Recommendations are a dime a dozen, but in Pro Tips, we go directly to the source, asking food and beverage experts for their professional opinions on the city’s best burgers, dive bars, and more.
For some, the best thing about Super Bowl Sunday isn’t the football or the halftime show — it’s the chicken wings. That’s especially the case in San Francisco, where there are so many styles (baked, double-fried) and flavors (classic Buffalo, mala honey) to be explored.
We asked a handful of restaurant industry pros where they go to quell their chicken cravings. Their picks ranged from classic sports bars like The Kezar Pub to under-the-radar neighborhood gems like Nute’s in Bernal Heights to upscale restaurants doing chef-inspired riffs on the greasy, messy bar snack.
Parker Brown, chef and owner, Side A
Source: Poppy Lynch for The Standard
Favorite wings: Southern Pacific Brewing, 620 Treat Ave., Mission
Considering that some of Side A’s most popular menu items are a “garbage salad” and an enormous chicken cutlet, it’s not surprising that Brown is a lifelong fan of fried chicken wings. “Classic Buffalo wings were in my top-three food groups as a child,” he says. When he gets a craving, he heads to Southern Pacific Brewing for an order with sides of both ranch and blue cheese. “SPB’s Buffalo wings have both the crispy and saucy thing going on. Celery and carrots are also a must.” The brewery’s lemon-pepper wings earn an honorable mention.
Fernay McPherson, chef-owner, Minnie Bell’s
Favorite wings: Lunette, 1 Ferry Building, Embarcadero
When McPherson says she loves KFC, she’s not talking fast-food; she means the Khmer fried chicken wings at Lunette, chef Nite Yun’s Cambodian spot. The light, crispy coating and subtle heat from Kampot pepper are a comfort on cold days, and McPherson likes to finish them off with a blast of fresh lime. She has fond memories of trying the wings for the first time. Yun, a longtime friend, “was always nervous to make me wings, since fried chicken is my specialty at Minnie Bell’s,” McPherson says. “But they’re still one of my favorites.”
David Barzelay, chef-owner, Lazy Bear and True Laurel
Source: Courtesy Little Original Joe’s
Favorite wings: Little Original Joe’s, 393 W Portal Ave., West Portal
Little Original Joe’s is probably best known for spicy rigatoni and butter cake. But if you ask Barzelay, LOJ’s has also mastered the art of the classic Buffalo wing. He grew up playing sports in Tampa, Florida, and post-game wings were a staple. The version you’ll find here hits all the marks. “When we haven’t had family-meal wings for a few months at Lazy Bear or True Laurel, I legitimately start craving them,” Barzelay says. His advice? Order them half Buffalo, half naked. “The naked ones are so crispy, I either eat them straight or dip them in Buffalo sauce bite-by-bite.”
Daniel Ramirez, chef and owner, Smokin’ D’s BBQ
Favorite wings: San Tung, 1031 Irving St., Sunset
Ramirez is unequivocal about his pick: “San Tung in the Inner Sunset is my go-to spot. Why? If you’re asking this, you’ve clearly never been.” The restaurant’s dry-fried chicken wings are legendary for being super crispy and flavorful, seasoned with ginger, red pepper, and garlic. “My now-wife brought me here for my first meal in San Francisco ever. I’ve never looked at a chicken wing the same.”
Matt Ho, chef-owner, Bodega
Favorite wings: Nutes, 903 Cortland Ave., Bernal Heights
Noodles and wings might not be a classic combo, but that’s Ho’s go-to order at Nute’s, a cozy Japanese and Thai spot. The tebasaki wings are coated in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, black pepper, and sansho pepper, which gives them a “nice kick.” Though Ho is agnostic when it comes to the age-old wings-versus-flats debate, he is a stickler for texture. “I don’t like my wings fried too hard, because the meat can get dried out,” he says. “But if the sauce sticks to the wings after they’re fried, and they still keep their texture, that’s a win in my book.” Nute’s gets busy, he warns, but even if you order the wings to go, they’ll still be nice and crisp by the time you get home.
Melissa Perfit, chef, Equal Parts
Source: Courtesy Hi Tops
Favorite wings: Hi Tops, 2247 Market St., Castro, and Hot Sauce and Panko, 1468 Hyde St., Polk Gulch
Perfit, who grew up in Gainesville, home of the University of Florida Gators, has been to more than her fair share of football tailgates. Wings were on the menu at every one. She’s a lifelong fan of “original hot wings made with Frank’s hot sauce and a side of blue cheese and celery.” To satisfy the craving locally, she heads to Hi Tops. “They keep it straightforward, and the wings are always cooked really well,” she says. “Plus, it doesn’t hurt that they have good cocktails and TVs everywhere, so you can watch any game you are looking for.” Perfit also gives a shout-out to her neighborhood spot, Hot Sauce and Panko, in Polk Gulch. Of the more than a dozen flavors on the menu, she recommends the fire wings with nori furikake, Korean wings with gochujang, or lime wings with fish sauce.
Danielle Grivet, owner and operator, Bette’s
Favorite wings: Crazy Pepper, 2257 San Jose Ave., Excelsior
Do not, under any circumstances, try to give Grivet a dry-rubbed chicken wing. “My biggest fear in life is a lack of sauce,” she says. Like Perfit, she raves about the wings at Hi Tops, but her all-time favorites can be found at Crazy Pepper, a hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant she’s been visiting for more than 16 years. Grivet became a fan of the double-fried Korean chicken wings swimming in sweet chile sauce when she was a “broke culinary student.” Back then, the wings and a Diet Coke were her go-to hangover meal. “Honestly, they still are,” she says.
Jacob Morris, bar manager, Mezcalito
Favorite wings: Underdogs Too, 3600 Taraval St., Parkside
“With so many great spots in the city, it’s hard to choose a favorite,” Morris says. “But there can only be one Lord of the Wings.” For Morris, Underdogs Too has that one wing to rule them all — specifically, the classic Buffalo with a generous serving of blue cheese dressing. (Fly Bar and its crispy wings get an honorable mention.) He’s been going to the popular sports bar for 14 years — including at its original location in the Outer Sunset — where he and a buddy love to wash down a plate of wings with a cold lager. “Ten out of 10,” he says — no notes.
Supasit Puttikaew, chef, Funky Elephant
Favorite wings: Piglet & Co, 2170 Mission St., Mission
When he’s at home in the East Bay, Puttikaew and his wife love to grab wings at bb.q Chicken, the Korean chain with locations in Oakland and downtown San Francisco. But when he wants a quick, delicious, protein-forward meal while he’s at his Thai restaurant, he heads to Asian comfort-food spot Piglet & Co. The Szechuan honey wings are triple-fried and coated in white-pepper mala honey and served with a side of yuzu buttermilk ranch. “I first enjoyed them with my wife. We were hangry, and it saved our day,” Puttikaew says.
David Murphy, chef-owner, Shuggie’s
Favorite wings: The Kezar Pub, 770 Stanyan St., Haight-Ashbury
A huge Liverpool FC fan, Murphy often makes his way to The Kezar Pub to gather with fellow football enthusiasts and enjoy a basket of wings while watching a match. The venerable sports bar across the street from Golden Gate Park is known for having some of the city’s best wings, and Murphy recommends the traditional hot or Korean varieties. “They’re classic pub food, and once you’re five drinks deep, they’re the best thing to share with friends,” he says. “There’s nothing like celebrating a Liverpool win with wings and pints with the crew at Kezar.”