Who can claim the Triangle’s best chicken wings? Vote now for your final pick.
After thousands of votes and a grueling two weeks of chicken wing fanaticism, we’re down to the final two wing joints.
In a showdown of Super Bowl-esque proportions, Heavenly Buffaloes will square off against My Way Tavern.
Both of these wing joints have broad appeal, each serving up at multiple locations, with Heavenly Buffaloes in Durham and Chapel Hill and My Way Tavern in Downtown Raleigh and Holly Springs.
There can only be one winner in the Triangle Chicken Wing Bracket.
The Triangle’s robust wing scene includes dive bars, takeout joints, smokehouses, Korean restaurants and upscale spots, all adding something special to a plate of chicken wings.
Counting down to the Super Bowl, The News & Observer is setting out to find the top wing joint in the Triangle. For the Chicken Wing Bracket, we started with 16 of the region’s very best wings.
Round one said goodbye to some tasty wing spots, including Durham Indian restaurant Viceroy and Fuquay-Varina’s Aviator Smokehouse. Round two whittled the ranks down to only sports bars, leaving out the Korean fried chicken wings of M Kokko and the Piri Piri wings of Zweli’s Kitchen. In Round Three, Heavenly Buffaloes and My Way Tavern outlasted Hillsborough’s Wooden Nickel Pub and Woody’s Sports Tavern.
Here’s how it works: For the Final Round, voters can only pick one wing joint. The winner will be crowned Friday, Feb. 11.
Save this list of the original 16 contenders for your own wing joint journey.
Apex Wings
518 E. Williams St., Apex. 919-387-0082 or apexwings.com
This Apex spot has 20 wing sauces and four dry rubs and wing counts ranging from six for to 100.
Aviator Smokehouse
525 E. Broad St., Fuquay Varina. 919-557-7675 or aviatorbrew.com/smokehouse
Aviator has built an empire of beer, barbecue and pizza in Fuquay-Varina. The wings are smoked and then fried, coming in orders of 6, 12 and 18 and four different sauces and one dry rub.
Backyard Bistro
1235 Hurricane Alley Way, Raleigh. 919-851-6203 or backyardbistro.com
The closest bar to PNC Arena sells wings by the half dozen, with 11 different sauces and one dry rub as seasoning.
Boricua Soul
705 Willard St., Durham. 919-902-0520 or boricuasoul.com
Wings at this American Tobacco Campus restaurant come in options like Jerk, Guava Lava and Hot and in orders of five and 10 pieces.
Buffalo Brothers
Five locations in Wake County. buffalobrothers.com
This Wake County wing shop has roots in Buffalo, the birthplace of the classic chicken wing. There are 21 wing sauces, with orders coming in 10, 20 and 40 pieces.
Heavenly Buffaloes
1807 W. Markham Ave., Durham. 919-237-2358 or heavenlybuffaloes.com
2816 Erwin Road, Suite 205, Durham. 919-797-2456
407 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-914-6717
A wing brand with one takeout shop and two restaurants, Heavenly Buffaloes sells wings in quantities ranging from seven to 251. There are seven different dry rubs, three “fancy” sauces and 16 different sauces.
M Kokko
311 Holland St., Ste. B, Durham. 919-908-9332 or m-restaurants.com/m-kokko
On the menu as “KFC” for Korean Fried Chicken, these wings come sauced in garlic soy or spicy flavors.
My Way Tavern
522 St. Mary’s St., Raleigh. 919-900-8273 or mywaytavern.com
301 W. Center St., Holly Springs. 919-285-2412
These wings are sold by the pound and come in 11 different sauce and dry rub options.
Over the Falls
419 Brooks St., Wake Forest. 919-849-8947 or otfalls.com
The wings here come in orders of six, 10 or 20, with 11 different varieties of sauces and three dry rubs. Over the Falls will also honor requests for “all flats” and “all drumettes” for an upcharge.
Sharky’s Place
5800 Duraleigh Road, Suite 100, Raleigh. 919-783-5448 or sharkysnc.com
There are 10 sauces and six dry rub options at this North Raleigh sports bar where the wings come smoked and then grilled or flash fried.
Soo Cafe
2815 Brentwood Road, Raleigh. 919-876-1969
This Korean restaurant gets its wings extra crispy with two dips in the fryer. Sauces include soy and ginger and “Old Fashioned,” which is what most Korean fried chicken fans will recognize for its blend of heat and sweet.
Viceroy
335 W. Main St., Durham. 919-797-0413 or viceroydurham.com
The Jeera wings at this downtown Durham Indian restaurant are rubbed with cumin and roasted until crispy. When they say “hot” they mean it.
Wings Over
2900 Hillsborough St., Raleigh. 919-546-9111
313 E. Main St., Carrboro. 919-537-8271. wingsover.com
The Triangle has a pair of the southern-most locations of this Northeast chain, where the wings are takeout only, with 24 sauce options and order counts from six to 100.
Wooden Nickel Pub
113 N. Churton St., Hillsborough. 919-932-0134 or thewnp.com
A wing spot in downtown Hillsborough, the Wooden Nickel serves wings in six, 12 and 24 counts and 10 different sauces, one of which is always made with beer.
Woody’s Sports Tavern & Grill
8322 Chapel Hill Road, Cary. 919-380-7737 or woodysportstavern.com
205 Wolfe St., Raleigh. 919-833-3000
Wings at Woody’s come fried and tossed in 14 different sauce choices, served in counts from five to 50.
Zweli’s
4600 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., Suite 26, Durham. 984-219-7555 or zwelis.com
Here there’s only one option, the Piri Piri wings, which are flame-grilled and served in orders of eight.
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 2:02 PM.
