Korean fried chicken options at Chimmelier include galbi soy garlic bone-in chicken wings and “K-tenders” coated in a signature dry rub alongside dipping sauces.
(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
18 of the best spots in L.A. for wings on Super Bowl Sunday
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With the Kansas City Chiefs facing the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX on Sunday, Feb. 9, you might be searching for an easy, crowd-pleasing dish to round out your spread. Enter wings.
Wings are the ultimate party food. You can eat them with your hands — no utensils necessary. You can get them grilled, smoked or fried; bone-in or boneless; rubbed with herbs and spices or drenched in an endless amount of sauces. It’s impossible to eat just one and you’re unlikely to have leftovers at the end of your soiree.
Here in Los Angeles, hot wings go beyond the usual buffalo-sauced options to reflect our diverse dining scene. On the edge of Koreatown, one spot is serving up craggy, Korean fried chicken wings doused in soy garlic and sweet gochujang sauces. In Inglewood, an unassuming takeout spot has become a destination for Atlanta-style wings rubbed with lemon pepper seasoning. And traditionalists will find plenty of bars and pizzerias slinging wings doused in that fiery orange sauce that’s guaranteed to stain your fingers and clothes.
Whether you’re looking to place a takeout or delivery order or head to one of our city’s sports bars to watch the big game alongside fellow football fans, here are the best wing spots to try in L.A.
Showing Places
(Camryn Brewer / Los Angeles Times)
American Deli
Inglewood Chicken Wings American $
This Atlanta-founded chain with locations in South L.A. and Inglewood has a lengthy menu that spans sandwiches, salads, seafood and fried rice, but most everyone is here for the wings. American Deli lets you customize your order with all flats, all drumettes or a combination of both, featuring crispy, never-frozen wings coated in signature sauces and spice rubs such as lemon pepper, honey BBQ, garlic Parmesan, teriyaki and traditional buffalo hot sauce. Ranch, blue cheese and honey mustard are available as dipping sauces. Family packs with up to 100 wings are designed take the pressure off of hosting so you can focus on the game.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
BHC Chicken
Fairfax Fried Chicken Korean $
Guests at the Fairfax location of BHC Chicken ask to purchase tubs of the Seoul-based chain’s cheese powder, known as Bburinkle. It’s a pale gold dust that incorporates cheddar, blue cheese, onion and garlic, and you order your chicken wings completely coated in the stuff. It’s extra cheesy, zesty and a little sweet with a slight funk from the blue cheese. While you can’t buy containers of Bburinkle powder just yet, you can ask for extra to sprinkle on your wings, and whatever else you might be eating with them.
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(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Bludso’s
Fairfax American $$
Kevin Bludso’s barbecue haunt that marries Texas tradition with California influence is screening the Super Bowl at its La Brea and Santa Monica locations, as well as offering takeout packages replete with brisket, ribs, hot links and Southern-inspired sides including mac and cheese, greens and cornbread. The restaurant doesn’t have a lengthy menu of chicken wing flavors or offer the item in bulk, but the jumbo wings with flats and drumettes still intact are smoked and coated in your choice of buffalo or hot BBQ sauce and not to be missed. Dining in offers a bonus in the form of a full bar, with creative cocktails such as a house take on the espresso martini with tequila reposado, mezcal, agave, cold brew and BBQ bitters.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Chic Wings
Valley Glen Fried Chicken $
The Valley Glen storefront that used to be Bird Box is now Chic Wings. There’s a new owner and a name change, but the menu remains the same. The wings are still supremely crisp and the lemon pepper seasoning hot and tart. This place has just as many sauces as it does rubs, with 11 condiments all made in house. I’m especially fond of the Boom Boom and the OMG Dip, and I like to order extra for any crudite platters at a party. The Boom Boom tastes like a peppery Thousand Island, while the OMG presents as a hot Buffalo with a wallop of citrus. If you’re ordering for a crowd, there are bone-in and boneless wings by the piece and large party packs.
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(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)
Chimmelier
Koreatown Korean Fried Chicken $
Regardless of the wing flavor, all the chicken at this Koreatown restaurant has a craggy exterior with a superior crunch. If you’re looking for wet wings, the galbi soy garlic is the forever favorite. The thin glaze is nicely balanced and reminiscent of the marinated short ribs, with salty soy and a punch of garlic. For a dry spice, the OMFG spicy dry rub marries the kick of Nashville hot chicken with the sweet and smoky undercurrent of gochugaru. No dipping sauces are required.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Cosa Buona
Echo Park Italian $$
Chef Zach Pollack wowed Silver Lake for a decade with Alimento, and while much more casual, his Echo Park pizzeria still elicits oohs and ahhs as the dishes hit the table — especially when it comes to the wings. Cosa Buona’s buffalo-inspired take cooks its meaty chicken wings three times for a tender interior and crunchy, crisp outer shell, but what really sends it home is the saucing: They’re positively drenched in a sweet-spicy buffalo rendition called “Zach’s Red Hot,” a house-made riff on classic Frank’s hot sauce but with fermented Calabrian chiles for extra heat.
The wings are dunked in Pollack’s creamy, runny Gorgonzola dip, which features white vinegar for even more zing. These are gloriously messy and dripping with flavor. Good thing they come with packets of Wet-Naps. During the Super Bowl, find these wings served by the bucketful of more than two dozen wings for $49 apiece. Buckets are available for pre-order via email, or day-of via delivery apps or walk-in service.
The wings are dunked in Pollack’s creamy, runny Gorgonzola dip, which features white vinegar for even more zing. These are gloriously messy and dripping with flavor. Good thing they come with packets of Wet-Naps. During the Super Bowl, find these wings served by the bucketful of more than two dozen wings for $49 apiece. Buckets are available for pre-order via email, or day-of via delivery apps or walk-in service.
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(Stan Lee)
Danny Boy's
Westwood Pizza $$
New York-style pies steal the show at Danny Holzman’s pizzeria with locations in downtown L.A. and Brentwood. But the full menu, including puffy garlic knots, juicy beef and pork meatballs and hot wings drenched in a house buffalo sauce are also worthy of attention. This is where to go for classic buffalo wings so thoroughly doused in sauce that you’ll find your mouth and fingers stained orange by the time you’re done eating. The side of ranch helps temper the heat that builds with each bite. For Super Bowl, the pizza joint is offering three different packages for groups of up to eight, 15 or 22, with choice of cheese or pepperoni pizzas, hot wings and Caesar salad, plus the option to add a la carte items.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The Escondite
Downtown L.A. Bar
These wings aren’t just some of the best in town — they’re also some of the most affordable. Fans of the Escondite flock to the downtown dive bar for hard-to-find Chicago foods like pizza puffs, Italian beef sandwiches and Chicago dogs, but the wings are worth a journey too. Baked, chilled, fried to order and tossed in your choice of secret house-made sauces (buffalo, barbecue or mango habanero), the meat is tender beneath the crunchy, saucy surface, and the price can’t be beat: Find five wings for $6 or 10 wings for $11, and on Mondays they’re 50 cents apiece with the purchase of a drink. Follow along on Instagram for the Escondite’s programming calendar, which includes game days, live music, open mic nights and more.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
The Greyhound Bar & Grill
Highland Park Bar
After more than a decade, the Greyhound Bar & Grill remains a game day mainstay, with major sporting events showcased across its TVs and a pull-down projector screen — though for many, the food is its own incentive. There are burgers and bar bites and a rotation of specials, but at the Greyhound, the wings are king: This neighborhood sports bar confits, fries and then coats the lightly battered, gloriously crispy wings in options such as classic buffalo, spicy garlic, gochujang, lemon pepper, al pastor and even a cotija-topped elote variety. There are classic bone-in wings as well as boneless, and for the vegetarians, a buttermilk-brined, breaded-and-fried cauliflower version that’s available in any of the same sauces as its poultry counterparts. On Wednesdays, find any classic bone-in wings for 75 cents apiece and half-price boneless wings from 6:30 p.m. to close.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Howlin' Ray's
Pasadena Hot chicken $
I once played wing roulette with a group of friends at a party. We ordered 12 wings from Howlin’ Ray’s. Three orders were medium, one was Howlin’ Hot. If you’re familiar with Johnny Ray and Amanda Zone’s Nashville hot chicken restaurants in downtown L.A. and Pasadena you’ll understand the game. While the medium pleasantly hums with heat, the Nashville hot consumes the senses with an initial jolt of spice that seems to intensify as you sweat. I’m not suggesting you do the same, but it made for an especially memorable night. Whatever spice level you choose, from country (no spice) to Howlin’ Hot, this is excellent fried chicken.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Maple Block Meat Co.
Downtown L.A. Barbecue $$
Maple Block Meat Co.’s smoky, tender wings have been some of the city’s best and most consistent for years. It starts with a secret-recipe 24-hour brine that involves citrus and fresh herbs, then a two-hour smoke with peach wood before they’re finished on the grill. The signature smoked wings — peppery and salty — arrive with a creamy Alabama-like white sauce and some fermented hot sauce, while the honey sriracha wings are sweet, hot and practically caramelized.
Maple Block will be screening the Super Bowl and offering food and drink specials at both its locations on game day. Those watching at home can order party packs of wings in either smoked or honey sriracha varieties — or opt for half and half — ranging from 30 to 100 pieces for pickup in Culver City, while the downtown iteration in Grand Central Market will offer smaller wings packages. Sides, cocktails and all of Maple Block’s other barbecue classics are also available in large enough quantities to feed a football team. Order online by Feb. 7 for game day pickup.
Maple Block will be screening the Super Bowl and offering food and drink specials at both its locations on game day. Those watching at home can order party packs of wings in either smoked or honey sriracha varieties — or opt for half and half — ranging from 30 to 100 pieces for pickup in Culver City, while the downtown iteration in Grand Central Market will offer smaller wings packages. Sides, cocktails and all of Maple Block’s other barbecue classics are also available in large enough quantities to feed a football team. Order online by Feb. 7 for game day pickup.
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(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times )
Mr. Fries Man
Inglewood French Fries $
The signature item is in the name at Mr. Fries Man, but don’t skip juicy wings that are fried and tossed in inventive sauces including jalapeño ranch, mango habanero and Nashville hot — and if you like your wings extra saucy, you can order a side of dip in your preferred flavor. The original Mr. Fries Man is in Gardena, but additional franchise locations have opened in Inglewood, Whittier and Ontario.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
New York Chicken and Gyro
Canoga Park Mediterranean $
If there isn’t an inch of free space on the condiment shelf in your refrigerator, you always order extra ranch and you require at least three dips for any order of fries, these are the wings for you. The restaurant combines its secret white sauce (it’s a mayo-ish, peppery concotion), barbecue and hot sauce (think Cholula) to make what it calls “drip sauce.” It’s smoky and a little sweet with a creamy ranch-like consistency. The breaded and fried wings are doused in the sauce with a pool underneath for dipping. And each order gets a generous sprinkle of paprika for a peppery kick.
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(Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times)
Pho Kadao
Rosemead Vietnamese $
While many pho restaurants around town specialize in steaming bowls of beef bone broth, Pho Kadao is known for its chicken soup and wings. The garlic wings are potent enough to take out that entire family of vampires from the “Twilight” saga. The wings are golden brown, crisp and littered with chopped garlic. Your car will smell, your clothes will smell and unless you shower before you get into bed that evening, you will smell. But if everyone at the party is happily breathing garlic fire breath, does it really matter? The wings are worth it.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Rice Chicken
Koreatown Korean $
Plump and so crispy they practically shatter, some of Koreatown’s best fried chicken is beyond satisfying — and deceptively gluten-free. At Rice Chicken, a batter made with rice flour makes for a crunchy coating and crags that catch a range of sauces. Speaking from experience, showing up to a Super Bowl party with a box or two of these wings is a perfect play. The original, unsauced Moon Rabbit wings from this understated strip-mall spot are pitch-perfect in both medium and spicy varieties, while the sauced versions — in options such as peppery Korean barbecue, sweet-savory honey garlic, or the rich soy-and-garlic Ruby Jade — pack a potent, flavorful punch no matter your pick. Looking for more game day eats? Rice Chicken also offers sides such as mozzarella sticks, onion rings, fries, potato tornadoes and more.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Shlap Muan
Cambodian restaurant
Whether dusted in a dry-spice blend, ladled with “water buffalo” sauce, coated in tamarind and ginger, or wok-tossed in an umami-packed sticky sheen, Shlap Muan’s Cambodian-inspired wings are some of the most craveable in the county. Chef-owner Hawk Tea grew up in his parents’ Chinese-Cambodian restaurant, and years later modified their wings recipe for his own restaurant in Long Beach and popular weekly Smorgasburg residency in the Arts District. At Shlap Muan — Khmer for “chicken wing” — Tea and his wife Sophia riff on lemon pepper with their “Cambodian Dirt” seasoning, which swaps lemongrass for citrus; reimagine a sticky, sweet-savory Khmer braise for the bestselling, secret-recipe “Dirty Elvis”; whip up a creamier, spicier take on buffalo sauce and more. These wings are hefty and juicy, with an exterior that still crackles with each bite — even when drowning in or slicked with sauce.
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(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
Tokyo Fried Chicken Co.
Downtown L.A. Japanese Fried Chicken $
Tokyo Fried Chicken Co. makes some of my favorite fried chicken in the city. A cross between Japanese karaage and Southern fried, the coating is light and beautifully crisp and the meat underneath tastes like it’s been marinating in soy and ginger for hours. The wings are full wings with the drumette and flat attached, making three feel like a meal. You can order wings by the piece, or look to the “party size” portion of the menu for a bucket of 20. This place gets extra points for its elite condiments, with spicy mayo, ranch and sweet or spicy ponzu sauce for dipping.
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(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Wings 2 Go
Inglewood Chicken Wings $$
Blending influence from the South with L.A.’s diverse food cultures, Wings 2 Go is a takeout operation in Inglewood serving up wings in traditional and one-of-a-kind flavors. Here, it’s worth departing from your usual order to try house sauces and dry rubs such as tangy jerk BBQ and chile límon, a mouth-puckering option best paired with a crisp beer. Wings can be ordered in bulk up to 100, ideal for feeding a horde of hungry football fans.
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