The Best Chicken Wings Spots in the US

Founded by Bruce Gerleman in Des Moines in 1998, Jethro’s smokes all of its wings over hardwood before frying them to crispy perfection and tossing them with homemade sauces and spice rubs including Alabama White, Georgia Mustard, and Raspberry Habanero. A full lineup of barbecue is also available, along with burgers, queso dip, and a giant pork tenderloin sandwich featured on “Man v. Food.”

The low-key Wichita wing joint serves breaded wings that are big, crispy, and juicy, alongside fries, onion rings, burgers, and fried fish on Friday. The wings stand on their own without any adornment, but you can’t go wrong with Buffalo or sweet heat sauce.

DB Grill has become a favorite on Oahu for its menu of modern Asian cuisine with a seasonal, traditional Hawaiian twist. It’s offering super-crispy wings in three varieties: Korean (gochujang, honey, sesame), Braddah (sweet garlic soy), and Soledad (shoyu and vinegar), and all are worthy of a visit.

A casual Irish pub in Baltimore’s Federal Hill neighborhood, Delia Foley’s is the best spot in town for wings, which are guaranteed to be big and crispy. But the true claim to fame is the 40 sauces on offer, ranging in spice level from mild (Bourbon St. Cajun) to “hell fire” (Face Melter). In-between are sauces for every taste, from Strongbow Cider BBQ to General Tso to Old Bay, because this is Baltimore, after all.

One of Vermont’s beat barbecue joints, Bluebird gives its wings the same attention it does to its ribs, pulled pork, and brisket. They’re slowly smoked and finished off in the deep-fryer for a finishing crisping, and tossed with either the house dry rub or brown sugar-kicked Buffalo sauce.