For some people, chicken wings are reserved for game days—and with sports in full swing, now’s the time to act upon that impulse. But whether you’re planning a picnic, heading to the park for the afternoon, or just looking to curl up on the couch and binge-watch murder shows all night, chicken wings always fit the bill. From wings spiced with a secret house blend to ones slathered in gochujang, there is no shortage of great versions all around town. Here are eight that we love.
THE SPOTS
San Tung’s dry-fried chicken wings are some of the city’s best. They’re battered, deep-fried, and covered in a caramel-like garlic, ginger, and red pepper sauce. To put it more plainly—these sticky wings are amazing, and you shouldn't be surprised when you lick each finger after every bite. The Inner Sunset spot usually attracts long wait times for a table, but they're running takeout-only for now. Get some of their excellent potstickers and black bean sauce noodles while you're at it.
Hot Sauce and Panko in Russian Hill runs a tight chicken wings to-go operation and we’re grateful for it. The wings are, simply put, incredible. One order here comes with five pieces for $6.99 (the $11.99 special includes a sweet Belgian waffle). They also have a ton of flavors to choose from, but some of our favorites include salt and pepper; the “green” with cilantro, jalapeño, and ginger; and Korean-style wings slathered in gochujang. Heads up, sauces are 50 cents extra.
The Guamanian restaurant in the Mission serves sweet rolls, beef empanadas, handmade egg noodles and coconut beef, and other excellent Chamorro dishes, the indigenous foods of Guam and the Marianas Islands. And, have you met the ko’ko wings? They’re tender and juicy, spiced with a secret house blend, and taste even better dipped in their tangy lemon fina’denne sauce. Since you'll likely end up having dreams about these perfect hand-held snacks, do yourself a favor and order this pantry provisions set. It includes the fina'denne sauce and ko'ko spice that you'll want to sprinkle on everything.
Halal Wings Plus
This Tenderloin spot specializes in halal chicken wings and is great for big orders ($62.99 will get you 50 wings). If your chicken wing goals are less ambitious, opt for the 12-piece order for $12.99. The menu has a bunch of different sauces and dry rubs, but there isn’t a wrong choice. Go for the honey garlic, which has the right amount of sweetness and some heat from the chili flakes, or lemon pepper all the way if you don't need your wings doused in sauce. Everything comes with a side of ranch dressing.
The Detroit-style pizzas from the Square Pie Guys are San Francisco royalty, and we would climb Mount Tam five times in a single morning if it means we could get The 6x8 with the juicy pepperoni cups to our tables with just a snap of our fingers. But do not overlook the Szechuan dry-fried chicken wings. Well-spiced, salty, and spicy, the wings come with a creamy cilantro lime sauce you will want to put on everything (including The 6x8, obviously).
Two words describe the chicken wings at this Chinese restaurant in Hayes Valley: perfectly balanced. The sticky goodness is a tad spicy but not in a "help, send milk now" sort of way. And the sauce is an ideal combination of salty and sweet. But the crackly skin on each wing is what keeps us wanting to order them every time we come here.
Ask us to tell you everything we love about Um.ma, and we'd start with, "There is just not enough time in one day." We'll give you the truncated version: This Inner Sunset spot has excellent Korean BBQ and seafood pancakes, a lively atmosphere, and a picnic table-filled patio that's perfect for large groups. Um.ma also serves amazing chicken wings, which they offer slathered with citrus gochujang, ginger sesame soy, or honey butter.
When the craving for chicken wings hits, and you happen to find yourself in the Outer Sunset, head to Toyose. The Korean restaurant housed in a converted garage serves some pretty reliable ones—big, deep-fried, and crispy. Our only wish is that these wings were spicier and had a deeper flavor. But still, these get the job done in a pinch.
