• Home
  • popular
  • Events
  • Submit New Event
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • News
  • Restaurants + Bars
  • City Life
  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Real Estate
  • Arts
  • Society
  • Home + Design
  • Fashion + Beauty
  • Innovation
  • Sports
  • Charity Guide
  • children
  • education
  • health
  • veterans
  • SOCIAL SERVICES
  • ARTS + CULTURE
  • animals
  • lgbtq
  • New Charity
  • Series
  • Delivery Limited
  • DTX Giveaway 2012
  • DTX Ski Magic
  • dtx woodford reserve manhattans
  • Your Home in the Sky
  • DTX Best of 2013
  • DTX Trailblazers
  • Tastemakers Dallas 2017
  • Healthy Perspectives
  • Neighborhood Eats 2015
  • The Art of Making Whiskey
  • DTX International Film Festival
  • DTX Tatum Brown
  • Tastemaker Awards 2016 Dallas
  • DTX McCurley 2014
  • DTX Cars in Lifestyle
  • DTX Beyond presents Party Perfect
  • DTX Texas Health Resources
  • DART 2018
  • Alexan Central
  • State Fair 2018
  • Formula 1 Giveaway
  • Zatar
  • CityLine
  • Vision Veritas
  • Okay to Say
  • Hearts on the Trinity
  • DFW Auto Show 2015
  • Northpark 50
  • Anteks Curated
  • Red Bull Cliff Diving
  • Maggie Louise Confections Dallas
  • Gaia
  • Red Bull Global Rally Cross
  • NorthPark Holiday 2015
  • Ethan's View Dallas
  • DTX City Centre 2013
  • Galleria Dallas
  • Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty Luxury Homes in Dallas Texas
  • DTX Island Time
  • Simpson Property Group SkyHouse
  • DIFFA
  • Lotus Shop
  • Holiday Pop Up Shop Dallas
  • Clothes Circuit
  • DTX Tastemakers 2014
  • Elite Dental
  • Elan City Lights
  • Dallas Charity Guide
  • DTX Music Scene 2013
  • One Arts Party at the Plaza
  • J.R. Ewing
  • AMLI Design District Vibrant Living
  • Crest at Oak Park
  • Braun Enterprises Dallas
  • NorthPark 2016
  • Victory Park
  • DTX Common Desk
  • DTX Osborne Advisors
  • DTX Comforts of Home 2012
  • DFW Showcase Tour of Homes
  • DTX Neighborhood Eats
  • DTX Comforts of Home 2013
  • DTX Auto Awards
  • Cottonwood Art Festival 2017
  • Nasher Store
  • Guardian of The Glenlivet
  • Zyn22
  • Dallas Rx
  • Yellow Rose Gala
  • Opendoor
  • DTX Sun and Ski
  • Crow Collection
  • DTX Tastes of the Season
  • Skye of Turtle Creek Dallas
  • Cottonwood Art Festival
  • DTX Charity Challenge
  • DTX Culture Motive
  • DTX Good Eats 2012
  • DTX_15Winks
  • St. Bernard Sports
  • Jose
  • DTX SMU 2014
  • DTX Up to Speed
  • st bernard
  • Ardan West Village
  • DTX New York Fashion Week spring 2016
  • Taste the Difference
  • Parktoberfest 2016
  • Bob's Steak and Chop House
  • DTX Smart Luxury
  • DTX Earth Day
  • DTX_Gaylord_Promoted_Series
  • IIDA Lavish
  • Huffhines Art Trails 2017
  • Red Bull Flying Bach Dallas
  • Y+A Real Estate
  • Beauty Basics
  • DTX Pet of the Week
  • Long Cove
  • Charity Challenge 2014
  • Legacy West
  • Wildflower
  • Stillwater Capital
  • Tulum
  • DTX Texas Traveler
  • Dallas DART
  • Soldiers' Angels
  • Alexan Riveredge
  • Ebby Halliday Realtors
  • Zephyr Gin
  • Sixty Five Hundred Scene
  • Christy Berry
  • Entertainment Destination
  • Dallas Art Fair 2015
  • St. Bernard Sports Duck Head
  • Jameson DTX
  • Alara Uptown Dallas
  • Cottonwood Art Festival fall 2017
  • DTX Tastemakers 2015
  • Cottonwood Arts Festival
  • The Taylor
  • Decks in the Park
  • Alexan Henderson
  • Gallery at Turtle Creek
  • Omni Hotel DTX
  • Red on the Runway
  • Whole Foods Dallas 2018
  • Artizone Essential Eats
  • Galleria Dallas Runway Revue
  • State Fair 2016 Promoted
  • Trigger's Toys Ultimate Cocktail Experience
  • Dean's Texas Cuisine
  • Real Weddings Dallas
  • Real Housewives of Dallas
  • Jan Barboglio
  • Wildflower Arts and Music Festival
  • Hearts for Hounds
  • Okay to Say Dallas
  • Indochino Dallas
  • Old Forester Dallas
  • Dallas Apartment Locators
  • Dallas Summer Musicals
  • PSW Real Estate Dallas
  • Paintzen
  • DTX Dave Perry-Miller
  • DTX Reliant
  • Get in the Spirit
  • Bachendorf's
  • Holiday Wonder
  • Village on the Parkway
  • City Lifestyle
  • opportunity knox villa-o restaurant
  • Nasher Summer Sale
  • Simpson Property Group
  • Holiday Gift Guide 2017 Dallas
  • Carlisle & Vine
  • DTX New Beginnings
  • Get in the Game
  • Red Bull Air Race
  • Dallas DanceFest
  • 2015 Dallas Stylemaker
  • Youth With Faces
  • Energy Ogre
  • DTX Renewable You
  • Galleria Dallas Decadence
  • Bella MD
  • Tractorbeam
  • Young Texans Against Cancer
  • Fresh Start Dallas
  • Dallas Farmers Market
  • Soldier's Angels Dallas
  • Shipt
  • Elite Dental
  • Texas Restaurant Association 2017
  • State Fair 2017
  • Scottish Rite
  • Brooklyn Brewery
  • DTX_Stylemakers
  • Alexan Crossings
  • Ascent Victory Park
  • Top Texans Under 30 Dallas
  • Discover Downtown Dallas
  • San Luis Resort Dallas
  • Greystar The Collection
  • FIG Finale
  • Greystar M Line Tower
  • Lincoln Motor Company
  • The Shelby
  • Jonathan Goldwater Events
  • Windrose Tower
  • Gift Guide 2016
  • State Fair of Texas 2016
  • Choctaw Dallas
  • TodayTix Dallas promoted
  • Whole Foods
  • Unbranded 2014
  • Frisco Square
  • Unbranded 2016
  • Circuit of the Americas 2018
  • The Katy
  • Snap Kitchen
  • Partners Card
  • Omni Hotels Dallas
  • Landmark on Lovers
  • Harwood Herd
  • Galveston.com Dallas
  • Holiday Happenings Dallas 2018
  • TenantBase
  • Cottonwood Art Festival 2018
  • Hawkins-Welwood Homes
  • The Inner Circle Dallas
  • Eating in Season Dallas
  • ATTPAC Behind the Curtain
  • TodayTix Dallas
  • The Alexan
  • Toyota Music Factory
  • Nosh Box Eatery
  • Wildflower 2018
  • Society Style Dallas 2018
  • Texas Scottish Rite Hospital 2018
  • 5 Mockingbird
  • 4110 Fairmount
  • Visit Taos
  • Allegro Addison
  • Dallas Tastemakers 2018
  • The Village apartments
  • City of Burleson Dallas

    Lord of the wings

    16 Dallas restaurants compete in CultureMap's Ultimate Wing Showdown

    Raven Jordan
    Nov 18, 2024 | 4:33 pm
    Bonchon Chicken

    Wings are the thing.

    Photo courtesy of Bonchon Chicken

    Nothing says getting together to watch sports with friends quite like a big plate of wings. As part of The Tailgate presented by Verizon — CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit — we’re asking a simple question:

    Which bar or restaurant in Dallas serves the best wings?

    To answer that question, we’ve created the Ultimate Wing Showdown. CultureMap editors have selected 16 nominees that we think have a shot at the title. Just like we do for the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Best New Restaurant tournament, we’re asking readers to vote in a bracket-style, head-to-head tournament that will produce Dallas' ultimate wing joint.

    True to the diversity of Dallas, the nominees cover a wide range of styles and cultural influences — everything from original Buffalo wings from New York to Korean double-fried chicken and cauliflower wings. Read on for more about the nominees, then click here to vote for your favorites.

    People may vote once per day, and the results will be closely monitored to ensure a fair outcome. We’ll reveal the winner on stage at The Tailgate event on Monday, December 9 at the Empire Room

    The night will also include celebrity appearances, games, food from local restaurants, and drinks from the event’s sponsors. Verizon and CultureMap are even giving away a VIP trip for two to Super Bowl LIX*. More details on how to enter here for a chance to win.

    Read more about The Tailgate here, and follow all the details in our special editorial series. You won’t want to miss it, so get your tickets today.

    Here are the nominees in the Ultimate Wing Showdown:

    Pluckers vs. Wing Bucket
    Pluckers, the 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.

    Wing Bucket, the 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.

    Wings World vs. Wing Boss
    Wings World, a 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 six wings starts at $10.

    Virtual restaurant concept Wing Boss comes from Dickey's Barbecue Pit offering pit-smoked wings. They have four Dallas locations serving up flavors like atomic sauce, spicy Korean, and lemon pepper rub. Six wings are $6.

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

    Anchor Bar, home of the original Buffalo wing, has a franchise location in Arlington specializing in both traditional and boneless wings, plus vegan wings for those who prefer a meatless option. The original wing and signature sauce they're known for was created in 1964. An order of 10 wings starts at $16.

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

    Angry Dog, yet another 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.

    Bonchon vs. No. 1 Plus Chicken
    Korean chicken chain Bonchon first came to the U.S. in 2006. Their double-fried recipe creates a crust that is both extra crunchy and chewy at the same time. It gets doused in a red soy garlic sauce that's irresistible. An order of six wings is $10.

    No. 1 Plus Chicken, a 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.

    Bad Chicken vs. bb.q Chicken
    Recently opened wing shop Bad Chicken has Buffalo atomic wings that are hotter than regular Buffalo. When they say hot, they mean super hot. Five wings are $8.75.

    Korean fried chicken chain bb.q Chicken has 6 locations in DFW and 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.

    Frankie’s Downtown vs. Vegan Vibrationz
    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. $14 for traditional or boneless wings.

    Plano Legacy Hall restaurant known for its vegan version of Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap does vegan "wings" made from cauliflower florets. They come in three flavors: original, BBQ, or Buffalo. $10 for a plate.

    Dirty Birds vs. Dirty Bones
    Dirty Birds is a just-arrived sports bar chain from San Diego whose wings have earned earned national recognition from Yahoo as the best wings in the U.S. They carry an impressive 37 flavors for their wings ranging from honey mustard to dirty blue, a mix of hot sauce and blue cheese. Wings start at $11.

    Dirty Bones, the Victory Park restaurant located across from the American Airlines Center, offers 16 sauces and six dry rubs including some outside the box options such as their PB&J wings. Five wings start at $9.50.

    Made up your mind? Vote here for your favorites.

    ---

    The Tailgate is presented by Verizon and sponsored by HOWDY, EIGHT Beer, and more to be announced.

    *The NFL Entities shall have no liability or responsibility for any claim arising in connection with participation in this sweepstakes or any prize awarded. The NFL Entities have not offered or sponsored this sweepstakes in any way.

    sportstailgate
    news/restaurants-bars
    series
    popular
    series/the-tailgate-dallas-2024

    most read posts

    Dallas bar High Fives will close on Henderson Avenue after 10 years

    Dallas diner & music venue will open in former Ferris Wheeler space

    Revered family-owned Mediterranean restaurant debuts in North Dallas

    Burger News

    Fun family-owned Big Mike's Bar and Grill from TV star debuts in Plano

    Luciana Gomez
    Dec 23, 2025 | 10:55 am
    Big Mike's
    Tommy LeBeouf
    Big burger from Big Mike's in Plano

    A charming family-owned restaurant from a TV star has debuted in Plano. Called Big Mike’s Bar and Grill, it's an elevated sports bar that just opened at 3200 Alma Dr., in a former Pancho's Mexican Buffet where it's serving tasty Angus burgers and beer-battered onion rings, hand-battered in-house.

    Big Mike's is from husband-and-wife Mike Cancelmi and Jennie Marie; she gained fame as the star of the 2018 TLC show Mama Medium. The couple is from Rochester, New York, but fell in love with the Dallas area with their four sons after visiting a friend in 2021.

    Their signature Big Mike's burger is a biggie: a half-pound patty with cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a fried egg on a brioche bun, served with choice of hand-cut fries, tater tots, or sweet potato fries, for $18.

    They bring their Northeast influence with dishes such as a Reuben sandwich with corned beef on marble rye, and their own version of poutine, the Canadian specialty, which they make with fries, cheese curds, brown gravy, and thick-cut crumbled bacon.

    One dish reflect their hometown pride: Called the Trash Plate, it's inspired by the Garbage Plate, a sloppy comfort food dish created in 1918 at Rochester restaurant Nick Tahou Hots which has become the unofficial signature dish of the city of Rochester.

    The traditional Garbage Plate consists of a choice of burger or hot dog from Rochester-based Zweigle’s, Italian sausage, chicken, or grilled cheese, served on top of any combination of starchy items like home fries, french fries, baked beans, or macaroni salad.

    Big Mike's Trash Plate features macaroni salad, home fries, and choice of two Zweigle’s hot dogs which they fly from New York, or two smash patties with hot sauce, mustard, and onions.

    They also do a few entree items like a NY strip steak, their priciest item at $35, served with garlic mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts; and a chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and green beans for $24. Portions are abundant.

    Big Mike's Big Mike'sBig Mike's

    “I created the menu based on things I like to eat," Mike says. "Everything we make is made from scratch, the way I would do it if I was cooking for my friends."

    They host weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday until 2 pm with a cinnamon roll skillet, frittatas, avocado toast, and a hash version of the Garbage Plate with home fries, mac salad, onions, diced Zweigle's hot dogs, eggs, and meat hot sauce. There are mimosas — they have a full bar — and they also do a daily happy hour from 3-6 pm with appetizer specials and domestic beers for $3.50.

    Mike's background as a former contractor can be seen in the restaurant's spiffy remodel. The space sits 270, with enough room to host events that include karaoke every Wednesday, live music during brunch, and a ticketed group psychic event where Jennie Marie draws from her TV show days, performing readings and mediumship, with food and drink.

    The restaurant has a wonderful family-oriented atmosphere. Many of their employees are friends of their sons from school or ice hockey, giving the restaurant a comfortable, homey vibe.

    “We try to visit every table — that personal touch is important to us," Jennie Marie says. "We want that hometown feel, get people what they want so they come back."

    openingsburgers
    news/restaurants-bars
    series
    popular
    series/the-tailgate-dallas-2024
    Loading...