It may not be the holiest of holidays, but it’s certainly one of the most mouthwatering: National Chicken Wing Day is here, Tuesday, July 29. To celebrate this most fowl occasion, we’ve created a highly subjective list of the best places in St. Pete for chicken wings. This includes staff spotlights and special selections from our amazing local readers. Time to dig into the best chicken wings St. Pete has to offer.
What anyone considers the best chicken wing is bound to be biased towards their individual tastes (though we of course have an ironclad belief that our favorite is truly the best), so we instead hope this can be a list that guides you to the style of wing you prefer.
Crispy wings at The Wheelhouse
Support local and enjoy 5-star wings
They all come from the same kind of bird to be certain. So, beyond the quality of the meat itself, it’s how each restaurant prepares the wings that makes the difference. Smoked, fried, or chargrilled? Housemade sauces or proprietary dry rubs? We vote both, when possible. Sweet BBQ, hot chili, classic Buffalo, or something a bit more exotic? The options are endless, and we haven’t even started debating flats vs drums.
We won’t go so far as to say we’re chicken wing connoisseurs here at I Love the Burg. That title is saved for those with expert palates and professional experience in the kitchen. Instead, like many of you, we’ll call ourselves and our rumbling bellies what we really are: chicken wing enthusiasts – the more the messier.
In addition to our own picks, we crowdsourced the favorites among our followers, so we hope this is a fair representation of the Wide World of Wings in St. Pete. But if we missed your favorite, rest assured: you are in the right, and we are in the wrong. That’s just how this subjective experience works. If you don’t mind, however, we’ll skip the traditional crow and eat the tastier variety of bird.
PS hungry for more recs? Check our guide to the best Grouper Sandwiches in St. Pete.
The top chicken wing spots in St. Pete
Smoked BBQ wings at Bayboro Brewing
Rumba Island Bar & Grill – This is probably it: the best chicken wing deal in St. Pete! All day every day, Rumba has 99-cent Jerk Smoked Wings. Slow smoked, flash fried, and chargrilled for that perfect smoky flavor, they’re served with your choice of cranberry jerk, tropical bbq, or buffalo hot. It’s a steal of a deal. 6445 4th St N & 1800 Gulf to Bay Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33765
Voodoo Brewing Co. – The newest contender on the list is also one of the most formidable. The downtown brewpub just opened last fall and has already made a name for itself thanks to its fall-off-the-bone in-house smoked wings, served with your choice of housemade sauces. 2240 4th St N
Bayboro Brewing – St. Pete’s best BBQ spot just so happens to be a brewery. Pair these twice-cooked, smoked-and-fried BBQ wings (the housemade sauce is excellent) with a Peanut Butter Chocolate Stout and await nirvana. 2390 5th Ave S
The Bier Boutique – Bier Boutique is a hidden gem for midwestern comfort food, and their chargrilled wings are a massive standout. Top five in town, without question. 465 7th Ave N
The Burg Bar & Grill – The Sunday wing special (8 wings for $11), paired with a little football, is all the excuse we need to visit this old school fave. 1752 Central Ave
Dead Bob’s – Maybe the most underrated spot in town for tasty and affordable pub grub, it’s hard to beat a happy hour of wings and beer at Dead Bob’s. They also have boneless wings, if you’re into that kind of thing. 6716 Central Ave
Engine No. 9 – The crispy duck wings at Engine No. 9 are the epitome of “IYKYK” – and if you want some heat, the sriracha-crusted hot wings always hit right. 56 MLK St N
Buffalo wings at Ferg’s
Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill – Ferg’s is St. Pete’s OG sports bar, and there is no better sports bar fare than a basket of Buffalo wings. Step 1: Find your best TV-viewing table. Step 2: Order wings. 1320 Central Ave
The Galley – The Galley is always a downtown favorite for us, but especially on Thursday wing night: eight wings and two Natty Light drafts for just $11.95, from 6-10 pm. Best deal in downtown. 27 4th St N
Hookin’ Ain’t Easy – Watching the wings rotate in the smoker at Hookin’ Ain’t Easy may be the most mesmerizing experience of my life. Perhaps only topped by the experience of actually biting into those juicy and crispy bad boys. 3660 22nd Ave S
Localz Sports Bar – Beach Drive’s only sports bar has 10 different housemade sauces to choose from, including tempting creations like the Maple Bacon Sriracha, Spicy Thai Peanut, and Peach Habanero. 1 Beach Drive SE
Mullet’s Fish Camp – Not only is this the staff pick, but it is very much the closest you’ll come to finding a consensus pick among St. Pete wing lovers. My personal rec: get them with the dry rub, and the addictive Merman sauce on the side. 3901 6th St S
Shawarma-spiced wings by Shawarma King
The Shawarma King – They’re the only food truck, but the three-time Chicken Wing Challenge champions are more than deserving of the inclusion. Their shawarma-spiced wings are a revelation, and unlike any other wing you’ve had in St. Pete.
Sesh Brewing Company – $1 wings are borderline unheard of these days, which makes the Monday $1 wings special at Sesh unskippable. And any excuse to try some of Chef Tyson’s latest creations is a good one. 2201 4th St N
Sunset Grille – A dark horse competitor for top prize, the wings at Sunset Grille are top of the pack, and it’s the excellent combination of rubs and sauces that help them stand out. Mix the Hot with the Blackened Garlic for an explosion of flavor. 2996 MLK St N
Thai wings at V9 Eats
V9 Eats – Of the many submissions from followers, V9 Eats was by far the top vote-getter among wings we haven’t actually tried ourselves. The family-owned restaurant gets rave reviews for everything on the menu, and their jumbo wings are now at the top of our must-try list: “Family secret dry rub spices, slow smoked then flash fried.” 5800 9th Ave N
The Wharf – This may be one of the best wings on Pass-a-Grille! Known for their grouper, The Wharf also gets its notoriety for their wings which you can get bone-in or boneless in a variety of flavors and dipping sauces. We love it blackened at The Wharf. 2001 Pass-a-Grille Way, St. Pete Beach
The Wheelhouse – We will never say no when someone suggests The Wheelhouse, and we will always order their crispy fried wings immediately upon arrival. They have a ton of great housemade sauces, but we can’t resist the PB&J. 7220 Central Ave
Did we leave off your favorite? Hit us up in the comments section of this article on our facebook page and let us know where you recommend!
Check out That’s So Tampa’s guide to the best wings on the other side of the Howard Frankland Bridge.