Whether you like them smothered in sauces, dry-rubbed or crispy-fried, chicken wings are a popular snack for a reason.
The versatility of the classic chicken wing means that the sky's the limit for flavours and methods of preparation and, as you'd expect, the 6ix is loaded with places that are making some clucking delicious ones.
Here's a list of eight spots for the best chicken wings in Toronto that you'd be foolish to skip. Just make sure you've got enough napkins on hand!
Crave Wings
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: American
Address: 557 Eglinton Ave. W., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: It's right there in the name: Crave Wings has proven itself to be one of Toronto's top spots for crave-worthy chicken wings, boasting a whopping 150+ flavour options and affordable prices.
A pound of wings with some fries and dip will only set you back $15, which frankly feels like a steal for good chicken wings. Those drums and flats can be dressed up in a head-spinning variety of flavours, from saucy selections to dry rub delights, some spicy and others mild. Standards like buffalo and honey garlic are met with less common options like hot mint, orchid orange ginger, and tequila ranch. Intrigued? Check them out!
Duff's Famous Wings
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: American
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Need To Go: Another major favourite for Toronto's most devoted wing connoisseurs, Duff's Famous Wings has been serving up its meaty chicken wings for an impressive 55 years.
The family-owned restaurant chain is popular enough to support three locations in Toronto, and it's not hard to see why: They do the classics very, very well, tossing their pounds of wings in familiar favourites like spicy barbecue, honey garlic, and authentic Buffalo sauces ranging from mild to "Armageddon" on the spice scale.
Other pub-style comforts like jalapeño poppers, chicken sandwiches and burgers fill out the menu, but let's be real — the true draw here is those wings, and Duff's delivers.
Town Wings
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: American, World Fusion
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Need To Go: File this place under "spots with the most chicken wing flavours" and get ready to have a hard time choosing how you want those wings dressed.
Town Wings — with locations in Toronto, Scarborough and North York — promises something for every wing lover in its range of over 100 flavours, with some that are more considered and complex matched by others that truly bring the heat. They even have a category of fusion flavours inspired by world cuisines, from their Japanese Jerk to Jamaican Creole to Cuban and so much more. Grab a pound or two with some fries, and you're in business!
Crown & Dragon
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: American
Address: 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: This cozy pub has earned multiple notices for having some of the best chicken wings in Toronto, and their awards and honours are well deserved.
On top of a hefty selection of pub-style comfort foods like burgers and fish and chips, Crown & Dragon's signature Dragon Wings come in creative flavours like the sweet and smokey Smokin' Gun, the spicy Country Western with a kick of horseradish, and the Roadside Lemonade that intriguingly implements real lemonade and rosemary. Best of all, the pub offers discounted wing nights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays!
Drums N Flats
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: American
Address: 1980 Avenue Rd., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: The rock 'n' roll vibes of this old-school hangout play host to live music, lively guests and, of course, great chicken wings.
Made with fresh Ontario chicken, the wings at Drums N Flats make worthy vessels for a variety of house-made sauces and dry rubs. One of the most unique features of the wing menu here though is the option to get your wings served "double dipped" — a preparation method that sees partially cooked wings tossed in sauce, raked over the barbecue to finish cooking, then tossed again in a different sauce. Talk about a flavour explosion!
The Fry
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: Korean
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Need To Go: With just shy of a dozen popular storefronts around Toronto, Mississauga, Niagara and Aurora, this small takeaway chain in the GTA is making standout Korean-style fried chicken.
Whether you eat them plain or dressed in soy and garlic or their in-house spicy sauce, the chicken wing offerings at the Fry are refreshingly simple and focused. Sauces and dressings aside, the chicken is the real star of the show, and it keeps foodies coming back again and again.
Ding-a-Wing
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: American
Address: 171 College St. & 28 Bathurst St., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Although it's known primarily as a fried chicken and burger joint, the chicken wings at Ding-a-Wing are a major standout.
This fried chicken isn't made from frozen, pre-breaded drums and flats — Ding-a-Wing does the work to brine and buttermilk-fry its own supply, and the quality difference compared to other spots is impossible to ignore. Rather than being tossed in sauce, the wings are served with sauce on the side for dipping, allowing guests to choose from a compact selection of honey dill, mustard BBQ, "Dinger" hot sauce, and "Big Mat" sauce.
Ding-a-Wing website
Bistro on Avenue
Price: 💸💸
Cuisine: American
Address: 1988 Avenue Rd.
Why You Need To Go: Bringing over four decades of food experience to the table, the homey and unpretentious Bistro on Avenue has long been a prime Toronto spot for wings and other comfort dishes.
Labelling their own wings as "the best in Canada" may be a super lofty claim, but there are surely devotees out there who would back that up. Even those who may not fully agree can't doubt that these are some seriously terrific wings, served with sauce options that keep things simple and traditional with choices like BBQ, medium heat and honey garlic. Best of all, their dine-in lunch deal provides a hefty discount on that plate of wings!
