travis St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 528-8561
(713) 528-8561

Stuff'd Wings

401 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77002

Houston loves its stuffed poultry legs, and Stuff’d Wings, now open at the Ion in Midtown, is a solid place to find them. Choose from four types of stuffing — chicken boudain, mac and cheese, pork or beef boudain, or seafood boudain — then, pick how many wings you want. Each is generously stuffed, then battered, and deep fried, offering a belly-filling meal.

401 Richmond Ave., Houston, TX 77002
(713) 702-1286
(713) 702-1286

Thanh Phuong Vietnamese & Chinese Cuisine

3236 E Broadway St, Pearland, TX 77581

Buried deep on the menu at this Pearland hidden gem are two Vietnamese-style fried wing dishes.(Look for item numbers 113 and 114 on the menu.) One is seasoned with crushed garlic and butter, and the other with caramelized fish sauce — both are worth a try.

3236 E Broadway St, Pearland, TX 77581
(281) 412-7868
(281) 412-7868

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