The chicken wing, a longtime staple of cheap bar food menus, has faced incredible inflationary pressures since the start of the pandemic. The average bar in Los Angeles now charges anywhere from $2-$4 per wing, and what was once a reliably affordable appetizer has ballooned in cost to that of an entree. An order of six chicken wings and a draft beer from one of your correspondent’s favorite dive bars is now a startling $25 after tax and tip.
As the cost of the chicken wing has risen precipitously, so too has the need for quality control. If we’re to pay $15-$20 for an order of wings, we want to make sure we’re consuming juicy, well-fried wings, not the dry and flavorless variety encountered all too often.
Here are seven places that are consistently turning out excellence with their chicken wings:
For classic Buffalo wings, Ye Rustic Inn remains the best option in the city. It’s no coincidence that the bar happens to be an official watch-spot for fans of the Buffalo Bills — in fact, many natives of Buffalo, New York, swear by the wings at Ye Rustic Inn. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, the wings here have been churned out with stalwart consistency over the years. Sit at the bar for a game, a beer, and a platter of wings. There are few better ways to watch football in L.A.
1831 Hillhurst Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90027. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 180 - “Vermont/Melbourne” or Bus Line 182 - "Talmadge/Franklin."
Ever since this Thai sensation first opened, Night + Market has been applauded for their stellar chicken wings. The peek gai hey-ha (signature “party wings”) are slathered in a three flavor sauce that leaves a pleasant afterburn on your palate. Thai chicken wings, distinctive for their use of chile sauce, embody a world of flavor unto their own, and the ones at Night + Market do not disappoint. You can find their wings at all three locations: Silver Lake, Venice, and West Hollywood.
3322 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Lines 2 or 4 - “Sunset/Micheltorena.”
9043 Sunset Blvd. , West Hollywood, CA 90069. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 2 - “Sunset/Doheny.”
2533 Lincoln Blvd. Venice, CA 90291. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 33 - “Venice/Lincoln.”
The hallmark of the Korean chicken wing is a delightful combination of sweet and spicy stickiness. The wings at Yangban Society are worth shouting out — twice fried, they are doused in a sauce made of soy, sugar, mirin, and garlic. While those wings are to die for, they also come at $30 per order. For a more affordable option in the heart of Koreatown, check out the wings at Dan Sung Sa. Covered in a sweet and spicy glaze, their wings are fried to perfection and offer a hearty kick. Offering an expansive menu filled with Korean street food eats, Dan Sung Sa makes it easy to dabble in kimchi hand rolls and light cold noodles alongside your plate of wings.
3317 W 6th St. Los Angeles, CA 90020. Closest Metro lines and stop: Metro B and D Lines - "Wilshire/Vermont Station" or Bus Line 18 - “6th/Catalina."
No wings list is complete without a jerk chicken version. The wings at Cha Cha Chicken are coconut battered and covered in a spicy pineapple jerk sauce. Located near the beach in Santa Monica, Cha Cha Chicken has two decorative outdoor patio spaces with a BYOB policy. Grab a six-pack from a nearby liquor store, and plop down to enjoy the ocean breeze and a delightful plate of Caribbean chicken wings.
1906 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Closest Metro lines and stop: Bus Line 33 - “Main/Pico” or Metro E Line - "Downtown Santa Monica Station."
A Taiwanese fusion restaurant with an emphasis on freshly sourced ingredients, Yang’s Kitchen in Alhambra offers a plate of chicken wings that stand out for their simplicity and excellence. The chicken wings at Yang’s don’t have any special sauce or glaze smothered over them; they are fried to a nice bronze color and served with a small dish of salt-and-pepper and lemon. And yet, despite not having any of the “fancier” flavor profiles some of the other wings mentioned above have, they are still delicious and memorable.
112 W. Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 78 - “Main/2nd.”
When you think of Chinese food, chicken wings are not the first thing that immediately come to mind. But don’t sleep on Chinese chicken wings, which can be just as tasty as their Korean or Thai counterparts. Cluck2Go, which has locations in Pasadena, Arcadia, and Rowland Heights, is best known for their Hainan chicken. But their wings are also one of the menu’s highlights. At 8 pieces for $14 (one of the few places charging under $2 a wing), the Cluck2Go wings come in either honey garlic or salt-and-pepper flavors. Order the wings and a side of the insanely good homemade chicken soup — this is the comfort food you’ve been craving.
1771 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91106. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 686 - “Colorado/Allen.”
A family-run, neighborhood Chinese takeout spot located in an Echo Park strip mall, Combo A offers a variety of diasporic classics such as chow mein and beef-and-broccoli. But its wings are the standout. Fried with garlic and jalapenos, Combo A’s wings are juicy, affordable, and a great addition to a Sunday football party platter. You can order them in bulk or 3 pieces at a time, and they’re usually served with whole slices of jalapeno. Your correspondent has brought Combo A wings to many a party and potluck, and they’re a hit every time.
1411 Echo Park Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90026. Closest Metro line and stop: Bus Line 4 - “Sunset/Echo Park.”
