The Best Wings in Boston

This Newton sports bar is known for their wings, and with good reason: They’re arguably the best and most varied in the greater Boston area. Perfectly fried and crispy, you can pick Buffalo and choose your spice level, or one of their other house-made sauces like honey BBQ, Nashville hot, maple hot and peach bourbon BBQ. They also offer crispy tenders, for the knife and fork set. 

This might be a bold pick, but we’re calling Mahaniyom’s wings some of the best you can get in Greater Boston. The lauded restaurant makes Thai-style ones from Cornish hen, which is brined in Southeast Asian spices, fried to form a thin and crispy crust, and then sprinkled with shallots. 

If you miss the permanently closed Crave Chicken in Chinatown, get yourself over to Fiya in Allston ASAP. This is the spot for Korean fried chicken in Boston, offering twice-fried chicken wings in four varieties: honey mustard, soy garlic, spicy Korean and Fiya, which is scorching hot.

This Roxbury icon has been making wings for decades, and they’re deservedly iconic. Tossed in a house-made secret seasoning blend, you can get your wings crispy or extra crispy, tossed with Buffalo or a sweet chili sauce. The restaurant also offers incredible baked wings on Tuesday and Fridays, which pair perfectly with an ice cold beer.

Dedham isn’t that far to travel for crispy, crunchy wings, and Horse Thieves’ are definitely worth the short trip. The tavern often has specials on their tasty wings, but are currently offering flavorful salt and vinegar wings, along with Buffalo and teriyaki flavors.

This Charlestown favorite, just a few blocks from Bunker Hill, serves craveable wood fire-roasted wings that run circles around many fried wings in Boston. They’re seasoned with lemon and rosemary—or, for a spice-lovers, ancho-chili rub—and served with buttermilk ranch for dipping.

This swanky supper club was one of the big openings in Boston last year, and while the major appeal is dinner and a show, the sweet heat chicken wings are not to be slept on. Available double-batter country fried or chargrilled, Nia’s wings are tossed in a crowd-pleasing sweet and spicy gochujang honey syrup.

A list of best wings in town wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of a spot that also sells pizza, and this takeaway delivers on both (along with calzones and pasta dishes). The name of the game with their crispy fried wings (they also have tendies) is their variety of sauces, including the basics like Buffalo and BBQ, but also mango habanero, spicy Cajun, Hawaiian teriyaki and many more.

This Government Center pub is a favorite spot for pre-gaming the Celtics or Bruins, and it has a strong menu of pub favorites, including their wings. The savory morsels here are served grilled or fried, with a nice sauce selection, including Buffalo, BBQ, Cajun butter, honey sriracha, sweet chili, lemon pepper and more. The dipping choices include chipotle ranch, blue cheese and more.

While Bonchon is a chain, that doesn’t mean we’re not fans. The Korean fried chicken wings available at their Cambridge, Allston and Quincy locations are some of the best crunchy, double-fried specimens we’ve tasted. Available in soy garlic, spicy and Korean BBQ (you can also do half-and-half sauces), these wings and some tteokbokki make for an amazing dinner.