Best Wings in Manhattan? Introducing Our Official "Manhattan Wing Trail"

As some of the world’s most-renowned chicken wing foodies we have a serious passion for wings, wing joints, wing flavors and really all things wings. Having created popular wing trails in our home state of Connecticut we figured it was time to branch out and create other national wing trails to provide not only wing knowledge, but a fun and creative way to enjoy different wing spots in different geographical locations. As always, we don’t “rate” the wings. We leave that to you!

Please leave a review and your personal findings on the Wingaddicts App. There’s a scoreboard in there too where you can earn rewards points for leaving your reviews. Please refrain from nasty and negative remarks. If you had a bad experience, we appreciate that you say so but remember that we’re all chicken wing “lovers” not “haters!” 

While all three of us personally prefer a dive bar setting when enjoying wings, we understand that takeout wing spots are a part of the culture as are chain restaurants. Sometimes we’ll even feature up a restaurant that isn’t a wing joint at all, but may have a distinctive wing on the menu that merits critical acclaim! 

There are 1.6 million people living in Manhattan and over 60 million annual visitors, frequenting 8,000 restaurants over just 22 square miles. If you went out for lunch and dinner every day and night of the week, it would take you twelve years to eat at every restaurant! Manhattan is hardly a mecca for chicken wings but that doesn't mean the world's greatest city doesn't have some players. Well, we’ve found 17 bona fide wing spots that you really need to visit along with three bonus honorable mentions spots! Please enjoy the Official Wingaddicts Manhattan Wing Trail. Remember, “if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere!” 

Let’s start from the top and work our way south! If you'd like to investigate further, click on the photo to be directly linked to that restaurant's website. 

Chick Chick

This is a Korean-style chicken and ramen spot was opened by chef Jun Park just before the Covid pandemic hit and won the Michelin Bib Gourmand Award in 2022 and again in 2023. This esteemed award recognizes friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.

The wings here are battered with potato starch, fried on low and then a second time on high to bring on extra crisp. They come in six different flavors including Soy Garlic, Korean Sweet Gochujang, Hot Honey, Nashville Hot, Sweet Black Pepper Soy or even get them non-sauced Original. The restaurant has a Bon Chon feel to it with indoor and outdoor seating and also serves alcohol. 

Bodega 88

Bodega 88 is an interesting wing destination on the upper West Side, presenting four delicious wing flavors with a Dominican flare. Have a mojito and take down some wings with the in-house Bodega 88 Dry Rub, the Asian Citrus Glaze, Classic Buffalo or an interesting Mango Mustard wing. Owner David Arias grew up in the upstairs apartment and he and his family ran a neighborhood bodega in this spot for decades. In 2016, to keep up with the changing times, Arias turned it into a sporty tapas bar with TV's and other great pub fare. This place is awesome!

Blondie's Sports

Blondie’s is one of New York’s best dive-bar / sports-bar wing establishments, period. While it’s pure heaven to the “traditional” Buffalo wing enthusiast with eight levels of heat from Mild to “Ouch," it also serves up wings in Honey Mustard, Garlic, BBQ, Honey BBQ, Jerk, Lemon Pepper Parmesan and Honey Teriyaki in orders of ten, twenty, fifty or one hundred. Get 20 wings for $20 on Mondays! 

Blondie’s has been called “The Best Bar in New York” which is a big claim and has also received plenty of acclaim among food bloggers for their wings. 

East End Bar & Grill

One of the coolest sports bars on Manhattan and without question the one with the best wing menu! East End has two dozen great wing flavors on that list and more than a few awards for those wings since it opened in 2007. It’s an Irish pub with an awesome sports atmosphere and plenty of TV’s. These guys are Syracuse University fans (and alumni), so might notice a little “orange” in the house and maybe a Carmelo Anthony jersey on the wall. We’ll leave our UConn Huskies shirts in the car, so we don’t get any sauce on them! 

International Wings Factory

I mean, it’s all in the name! This place specializes in all-natural Halal chicken wings, always cooked from fresh. They're  offered in a dozen flavors with an interesting selection of six dipping sauces created in-house by Chef Deepak Ballaney, a graduate of Culinary Institute of America. 

Think gourmet fast-food restaurant, as there’s no bar on the premises. However you can eat in and enjoy those wings fresh out of the kitchen if you're lucky enough to grab one of the four tables inside. 

There are interesting wing flavors such as Black Pepper Teriyaki, Vietnamese Chili Mango, Lemon Cajun and Tandoori Masala as well as the “Soul Purifier.” 

Born in 2022, Meller's moved into the building that used to house Rathbone's, a popular bar/restaurant that had previously held it down for almost 50 years at 1702 2nd Avenue on the upper east side. Local restauranteurs Robert and Anna Meller closed down their Queens BBQ restaurant to take on this project closer to home.  With plenty of TV's, a large bar and tin ceilings, Meller's has that comforting neighborhood dive bar feel with great food. The wing menu has six traditional flavors (all made in house) as well as the Kamikaze Challenge. Complete it and you're picture goes on the wall. Good luck with that! 

Horn's Hook Tavern

The bar opened during the beginning of the Covid pandemic in 2020. It's name is derived from the horn-shaped bend in the nearby East River (known as Horn's Hook) which was a strategic defense location for US Troops vs the British during the Revolutionary War.  

Two local bartenders teamed up with Chef Michael Contino to create a classic pub with 20 beers on tap and an interesting wing flavor list. They marinate their wings in buttermilk and serve them in Buffalo, Volcanic, Cranberry BBQ, Honey Dijon, Spicy Hudson Chili and Mike's Hot Honey flavors. Go in and claim your Independence! 

Pelicana Chicken

With a half dozen locations in NYC (and 3,000 world wide), Pelicana is one of the largest fast-food chains in the world. But don’t let that scare you. The Korean-style chicken restaurant, which started in 1982 has a clean and modern bar scene, TV’s, and even outdoor seating. The wings are breaded and friend (again, Korean style) and served in eight different flavors that you really must experience. 

If you want to stay traditional, you can go with the “Buffalo-style” in four different levels of heat. Don't be surprised if you have to stand in an actual line to get in the front door. That happens a lot here.

Scruffy Duffy’s

Scruffy’s is an Irish-pub good time dive bar that screams fun before you even walk in the front door. The “Scruffy’s Famous Wings” selection is solid with four levels of Buffalo hot and eight more of the classic flavors you might expect. And they don’t skimp out on the sauce! Inside you’ll also find dart boards, a pool table, and plenty of TV’s for watching sports. It’s also easy to find on Restaurant Row in Hell’s Kitchen. This one will be a favorite on the trail for wing lovers. 

Virgil’s Real BBQ

In the heart of Times Square, Virgils Real BBQ is as touristy as it gets. We know. And it’s a BBQ joint. We know. It’s not a wing spot. We know. HOWEVER . . . there is one wing on the Virgil’s menu and it’s one of our ALL-TIME favorites. Let’s be honest, anybody can make traditional buffalo wings at home. All you need is Franks’ Red Hot and butter. This Virgils wing (served as three giant, whole wings) is slow smoked and has a unique flavor that cannot be duplicated. Oh, and finish your wing dining experience with a hot towel. If you’re a true Wingaddict, get this wing and check Virgils off on your Manhattan Wing Trail card. (Until next time!)

Bloom's Tavern

This iconic Irish Pub is named after Leopold Bloom - a fictional character in the novel Ulysses by James Joyce - who joked that it would be a "good puzzle" to cross Dublin City without passing a single pub. Well, none of us is interested in that especially if we're in pursuit of wings!