Wings News

A list of the many different kinds of chicken wings in Dallas

Chicken Wings from Duff's

Facebook

Dallas may not be the first city that comes to mind when you say "wings" — but it should be. We've birthed major wing chains like Wingstop, founded in Garland in 1994, as well as smaller outfits like Wings World and Wing Boss, the delivery spinoff of Dickey's Barbecue. When Bonchon Chicken from Korea wanted to expand to the U.S., where did they pick for their HQ? Dallas.

Wing lovers have it pretty good here, from classics to Korean-style, from bone-in to boneless (which is not even a wing). If variety is the spice of life, then Dallas has it spicy.

In this roundup, we've listed some of the most popular options broken into category. Here's 14 wings worth checking out:

BIGGEST BONELESS
For boneless, we've gone for bang for the buck. Both of these places do hefty portions.

Frankie’s Downtown jumbo boneless wings
Downtown Dallas sports bar with an underground speakeasy offers jumbo boneless wings and a pretty good portion size: 8 to 10 ounces each. Named Best Wings in Dallas by Dallas Observer two years in a row.

Wing Bucket's 12 nuggets
Dallas chain with four locations is known for jumbo size, both bone-in wings and boneless, with good deals like 12 boneless wings in three flavors for $11.29. The three flavor option means you can mix and match from choices like spicy honey garlic or PB&J.

CRISPIEST
If crispy is your benchmark, these places are the ones to try.

Cosmo’s crispy chicken wings
East Dallas bar features primarily Vietnamese dishes from chef Jackson Tran — pho, banh mi — but lots of people come for the crispy chicken wings dusted with a Cajun dry rub. Served with a spicy ginger-soy dipping sauce.

No. 1 Plus Chicken sampler platter
Small Korean fried chicken restaurant in Richardson achieves next-level crispiness by removing extra fat and skin and marinating in spices before frying. A $29 sampler features their four most popular flavors: fried original, yangyum, soy, and garlic.

DRUMS AND FLATS
Which is best, drums or flats? Only one place is famous for having both.

Pluckers
Austin-based chain has become a wing staple in Dallas since it debuted here in 2002 with drums and flats. It's a hot topic of debate as to which is best. Pluckers will let you combine so you can compare yourself. An order of five wings is $9.

DRY RUB
Saucy wings are more popular, but wings with a dry rub have a certain elegance.

Will Call's Recycle Rub
Deep Ellum sports bar pickle-brine its wings for 24 hours then dusts them in a coating. The Recycle Rub steal the show: It's a dry rub made from leftover, finely ground vegetables. 5 wings are $9. There's also a cauliflower option.

MOSTEST BESTEST FLAVORS
All wings places have lots of flavors — it's part of their DNA. These two have something special going on.

Duff's Famous Wings
Small chain from upstate New York has six locations — five in New York and this one outlier in Southlake. The authenticity of their jumbo wings is worth the trip alone. These are no reheat: Take-out orders take 25-30 mins to prepare (and longer during busy times). 6 wings are $9.50.

Wings World
Dallas-based restaurant chain has 33 flavors, perhaps more than any other wing place and some are pretty unique. How about Hawaiian BBQ or oxtail season. An order of 6 wings starts at $10.

HOTTEST
Every wing place brags about how hot their wings are. These two are on fire.

Angry Dog's super hot wings
Deep Ellum staple does super hot wings with an in-house sauce made with habanero, ghost pepper, and Carolina reaper peppers. A plate of 10 wings runs for $15.

Bad Chicken’s buffalo atomic wings
Recently opened wing shop has buffalo atomic wings that are hotter than regular buffalo. When they say hot, they mean super hot. 5 wings are $8.75.

ODD SAUCES
Sauces are a wing staple. Both of these places have offbeat options.

bb.q Chicken Galbi wings
Korean fried chicken chain with 6 locations in DFW has 14 flavors including the Galbi, a sweet and smoky sauce with sesame seeds and green onions; and the cheesling, dusted with a blend of sweet cheeses.

Lord of the Wings spicy elote wings
Online-only wing concept (you order through Instagram and they text you where to pick up) does spicy elote wings, featuring Mexican street corn toppings: queso fresco, cilantro, lime juice, butter, and mayo. 8 wing combo is $16.50.

VEGAN WINGS
Wings are about the sauces and seasonings — making it easy to sub in alternatives for the chicken.

TLC Vegan Cafe's buffalo cauliflower wings
Richardson vegan cafe from award-winning chef Troy Gardner does buffalo cauliflower wings, fried then doused with a buffalo sauce and sprinkled with vegan feta cheese, $16 for an order.

Vegan Vibrationz cauliflower wings
Plano Legacy Hall restaurant known for its vegan version of Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap does vegan cauliflower wings in 3 flavors: original, BBQ, or Buffalo.

Hummus News

Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

Samantha Marie Photography

Zon Zon food spread

An upscale Mediterranean restaurant is coming to North Dallas from a trusted name: Called Zon Zon, it'll open at 5455 Belt Line Rd. #130, in the Work/Shop center, and it's from hospitality group Yela Concepts, led by Yaser Khalaf (Darna, Baboush), together with his son Mak Khalef in their first collaboration.

According to a release, it'll open on December 22.

Named for Mak's sister Zaina (“Zon Zon”), the restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner with a refined take on Mediterranean dining, rooted in tradition but with modern influences.

"We tried to merge what embodies Mediterranean cuisine with dishes that people in Dallas love," Mak says. "A lot of the dishes we have on menu are Mediterranean but have American and Texan influences."

Mezze favorites include hummus topped with green shatta and extra-virgin olive oil; baba ghanoush with charred eggplant, tahini, dukka, and pomegranate; crispy cauliflower with saffron labneh; tuna neya with tahini, mixed pickles, and Aleppo pepper; and kibbeh with ground lamb, onions, pine nuts, and dill labneh.

Salads include seared tuna salad with freekeh and golden beets; Tahini Caesar with tahini–Caesar dressing and za’atar croutons; and roasted beets with burrata, oranges, and pistachios.

Entrées include roasted chicken with garlic-batata and pomegranate jus; chicken shish kebab over saffron rice with almonds and raisins; hanger steak shawarma frites — a clever twist on steak frites with hand-cut fries; ZZ’s Wagyu cheeseburger with smoked provolone and house pickles; Prime ribeye with za’atar chimichurri and heirloom carrots; and apricot lamb couscous.

The beverage program complements the menu with a Mediterranean-focused wine list and creative cocktails such as the coffee-kissed Midnight Istanbul and ZZ’s Margarita, with burnt pineapple and ras el hanout.

Designed in collaboration with Dallas-based Coeval Studios, the restaurant features a 2,130-square-foot interior with an expansive 735-square-foot patio that seats 76, for a total occupancy near 100.

The restaurant boasts an open kitchen, while decorative finishes include modern woodwork, rich textures, and Middle Eastern-inspired details — stylish yet inviting, with a setting that feels like home.

“The inspiration behind Zon Zon came from wanting to create the kind of place we’ve always wished existed — a neighborhood Mediterranean spot that feels both familiar and exciting," says Yaser in a statement. "We wanted to create a comfortable space where guests can meet up with friends or neighbors on a regular basis."

Mak went to college to study biomedical engineering, but says he couldn't resist the lure of the restaurant world in which he grew up.

"Zon Zon is a reflection of everything we love about food," Mak says. "What makes this especially meaningful is building it with my dad — bringing our family’s story and passion to the table."

openings