Lord of the wings
16 Dallas restaurants compete in CultureMap's Ultimate Wing Showdown
Wings are the thing.
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.
