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Los Angeles is a haven for fried chicken of all kinds, with wildly spicy tenders served at the car wash, food trucks, and fried chicken sandwiches cooked up by star chefs. That’s to say nothing of LA’s fantastic grocery store fried chicken. That certainly extends to the city’s love of chicken wings, from the crackly, double-fried Korean version to the overwhelmingly saucy concoctions put out by places like LA Wings LA Steaks. Here are some of LA’s best wings for a big, messy night at home.
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18 Spots in Los Angeles for Crispy, Perfect Chicken Wings
Perfect for at-home snacking, making a mess in the car, or dining with a crew
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Bird Box
It’s hard to imagine a company more committed to the chicken wing than Bird Box in North Hollywood. The restaurant offers nearly two dozen kinds of sauces and dips for its wings alone, plus bone-in and boneless wings at any scale needed. Want 100 jumbo wings to eat solo? They’ve got you.
New York Chicken & Gyro
When a restaurant labels a dish with the name drip wings, you know it’s serious. New York Chicken & Gyro starts with incredibly juicy wings and then douses them in a creamy sauce that manages to stay crispy. The spicy honey variety is also available at all three locations throughout the Southland.
Howlin' Ray's
The real heat-seekers know to head to Howlin’ Ray’s for the batter’s box of wings, served at various spice levels to suit every need. They’re always crispy. The higher the heat, though, the more impossible they are to put down — so beware.
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The Greyhound Bar & Grill
The Greyhound is sports bar royalty, having become a haven for Dodger fans, soccer watchers, and folks just looking to get out into a group to enjoy some drinks and a game. The wings with 14 different sauces are on point, arriving at nearly every table as saucy, spicy bites to savor.
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Ye Rustic Inn
For those who like a little pain with their pleasure, order Ye Rustic Inn’s signature and extremely spicy buffalo wings. An extra pitcher of beer is highly recommended at this 52-year-old bar.
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Yang's Kitchen
The seemingly simple wings at Yang’s hide a harder-to-believe truth: Lots of wings hide behind too much breading and not enough technique. Here the lightly golden wings are only given the barest of side seasonings, allowing them to shine on their own. Don’t be put off; they are outstanding.
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Love Baked Wings
Though most wings are deep-fried, Love Baked Wings capitalizes on diners who still want all the flavor, but less oil. Everything on the menu will look familiar with 13 different sauces, just baked.
Pijja Palace
Pijja Palace remains one of LA’s hardest restaurants to secure a reservation. But once you do, there are three wing options on the menu. Order the green variety with jalapeño, cilantro, mint, and chives. Turn up the spice level with spicy mustard, honey, turmeric, and horseradish, or nice and spicy wings with Kashmiri red chili and garam masala.
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KyoChon Chicken
The godfather of Korean fried chicken, KyoChon’s ultra-crispy and extra-spicy wares never fail to delight. If things get too hot, cool off with the pickled daikon cubes served on the side.
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LA Wings & LA Steaks
This popular food truck is stationed near L.A. Live where staff make Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, loaded chicken fries, and burgers. Very few leave without ordering wings which can be left plain or tossed in buffalo sauce, a dry or mild lemon pepper, sweet chili, teriyaki, or barbecue.
Yangban Society
Twice-fried, sweet, and extra crispy, Yangban Society's wings have become a cult favorite. Order a few batches to share with friends over drinks and dinner.
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Bludso's BBQ
Though known for Texas-style brisket and ribs, Bludso’s is an ideal stop for wings. There’s a brand-spanking new location in Santa Monica where pitmaster Kevin Bludso prepares jumbo chicken wings with a choice of buffalo, dry rub, or hot barbecue sauce.
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Honey's Kettle Fried Chicken
This longtime Culver City staple makes all of its fried chicken with love (and yes, there’s honey around, too). The extra-crisp batter makes for ideal wing eating, leading to happy messes at the table.
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Two Wings Chicken
The wings are just right at chef John Clark’s ongoing pop-up Two Wings Chicken, which started after Clark left the Jon & Vinny empire to begin cooking for himself. After a long run at Smorgasburg, Two Wings pop-ups at breweries and mid-week pickups, so be sure to order ahead.
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Alondra's Hot Wings
This growing Southern California chain of pizza, pasta, and wings restaurants already has half a dozen outlets spread across Whittier, Pico Rivera, and beyond. Score wings by the dozens, with some 20-odd flavors to choose from, or opt for a six-pack of wings and a side of fries for solo snacking.
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Tal's Cafe
Hyde Park’s neighborhood spot is the place to go for soulful daytime eats. This institution opened in 1940 where they serve juicy and crispy wings for all, which deserve to be doused in maple syrup.
Pelicana Chicken
This massive Korean chain started in 1982 and made big inroads into Los Angeles with seven locations in the Southland. For crispy options with a variety of sauces (and the requisite packets of pickled daikon), this is the hot new Korean fried chicken destination to know.
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Wing Ferno
With more than a dozen different sauce and flavor options to choose from, it’s easy to see why Wing Ferno in Gardena does so well. Add in a second location in Orange County and a third in Long Beach, and the future looks bright for one of LA’s best wing shops.
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