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The beauty of chicken wings is the diversity that comes from restaurants willing to try new things, be it in spice rubs, sauces or cooking style.
There are dozens of places with solid wings that will leave you smiling, but here are some of the best and some of the most interesting, according to me.
You, of course, have your own go-to wings places and favorites, but if you haven’t given these a try, check them out and see what you think. You just might find a new favorite or two.
Club Garibaldi
2501 S. Superior St., (414) 483-6335
clubgaribaldi.com
Some of my favorite wings, spicy and flavorful, come off the tiny grill behind the bar at Club Garibaldi in Bay View. In “normal” times, Wednesday is wings day, with special pricing, but also high demand. Still, sitting at the bar with a basket of these babies and a nice cold beer can’t be beat.
Leff's Lucky Town
7208 W. State St., Wauwatosa, (414) 258-9886
leffs.com
I generally say I’m not into hot foods but then I order the spicy gems here at Leff’s and I love them and can’t wait to come back for more. The wings taste especially good on a nice day out on the sprawling patio.
Limanski’s Pub
8900 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis, (414) 453-9211
limanskispub.com
The wings are solid: juicy and flavorful. So many options on tap here, plus be sure to check the board on the wall that lists limited-time-only sauces and flavors, including things like shawarma, gyro, guacamole ranch, gochujang and, wait for it, Reese’s Pieces. Each option is available grilled, naked or crispy and boneless “wings” are also available. The staff is friendly, the atmosphere classic corner bar and grill and they had an Eagle Park hazy IPA on tap, so why not?
Maxie's
6732 W. Fairview Ave., (414) 292-3969
maxiesmke.com
Piquant but not overbearingly hot, these buttermilk brined, hickory smoked, battered wings are delectable and are coated with a sauce that's part Cajun, part Buffalo. Fat and juicy, an appetizer portion of these wings – especially with a side of cornbread – is most definitely a meal in itself. (Check Maxie's website for availability.)
McGinn's on Bluemound
5901 W. Bluemound Rd., (414) 475-7546
mcginnsmilwaukee.com
Try the sweet maple bourbon, classic buffalo or dry rubbed Jamaican jerk (the trio pictured at the top) – among many other flavors – on some big and meaty wings at this West Side staple. This place is my wings happy place, especially when there’s baseball on the televisions.
Merge
1932 E. Kenilworth Pl., (414) 226-5160
Mergemke.com
Try the double-fried Korean fried chicken wings, which are super crispy on the outside and tender and juicy underneath. The tangy sauce elevates the whole experience even more.
Partner Pick
Milwaukee Brat House
1013 N. Old World 3rd St., (414) 273-8709
milwaukeebrathouse.com
Choose from BBQ, hot BBQ, house buffalo, tiger sauce, garlic teriyaki or parmesan cayenne dry rub. The wings are wet, but not drenched, in a sauce that have a bit of tang, but aren’t too hot. The chicken is not only juicy but super, super meaty. At some places 10 scrawny wings won't do the trick, but here 10 is a pretty satisfying meal.
Neighborhood Draft
5921 W. Vliet St., (414) 885-2028
neighborhooddraft.com
In a much different setting, Brian Felten of TomKen's also serves wings, with a variety of interesting sauces, including the JB3 with bourbon, brown sugar, jerk and Buffalo flavors; Not So Friendly Fried with Sriracha, pork lard and peppers; What the Fuzz with peaches, agave, tequila, ghost peppers and ginger; and the (five) alarming Jamaican Me Wings jerk spice with Trinidadian scorpion peppers. "My wings are a three-step process," says Felten. "They get charred outside with tender meat. My method causes the sauce to cook inside the meat, The wing is not wet with sauce." Also, ftw, Neighborhood Draft serves wings and waffles.
Points East Pub
1501 N. Jackson St., (414) 277-0122
thepointseastpub.com
The most consistently award-winning wings in town are at Points East on the lower East Side. These grilled gems (pictured at the top of this article) are piquantly spiced; not too hot, not too tepid.
Spitfires on State
5018 W. State St., (414) 777-5060
spitfireswi.com
The sauce is what will keep you coming back to Spitfires, where if you want to try a new sauce each time, you’ll have to return nearly 30 times to try them all. The care they put into the names – like Devil's Balls, Peach Heat, Blueberry Barbecue and Hurt So Good – is a clue to the effort they put into the entire wings experience.
Steny’s Tavern & Grill
800 S. 2nd. St., (414) 414) 672-7139
Stenystavern.com
Steny’s wings are among the most beloved in town and it’s easy to see why. While there’s not the overabundance of flavors you’ll find at some places, Steny’s offers a good range and variety. I tried the mild Buffalo and the Lucky 13 and both had a nice tang and spice that wasn’t overwhelming. The wings were juicy, and even the Buffalo wasn’t drowning in sauce.
TomKen's
8001 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis, (414) 258-9110
tomkens.com
The home of West Allis’ best fried chicken also serves up some of the best (and biggest) wings in the area. There is a house selection of sauces always available, but TomKen’s also rotates in special sauces all the time, so each visit and each wings experience can be unique.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
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